BT2k9

Well I had a good workout last night. I left work about a half hour early yesterday.

I got to the gym at normal time but ended up skipping cardio again… This week I’ve just had no extra time at all. My next cycle starts on Sunday. I’ve done 2 6 week cycles now, and I feel good about finishing and coming this far, but now it’s more a matter of course that I’m working out. It’s become part of my life in a big way and I really try to move other things around my workouts. I haven’t missed a single one, even if some of them weren’t on the exact days they should have been.

So my hip has been bugging me again lately, though only after I’ve walked for more than 2 blocks. That concrete is evil to my joints. I’m just gonna have to go back to the doctor to see what’s up.

Else my diet has been pretty good. I’ve had a couple snacky-type things here and there, but nothing too bad. Next cycle I’m gonna have to really kick myself in the butt to get a better grip on my diet. I’m gonna make a point of keeping a few days ahead of my meals so that they’re already prepared and I don’t go out to eat as much. This will be a challenge because getting lunch each day is just so much quicker and easier. I don’t mind the cost so much due to the convenience but it’s just a detriment to me at this point to keep poor track of my calories.

All in all, though, this bodybuilding stuff is fascinating. I especially enjoy seeing the multitude of ways that people find to get themselves into better shape. Coming here to this site has opened my eyes to the possibilities if I just apply myself and have some discipline and dedication.

I’ll update again on Sunday after measurements.

Yesterday was ok. I didn’t get to the gym due to staying the night at a friend’s house. I did good on the diet though.

Today I’m gonna have to stay after work for a while. I’m not sure exactly when I’ll be able to leave but I don’t think I’ll get back home in time to get ready and get my weight workout done tonight. I’ll swap it to tomorrow if this happens.

*EDIT* Yeah, stuck at work until who knows when, so I’m moving my workout to tomorrow.

I feel great right now. On the way to the gym I felt my energy level skyrocket and I was RARING to go when I pulled up.

Did real good today on the diet end. I ended up getting some coffee towards the middle of the day because my energy just disappeared on me at work. My co-worker was gone today, unexpectedly, and she’s gonna be gone tomorrow too, so there’s added pressure on me. I may have to do some juggling with my workouts (AGAIN) this week because I may have to stay late, and honestly, I could use the money right now. It’s not a huge deal, and NOTHING save a horrible accident will stop me from getting to the gym eventually.

I didn’t have time for my stretches tonight. I got home and had a few things to do, and I still haven’t gotten to the grocery store. I can’t do it tomorrow, either, due to preexisting plans. I’m not extremely worried about it - I’ve got a few things I can cook up.

Tomorrow, I’ve gotta be real diligent on the diet end. Right now I’ve gotta finish up a couple things and get to bed before it gets too late.

Ok, so gains all-around. I’m not surprised but I am distressed - that’s 2 measurement days where I’ve gained. This week was worse due to relative lack of cardio and my big dinner last night.

I know what the problem is, I know what the solution is, the question remains, will I be able to get myself back on track? I’m gonna have to because I haven’t come this far to start back down the wrong path again.

I’ve had quite a few distractions these past few weeks. I’m gonna have to knuckle down and just let people know that my fitness is my number 1 priority right now and any social activity will have to wait until a weekend when I’m not going to the gym.

So goals this week:

1. Keep on track with the diet.
2. Get back to the gym on my regular nights.
3. Get my cardio back on track.
4. Get my stretches back on track.

I’m confident that this is only a temporary setback.

Wow, what a week. I’ve had something going on every single night this week and it really displaced my normal workout schedule. Thankfully, the car is running again so next week I should be back on track for my normal workout schedule.

This week has been ok on the diet overall. Today (Saturday) was my best friend’s birthday and I took her to dinner to one of my favorite spots for steak. It was her first time there. Anyhow, lots of food was eaten, so that’s definitely gonna affect me come measurement day tomorrow.

All in all, I’m ready for next week to start. I’ve got a lot of stuff to do at home tomorrow including making sure I have enough food for the next couple weeks. (No, I STILL haven’t gotten to the grocery store!)

I was feeling really crappy last night. A friend who was supposed to come over my house canceled on me at the last minute, after I had already re-arranged my whole night to accommodate his visit. So I went to the gym and I’m really glad I did because afterward I felt 100% better. I didn’t get there in time for cardio after weights, but I didn’t feel too badly about it. I was glad to get that 2nd weight workout finished. I opted to do the final workout Saturday morning, but my bed was so warm this morning that I went ahead and slept in. I got the last workout for this first 5 set week finished in the early afternoon.

So tomorrow is my first measurement day since a couple weeks ago. I’m not sure what to expect, but this is the end of my 2nd cycle and I’m aiming for my 3rd cycle to be the one that I’m really dedicated with on the dieting side of things. It’s already nearly March and the weather is starting to warm up again… I really don’t want to go through another summer being a tub of lard, so the clock is lighting a fire under my butt to kick this in gear!

Ok, the car issue is no longer an issue and it’s nice to have a vehicle again because I’ve really gotten used to having one.

Tuesday I did a nice cardio session at the gym and the diet went well. I got to bed a bit later than I planned, but not too late.

Yesterday was a good workout. I’ve decided to go ahead and skip legs until this cycle is done. I can definitely still feel my hip discomfort, but only at certain times. I haven’t been consistent with my stretching lately and after I’ve been walking around for awhile I can really feel that hip. My legs are still pretty huge, so I’m not worried about losing mass.

I know, though, that after all is said and done that I don’t want to be a huge muscle-head. I want to have ok size and real good definition. I’m pretty much at the point where I look like a fat bodybuilder and am in need of a cut. Fortunately, all I’ve been doing since I started this is cutting, but I haven’t been as consistent as I should be, and I need to be if I want to start making better progress. We all know how hard it is to make a commitment to yourself and juggle all your obligations - work, family, friends, etc. I started my fat loss with the determination that I would stick through this no matter what this time and I’m still determined to make my fat loss goal a reality. I’m still constantly evaluating my game plan.

I got a nice burn going at my workout yesterday. Tonight I’m doing my 2nd workout for this week and I plan on doing my final workout for this week on Saturday morning. This weekend is shaping up to be very busy. I’ve got plans all day and night Friday, Saturday during the morning, evening and night, and all day Sunday, so I’m really gonna need to make sure I’m getting lots of rest. I’m definitely gonna sleep as much as possible.

I’ll post my workout when I get home because I didn’t bring my rep list with me.

Ok, been awhile since my last update. This is the longest I’ve gone without updating since the beginning of my 1st cycle last December.

It’s been a long weekend and tomorrow I head back to work. Friday night I stayed at a friend’s house and didn’t end up going home until the next day (Saturday). As a result, my final workout from last week was supposed to happen Saturday afternoon. I got home later than I expected and didn’t have a vehicle available to use, so that workout got pushed to Sunday. This is the first time I’ve moved previous week’s workouts into the next week. I didn’t even get to my workout yesterday (Sunday).

So here we are on Monday afternoon. I finally got in my last workout from the 4 set week last week. I’ve had the day off from work and have been getting a few things done today, including trying to get a vehicle running. I’m confident that this will be resolved by tomorrow - an unreliable vehicle would be a big deal for my consistency, and is one of the reasons it’s taken me so long to get this workout done.

That being said, though, I still followed the diet for the weekend. I definitely need to get to the grocery store tomorrow for sure… I’m on my last few food items.

I didn’t measure yesterday. I was up really late the night before and didn’t end up waking up until about noon. This morning wasn’t much better, despite an earlier bedtime - 10:30. I’m definitely feeling the effects of an inconsistent and inadequate resting cycle, and my goal this week is bed by 11:00-11:30.

Else, get to the store, stick to my diet, and juggle all my social activities this week with my first 5 set week (LONG workouts).

Home from the gym and my first leg workout in nearly a month now. I’m happy to report that so far I’m not having any issues. We’ll see how I feel when I wake up in the morning, so I’m reserving any celebrating until I’ve gone the next few days without any issues.

I did really light weights for all my leg exercises, and I ended up skipping the last 2 sets of Leg Curls due to some cramping. I did lots of stretching between all my leg sets so I think the cramping would have been a lot worse. As it was, I didn’t want to push them too hard so I decided to forgo the last 2 sets. I don’t have another leg workout until next week.

All my other exercises tonight were great. I really tried to make it nice and intense.

Diet today was good. I overate just a smidgen, but nothing too bad. (A fruit cup at the end of the night.)

Yesterday I did a nice HIIT session at the gym. I skipped my stretches last night, though, but I’m not too concerned. I will make sure to stretch all the rest of this week. (Maybe not tomorrow, though, due to Valentine’s Day.)

My diet yesterday was awesome.

Tomorrow will probably be either cardio or stretching, but not both. I don’t think I’ll have time. It may not even be either one at all.

I got to the gym very late last night and didn’t have time for cardio. Last night’s workout was pretty intense and I was very tired afterward. Once I got home, I didn’t even input the info into the workout tracker like I normally do. As it was, I still didn’t get to bed until midnight.

Today I’m kinda tired. I’m definitely gonna make sure I get to bed at a decent hour tonight. Today I will do stretching and a good cardio session at the gym.

Diet was good yesterday. No binging, no sudden cravings to deal with. I brought my food with me to work yesterday and actually ate that instead of buying the usual here near my job.

Today is reduced calorie day. I’ve really gotta be committed to making sure I don’t overeat this week.

Ok, so my weight is hovering around 290#. This scale just isn’t very good here at my house. The needle rests on 5 pounds when nothing is on it, also, it takes a long time to sit still when I stand on it. I’m not sure what my exact weight is, but honestly, the scale is the last factor I use to determine my fat loss.

Measurements were interesting. My hip measurement went up again, but my waist went down. Not sure what to think about that. Caliper readings are as follows:

Last week:
Up: 38
Mid: 47
Low: 36

Bodyfat level (according to calipers):  32.8%

This week:
Up:  34
Mid: 46
Low: 37

Bodyfat level (according to calipers): 30.4%

I’m still figuring out how to use these things, but that’s a loss.

BUT I know I can do better if I got my diet even more in check.  So my goal this week is to tighten my diet up.

Today I’m actually kinda busy. I’ve got some grocery shopping to do and I’m returning to the clinic I volunteer at for the first time since last December. I’ve got a lot to get done before the shift starts in the afternoon.

4 set week this week. Only 1 leg workout, so we’ll see how it goes. I really hope my hip will get better, but this may be something I have to live with for a long time.