There's no Six Pack Abs Behind that Bowl of Pasta, Bud

JayCanDoIt

JayCanDoIt

New member
At 21 years old, you'd think one would have the best body of their life - six pack abs, biceps to knock on, a physique that would rival a Greek God's. Or at least a dude with some boyish charm that girls seem to fall for. Unfortunately for me, I'm no Hercules.

You know what I am? I'm that guy your eyes glaze over at the mall when you're looking for something interesting. I was the guy that was always picked 2nd to last in gym class (always before Timmy, who couldn't throw a baseball if his life depended on it). I'm the guy that fit-dudes smirk at at the beach, and the guy that wallows his self pity in ice cream when fit-dudes smirk at him.

But there's one thing I know about myself, and it's that's I'm a go-getter. When my eyes are set on something, I do whatever it takes to get it.

So today, I'm ready to announce to the WORLD (or to the handful of viewers that read this thread... Same difference) that I'm going to get that body. It may not be six-pack abs but, dammit, I want to not have to shop at the Husky section of JCPenney. I want to be able to go in public and not have to suck in my gut, and I want turn heads for all the right reasons.

But for now, it begins with the first step, and that's to decide to spill my victories, failures, and humiliations to the world for all to read, because public embarrassment is a GREAT motivator in my book.

I'm also going to spare you guys with having to read a 20 page book on my mediocre life, so I'll end it by introducing myself:

Hi! My name is Jay, and by next year I want to drop 20 lbs and 5 pant sizes.

Seems like a reasonable goal, no?
 
August 31, 2014

This is the first day into my weight loss journey, and I'm more excited than that kid who cried when her parents announced she was going to Disneyland. Well, probably not, but my motivation meter is on full today.

I started my breakfast with some Skinless frozen tilapia fillets, frozen broccoli and cauliflower, and a tablespoon of Litehouse bleu cheese dressing. Oh, and a cup of white rice, because no matter what I do, I can't remove the white rice-craving Asian genes that are in me. And don't tell me about whole grain rice - I've tried that abomination. I might as well go outside and start spooning pebbles into my mouth.

My Weight for Today

Unfortunately, I had forgotten to weigh myself before I ate, so I have the burden of broccoli and fish making me a LOT heavier than I really am (*cough*). You remember that for these next numbers. ;)

Age: 21
Weight: 201 lbs
Height: 5'7"
Waist Size: 37 inches (1/2 inch above belly button)

I'll update this journal throughout the day.

---

Oh Gosh, it's exercise time. It's been an hour after I ate, 10:30 AM right now, so I'm going to pop in that Insanity DVD and start going.

Funny thing I forgot to mention before - I'm actually on my 3rd week of Insanity. I've seen no results yet, but I think it's because I did my calories wrong. I'm apparently supposed to be eating 1878 Calories for Weight Loss (after the initial 2300+ calories for weight maintenance), and for my first week I ate something along the lines of 1400, which is too little. I'm upping my calories and seeing how it goes.

That's not to say I'm not improving - I'm a lot stronger now than before, but I still look the same in the mirror as far as I know.

---

I ended up eating a little too much for the day. I made some Tomato Basil soup with some pureed vegetables, but I miscalculated the calories and I went 200 over :( . I'm still in weight loss mode (I did a deficit of 500 calories, so I'm still in a 300 deficit). I'm planning on running later on to make up for part of the calorie intake.

Hey, look at me! I'm sounding healthy already.

---

I ended up going for a run instead of doing the insanity workout this morning because I had to be somewhere at 12, and I simply had no time. I forgot to mention that earlier...

I did do the workout, however, at 9PM today and I couldn't finish Cardio Abs because I started yawning like crazy and I was exhausted. Oh well, better luck tomorrow! Good night everyone.
 
Last edited:
As I was reading that opening post, I imagined dramatic music: starting somewhat softly and then building into a deafening crescendo!!!

As for being on your 3rd week of insanity, I'm on my 43rd year of insanity. Oh you mean the workout? Nevermind.

Anyway, good luck. You can do it!
 
Hi Jay & a slightly belated welcome to the forum. When I read this "But there's one thing I know about myself, and it's that's I'm a go-getter. When my eyes are set on something, I do whatever it takes to get it." I thought here's someone who should be able to do this! It's how you feel about yourself that appeals to others. I hope that you are doing some research on healthy nutrition, rather than just counting calories. Getting fit & eating healthily will make you feel & subsequently look more attractive. All the best with it!
 
September 1, 2014

Happy Labor Day everyone.

Fun fact: The reason why this thread is labeled "There's no Six Pack Abs Behind that Bowl of Pasta, Bud" is because I have an absolute WEAKNESS for pasta.

Yea, that's right. Olive Garden is my heaven, and Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo is my Achilles Heel. Once I start eating pasta, I don't stop until the plate is licked clean! Curse you Italians and your heavenly cooking.

Speaking of cooking, I just came from a run so I'm famished. I'm going to cook myself up something. I have some organic basil tomato soup still leftover from last night, and I have some bread that's about to go bad, so I guess I'll go devour that now.

MrVee said:
As I was reading that opening post, I imagined dramatic music: starting somewhat softly and then building into a deafening crescendo!!!

As for being on your 3rd week of insanity, I'm on my 43rd year of insanity. Oh you mean the workout? Nevermind.

Anyway, good luck. You can do it!
Click to expand...

Thank you MrVee! I've actually read your thread and you're quite the loser.

Err, in terms of weight, of course. A major motivation! I hope you're doing well.

cate said:
Hi Jay & a slightly belated welcome to the forum. When I read this "But there's one thing I know about myself, and it's that's I'm a go-getter. When my eyes are set on something, I do whatever it takes to get it." I thought here's someone who should be able to do this! It's how you feel about yourself that appeals to others. I hope that you are doing some research on healthy nutrition, rather than just counting calories. Getting fit & eating healthily will make you feel & subsequently look more attractive. All the best with it!
Click to expand...

That I have. I've actually done more research on nutrition than I have on any of my college assignments, and I have the eye bags to prove it.

The only thing I can't seem to find is how to make the darned food taste any better.

---

Ate a hot dog. My day is ruined!

It's okay. 480 some calories to go. Should be good enough for something hearty after tonight's workout.
 
Last edited:
September 2, 2014

Last night's workout screwed me over. I went to sleep last night with some minor (but very annoying) back pain on my right side. It gets more painful when I bend over.

So.... I guess I won't be working out for today or else it might get worse. Doh.
 
im in the same boat as you jay at the minute, looking for motivation and emotional support. im also looking into loosing some pounds and dropping sizes. just take it easy man last thing you want to be doing is injuring yourself and setting the whole process back.
 
September 3, 2014

Well, I took the day off yesterday and now my back is all better. I'm just peachy freaking keen now.

In about 30 minutes or so I'm going to go out for a run before it starts raining again, and then ill continue with the Insanity workout this evening. Let's hope my body can hold itself together another day.

lee-teesside said:
im in the same boat as you jay at the minute, looking for motivation and emotional support. im also looking into loosing some pounds and dropping sizes. just take it easy man last thing you want to be doing is injuring yourself and setting the whole process back.
Click to expand...

Took your advice, and I'm feeling a lot better :D.
 
Hello Jay, I loved your spirit and determination. These are the most important qualities one should possess to succeed in their life, so I really wish that you succeed in this mission. Also putting up your life in public is not an easy thing to do, especially while you are experimenting something. Now that you are going to be on a diet I would like to share this article with you. It speaks about the hidden calories in a diet that can ruin your whole diet, . Do read this if you find time and all the best.!
 
I also have a STRONG love of pasta, really almost any carb, but pasta sure is the bee's knees. Alfredo is ALSO a weakness for myself. We have that in common for sure!!
Great job with the insanity workouts and running!

Sorry about the spammers so early on in your thread! Though this one at least gives a hair more effort than most!
 
September 5, 2014

After monitoring the food that I've been shoveling in my mouth for the past few weeks, I've decided that my appetite cannot be trusted. So, today, I'm going to head down to the grocery store and buy some food from the Insanity Booklet guide thing. It includes food like apples, asparagus, cherries, olive oil, oatmeal, nonfat yogurt, etc.

I've also decided to totally clean up my diet because I haven't seen any significant changes since I've started Insanity. I'm still the exact same weight (heavier by 2 lbs, actually), and all the inches around my body are the same. Although, I am a LOT stronger than I was before, but I want to not only feel good but look good as well.

Ah well. Weigh day is this coming Sunday, so let's hope I lost something. I'm also going to measure myself and compare that with the measurements I have saved on Myfitnesspal.

Andddd sorry for not posting yesterday. I honestly forgot about it.

MysticRealm said:
I also have a STRONG love of pasta, really almost any carb, but pasta sure is the bee's knees. Alfredo is ALSO a weakness for myself. We have that in common for sure!!
Great job with the insanity workouts and running!

Sorry about the spammers so early on in your thread! Though this one at least gives a hair more effort than most!
Click to expand...

Isn't Pasta the BEST thing? I swear, Alfredo is some sort of magic sauce created purely for enjoyment and weight gain.

As for the spammers, meh. It bumps my thread at least.

---

Update 1 (1:45PM): All right, I did my shopping and it's a LOT harder than I thought it would be. There's so much delicious food that I can't eat because they're in the lower tiers of Michi's Ladder (according to the Insanity Workout booklet). The hardest part is having to balance my macronutrient ratios. According to some online research I did, Insanity recommends a ratio of 40/40/20 (carbs, protein, fat), and I'm finding it difficult to shove in protein into my meals.

Every protein I've purchased contains a high amount of fat, whether it be the walnuts of the 4% cottage cheese I purchased.

I need to do better shopping next time...

---

Update 2 (6:03PM): I just came back from eating a delicious black bean soup that I prepared, and it was so low in calories surprisingly.

I say this because I'm having a hard time eating 5 meals a day. Insanity suggests at LEAST 5 separate small meals a day, but preparing and eating 5x a day is exhausting. I'm going to have to do some preparatory work tonight so I don't have to scramble for the pots and pans every 3 hours.

Also, did you know trying to boost your protein WITHOUT boosting your carbs and fat is difficult? I had to chow down some tuna with my black bean soup because I wasn't getting enough protein. Right now I've eaten 130 carbs, 35g of fat, and 99g of protein, and the carbs and protein are supposed to be the same.

I think next time, I'll prepare my black bean soup with either some ground beef or chopped chicken breasts. I'm also going to need to utilize the fish in the freezer for something.
 
Last edited:
September 6, 2014

It's 11:36PM. Wow, I'm SUPER bad at these journal things.

Anyway, nothing to say except that today went swell.

Tomorrow is weigh and measure day, so let's hope I lost some.

Good night!
 
I don't think I could ever eat balanced macros.
A. It seems really complicated and annoying. It's so much easier to just watch cals.
B. I love carbs too much and am not a massive protein/meat person. Om nom nom!
 
September 7, 2014

Weight and measure day! This is exciting, kinda.

These measurements are after a week of exercising with 2 days off, and readjusting my eating habits on the last 2 days.

Weight last week: 201 lbs
Weight this week: 201 lbs

Oof! I'm still the same. It's too early to tell if my current diet is working yet so I'll have to make conclusions next week.

Measurements when I last took them in CM (2 months ago maybe):
- Neck: 42
- Waist: 97.5
- Hips: 111
- Stomach: 99.5
- Left Thigh: 70.5
- Right Thigh: 69.5
- Left Bicep: 35.5
- Right Bicep: 36
- Chest: 107.5

This week's measurements in CM
- Neck: 42
- Waist: 101
- Hips: 110
- Stomach: 95
- Left Thigh: 68
- Right Thigh: 69
- Left Bicep: 36
- Right Bicep: 36.5
- Chest: 104

I lost and gained in all the right places, but I gained a lot on my waist. I don't think I'm measuring that correctly...

MysticRealm said:
I don't think I could ever eat balanced macros.
A. It seems really complicated and annoying. It's so much easier to just watch cals.
B. I love carbs too much and am not a massive protein/meat person. Om nom nom!
Click to expand...

Yea I've been going at it for 2 days but it's difficult. I'm just doing it so I can follow this program to a T.
 
September 8, 2014

I am REALLY sick of family members accusing me of not exercising enough. I'm already doing insanity every day so my body is BEAT, and I already run every other day in the morning on top of the Insanity workouts.

Why is it so hard to find people in my real life that will support me with my weight loss journey? I have my grandmother coming and comparing me to her other church members who are skinny. I don't need that!

Grrr... I'm just so frustrated. Some people only want to see me fail, and I won't allow that.
 
It's hard to deal with other people's opinions on what one should be doing. My mom is quite supportive but she subscribes to all the 'old fashioned' rules of weight loss (like not eating after 7, always eating breakfast, 5 small meals a day). Those aren't ever bad things to do, IF THAT WORKS FOR YOU, but they don't work for me, and not doing those things will not damage my weight loss. Anytime I say anything about my weight loss that isn't positive she goes 'that's cause you don't eat breakfast' or 'you're not drinking enough water'. It does get a bit tiring.
But Ya just gotta learn what works for you and remember that you're doing this for YOU and no one else. Sometimes it's better to be quiet with those people about your weight loss journey (or at least vague) so they don't have any fuel for their fire.
Good luck with everything, you're doing well so far.
 
September 12, 2014

Hey, long time no see! Sorta.

No, I didn't give up on my weight loss. In fact, I'm still going strong, but there was a lot of important "stuff" going on in my real life, so this journal was the last thing on my mind.

Anyway, just came on to update and say that I'm going to be doing weight lifting in the mornings and insanity at night. Insanity is almost entirely cardio, so I wanted to put in some weight lifting somewhere without throwing my entire insanity progress away.

So I figured, hey, my early mornings are open. I guess I can ditch the running for now for some weight lifting since I'm already doing cardio at night.

Measurement and weigh-day is coming up soon!

MysticRealm said:
It's hard to deal with other people's opinions on what one should be doing. My mom is quite supportive but she subscribes to all the 'old fashioned' rules of weight loss (like not eating after 7, always eating breakfast, 5 small meals a day). Those aren't ever bad things to do, IF THAT WORKS FOR YOU, but they don't work for me, and not doing those things will not damage my weight loss. Anytime I say anything about my weight loss that isn't positive she goes 'that's cause you don't eat breakfast' or 'you're not drinking enough water'. It does get a bit tiring.
But Ya just gotta learn what works for you and remember that you're doing this for YOU and no one else. Sometimes it's better to be quiet with those people about your weight loss journey (or at least vague) so they don't have any fuel for their fire.
Good luck with everything, you're doing well so far.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words. Yep, just need to learn how to take everything with a grain of salt. Thankfully my frustrations have died down and I'm back to concentrating on losing weight again.
 
Last edited:
September 13, 2014

Today has been chill, in all sense of the word. Almost... boring.

I'm preparing myself for my nursing program coming up (Sept. 22) by cleaning up my room. I'm breaking down my desk and making the room as comfortable as possible. I'm going to be spending the majority of my time at school, so I will probably only come home to eat, exercise, and change.

Tomorrow is weigh and measurement day. I'm not so confident about how it's going to turn out, mainly because I don't FEEL like I've lost anything, but who knows - I might surprise myself.
 
September 14, 2014

Today is the day to measure and weigh myself. Let's do this!

Weight last week: 201 lbs
Weight this week: 201 lbs

Well, no change. Again. I'm going to drop my calories down by 200 per day to see if this changes for next week.

Last week's measurements in CM:
- Neck: 42
- Waist: 101
- Hips: 110
- Stomach: 95
- Left Thigh: 68
- Right Thigh: 69
- Left Bicep: 36
- Right Bicep: 36.5
- Chest: 104

This week's measurements in CM
- Neck: 42
- Waist: 98
- Hips: 110
- Stomach: 95.5
- Left Thigh: 67
- Right Thigh: 67.5
- Left Bicep: 35.5
- Right Bicep: 35.5
- Chest: 106

Numbers all around! I gained and lost in random places, but I'll assume a 1cm error.

The biggest change was my waist, which finally went under 100cm.

I think I'm going to do my measurements every month rather than every week. I can't tell if I'm actually losing/gaining or if it's because I'm measuring differently than last time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top