Hopeful_Guy’s BodyBlog

After a trip out of town earlier in the month, I brought back with me the most wicked case of flu I have ever experienced. I have been stuck home, mostly in bed, and on antibiotics, for the past week and have lost a full week of training time

This really stings for me because I have worked so hard for these past few months, and hate stopping for any reason. I had taken a week off  between the holidays, in an effort to avoid hitting a plateau, and slowing my progress. I had just gotten started again at a good pace when this happened. Oh well - I will be back in the routine very soon and maybe this break and the illness will stimulate some progress. We’ll see.

Thanks friends for all the support!

I am now in the middle of my 16th week of weight training. It seems like a long time, but yet not so long in other ways. I am starting to see significant changes, although I am not as far along as I had hoped I would be at this stage.

I am somewhat discouraged, but not greatly so. I had wanted to have some pictures to show really significant change, but since it has been so long since I posted any, I will just have to go with what I have.

The picture quality is not great - these were taken with my cell phone, and it’s difficult to do self-photography and have it look good - at least it is for me.

I will continue to go to the gym M-W-F, and will work on cardio as well.

Not much new to write about. I see small changes continuing to occur, and I have increased weight again on some of the machines. I’m still keeping at it, but the weight loss has slowed to a stop. I am holding at 245 lb., and have not had any weight gain, unless there has been enough muscle growth to cause some weight gain. I have to keep reminding myself that although I worked out a few months on the old "Bullworker", I only got started with the actual weight equipment at the Y about 5 weeks ago. I have to constantly remind myself to be patient. In a few more weeks I will put up some new pictures, but I want there to be some significant changes before I do that.

Thanks for reading this.

Finally I have been able to begin working out using equipment in a real gym. One of the local YMCA locations has wheelchair accessible equipment. I signed up this week and had my first workout this morning.

WOW! What a difference from just working out with the old Bullworker I had  used until now. I can’t help but feel I will start to see some significant changes in the next few weeks.

I am not posting any new pics this time because there has really not been any noticeable change from the last ones a week ago. Still trying hard to make the right food choices and fighting hard to make changes in my body.

I appreciate all the encouragement!

I continue to make progress, though it seems slow. I am working hard still using the Bullworker exerciser, although I do hope to be able to have access to weight equipment within the next few weeks. I am also trying to make healthy food choices, which along with the exercise, has helped me shed another 5 pounds. I am now at 248. I know that is still very bad, but I’m nowhere near where I have been.

As I exercise and make progress, it becomes more evident that my right is the dominant side. In one of the pics, you can see mostly in the right trap that it is more developed. I am wondering if it could have anything to do with the spinal cord injury too - Around the house, I am used to using one crutch and doing everything with my right hand/arm - or in the wheelchair, using the left to steady the chair while I do things with the right side.
The black pants in the updated pictures used to require quite some effort to get fastened - now I cannot  keep them on without holding them up - aaahhhh feels GOOD!

Please keep up the encouraging comments - they are SO helpful.

Thanks EVERYONE  - even the ones that send the nasty emails & comments - you make me just as determined -  if not more - than the positive comments.

In this first entry, I would like to say that although I was very hesitant, and started to join bb.com several times before I actually did it, I am glad I finally joined and put my hideous pictures online. Those pics are all part of it - I need them so I can see where I have been and where I do not want to stay, or return.

Of course, as I expected, I got a few emails from people saying the hateful and hurtful things you would expect - but in contrast, those people are a small percentage of the feedback I have gotten. I have been so inspired and motivated by the encouragement I have gotten from so many people on this site. THANKS! to all of you.

To be 53 in today’s society is tough enough, with everything being so youth oriented, but to be compounded by being fat, out of shape, and crippled can make one almost feel like never leaving home - I was getting to that point when I began working on trying to better myself in January of this year. I never hit the 300 pound mark, but came perilously close! I was 295 pounds of pork on January 1, and today am 253 pounds. I have a large skeletal frame, and have looked at weight charts, but honestly do not know what I should really weigh. Maybe it is better to go by fat content? I will learn all that, but am still very much a newbie to the bodybuilding world.

I am continuing my efforts without letting up - keep watching!

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