Diary of a teenage guy!

[ucdpunk]

Hey. Haven't really been recording my day-to-day progress so I figured I'd start now!

Stuff about me
Age: 18 (turning 19 next month in July)
Height: 5'11''
Current Weight: 159 lbs (last checked this morning)
Original Weight: 230+ lbs
Length of time on my diet/exercise program: Over 3 months
Total Weight Loss: Over 71 lbs
Goal Weight: Unsure.

My exercise
Cardio 5 days a week, Mon to Fri
-Basically a 3-mile run first thing in the morning
Strength training 3 days a week on Tues/Thurs/Sat
-Several reps of the following...
-Push ups
-Crunches
-Dumbell lifts (various positions)
-Situps with dumbells
-Dumbell bench presses

What I eat
Typical day consists of....

Breakfast:
1/2 cup rolled oats with some skim milk

Lunch:
whole wheat turkey sandwich with romaine lettuce and tomatoes
apple

Snack:
1 fruit (usually an apple or a pear)

Dinner:
some kind of lean meat (often chicken breast or tilapia)
a good portion of vegetables (such as broccoli, spinach, onions, mushrooms etc.)
fat-free yogurt

On weekends it can vary slightly

Total estimated caloric intake per day: About 1500

What I plan to do now
According to the Harris Benedict Equation, my BMR is somewhere around 1835 calories

When multiplying by an exercise factor of 1.55 (moderate exercise in a week) my maintenance caloric level is estimated to be about 2844 calories.

This means I've created a deficit of about 1344 calories.
Obviously this deficit is too big, and I've actually been at this deficit for a while, so I plan to increase my caloric intake starting Monday.

This will be done by adding 1 banana (110 cals) to my breakfast and a slice of cheese (100 cals) to my lunch sandwich. Hopefully I'll be pleased with the results...

After one week of doing this, I plan to increase my caloric intake a little more by adding one serving of almonds (169 calories...for protein and healthy fats) to my daily snack. I might possibly add 1 egg (54 calories?) to my breakfast in the future, but that depends on how I see my weight fluctuate.

First entry:

6/27/09

Slept like a BABY last night! Felt pretty rested when I woke up this morning (at like 9:30ish AM.) This morning I weighed myself and found out I'm at 159...exact same weight as yesterday, which is weird. Last Friday I was 159.5, which means I've lost only half a pound this whole entire week. I find that troubling because right now I have an abnormally large caloric deficit. I expected to lose more, so I'm not sure what antics my body is up to. It makes me scared of increasing my caloric intake (starting Monday), but I guess it's one of those "leap of faith" things. We'll see how it goes. After all, it's unhealthy to have a large deficit right?

I always do resistance exercises on Saturdays, so after laying on the couch like a lazy bum for a while, I got to it and got a good 1.5 hours of strength training. My lower back was sore a couple days ago, but it isn't as bad now. I'm hoping it heals before Tues (my next strength training day.) Finished around 11:30ish and ate my usual bowl of oatmeal. At around 2pm I had my turkey sandwich and apple for "lunch." At around 5-ish I got another apple in my system as a snack. Tonight I plan to FEAST on CHICKEN!! My favorite lean meat. My mom bought rotisserie chicken from the supermarket. Assuming I don't eat the skin, it should be healthy right?

Hopefully the number on that weight scale will STOP bothering me. I feel like I should have lost more weight because I have a low caloric intake. But now that makes me scared to eat more (even though I KNOW I need to up the calories by at least 200 for the well-being of my body.)

 

[aesir22]

Hi there

Fantastic results so far

Don't worry about that half a pound. Your body cannot always burn off a load of weight every week, and its perfectly natural for you to lose little or even no weight for a few weeks at a time. That is when motivation comes in - a week or two of little or no weight lost can really really throw you off balance mentally, and feel crushing after all the work you have done, but your body will do as it will do. Just keep on, and the weight will start to fall off again

Eating a deficit of about 500-1000 calories a day is what you should aim for. All meals should contain protein if you can manage it, with plenty of fruit and veg which you are definitely getting! Make sure you eat six times a day - three meals and 3 snacks. This keep the metabolism burning fat.

Also make sure you are increasing the protein you eat on strength training days. It is important to eat protein and carbs an hour or two before training (nothing major - a yoghurt and an apple for example) and within one hour of finishing training - a meal would be better than a small snack. This will ensure your body builds muscle instead of using it for fuel.

Another thing to consider about the half a pound is that you may have lost 2pounds of fat, and gained 1.5pounds of muscle, which is really good!

You seem to be doing really well to have lost so much. Just make sure you eat enough - it seems backwards, having to eat a lot when trying to lose weight, but your body is a furnace and it needs fuel to burn weight effectively.

Just make sure you have one or two rest days a week, you don't do any strength training if injured (be careful with your back if that gives out, it'll mess up your regime for weeks or even months) and drink loads of water - at least 2 litres a day (this helps your body burn fat efficiently)

It is also sometimes detrimental weighing yourself every day. Your body weighs differently all the time, depending on its water retention, fat loss, muscle gain, the food and drink you have inside you etc. Best to weigh in once or twice a week, first thing in the morning at the same time each time. That will give a more accurate picture.

 

[ucdpunk]

Thanks for the useful information aesir! It definitely puts my mind at ease when it comes to the weight situation. And thank you for reminding me that weighing myself everyday isn't usually the most accurate practice..haha. Usually I only weigh myself on Mondays and Fridays, but sometimes I can't help it!

Next entry:

6/29/09

Yesterday (Sunday) was my "day of rest." I never plan out any specific strength training routine or cardio routine. I woke up that morning, had my bowl of oatmeal, and then headed off to church. Someone brought a whole bunch of miniature plums from her backyard so I had a couple of those around noon. Soon after, I headed over to a... dun dun dun ...BIRTHDAY PARTY! Parties are usually trouble because in the past (before I started dieting/exercising) I would always over-indulge on every food the party has to offer. I ended up eating a sensible portion of some pretty-darn-good barbecued chicken, some home-cooked pasta, and a vegetable medley. The triple chocolate cake was tempting...but I passed and had some watermelon instead. Later that day I had a couple more plums, and then veggies + rotisserie chicken for dinner. As for physical activity that day, I played some basketball (one of my fave sports) with some friends. Pretty sure that burned some calories.

Woke up this morning at 5am and felt pumped for a good 3-mile cardio run. Got that heart pumping, and by the time I got home from the run I felt really good. Since Monday was a weigh-in day, I anxiously stepped on the scale...and was surprised with the results.

Monday Weigh-In: 156.5 lbs

This meant a 2.5 lb drop in weight since my last weigh-in! This seems to more accurately reflect the deficit that I've been doing for a while, so I'm pretty pleased...but at the same time I know I need to eat more. Since today is a new week, I've started to put my increased calorie plan into action. After the weigh-in, I had a bigger breakfast! It was the usual bowl of oatmeal, BUT this time I mixed in a cut-up whole banana (110 calories). VERY delicious and filling. For lunch today I plan to eat a whole grain turkey/lettuce/tomato sandwich...but this time I'm eating provolone cheese (about 100 calories) with it too! I'm kind of excited for this week because I want to see how the increased intake will affect my weight loss. I'm hoping that it won't make me gain, but at least lose slower or maintain.

 

[ucdpunk]

Next entry:

6/30/09

Yesterday after lunch I went to church. During the summer our church has this thing called "Vacation Bible Camp" for a week, and I was one of the many teenage volunteers acting as "counselors." Basically a whole bunch of kids from ages 2 to 16 come to our church for fun/games/crafts/singing and what-have-you. That night at church there was a potluck....LOTS of filipino food! (I'm filipino btw.) Ended up eating a tasty vegetable medley, some portioned tilapia, and some portioned chicken adobo. I started feeling full so I gave the rest on my plate to my dad. Haha! No rice today! I haven't had that stuff in forever. I usually tell myself that if I'm gonna eat carbs, it's gonna be carbs with nutritional value (i.e. vegetables/fruit.) Rice doesn't really have much to offer...hence the popular nickname "empty carbs."

When I woke up this morning I felt really anxious...because normally I don't eat a potluck dinner during the week. The anxiety was so much that I totally caved in and weighed myself after my 3-mile cardio. To my dismay the scale said 157 lbs. But oddly enough, after I took a shower and used the bathroom I decided to weigh myself again. Results were peculiar!

Tuesday Weigh-In: 155.5 lbs

Go figure, right? I really need to stop weighing myself so often.

Mini-goal: REFRAIN FROM WEIGHING SELF UNTIL FRIDAY MORNING!

Just finished up my breakfast of oatmeal mixed with bananas (FREAKIN GOOD!!) This whole "calorie-increase" thing seems to be going pretty well so far...Plans for the rest of the day? Gonna bite the bullet and do about 1 to 1.5 hours of strength training at 11am, after which I will reward myself with a whole-wheat turkey/lettuce/tomato sandwich with CHEESE! Hell yeah! And an apple of course.

 

[RJAZ520]

whats up man? Nice log you got going here. I try to be detailed, but it usually drops off after a day heh.

Do you have any goals in mind yet?

Make sure you're not addicted to weight loss.

5'11" 155 is a pretty good range is it not? Maybe its time to take advantage of that Early 20s testosterone and get on a good muscle gaining program? Maybe the look you're trying to achieve would be better reached by adding some lean mass.

just some thoughts. I personally cant wait till I can bulk up!

 

[ucdpunk]

whats up man? Nice log you got going here. I try to be detailed, but it usually drops off after a day heh.

Do you have any goals in mind yet?

Make sure you're not addicted to weight loss.

5'11" 155 is a pretty good range is it not? Maybe its time to take advantage of that Early 20s testosterone and get on a good muscle gaining program? Maybe the look you're trying to achieve would be better reached by adding some lean mass.

just some thoughts. I personally cant wait till I can bulk up!

Hey, thanks for stopping by! Yeah, you're absolutely right my weight is probably at a good range right now. The thing about the whole weight loss thing...it's the only thing I know how to do right now! For the past couple months I've only been losing weight and preserving the muscle I already have (and probably building a LITTLE muscle.)

I'm trying to get my calories up enough to maintenance for now...but yeah I'd totally see myself trying to bulk-up one day and start gaining some muscle mass.

Problem is, I have no idea how to do that! Haha. It looks so complicated, with all these talks about protein supplements, powders, high-calorie days, low-calorie days, high carb days, no carb days...etc. Plus I have no idea what kind of exercises I'd need to do, how much to eat, what to eat, and all that jazz. When I hit maintenance I'll probably start doing more research online (including these boards.) I'll probably take a good look at your log too because from what I've seen it looks like you're pretty experienced in making more muscle!

If anything, I might end up getting a gym membership (since I don't have any machines at home) and getting advice from a personal trainer.

Honestly, I'm clueless when it comes to bulking up! Hahaha.

 

[RJAZ520]

Most of the supps are garbage. What they trytoacheive is what u naturally have at ur young age. Atthebegginner stage it's as simple as liftheavy stuff and eat dead animals. U can start making muscle gains with a chin up bar and basic barbell set. I think most trainers suck . Ur moneyis better spent on a great book called starting strength by mark rippetoe

 

[Trusylver]

RJAZ is right forget the suppliments, get your protein from your food intake eg chicken lean beef, fish. For beginners you don't need a complicated lifting program.

 

[ucdpunk]

I've TOTALLY neglected this diary!! This was mainly due to summer school and summer-related activities...but hey, nothing wrong with picking up where I left off!

Recap of progress since last update:

My weight has dropped over the past several weeks and I've been slowly increasing my calories. I've introduced new things into my diet such as peanut butter, whey protein, and higher quantities of food. Cardio and strength training have remained the same.

For one week in August I was a counselor at a summer camp. Before I left for the summer camp I weighed in at 150 pounds. Every morning I got a good amount of cardio in (running uphill/downhill for about 35-45 mins) and as for diet...I didn't regulate it at all except for making sure I had whey protein everyday. When I got back from the summer camp I weighed in at 145 pounds....which is an insane weight-loss of 5 pounds in one week!

At this point I realized that if I lose anymore weight, I might end up being UNDERweight...so since then I've found ways to increase my caloric intake.

I weighed myself Saturday after a REALLY GREAT strength/weight-lifting workout.

Most recent weigh-in (Saturday): 145.5 lbs

I'm feeling pretty optimistic right now. I'm hoping I can eventually find out how to maintain my weight consistently.

I now use fitday to track my calories! Makes things so much easier. Here's an example of a typical day for me now:
FitDay Free Calorie Counter and Diet Journal:*Public Journal

As you can see, I'm aiming for a roughly 30% protein / 40%ish carb / 30%ish fat diet. Although I'm aiming for a higher ratio of carbs because I still consistently run 3 miles a day / 5 days a week for cardio.

Today's progress (8/17/09):

Had a great 3 mile cardio workout today! Energy levels were up and motivation is HIGH! Breakfast was quite satisfying as well. Oatmeal with cinnamon and banana, glass of skim milk, plus a "whey protein brownie" made with chocolate whey protein and peanut butter. Tasted freakin amazing! For those who are curious about what these are, check out this youtube video: YouTube - Scivation NO CARB Brownie. I used ON 100% whey instead though. Btw for the record, Adam's Natural Peanut Butter is DELICIOUS. I highly recommend it. The breakfast was extremely filling, especially since it clocks in at 750 calories! I've actually gotten used to high calorie breakfasts now, and I feel like my body welcomes it since I work so hard during cardio sessions.

For lunch I had the most satisfying homemade turkey sandwich, plus an apple! Today is a non strength training day...but for some reason I'm SO excited to pump some iron tomorrow!

I may update later today, if not...then tomorrow. Until then, later!

P.S. for those who are interested in seeing before and after pictures of my progress, you can visit the picture thread I posted here:

http://weight-loss.fitness.com/before-after-between/33912-90-pounds-gone-goodbye-obesity.html