Build Me - An Ongoing Journey

Monday 5/4/09
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Diet:
7:15am:
1 small Pear
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
11:10am:
1 small Pear
1 small Apple
~10+ Carrot Strips
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, a little White Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Chicken Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice White Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
4:50pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, White Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Lentil Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:29
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15-15.5cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

For today and the rest of the week I will be able to eat early. I enjoyed the dining halls opening at 7am for today and I’m sure will enjoy it for tomorrow and the following days after. The dining hall schedule isn’t the only routine change though.

I had to have my work out later in the day at around 9:20am instead of the standard 8:30. This is just for today though (though Thursday will have a similar situation) because I had a final at 8 in the morning (a final I dominated I might add). As for the actual work out I would say the intensity level was slightly above average. For some reason though even with the intensity only being slightly harder I ended up sweating like a fat hog. Maybe it was extra humidity in the gym area? I’m not sure what. All I know is I came out of there drenched. And in a way, that was comforting.

I had to have an early lunch to fit in my final at 11:30am. It worked out though since I had an early breakfast. For consistencies sake I also decided to go with an early dinner. Anyway, the lunch was standard except for the bread. Yet again they didn’t have my beloved whole wheat. Even worse this time was that the sourdough (which I found out is actually low GI by the way) was gone. I was screwed with the standard white bread. I took the smallest piece I could possibly find, which I must say was very small. Again though, it is a measly 90 calories of a high GI food – not that big of a deal.

Both my pushups and sit-ups were fairly standard tonight. I may have ended up doing one extra sit-up on the second set because I lost count. I also filmed my pushups as I always do. I’ll post the videos tomorrow probably. One thing I noticed is the inverse relationship with my depth and my back slouching. It seems I can’t get both to get better at the same time. I’ll keep working at it though. The videos really help as I can assess myself after each set.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #151.
 
hey mcfreid,
i watched your youtube video and i think you can still go lower on about every pushup you did. try tucking your elbows in next to your body and you will be able to go down enough to touch your chest to the ground.

i like your progress though. good job.
 
I completely agree. I'll try tucking in my elbows more, but yeah I can definitely go lower. I'm gonna keep trying until I get it right.
 
Tuesday 5/5/09
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Diet:
7:15am:
1 small Pear
2 small Apples
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
11:10am
2 small Apples
~5+ Carrot Strips
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, White Beans, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:40pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, White Beans, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~78+rpm

3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x125 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press
30sec rest
3x10x30 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
3x7 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30sec Knee Raises
30sec rest


That was the workout.



The Day:

I had an average workout today, which in all honesty was a little disappointing considering it was my last lifting day as a freshman using RPI’s fitness center. Next time I step into that gym I’ll be a second year sophomore. But still, it was a decent day.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #152.
 
Wednesday 5/6/09
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Diet:
7:15am:
3 small Apples
1+ bowl Oatmeal [runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1 small Plum
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, White Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables]
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper, White Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables]
1 slice White Sourdough Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
2 min @ ~69rpm, level 1 resistance
2 min @ ~69rpm, level 2 resistance
16 min @ 1:15 min ~90-100?rpm, 45 sec @ ~68rpm, level 3-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
3x20 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)



That was the workout.



The Day:

In the morning I may have gone a little overboard with the breakfast. The oatmeal was fairly runny so I figured I would make up for it by having more than my usual 3/4 of a bowl. By the end of the meal I believe I made up for it a tad too much. I’ll factor that extra caloric intake into my other meals for the day and by the end it should balance out; so, no harm done.

Today was the last day I will be doing elliptical HIIT. Well, possibly the last day: I can’t say for sure if I will start it up again or not when I go back to college come next fall. The gym I go to near my home does not have good ellipticals for HIIT (but it does have those awesome full-range ellipticals to make up for it). So, I’m thinking of changing things up. Next week, next Wednesday, I will be trying a version of HIIT on the treadmill. I read on some post on the internet about a fairly intense HIIT using inclines and various intervals to get that heart rate up. I’m going to do a search for that routine and try to implement on my next cardio HIIT workout.

As for the actual workout today, it was interesting. I was extremely motivated being that it was my last chance to give it my all. I had bundles of energy going in. Sadly the chips didn’t fall my way and both good ellipticals were taken. Instead I had to use a faulty one that had its resistance levels a little out of whack. I gave it my all regardless. It was weird though because at first the machine was much harder than normal and I couldn’t maintain my goal of staying above 93rpm on the sprints. Then as I increased the levels I found it actually became easier and I was suddenly hitting the 100rpm’s on the high intensity portion. And then it really got screwy. On the last few intervals the machine started switching during my sprints from easy to medium to impossibly hard resistance where the impossibly hard portion would be so strenuous that it slowed me down to just a tad over 80rpm. By the end the LED display reported me as burning 365 calories; obviously a worthless figure since I can’t compare its numbers to any other machine’s. I did feel like I gave it everything I got though. And I walked out happy.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #153.
 
Thursday 5/7/09
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Diet:
7:15am:
1 small-medium Pear
1 small-medium Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [slightly runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:15pm:
1 bowl Lobster Bisque [cream based]
1 plate Chicken Breast with Pasta (Slightly Buttery Lemon Sauce) and Vegetables
7:30pm:
1 bowl Black Bean Puree
1 plate Tile Fish [similar to flounder] with Vegetables (Tomato Vegetable Broth)
2-3 Bites Lettuce Salad (Vinaigrette)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:27
ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~70rpm, 1resistance
5min @ ~75rpm, 1resistance
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~14-15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

What a crazy last day at the gym. I arrived after taking my last test of my freshman year. I was pumped up and ready to go. I stepped onto the standard treadmill with admittedly the slightest decline and hit “start”. But, it wasn’t to be. An error message appeared on the LED screen and I was at a stump. After smashing a few buttons I gave up and stepped onto the harder treadmill that is sloped flat to possibly a slight incline. It also faces the window and therefore has no source of TV entertainment to keep my distracted. I didn’t care though. Again, I was pumped up and ready to go. The result? I had one of the most intense runs in a long time. I’m not sure what it was but by the end I was covered in liquid and breathing hard enough to cause chafing in my wind pipe. It was excellent.

After the run I found out that my full-motion elliptical was taken. After a quick splash of water down my throat, I hit up the standard elliptical instead. 10 minutes in to my workout the full-motion’s occupant stepped off and I followed suit with my machine. I transferred over to the higher intensity machine and began to pump out some RPMs. I was incredibly tired from my run so I couldn’t hit the numbers that I usually do, but I gave it everything I got. Finally I finished up the day on yet another version of the treadmill machines as now all three of my standard options were taken. It was a great way to end a freshman year’s relationship with that gym. I’ll see it again, but never with a first-year’s body. Next time I’ll be a sophomore. Won’t that be something!

And so after a long day of traveling I am now back home. As you can see already my diet has taken a turn: not necessarily for the worse, but definitely for some inconsistency. I ate out twice today and both times made healthy meal choices. I am satisfied with how I handled myself. And even better I am very satisfied with how the food tasted!

At night, even though it was way late, I stuck to my routine of pushups and sit-ups. I took videos of my pushups and think that my performance was possibly the best it has ever been. Along with the ones from a few nights ago, I will be posting the videos tomorrow. Until then, good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #154.
 
Friday 5/8/09
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Diet:
7:20am:
1 medium Pear 100cal, 25g C
1/4 cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats 150cal, 26g C, 4g P, 2g F
1/2 cup Egg Beaters 60cal, 12g P
2oz Ground Turkey Breast 60cal, 13g P, 1g F
Peppers and Onions
11:10am [Post-Workout]:
1 scoop NOW Whey Protein Isolate 105cal, 25g P, 1g C
1 medium Banana 100cal, 1g P, 27g C
2-3 spoonfuls Blueberries 20cal, 0g P, 5g C
1:45pm:
8oz Chicken Breast 240cal, 46g P, 4g F
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread 140cal, 6g P, 28g C, 1g F
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper
1/2 cup 1% Cottage Cheese 90cal, 16g P, 4g C, 1g F
1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil with Balsamic Vinegar, Mustard 60cal, 7g F
1 medium Apple 100cal, 28g C
2-3 slices Tomato
6:00pm:
1 plate Lettuce Salad (a little Olive Oil Grape Juice Dressing)
1 small piece Halibut with Rice (Savory Chile Sauce)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~78rpm, 1resistance
3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x125 BB Bench Press
1min rest
2x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
1x3x35 [failure] DB Shoulder Press
3x5x20 Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5x20 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x7 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest


That was the workout.



The Day:

Today was my first day with my new diet. I am getting rid of all those deli cold cuts that I was so dependent upon previously. The abused consumption of sodium nitrate and just plain sodium made me think twice about making it a true staple of my diet outside of the dining halls (of which I have been doing previously on breaks from college). I have now switched to pure, less processed foods, as can be seen from my food log above. Today was fairly experimental with calories and how much I should be eating. I think I ended up making about the right ratios, but slightly low on the total calories. I feel like my breakfast could have used an extra boost. Tomorrow I will be shooting food double the oatmeal amount and doubling the ground turkey amount. I’m also going to experiment with microwaving steel-cut oats to see if it is a doable possibility for college during the upcoming Fall 09 semester.

My workout today was disappointing. I had all the energy in the world and was completely pumped up and ready to hit the weights hard at my home gym. For some reason though I was weak. My form kept breaking down during squats and deadlifts. I failed on the dumbbell shoulder press and it wasn’t even on the final rep. I have no idea what was up. I guess it was just an off day. The only other possibility is the smaller than usual breakfast decreased my real energy even though I thought I had a lot more (I guess you could call this perceived energy). I’m not sure on that theory though because if my breakfast was truly smaller than usual it was only by a marginal amount. At least I ended the day strong as I found myself regaining stamina and fitness with the later lifts. I especially enjoyed the bicycle crunches today where I felt an incredible burn right in the center of my abdominal muscles.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #155.
 
I'm way behind on these pushup videos. Here is what you missed. From looking at these videos on a progressive scale I am proud to see improvements. I think that the last 3 videos which displayed my Thursday night pushups are truly the emblem to what I have been striving for. I am finally reaching the point where I can start to become confident without a camera. Do you see the same thing? Or maybe you don’t! Tell me what you think.
 
Saturday 5/9/09
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Diet:
7:45am:
1 medium Pear 100cal, 25g C
1/2 cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats 300cal, 52g C, 8g P, 4g F
1/2 cup Egg Beaters 60cal, 12g P
4oz Ground Turkey Breast 120cal, 26g P, 2g F
Peppers and Onions
12:50pm:
7oz Chicken Breast 200cal, 39g P, 4.5g F
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread 140cal, 6g P, 28g C, 1g F
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper
1/2 cup 1% Cottage Cheese 90cal, 16g P, 4g C, 1g F
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 80cal, 9g F
1 medium Apple 100cal, 28g C
1 small Tomato
~15 Baby Cut Carrots
5:50pm:
1/2 cup Dry Quinoa 318cal, 11g P, 59g C,5gF
7oz Chicken Breast 200cal, 39g P, 4.5g F
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber
1/2 cup 1% Cottage Cheese 90cal, 16g P, 4g C, 1g F
1 Green Pepper
3 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 120cal, 13g F
~15 Baby Cut Carrots

That was my diet.



The Workout:

--


That was the workout.



The Day:

I was fairly active today. In the morning I had a nice time outside as I walked around the local flee market for some simple entertainment. Later on in the day I finished up unpacking along with configuring all of my various electronics. I also decided to try out doing pull-ups on this bar that was setup in my bathroom (I never used it because I couldn’t do pull-ups before). It was awkward since the bar was low enough that I can reach it standing. But, but curling my legs I was able to get the motion pretty much down and I’m glad I found a way to keep on “greasing that groove”.

I cooked every single one of my meals today. I think I did a really good job hitting the macros right, but my calories were still low. I think I can fix this by adding some additional carbs in at lunch. Tomorrow I may not have the chance due to it being Mother’s day. But, given the next opportunity, I want to double the amount of complex carbs I have for my mid-day meal. I also will be increasing my breakfast slightly by having a cup of egg beaters instead of a half.

As for how cooking for myself has worked… It’s been great! This morning I attempted to make steel-cut oats in the morning to shave off some time compared to the classic stove-top method. It didn’t shorten the cooking time by that much and the taste wasn’t quite as good (the water was gone but it wasn’t absorbed fully into the grain making them taste slightly undercooked). Tomorrow (and in a way tonight) I will be pre-soaking the oats while I sleep in another attempt to see if I can make them faster as that would be ideal in a college situation.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #156.
 
Sunday 5/10/09
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Measurements:

Body Weight: 144.00lb Change: -4.80lb
Lean Mass: 133.06lb Change: -3.91lb
Percent Fat: 7.60% Change: -0.10%
Body Fat: 10.94lb Change: -0.49lb

Progress Pictures:







Thoughts and Opinions:

The numbers are in today and I’m not too happy. It is quite clear that over these last few days back from college I have not been eating enough. I know that the weight lost is water weight as there is no way I lost nearly 5 pounds, 4 of that being muscle, in one week (especially since changes in diet have only been over the last few days). I expect that as my food intake rebounds to what it used to be that my weight will similarly rebound back towards some kind of equilibrium. We’ll see how it goes next week.

As for my pictures I did look noticeably leaner. This is again most likely due to loss of water. It’s tough to tell though because the lighting is different in my room than in the bathroom outside my dorm room.

In the end it is to be expected that these first few days back home will be a little chaotic. I’m sure that given a week or two I will get back into a food routine that will give me guaranteed results. Results that will most likely far surpass previous expectations as I have far more control at home than I did before.




This concludes Entry #157 Sunday Morning Edition.
 
Sunday 5/10/09
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Diet:
7:45am:
1 medium Apple
1/2 cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats
4oz Ground Turkey Breast
1cup Egg Beaters
Peppers and Onions
12:10pm:
1 medium Pear
~1 cup 1% Fat Cottage Cheese with Honey Toasted Wheat Germ
2-3 Baby Cut Carrots
1:45pm:
1 small-medium plate Lettuce Salad (a little Italian Vinaigrette)
3 small Shrimp
1 Tuna Steak
1 small slice Chicken Breast with a little Pasta (a little Lemon Butter Sauce)
7:10pm:
1 bowl Seaweed Salad
15 pieces Sashimi
4-5 small squares Tofu [very lightly fried]
1 Sweet Potato Tempura [very lightly fried] Roll
8:10pm:
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with 1% Fat Cottage Cheese (Cinnamon)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

PUSHUPS:
1x45 [failure]
SIT-UPS:
1x66 [failure]


That was the workout.



The Day:

My diet today was a little hectic. I ate out twice and neither was in the right proportions though I did try to make it so while keeping only healthy options in mind. To balance out the percentages and calories I included some additional custom side-meals here and there. I think it worked out well in the end.

I tried using the pre-soak oatmeal method for my breakfast. The result was that the oatmeal did cook in around half of the normal time. The downside was that the taste was still not quite like a standard steel-cut stovetop oatmeal. The kernels were overly crunchy almost as if they were not fully cooked (though all the water had disappeared). Tomorrow I will be trying my last alternative which is the quick cooking steel cut oats. Hopefully I will see a good outcome.

I tested my new pushups maximum at night. I surpassed last week’s mark by a decent 2 reps with 45 complete pushups (similarly I also overcame my previous record in sit-ups). My only concern is that the flaw from last week, and the week before and the week before, is still lingering. I am not quite hitting parallel or below yet (videos posted as soon as I can). I will keep on working at this. It will come in time.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #157.
 
Here is me testing my new record for decent pushups. Again I struggle with breaking parallel. I'm really annoyed at myself for not achieving what would seem to be such a simple concept. Oh well, I'll keep cracking at it.
 
Monday 5/11/09
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Diet:
7:15am:
1 medium Pear 100cal, 25g C
1/2cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats 300cal, 52g C, 8g P, 4g F
1/2cup Egg Beaters 60cal, 12g P
4oz Ground Turkey Breast 120cal, 26g P, 2g F
Peppers and Onions
11:45am:
1 scoop NOW Whey Protein Isolate 105cal, 25g P, 1g C
1 medium Banana 100cal, 1g P, 27g C
2-3 spoonfuls Blueberries 20cal, 0g P, 5g C
1:30pm:
8oz Chicken Breast 240cal, 46g P, 4g F
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread 140cal, 6g P, 28g C, 1g F
1 Ezekiel Sprouted Wrap 150cal, 6g P, 24gC,3.5gF
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper
1/2 cup 1% Cottage Cheese 90cal, 16g P, 4g C, 1g F
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 80cal, 9g F
1 medium Apple 100cal, 28g C
1 small Tomato
~15 Baby Cut Carrots
6:30pm:
6oz Grouper [cooked with olive oil]
6oz Flounder [cooked with olive oil]
1 head Baby Bok Choy
~1/2cup Quinoa

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:30
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~14.5-16cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

I had a fairly average time at the gym today. I got lucky that the full-motion elliptical machines were open when I needed them after my run. Normally at my local facility the row of ellipticals is packed with people. Besides that nice turn of expectations there is nothing really else to report.

At night I tried hard to focus on improving my form for pushups. By improving my form I mean breaking parallel. I feel like I did make some success, but it still was not to my full liking. I want to really feel like I am getting the full ROM. I’ll post the videos when I get a chance.

For my diet I decided to add a little more calories by including a very healthy sprouted grain wrap into my lunches. I also if you took note put an extra meal into my daily routine by having a post-workout shake. I will be doing this for both cardio and lifting days, but most likely not on my weekends where I don’t make a motion to the gym. I feel like my calories have begun to struck a balance like they used to and that I am no longer sapping myself of energy by not eating enough. I will probably be using a diet very similar to the one shown today for the rest of the week. Sunday will tell me if it’s working to my liking.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #158.
 
Tuesday 5/12/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:00am:
1 medium Pear 100cal, 25g C
1/2cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats 300cal, 52g C, 8g P, 4g F
1/2cup Egg Beaters 60cal, 12g P
2oz Ground Turkey Breast 60cal, 13g P, 1g F
1/2 cup 1% Cottage Cheese 90cal, 16g P, 4g C, 1g F
Peppers and Onions
10:45am:
1 scoop NOW Whey Protein Isolate 105cal, 25g P, 1g C
1 medium Banana 100cal, 1g P, 27g C
2-3 spoonfuls Blueberries 20cal, 0g P, 5g C
1:25pm:
8oz Chicken Breast 240cal, 46g P, 4g F
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread 140cal, 6g P, 28g C, 1g F
1 Ezekiel Sprouted Wrap 150cal, 6g P, 24gC,3.5gF
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper
1/2 cup 1% Cottage Cheese 90cal, 16g P, 4g C, 1g F
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 80cal, 9g F
1 medium Apple 100cal, 28g C
1 small Tomato
6:45pm:
~12oz Chicken Breast [blackened]
~1 small-medium Sweet Potato [roasted with olive oil]
2-3 bowls Lettuce Salad (Anchovy Oil Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~160spm

3x5x125 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x20 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press [failure on last rep]
30sec rest
3x10x30 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x6 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
3x7 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30sec Knee Raises
30sec rest


That was the workout.



The Day:

I have mixed feelings about my workout today. T first I was disappointed because the one power rack at my local gym was taken for a good amount of time at the start of my workout. I switched up my schedule of lifts to compensate. I did my bench press and chin-ups until the man on the power rack finished up. At least he was using it to its use. He was squatting big.

The bench press went really well and I was able to narrow my mind onto the movement. It helps me a lot to be able to have that kind of focus, especially for a lift like the bench because I struggle with actually feeling it in my chest. The chin-ups felt easy though even when using the minimum 20lbs on the assisted machine. Next week I think I’m going to graduate from that machine entirely and leave it only for pull-ups (which I think will also be moving on to better things as well come the near future). For squatting, besides some form breakdowns (bending over and doing a slight good morning), I thought it went decently. I really was able to bring out the muscles in my legs by “spreading the floor” with my feet and knees. I read that as a visual tip online and it really helped to feel a nice burn in my quads.

I’ve noticed myself struggling with the smaller lifts for some reason. Today I failed on the last rep of my dumbbell shoulder presses. I also have not been successful in getting a full ROM for my bent-over rows. My only guess besides a still possible lingering loss of strength for when I ate at a too drastic caloric defecit for those few days is that the dumbbells at my local fitness center are slightly heavier than the one’s at my college. I’m not sure if that’s possible. The reason I think it though is because the dumbbells at my gym here are ones where the weights are attached to a small bar with a grip and the weights in this case say 25lbs while the dumbbells at my college were one piece that said 25lbs. I’m thinking that maybe the ones at college are 25lbs entirely while the ones at my gym are 25lbs plus the small weight of the bar. But, that’s just a guess.

My biggest disappoint of the day was my deadlift. My bad form has begun to sneak back and I can’t seem to get rid of it. I know what I am doing wrong, and at least I think I know how to fix it. But, I can’t! It’s driving me crazy and really beginning to seriously make me consider starting the lift over again from a small weight. I’m going to repost those videos I have of myself on mark Rippeotoe’s forum on CrossFit and hopefully get some good advice. I want to succeed in this most crucial lift.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #159.
 
Wednesday 5/13/09
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Diet:
7:00am:
1 medium Pear 100cal, 25g C
1/2cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats 300cal, 52g C, 8g P, 4g F
1/2cup Egg Beaters 60cal, 12g P
1/2+cup 1% Cottage Cheese ~110cal, 19g P, 5g C,1gF
Peppers and Onions
9:50am:
1 small Apple
1:15pm:
1 bowl Tomato Soup [some oil]
1 Tuna Sandwich on Whole Grain Roll (Garlic Aioli)
1 very small Salad (Light Vinaigrette)
6:30pm:
2-3 bites Garbanzo Bean Salad (Vinaigrette)
1 small plate Pan-Fried Crusted Pigs Feet [fatty] with a little Vegetables and Rice
2-3 bites Squid-Ink Spaghetti with a little Pancetta and Shrimp (Oil Based Sauce)
1/2 small Stuffed Pork Chop
1 small Lamb Chop
1 small plate Rabbit [cooked with Oil] with Vegetables
1 small plate Broccoli [sautéed with Garlic and Oil]
1 very small bite Dessert

That was my diet.



The Workout:

5min Run
15min Running HIIT (10 intervals of 30sec Sprint, 1:30sec Jog)
~3-5min Walk

PUSHUPS:
3x20
SIT-UPS:
3x30

That was the workout.



The Day:

It is late so though I had a fairly detailed day I must be short. I had to improvise today. I was not able to use the standard gym facilities due to lack of time. To make up for this lack of routine exercise I decided to do an outdoor run immediately after eating breakfast. I am extremely proud of my discipline to still exercise in the midst of obstacles. The outdoor run was tough in ways very different than a treadmill is. In some cases I felt like I could have pushed myself further, but in others not so much. Overall I am simply happy that I went out and did some form of cardiovascular workout. So far I think it has been since Thanksgiving now that I have not missed a day of exercise. Awesome.

My diet today was a little crazy as I ended up eating out for most of my meals. My last meal of the day was at a very special restaurant, Babbo by Mario Batali in NYC. Of course I opted for generally healthy options but what I ended up receiving was not always what I had thought I ordered. It was absolutely delicious, but I think the fat content for pretty much every dish through my macros way out of wack. Luckily I still believe that my overall caloric intake for the day was within limits so even though my fat content was quite high I don’t think it will affect my weight loss for the upcoming weigh in.

I used a book to check my form on my pushups. I placed the decently sized textbooks below my chest area and made sure to touch my chest to the books on each rep. I was careful to not rest on the books nor bounce off of them. I filmed all of this as well. I definitely think it improved my form. I did notice myself though sometimes not quite reaching the books out of fear of bouncing off them. This caused me to not break parallel on some reps. Tomorrow I will decrease the height of the books and this should fix the problem. When I get a chance I’ll post the videos as well so you can tell me what you think. Until later, good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #160.
 
Thursday 5/14/09
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Diet:
7:00am:
1 medium Pear
1/2cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats
1cup Egg Beaters
~1/2cup+ 1% Cottage Cheese
Peppers and Onions
11:35am:
1 medium-large Apple
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread
1 Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Wrap
1 can Tunafish
~1-2tbsp Light Mayo Dressing
2tsp Olive Oil
Peppers, Onions, Lettuce, Tomato, Mustard
~10-15 Baby Cut Carrots
5:30pm:
~3 Olives
1 bite Diced Tomato Bruschetta Topping
1-2 bites Spaghetti in White Wine Sauce with Seafood
1 plate Vegetables, 2 Shrimp, Crab Meat
1 small plate Lettuce Salad (a little Olive Oil)
1 small fillet Striped Bass [poached with Oil] with Vegetables
1 small plate Green Beans and Roasted Potatoes

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:30
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~14.5-16cpm, 8resistance

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

I must be brief. My gym workout today was normal. My diet was a little bit off of par, but still for the most part staying on track. I had a problem with freezing chicken breasts such that when I wanted to take just one out of the many frozen in a ziplock bag earlier in the week I found it to be impossible. Next time I’ll freeze them individually or place wax paper in-between the cuts. So, for today, instead of making chicken for lunch I made some Tunafish. It worked out well. For dinner I ate out to celebrate my cousin’s Master’s graduation. I think I made some fairly healthy choices, but was a little concerned about the amount of fat in my meals as well as the lack of carbs (only the potatoes acted as a source and sadly they are fairly high GI).

At night I did my pushups with even less of a textbook stack beneath me. I think I found the perfect height. After reviewing the videos I took of myself I would say that near 90% of my reps successfully broke parallel. Though, when I get to posting the videos you can be the judge of that. But I must say with some decent confidence that I truly believe I am progressing. That’s a great feeling.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #161.
 
Friday 5/15/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:00am:
1 medium Pear
1/2cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats
1cup Egg Beaters
~1/2cup+ 1% Cottage Cheese
Peppers and Onions
11:00am:
1 scoop NOW Whey Protein Isolate
1 medium Banana
1 spoonful Blueberries
12:40pm:
1 medium Apple
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread
1 Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Wrap
1 can Tunafish [in oil, drained]
~2tsp Light Mayo Dressing
1/2cup 1% Cottage Cheese
Peppers, Onions, Lettuce, Mustard
6:45am:
1 bite Crab Cake [mostly meat]
~1/4cup Cole Slaw [very light dressing]
1 plate Lettuce Salad (a little Vinaigrette)
3 Oysters
2 slices Whole Grain Bread with Chicken Breast, Lettuce
1 bowl Apple, Onion, Celery Salad [mostly apple]

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~165spm, 20resistance
3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x125 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
3x5x20 Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5 Chin-Ups [failure on last rep]
1min rest
3x7 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest


That was the workout.



The Day:

I had a good workout today. My first lift, the squat, did have some form issues that I wasn’t quite used to. I was a little disturbed by this. But, my confidence was rebuilt when I found myself really excelling at proper technique with the deadlift. This easily made up for the defeiciency of my squats. Later on in the gym I opted to take off the assistance for my chin-ups. I was successful here as well in that I could complete 3 sets of 5 without any anti-gravity help. Well, that’s not quite true; I do admit I failed midway on the last rep. Still though, I am proud of being able to move on from the handicap machine.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #162.
 
Saturday 5/16/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
8:40am:
1 bowl Cooked Oatmeal
2 slices Rye Bread
1 Egg White Omelet with Turkey, Goat Cheese, Vegetables
~2-3 bites Lettuce Salad (Vinaigrette)
3:20pm:
2 small plates Pickles and Pickled Tomatoes
2 medium-large slices Rye Bread with Turkey and a little Tongue (Mustard)
1/2 small plate Sweet Potato Knish
7:45pm:
1 small fillet Red Snapper
~5 Mussels and Clams
2 small-medium slices Whole Grain Bread
1 small plate Green Beans

That was my diet.



The Workout:

--


That was the workout.



The Day:

I ate out for all 3 of my meals today. With that said I do admit to making some odd choices. For example during lunch I opted for tongue. Yes, I know it’s fatty. I chose to eat it anyway. I never had tongue before and I happened to be at Katz’ Deli, the prime venue for it. I just had a little to wet my pallet and it was well worth it. At the end of the day though I felt like I didn’t eat my normal amount. For this reason I am not too worried about the extra fat from the tongue or the possibility of too many carbohydrates. It all boils down to calories in calories out; and in that regard I succeeded.

I spent a decent amount of time walking around NYC. Of course this isn’t strenuous exercise, but it is worth mentioning considering today is normally a resting day and I don’t normally plan on doing much. I’m happy I got some movement in today.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #163.
 
Sunday 5/17/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:40am:
1 Egg White Omelet with Turkey
a little Lettuce Salad (Vinaigrette)
1 bite Steak
1 bite Light Croissant-like Bread
1-2 bites Sweet Milk Oatmeal
1 bowl Lentil Stew
2:30pm:
1 plate Lettuce Salad with Feta, Tomato, Cucumber (Light Vinaigrette)
~4 small pieces Pita
1 long Chicken Shish Kebab with Peppers, Onions
1 small plate Rice Pilaf
8:00pm:
3 medium pieces Turkey Breast
2 small plates Sweet Potatoes and Lentil Salad
2 bowls Lettuce Salad with Tomato, Avocado (Dijon Vinaigrette)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

PUSHUPS:
1x34
SIT-UPS:
1x73

That was the workout.



The Day:

I performed 34 near perfect pushups for my maximum today. Clearly the number is significantly lower than before which simply illustrates further how much better my form has gotten. I captured it all on video camera. I know I am behind, but I do plan on getting all these videos up at some point.

My sit-ups really skyrocketed this week. I completely smashed my previous record. I have no idea why, but I’ll definitely take it.

Also if you noticed there was no Sunday morning edition today. This was because I had no access to my scale, fat analyzer, or camera this morning. Instead there will be a Monday morning edition journal entry where will you get all that this Sunday should have covered. Until then, good night.

That was the day.




This concludes Entry #164.
 
Monday 5/18/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measurements:

Body Weight: 147.00lb Change: +3.00lb
Lean Mass: 135.98lb Change: +2.92lb
Percent Fat: 7.50% Change: -0.10%
Body Fat: 11.03lb Change: +0.09lb

Progress Pictures:







Thoughts and Opinions:

Just as expected my weight rebounded this weigh in. The good news is that my percent fat actually decreased instead of taking on my weight’s lead. For this reason the numbers crunched out to show me that I have actually gained muscle and lost body fat compared to two weeks ago (the real measurement here since last week was more of a fluke). I come off the scale happy today.

My photos don’t show much of anything here. If you notice something let me know, but I don’t see it.




This concludes Entry #165 Monday Morning Edition.
 
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