Day 33: Rest

Status - mission 1
Mood - good
Water - 3 liters

Day 33 of 84

Today is devoted to rest.

Nutrition has been on target. I had the most intense junk food cravings though. I was able to refrain for most of the day until I had a small piece of chocolate.

I don't feel bad about it at all because I know if I hadn't had the chocolate I would have binged sooner or later.

Tomorrow: morning HIIT + core + afternoon chest

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 32: Another solid morning

Status - mission 1
Mood - excellent
Water - 1 1/2 liters

Day 32 of 84

I am happy to say that I ran this morning once again.

Stretched then did 21 minutes on the tread and 5 on the elliptical.

I had to take it easy running because I'm starting to feel a very slight pain in my right calf. I don't think it's anything too serious, but I don't want to risk getting injured, especially following a cold.

Nutrition for today started off with a bowl of oatmeal (chopped banana mixed in), and a protein shake. I'm feeling good and am ready to start my day !

I have class at 10:30 and then a date at 12, Yay ! haha

This afternoon: shoulders + core

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 31: Solid

Status - mission 1
Mood - good
Water ~ 3 liters

Day 31 of 84

Today turned out pretty solid.

I saved my entire workout for this afternoon. I did back and core

Cardio: 25 minutes on the tread. I've made it back to where I left off and I am psyched !

The last two minutes sorta kicked my butt though. I had to take a 10 second break between minute 23 and 25 because I felt so winded.

Let's just say that I was more than happy to walk out of the gym with full use of both legs haha

Nutrition has been on target. Third day of low carbs and I don't feel all that bad. I tend to get a bit grouchy and so try to avoid people, but so far I have a happy-go-lucky attitude :-)

Tomorrow: morning HIIT + afternoon shoulders + core

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 30: YES !

Status - mission
Mood - revived and feeling wonderful
Water - 3 liters

Day 30 of 84

I am finally feeling better !

The cough medicine and vitamin C actually helped. I was definitely not playing around haha.

I am so glad to have worked out today, albeit in the late afternoon. I did 4 sets flat/3 sets incline barbell press. Core + 23 minutes on the tread. I felt strong and so raised the weight by 5 lbs on my lifts. I haven't done any type of cardio in about 4 days so I wasn't able to complete my usual 25 minute tread-time. I intend to wake up bright and early tomorrow for another HIIT session. I am so so excited to be back in action. And even though I find myself a little behind I'm confident I'll make tremendous and continued progress.

Right before I got sick I felt like a furnace. I could see myself getting leaner every day. It won't take long before I am able to return to that state.

Nutrition has been on target. Second day of low carbs.

Tomorrow: Morning HITT + afternoon Back + core

Catch you later,

gnight

--Jay

Day 29: The worst feeling ever

Status - mission 1
Mood - stressed
Water - 3 1/2 liters

Day 29 of 84

Getting sick is probably the worst thing that could have happened to me on my fat loss journey. I've been feeling horrible for three days now, with chest/nasal congestion and constant fatigue.

The fact that I haven't been able to make it to the gym is maddening !!

I am so upset. It's just so difficult to work out when I don't have the energy to function.

And I've been gulfing down cough syrup like no body's business, and taking vitamin C packets with orange juice in the mornings. My diet has been spot on as well. First day of low carbs following a high day yesterday. I figure its important for me to eat properly and stay hydrated if I am ever to rid myself of this cold.

Hopefully tomorrow morning I can run. I still have a slight cough and my nose is a bit messy, but it's been three days since my last workout and I am jumping out of my skin to get back into the swing of my program.

God, help me feel better.

I'm afraid the gains I've made up to this point are deteriorating with each passing day.

Tomorrow: morning HIIT + afternoon chest (HOPEFULLY !!!)

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 28: Fighting off a cold

Status - mission 1
Mood - Better
Water - 1 glass :-(

Day 28 of 84

I am so mentally out of it haha. Reading over my post from yesterday I realized that I did not deviate from my diet at all.

Back on day 13 I had a cheat meal. I decided then to enjoy one every 13 days or so to prevent myself from going crazy. I've been so strict on myself that I didn't realize until now that:

1) I missed my originally planned cheat meal on day 26 and
2) had it unintentionally on day 27 !

And I felt soo guilty ... for no reason at all haha

I just wish I had known it at the time. I would have had a bit more ice cream !

My health status has improved some. I know that last night I was hell bent on not missing another morning HIIT session, but today I wisely chose to take it easy again by not exercising. Placing my body under physical stress while sick might worsen my condition. I just want to kick this cold quickly so I can get back into the gym with a full head of steam.

I'm taking no chances.

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 27: Sick

Status - mission 1
Mood - under the weather
Water - 2 liters

Day 27 of 84

I had two HIIT cardio sessions planned for today; that is, until I got sick.

Last night I deviated from my diet plan by having a few pieces of chocolate and a small portion of a dessert I made for a friend of mine. If the night wasn't a special one for me I obviously would not have made an exception. But I did ... in the end.

This morning I felt awful, so much so that I didn't eat anything until around 12 noon. I didn't have much energy to wake up, let alone complete a morning run. I think I might have picked up a slight cold. I've already taken preventative measures by drinking some cough syrup. I do feel better.

Aside from the three small meals that I missed this morning and the sweets I had last night, my nutrition so far has been great. At noon I had a large salad, carrots and a couple pieces of chicken. It tasted delicious, probably because I was starved from not having eaten anything all morning.

I did take pictures today, so I at least feel good about that. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel a bit better health-wise. Either way, I don't plan on missing morning HIIT. I'll force myself out of bed no matter how I feel.

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 26: A little weak

Status - mission 1
Mood - so so
Water - 2 liters

Day 26 of 84

This morning's HIIT cardio session went well enough. I did 26 minutes on the tread at speed 6.5/8.5 and 5 minutes on the elliptical.

Afterward I felt a little weak so i ate a small bowl of oatmeal and a banana. It actually helped some.

Nutrition so far has been on target. Third day of low carbs.

Tomorrow: Double HIIT !!

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 25: Rest Day

Status - mission 1
Mood - good
Water - 1 1/2

Day 25 of 84

Coming off of yesterday's double shred sessions I welcomed today's day of rest with open arms. I need it !

My shoulder workout last night was another good one for the books. I did three rounds seated push press and 2 rounds each for lat/front raises. I topped it off with 15 minutes on the elliptical.

No core, saving that for tomorrow morning.

Nutrition has been on target. It is the second day of low carbs and I am pushing through. Although carb restriction is a pain to follow, it does have its benefits in the long run. I've seen rapid changes in my physique already. It's like every day 5 period I am getting leaner and leaner.

Results like these give me the motivation to stay on track.

Tomorrow: Morning HIIT + core ... afternoon full body special !

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. no pics for today

Day 24: Busy morning

Status - mission 1
Mood - great
Water - 3 liters

Day 24 of 84

I got up at 6:30 and made my way to the gym. My run was amazing.

I stepped it up from yesterday by increasing my tread time to 23 minutes, while maintaining a minimum speed of 6.5 and a maximum of 8.5. I did my usual ellipt time as well (5 min.)

I am anxious to discover what my upper limit is in terms of how fast and to what length I can run at one time. I know that in High school, my wrestling coach pushed me every afternoon to my maximum capacity - to the point of total exhaustion where I literally couldn't drive myself home sometimes. God only knows how I survived through the entire season. It was so brutal.

It's weird, but I miss the pain and vomit that came with being pushed to the extreme...in a strange, self-mutilistic kind of way. Because at a young age it taught me what I could and could not physically handle, and in doing gave me strength of mind.

I carry this lesson with me every day. I hear my coach's screams and his urging me on. It's what I hear walking to the gym. I see his face as my own reflection - a grity resolve.

This afternoon: Muscle Rounds - shoulders

Nutrition - spot on

Catch you later !

--Jay

Day 23: Last day of carb load.

Status - mission 1
Mood - good
Water - 2 1/2 liters

Day 24 of 84

Just getting back from the gym. It was a good workout overall.

3 rounds lat pull + 3 rounds seated cable + 25 pull-ups. I still haven't been able to make it to the sports store to buy ankle weights. So I spiced things up another way by doing 40 incline sit-ups in addition to my normal no rest core routine.

Following my weight training I jumped on the treadmill for 17 minutes at speed 6.5/8.5. I was thinking of waiting until tomorrow to make this increase, but felt good about it today so I went for it. Even though I couldn't finish 20 minutes I feel good about my performance. Hopefully by the end of this week I'll be back up to 25 minutes, at which point I will step up the speed once more.

Nutrition -I have definitely felt an energy difference these past two days, which I will surely miss during the next 5 days of carb restriction.

Tomorrow: Muscle rounds - shoulders + morning HIIT

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 22: Seeing results and feeling great

(Immediately following my run)
(You can still see the sweat on my chest)
(Now that's intensity ! )

Status - mission 1
Mood - great
Water - 1 liter

Day 22 of 84

I'm just getting back from a hardcore HIIT cardio run. I did 25 minutes on the treadmill and 5 on the elliptical. On Wednesday I'm going to increase my speed to 6.5/8.5

The major benefit I find in doing HIIT cardio, as opposed to other forms of "steady" aerobic exercise, is the after-burn effect. With longer duration, moderate cardio one does burn a tremendous amount of calories during a single workout. Once done, however, your metabolism naturally slows down.

That's why I prefer HIIT training. Based on my intensity I am surely burning calories throughout the day due to the fact that my metab is so revved up.

Yesterday's all fruit day was brutal. Thank goodness it's over. I'll be carb loading for the next two days. It's important that I do this following 5 days of low calorie/low carb eating in order to prevent my body from regressing into a starvation mode.

The plan is to couple this type of nutrition with muscle rounds, a high volume type of resistance training.

This afternoon: Muscle rounds - chest + Biceps

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 21: One step closer

Status - mission 1
Mood - great
Water - 2 1/2 liters

Day 21 of 84

Another strong day in the gym. I increased my treadmill time by another 2 minutes, making it 25 minutes total. I did another 5 minutes on the elliptical to warm down a bit.

Afterwards I blasted through core. I think I'm strong enough now to buy ankle weights or some type of weighted vest for added resistance. My body weight just isn't enough anymore. I find myself spending 15 minutes doing excessive repetitions, which I can finish in half the time with more weight and intensity.

Nutrition is brutal today - all fruit. Can not wait until tomorrow's supercompensation phase.

Tomorrow: Muscle Rounds - chest

Catch you later !

--Jay

Day 20: Stronger than ever

(me flexing a little)



Status - mission 1
Mood - great
Water - 4 liters

Day 20 of 84

I spent most of my day on call in the EMS office. Although I woke up at 6 this morning I couldn't find enough time to run and make it to work before 7am. So I postponed my cardio session for tonight, which I am just getting back from.

The treadmill was great. I actually ran for 23 minutes !

Just the other day I set my maximum time at 20, and in only two days I have been able to move beyond that threshold. I finally understand what Adam Waters meant when he mentioned his "tipping point". The stage where he could just feel the fat falling off of his body, when he was no longer hindered by leg pain and labored breathing, when things just fell into place.

I feel that I am on the verge of the same thing. I have finally caught my rhythm, and am moving at a strong pace.

Nutrition has been so so. So far only 4 meals, which was due to less than perfect planning. Getting ready for my 5th soon (small tuna salad).

ps. In addition to running on the treadmill I also completed 6 minutes on the elliptical as well. No core though.

Tomorrow: Double HIIT + core

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 19: Cardio milestone !!

Status - mission 1
Mood - amazing
Water - almost 2 liters

Day 19 of 84

Going into the gym this morning I decided to finally go for 20 minutes on the tread, and guess what - I DID IT !!

And what's more is that I completed the final 2 minutes going at speed 8, which is my highest.

The feeling I had afterward was a mix between nausea and excitement. After the 15 minute mark my mind started to fade out. But instead of focusing on the stinging pain shooting through both of my legs, I thought back on a previous time in high school when I struggled to finish a 5 mile warm-up run before wrestling practice. Comparing that insane discomfort with what I felt today, and realizing how much more difficult the wrestling had been, provided the driving force that pushed me past the 20 minute hurdle - a barrier that was more mental than physical now that I think about it.

So far in my journey I have learned a few important things. One is that oftentimes it is not enough to dream, that success comes instead by taking courageous action. And moreover, that if there is no action then the decision to succeed hasn't truly been made. What you want makes no difference unless you decide to harness it. As Sun Tzu said - "opportunities multiply as they are seized"

This afternoon is devoted to biceps and triceps.

Nutrition has been on target. Last day of low cards. I can't wait until tomorrow when I can refuel my system.

Until tomorrow (afternoon HIIT because I have an EMT shift until 1pm, grr)

--Jay

Day 18: Surprising results

Status - mission 1
Mood - great
Water - 2, 3/4
Day 18 of 84

So far, today has been fantastic. I skipped out on HIIT cardio this morning because I am worried about over-training. I want to keep my sessions to 5 times a week, at most. Not running today will keep me under that limit.

I'm taking extra precaution with all this because I don't want to develop shin splints. Anyone who has suffered from this painful condition knows that it is often caused by any activity that involves running or jumping, and is very slow to heal. This problem plagued me quite often in high school, and the only solution is rest. I haven't had any symptoms so far, and I hope that I won't in the future. I still have to be careful and aware of how my body feels.

But anyways ... this afternoon I did shoulders, and I was able to push press 175 ! I surprised myself a great deal. I also increased the weight in my other lifts as well. I feel stronger now than even yesterday.

It's weird because I thought my energy levels would suffer as a result of the calorie deficit I've been on. It just proves that I'm feeding my body just what it needs to function, and nothing more.

Nutrition has been on target. I had two bites of lime jello with whip topping. It was AMAZING. I don't feel bad about it at all because I know I've been working very hard, hitting the weights and blasting through my cardio.

Until tomorrow,

--Jay

Day 17: go hard or go home

Status - mission 1
Mood - great
Water - 3 1/2 liters

Day 17 of 84

Although I had planned to use this day to rest, I ran this morning instead. 15 minutes of HIIT output on the tread and 10 minutes on the elliptical.

Before the end of the week I want to hit 17 minutes, so challenging myself by going hard now is necessary if I am to reach that mark. So no more dozing muscles, only the sweet welcome of pain and achievement.

I opted out of doing core because I've been working my abs very intensely over the past few days. I need time to rest if I expect them to develop any further. But I should mention that I excluded the normal rest periods I use between each ab exercise yesterday. I responded well enough, able to complete all 7 exercises at 25 reps without stopping. I guess I underestimated my own abdominal strength. Better late than never !

Nutrition has been on target. Third day of low carbs. I'm anxious for the supercomensation phase because I miss the freedom of eating a few extra carbs and actually drinking a glass or two of milk.

Tomorrow: morning HIIT + shoulders (afternoon)

catch you later !

--Jay

Day 16: Afternoon cardio

Status - mission 1
Mood - great
Water - 3 and 1/2

Day 16 of 84

I had an exam scheduled to take place this morning at 10:30, so instead of waking up to my regularly planned HIIT cardio session, I spent an hour studying for this test.

I must say that I think I did exceptionally well, considering how little time I spent going over the material.

My workout came later in the day, which I was not too thrilled about. See, I've become more comfortable waking up early and finishing my cardio first thing, and to break that customary ritual today sorta bummed me out. True, I had to study for an exam. At least that offers a valid excuse.

But my workout went very well today. I did back and 15 minutes on the treadmill with an added 6 minutes on the bike. I felt really strong on the tread. I attribute it to the fact that I wasn't running in a fasted state, as is usually the case when I first wake up.

Nutrition wise I've been on target. Today is the second of 5 low carb days. I don't feel the effects yet, but I'm sure the tiredness will surface later on in the week. As of now, I'm hyper-energized and feeling good. That oatmeal in the morning is working wonders !

Tomorrow: rest day = no cardio no weight

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. I've been having a little trouble with my camera, which actually belongs to a close friend of mine. Hopefully, it'll perk up so I can continue posting daily pictures. Time will tell.

Da15: It's cold but I'm on fire

Status - mission 1
mood - great
water - 1/2 liter

Day 15 of 84

Actually, it is quite cold outside today. Gritty teeth and inflamed eyes, tight locked windows type cold, you know. I was fortunate enough to have the presence of mind to check the weather forecast before I walked to the gym. If I hadn't, I would have frozen my toes off in the 11 degree air haha.

I was still holding my hands tightly against my chest when I entered the gym and noticed that it was still chilly. So I quickly stretched and and immediately started running to warm myself up. By the 5th minute my mind started to drift away, as it so often does. I ended having ran for 14 minutes, one up from even yesterday ! My elliptical time remained the same, and I also reduced the rest time between my ab exercises to increase the intensity. Body acclimation will not be my downfall !

Let's not forget that my two week goal is to reach 20 minutes on the treadmill. I think I'm making great progress. I feel that I'm getting stronger with every workout. The minutes now seem to pass by more quickly than before. Additionally, I'm growing more accustomed to my nutrition plan. The cheat meal I had two days ago definitely satisfied all urges I had been having. A Quesadilla and some ice cream. What a treat.

And chicken salad has never tasted so good haha. Yea, that was my try at sarcasm. But seriously, salads are not that bad when cleverly designed (i.e with a few added raisins and different types of dressings). And knowing the huge benefit of eating healthily and the resultant gains I am sure to make because of it, makes it that much more enjoyable.

This afternoon: Chest + light cardio

ps.

"a mind ... would decide to conquer its weakness ... its laziness and vain hopes and cling with all its power to every second, which flies away forever"

The frigid air today reminded me of how bitterly real and precious and fleeting life is

So Carpe diem my friends, harvest the day !!

Take care,

--Jay

Day 14: Never go backward

Status - mission 1
Mood - up and down
Water - 1 liter

Day 14 of 84

I'm not sure how I feel today ... no, that isn't the truth. I know exactly how I am feeling, and it began this morning with regret.

Last night I stayed up much longer than I wanted or expected to. I was playing a silly soccer game on the computer for no reason at all but to waste away precious sleep. My late bedtime forced me to wake up at 11 !

I know, to miss almost three meals is totally unacceptable for someone trying to speed up their metabolism and lose fat.

At the heart of the matter: the fact that I missed out on a couple of meals isn't what's bothering me the most. What's really upsetting is what waking up at 11 am really means in terms of my motivation. In my experience, there is only one motivation, and that is desire. It's the starting point, the centered and powerful mind. In my case, motivation is my wake-up call. And today I didn't have the will to hear it.

Today was a definite step backward. A small failure I guess. It was the first time I really questioned myself. But hey, nothing great is achieved without a slip-up now and then right ? What I do know is that I don't plan to stop now, because "one stops as soon as something is about to happen" -- Peter Brock

Workout: 12 minutes on treadmill, 10 minutes on ellipt. Core training. (added another minute to tread !)

Tomorrow: Chest + HIIT + Core

Take care, catch you later

--Jay

Day 13: Rest

Status - mission
Water - less than 1 liter
Mood - under pressure

Day 13 of 84

Hi,

Today I plan to rest.

I'm excited for my cheat meal, which I have scheduled to have every 13th day. Not sure what I want to enjoy yet, we'll see haha.

It's important for me to allow myself to indulge every now and then so that I won't drive myself crazy. It is already extremely difficult to maintain a strict diet for very long. An occasional cheat meal represses any cravings I might have in the long run, in the hope that I don't, at the end of three months, go on a weeks binge as a result of an overly firm meal plan.

And plus, it is really only one meal :-)

Tomorrow: double HIIT

catch you later,

--Jay

ps. I'll post pics tomorrow

Day 12: Double HIIT

(too tired to smile haha)

Status - mission 1
Mood - good
Water - 3 liters

Day 12 of 84

Hi,

This morning I completed my HIIT routine, but for this afternoon I've decided to switch it up a bit. Normally I would go swimming or something, it is by far my favorite form of exercise. However, this year our pool has been closed due to structural damage. So instead I plan to head back to the bear's lair to bike and skip. I leave in an hour.

I had a small bowl of oatmeal at 10:30, an hour after my morning workout. I noticed that it gave me a lot of energy that I did not have before. So I think I'll keep it in my daily meal plan.

In thinking of a healthy, reasonable meal plan, I had worries about eating oats because I wanted to maintain a steady blood insulin level throughout the day. Eating green leafy vegetables and lean meat accomplishes that goal. Many carbohydrates such as oatmeal however, produce the opposite effect by creating spikes in insulin.

Generated by the pancreas and secreted directly into the bloodstream, this hormone helps regulate the level of glucose, or blood sugar, in the body. This function is extremely important. Unfortuantely, insulin also helps the body store fat. So those individuals who want to lose fat do everything in their power to prevent fluctuations in insulin. Normally, the only time I eat any type of complex carb is after my evening lifting session. Still, considering how well-rounded the rest of my diet is I don't think a bowl of oatmeal will do much harm in the morning. If anything, it'll do me some good.

I have to make my way to the gym.

I'll catch you later,

--Jay

Day 11: What a blast !

Status - mission 1
Mood - great
water - 2 liters so far
Day 11 of 84

I hit a major cardio milestone today. This morning in the gym I ran for 11 minutes ! This is actually the first time I've ran for that amount of time since my football days in high school. I chose to crank it up a bit today because my previous cardio sessions have felt pretty good.

That's not all. I did an additional minute on the elliptical. I know, it's only an added 60 seconds, but remember that small, progressive steps lead to huge results.

In the next two weeks I want to reach the 20 minute mark on the treadmill. That is the standard I've chosen to judge my endurance level by.

Following cardio I blasted my abs, completing 25 reps for 7 different abdominal exercises. The burn felt great. Judging from today, I seem to have made exponential gains in terms of my core strength since the beginning of this journey, which, at the time, I was barely able to complete 3 basic movements. Now I am doing over 7 with a reasonable amount of ease. And by ease I really mean to say "bearable pain", haha.

The slight discomfort I feel serves as a constant reminder of why I'm doing all of this in the first place. The pain narrows my focus and forces me to concentrate during the day, so that I don't fall prey to the occasional hot dog or pizza slice. Before I make a poor nutritional mistake I simply flex my abs and the residual pain quickly overwhelms any desire for those types of foods.

This afternoon: Upper body antagonistic superset training.

And yes, it is as bad as it sounds

Catch you later !

--Jay

Day 10: All I can do is laugh

(pic from today - above, compared to my pic from day one - below)



Status - mission 1
Mood - loopy but great
Water - 1 liter

Day 10 of 84


A quick post for today:

I had one of my best HIIT workouts this morning. In my previous post I mentioned that I was going to increase the time I spent on the treadmill and elliptical by one minute. I didn't expect that an extra minute on the treadmill would take so much out of me. By the end, I had to dig deep to muster enough willpower to hobble over to the elliptical. I was dripping with sweat - it was wonderful, lol. I truly love morning cardio.


My nutrition so far has been spot on. After my post-workout protein shake I ran out the door in order to make it to my 9 o'clock class. I felt so rushed getting there for some reason. When I entered the classroom I noticed that the room was empty and then I quickly realized I didn't have a 9 o'clock class on Wednesdays haha. No wonder I felt so behind. Waking up early and working out has sorta thrown off my internal rhythm.

ps. I think I might have caught a stomach bug that has been circulating around my campus. Coming from class I felt a little nauseous - it might be my nerves.

See you tomorrow !

--Jay

Day 9: Feelin goood

Status - mission 1
Mood - excited
Water - ~ 4 liters
Day 9 of 84

I destroyed my legs today with muscle rounds (10 seconds rest b/t 6 mini sets of 4 reps), using leg curls followed by squats. Squatting is one of the most important exercises you can do. The movement recruits a large amount of muscle and therefore burns a tremendous amount of calories when done at high intensity and with good form. Once done I could barely walk out of the gym !

My nutrition for today has been flawless and clean. I'm proud of myself. The only thing that differs from my low days is that I consume additional carbs, in the form of extra milk in my shake, after my workout. I've been feeling good so far. If my energy suffers in the future I'll adjust by eating an extra bowl of dry oatmeal in the morning.

As you know, today is day nine. I had extra time to compare todays pics with those from day one. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm excited to see changes in my body already. I knew I was making progress, just judging from my increased strength and cardio endurance. It's reassuring to see those nebulous improvements come to life in picture form.

Tomorrow: morning HIIT. YEAA BABY !

catch you later,

--jay

Day 8: Muscle Rounds

Status - mission 1
Mood - complacent
Water - almost 4 liters

Workout: Muscle rounds were on the agenda for today. It was a hardcore workout, and the fact that I haven't done them in over 5 months added to the intensity. I did 3 rounds chest + back. And 2 rounds each for shoulders, biceps and triceps. For the first time in a long time I could feel a pump in my chest !

Nutrition: Coupling this type of exercise scheme with two days of high carb and protein loading forces your body into building new muscle, or in my case maintaining the muscle I already have.

Followed by 5 days of strict low carb eating, old fashioned oatmeal in the morning tastes better than it ever has, lol - trust me. I know it isn't the most appetizing food in the world, but my body appreciated the extra fuel the oats provided.

Although I understand that these rounds are an integral component of the BFFM training regime, I am more excited to hit the treadmill, especially since my primary goal is to lose fat. Moreover, running every morning for the past week has left me feeling absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately, my next cardio session isn't for another two days. I can't wait !

I have to get some homework done so I'll cut this short.

See you tomorrow,

--Jay

ps. the nachos were delicious :-)

I made sure to eat them before 12 noon so that I could burn them off by the end of the day.

Day 7: Rest

Howdy,

A quick post for today.

Nutrition: protein deprivation
Workout: no weights, no cardio

I made the mistake of scheduling my all fruit day on Superbowl Sunday. But what is disappointing is that my roommate made some of his famous nachos, covered with cheese refried beans and all things unhealthy and delicious, which I was not able to indulge. It proved to be a true test of my willpower. I almost wavered until he offered to save a small batch for me, for tomorrow's super-comensation phase. I'm entering a carb-loading period, in which a few chips are more than welcomed :-)

I'll make sure not to go too crazy

--Jay

ps. I'll post pics tomorrow afternoon

Day 6: In the groove

Status - mission 1
Mood - proud
water - 1 liter during workout

Day 6 of 84

Nutrition: Today is an all protein day, which simply means that I am only allowing myself to consume lean forms of protein and nothing else (besides water and leafy veggies). I'd rather not go into the science behind why I'm doing this at the moment. Let's just say that you always have to keep your body guessing !

Waking up in the morning has become much easier. I find myself more excited to get out of bed and into the gym. What's more is that my energy level is through the roof. Just yesterday, my roommates thought I was on caffeine pills or something because I was so off the wall ! I don't know, I can't explain it. Morning cardio must rev up my system, lol

Today I got up at 9:15, which is later than I wanted to. I slept through my alarm. Still, I was able to make it to the gym before half past the hour for another HIIT cardio session.

Getting there was not difficult, finding an unused treadmill was the tricky part. I had to wait a while for one to become available. Once acquired, I did 10 minutes between 6-8 speed, which is two minutes more than my previous attempt ! By the end my legs were killing (let's not forget yesterday's lactic acid training, which included legs as well). On the elliptical I also did 10 minutes (b/t 4-11).

As i pushed toward the finish line today, being an occasional smoker/drinker, I noticed how it affected my workouts. That is why I have decided to quit both, at least for the three month period of this program.

Regardless of those out there who's habits are much more severe than mine, starting to exercise is always a positive first step toward controlling harmful behavior. We all know the negative health affects of smoking and drinking, and that changing those habits is a matter of choice. However, it is nearly impossible to change your life all at once. It is a slow process, requiring patience and the willingness to take incremental steps.

Personally, I've noticed that in the past week, as I've started to exercise regularly, that I've become more in tune with my body, and my particular habits have begun to naturally fall away.

I guess once you're on the right track and in the groove things start to take care of themselves. Every day matters.

I'll catch you later,

--Jay

Day 5: Moving forward

Status - Mission 1
Mood - elated
Water - almost 1 liter so far

Day 5 of 84

Bonjour, lol

Well, I have just gotten back from the Bear's lair, the local gym down the street from my dorm. In the past I've used it primarily for the treadmill machines and nothing more. Today I decided to mix it up a bit.

I slept very lightly last night because I was so excited to get into the gym this morning, so I actually woke up earlier than usual today. I was surprised to see two of my other roommates awake as well, they were apparently heading to the gym too. I guess my attitude toward getting back into shape has infected the entire sweet, lol. I'm glad for that

But getting back to my story. So I ran to the gym and stretched and immediately hopped on the treadmill. The cardio for the day was HIIT, high intensity interval training. I began a light jog at around speed 6 and quickly jumped it up to 8 and then 9. By that mark I was practically sprinting so I decided to make that my highest speed. I cycled through those three speeds for one minute each. I repeated the cycle of three 4 times.

I then made my way over to the elliptical. It looks like a fusion between a treadmill and a stair-stepper. Question: what is the verb that is used to describe what one does on this machine? Would it be "elliptizining" ... "ellipting" ? On a treadmill you run, on a bike you cycle. Very simple, But on an elliptical? I'm sure I am being totally ignorant and there is an obvious term. Can't seem to think of it now ...

So 12 minutes on the elliptical and ab core training to follow.

Overall I felt great ... very accomplished. Next time I intend to increase the time I spend on each cardio machine to better my cardio capacity. This concept, namely, the idea of repeatedly challenging yourself, is called progressive overload. The method is used to keep your body in an unsuspecting state. This is necessary because over time, your body quickly adapts to the stimuli its being presented with resulting in slowed progress. The body is a smart machine. It is able to survive by doing as little work as possible . Therefore, if you're not moving forward you're body is surely keeping you stagnant.


I have to get to class, see you tomorrow !

--Jay