Build Me - An Ongoing Journey

I captured my new weekly progress shots this morning. I don't see a huge difference, but after looking over many past weeks it does seem I am showing slightly more definition in my arms and maybe some small growth in my chest. Again both of these differences are hardly noticeable so it could be just me. Overall I still have yet to see significant progress. Comments/Criticisms/Critiques are welcome!
 
Sunday 2/22/09
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Weight: 153.0lb – -1.4lb
Body Fat: 9.3% – -0.2%
Lean Mass: 138.77lb – -0.96lb
Fat Weight: 14.23lb – -0.44lb

Diet:
9:45am:
1 small Pear
1 small-medium Apple
4/5 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small Pear
1 cup Oatmeal
1 cup Quinoa with Black Beans and Vegetables
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, no beef]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Broccoli (Soy Sauce, Chile Sauce)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, very little beef]
1 plate with 1 medium piece Chicken Breast [light oil based sauce], Couscous with Vegetables

That was my diet.



The Day:

As predicted my weight did rebound as well as my body fat. My gut instinct tells me I am now due for another drop as I already went through the “back and forth” motion that body fat and weight seems to make. Heh, it’s like the stock market isn’t it? Anyway, as said, tomorrow my guess is that I will experience another drop in weight and hopefully in body fat as well (though this one seems to be struggling to keep up).

I tested my new maximums today. I hit exactly 72 again on pushups. I’m content with this for now as I am cutting so don’t expect giant strength gains. Once I get back down to my maintenance body fat and weight I should like to see my performance began to take an increasing trend again. My sit-ups actually dropped to 48. I don’t think it is because of me getting weaker though. I think before I have been cheating on my maximums by not going the full ROM. This time at least for the first 25 I went for the full movement which I believe slowed me down since after noticing myself behind pace I went back to how I used to do sit-ups. For this reason I will try to focus on getting that full ROM even for my maximum and I expect my future numbers to possibly continue to go down as I get better at this. Know this though, it does not mean I am doing worse. It means I am doing better. Good night.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #80.
 
Monday 2/23/09
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Weight: 154.4lb – +1.4lb
Body Fat: 9.7% – +0.4%
Lean Mass: 139.42lb – +0.65lb
Fat Weight: 14.98lb – +0.75lb

Diet:
7:40am:
2 medium Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:45pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup
1 cup Mixed Vegetables
3:15pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Curried Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Curried Vegetable Soup
1 bowl Broccoli with Mixed Vegetables (Chile Sauce)
1 plate 3-4 small pieces Meatloaf, Peas and Carrots, Rice and Mixed Vegetables

That was my diet.



The Day:

Hah, it seems I predicted wrong yet again. My weight rebounded for the nth time today along with a more severe fallback regarding my body fat. I am not weakened by this though. The fact is I feel leaner today, and that feeling triumphs over any numbers I see. Truth be told I also felt most of yesterday as if a giant **** was building up, but it never came. In a way I am justifying these results in that way. I don’t know if it is a scientifically accurate reason though, but ever since I found out that the brown brick wasn’t going to pass yesterday I had a sneaking suspicion that I would see the consequence of that on the scale this morning. Though I didn’t mention it in my journal, it appears in my subconscious I predicted right.

My cardio today was particularly hard. For some reason the treadmill that I normally run on was shut off (not sure if it was actually broken) so I had to switch and use a non-standard one. I found that even with the incline set to zero that there was a definite noticeable slope. If you run like I do I’m sure you know that even the slightest slope can make a quick difference in intensity. Well it did. I was forced this time around to start breathing through my mouth instead of my structured breathing through my nose that I was used to. I was able to complete the 2 miles, while still sprinting towards the end in my normal time (actually a few seconds slower for no apparent reason as my speed was the same). Afterwards the rest of the workout went as it always did and I was happy to be able to use the non-faulty ellipticals with the correct resistance.

I ended the day satisfied in pretty much every category. My diet was as good as it could get with the exception of dinner where I may have ever so slightly overeaten. I am not too worried about that though because if I did, like I said it was slight. My pushups went perfect. I am really beginning to the enjoy that feeling of pumping them out with consistency and focus.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #81.
 
Tuesday 2/24/09
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Weight: 153.2lb – -1.2lb
Body Fat: 9.6% – -0.1%
Lean Mass: 138.49lb – -0.93lb
Fat Weight: 14.71lb – -0.27lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 small Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:50am:
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with 3 Egg Whites
12:15pm:
1 cup Black Beans with Vegetables
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Ham Rice Gumbo
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5 Pickle Spears
5:20pm:
3/4 bowl Chicken Ham Rice Gumbo [extra chicken, ham, and rice]
3/4 bowl Vegan Gumbo with Peas and Onions
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Deli Turkey, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Day:

Well the giant brick of you-know-what passed cleanly through my system and it seems my weight did take a plunge. Whether this was correlation or causation I will never know.

My lifting today was extraordinarily intense. Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t have to think about Economics right afterwards (class was canceled today) or maybe it was just one of those days. Whatever it was, by the end I never felt so muscularly exhausted. During every lift I really tried to isolate my focus on the muscle group I was tearing down. Maybe it was that. Most likely it was the combination of all these factors that lead to one of the greatest lifting workouts I’ve had in a long time. I ended it with a nice post-workout meal of a slice of bread with some egg whites. I feel like today I really destroyed my muscle fibers. It was glorious.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #82.
 
Wednesday 2/25/09
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Weight: 152.8lb – -0.4lb
Body Fat: 10.2% – +0.6%
Lean Mass: 137.21lb – -1.28lb
Fat Weight: 15.49lb – +0.87lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1/2 bowl Vegetable Ratatouille
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Turkey Barley Soup [a little extra turkey and barley]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:15pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Turkey Barley Soup [extra turkey and barley]
1 plate Top Round Roast Beef, Chesapeake Corn, Vegetable Stew

That was my diet.



The Day:

Of course I don’t believe that body fat percentage number. 10.2%? Ridiculous… Especially since my body weight actually dropped and I ate perfectly for the last few days. I simply won’t accept that as real, at least not as one day evidence. I am beginning more and more to distrust this body fat analyzer. It used to be reliable, but I don’t know what happened. I’ll keep using it for now, but in the future I may have to end up disregarding it entirely. In more qualitative measurements, I woke up feeling leaner today.

I was so close today to obtaining my goal of 90+ rpm on the elliptical HIIT for my sprint sessions. And by close I mean really really close. On the last sprint, at level 10 resistance, I was completely confident in myself. But, then, for a split second, my focus dropped as I watched some commercial on TV. During this brief blip I found out that I was actually cycling at 88 rpm. I seriously considered giving myself the award of 90+ rpm regardless, but I knew I would be lying to myself. Next time, next time, I will not make such an error. My mind will stay on the task even up to the last second (as it was in the last 30 seconds of the last sprint that this happened). Next time, I will obtain that goal.

So that was my day at the gym, a good day and a good workout. The machine clocked me in at 367 calories burned, which was equal to that of last time (meaning I was nearly equally as close last week at obtaining my goal as well). I don’t have anywhere else to put this so I will put it here, in this paragraph too. Yesterday I had played soccer for an hour late at night. My Sailing Club has created an Intramural Soccer Team for the offseason. It isn’t too serious and the playing was fairly light. It was enough to get me breathing, but I don’t think it will add to recovery time or cause any serious changes in my more routine exercising. It also is only one practice and one game a week. I will consider it like the Tae Kwon Do of last semester in that it is a small supplement of cardio on the side.

I also forgot to talk about my sit-ups on Monday night. I failed at the 28th rep. It felt good though and I still got the burn. I will of course be doing them again tonight. If I continue to fail then I may decrease the reps so I don’t burn myself out.

As for tonight, my pushup strength was average and my sit-ups were average as well. And when I mean average in sit-ups I mean they followed the last few nights’ results to the tee (failed on the 28th rep). I’m going to give it one more night, tomorrow night, to try and succeed a 32 rep workout. If it doesn’t happen then I’m going to decrease slightly down to 30 and see what kind of level I can get my intensity to brink.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #83.
 
Thursday 2/26/09
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Weight: 152.2lb – -0.6lb
Body Fat: 9.2% – -1.0%
Lean Mass: 138.20lb – +0.99lb
Fat Weight: 14.00lb – -1.49lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 small-medium Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Oatmeal [slightly runny, cooked with raisins and possibly something sweet but I removed the raisins]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham(Mustard)
1:40pm:
1 bowl Vegetable and Bean Minestrone Soup with Chicken
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
3:10pm:
1 small-medium Pear
1 bowl Italian Wedding Soup [broth only]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1 bowl Italian Wedding Soup [broth only]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper, Cottage Cheese, 3 Egg Whites (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
3/4 bowl Squash and Zucchini with a little Couscous
3/4 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Chicken, Corn, Black Beans, Green Onions, Carrots, Tomato (Light Citrus Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Day:

Due to time constraints, I sadly have to make this entry brief. During my time at the gym I hit a new personal best on my 2 mile run. Around the 11 minute mark I found myself having a good deal amount of extra energy and upped the speed. At first it was just .2 mph more to 8.5. But then I found I could keep increasing it. Eventually I finished off the last minute or two at 9mph and sprinted the last 10th of a mile at 10mph. Annoyingly I was so happy over this achievement that I failed to actually record my time! I know I did my best though, I’ll have to accept just that for now. I should note that the treadmill did seemed to be slightly declined, but maybe that’s because I was used to the slight incline from Monday’s tough workout. I don’t know. In both cases if there was a decline or an incline the degree was small.

As the norm, my pushups were well… normal. Following my maximum’s result on Sunday I will make a decision on increasing the reps. I am definitely leaning right now though towards doing just that. As for my sit-ups, I actually was able to complete every rep today for each set. I’m not exactly enthusiastic over this result though. It still felt like too much and I had to decrease my cadence and use some bounce to do it. I am going to be changing the reps to 30 despite today’s result. I feel like the lesser amount will enable me to focus more on actually burning those ab muscles than simply completing the exercise.

Today was a long school day. I am glad tomorrow is Friday. Good night.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #84.
 
Friday 2/27/09
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Weight: 153.0lb – +0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – -0.2%
Lean Mass: 139.23lb – +1.03lb
Fat Weight: 13.77lb – -0.23lb

Diet:
7:15am:
1 bowl Grits [over the top]
1/4 to 1/2 cup Egg Whites with Deli Ham [more than usual] (Mustard)
8:45am [Post-Workout]:
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with 3 Egg Whites
12:15pm:
1 small-medium Pear
3/4 bowl Vegetable Tomato Bisque
3/4 bowl Couscous, Lentils, and Eggplant
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:15pm:
3/4 bowl Broccoli (Chile Sauce, Soy Sauce)
1 plate 1 medium piece Chicken Breast [light sauce], Peas and Vegetables, Vegan Chili
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Day:

It really is nice to see results. My weight did increase slightly today, most likely recovering, rebounding, from yesterday’s drop. But it was my body fat measurement that put a smile on my face. It dropped! I am now much more confident that I am heading in the right direction. It feels good to know that.

My breakfast sucked this morning. Again Sage Dining Hall had **** compared to Commons where I usually go. I hate that they are the only venue for eating at 7:00am. They replaced Oatmeal with Grits and I ate it figuring it would be nearly as healthy. Not so! Grits are fairly high on the GI list and a fast digesting carb. Meh, one meal won’t make a huge difference, but I’m disappointed. Also they had new whole eggs so I had to use liquid egg whites and estimate. Last of all, there were no Apples. God that place sucks.

I would say that my workout afterwards was around average. I was in a slight downer mood because of the meal beforehand, but it didn’t seem to affect me too much. I think I did best with my first exercise, the squat. Normally I always push myself to the edge as I should, but later on my legs never seem to get that sore. Today after the squats there was a constant weakness in them. I love that feeling. It seems it only happens with one muscle group per lifting session and I’m glad it happened today with my legs. It feels great.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #85.
 
Saturday 2/28/09
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Weight: 153.2lb – +0.2lb
Body Fat: 9.3% – +0.3%
Lean Mass: 138.95lb – -0.28lb
Fat Weight: 14.25lb – +0.48lb

Diet:
9:15am:
1 small-medium Pear
1 small Apple
1 medium Apple
2/3 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:30pm:
1 small-medium Pear
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Barley Soup [extra chicken and barley]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Barley Soup [extra chicken and barley]
2/3 bowl Chinese Vegetables (Chile Sauce, Soy Sauce)
1 plate 3 small pieces Pork Roast, Couscous with Vegetables, Peas and Mushrooms, Sweet Potatoes [light glaze]

That was my diet.



The Day:

Last night I went to bed feeling lean, but this morning I woke up feeling bloated. I think I have a rock waiting to pass. That might explain the slight variance in weight and body fat as well, or it could just be the standard daily fluctuations. I wouldn’t be surprised though if I make that dump and tomorrow comes and suddenly I drop some more weight. Speaking of tomorrow, I’ll have pictures then too. I am excited for those as I definitely feel at least from looking in the mirror that I am becoming more defined.
I was fairly active today, more so than my normal Saturday. I spent a good deal of time outside walking around as my school had its first annual Winter Carnival. Later on in the day though I started to feel the stirrings of sickness. Disease is way too common of a threat in college. Ever since I got sick around a month ago I have stocked up on anti-cold medicine. I downed two pills of immune system vitamins with a cold-suppressant lozenge. I don’t know if any of that stuff actually does anything or if it is just a gimmick. But it is worth it a shot. I don’t want to get sick again. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow morning as that usually is a good sign of what is to come. Until then, good night.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #86.
 
My weekly progress shots are in. I don't see too much changes. Maybe a little more definition while flexing in the arms and while not flexing in the stomach. But again, very slight changes. Even if you go way back to 2-3 months ago the changes are very small. Maybe I am doing something wrong? Keep in mind that I am slightly sick right now (I'll talk more about that in today's journal entry). I don't know if that will throw off how I look, but it is something to note. Anyway, here are the pictures:
 
Sunday 3/01/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.2lb – +0.0lb
Body Fat: 9.2% – -0.1%
Lean Mass: 139.11lb – +0.16lb
Fat Weight: 14.09lb – -0.16lb

Diet:
9:15am:
2 medium Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1 Raspberry Emergen-C Packet
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1/2 bowl Seasoned Vegetables and Rice
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1 bowl Chinese Vegetables (Chile Sauce, Chile Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, a little extra beef]
1/2 plate Ham and Vegan Chili
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper, Tunafish [with mayo], Deli Turkey (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Day:

Well, as I feared, I woke up with the sickness. I have a throbbing sore throat right now with a mild headache, but who knows what that can turn into. Such things have a way of manipulating into many forms. I am on the all out attack right now to fight it before it attempts any such changes. I am taking down as much vitamins, Emergen-C’s, Cold-Eeze’s, whatever, as I possibly can. If this thing wants a war, it got one.

Being slightly weak my pushups dropped by one rep. In fact, I don’t know if it was even because I was slightly weak. I think overall I may have had better form. Either way it is just one rep, nothing to fuss over. My sit-ups followed perfect suit and also decreased by one rep. Again though, it may have been that I stopped what was probably some small cheating on the last 10 reps of my previous maximums for sit-ups. By that I mean I don’t think I was hitting my shoulder blades every rep when I tested my self before: this time I was (or at least nearly – still not perfect).

One of my reader suggested I create an additional section for exact numbers of my daily workouts. I will be adding this to my future journal entries. Expect to see it tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow… I really hope I get better. I want to do well in my run again so I can get that record time like I did last Friday (but forgot to record). I also have a big midterm in my toughest class: Data Structures and Algorithms a little later that day. I don’t want to be sick for that as well! Well, I did all that I could to get better. Now it’s just up to my body to fight it out. Good night.

That was the day.




This concludes Entry #87.
 
Monday 3/2/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.8lb – +0.6lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – -0.2%
Lean Mass: 139.96lb – +0.85lb
Fat Weight: 13.84lb – -0.25lb

Diet:
7:45am:
2 medium Apples
4/5 bowl Oatmeal [slightly runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1 Raspberry Emergen-C Packet
1:45pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup [most noodles removed]
3:15pm:
1 small-medium Pear
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Soup [mostly broth]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:40pm:
1 bowl Chicken Soup [mostly broth]
1/2 plate Chicken Breast, Black Beans
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

RUN
2 miles (14:17) @ ~8.3mph
ELLIPTICAL
5 min @ 65rpm
5 min @ 70rpm
5 min @ 75rpm
5min @ 80rpm
INCLINE WALK
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline


PUSHUPS
3x30 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

I woke up this morning to find I am still in the depths of sickness. I have made the personal decision to workout regardless. I will push myself to the edge no matter what obstacle. I have a test today and I am going to push myself to the edge on that as well. I am stronger than this disease and it will feel my wrath.

Today was an incredibly busy day. I plowed through my first workout. My disease did not seem to affect me as I ran a new personal record. I did this by increasing my speed from 8.3mph to 9.0mph at the 12:00min mark and then sprinting the last 1/10 of a mile at 10mph. It felt great to achieve this, especially considering my slight weakness. The rest of my workout went normal.

At night I really wasn’t in the mood to do the pushups and sit-ups because my cold got worse (as it tends to do in the nighttime hours). It was also past my usual bed time and I was up late because of the amount of work I had (there’s another test tomorrow in addition to the one I just had today). Despite this I did them anyway and though my mind wasn’t exactly in the movements I performed admirably. If you noticed I switched the reps on the sit-ups as I said I would to 30 from 32. This enabled me to actually succeed and complete the prescribed workout. It felt nice to not fail on those this time.



That was the day.




This concludes Entry #88.
 
Tuesday 3/3/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 152.6lb – -1.2lb
Body Fat: 9.4% – +0.4lb
Lean Mass: 138.26lb – -1.7lb
Fat Weight: 14.34lb – +0.5lb

Diet:
7:15am:
3 small Apples
1 bowl Oatmeal [very runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
8:45am [Post-Workout]:
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with 3 Egg Whites (Mustard)
1 packet Raspberry Emergen-C
12:15pm:
1 small-medium Pear
1 cup Black Beans
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Beef Barley Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1 cup Stir-Fried Chinese Beef with Tomatoes
1 bowl Beef Barley Soup
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 plate with Turkey London Broil, Pork, a little Black Beans

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ 75rpm

3x5x145 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x165 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x120 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press
30sec rest
3x10x25 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x5x30 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x5 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Knee Raises
30sec rest



That was the workout.



The Day:

This morning started at ****ty as I was screwed yet again with a horrible breakfast from Sage Dining Hall. I had to eat early due to a Bio test at 9:00am which shifted my entire schedule by a half an hour. I was of course also sick during all this so it was annoying to have to rush around my the eatery to my dorm to the gym back to the dining hall (for my post-workout meal) and then to the test. In the end though, I managed.

My workout at the gym was around average. The fact that I was sick didn’t seem to affect any of my performances too much. I wasn’t feeling particularly energetic to break records, but I had enough in me to complete all the lifts with their required weights. I can’t ask for much more than that given my current condition.

Later on in the day I started to feel better. I think all these vitamins or supplements are finally doing their job. Or maybe it’s nature: you can never really know. Either way, I am getting better. That’s all that matters right now.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #89.
 
Wednesday 3/4/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 152.6lb – +0.0lb
Body Fat: 9.8% – +0.4%
Lean Mass: 137.65lb – -0.62lb
Fat Weight: 14.96lb – +0.62lb

Diet:
7:40am:
1 medium Apple
1 small-medium Pear
1 bowl Oatmeal [very runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1 packet Raspberry Emergen-C
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Pear
3/4 bowl Mixed Vegetables
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Turkey Rice Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1/2 bowl Cauliflower (Light Chinese Brown Sauce, Chile Sauce)
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Turkey Rice Soup [extra turkey]
1 plate Lightly Breaded Tilapia, Rice and Vegetables with a little Tofu

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
2 min @ 68-70rpm, level 1 resistance
2 min @ 68-70rpm, level 2 resistance
16 min @ 1:15 min 88-96rpm, 45 sec @ 68-70rpm, level 3-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
3x30 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

I have no idea why my body fat is shooting up like it is. Maybe the meter is acting funny because I’m sick? Simply put though, I don’t believe it. I feel leaner. And, when I look at myself in the mirror it seems to confirm that feeling. I am going to continue what I am doing even with the Omron Handheld Analyzer spewing out these contradictory numbers. My gut tells me the results will shift back to a proper equilibrium in due time.

I woke up feeling still sick. Obviously, as you surely know, the mornings and nights of colds and fevers are always the worst. For this reason I actually think I woke up feeling better. My guess would be that in a few more days I will be 100%. For now though I am around 80% or so and still very capable of pushing myself and working out hard. Which, of course, is what I plan to do!

I tried my best, but could not break my PR for the Elliptical HIIT like I was so close to doing last Wednesday. Regardless I performed nearly on par and burned 369 calories. I guess I’ll have to wake till next time, next time when I am at 100%. Sadly that won’t be for another 2 weeks since next week is spring break and I won’t be doing HIIT at the RPI Gym’s Ellipticals, but instead at some other location’s machines.

The day finished off as my cardio days always do with pushups and sit-ups. Both performances were standard and possibly actually easier than normal. I think the one-step back with sit-ups really help as I may even be ready to take a step forward. My pushups also have had a comfortable equilibrium for a little too long now and I am considering increasing their intensity as well. Because of the switch up next week with spring break and all though I’m going to give it that one extra week before I decide to change things up to a new level of fitness. I am looking forward to it though. It will be nice to break some more personal records.

That was the day.




This concludes Entry #90.
 
Thursday 3/5/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 151.8lb – -0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.5%– -0.3%
Lean Mass: 137.38lb – -0.27lb
Fat Weight: 14.42lb – -0.54lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 medium Apple
1 small-medium Pear
2/3 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1 packet Raspberry Emergen-C
1:15pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Green Pepper, Yellow Pepper, 3 Egg Whites (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Soup [extra chicken]
3:10pm:
1 medium Apple
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken and Black Bean Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:40pm:
1/2 bowl Broccoli (Soy Sauce, Chile Sauce, a little Light Chinese Brown Sauce)
1 bowl Chicken and Black Bean Soup
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)


That was my diet.



The Workout:

RUN
2 miles (14:12) @ ~8.3mph
ELLIPTICAL
5 min @ 65rpm
5 min @ 70rpm
5 min @ 75rpm
5min @ 80rpm
INCLINE WALK
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
3x30 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

I woke up feeling replenished. I think I am pretty much cured. I still have a slightly runny nose, but all the symptoms of weakness and lethargy seem to have dissipated. I also woke up to find that my weight dropped. In addition my body fat appears to have rebounded slightly back to previous levels. My guess is that it will continue to go back down from its sudden peak.

My breakfast was slightly annoying because the dining hall failed yet again at making a decent oatmeal. At least they got the consistency right, but for some reason they decided to add oranges and cranberries to the mix. I spent a good portion of Oatmeal from my bowl wasted as I carefully plucked out these inconveniences. Why can’t they just stick with the classic good stuff like they used to?

This extra energy after feeling at a low for the past few days made me perform quite well during my run today. I decided to increase my speed a minute earlier than last time and started to move at 9mph at the 11 minute mark. This made yet again break my PR and hit a 14:12 mile. I’m loving these increases in performance. The rest of the workout followed as normal and I left the gym quite satisfied.

And so did the rest of the day, following the rest of the workout, it also went normal. As always it ended with pushups and sit-ups which were static and unchanging from yesterday’s performance. Tomorrow I am off to NYC for the start of my spring break. I may be going to different gyms, using different ellipticals, but my workouts will remain the same. Intense.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #91.
 
Friday 3/6/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 151.0lb – -0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – -0.5%
Lean Mass: 137.41lb– +0.03lb
Fat Weight: 13.59lb – -0.83lb

Diet:
7:20am:
3 small-medium Apples
1/3 bowl Grits
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1 packet Raspberry Emergen-C
8:45am [Post-Workout]:
1 slice Rye Bread with 3 Egg Whites (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1 small-medium Pear
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Seafood Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
7:30pm:
1 small bowl Seafood Hot and Sour Soup
1 plate Steamed Flounder with Vegetables (Soy Sauce)
1 small plate Steamed Whole Fish with a little Brown Rice (Soy Sauce)
1 small plate Steamed Broccoli (Soy Sauce)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

3x5x145 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x165 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x120 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
3x5x50 Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
3x5 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5x30 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest


That was the workout.



The Day:

It is late and I have no time to right today. I will be brief. I had a great workout. I was motivated and energetic throughout the hour. I followed it with a good diet for the rest of the day. It was a nice Friday to end the gym week.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #92.
 
Saturday 3/7/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.2lb – -0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – +0.0%
Lean Mass: 136.68lb – -0.73lb
Fat Weight: 13.52lb – -0.07lb

Diet:
8:30am:
1 medium-large bowl Oatmeal
1 Egg White, Lox, and Onion Omelet with Lettuce, Tomato (a little Ketchup, Tabasco Sauce)
1:45pm:
1 medium-large bowl Lettuce Salad with Chicken Breast, Cabbage, Carrots, Wonton Strips (Light Asian Dressing)
5:45pm:
1/2 bowl Edamame
1 bowl Seaweed and Cucumber Salad with Raw Seafood
1 large plate 15 pieces Sashimi, a little Salmon

That was my diet.



The Workout:

--


That was the workout.



The Day:

I saw a nice decrease in my weight today. Looks like things are definitely heading in the right track. I don’t have much to say as most of my day today will be spent traveling. I should forewarn though that my diet may be a little random as I don’t have much control over these variable days. Once I settle down on Wednesday at my Mom’s house things should seem more uniform. Of course I will continue to eat healthy, so I’m not overall worried. The scale should give me any signs of wrongness before it becomes a problem.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #93.
 
Sunday 3/8/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: -- – --
Body Fat: -- – --
Lean Mass: -- – --
Fat Weight: -- – --

Diet:
8:20am:
1 cup Dry Rolled Oats
5 Jumbo Egg Whites with Deli Turkey (Mustard, Tabasco Sauce)
2:15pm:
3 plates Lettuce Salad with Chicken Breast, Cucumber, Tomatoes, a little Rice Salad, a little Pasta Salad, Melon
6:30pm:
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Chicken Breast, Vegetables (No Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Blackened Fish [slightly oily]
1 large piece Flatbread

That was my diet.



The Workout:

PUSHUPS:
1 x 1min (79 reps)
SIT-UPS:
1 x 1min (42 reps)


That was the workout.



The Day:

I woke up with no scale for measurements. I am at my Aunt’s house right now and since it is for a day decided that the benefit of packing a heavy metal scale outweighed the cost of lugging it around. Tomorrow I will have some numbers to show. Despite this I did feel and look leaner today.

Speaking of look, I also didn’t take my picture. Next Sunday I won’t have a picture either. For the previous weeks all of my pictures have been taken from the same place with the same lighting. I figure that if I start taking pictures at different locations temporarily it would only serve to confuse me and you. So, until I am back at college, I won’t be disturbing my progression shots.

My diet today was a little crazy as I had to basically eat what was available without much choice. I did my best to eat healthy regardless and in this way I think I succeeded.

Even though I did get in quite late I decided to test my maximums regardless of the fact that I had to get up early. This decision was well worth it. I ended up breaking my record significantly on my pushups as I hit a new plateau of 79! I am so proud of this achievement as I haven’t been seeing increasing in awhile. Maybe it’s the fact that I was testing myself in a new fresh location (that is not inside my stuffy dorm room). My sit-ups had issues though. It wasn’t that I had a decrease in strength or anything, it’s just I had to use a different set up to keep my feet planted and it wasn’t quite perfect. I struggled more on the area of just getting my legs steady. I did my best though and still was able to push out decent numbers at 42 reps. Overall it was a good night.

I’m curious to see the scale too: I haven’t been eating much these last 2 days because of traveling so I bet my weight dropped more than average. I expect a rebound of course as I should, but it would be nice to see that extra low number.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #94.
 
Monday 3/9/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.6lb – -0.4lb
Body Fat: 9.6% – +0.6%
Lean Mass: 136.14lb – -1.27lb
Fat Weight: 14.46lb – +0.87lb

Diet:
7:20am:
1 medium-large bowl Oatmeal
1 Egg White, Lox, Onion Omelet (Ketchup, Tabasco Sauce)
2:00pm:
1 plate Vegetables [cooked with butter], Stuffed Flounder [cooked with butter], Rice and Vegetables [cooked with butter]
7:30pm:
1 small plate Japanese Seaweed Salad
1 bowl Seafood Lemongrass Soup
1 large plate with 14 medium pieces Sashimi, Egg Row, Shirataki, Cucumber, a small forkful of Pad Thai, Pickled Ginger (Soy Sauce, Wasabi)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

RUN
2 miles (14:10) @ ~8.3mph
ELLIPTICAL
5 min @ 135-140strides per minute, 15 resistance
5 min @ 145-150strides per minute, 15 resistance
5 min @ 150-155strides per minute, 20 resistance
5 min @ 155-165strides per minute, 20 resistance
INCLINE WALK
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
3x30 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)

That was the workout.



The Day:

And today I found out as I already really knew that I simply cannot predict my numbers, especially on a daily basis. My weight did drop slightly, but my body fat ballooned. Reason? Unknown. If it is anything like the past than I shouldn’t fret (and so I am not): I am assured that my body fat will drop back down as it should. It always does.

I had an interview today that started at 7:45am, but ended at 4:30pm. Obviously it evolved from a mere interview to something more of a “meet the company” day. I think I presented myself fairly well and despite my freshman status there shouldn’t be much in the way of me landing this summer internship. I really hope I get it as it is an awesome company from what I’ve seen.

Because of the interview my lunch was restricted to the company’s schedule. I should have gotten the grilled chicken salad but stupidly opted for this flounder dish at an Irish Pub. What I thought would be mostly fish turned out to be a thing wrapping around a plump of stuffing. I ate it regardless as I needed something in me and it wasn’t nearly a big enough dish to get in the way of my caloric restriction. I also had to be polite.

Also because of the interview my workout didn’t start until 5:00pm. I used my father’s gym at the lower level of his apartment complex. For a running cardio day it had everything I needed, but tomorrow I will have to relocate elsewhere as its selection of free weights was very limited. When I went inside it felt like a pool area. It was hot, mucky, humid, the whole nine yards. I tried to not be discouraged, but I was. Amazingly this didn’t seem to affect my workout too much. I had a runny nose problem throughout most of my run as well as an issue with my Zune which caused it to shutdown all together. But similarly, this didn’t seem to affect my workout either. I was able to increase my speed to 8.5mph at around the 10 minute mark and then boosted it again to a nice 9.0mph on the 11th minute. Sprinting the last 10th of a mile I made another new personal record of 14:10. I am impressing myself every day.

After the run I hopped on the elliptical as I always do. It wasn’t one of my standard choices though and the movements felt weird. My workout suffered because of this as I struggled more with finding a rhythmic cycle that I could get my legs into than actually working my legs. I still burned 249 calories and made myself tire and sweat. But overall, it just wasn’t the same intensity that I could have gotten on a better made machine. I don’t care though. I had an excellent run and that alone is enough to make me walk out happy.

At night my pushups actually seemed a little harder than usual. This could be though because it was nearing 11:00pm and I had a long day. In fact I almost fell asleep while watching a movie beforehand so I was overly sleepy to be doing pushups and sit-ups. My pushups were equally as difficult, but because of a better foot position (I used the bottom of the sofa this time) I was able to focus more on my abs and less on my legs and feet. This lead to a nice burn in that region and made glad I completed the overall nightly session even with the oncoming storm of sleep.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #95.
 
Tuesday 3/10/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.0lb – -0.6lb
Body Fat: 8.8% – -0.8%
Lean Mass: 136.80lb – +0.66lb
Fat Weight: 13.20lb – -1.26lb

Diet:
9:30am:
1/2 bowl Oatmeal [possibly made with milk]
1 Egg White, Ham, Mushroom, Tomato, Onion Omelet (Ketchup, Tabasco Sauce)
1 medium Pear
2:30pm:
1 bowl Minestrone Vegetable Soup
1 plate with 2 large thin pieces Chicken Breast, Lettuce and Tomatoes, a little Shrimp, Vegetables, a little White Beans
1 small plate Spaghetti (Tomato Sauce)
3:30pm:
1 medium-large Apple
6:30pm:
1 plate Lettuce Salad with Wild Mushrooms, a little Nuts (Walnut Oil Dressing)
1 small plate Mustard Crusted Tuna
2 small plates Rice and Vegetables

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL
5 min @ 7.5-8.5 speed

3x5x145 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x165 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press
30sec rest
3x10x25 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x5x30 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x5 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
3x5x120 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Knee Raises
30sec rest


That was the workout.



The Day:

Sweet numbers this morning! I am ecstatic. Both of my body weight and my body fat dropped significantly. There will be a rebound I’m sure, but for now I’m going to relish this moment. It’s awesome.

My workout later on in the morning was around average. I was able to obtain a membership at the JCC in New York which had the proper equipment for my lifts so overall the fact that I was at some place foreign did not affect me much. The elliptical though that I used to warm-up with reported an absurdly low amount of calories burned for what I felt was around an equivalent workout. By this I mean it reported a deficit of nearly 40 calories compared to my usual 5 minute warm-up. As always though these reports are never consistent and I don’t pay attention to them much anyway for that reason. As for the lifts, despite having to change up my ordering slightly (certain equipment was in use) they were all relatively good. I’ve noticed myself moving onto the ball of my foot during squats so I really tried today to work on eliminating that issue. I wasn’t able to get it down perfect, but I definitely got some progression onto making sure I’m staying purely on my heels.

My diet today was fairly good though the meal timings were not quite what I wanted simply because I wasn’t in control. Also at first I thought I overate at dinner, but it turns out I was simply bloated for whatever reason. After that feeling past I think I ate the right amount overall. Tomorrow I’m heading back to Pennsylvania where I should have some more control on my daily routines. I’m looking forward to that. Good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #96.
 
Wednesday 3/11/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.4lb – +0.4lb
Body Fat: 9.1% – +0.3%
Lean Mass: 136.71lb – -0.09lb
Fat Weight: 13.69lb – +0.49lb

Diet:
8:20am:
1/2 cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats
5 Jumbo Egg Whites with Lox (Mustard, Tabasco Sauce)
12:10pm:
1 bowl Duck, Chicken, and Rice Soup
1 plate Pepper Crusted Tuna with Mixed Vegetables
1:30pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1 small-medium Pear
4:30pm:
1 slice Deli Turkey
4-5 Baby Cut Carrots
7:20pm:
1 bowl Spinach Salad with Mushrooms, Shallots, 1 Egg White [a little yolk] (Light Oil Dressing)
1 bowl Wild Rice Soup with Vegetables, Slivered Almonds
1 plate with 3 medium pieces Chicken Breast

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL:
3min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline
ELLIPTICAL:
3min @ varying intensities
ELLIPTICAL:
2min @ 145-150spm, 15resistance
2min @ 145-150spm, 15resistance
8 intervals of (increasing by +1resistance every interval)
1:15min @ 185-195spm
45 sec @ 145-150spm
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline


That was the workout.



The Day:

And so my numbers rebounded as I thought they would. The nice thing is the rebound was small. I know I shouldn’t get caught up in this whole rebound, sudden loss, sudden gain, nonsense but I don’t know. For some reason, I find it fun.

My workout didn’t occur until later at around mid-afternoon as I was traveling for most of the early day towards Pennsylvania. My local gym had bought new ellipticals to replace the ones I used to use for HIIT just when I left over winter break, so I had yet to try them out to their full extent. Today I attempted to do just that. These new machines are completely different. They workout is good in that they stimulate lots of muscles in the movement and the intensity is therefore very hard from the start. The problem is the very dynamic full range of movement that they provide does not allow for any fast paced activity meaning trying to do HIIT on them was not possible. I then had to switch to a different elliptical that was not ideal, but I managed. I’m not sure for what I will do in the future as neither the new elliptical nor the alternative really appeals to me. It is possible that I may replace the use of ellipticals all together with some version of HIIT on the treadmill. I’ll have to take that into serious consideration (luckily I have time since it is only this week that I am at home in the situation and I have near 2 months until Summer).

I’m not at all sure why but my nightly exercises seemed harder today. Both my pushups and sit-ups were definitely more difficult than Monday night. Maybe it was because the floor underneath me was a soft and giving rug? Maybe. I really have no true idea. Whatever the cause, I did manage to complete all reps and all sets adequately. And so I still ended the day on a good satisfactory note.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #97.
 
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