Mark's October 2008 Nutrition and Training Journal

[dfmark1111]

October 1st,

I started a new lower body workout today. It consists of as follows:

5 sets of Ball squats with 10 second hold on bottom at end
1 set of 20 lunges alternating legs
(I did this with a 30 pound dumbell in each hand. I was off balance on the lunges, and had to take a break to finish that last set as I was really winded.)

5 sets of deadlifts, using dumbells first 30 then 45 pounds on last 2 sets
1 set of reverse situps
(I feel hamstring flexiblity could increase a bit for me, Pretty much every rep was a good stretch.)

5 sets of bodyweight calf raises
1 set seated calf raises
(My calves are pretty good right now, a lot of this is a stretch)

5 sets of 40-60 second planks
1 set leg raises
(The planks really got me sweating)

I felt like I got a good pump from this workout.

I hope to eat 3000 calories a day each day this month. I hope to cut back a little when my schedule calms down and I feel in a rut. Anywhere in the 2500 to 3000 range will be ok, depending where I land each night.

[dfmark1111]

Calories 2039
38% protein 34% carbs 26% fat

I don't have much of an appetite today. I ate pretty clean. I figure 2000 calories isn't all that low if I don't feel like eating.

I wore a pair of more snug pants today, and I think 6 people or so commented that I've lost a lot of weight.

[dfmark1111]

I think I'm going to do an hour of eliptical each day to replace the hour of walking I did last month.

Tonight I did about 70 minutes of eliptical at a moderate pace and high resistance setting. The machine said I burned 1000 calories in that time. I think I'll play towards my strengths in using this as a calorie burner this month.

[LiftGirl]

The elliptical is a great machine, but don't rely on the calorie count; they are notoriously inaccurate. To maximize the calorie burn, make sure you're not leaning on the machine (holding on lightly for balance is ok; hugging the display panel is not). If you get sick of the elliptical, don't be afraid to switch to another activity.

Also, can I suggest substituting your long workouts with 20 minutes of HIIT once or twice a week?

[dfmark1111]

Your advice is good. That has been what I was doing, and it was working well. (down 20 pounds so far)

I do HIIT 3 times a week (tues, thurs, sat). This morning I did 30 minutes on an exercise bike.

I'm increasing my exercise a bit lately since I'm a bit love-sick, and it takes my mind off things. I'm also a bit impatient to look better naked....lol.

[dfmark1111]

Calories 2505
29% protein 26% carbs 45% fat

30 Minutes HIIT on recumbant bike.

I bought a new winter jacket and some new cloths today. I felt ultra lucky in finding just what I wanted. The clothes were 4 inches smaller in the waist then the last time I bought them.

I had a great job review today, and a small chat with a co-worker really straightened out my love life.

I think I'll fix the neighbors computer, rent some movies, and skip the extra cardio this week. Cutting back on the calories is probably enough of a shock to my system already.

[dfmark1111]

I was bored after a nap, and did an hour on the eliptical machine tonight.

It felt good to get rid of some nervous energy.

I had the difficulty set on 18, and switched directions every 5 minutes. I really focused on keeping my midsection tight.

[dfmark1111]

Did new upper body workout today.

4 sets of 6 bodyweight dips. I mixed these into some other exercises to have more recovery time between sets.
1 set of 12 dumbell bench press with 50 pound dumbells.

5 sets of lat pulldowns
1 set of 12 chinups (assisted with one leg on a chair)

5 sets of ski position rope pulldowns
1 set of skull crushers

3 sets of isometic back of shoulder exercises. This is a core type training where you lay on your stomach on a ball, then go through the full range of motion of your shoulders. I can barely do this without weights, I have a lot to improve in this area.
1 set of seat rows.

3 sets of superman alternate arm and leg lifts.
1 set of back extension exercises.

These are a really different type of exercise than last month. The different reps, motions, and intensity should serve me well. My shoulder sockets feel good and strong afterward.

Since I was up early, I also did an hour of walking at 3.0% incline and 3.0 mph.

[dfmark1111]

I did another hour of cardio in the evening while watching ufc fighting.

I then did something unbelievable. I tackled my greatest fear. (freeway driving). Confronting something I feared more than death itself might be my greatest accomplishment this year. My journal and training has helped a lot with my confidence. I've been doing some books and tapes on this for a few months, so it's been a long process. Completing an hour drive I feel like I won the Super Bowl, the World Series, the lottery, and married a super model all at once. I still have a bit of work to do, but this was a very important step.

I found too that with an investment of time and energy, I can get a promotion at work. I'm gonna have a lot on my plate the next few months, but I'm really looking forward to tackling it.

Calories 2500 + one 12 oz gatorade type drink

I'm now 20 pounds down since the start.

[dfmark1111]

Calories 2506
39% protein 26% carbs 31% fat

[LiftGirl]

Sounds like things are going really well with you, both without and within the world of fitness! Keep it up!

[dfmark1111]

Thanks Liftgirl!!

I did a hour on an exercise bike and a half hour walking on a treadmill while watching ufc tonight.

[dfmark1111]

Stepping on the scale today, I'm at 270

Start weight 292 on 8/4/8
Current weight 270
Total Change 22 pounds
Average weekly change. 2.48 pounds per week
Projected 4 week at this pace 260
Projected 12 weeks at this pace 240

I think this was a good week to shock my system a bit.

My weight loss has gotten a little too quick over the last week. I'm going to cut out the marathon cardio, and probably bump calories up to 3000 again until the average is less than 2 pounds per week again.

I've noticed that the excess training and cardio tends to make me 'dog it' on the intensity level. It was nice to lose some raw pounds, but it's important for me to avoid shortcuts and just live healthy. Time is one of the most powerful tools I need to take advantage of.

[dfmark1111]

I did my lower body workout today after waking up really early. I did some extra cardio today, but used it as a warmup and cooldown for the leg workout, which worked pretty well.

I lost track of calories with a chinese buffet meal today, but I think I'm pretty close around the 3000 area give or take a little.

[dfmark1111]

20 Minutes HIIT Exercise Bike today.
Ate healthy today, but was sorta a cheat day since I was busy on and went on a date.