Build Me - An Ongoing Journey

 Thursday 2/26/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 152.2lb – -0.6lb
Body Fat: 9.2% – -1.0%
Lean Mass: 138.20lb – +0.99lb
Fat Weight: 14.00lb – -1.49lb
 
Diet:
7:45am:
                1 small-medium Pear
                1 medium Apple
                3/4 bowl Oatmeal [slightly runny, cooked with raisins and possibly something sweet but I removed the raisins]
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham(Mustard)
1:40pm:
                1 bowl Vegetable and Bean Minestrone Soup with Chicken
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
3:10pm:
                1 small-medium Pear
                1 bowl Italian Wedding Soup [broth only]
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
                1 bowl Italian Wedding Soup [broth only]
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper, Cottage Cheese, 3 Egg Whites (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                3/4 bowl Squash and Zucchini with a little Couscous
                3/4 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Chicken, Corn, Black Beans, Green Onions, Carrots, Tomato (Light Citrus Dressing)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
Due to time constraints, I sadly have to make this entry brief.  During my time at the gym I hit a new personal best on my 2 mile run.  Around the 11 minute mark I found myself having a good deal amount of extra energy and upped the speed.  At first it was just .2 mph more to 8.5.  But then I found I could keep increasing it.  Eventually I finished off the last minute or two at 9mph and sprinted the last 10^th of a mile at 10mph.  Annoyingly I was so happy over this achievement that I failed to actually record my time!  I know I did my best though, I’ll have to accept just that for now.  I should note that the treadmill did seemed to be slightly declined, but maybe that’s because I was used to the slight incline from Monday’s tough workout.  I don’t know.  In both cases if there was a decline or an incline the degree was small.
 
As the norm, my pushups were well… normal.  Following my maximum’s result on Sunday I will make a decision on increasing the reps.  I am definitely leaning right now though towards doing just that.  As for my sit-ups, I actually was able to complete every rep today for each set.  I’m not exactly enthusiastic over this result though.  It still felt like too much and I had to decrease my cadence and use some bounce to do it.  I am going to be changing the reps to 30 despite today’s result.  I feel like the lesser amount will enable me to focus more on actually burning those ab muscles than simply completing the exercise.
 
Today was a long school day.  I am glad tomorrow is Friday.  Good night.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #84.

 Friday 2/27/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.0lb – +0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – -0.2%
Lean Mass: 139.23lb – +1.03lb
Fat Weight: 13.77lb – -0.23lb
 
Diet:
7:15am:
                1 bowl Grits [over the top]
                1/4 to 1/2 cup Egg Whites with Deli Ham [more than usual] (Mustard)
8:45am [Post-Workout]:
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with 3 Egg Whites
12:15pm:
                1 small-medium Pear
                3/4 bowl Vegetable Tomato Bisque
                3/4 bowl Couscous, Lentils, and Eggplant
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:15pm:
                3/4 bowl Broccoli (Chile Sauce, Soy Sauce)
                1 plate 1 medium piece Chicken Breast [light sauce], Peas and Vegetables, Vegan Chili
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
It really is nice to see results.  My weight did increase slightly today, most likely recovering, rebounding, from yesterday’s drop.  But it was my body fat measurement that put a smile on my face.  It dropped!  I am now much more confident that I am heading in the right direction.  It feels good to know that.
 
My breakfast sucked this morning.  Again Sage Dining Hall had **** compared to Commons where I usually go.  I hate that they are the only venue for eating at 7:00am.  They replaced Oatmeal with Grits and I ate it figuring it would be nearly as healthy.  Not so!  Grits are fairly high on the GI list and a fast digesting carb.  Meh, one meal won’t make a huge difference, but I’m disappointed.  Also they had new whole eggs so I had to use liquid egg whites and estimate.  Last of all, there were no Apples.  God that place sucks.
 
I would say that my workout afterwards was around average.  I was in a slight downer mood because of the meal beforehand, but it didn’t seem to affect me too much.  I think I did best with my first exercise, the squat.  Normally I always push myself to the edge as I should, but later on my legs never seem to get that sore.  Today after the squats there was a constant weakness in them.  I love that feeling.  It seems it only happens with one muscle group per lifting session and I’m glad it happened today with my legs.  It feels great.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #85.

 Saturday 2/28/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.2lb – +0.2lb
Body Fat: 9.3% – +0.3%
Lean Mass: 138.95lb – -0.28lb
Fat Weight: 14.25lb – +0.48lb
 
Diet:
9:15am:
                1 small-medium Pear
                1 small Apple
                1 medium Apple
                2/3 bowl Oatmeal
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:30pm:
                1 small-medium Pear
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Chicken Barley Soup [extra chicken and barley]
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Chicken Barley Soup [extra chicken and barley]
                2/3 bowl Chinese Vegetables (Chile Sauce, Soy Sauce)
                1 plate 3 small pieces Pork Roast, Couscous with Vegetables, Peas and Mushrooms, Sweet Potatoes [light glaze]
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
Last night I went to bed feeling lean, but this morning I woke up feeling bloated.  I think I have a rock waiting to pass.  That might explain the slight variance in weight and body fat as well, or it could just be the standard daily fluctuations.  I wouldn’t be surprised though if I make that dump and tomorrow comes and suddenly I drop some more weight.  Speaking of tomorrow,  I’ll have pictures then too.  I am excited for those as I definitely feel at least from looking in the mirror that I am becoming more defined.
I was fairly active today, more so than my normal Saturday.  I spent a good deal of time outside walking around as my school had its first annual Winter Carnival.  Later on in the day though I started to feel the stirrings of sickness.  Disease is way too common of a threat in college. Ever since I got sick around a month ago I have stocked up on anti-cold medicine.  I downed two pills of immune system vitamins with a cold-suppressant lozenge.  I don’t know if any of that stuff actually does anything or if it is just a gimmick.  But it is worth it a shot.  I don’t want to get sick again.  We’ll see how I feel tomorrow morning as that usually is a good sign of what is to come.  Until then, good night.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #86.

well apparently the site took a crap and didn't let my post go through, speaking of crap you make it sound like that doesn't happen often for you.

I think vitamins and such can help, I've taken that stuff before and it helped a bit, in the past 4 months my gf has been sick twice and family sick a lot and I have managed to avoid it and I think it is because of my supplementation and rest and having a strong immune system.

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx

Nah actually my digestive system is fairly active.  The reason I mention it is because when it isn't active it is abnormal so worth mentioning (if that makes sense).  Normally the bathroom is a pretty routine thing for me in that I eat breakfast, 1/2 an hour later I take a dump almost guarenteed.

I've never had a strong immune system.  It's probably genetic because I eat tons of fruit and vegetables.  I used to take daily vitamins and supplements as well but they didn't seem to make any difference and just became a big money sink (that stuff is expensive!).  I think right now just the fact that I have a weak immune system coupled with college dorm life makes me get sick a lot more often than I should be (they say an average Freshman gets sick 5 times though so from the looks it it's pretty normal).

Anyway thanks for checking in.
'Apreciate it,
Michael   

 My weekly progress shots are in. I don't see too much changes. Maybe a little more definition while flexing in the arms and while not flexing in the stomach. But again, very slight changes. Even if you go way back to 2-3 months ago the changes are very small. Maybe I am doing something wrong? Keep in mind that I am slightly sick right now (I'll talk more about that in today's journal entry). I don't know if that will throw off how I look, but it is something to note. Anyway, here are the pictures:

 Sunday 3/01/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.2lb – +0.0lb
Body Fat: 9.2% – -0.1%
Lean Mass: 139.11lb – +0.16lb
Fat Weight: 14.09lb – -0.16lb
 
Diet:
9:15am:
                2 medium Apples
                3/4 bowl Oatmeal
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
                1 Raspberry Emergen-C Packet
12:20pm:
                1 medium Apple
                1/2 bowl Seasoned Vegetables and Rice
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
                1 bowl Chinese Vegetables (Chile Sauce, Chile Oil)
                1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, a little extra beef]
                1/2 plate Ham and Vegan Chili
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper, Tunafish [with mayo], Deli Turkey (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
Well, as I feared, I woke up with the sickness.  I have a throbbing sore throat right now with a mild headache, but who knows what that can turn into.  Such things have a way of manipulating into many forms.  I am on the all out attack right now to fight it before it attempts any such changes.  I am taking down as much vitamins, Emergen-C’s, Cold-Eeze’s, whatever, as I possibly can.  If this thing wants a war, it got one.
 
Being slightly weak my pushups dropped by one rep.  In fact, I don’t know if it was even because I was slightly weak.  I think overall I may have had better form.  Either way it is just one rep, nothing to fuss over.  My sit-ups followed perfect suit and also decreased by one rep.  Again though, it may have been that I stopped what was probably some small cheating on the last 10 reps of my previous maximums for sit-ups.  By that I mean I don’t think I was hitting my shoulder blades every rep when I tested my self before: this time I was (or at least nearly – still not perfect).
 
One of my reader suggested I create an additional section for exact numbers of my daily workouts.  I will be adding this to my future journal entries.   Expect to see it tomorrow.  Speaking of tomorrow…  I really hope I get better.  I want to do well in my run again so I can get that record time like I did last Friday (but forgot to record).  I also have a big midterm in my toughest class: Data Structures and Algorithms a little later that day.  I don’t want to be sick for that as well!  Well, I did all that I could to get better.  Now it’s just up to my body to fight it out.  Good night.
 
That was the day.               
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #87.

 Monday 3/2/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.8lb – +0.6lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – -0.2%
Lean Mass: 139.96lb – +0.85lb
Fat Weight: 13.84lb – -0.25lb
 
Diet:
7:45am:
                2 medium Apples
                4/5 bowl Oatmeal [slightly runny]
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
                1 Raspberry Emergen-C Packet
1:45pm:
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup [most noodles removed]
3:15pm:
                1 small-medium Pear
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Chicken Soup [mostly broth]
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:40pm:
                1 bowl Chicken Soup [mostly broth]
                1/2 plate Chicken Breast, Black Beans
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
RUN
2 miles (14:17) @ ~8.3mph
ELLIPTICAL
5 min @ 65rpm
5 min @ 70rpm
5 min @ 75rpm
5min @ 80rpm
INCLINE WALK
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline
 

PUSHUPS
3x30 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
I woke up this morning to find I am still in the depths of sickness.  I have made the personal decision to workout regardless.  I will push myself to the edge no matter what obstacle.  I have a test today and I am going to push myself to the edge on that as well.  I am stronger than this disease and it will feel my wrath.
 
Today was an incredibly busy day.  I plowed through my first workout.  My disease did not seem to affect me as I ran a new personal record.  I did this by increasing my speed from 8.3mph to 9.0mph at the 12:00min mark and then sprinting the last 1/10 of a mile at 10mph.  It felt great to achieve this, especially considering my slight weakness.  The rest of my workout went normal.
 
At night I really wasn’t in the mood to do the pushups and sit-ups because my cold got worse (as it tends to do in the nighttime hours).  It was also past my usual bed time and I was up late because of the amount of work I had (there’s another test tomorrow in addition to the one I just had today).  Despite this I did them anyway and though my mind wasn’t exactly in the movements I performed admirably.  If you noticed I switched the reps on the sit-ups as I said I would to 30 from 32.  This enabled me to actually succeed and complete the prescribed workout.  It felt nice to not fail on those this time.
 
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #88.

 Tuesday 3/3/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 152.6lb – -1.2lb
Body Fat: 9.4% – +0.4lb
Lean Mass: 138.26lb – -1.7lb
Fat Weight: 14.34lb – +0.5lb
 
Diet:
7:15am:
                3 small Apples
                1 bowl Oatmeal [very runny]
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
8:45am [Post-Workout]:
                1 slice 12 Grain Bread with 3 Egg Whites (Mustard)
                1 packet Raspberry Emergen-C
12:15pm:
                1 small-medium Pear
                1 cup Black Beans
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Beef Barley Soup
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
                1 cup Stir-Fried Chinese Beef with Tomatoes
                1 bowl Beef Barley Soup
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 plate with Turkey London Broil, Pork, a little Black Beans
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
ELLIPTICAL:
    5min @ 75rpm
 
3x5x145 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x165 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x120 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press
30sec rest
3x10x25 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x5x30 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x5 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Knee Raises
30sec rest
 
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
This morning started at ****ty as I was screwed yet again with a horrible breakfast from Sage Dining Hall.  I had to eat early due to a Bio test at 9:00am which shifted my entire schedule by a half an hour.  I was of course also sick during all this so it was annoying to have to rush around my the eatery to my dorm to the gym back to the dining hall (for my post-workout meal) and then to the test.  In the end though, I managed.
 
My workout at the gym was around average.  The fact that I was sick didn’t seem to affect any of my performances too much.  I wasn’t feeling particularly energetic to break records, but I had enough in me to complete all the lifts with their required weights.  I can’t ask for much more than that given my current condition.
 
Later on in the day I started to feel better.  I think all these vitamins or supplements are finally doing their job.  Or maybe it’s nature: you can never really know.  Either way, I am getting better.  That’s all that matters right now.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #89.

 Wednesday 3/4/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 152.6lb – +0.0lb
Body Fat: 9.8% – +0.4%
Lean Mass: 137.65lb – -0.62lb
Fat Weight: 14.96lb – +0.62lb
 
Diet:
7:40am:
                1 medium Apple
                1 small-medium Pear
                1 bowl Oatmeal [very runny]
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
                1 packet Raspberry Emergen-C
12:20pm:
                1 small-medium Pear
                3/4 bowl Mixed Vegetables
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Turkey Rice Soup
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
5:20pm:
                1/2 bowl Cauliflower (Light Chinese Brown Sauce, Chile Sauce)
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Turkey Rice Soup [extra turkey]
                1 plate Lightly Breaded Tilapia, Rice and Vegetables with a little Tofu
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
ELLIPTICAL:
    2 min @ 68-70rpm, level 1 resistance
    2 min @ 68-70rpm, level 2 resistance
    16 min @ 1:15 min 88-96rpm, 45 sec @ 68-70rpm, level 3-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
    10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
    3x30 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
    3x30 (1min rest)
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
I have no idea why my body fat is shooting up like it is.  Maybe the meter is acting funny because I’m sick?  Simply put though, I don’t believe it.  I feel leaner.  And, when I look at myself in the mirror it seems to confirm that feeling.  I am going to continue what I am doing even with the Omron Handheld Analyzer spewing out these contradictory numbers.  My gut tells me the results will shift back to a proper equilibrium in due time.
 
I woke up feeling still sick.  Obviously, as you surely know, the mornings and nights of colds and fevers are always the worst.  For this reason I actually think I woke up feeling better.  My guess would be that in a few more days I will be 100%.  For now though I am around 80% or so and still very capable of pushing myself and working out hard.  Which, of course, is what I plan to do!
 
I tried my best, but could not break my PR for the Elliptical HIIT like I was so close to doing last Wednesday.  Regardless I performed nearly on par and burned 369 calories.  I guess I’ll have to wake till next time, next time when I am at 100%.  Sadly that won’t be for another 2 weeks since next week is spring break and I won’t be doing HIIT at the RPI Gym’s Ellipticals, but instead at some other location’s machines.
 
The day finished off as my cardio days always do with pushups and sit-ups.  Both performances were standard and possibly actually easier than normal.  I think the one-step back with sit-ups really help as I may even be ready to take a step forward.  My pushups also have had a comfortable equilibrium for a little too long now and I am considering increasing their intensity as well.  Because of the switch up next week with spring break and all though I’m going to give it that one extra week before I decide to change things up to a new level of fitness.  I am looking forward to it though.  It will be nice to break some more personal records.
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #90.

 Thursday 3/5/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 151.8lb – -0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.5%– -0.3%
Lean Mass: 137.38lb – -0.27lb
Fat Weight: 14.42lb – -0.54lb
 
Diet:
7:45am:
                1 medium Apple
                1 small-medium Pear
                2/3 bowl Oatmeal
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
                1 packet Raspberry Emergen-C
1:15pm:
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Green Pepper, Yellow Pepper, 3 Egg Whites (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Chicken Soup [extra chicken]
3:10pm:
                1 medium Apple
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Chicken and Black Bean Soup
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:40pm:
                1/2 bowl Broccoli (Soy Sauce, Chile Sauce, a little Light Chinese Brown Sauce)
                1 bowl Chicken and Black Bean Soup
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
               
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
RUN
2 miles (14:12) @ ~8.3mph
ELLIPTICAL
5 min @ 65rpm
5 min @ 70rpm
5 min @ 75rpm
5min @ 80rpm
INCLINE WALK
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
    3x30 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
    3x30 (1min rest)
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
I woke up feeling replenished.  I think I am pretty much cured.  I still have a slightly runny nose, but all the symptoms of weakness and lethargy seem to have dissipated.  I also woke up to find that my weight dropped.  In addition my body fat appears to have rebounded slightly back to previous levels.  My guess is that it will continue to go back down from its sudden peak.
 
My breakfast was slightly annoying because the dining hall failed yet again at making a decent oatmeal.  At least they got the consistency right, but for some reason they decided to add oranges and cranberries to the mix.  I spent a good portion of Oatmeal from my bowl wasted as I carefully plucked out these inconveniences.  Why can’t they just stick with the classic good stuff like they used to?
 
This extra energy after feeling at a low for the past few days made me perform quite well during my run today.  I decided to increase my speed a minute earlier than last time and started to move at 9mph at the 11 minute mark.  This made yet again break my PR and hit a 14:12 mile.  I’m loving these increases in performance.  The rest of the workout followed as normal and I left the gym quite satisfied.
 
And so did the rest of the day, following the rest of the workout, it also went normal.  As always it ended with pushups and sit-ups which were static and unchanging from yesterday’s performance.  Tomorrow I am off to NYC for the start of my spring break.  I may be going to different gyms, using different ellipticals, but my workouts will remain the same.  Intense.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #91.

 Friday 3/6/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 151.0lb – -0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – -0.5%
Lean Mass: 137.41lb– +0.03lb
Fat Weight: 13.59lb – -0.83lb
 
Diet:
7:20am:
                3 small-medium Apples
                1/3 bowl Grits
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
                1 packet Raspberry Emergen-C
8:45am [Post-Workout]:
                1 slice Rye Bread with 3 Egg Whites (Mustard)
12:15pm:
                1 small-medium Pear
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Seafood Soup
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
7:30pm:
                1 small bowl Seafood Hot and Sour Soup
                1 plate Steamed Flounder with Vegetables (Soy Sauce)
                1 small plate Steamed Whole Fish with a little Brown Rice (Soy Sauce)
                1 small plate Steamed Broccoli (Soy Sauce)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
3x5x145 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x165 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x120 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
3x5x50 Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
3x5 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5x30 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
It is late and I have no time to right today.  I will be brief.  I had a great workout.  I was motivated and energetic throughout the hour.  I followed it with a good diet for the rest of the day.  It was a nice Friday to end the gym week.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #92.

 Saturday 3/7/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.2lb – -0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – +0.0%
Lean Mass: 136.68lb – -0.73lb
Fat Weight: 13.52lb – -0.07lb
 
Diet:
8:30am:
                1 medium-large bowl Oatmeal
                1 Egg White, Lox, and Onion Omelet with Lettuce, Tomato (a little Ketchup, Tabasco Sauce)
1:45pm:
                1 medium-large bowl Lettuce Salad with Chicken Breast, Cabbage, Carrots, Wonton Strips (Light Asian Dressing)
5:45pm:
                1/2 bowl Edamame
                1 bowl Seaweed and Cucumber Salad with Raw Seafood
                1 large plate 15 pieces Sashimi, a little Salmon
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
--
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
I saw a nice decrease in my weight today.  Looks like things are definitely heading in the right track.  I don’t have much to say as most of my day today will be spent traveling.  I should forewarn though that my diet may be a little random as I don’t have much control over these variable days.  Once I settle down on Wednesday at my Mom’s house things should seem more uniform.  Of course I will continue to eat healthy, so I’m not overall worried.  The scale should give me any signs of wrongness before it becomes a problem.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #93.

 Sunday 3/8/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: -- – --
Body Fat: -- – --
Lean Mass: -- – --
Fat Weight: -- – --
 
Diet:
8:20am:
                1 cup Dry Rolled Oats
                5 Jumbo Egg Whites with Deli Turkey (Mustard, Tabasco Sauce)
2:15pm:
                3 plates Lettuce Salad with Chicken Breast, Cucumber, Tomatoes, a little Rice Salad, a little Pasta Salad, Melon
6:30pm:
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Chicken Breast, Vegetables (No Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette)
                1 bowl Blackened Fish [slightly oily]
                1 large piece Flatbread
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
PUSHUPS:
    1 x 1min (79 reps)
SIT-UPS:
    1 x 1min (42 reps)
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
I woke up with no scale for measurements.  I am at my Aunt’s house right now and since it is for a day decided that the benefit of packing a heavy metal scale outweighed the cost of lugging it around.  Tomorrow I will have some numbers to show.  Despite this I did feel and look leaner today.
 
Speaking of look, I also didn’t take my picture.  Next Sunday I won’t have a picture either.  For the previous weeks all of my pictures have been taken from the same place with the same lighting.  I figure that if I start taking pictures at different locations temporarily it would only serve to confuse me and you.  So, until I am back at college, I won’t be disturbing my progression shots.
 
My diet today was a little crazy as I had to basically eat what was available without much choice.  I did my best to eat healthy regardless and in this way I think I succeeded.
 
Even though I did get in quite late I decided to test my maximums regardless of the fact that I had to get up early.  This decision was well worth it.  I ended up breaking my record significantly on my pushups as I hit a new plateau of 79!  I am so proud of this achievement as I haven’t been seeing increasing in awhile.  Maybe it’s the fact that I was testing myself in a new fresh location (that is not inside my stuffy dorm room).  My sit-ups had issues though.  It wasn’t that I had a decrease in strength or anything, it’s just I had to use a different set up to keep my feet planted and it wasn’t quite perfect.  I struggled more on the area of just getting my legs steady.  I did my best though and still was able to push out decent numbers at 42 reps.  Overall it was a good night.
 
I’m curious to see the scale too: I haven’t been eating much these last 2 days because of traveling so I bet my weight dropped more than average.  I expect a rebound of course as I should, but it would be nice to see that extra low number.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #94.

 Monday 3/9/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.6lb – -0.4lb
Body Fat: 9.6% – +0.6%
Lean Mass: 136.14lb – -1.27lb
Fat Weight: 14.46lb – +0.87lb
 
Diet:
7:20am:
                1 medium-large bowl Oatmeal
                1 Egg White, Lox, Onion Omelet (Ketchup, Tabasco Sauce)
2:00pm:
                1 plate Vegetables [cooked with butter], Stuffed Flounder [cooked with butter], Rice and Vegetables [cooked with butter]
7:30pm:
                1 small plate Japanese Seaweed Salad
                1 bowl Seafood Lemongrass Soup
                1 large plate with 14 medium pieces Sashimi, Egg Row, Shirataki, Cucumber, a small forkful of Pad Thai, Pickled Ginger (Soy Sauce, Wasabi)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
RUN
2 miles (14:10) @ ~8.3mph
ELLIPTICAL
5 min @ 135-140strides per minute, 15 resistance
5 min @ 145-150strides per minute, 15 resistance
5 min @ 150-155strides per minute, 20 resistance
5 min @ 155-165strides per minute, 20 resistance
INCLINE WALK
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
    3x30 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
    3x30 (1min rest)
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
And today I found out as I already really knew that I simply cannot predict my numbers, especially on a daily basis.  My weight did drop slightly, but my body fat ballooned.  Reason?  Unknown.  If it is anything like the past than I shouldn’t fret (and so I am not): I am assured that my body fat will drop back down as it should.  It always does.
 
I had an interview today that started at 7:45am, but ended at 4:30pm.  Obviously it evolved from a mere interview to something more of a “meet the company” day.  I think I presented myself fairly well and despite my freshman status there shouldn’t be much in the way of me landing this summer internship.  I really hope I get it as it is an awesome company from what I’ve seen.
 
Because of the interview my lunch was restricted to the company’s schedule.  I should have gotten the grilled chicken salad but stupidly opted for this flounder dish at an Irish Pub.  What I thought would be mostly fish turned out to be a thing wrapping around a plump of stuffing.  I ate it regardless as I needed something in me and it wasn’t nearly a big enough dish to get in the way of my caloric restriction.  I also had to be polite.
 
Also because of the interview my workout didn’t start until 5:00pm.  I used my father’s gym at the lower level of his apartment complex.  For a running cardio day it had everything I needed, but tomorrow I will have to relocate elsewhere as its selection of free weights was very limited.  When I went inside it felt like a pool area.  It was hot, mucky, humid, the whole nine yards.  I tried to not be discouraged, but I was.  Amazingly this didn’t seem to affect my workout too much.  I had a runny nose problem throughout most of my run as well as an issue with my Zune which caused it to shutdown all together.  But similarly, this didn’t seem to affect my workout either.  I was able to increase my speed to 8.5mph at around the 10 minute mark and then boosted it again to a nice 9.0mph on the 11th minute.  Sprinting the last 10th of a mile I made another new personal record of 14:10.  I am impressing myself every day.
 
After the run I hopped on the elliptical as I always do.  It wasn’t one of my standard choices though and the movements felt weird.  My workout suffered because of this as I struggled more with finding a rhythmic cycle that I could get my legs into than actually working my legs.  I still burned 249 calories and made myself tire and sweat.  But overall, it just wasn’t the same intensity that I could have gotten on a better made machine.  I don’t care though.  I had an excellent run and that alone is enough to make me walk out happy.
 
At night my pushups actually seemed a little harder than usual.  This could be though because it was nearing 11:00pm and I had a long day.  In fact I almost fell asleep while watching a movie beforehand so I was overly sleepy to be doing pushups and sit-ups.  My pushups were equally as difficult, but because of a better foot position (I used the bottom of the sofa this time) I was able to focus more on my abs and less on my legs and feet.  This lead to a nice burn in that region and made glad I completed the overall nightly session even with the oncoming storm of sleep.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #95.

 Tuesday 3/10/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.0lb – -0.6lb
Body Fat: 8.8% – -0.8%
Lean Mass: 136.80lb – +0.66lb
Fat Weight: 13.20lb – -1.26lb
 
Diet:
9:30am:
                1/2 bowl Oatmeal [possibly made with milk]
                1 Egg White, Ham, Mushroom, Tomato, Onion Omelet (Ketchup, Tabasco Sauce)
                1 medium Pear
2:30pm:
                1 bowl Minestrone Vegetable Soup
                1 plate with 2 large thin pieces Chicken Breast, Lettuce and Tomatoes, a little Shrimp, Vegetables, a little White Beans
                1 small plate Spaghetti (Tomato Sauce)
3:30pm:
                1 medium-large Apple
6:30pm:
                1 plate Lettuce Salad with Wild Mushrooms, a little Nuts (Walnut Oil Dressing)
                1 small plate Mustard Crusted Tuna
                2 small plates Rice and Vegetables
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
ELLIPTICAL
    5 min @ 7.5-8.5 speed
 
3x5x145 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x165 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press
30sec rest
3x10x25 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x5x30 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x5 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
3x5x120 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Knee Raises
30sec rest
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
Sweet numbers this morning!  I am ecstatic.  Both of my body weight and my body fat dropped significantly.  There will be a rebound I’m sure, but for now I’m going to relish this moment.  It’s awesome.
 
My workout later on in the morning was around average.  I was able to obtain a membership at the JCC in New York which had the proper equipment for my lifts so overall the fact that I was at some place foreign did not affect me much.  The elliptical though that I used to warm-up with reported an absurdly low amount of calories burned for what I felt was around an equivalent workout.  By this I mean it reported a deficit of nearly 40 calories compared to my usual 5 minute warm-up.  As always though these reports are never consistent and I don’t pay attention to them much anyway for that reason.  As for the lifts, despite having to change up my ordering slightly (certain equipment was in use) they were all relatively good.  I’ve noticed myself moving onto the ball of my foot during squats so I really tried today to work on eliminating that issue.  I wasn’t able to get it down perfect, but I definitely got some progression onto making sure I’m staying purely on my heels.
 
My diet today was fairly good though the meal timings were not quite what I wanted simply because I wasn’t in control.  Also at first I thought I overate at dinner, but it turns out I was simply bloated for whatever reason.  After that feeling past I think I ate the right amount overall.  Tomorrow I’m heading back to Pennsylvania where I should have some more control on my daily routines.  I’m looking forward to that.  Good night.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #96.

 Wednesday 3/11/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.4lb – +0.4lb
Body Fat: 9.1% – +0.3%
Lean Mass: 136.71lb – -0.09lb
Fat Weight: 13.69lb – +0.49lb
 
Diet:
8:20am:
                1/2 cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats
                5 Jumbo Egg Whites with Lox (Mustard, Tabasco Sauce)
12:10pm:
                1 bowl Duck, Chicken, and Rice Soup
                1 plate Pepper Crusted Tuna with Mixed Vegetables
1:30pm:
                1 small-medium Apple
                1 small-medium Pear
4:30pm:
                1 slice Deli Turkey
                4-5 Baby Cut Carrots
7:20pm:
                1 bowl Spinach Salad with Mushrooms, Shallots, 1 Egg White [a little yolk] (Light Oil Dressing)
                1 bowl Wild Rice Soup with Vegetables, Slivered Almonds
                1 plate with 3 medium pieces Chicken Breast
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
TREADMILL:
    3min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline
ELLIPTICAL:
    3min @ varying intensities
ELLIPTICAL:
    2min @ 145-150spm, 15resistance
    2min @ 145-150spm, 15resistance
    8 intervals of (increasing by +1resistance every interval)
                    1:15min @ 185-195spm
                    45 sec @ 145-150spm
TREADMILL:
    10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
And so my numbers rebounded as I thought they would.  The nice thing is the rebound was small.  I know I shouldn’t get caught up in this whole rebound, sudden loss, sudden gain, nonsense but I don’t know.  For some reason, I find it fun.
 
My workout didn’t occur until later at around mid-afternoon as I was traveling for most of the early day towards Pennsylvania.  My local gym had bought new ellipticals to replace the ones I used to use for HIIT just when I left over winter break, so I had yet to try them out to their full extent.  Today I attempted to do just that.  These new machines are completely different.  They workout is good in that they stimulate lots of muscles in the movement and the intensity is therefore very hard from the start.  The problem is the very dynamic full range of movement that they provide does not allow for any fast paced activity meaning trying to do HIIT on them was not possible.  I then had to switch to a different elliptical that was not ideal, but I managed.  I’m not sure for what I will do in the future as neither the new elliptical nor the alternative really appeals to me.  It is possible that I may replace the use of ellipticals all together with some version of HIIT on the treadmill.  I’ll have to take that into serious consideration (luckily I have time since it is only this week that I am at home in the situation and I have near 2 months until Summer).
 
I’m not at all sure why but my nightly exercises seemed harder today.  Both my pushups and sit-ups were definitely more difficult than Monday night.  Maybe it was because the floor underneath me was a soft and giving rug?  Maybe.  I really have no true idea.  Whatever the cause, I did manage to complete all reps and all sets adequately.  And so I still ended the day on a good satisfactory note.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #97.

 Thursday 3/12/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.0lb – -0.4lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – -0.3%
Lean Mass: 136.50lb – -0.21lb
Fat Weight: 13.50lb – -0.19lb
 
Diet:
7:30am:
                1 large Apple
                1/2 cup Dry Irish Stone-ground Oats
                1 “Pan-Sized” Egg Beater Omelet with Deli Ham, Peppers, Onions (Mustard, Tabasco Sauce)
12:30pm:
                1 medium-large Pear
                Baby Cut Carrots
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Orange Pepper (Low Calorie Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)
                2 slices Vermont Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
6:15pm:
                3 plates Striped Bass and/or Flounder [cooked with olive oil], Quinoa with Tomatoes and Onions, Roasted Vegetables [cooked with olive oil]
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
TREADMILL
    10min @ 8.3mph
    ~3.5min @ 9.0mph
    last 0.1 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10mph
    -> 2.0 mile in 14:09
ELLIPTICAL [normal]
    5min @ 145-155stm, 15resistance
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
    5min @ 10-12calories per minute, 1resistance
    5min @ 11-12.5cpm, 2resistance
    4min @ 12-13cpm, 3resistance
    1min @ 13cpm, 5resistance
TREADMILL:
    10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
    3x30 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
    3x30 (1min rest)
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
Besides the nice feeling of my numbers both dropping this morning I was also able to truly cook my ideal breakfast for the first time in months.  It tasted great.  I was so happy to be able to make my oatmeal my way, my eggs my way.  It was perfect and just what I needed after eating at dining halls for weeks upon weeks.
 
My workout followed a few hours later at around 9:30am.  The run was slightly more difficult than normal, but I believe it to be simply because of the variability of each day.  Despite the difficulty I was still able to break yet another personal record.  I barely barely pushed past my previous Monday’s performance by running the 2 miles in 14:09, one second faster.  As always to was nice to feel myself progressing.  Afterwards I was thinking of trying out the full range ellipticals because I was no longer doing HIIT today and didn’t need to move fast.  Sadly they were all taken at first so I used the normal type for the initial 5 minutes.  I looked back at that mark and found one machine open.  I quickly switched positions and tried out the full range motion for real this time.  The workout was great.  I wasn’t able to move fast, but by design the resistance made my body move much harder with each stride which allowed a nice caloric burn.  I know that RPI, my college, has one such machine and I may replace the after-run elliptical workout with these new Precor Ellipticals.  Like the Treadmill HIIT instead of the Elliptical HIIT, I’ll definitely be considering this in the future.
 
My motivation these last few nights has been lacking and this night was no exception.  Without realizing it I found myself plowing through the pushups simply to finish the requirement.  I regretted this afterwards.  Luckily I also felt this regret before the start of my sit-ups.  With that melancholy feeling came some new found inspiration.  I regained my focus for the sit-ups and really contracted those stomach muscles to isolate the abs.  It seemed to work.  I didn’t outperform myself or anything, but I did enjoy a nice burn with a grimacing smile on my face.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #98.

 Friday 3/13/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 149.2lb – -0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.3% – +0.3%
Lean Mass: 135.32lb – -1.18lb
Fat Weight: 13.88lb – +0.38lb
 
Diet:
7:15am:
                1 medium-large Apple
                1/2 cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats
                1 large “pan-sized” Egg Beater Omelet with Deli Turkey, Peppers, Onions (Mustard, Tabasco Sauce)
12:30pm:
                1 small plate Tuna Tartar with a little Seaweed Salad (Light Ginger Soy Dressing)
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with 2 medium-large pieces Chicken Breast (Red Wine Vinaigrette)
7:30pm:
                ~5 Jumbo Shrimp (a little ****tail Sauce)
                2 bowls Lettuce Salad (Balsamic Vinaigrette)
                2 large bowls Whole Spelt Spaghetti with Thick Short Rib Sauce [greasy]
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
3x5x145 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x165 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x120 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
3x5x40? Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
3x5 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5x30 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
My weight dropped this morning.  I’m happy about that.  Sadly it seems that my body fat took a flight upwards instead of following suit.  I felt leaner though so do I expect in the coming future for my body fat to follow.
 
I went to the gym around 10:00am today.  It was an average workout.  I was able to use the gym’s mirrors to my advantage though and get more of a personal critique regarding my deadlift form.  I found myself slouching my back slightly at the last second before the pull.  I worked on fixing that and made some progress.  I also was told by a fellow lifter that I was looking down on the upward motion of my squat.  I will work on that next time as well.  The rest of the lifts went fine without much to talk about.  I did find myself easily pulling up with a 50lb assist so I switched it to 40.  This may be due to the design of the anti-gravity machine more than a strength increase though.  When I get back to my college’s gym I’ll have a better idea of if I truly outperformed myself.
 
I thought my diet today was fairly lean up until dinner where I do admit I may have gone slightly overboard.  The food wasn’t the healthiest, but I didn’t have much control.  I did my best to limit portion sizing instead and walked away from the dinner feeling full but not in any way stuffed.  I think for the day because of this personal restraint I was able to stay under my caloric limit and my weight loss should continue and benefit from that.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #99.

Saturday 3/14/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.4lb – +1.2lb
Body Fat: 8.3% – -1.0%
Lean Mass: 137.92lb – +2.60lb
Fat Weight: 12.48lb – -1.40lb
 
Diet:
7:40am:
                1 medium-large Apple
                1/2 cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats
                1 large “pan-sized” Egg Beater Omelet with Deli Ham, Peppers, Onions (Mustard, Tabasco Sauce)
12:40pm:
                1 bowl Beef Barley Soup
                1 small thick slice Marble Rye Bread
                1 slice thick Whole Grain Bread with Tuna Steak, Grilled Vegetables (a little Creamy Wasabi Sauce)
2:45pm:
                5 Baby Cut Carrots
                1 medium Pear
                1 medium-large Pear
                1 small slice Whole Wheat “Vermont Bread” with Deli Turkey (Mustard)
6:15pm:
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with a little Cucumber, a little Tomato (Fat Free Vinaigrette)
                1 plate Grilled Chicken Breast, Roasted Vegetables, Rice Pilaf
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
--
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
Day 100 and it starts with a bang.  My body fat took quite a sudden dive, a plunge really, of 1%.  My weight did increase as seems to be the norm (body fat and weight tend to do the inverse of each other).  I don’t mind the increase though.  What it came out to mean is a sudden jump in lean mass and a nice plump drop in fat.  I’ll take that thank you very much.
 
 
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #100.

 Sunday 3/15/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.0lb – -0.4lb
Body Fat: 8.5% – +0.2%
Lean Mass: 137.25lb – -0.67lb
Fat Weight: 12.75lb – +0.27lb
 
Diet:
7:15am:
                1 medium-large Apple
                1/2 cup Dry Steel-Cut Oats
                1 large “pan-sized” Egg Beater Omelet with Deli Ham, a little Deli Turkey, Peppers, Onions (Mustard, Tabasco Sauce)
12:15pm:
                2 plates Turkey, Steak Roast, Fish, Garbanzo Bean Salad, Mixed Vegetables, Cabbage, Lettuce Salad (Unknown Dressing)
                1 small bowl Chicken Vegetable Soup
5:15pm:
                1 bowl Chicken Noodle Minestrone Soup
                1 bowl Broccoli (Chile Sauce, a little Chinese Brown Sauce)
                1 plate 1.5 medium slices Turkey, a little Vegan Chili
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
PUSHUPS:
    1x70 in 1min
SIT-UPS:
    1x44 in 1min
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
I spent most of the day traveling and am sadly fairly much out of time right now to talk.  There are a few things I want to get mentioned though before I call it a night.  First of all I didn’t take progress pictures again today for the same reason as last week, that is I was not in a standardized location with standardized lighting.  As I am typing this though I am now at RPI and that means next Sunday a new photograph will emerge.  Hopefully it will show what I have been seeing over the last few days… the first sign of a six-pack!
 
I also want to say that my diet today may have been a tad heavy on food.  I am not sure, maybe it is because I got used to a week of eating less, but I felt like I overate both for lunch and dinner today.  I will have to remember, always remember, that I am on a cut and it is best to under eat than overeat.  I keep making that mistake.  It won’t happen again.
 
And finally we get at the one real activity of the day which was my pushups and sit-ups.  I underperformed on my pushups, but in my mind it wasn’t so.  I did my best and gave it everything I got.  Maybe my form was better, maybe I was focusing more on the chest muscles which made me weaker faster.  Or maybe it was just a bad night.  Who knows.  I did what I could and I am proud of myself for that.  As for my sit-ups: I did better last week, but worse than normal like my pushups.  Again I go by the same logic.  I am encouraged by my dedication to failure.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #101.

 Monday 3/16/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.8lb – +3.8lb
Body Fat: 9.6% – +1.1%
Lean Mass: 139.04lb – +1.79lb
Fat Weight: 14.77lb – +2.02lb
 
Diet:
7:45am:
                3 small Apples
                3/4 bowl Oatmeal
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:35pm:
                1 bowl Chicken Orzo Soup [extra chicken]
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
3:15pm:
                1 bowl Chicken Soup [broth only]
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
                1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:30pm:
                1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup [extra chicken]
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
                1 bowl Broccoli and Vegetables (Chile Sauce, Light Chinese Sauce)
                1 plate London Broil, a little Pad Thai
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
TREADMILL:
    10min @ 8.3mph, 0%incline
    ~3:30min @ 9.0mph, 0% incline
    last 1/10 mile @ 10.0mph, 0%incline
    -> 2miles in 14:08min
FULL-MOTION ELLIPTICIAL:
    5min @ 2resistance, ~10-11cals/min
    5min @ 4resistance, ~11-12cals/min
    5min @ 6resistance, ~12-13cals/min
    5min @ 8resistance, ~13-14cals/min
TREADMILL:
    10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS:
    3x30 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS:
    3x30 (1min rest)
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
What a shocker this morning.  I woke up to find both my weight and body fat sky rocketed.  This is simply not possible.  I refuse to believe this accuracy in any such way.  The reasons for indefinable, but my best guess would be the overeating I mentioned yesterday.  Overeating for one day provides a negligible gain in fat though.  This is just a joke of a number, a downright joke.
 
My workout today was another improvement upon myself.  I hit a new record on my run by beating my pace in a 1 second leap to the finish (not literally but you get the idea).   I also finished the rest of the 45 minutes by using the different elliptical that I used last time and that I now found out my college gym carries.  I think for now on I will be using these machines on my run days while using the other ones (the ones that you can move fast on) for my HIIT days.  Variety is nice.
 
At night I was feeling rather tired and was not exactly in the mindset for my routine.  Things did improve once I started though and I gained some clarity and focus that uplifted my pushup performance so that I felt a nice burn in my chest.  My abs also encountered the same feeling from my sit-ups.  I have been thinking about changing the scheme of my nightly workouts to something else entirely.  I was thinking of switching from the standard 3x30 reps to maybe like a pyramid system with failure guaranteed at the end.  I’m not sure how I feel about that quite yet, but I just wanted to mention it is on my mind of ideas.
 
My diet today was vastly different than yesterday.  I exhibited much more focus towards my goals and a clearer understanding of what is right and what is wrong to eat.  I have always been smart about that type of thing anyway so honestly yesterday was just a small slipup, but it does feel nice to be back on track.  I hope the scale will prove this to be true.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #102.

 Tuesday 3/17/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 152.4lb – -1.4lb
Body Fat: 9.6% – +0.0%
Lean Mass: 137.77lb – -1.27lb
Fat Weight: 14.63lb – -0.14lb
 
Diet:
7:40am:
                2 small-medium Apples
                4/5 bowl Oatmeal
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard, Hot Sauce)
12:20pm:
                1 small Apple
                1 cup Rice Pilaf
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, a little Tunafish [no mayo] (Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
                1 bowl Ham and Cabbage Soup
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
                5 Pickle Spears
5:25pm:
                1 bowl Ham and Cabbage Soup [extra ham and cabbage]
                3/4 bowl Chicken Breast (Chinese Red Sauce), Cabbage
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
ELLIPTICAL:
    5min @ ~75rpm

3x5x145 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x165 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x120 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press
30sec rest
3x10x25 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x5 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Knee Raises
30sec rest
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
My weight isn’t moving back down as fast as I would like, but it is moving.  If it doesn’t reach its previous value it just means that it was falsely low for those few days anyway.  Meaning overall that there isn’t much I can do except keep up with my clean dieting and wait it out.  I must have patience.
 
I had an average time at the gym today.  I still am struggling to work on a slight back curvature for deadlifts.  I may have to decrease weight until I can completely fix the issue.  I don’t want to do this because I accidentally did 20 pounds less today on the first few reps and noticed immediately how easy it was.  I did change my assisted weights for the chin-ups to 25 pounds which more adequately reflected how I performed last week.  For this reason I don’t really consider it an increase in performance as I that was already noticed during my last lifting session.  Still though, it is nice to see always add more weight.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #103.

 Wednesday 3/18/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 152.8lb – +0.4lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – -0.6%
Lean Mass: 138.13lb – +0.36lb
Fat Weight: 14.67lb – +0.05lb
 
Diet:
7:40am:
                2 small-medium Apples
                4/5 bowl Oatmeal
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard, Hot Sauce)
12:20pm:
                1 small-medium Apple
                1 bowl Rice and Meat Stuffed Cabbage, Broccoli
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
                1 bowl French Onion Soup
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
                1 bowl French Onion Soup
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, a little Cottage Cheese (Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
                1 plate 2 thin Pork Chops [fat cut off], Rice, Vegan Chili
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
ELLIPTICAL:
    2 min @ 68-70rpm, level 1 resistance
    2 min @ 68-70rpm, level 2 resistance
    16 min @ 1:15 min 88-94rpm, 45 sec @ 68-70rpm, level 3-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
    10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
    3x30 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
    3x30 (1min rest)
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
I really don’t know what to make of my weight.  I’m going to keep eating as my current diet prescribes for the rest of the week.  If my weight doesn’t start to decrease than at least it means I reset my metabolism from maybe eating too little over spring break?  I doubt that’s the case, but who knows.  Either way, if my weight doesn’t improve by Monday than I will be changing my diet yet again to decrease the intake of calories.  I’m really fed up with not moving in any direction.
 
The elliptical I used today for my workout offered slightly more resistance than normal.  For this reason I still could not beat my personal record.  I made up for this anyway though by burning 393 calories in 20 minutes, my highest ever.  I know the number is fairly meaningless, but at least I can get still get the satisfaction that I am working myself harder than I have previously.
 
At night my pushups went normal, but it was my sit-ups that caused trouble.  I was still able to complete them, at least I did that.  For some reason though they were much harder than normal.  It could have been a number of factors, the standard list of possibilities.  But hey, like I said I completed it.  And for that reason I am happy, hell maybe even more than usual since the difficulty just means I pushed myself at least mentally that much harder.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #104.

 Thursday 3/19/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 151.8lb – -1.0lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – +0.0%
Lean Mass: 138.14lb – +0.01lb
Fat Weight: 13.66lb– -1.01lb
 
Diet:
7:45am:
                2 small-medium Apples
                1 bowl Oatmeal [very runny]
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:45pm:
                2 small Apples
                1/3 plate Brown Rice Pilaf, Green Beans
                1 bowl Vegetable Minestrone Soup
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Hot Yellow Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Cottage Cheese, 5 Egg Whites (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
5:40pm:
                1 small plate Turkey Breast, Roast Pork, Pork Chop with Tomatoes and Onions, Eggplant Burger
                1 plate Turkey Breast, Roasted Vegetables
                1 bowl Vegetable Minestrone Soup [extra white beans]
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
TREADMILL
    5min @ 8.3mph
    5min @ 8.4mph
    ~3.5min @ 9.0mph
    last 0.1 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10mph
    -> 2.0 mile in 14:03
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
    5min @ ~11calories per minute, 2resistance
    5min @ ~12cpm, 4resistance
    5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
    5min @ 13-14.5cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
    10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
    3x30 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
    3x30 (1min rest)
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
My weight dropped today which I guess is nice (still fairly high from its previous low).  The real news today though is my run.  It may have been because I was using a treadmill that I think has the slightest angle of decline (making the run easier), but that could just be an illusion.  Whatever the reason, at the 5 minute mark I found myself having bundles of energy as if I just got on without wearing myself out at 8.3mph for the last 5 minutes.  To work myself harder I edged the speed up a little to 8.4mph and ran another 5 minutes.  I then continued with my new standard it seems and put it up again to 9.0mph and then finally sprinted the last 10th of a mile at 10mph.  All of this lead to yet another personal record.  I cleared those 2 miles in a wicked 14:03; 3 seconds away from my goal!  I feel a new goal will be in place soon enough.
 
Later in the day, much later, at night, I performed my pushups and sit-ups.  I found the pushups harder than usual and enjoyed it more for that reason.  As usual, I have no idea why.  The burn was nice and rewarding though, so for that reason I welcome the intensity, the difficulty.  In my mind, bring it on.  And the same goes for sit-ups which turned out to be equally as difficult if not more (I was at failure on the last rep it was perfect).  Again, bring it on.
 
My dinner this night was slightly deceiving in portions.  It appears that I ate way too much when put into text because of the variety of food I had.  In truth the “small plate” I mentioned was small samples of all of the items, not normal quantities of each.  For this reason I feel like my overall diet was pretty much spot on.
 
I just want to put this in here that I think I have come to hate this obsession with daily weights and percentages.  I am considering switching to a weekly schedule where I would weigh myself on Sunday, the same day I take progress shots.  If my weight stresses me tomorrow as it has over the last few days, I think the change will be definitive.  We’ll have to wait and see how I feel when that happens though.  Until then, good night.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #105.

 Friday 3/20/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 151.4lb – -0.4lb
Body Fat: 8.6% – -0.4%
Lean Mass: 138.38lb – +0.24lb
Fat Weight: 13.02lb – -0.64lb
 
Diet:
7:20am:
                3 small Apples
                1 slice 12 Grain Bread with a little Deli Ham (Mustard)
                5 Egg Whites [a little yolk slipped through] with Deli Ham, Onions (Mustard)
12:15pm:
                1 small-medium Apple
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                4/5 bowl Mushroom Bisque
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
                5 Pickle Spears
5:20pm:
                1 bowl Chicken (Chinese Brown Sauce), Broccoli (a little Light Chinese Black Sauce)
                1/2 plate Tilapia, Bean Stew
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans, a little Tunafish [no mayo], a little Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
ELLIPTICAL:
    5min @ ~77rpm, 1resistance
3x5x145 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x165 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x120 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
2x5x50 Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
           1x50x40 Assisted Pull-Ups
                       1min rest
3x5 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest
 
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
Well my weight did drop today along with a nice dive in body fat, but still I have made my decision to change.  I simply do not want to be thinking about these daily miniscule changes.  For now on there will be a weekly supplemental journal that includes my progress shots and new weight and body fat.  There will no longer be these meaningless numbers at the top of every entry.  I feel like a load has been taken off my shoulders.

My breakfast was a little different today because as usual for Fridays I had to eat at Sage Dining Hall and as usual they didn’t serve oatmeal.  Instead of opting for the high GI grits this time I opted instead to have a slice of 12 grain bread with a little deli ham.  This worked out fairly well but I of course would have wanted oatmeal.  Oh well.
 
After breakfast I was off rushing to the gym so I could make my classes in time afterward.  Today was a day of changes at the fitness center.  After a quick warm-up on the elliptical I began my squats.  I think I have really gotten my form down near perfect now and feel like it may be time to increase my weights.  Next week I’m going to do 3 sets of 5 with 150 pounds: can’t wait.  My deadlifts are also improving, not in weights, but in technique.  Every week I get better and for that reason I am satisfied in keeping the weight static for now until I am sure that my movement is perfected.  My next big lift also saw some new light.  The bench press today felt easier than normal and I it has been too long since I my chest experienced a nice boost in weight.  Next week I will also be putting on an extra 5lb here as well.  A little while later my chin-ups were feeling quite simple at 50lb assisted.  Just to make sure I continued the first two sets at 50 pounds, but after realizing that it wasn’t getting harder I upped the difficulty to 40lb assisted on the last set.  This felt about right and I will be making that change permanent next week.  Last of all for the day of new frontiers was my dips.  5 reps just flew by and I wasn’t feeling that well-loved burn anymore.  I must make this lift harder as well and I decided next week I will be doing just that by increasing to a more intense 6 reps.  Basically it was an awesome hour of performance increases and I am so excited to really push myself with all these new weights next Tuesday.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #106.

 Saturday 3/21/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:45am:
                1 small Pear
                1 small-medium Apple
                3/4 bowl Oatmeal
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
                1 small-medium Pear
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, a little Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Chicken Vegetable Soup [very little chicken]
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
                5 Pickle Spears
5:20pm:
                1 cup Couscous [cooked with apples and cinnamon]
                1 bowl Mixed Vegetables (Light Chinese Dark Sauce)
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, a little Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Chicken Vegetable Soup [very little chicken]
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
SOCCER:
    50min @ Low-Moderate Intensity
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
There really is very little to report today.  My diet was pretty much spot on except I think I am going to get rid of the couscous.  It hit my head while eating it that it is basically just pasta which is OK but definitely not exactly “healthy”.  What I mean by this is I can get my carbs from better sources (the garbanzo beans for instance) so I have no good reason to be eating it.  Also today’s couscous was made sweet with apples and cinnamon so I’m sure there was extra sugar in there as well.  Still though it was a very small portion size and I’m not too worried about it -- it’s just that in the future I know what to do when confronted with the decision: couscous or no couscous.
 
If you noticed I also did have a small bit of exercise in me today.  I know it’s a rest day, but if I didn’t mention it before I am now part of an intramural soccer team.  Practices are normally held on weekdays as well as some games, but today’s game was on a Saturday night and I’m not about to miss it just for that reason.  The workout was moderate at best so I wouldn’t consider it as an additional method of weight loss.  It was more of just a nice way to have some fun.  Nothing wrong with that!
 
Tomorrow I will be weighing myself as part of my weekly numbers check (which will be compared to last Sunday’s numbers, not yesterday’s).  I will also be taking progress pictures which are long overdue.  I am looking forward to both.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #107.

 Sunday 3/22/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measurements:
 
                Body Weight:     152.20lb               Change: +2.20lb
                Lean Mass:         138.65lb               Change: +1.40lb
                Percent Fat:       8.90%                    Change: +0.40%
                Body Fat:             13.55lb                  Change: +0.85lb
 
Progress Pictures:
               
               
 
Thoughts and Opinions:
 
                I could really go either way here.  First of all my body weight increased from last week fairly significantly, but my percent fat though it increased as well was not as significant.  This lead to my overall calculations showing me as gaining muscle more than gaining fat.  Though this is nice result, it is still not what I wanted as my goal remains to lose fat while retaining muscle.  As for my progress shots, really they show yet again nothing.  At first I thought I looked better, but then I took a close examination of my current self compared to my previous body from a few weeks ago and saw no discernable differences.  Maybe you see something I’m not catching?  Also, as I’m sure you noticed I decided to take a few more different poses today just for kicks.  Comments, criticisms, critiques, questions?
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #108 Sunday Morning Edition.

Sunday 3/22/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:15am:
                1 small Pear
                1 medium Apple
                2/3 bowl Oatmeal
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
                1 small Pear
                1 cup Rice, Garbanzo Beans, Potato
                1 cup Oatmeal
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, a little Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Beef Chili [light and thin broth]
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:15pm:
                1/2 bowl Mixed Vegetables (Light Thin Chinese Sauce)
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Hot Yellow Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, a little Deli Turkey (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Beef Chili [extra beef]
                2 medium slices Turkey Breast
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
PUSHUPS:
    1xFailure @ 73reps, 1:07min (70rep/min)
SIT-UPS:
    1xFailure @ 48reps, 1:23min (40rep/min)
 
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
I am starting to get fed up with myself.  I keep being a disappointment at dinner.  Again I feel like I overate.  OK, who knows if I really did, but I don’t want to be double guessing anymore.  For now on I have to make my dinners smaller.  There is no ifs about it.  I will make this change.  And now that I have said, I know it will be done.
 
I wasn’t in the mood tonight for pushups or sit-ups.  I was feeling a little depressed from a long day of school work while at the same time a long day of wasting time.  It’s an annoying combination when the two intermix.  I did do my pushups and sit-ups of course, but my performance may have been lacking because of the mentioned above.  Despite that I did my best and though I didn’t break any personal records I feel like I gave it my all.  At least I still got the burn.  Also, notice that I pushed myself to failure this time.  For sit-ups I started to feel like these time constraints were limiting my capability so I tested myself to max instead of a 1min set.  It turns out that the two were pretty close, but at least now I know what I am truly made of.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #108.

Monday 3/23/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45am:
                2 small-medium Apples
                3/4 bowl Oatmeal
                5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:50pm:
                1 medium Apple
                1 bowl Mixed Vegetables [slightly sweet sauce]
                1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup
                1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans, 5 Egg Whites, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
5:25pm:
                1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Garbanzo Beans, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
                1 bowl Vegetable Soup
                1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
               
                That was my diet.
 
 
 
The Workout:
 
TREADMILL
    5min @ 8.3mph
    5min @ 8.5mph
    ~3.5min @ 9.0mph
    last 0.1 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10mph
    -> 2.0 mile in 14:00
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
    5min @ ~11-12calories per minute, 2resistance
    5min @ ~12-13cpm, 4resistance
    5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
    5min @ ~14cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
    10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
    3x30 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
    3x30 (1min rest)
 
That was the workout.
 
 
 
The Day:
 
I feel a lot better about my diet today.  I didn’t overeat during dinner and every meal had a nice balanced feel to it.  Also the fact that I didn’t weigh in I think helped by not stressing me out about making compensations (not having to decrease calories if I saw a jump, or increase if I saw too drastic a dive).  Of course I never would do those things on purpose, but subconsciously I think it influenced my decisions.  It’s nice to not have that looming over my head now.
 
My workout today was excellent.  I finally achieved my goal of a 14:00 2 mile run.  I hit it right on the money.  Since beating a goal means making new ones I updated my list.  I now will strive to achieve a 13:00 2 mile run and a 6 minute 1 mile run.  I look forward to that day.
 
 
That was the day.
 
 
 
 
This concludes Entry #109.