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Fat Loss 4 good: one mans epic journey for fitness perfection


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Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

Well not quite perfection. but i HAVE decided that now is the time to lose the weight ive been wanting to lose for a long time, keep it off, and put on muscle in the process all while maintaining a healthy diet to help me lose weight. pretty small order eh? Everyone says that keeping a journal is a great key to weight loss, so i figure what the hell. plus ill have all of you lovely and fellow fitness enthusiasts to help guide me to my ultimate goal of FITNESS PERFECTION! lol
well ill start with my goals (i feel better already writing them down)

I am currently 5'11 and 230 lbs. I'm 18. im a male. im an alcoholic (j/k)

-Weigh 185 lbs by the end of august (7 months, 45 lb weight loss)
-Eat a CLEANER diet (Whole wheat rice,spaghetti, grilled chicken breast,tuna,fish, lots of vegetables and fruit)
-do a minimum of 4-5 cardio sessions per week at least 30 minutes long each time (i JUST got an elliptical trainer in the basement! i think this will realllly help me with my cardio goals)
-Drink water with my meals and snacks, and stop drinking pop. I drink milk as a snack and for breakfast every day as well.]
- remind myself every day that im getting leaner and thinner every day i continue my good eating habits and that the end result is completely worth it. ( ive had a problem with food for a loong time. as in, i love it, i cant get enough fo it, and i always want more.)

Im thinking of more precise goals to follow and help me, but those are my main concern right now. I hope that writing this down will help me stick to it, im soooo over being a fat guy. i know i have willpower, the proiblem will be to stay motivated and more importantly, NOT SLIP. ive yoyo'd a few times and i always feel like shit after. it takes me 2 months to lose 15 pounds, and then i put it back on in 2 weeks... theres nothing more depressing than that. anyways, i shall continue to write on this in hopes it will keep me in check. im going to go start a movie on TMN and elipticize it up

also, is it necesary to count what i eat?to check the fat,carb and protein contents? i mean, i ballpark most of my meals, but i feel that if i stick to a verry strict diet im alot more likely to falll of the wagon. what i have been doing is just eating better. i know whast good for me and whats not. and ive been eating alot smaller protions as well (before i used the mentality "well, im bigger, so i need more food") whereas now i am eating as if i am a normal body weight and person who doesnt care about food. what should i do? am i shooting myself in the foot if im not counting the calroies and making sure i know EXACYL what im eating, how much % is coming from what areas etc.

All advice is appreciated and wanted

here goes..... new body here i come


Posted by: Pylon

Good luck with your goals. A few thoughts for you...

You're only 18, which means you still have metabolism on your side. I'd do cardio, but I'd be more concerned about getting under some iron. Eat clean, lift hard, and your body will change faster than you think.

As to your counting questions, I've found that if you count everything for a couple of weeks, you can stop counting and still have a pretty good idea of what you are eating. But again, you should make sure you are eating clean, not so much counting cals.

BTW, I've dropped a lot more than you are shooting for, so I feel your pain. Feel free to drop by my journal or PM me if you have questions.

Remember, everything you do is a conscious choice. Everything.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

well i just had a 3 slices of pizza and a bowl of lentil soup and a cup of water for dinner.... prolly could have done 2, and they WERE whole wheat and cheese only... but still, it makes me feel pretty bad already lol. i ate good today tho
Bowl of cheerioes with 1 % milk and a small cup of OJ and a vitamin
1 cup green tea no sugar
Tuna sandwich on whole wheat, 10 whole wheat crackers,banana and juice
apple
3 slices cheese whole wheat pizza, bowl of lentil soup

i dont know how many calories that is, but im sure itd be under 2000 ( i was told i burn around 2300 calories a day by a personal trainer after he hooked me up to some gear.

i dont plan on eating again tonight, but i DO plan on doing 30 minutes of cardio on my eliptical. it will make me feel better going to bed knowing i had that extra slice of pizza! cheatnig already.... not a good sign tomoros another day...


Posted by: Pylon

Dude, don't sweat it. You need to eat. When your body is hunger, it's telling you a secret. Listen to it.

Choose your food wisely. I don't see any veggies on that list. (No, pizza sauce doesn't count.) And the pizza might be fine if you made it yourself. (Get some whole wheat pitas, brush with a little olive oil, a little sauce, some low fat cheese, maybe some olives, chicken, turkey pepperoni...it can be done right, and very good.) If it was frozen or delivered....yeah, probably a bad choice.

Remember, everything is a choice. No one will stick the pizza in your mouth.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

the lentils i thought were vegetables? lol... i like that , everything you do is a consious choice... if i choose to eat a bad food, then i chose it. its not like im living in africa or some poverty stricken nation where i cant choose what i can and cant eat. Today i ate quite well and did 30 mins of some intense cardio and 3 sets of 25 pushups and 3 sets of 30 crunches (after 15, i alternate and twist at the top. im also doing them on an exercise ball, helps my back)

Bowl of cheerioes with 1 % milk and a small cup of OJ and a vitamin
banana
Bowl of beans (filled with all kinds of vegetables) glass of milk
green tea and 3 clementines
White spaghetti(unfortunately. i did however, eat a small portion and very slowly...unlike the old me who wolfs down meals) with some hardcore veggie sauce and 2 chicken thighs with a glass of milk.
apple

so at least i ate good today. i dont know how many calories roughly, but with my cardio im sure that im at a deficit of at least 500-700.


Posted by: BigDyl

One thing to remember: Cardio does not substitute for a poor diet.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

yea i agree... do u think what im eating is good? i eat a failry large bowl of cheerios with 1 % and a glass of oj and a vitamin almost every day for breakfast. some times i eat a banana too if i have a long day of work. for a snack i generally have a peice of fruit and some green tea and my lunch is generally a sandwich on whole wheat (tuna/chicken breast/ham/corned beef) with water, fruit, 5-10 whole wheat crackers and a yogurt. for another snack ill have an apple or an orange and for dinner it varies alot. but i live with my grandpa and he used to be a chef AND hes a health freak, so its all good. its generally chicken, fish or soup(beans, lentils,fish soup(not my favorite..but i put up with it for the health benefits) and he generally steams some broccoli, makes some potatoes or other vegetables and ill either drink milk or water with it. for a snack around 8 ill have a cereal bar, carrots or celery with a low fat dip or a granola bar and some grapes or another fruit that is around the house (my grandpa keeps our stock quite plentiful of fruits and veggies). most importantly, ive cuz my portions down ALOT. i eat much smaller meals and i eat ALOT slower. i used to have huge plates of food and inhale it lol. now i take my time, chew my food alot and just enjoy. i also drink allot of water now. any suggestions or reccomendations?


Posted by: Pylon

If your GP was such a health freak and chef, have you talked to him about your intake? Sounds like he would be a great source of wisdom and support. Just a thought.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

he basically knows everthing i know. its just he practices healthy eating all the time, whereas i am just starting. your right, he has helped me alot in portion sizes, nutrition AND he buys alot of healthy food lol. today was pretty good as well...

bolw cheerios with 1 % milk,multivitamin and glass of grapefruit juice
2 clementines, apple juice and a banana
Tuna Sandwich on whole wheat, 7 whole wheat crackers, 1 cup green tea and an apple
grapefruit (no sugar) and a granola bar and a small orange juice
whole wheat spaghetti with 4 chicken nuggets(not my choice)

i walked alot today at work, as i always do, but made an effort ot pick up the pace. im gonna do cardio again tonight, because for some reason i have energy still after a 15 hour day lol. anyways, im feeling really good lately actually, and someone at work already asked me if im losing weight


Posted by: Pylon

Explain to me how eating chicken nuggets is not your choice. Were you strapped to a table while someone stuffed them in your mouth?

It's always a choice. Take ownership of your actions.


Posted by: Uthinkso

Best thing is diet hands down, that is what will help you the most and most effectively.


Posted by: Burner02

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pylon View Post
It's always a choice. Take ownership of your actions.
pylowned!



Posted by: Pylon

Quote:
Originally Posted by Burner02 View Post
pylowned!
Dude, you should copyright that.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

well i mean its not my choice because i came home from working all day and there was my meal. im not gonna throw out the chicken nuggets because a) thats a sin in my household and b) i was really friggin hungry. i took most of the skin off, and ate what shriveled meat there was there.

but diet and exercise is going good. ive exercised almost every day this week, and continue to eat well without craving all of those foods that will only set me back. i did however,plan on drinking about 8-10 beers tonight(light beer at least) because a few friends came back from univiersity, we were going to a jam, and i wanted to get smashed. calories i dont need, but a necesary splurge. buuuuuuut as fate would have it, as i pulled in to the place we were going to start drinking, cops surrounded us (my friends were there before me) and they were already out of their car being searched. needless to say i was fucked, and had 2 6 packs in the back of my car. fortunately, i got off and only had to pour out my precious ale. my friends werent so lucky.... long story short? another succesful day on the road to fat loss.


Posted by: ABCs

It seems like you are stuck on the edge of healthy and unhealthy eating. There is only one person that can push you over that edge, and that is you. I am in your same exact shoes... as a matter of fact, you and I have the same dimensions (hight and weight) except I am 22. I use to weight 150lbs lean and cut then got lazy and used food to ease my mental battles. Anyway, I woke up one day on a mission and ever since have not had a problem eating healthy and working out 1.5 - 2 hour sessions. It is up to you if you want to switch that mental wire from what USE to be to what you WANT to be. You feel me? Change the way you think about eating and working out, and odds are, the physical effects will come naturaly (a.k.a. you'll WANT to eat healthy and WANT to work out) not to mention getting the compliments. That's what keeps me going, when people start noticing, youstart feeling good about yourself and your atitude changes from "I am fat, I hate myself" to "I am a healthy machine and I love the direction I am headed". It seems you are in the right direction but need that extra push, hope I helped you out a bit man.


Posted by: Pylon

Quote:
Originally Posted by ArnoldsProtege View Post
well i mean its not my choice because i came home from working all day and there was my meal. im not gonna throw out the chicken nuggets because a) thats a sin in my household and b) i was really friggin hungry. i took most of the skin off, and ate what shriveled meat there was there.
Horseshit. It's an excuse to eat something that you shouldn't. Sin to throw it out? Put it in the fridge and let someone else eat it. Hungry? Open some tuna, have a shake, put down some veggies, whatever. But don't confuse convenience for "not my choice."

Now, if you want to go out drinking, fine. Earn it. Eat clean all week, go nuts Friday night. Eat pizza and fried chicken chunks? You get to be the designated driver.

If you want to succeed, you can do it. So, do ya?


Posted by: Archangel

Well put Brother Pylon!!! Best wishes Brother Arnold!!!


Posted by: Uthinkso

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pylon View Post
Horseshit. It's an excuse to eat something that you shouldn't. Sin to throw it out? Put it in the fridge and let someone else eat it. Hungry? Open some tuna, have a shake, put down some veggies, whatever. But don't confuse convenience for "not my choice."

Now, if you want to go out drinking, fine. Earn it. Eat clean all week, go nuts Friday night. Eat pizza and fried chicken chunks? You get to be the designated driver.

If you want to succeed, you can do it. So, do ya?

I agree with everything but the shake part. Those that aren't in the lifestyle or even drinking shakes wouldn't have them on hand.


Posted by: Pylon

You may not have them, but you can sure get them if you apply yourself on ounce or two. Either way, they are a better option.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

yes you did ABCs... i love hearing posts from people in the same boat. im still feelling really good and motivated, altho unfortunately yesterday i had my first "cheat day" if u will, and that didnt feel too good. i think i kinda went overboard because a) i was drunk and b) i was depraved of foods i normally eat without regaurd and enjoy very much, so it all came crashing down. as a conselation, i DID exercise ALOT yesterday. i played football with my friend for like, almost 3 hours and i was exhausted. and after, i did 20 minutes on the eliuptical because i was at home and knew id be drinking. i dont even want to post what i ate but im going to, because i want to stick with this journal.

2 peices of peameal bacon, 1 slice whole wheat bread with 1 tblspoon of natural peanut butter and a glass of skim milk and a vitamin
banana and a cup of grean tea
calamari (fried) with a peice of chicken breast and a hefty portion of cabbage
pork souvlaki on whole wheat bun with a glass of apple juice
2 slices of pizza with chicken, pepperoni and bacon(i took the bacon off lol)

aaaaand i had about 8 coors light

i felt pretty bad that i had the pizza, but i felt good too becauyse we got the pizza for free because the delivery guy took like, 2 hours and i could have had alooooot more (many of my friends had upwards of 6-8 peices) but i cut it off at 2. now that i look at it, it could have been much worse, and i actually probly STILL was at a calorie deficit yesterday, because i did some reaaaly high intensity cardio (we played tackle as well... even more effort) for 3 hours and on top of it, did MORe. so at least i somewhat made up for my cheat day by having some strenous cardio as well. today i ate good too, but i noticed a difference in my attitude right away... wich really scared me. first thing i thought when i woke up was "i want to eat food and lots of it" because i was really hungry. i ended up eating the leftover calamari( a small bowl) and a small chicken breast leftover as well, and on top of it a bowl of honey nut cheerios with skim.... i really should have ate just the cheerios, but i was craving it alot. i felt bad right after wards, because im too sore to exercise today and i need to eat less only today to be at a deficit. anyways, were having lentil soup tonight for dinner, so at least thats really healthy. hopefully this is just a minor glitch...


Posted by: ABCs

Hey Arnolds, glad I helped. Don't worry about a cheat day, it's going to happen. The thing is control. If you are going to cheat, at least have some control over it. For example, last night my friend and I go to this amazing Italian Resteraunt in Brooklyn. Instead of "cheating" and getting what I use to get there, I made some special requests to my meal. Instead of potatoes and pasta, I told him to bring me steamed brocolli on the side. For the main dish I had chicken breast (unfortunately breaded) in a very light wine and lemon sauce with mushrooms. I ate most of the brocolli and alittle of the chicken and gave the leftovers to my friend. So, I cheated without cheating. You catch me? If you can just keep your cheat under control and DON'T FEEL BAD about them because that will make it 10x worst. You will just give up if you keep doing that. You need to think clear, eat CLEAN and stay motivated man. You don't want all your hard work to go to nothing. Quick question, but do you take any sups? I find that supplements help me stay motivated not to mention the physical effects they have on me and my workout.


Posted by: Pylon

Your body was probably craving food because of all the work you did the day before. Remember what I said about your metabolism? It'll crank up pretty quick if you keep up the work.

Also, I hope you didn't take my previous posts the wrong way. Like I said, I've been there too, and the only way out is to be honest to yourself and dedicated to the changes.

Also, be honest with yourself and with us (or you will get called on it.) You can't fool the folks that will see your journal. We all know, and we all get it.


Posted by: Malley

Hey get your diet in check. Its really not. Take a look at the stickies in the nutrition section. Ask questions there. Hell for breakfast start with something like eggs and oats. Anything is better than the pizza.


Posted by: Pylon

oats, peanut butter and whey...5 minutes out of your life, and one of the beat things you can start out with, IMHO.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

nice post... i agree fully. i am on the verge. for the past few days, i havent really been able to exercise... i worked out REALLY hard on saturday, and my muscles are STILL sore to this second (monday night) and ive been having food cravings.. not for bad food, but for MORE food.. today was my first craving that i gave in to. i had beans for dinner with whole wheat loaf bread and like, 15 olives (they are just so damn good... im greek, gimme a break lol) and then i got up, not feeling fool, but content with what i ate. a half hour later, i came downstairs and had another bowl about half the size of the first one, with a small peice of whole wheat bread and about 5 olives and a glass of water. i used to excuse that its a really healthy meal, wich it is, to over eat. but thats nbot what bothered me. it was the compulsion. not the wanting to eat more of it, but the need. and i gave in. today i got lucky, because it was bean soup(homemade, some seriously healthy shit from my grandpa). but tomoro, who knows. my dad may bring home a whole wheat pizza. and 2 slices can easilly turn to 3. and 3 to 4.... and so it begins.... however, that is the completely wrong mindset. i need to pick it up a notch. tomoro im exercising no matter what. and i am going to do my limited workout of pushups and situps with my damn ball, but its a workout nonetheless.i need to keep reminding myself how good it will feel to be out on the beach with my extremely fit cousin, talking to girls (WITH MY SHIRT OFF! AND NOT FEELING EMBARRASED, BUT PROUD!), feeling happy and healthy. the joy of looking in the mirror and not seeing flab, but abs. until then...


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

hmm.. for some reason i didnt see that slew of posts until after my post... rather strange. lol i didnt take it bad at all, it feels good actually having people listen and help. im not taking any supplements right now, but i was REALLY thinking about getting on a fat burner. because im doing the work, its not like im expecting to sit on my ass and lose weight from it. i bust my ass when i workout, and supplements would only quiucken the weight loss process. are fat burners harmful to take at 18? what problems could happen? can it screw with my metabolism? and also, is my diet really not as good as i think? i know im eating really clean, but maybe im not doing everything i can to help my cause... i definitely dont want to be hungry, because i went down that route over a year ago, and it ended very badly... this residual hunger that just built up until one day, i gourged and it just all snowballed from there. my mindset is quite different now, and signifigantly more mature. however, i still feel that when i get ghungry, i start to crave food even more, and thats whn i stop eating slowly, taking my time, watching what i eat, and just get back to the "man im starving, gotta eat gotta eat" approach. btw, what would u guys recomend i eat to maximize my weight loss without feeling hungry? im 5'11, 230 lbs and my PT told me before i burn about 2200 calories. however, this was over a year ago, and i was in my peak shape and weight training for a solid 3 months.it may be around 2000. keep in mind im doing at least 30 minutes of cardio 4-5 times a week, and my limited workout program. lol my abs and pecs already feel stronger and bigger. wanna get on that home gym asap.


Posted by: ABCs

Yo, you need control.... CONTROL BOY! You hear me? Control that fucking vacum you call a mouth. WRITE DOWN your meal plan for the next day. Whenever I get a few minutes of downtime here at work, I am writing my damn meal plan and weight training plan down on paper... and guess what. The more I am on here learning and the more I am writing things down, the more I am tweaking as I go along. It's those little tweaks that will show the optimum performance. Your just wingin' it hoping that everything adds up in the end. Fuck that, take control.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

again! i see more posts pop up AFTER my post lol. actually those WERE some rpetty harsh words pylon lmao. but seriously, i understand that it takes some hard ass work and motivation to lose the weight and im glad everyone is straight up. i need to keep reminding myself, the only one who is going to get me to where i wanna be is...you guessed it... me. if i think something isnt going to help me reeach my goal, then why the fuck am i eating it. its just food, its just a bodilly function that can either make or break me. so why let it do harm when it can do good. thanks for the *cough* positive comments lol.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

thats exactly true man...i am winging it, and hoping that everything works out. i gotta start writing down everything i plan on eating tomoro, on wednesday, all week. and go out shopping and STOCK the house full of my meal plan... hmm.. what should my meal plan be lol. ABC, what is YOUR specific meal plan. considering were pretty much the person, save 4 years of life, AND you claim ur not hungry all the time, what are u eating and how much of it and why?


Posted by: ABCs

Check out my Journal. I have my full meal plan there. When I first started eating clean, I was hungry because of one thing, time management. I didn't space my meals far enogh apart. So I was eating my last meal at 6pm and starving for the rest of the night. Now I eat later, have a healthy bedtime (2 hours prior) snack before bed and whoala, no hunger, healthy eating, and mad weight loss. I can't stress it enough but write things down. You will see faults in your plan immediately. Good luck and if you need help don't be afraid to ask.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

no exercise today AGAIN... i havent exercised since saturday. i have been really tired and sick, and my chest is hardcore congested. i ate quite well today again, with no hiccups in the program. hopefully my cold clears up and tomoro ill get in at least 20 minutes of some light cardio. Also, for my work, wich is 3 days a week, i work 8 hour shifts as a janitor at a warehouse. pretty shameful title, but i get paid $10.50 an hour to do one of the easiest jobs i have ever seen. AND one of the best parts of it, i walk around non stop all day. i probly walk on average 2-3 miles a work day at an average walking speed. i forgot to take into consideration my work, but i still need to get on my cardio. So at least my diet was on track today, and i think i was definitely at a deficit. tomoro is another day, and cardio must be done in order to reach my goal of 4 times a week(min).


Posted by: ABCs

If your going to to lite cardio, try to get in at least 20 minutes a day. That will help get your heart up to pace. If your doing more rigurous workouts with weights and cardio, then 4 - 5 days a week is more than enough. Just remember, keep that diet in check. Don't look at it as, "Ok, I did good today, now on to tomorrow"... that's going to spell failure. You need to look at it as a LIFESTYLE change. Once you see it like that and not a day by day task to eat healthy, then you'll be on your road to success. Stay strong brotha man.


Posted by: Malley

I disagree with the last comment, if you are sick and under the weather give your body a chance to get better, sit back relax and get ya some vitamin C in ya. Be 100% before getting back into it. Remember if your body isnt 100% it sure is tough to try and get your body to rebuild everything you tear down during exercise. God speed on your recovery.


Posted by: ArnoldsProtege

Well its been awhile since i posted. I am however en route to my goal. ive lost about 9 lbs so far since january, but the best part is i have 0 cravings. I mean, if the food is there then i do crave it but i keep it out of the house. when im out, i do all the little things i thought were gay before (ordering without mayo, dressing on the side, putting half my meal aside) and i have to say, it feels pretyt good. ive started jogging, and i have to say i love it more than eliuptical. being outside, the fresh air, the scenery... Im gonna alternate between jogging outside and eliptical. My diet is great and my motivation is even better. Im hoping to be around 215 by may (13 lbs in 2 months) and im gonna start doiing more cardio to help get there, and i wanna be 200 by july! lets get it on.



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