2008 Transformation Contest

So, after allowing myself to use Christmas day as a carbup before the contest, I knew I would be a tad ‘fuller’ for my starting weight and pics. I won’t let this upset me, mainly because my side tricep shot showed some definition, so we’ll count it as a win.

However, being one who hates being bloated, I immediately went back on plan this morning in an effort to get back into ketosis and rocking out my normal workout as soon as possible.

You can click here to find my BodySpace Workout Tracker, which shows the workout in an easy to read format. Alternatively, for those who like to get all of the information in one place, keep reading!

This morning I hit up the gym for some semi-fasted cardio. Semi-fasted meaning the only thing in my stomach was some BCAAs (Xtend) and some Gaspari 3rd Degree Burn which I am using until my Gaspari Sponsor package comes in the mail.

Morning Cardio

- Walk/Run Intervals - 28 minutes total -1.5 laps walk, 1 lap run, repeat x 8 (total 1.75 miles)
**Interesting note about these is that for my last run interval I hit a
27 second 1/12 mile time, which is a 5:25 min/mile pace, don’t I wish I could sustain that.**

- Stationary Bike - 15 minutes, Fat Burning Level 10, Total Distance 4.25 miles

- Stretching - 15 minutes deep stretches to ensure my legs were fresh for later lifting.

I then came home and shoveled the sidewalk and driveway, which was just FUN on my lower back and hamstrings.

After some nice rest and a few good meals, all according to my nutrition plan, the wife and I took my before pictures (see earlier blog) and then we were off to the gym for some heavy leg work and light cardio.

Legs:

Leg Extensions - 100×15, 110×15
- These are slow and steady, to get the blood pumping into the quads.

Barbell Squats - 115×15, 135×15
- These are also considered a ‘warmup’, which is why they are fairly light.

Leg Press - 360×15, 450×15, 540×15, 630×15
- This is where I really began to ‘feel’ the effects of running earlier in the day, 720 was just a NO GO.

Hack Squat - 140×15, 170×15
- This was the most fun of the night, I alternated going parallel and going A2G with these, talk about a way to just kill the quads and glutes.

Seated Hamstring Curls - 115×15, 130×15
- I’m debating going heavier on these, I can pull them pretty easily, but I really want the negative portion of the motion to remain nice and tight.

Dumbbell Step-Ups - 12s x 15, 20s x 15
- By this point in the workout I was getting lightheaded and ready to hurl. Gotta love doing step-ups and feeling like you are going to die.

Of course, we can’t forget our calves and abs.

Abs -
- Weighted Crunch Machine - 40×15, 50×15
- Hanging Leg Raises - BWx15
- Full Plank - 30 seconds

Calves -
Seated Calf Raises - 90×25, 135×25, 135×25
Standing Calf Raises - 150×8

The wife and I got a bunch of workout filming done, but the lighting continues to be a problem in the main gym. I will figure a way around it if it kills me, look for these vids and more in next week’s workout vid!

Cardio - Part Duex

Since my earlier cardio was 43 total minutes I limited myself to only 17 minutes of cardio for my post-workout session as I can see no real point in going over an hour of cardio on a leg day, just seems counterproductive.

17 minutes Incline Treadmill

Stretching -
10 minutes stretching focused primarily on legs.

Well gang, day 1 is in the books, tomorrow is going to be Shoulders, Abs, and Calves. Lets get ready to rock this bad boy again tomorrow!

SCT

If you are cutting, or simply losing weight we would like to hear from you.  Do you have a great tip to help us?   Let us know.

Although I have lost progress in recent months, considering where I have been in the past, I am still quite proud of what I have accomplished so far…  

…Transforming my body from a morbidly obese, near death, state of shock body, to a reasonably fit and curvy woman.

And although experiencing obesity was no walk in the park, I wouldn’t take it back for the world.  I learned many things through the experience.  

Compassion, depth of spirit, humility.

The one thing I would take back however, are the remnants that my past still holds on my body.  

Loose skin.  

I intend to go into the subject further as this transformation progresses.  Let’s just say for now, that no matter how hard you work, no matter how clean your diet, there are certain things beyond your immediate control when you have once been over 100 pounds overweight.

Quite honestly, as my body changes and grows leaner during this transformation, I do not know if the end results will warrant the changes, because of this issue.  

What I do know, is that this transformation is about more to me than my body.  

This transformation is about my will, my inner strength, my spirit.

This transformation to me, is about developing the mindset of a champion, and giving other extremely overweight individuals the permission and avenue to do the same.

Before pics, Body Transformation 2008, December 26, 2007.

The before shots:

Ladies and Gentlemen (and SCT),

Weighing-in in front of people is a very hard thing for me to do.  My body is not a source of pride at the moment and showing it to the world is humbling.  This is probably the case for many in the western world.  As I do this, and as my anxiety grows, I continually remind myself that the fat is not me.  The fat is a mass of cells, a coat that I am working to take off.  If you allow yourself to be a fat person instead of a person that simply needs to lose unhealthy fat you will struggle with emotions of poor self image.  Everyone,  you are all wonderfully and majestically made.  You must be able to look at your true state and smile.  

I will reshoot this weigh-in because I did not include a good shot of the paper or me standing on the scale.

Figured my scale out…it uh has a replacable battery…….ha!

Ok so here they are..I’m so excited when 13 weeks is up comparing these pics to my new.

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For most people, before pictures are something to be dreaded. However, when you’ve already dropped from over 400lbs into the 290s, they are merely a marker for progress. I look at the below pictures and see the areas that have drastically improved in the past 2 years, and then I also see the areas upon which I want to continue to improve.

Most of all, I see that underneath all of the fat, the gunk, the blubber, what have you.. that a beast lies within. Over the next 13 weeks, let’s unbury him.

Newspaper showing today’s date (included also in all mandatory poses):

Mandatory Poses:

Front Relaxed -

Rear Relaxed -

Side Relaxed -

Optional Poses:

Calves and Hamstrings:

Side Tricep:

Front Double Bi:

Rear Double Bi:

Lets do it!

SCT

Here they are.  There is a lot of work to be done.  Lets get ready to sculpt this body.

This is the verification of the date picture.

Front View.

Lots of work to do especially in the core area.  That is where I am hoping to see the greatest improvement. I would also like the thighs to firm up and shrink as well.

Side view

Rear view

Yep! Got my work cut out for me.  I know with hard work and determination I can whip this body back into shape and be proud of my accomplishments. A friend of mine said he can see the body starting to take shape. Getting curvy again.  Yes the c.w. in me was soaking it up. Another part of me seen the light of hope.

Hi everyone.  I just got home from my first workout in 5 days.  It felt so good to be back in the game.  I took both a pic and a small video clip of my weigh in.  Leaning forward caused the numbers to change slightly.  So in the AM, pre-food, pre-workout, I weighed in between 157-158 lbs.  Not too bad considering all the binging that has been going on!  

I have to go in to work and will not be home until this evening.  I will have to take and post my before pictures then.  This will be somewhat embarrassing and humbling for me, as I have lost considerable progress in the past 3 months since I started working regularly.  (I have gone from 20% to 24% body fat!)  PM workouts make all the difference to my results.  At some point, just holding onto the results you have already achieved takes the utmost diligence.  

I am rejoining gym 2 tomorrow.  I took a month off as that was $35. more I would have to spend on the kids for Christmas.  

Anyway, I just wanted to throw a quick post out so nobody thinks I am MIA today.  I am very excited to get started!  My body feels absolutely sick from the Christmas pigouts.  Today so far I have only had apple cider with honey and lemon in water and a thermogenic tea.  Trying to purify a bit to get myself started.  

I will also post my workout and nutrition plan tonight.  My introduction video will have to wait until tomorrow.  I just got a digital video cam with voice for Christmas and electronic dyslexic that I am, I am still trying to figure the thing out.  Best wishes everyone!  Let’s go get ‘em!

Many of the quotes I’ve (and will continue to) posted are from a High School wrestling coach. No, no, he didn’t write them but he put them together for the wrestling team and I’ve kept it ever since. I graduated high school in 1994, so ya it’s been a wee bit. My wrestling coach provided me with something I’ll never forget and I’ll always hold on to with that booklet of inspiring words. I wish the five competitors the best in the transformation challenge and it is my hope that a few of these inspiring words may help you along the way. This is the first day of the challenge and with that I am sharing my favorite passage from that booklet…

THE MAN IN THE GLASS
When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass.
The fellow whose verdict counts the most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

You may be like Jack Horner and Chisel a plum
And you think you’re a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

He’s the fellow to please-never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear to the end.
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

Nothing better to wake up to than getting to take some video! This was my first video shot in the bathroom ever, and so you should all feel special to now be included in that part of my life, hahaha.

The video seems to be a tad on the dark side, but the weigh-in numbers are visible and confirmable via the attached pictures as well. In the future I will have to add some extra lighting to make things more pleasing to the eyes.

Without further rambling…

And then the photo of the weigh-in as well for verification:

I’m off to the gym for some Legs and Cardio.

Stonecoldtruth

Something is up, the day of the weigh in and my scale is on the frits..This morning I get up and weigh, I’m scratching my head thinking wow thats high..so I re-zero the scale get back on….and wham it gets to where it should be….whew..though I put on a few over the past few days. So I go get the camera and weigh, now the scale is in between weigh in 1 and weigh in 2, so I set the camera down…surely this thing isnt that heavy. Now its reading well past weigh in number 1. Something is off and I dont know what.

Perhaps the battery is going dead? But I thought this thing was supposed to last for decades or at least thats what the box said. Looks like I will be picking up a new scale today sometime, what a hunk of junk!

Thats right. Today is the big day.  Day 1 of the transformation contest.  I am so ready.  Yesterday I felt like a caged animal ready to be released.  Over the long weekend, I wrapped up the final phase of my stategy for the competition.  It just built up the excitement for me.  I would have been in the gym yesterday if it wasnt for other things going on and if my gym was opened.  Ninjabills home gym was a little far to travel for an hours workout. I did donate my fee to the little red kettle though.  LOL

Todays plan of action:

4:30  12 ozs of water with D4 (my cytolean has not arrived yet)  Really missing that morning Mt Dew also

5:00  Cardio hills on the treadmill (More information on next post)

6:15  meal 1: 1 cup oatmeal, 1 scoop protein powder, 1/4 cup dried fruit, 1 tbsp walnuts mixed with water.  

9:00 meal 2: protein shake with 1 small banana and 12 oz water

11:30  12oz water with D4:  Take before pictures

12:00 Meal 3: 4oz grilled chicken, 1 small sweet potato, 1 cup broccoli.  1 scoop shredded mass creatine and 12 oz of water

2:30  Meal 4:  Protein shake and water

3:30 Weight training (Chest, back, Abs) and Garbage
Bench press                15,12,8,8 (last two sets are forced reps)
Incline DB press           12,8,8
Pec Dec Fly                12,12
bent over rows            12,10,8,8
Seated Cable Row        8,8  (dropsets)
Back Extensions           20,20
Pullups                       3 sets to failure (wont take much LOL)
Hanging Leg raises        15,15
crunches                    20,20
Decline Russian twists   15,15
Note: I will fill

5:30 Meal 5:  Baked salmon with large spinach salad (spinach, tomato, mushrooms, and cucumbers spritzed with vigarette)

My official weigh in video.  Weight is up slightly because of the holidays but that just made me more determined to kick butt in this contest. 

I will be posting pics later today. Until then have a great day. TEAM C.W. RULES!!!!

Well, I am up way past my bedtime.  Normally this old guy is in bed by 9 and up at 5.  If you have been following my bodyspace blog you know that I have been sleeping in late.  The big day is tomorrow.  We will be weighing in on video and taking the traumatic before pictures with obligatory newspaper.  

Here is what tomorrow holds for me.   I will wake up when I wake up.

Morning Meds and 3 ACIDOPHILUS and BIFIDUS, 2 Ginseng, 2 ZMA

Exercise
Treadmill for a 30 min walk that keeps my heart rate at about 75% max
Extensive stretching routine  

Feeding 1
Breakfast: 1 cup cottage cheese + ½ cup blueberries + 1 oz walnuts + 2 cups spinach, 1 NOW BRAND Superenzymes, 2 Fenugreek, 1 Ginger root, 1 tsp Fish Oil
Swim 30 minutes – break – swim 30 minutes more

Feeding 2
Breakfast + 3 hour feeding:  beef cabbage soup + 1 cup kale + mushrooms + onions 1 tsp Fish Oil

Housework

Exercise
Dull axe Tree Chop – 30 minutes with no longer than a 5 deep breath pause

Feeding 3
Breakfast + 6 hour feeding 5 oz cod + 1 oz mozzarella +  Salsa (homemade) + mixed greens salad with oil/vinegar dressing, 1 NOW BRAND Superenzymes, 2 Fenugreek, 1 Ginger root, 1 tsp Fish Oil

Housework/free time

Exercise
Counter pushups 3  x 15
Bench squats (no weight) 10 X 10
Treadmill for a 30 min walk that keeps my heart rate at about 75% max
Extensive stretching routine  

Feeding 4
Breakfast + 6 hour feeding 5 oz cod + 1 oz mozzarella +  Salsa (homemade) + mixed greens salad with oil/vinegar dressing, 1 NOW BRAND Superenzymes, 2 Fenugreek, 1 Ginger root, 2 ZMA, 1 tsp Fish Oil

Exercise
Core: Crunches, Swiss Ball Work

Feeding 5
Breakfast + 6 hour feeding 5 oz cod + 1 oz mozzarella +  Salsa (homemade) + mixed greens salad with oil/vinegar dressing, 1 NOW BRAND Superenzymes, 2 Fenugreek, 1 Ginger root, 1 tsp Fish Oil

Weigh-in

45 min Prayer/Reading

I will be drinking mostly water with a couple of glasses of green tea and licorice tea.

My focus for the first week is to take care of my digestive system, immune system, and maintain energy.  Other than the axe work my day is fairly low intensity and nothing is done for a great length of time, but the work is throughout the day keeping the metabolism working hard.  Fish oil is a big key.  On Saturday and Sunday I will be taking cod liver oil for the D due to the lack of sunlight.