Make me Bionic!

RunningGirl said:
WoW I think someone has been watching far too many cartoon's from the 50's and 60's again....where they picture their lil buddy as a giant talking roast chicken....haha At least your wife is VERY attractive to you right now! :smilielol5:

ahh shucks...that's an old pic too, just about 1 year and a half. :blush5:
Click to expand...

Old pic... same person;)


Today's Journal

Weight: 129lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1300 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 9%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 129lbs

What makes the difference between an average weight session and an outstanding weight session? Probably about 1 extra rep per exercise! It's that very last rep that you really don't think you can do, or want to do, that seems to make the big difference.

Well I had an excellent chest and tricep workout this morning with that last 1 rep making all the difference. I also had a decent amount of energy inside me thanks to my wife serving up the most enormous Japanese Curry last night. Not great for my cut but perfect for a decent early morning weight session. On top of that I had plenty of rest over the weekend which I desperately needed. We all had a really good time messing about at home doing jigsaw puzzles whilst half-watching CBeebies (the BBC's excellent digital channel for very young children). My youngest has taken to climbing on my back at every possibly opportunity which, bizzarely enough, gives me a really good and relaxing back massage.

So I'm feeling ready to blast through another week. If I can keep up with my sleep the focus is to give each training session 100%. Can't wait for the Summer! I know it's already June but England doesn't really have it's one week of sun until August, at which point all the British Newspapers declare global warming has finally arrived and we all have until next Tuesday before we fry.

Until tomorrow!
 
Weight: 127.5lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1300 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 9%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 127.5lbs

Apparently you're not supposed to start a book by talking about the weather but I reckon daily journals don't count.

Today the weather is mostly cloudy with big blotches of rain. Just like yesterday really... and the day before... oh yes, and the day before that as well.

Welcome to the British Summer!

I had a really good Shoulders, Traps and Back workout this morning. Unfortunately my body is beginning to feel the effects of over 2 months of cutting and I'm struggling to just maintain the weight levels I felt were easy just 4 weeks ago. Anyway, not long now until I can start filling up with premium Super Unleaded! With this in mind I reviewed my diet and training yesterday in anticipation and have decided on my new diet and weight training plan. No major differences in both, just a little more food each week and a few more ab exercises with one day off for rest and recuperation. I'll post up nearer the time.

Can't wait!

Until tomorrow.
 
Weight: 127lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 9%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 127lbs

I did a cheeky waist measurement this morning, not because I thought I was thinner but because I felt so bloated yesterday I was a little worried I was going the wrong way. Well you know how paranoid you can get. I came in at 25.75 inches! I know that I hit 8% body fat last year at 25.5 inches so I'm really close now. But with only 10 days to go I don't have long to loose that remaining 0.25 inches. So I'm shaving another 100 calories off my diet. It's only for just over a week so no doubt I'll survive.

I can't imagine what was contributing to my bloated feeling yesterday. The only thing I had that was slightly contrary to my normal diet was a pear, and that was after having walked about 4 miles whilst carrying out some errands.

I've definitely put on some muscle over my entire body. At this waist measurement last year I weighed 123lbs. So 4lbs of muscle in a year. Gee whizz! Well, OK that's crap but as you all know I did have a 6 month training hiatus last year. I will do better for 2009 / 2010.

Until tomorrow.
 
Weight: 126.5lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 9%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 126.5lbs

And that's a new low for me for the year!

I was not looking forward to my leg set this morning. I've had a general feeling of sustained lethargy recently, brought on by a combination of the obvious (reduced calories) and lack of unbroken sleep. Same old, same old really. Anyway I didn't have to worry. Although not easy (is it ever) I completed another brutal session that left me fighting for breath on the floor as usual. Fortunately I'm not on child duty today so I don't have to push that bloody pram around all day! Also I only have one more to go before my cut finishes and I can tackle those damned Squats and Deadlifts with a little more fuel inside me.

I picked up a little forum gem yesterday for all of us who like to undergo serious annual cuts, or for anyone really who is looking for new ways to loose weight. Sugar free Jelly (I think its called Jello in the States) has been recommended as a good and tasty ultra-low cal dessert substitute. I can't believe I've missed this one! Everyone knows how much I enjoy my desserts, well I think this could be a real solution for me. Apparently you can make one pint of the stuff that contains only 32 calories! I think eating a whole pint worth of Jelly after my evening meal would have to completely eliminate any possible craving I could have for more food. I think even half a pint should do the trick. I'm going to buy some today!

Thanks for that one Euan!

Until tomorrow.
 
Weight: 126.5lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 8%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 126.5lbs

Well I'm pretty much there now. I measured my waist this morning and it did come in at 25.5 inches which, when combined with my new low weight and the other calculations I use, does bring me in at 8%... just!

But I'm not celebrating yet and I'm certainly not bringing my cut to a end. At this point I know that if I just had a single cheat meal my scale weight would go back up to 127 and I'd be back on 9% (again according to my calculations). So I'm going to continue cutting until next Friday as planned to make sure I've secured my current level. I'll then have reached a point where I'll feel comfortable and confident to start what looks like being an 8 month bulk.

I ate my sugar free Jelly (Jello) last night with an excited expectation. Unfortunately I was a little disapointed. It did meet the main objectives of the exercise, i.e. it did fill me up and was only 16 calories, but it was so sickly sweet that even my sugar addicted palate struggled to cope. It also left an after-taste in my mouth that I'll probably have until next Christmas. Also I can't say that I felt particularly healthy after having eaten it. I'll think I'll stick to an apple!

I had a good Arms & Abs workout this morning switching focus from my arms to my abs.

Until tomorrow.
 
Weight: 126.5lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 8%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 126.5lbs

I didn't go for a run this morning. This was kind of planned as part of my new regime of taking 1 day off a week and, although this wasn't supposed to start until after I'd finished cutting, I've made such good progress in the last couple of weeks I feel I can introduce this now. Besides, my legs are still sore from Thursday's leg set and a day off at this stage is probably going to do me more good than harm.

Bizzarley enough I woke up this morning feeling absolutely starving. You would have thought that after 10 weeks of cutting my metabolism would have moored up somewhere off Tailand. But no, I've been feeling more hungry than usual for the last two weeks and even sacrificed the possibility of a lye in this morning, just to have some breakfast!

My diet has been kept absolutely rigid since my wife returned from her business trip, more so than at any previous point during this cut. I know this is why I've made such good progress since then and, as my diet has cleaned up, my cravings for sugar have gradually dissipated. For example, my wife was out for her first "Friday Night drink with colleagues" last night which was a perfect opportunity for me to enjoy some sugar indulgences. A few weeks ago that would definitely have been the case and, although I did allow myself to briefly visualise the contents of the childrens' food cupboards, I didn't follow my thoughts through to their expected destination. Instead I had a banana (I would have had an apple but we'd run out) and made myself a cup of Japanese Black Tea, a drink I'm still really enjoying.

I think my point is, and I know I've made this point a number of times before, the longer you can go without indulging in your most craved food or drink, the easier it becomes to stay off it. When my wife returned from her business trip and I got back on my cutting diet I was just sooo desperate to quit and continue eating the foods I had been devouring the previous week that I became desperate to finish my cut. But, two weeks on, I feel I could continue this cut for the next three months! I can honestly say that I currently have no interest in desserts, cakes or chocolate and, if they were never dangled in front of me again, I could probably stay off them for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, as with beer, popcorn and pizza, they're a part of our social network and very difficult to avoid completely. I subsequently know the minute I do enjoy those foods again my cravings will be right back where they were 2 weeks ago.

Talking about social networks, we're supposed to being going out for lunch today with my parents, making this my weekly cheat day, however my eldest boy is sick and is still in bed, so I'm not sure what we're going to do. I know it's nothing serious but it wouldn't be right for us all to jump in the car and drive for an hour to a restaurant if he's not well.

Anyway, until tomorrow.
 
Weight: 127lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 8%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 127lbs

We eventually decided not to go out yesterday as was the plan. My eldest was really too sick and, as it turned out, was ill all day. As is often the case with children he woke up this morning his normal cheerful self, so all is back to normal.

I was so put out at having missed what would have been perfect restaurant food, probably very similar to a couple of weeks back, that I started looking for ways to make up for the loss. I went to the supermarket to stock up on fresh fruit and veg and deliberately strayed into the Nuts and Chocolate sections. After studying the calorie levels of both I was so shocked that I left with just the fruit and veg. The large packet of peanuts that I really had my eye on contained over 1200 calories in total! That's my current daily amount in one relatively small bag. And the chocolate was over 500. I knew that were I to really enjoy both I would have to eat the lot but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

With a feeling of despondency over elation; despondency over having defeated myself and elation over having defeated myself (...!), I returned home to consume an apple. My wife saved the day by digging out a cake from the freezer and the eating began. I spent the rest of the day happily eating whatever I fancied. Nothing very unhealthy, just a lot more than normal.

I had an easy run this morning, just a quick 3 miles, and am back on my strict cutting diet today. This will only continue now until end of play Friday when my 2009 cut will officially end. I'll be taking and posting progress pics at that point and not at the end of the month.

All being well we are all going away on Saturday to attend a wedding during which time I'll eat whatever I fancy. The week after I'll increase my calories by 200 a day. I won't be taking a break in training as I feel I've had more than enough rest recently.

On a final note it looks like I'm going to have to shift my training into the late afternoon from Monday. My wife is starting to work a very early shift so she can liaise with Japan and, as keen as I am, I'm not training at 5am! I'm therefore planning to do my weight training Monday through to Thursday, take Friday off and do my morning run on Saturday and Sunday. It's a dangerous time for me to make such a change to my routine. When such a change happened last year I basically quit. This year I'm going to carefully plan it in to my day and work hard to make sure it quickly becomes my new routine.

Until tomorrow.
 
Weight: 127lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 8%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 127lbs

I'm writing this having NOT done my usual morning weight training session. The idea for the next few weeks is that I train in the late afternoon whilst my wife works an early morning shift. Today that should be around 5pm. I don't have to change my eating plan much to accomodate this, I'm simply going to postpone my afternoon protein shake until just before I train. I would prefer to have this immediately after but, for this week at least, I'm going to need as much energy as possible for training. The energy I'm hoping to get from the protein shake is of course not from the protein but the sugar that goes with the drink. I make up my own protein drinks using Unflavoured Whey Protein which I add a small amount of low fat chocolate powder to for taste.

My youngest has just been sick all over the carpet. I guess he now has the same bug my eldest had on Saturday. I've just finished cleaning it up now and used up extra calories doing so. Yes, the glass is always half full in this house, even if his stomach is now completely empty.

Oh the joys of parenthood!

Until tomorrow.
 
Weight: 126.5lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 8%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 126.5lbs

I gave up waiting for my wife to return from work yesterday. Some of you may know that my home gym is in the far corner of our living area so I decided to simply barricade myself in using the dinning room chairs so the children couldn't get through. This worked very well and they simply sat on the chairs switching their attention between me and the TV.

My main concern with training in the same room as them is the risk of hurting them and therefore having to keep half my attention on their exact whereabouts. Well, with the barricade in place, I was happily able to focus 100% and subsequently I had a perfectly good chest and tricep workout. I did have to tell them that Daddy couldn't talk when he was doing his exercises but they seemed to understand this. I'll definitely be doing this again. It means I can train exactly when I want to without waiting on anyone. I still prefer the morning but this will do for now.

Apart from last Saturday's lapse, and considering I've already achieved my current goal, I'm surprising myself at how well I'm managing to stick to my cutting diet during this final week. Hopefully I'll hit 126lbs by Friday and be able to call it a day with confidence. This Saturday's wedding will hopefully be a great time to feast but I know it won't be a particularly relaxing time. I know from experience that attending a wedding with 2 small, and rather bored, children is just more hard work really. Still, we're both looking forward to the opportunity to dress up and help celebrate the very beginning of an old friend 's voyage into married life.

Until tomorrow.
 
Weight: 123lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 8%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Surviving

Weighed in today at 123lbs

I've been very ill over the last couple of days. I caught the same bug both my children had and have had my system completly cleared out. I've had zero energy and, until this morning, had only managed to eat bread, water and a couple of bananas.

On a positive note I've had plenty of rest as I've been in bed since Tuesday night and this morning I'm feeling much better. I'm far from 100% but can at least function as human being again.

I wasn't suprised at my scale reading this morning. I now have to gradually start eating normally again. This won't happen today but hopefully by tomorrow my diet will be back on track.

It goes without saying that my 2009 cut is now over. Not exactly in the way I was expecting (!) and at a much lower weight than was planned but at least it is done.

Until tomorrow.
 
Weight: 123.5lbs
Daily calorie intake approx: 1500 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 8%
Training Platform: Bionic Training Program
Training Phase: Bulking

Weighed in today at 123.5lbs

My health today seems just about back to normal again. I still feel a little weak but probably more due to lack of substantial fuel. I'll be doing my weights later on today so if that goes OK then I'm definately back on track.

I'm also attempting to get my diet back on track today. This statement would normally be followed by me saying that I'll now be eating less, but as I've eaten so little over the past few days I'll be attempting to eat a lot more. I'm also attempting the first stage of my bulk by increasing my calorie intake by about 200 a day, up to around 1500. Apart from this weekend I hope to keep this up until next Friday and then increase by another 200 for the following week. This weekend is a cheat weekend with a wedding to attend and I had hoped to completely stuff my face, but with how I feel at the moment I'll be lucky just to eat a normal daily amount!

I'll be taking my End of Cut progress picture later on this afternoon and will post it this evening.

Until tomorrow.
 
As I enter into a bulking phase of my health and fitness journey I've decided that it is not right to continue posting my journal here, afterall this forum is for Weight Loss - not weight gain!

I've attached my final picture taken yesterday.

So If you would like to continue to follow my progress please check out my journal here:

 
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