--->>405<<--- accountability/progress log

[--->>405<<---]

WT:96.6kg BF:21.87% LBM:75.5kg

Well here goes..my goal is to get below 12%bf.. im starting this log so i can document my progress and failures . im new to this site but i see that other people do it and it seems like a great idea.. i have always wanted to get to a certain level of fitness and it seems that i do well for a time but something always seems to happen where i dont fully reach what i hope is my potential.. u guys on here really know what ur talking about so my hope is that if i log my progress/failures maybe yall can help me see where i go wrong in areas that i may not be able to see.. thanx for all the help i have gotten from u all so far..

yesterday my diet consisted of:2345cal/278p/160c/63f (stem how does that look?) pro split into 6 meals carbs done in first 3 meals.. did 40 mins moderate cardio at 1pm.. today i plan to lift at 12noon and then do 40 mins cardio when i get home from work.. im wondering if i should go to the workout section to try to get a good workout i can do in about 45 mins (lunch is best time for me to lift) where i can get in the best fat burning mode.. if anyone on here wants to help me i would really appreciate it.. all advice will be greatly appreciated.. thx guys

[SlimmerMe]

Best of luck and this is the smartest thing you can do. Making a log will help tremendously.

[auslifta]

Goodluck. Hope you reach your goals.

[--->>405<<---]

thx aus and slimmer.. just got thru 1st wkout.. did pretty good. was a little tuff as ive been slack lately (hence 22%bf LOL) i did 4 supersets:

flat dumbell bench
leg press
curls(barbell)
standing military press
t-bar rows

each set 15reps/12/10/8 with 90 sec between superset and no rest between sets except the time to move to next exercise.. plan to increase amt of total supersets to hopefully 6 ..went up on wt on each set and down on reps.. does anyone have advice as to whether this sounds good for fatloss?? also i forgot to do tris (bad memory) was gonna do them at the end so as not to hurt bench and mil press.. i like 1 handed pushdowns..

[Back In Black]

Cals and macro's look good. As long as your food choices were right we are off to a good start!

Your fat loss will mostly be determined by diet and cardio. IMHO your weight training should be geared around, at worst, maintaining LBM. If you have been slack recently you may be able to build a little LBM in the process. When cutting I alternate 1 week of 6-8 reps and the alternate week of 10-12 reps. This enables me to keep or increase my strength andfor me, helps me maintain most LBM. All my lifting is done within 50 minutes.

But, if you are struggling to do cardio, then a circuit training type approach may help but don't expect to get much stronger.

[--->>405<<---]

just to be kwik about it stem diet today:2345cal/278p/160c/63f

08:00 1ne whole egg
4whites
3/4 C oats (changed wt to dry)

10:00 2: 5oz chik breast
broccoli
5oz sweet pot

LIFT (NOON)

13:00 3:PWO: 2 scoops whey
3/4 C oats

14:30 4:6oz 96/4 lean grnd beef
asparagus(tossed in evoo)

18:00 5: 2 cans tuna(no mayo)
broccoli

20:00 40 mins cardio(elliptical sustained HR 150)

21:00 6: 1 tub 2%(looking for 1%) cott cheese
2tbs nat PB

this will pretty much be my diet 7 days/week with one cheat meal/week

my cardio should come around kwik i am working alot about 80 hrs/week including travel time and lunch which mite be why it was so tuff yesterday.. sometimes im up til after midnite and back up the next day at 05:30.. ran 6:35 1 mile about a month ago which isnt bad for 213lbs / 22%bf guy i thought.. my bench goal is 405( hence the screenname) have done 315 and 275 for 5 reps.. rite now i can do 275 once but i have been doing all dumbell work cuz of shoulder.. do u think the circuit training i posted will be a good start 3 days/ week or is that too much on each body part? im mostly focused rite now on losing fat .. thx for ur help man it means alot..

PS: i plan to bump up cardio to 60 mins 6 days/week over the next month

[Back In Black]

Diet looks good.

60 mins of cardio 6 days a week plus 3 lifting sessions plus 80hr work weeks is a lot. You will just need to work out a life balance. Don't want to be burnt out and the first thing that gives is the diet because you have no time to be planned.

If you lift for 3 days and want to superset, how about

Workout 1 - Quads & Delts

Workout 2 - Chest, abs and arms

Workout 3 - Hams and back

As i said, you'll struggle to get stronger doing that type of training and I do favour a fairly standard muscle building approach when cutting. But you will need to work out what works best for you. Mix it up, try a few different things and you'll know.

Congrats on starting the change..............

[--->>405<<---]

thx man.. fortunately i have an awesome wife who gets up 1 hr b4 me everyday and makes all my food !! so all i have to do there is pick up my big bag and take it with me.. been on this work schedule 2 yrs.. should be able to slow down by march.. will try ur approach from above starting monday..til then i wil just do 1 more circuit like i did today.. i guess with the way u suggested ill be able to do more exercises per bodypart .. should i fluctuate 8 reps 1 week and 10-12 the next with this workout? that way ill have heavier days? if im doing the same amt reps(8) or (10-12 respectively) i wont be adding alot of weight as each superset progresses ?? just staying the same?or close to it? thats ok?

[Back In Black]

I alternate because it's a tried and tested formula for me. Yes, it means you have heavier days. On my 6-8 rep workout sometimes I only hit 5 reps, but that's ok. And whether it's a heavy or light week I ALWAYS try and up the weight or do more reps from the previous like for like workout. Do reps that suit you, if you prefer 4-6 one week and 8-10 the alternate week then for for it.

And well done Mrs 405!!!!!!

[SlimmerMe]

Lucky duck having such a supportive wife!

[--->>405<<---]

ur rite slim i am lucky.. shes been doing that every day for 6 yrs i think she may have missed maybe 2 days in 6 yrs.. she even cranks my truck in the winter time and turns the heat on for me! well last nite i got my 40 mins cardio dun but it was again tuff.. i guess cuz the cardio i have been doing for the last 3 or 4 months has been running as fast a 1 mile as i can followed by about 20 mins sprints.. my wife measured my bf this past sunday (9/25) so i guess ill have it taken every other sunday and put the results up on here.. so the next bf measurement will be on 10/9.. i am also considering putting pic up even though its gonna be a bad one.. today will be a cardio only day..

[Back In Black]

well last nite i got my 40 mins cardio dun but it was again tuff.. i guess cuz the cardio i have been doing for the last 3 or 4 months has been running as fast a 1 mile as i can followed by about 20 mins sprints.

What type of cardio did you do?

[--->>405<<---]

Elliptical machine.. I have one in my man cave.. Because of my wk sched its hard 2 get any other type cardio in on lift days.. Where i live (in the country) theres only 1 rd by my house and people do 100km/hr(figd id help u out there stem) and its dark so i dont want to get killed trying to lose wt so i just use my elliptical.. Does it matter as long as i maintAin good hr?? Usually 150-160 beats / minute.. Its pretty tiring on me at least rite now.. It has difft levels of resistance..

[Back In Black]

Ha ha, our road system is in mph. Most treadmills are in kmh and most our measurements are in grammes but I can do oz's and lb's just not cups!!

Elipticals are my 2nd fave cardio for fitness. But favourite for low impact and, tbh, will serve you just as well for fat loss. Though you stick to the same principles. Moderate cardio is ok but you should try to incorporate interval training where possible. Warm up for 5 minutes then increase resistance and go as fat as you can for 30-60 seconds. Turn resistance down for 60 secs at moderate pace for 60 secs, then repeat intervals for up to 20 mins. Cool down for 5 and you'll be done in 30 mins. Helpful if short of time. It should be real tough so you may want to alternate intervals one day and moderate the next at the HR you stated.

[SlimmerMe]

And if you can? getting in a fasted low intensity cardio for just about 25 minutes and then another cardio later in the day? you would really see the BF melt off....

Somewhere around here Phate has something written about a study where doing 2 cardios a day in shorter amounts of time will really help cut the BF. I will try to find it ( sometime, not asap but a bit later hopefully)

[--->>405<<---]

Ok cool thx.. Yeh i have done that before but i wSnt sure if it was a good method or not actually what i did was 5 min warmup then 30 secs at higher resistNce (5 or 6) then bak down to (4) for 90 secs and repeat 9 more times.. Every week or 2 i plannedto add 1 more interval .. And also 5 min cooldown so im glad to see i was on to something there.. Thats weird u r on mph and metric simultaneously BTW my mother is from Sussex.. I was born and raised here in the US..

[--->>405<<---]

Hey thx slim.. Yeh ivedone 1 fasted ( monday) and planned on doing more.. Its just tuff getn up so early cuz i have a hard time making myself go to be by like 21:00.. I usually have to be at wk by 07:00 so i have to get up at 04:30ish... Ugh but i plan to try and do it where i can .. I would appreciate the cardio thing by phate when u gt the time.. I usually do fairly well to about 16 % bf.. Ive never been much lower.. I usually hit a brick wall and cant fig out how to get thru it.. Im hoping u guys will be able to help me then

[SlimmerMe]

While i look for that study ( if it exist other than Phate saying there was one and we might have to find Phate to find the study) all I can tell you is this: when I started my challenge I was religious about fasted cardio and I merely went out the door first thing before coffee. This time of year is great to do this before it gets cold. And I only walked briskly for about 25 minutes. And then came back in and made my protein shake. And then later in the day more often than not, got in another cardio for about 30 minutes. And I know this is how I was able to meet my 90 day challenge. I know it in my heart ( along with EATING better.....of course!) but the cardio is the trick here. It really is. Especially in the very beginning stage to ramp up your metabolism plus you will start seeing results faster which will inspire you to keep going at this new life.

[--->>405<<---]

Yeh i guess i dont havr to do 40 mins fasted.. Huh?? What was ur 90 day challenge slim if u dont mind my asking?

[SlimmerMe]

Yeh i guess i dont havr to do 40 mins fasted.. Huh?? What was ur 90 day challenge slim if u dont mind my asking?

Challenged myself to lose 20 pounds in 90 days and here is my thread. You might enjoy seeing what all I had to go thru especially starting out. I was not ready at the gate but wanted to start since starting is the most important thing. Hope you enjoy reading this. it might give you some tips.

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...*#.ToSUQhw0i6Y

[--->>405<<---]

Hey stem:
1 cup= 8fluid oz
2 cup= 1 pint (16fl oz)
4 cup= 32fl oz (1quart)
4 Qt = 1 gallon(128 fl oz)
Our quart is like ur liter except i think ur liter is 33.8fl oz

[--->>405<<---]

Thx slim look 4 ward 2 reading ur thread

[Back In Black]

Hey stem:
1 cup= 8fluid oz
2 cup= 1 pint (16fl oz)
4 cup= 32fl oz (1quart)
4 Qt = 1 gallon(128 fl oz)
Our quart is like ur liter except i think ur liter is 33.8fl oz

Well, that would help but US fl oz are different to UK fl oz. There are 20 in a pint over here. A pint being 568ml. Hey ho, crazy mixed up world.

[--->>405<<---]

Just got dun w/cardio.. Did 5min warm up/20 min HIIT/10min moderate/5min cooldown.. Feel good bout myself cuz i was just gonna do the 5/20/5 like u said i could stem but figd id push myself.. I said i was gonna do 40 mins so i haveto do 40 mins.. I have a q.. I didnt lift today so i was confusEd bout my PWO.. Should i have skippd it and dun it aftr cardio? Or skippd it altogether?? I just ate/drank it at usual time (13:00) and now after cardio am gonna eat meal 4 which is ppwo usually..

[Back In Black]

If it's in your macro's for the day, have it. I always account for it after my cardio. And well done on the extra cardio. Every little helps!

[SlimmerMe]

Sounding better and better....

[--->>405<<---]

ok so heres my first photo.. at 22%bf ill put a new one up on 10/29... hopefully ill see a change.. im dedicated as ive ever been .. feel good about diet so far.. macros for today total: 2297cal/269p/157c/60f

[SlimmerMe]

KUDOS TO YOU! And being dedicated will change your life. You are in the right place here and will continue to follow your progress~

[--->>405<<---]

thx slim

[--->>405<<---]

well its day 5! i tell u starting back is not alot of fun cuz u put forth what seems like the most effort (outta shape) and it takes like a month or so to start seeing any results .. didnt have access to microwave this morning so i just had to eat my frozen broccoli-frozen LOL.. hey at least i have managed to get back into "food for means-to-an-end-mode" vs food cuz it tastes good mode i tell u one thing that cheat meal on sunday is gonna be good!! which leads me to a question.. do yall think 15-20 chicken wings, a good (bacon bits, cheese, croutons etc..) salad and a big piece of cake with prob cream cheese icing LOL is too much food for a cheat meal???

[SlimmerMe]

ONE cheat meal a week? GO for all you want. Get it out of your system. Meantime as SpyWizard has suggested, write down everything you want to eat. I will find a thread which is a fun read re: cheat meals. It is in the lounge somewhere...

Trick to it? stop after the cheat. Not a cheat day....just a cheat meal.

[SlimmerMe]

Fun read re: cheat meal.....

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...l#.ToXhWBw0i6Y

[--->>405<<---]

well i tell u what .. now i remember why i prefer the elliptical over running.. ITS EASIER!!!! was hoping to maybe get 4 miles at lunch instead i only got 1.5mi/12:27 and then sprinted the last half mile stopping once.. man i tell u sprints after running is BRUTAL! only getting 4 hrs sleep last nite doesnt help.. eating 1 1/2 C oats and 2 scoops whey rite aftr running as well as the fact that i only 3 hrs b4 ate chickn and sweet pot and broc is a little tuff.. 2300 cals of health food takes a good bit of eating.. i saw a guy on here who was eatn 5000 cal/day... betr him than me

[gbrice75]

Glad to see you logging bro, it DOES make a huge difference when you fvck up and have to come on here to be accountable - because if you're being honest (only cheating yourself if you aren't) and know we might get on you, it'll make you think twice - I know it worked for me!

One thing though, and maybe this is just because i've become more hardcore lately - but I wouldn't do a cheat meal right now. Or, I would do a larger clean meal for a cheat - i.e. maybe a big bowl of pasta w/ chicken or beef, shrimp, etc something like that. I'm not saying you can't do a cheat forever, but right now it boils down to how quickly you want to reach your goal. Will a single cheat meal per week ruin your diet? No. Will it set you back. Somewhat.

My .02

[--->>405<<---]

aww man GB i had it all plannd out dude..sunday after church.. chicken wings big salad red velvet cake LOL i trust u though.. i guess the q is how much will it set me back? also once i start losing bf will i have to modify my diet accordingly eg..new macros ? or not so much since its based on LBM?? and 1 more q.. when i get to like 16-17%(my wall) u think yall will be able to help me break thru that? i was almost to the point to where i was gonna give up ever being able to see my abs.. im giving it one more go man.. im dedicated bro..100000000% i just need someone to help me cuz i dont know what im doing.. never had 4pk 6 pk anypk except 12 pack LOL

[Back In Black]

405, the cals i suggested are relative to your LBM so I'm hoping that we won't have to modify your cals too much. The macro's may change a little but that is partly down to how you react to the split you are on and the subtle changes you will learn to make yourself to best suit you. And, IF you hit your wall, then we'll be here to help you. Our reputations depend on it! BTW you plan on getting bf checked every other week, how often do you plan on weighing in?

[--->>405<<---]

Yeh stem every 2 weeks in bf and weigh in.. Oct 9 I decided .. No cheat meal for now .. (sigh) ill let yall tell me when.. Like i said.. Im serious bout this..

[--->>405<<---]

oh yeh..yesterdays macros for the day: 2345cal/272p/162c/63f 47%/28%24%

[SlimmerMe]

Yeh stem every 2 weeks in bf and weigh in.. Oct 9 I decided .. No cheat meal for now .. (sigh) ill let yall tell me when.. Like i said.. Im serious bout this..

Good idea. This way you get into a real routine first so you start to see results sooner than later for more motivation~

[gbrice75]

aww man GB i had it all plannd out dude..sunday after church.. chicken wings big salad red velvet cake LOL i trust u though.. i guess the q is how much will it set me back? also once i start losing bf will i have to modify my diet accordingly eg..new macros ? or not so much since its based on LBM?? and 1 more q.. when i get to like 16-17%(my wall) u think yall will be able to help me break thru that? i was almost to the point to where i was gonna give up ever being able to see my abs.. im giving it one more go man.. im dedicated bro..100000000% i just need someone to help me cuz i dont know what im doing.. never had 4pk 6 pk anypk except 12 pack LOL

I hear u bro... I asked Nark (the wing i'm currently under) about a cheat meal and he wouldn't let me have one either lol! I'm glad though - I want abs more than a meal. The pleasure of looking good lasts forever, the pleasure of food lasts until the last bite - not worth it IMO.

I can't answer how much it'll set you back; it all depends on what and more importantly, how much you eat. With a moderate caloric deficit throughout the week, and a huge meal (cheeseburger, fries, soda, shake, etc. whatever) - that could negate the deficit you created over a week, or at least slash it in half. Therefore it'll take you twice as long to reach your goal.

I'm just throwing numbers/examples around - nothing scientific about it. The point is, it will set you back to some degree - how much depends on those factors I mentioned. That's why I think a cheat DAY is ridiculous - idk about you, but when I cheat/binge, I go ALL OUT. Probably 10k calories, easily. The worst foods too. Then I feel like crap for days on end... the mental part is so much worse than the physical too...

Remember this: When you reach your goal bodyfat, it'll be much easier to maintain vs. getting there - and you will be able to have a nice cheat meal without worrying.

I would say stick with your diet 100% dedication for 30 days. If you can do that, reward yourself with a really nice cheat meal, whatever you want. Ideally have the meal the day/early evening before your most intense workout, such as legs. That will at least offset the massive overfeed and put some of those calories to good use.

So November 1st (around that date) has a nice meal waiting for you if you stick to this plan, and I know you can!!!!