Heath Alvarez’s Body Blog

I’ve been on a super clean high-protein diet for the last three weeks. As we’ve all heard, 80% of our body composition is derived from what we eat. In 17 days I have decreased my weight from 221 to 206 today, lost about 3 inches off my waist, and my bodyfat from around 24% to 18%. I am actually starting to see my abs again, which is really motivating me to continue!

Now, I know a lot of you will be sitting there thinking, "Wait, that is impossible!!!! Well, impossible without drugs!" Nope, I am totally clean and natural, I lift for about 45-60 minutes five days a week immediately followed by 45 minutes on the elliptical. I can’t even take caffeine in any form (not even green tea) because I instantly cramp all over my body due to an adverse reaction that I have to it.

I’m taking in at least 200g of protein and no more than 20g of fats and and 20g carbs every day. My normal daily food includes (throughout the day) 4 scoops of whey, 1 scoop of casein (before bedtime), 1-2 chicken breasts with no more than 2 tablespoons of whipped philly cheese on top (6g fat, 1g carb, and 1g protein per tablesppon *grin*), a tomato…and sometimes a salmon fillet if I am still hungry around 7pm. I eat every 2-3 hours with my last "meal" being a scoop of casein protein about 30 minutes before I go to bed. I take multivitamins to ensure I get the essentials. I drink lots and lots of water all day and night. 

I know most of you will say, "You are in a catabolic state with so few calories!!!" True, but the protein I take in is at least maintaining the muscle that I do have while my body cannibalizes all the fat on my body. My insulin levels remain low (due to a lack of carbs) which helps fat not get stored. I’m not too concerned with putting muscle on as I am with taking fat off. My self-image was pretty low after not being able to see my own feet when I looked down. The belly had to go! once I hit my target weight of 195, I will come off the diet and come back up to a 2800~ calorie diet that is well-balanced and nutrional so that I won’t put the fat back on but that will give me enough nutrional intake to stay healthy and trim.

I am not only getting motivation from what I am seeing in the mirror, but also in the picture a lot of you post of your own successes. Thank you all for motivating me!! I’ll post progress pictures in two weeks when I post my new stats.

I’ve improved since my last post and last set of pictures, but I am nowhere near where I want to be. I’ve had a couple of key injuries in the last three months that include a torn hamstring and a severely sprained ankle. It’s just the kind of luck I have. hehe The last 4 weeks, however, have been very fruitful in the gym. I’ve been hitting the weights and doing 30 minutes of cardio five days a week. I feel a little better and when I look at myself in the mirror in the gym doing specific exercises, I can see the differences in my arms…but when the shirt comes off I see the same nasty fatness around my gut that I hate to see. It is so weird…what I see in the mirror is not what I see in those pictures. They seem like two totally different people to me. While I want to believe what I see in the mirror is what I really look like, I think my mind is simply playing tricks on me because there is not two ways to perceive those photos - I’m fat in them and there’s no disputing that. Maybe I need new glasses. hehe

Diet…my diet is my downfall and I have not been diligent enough in sticking with a high-protein diet. Well over half the days that I eat I follow a decent diet, especially at work when I primarily drink protein shakes (with almost no carbs) and a packet of chicken. It’s just when I get home and start cooking…or those bloody weekend BBQs…those are the things that are killing me. I looooooove to cook awesome (read: not very healty) food that I know is not good for me, but I have a hard time stopping myself from eating it after I make it for other people. I think most of you would too if the food I make was front of you. :p

I know I need to focus…I know I need to stay motivated…I know I need discipline to stick with a good diet. I know these things; I am just having a really hard time achieving them and I feel like kicking myself in the teeth for not being more diligent. My body will not change without proper nutrition and sooner or later (hopefully sooner) I will get a hold of myself start eating correctly.

Regardless, at least I have been consistent in my workouts for the last four weeks, which I find is an achievement for me given the injuries I’ve endured recently. Seeing "some" progress in the pictures I just posted from the ones I took a few months ago has given me enough motivation to be more serious about my diet. I know that without a solid diet plan, all the weights in the world are not going to change the way my stomach looks.

I’m not sure how it quite happens…the loss of one’s motivation to work out. The pursuit of a healthier lifestyle and a more appealing appearance are reasons why many of us look to fitness. It’s right there for the taking, every single day, but for one reason or another…none of which are very good…some of us simply stop going to the gym, we simply stop caring about it all, we simply step back and say, “Maybe tomorrow…maybe tomorrow I’ll get back into fitness.” 

Tomorrow started today for me. Last year I was getting to where I wanted to be, but along the way I simply lost sight of the goal. I can come up with any number of excuses, but none are very good or convincing. They are all sorry excuses that caused me to slip right back into the fat suit that I so badly wanted to shed. 

Today I was flipping through the pages of this month’s Musclemag and came across this transformation contest ad. It listed Bodybuilding.com as the site to get more information. Since I have a Bodyspace account, I figured I’d log on and have a look at it. Listed within the webpage were pictures of two people, a man and a woman, that have come quite a long way to reinvent their respective physiques. There they were, before my eyes, two people who transformed their body just as I desired to do with my own body a year ago. That’s all I needed; that was the spark. 

Today is day I regain control over my body. I have purchased my Hydroxycut Max. I will train, I will eat properly, and I will take this supplement so I can get back to where I want to be. I will post pictures in the appropriate forum tomorrow when I get a newspaper that shows today’s date. I really don’t think I have any chance of doing well in this contest, but what I do know is that I am ready to become a better version of me and to take that first step to become healthier. I’m looking forward to sharing my transformation with you all.

I’ve had some really positive changes going on with my body in the last 2 months. I have dropped 22 pounds thus far…from 225 to 203 this morning. I’ve lost 5 inches form my waistline and none of my pants or belts fit. Damn….guess that means I have to go shopping!! I will continue to drop fat until 19 Nov, then I’ll hit the gym hard and continue to drop fat while putting on the muscle. I’ll post some pictures in a few months.

…and where I want to get back to. That is what this post is about. These two pictures were taken when I was around 180 lbs. I have no idea what my bodyfat was, but I am guessing around 12%. 

http://heathalvarez.com/heathpics/ARMS.jpg

http://heathalvarez.com/heathpics/ha422.jpg 

I felt good…I looked OK…and I had more energy back then. I wasn’t big, thick, or super muscular, but I was in shape. I miss that feeling of being in shape. I miss being able to tuck my shirt in and not have my shirt lap over my pants. I miss being able to take my shirt off at a pool or a lake and not be embarassed about the condition my eating habits and lack of exercising habits have wrecked on my body. I know I have messed myself up…and I also know that I can "un****" myself with hard work, dedication, and motivation. I’ve received some very positive comments from folks here. I look forward to putting forth the effort to transform my body and live up to the kind words you all have offered. It will be at least a month before I see any notable changes, but I will definitely post pictures as I progress that demonstrate the improvements that I make. We are all works in progress.

…think. Here I sit working on paper for a stats class (I’m over half-way done with my MBA), drinking a Rockstar energy drink, and eating a cold taco from Jack in the Box. I’ve had a love for junk food since…well…ever since I joined the military over 15 years ago. I know it is bad for me…I do…I really know…but I’ve lacked any form of motivation to stop eating it. I know the all of the effects it has on my body and that none of them are beneficial. I know that junk food and lack of exercise are directly responsible for this 46" waistline of mine. I will finish this taco…I will finish this energy drink. Today is not the day to go cold turkey. Today is the day I reflect on the sad state of my physical condition (or, lack thereof), how I want my body to look, and what I will need to do in order to get to where I want to be physically. I know it will take many months of solid dedication in the gym and clean eating to get to there. I suppose it all starts today…right after I finish this taco and drink. :p