heavywt’s BodyBlog

I’ve gained weight - work has been really hectic and i don’t work a 9 to 5 job - it’s more like 8 AM to 11 PM (on a good day).  For example, I’ll likely be up till the wee hours writing a grant proposal.  So right now i’m angry as hell - but that’s good motivation for me.  Good workout at the gym today - chest and tris and 25 min of cardio.  my bench work sets were 315×10, 315×7, and my shoulder didn’t hurt too much, so i’m fairly satisfied with that much.  The key now is to KEEP DOING IT.  Also, much more focus on cardio.

Thank God that Gustav did not flood our amazing city - I have met so many fantastic people there and the sense of community is very strong.  That said, we really want to get back home and see what sort of havoc the winds of Gustav have caused to our homes, but need to wait for the go-ahead from the mayor.  I’m not really that frustrated - i do understand that the city needs to do a bit of cleanup before the massive influx of people.  What I’m worried about is all those people converging on one spot once the starter pistol has gone off.

See, in the evacuation, people left basically when they felt that their comfort zone of danger was breached, so you had a semi-regular flow out of the city.  Also, the effect of dispersing from one place to many different destinations lessened the traffic burden.  Going in the other direction, though, where you’ve got people holed up all over the southeasern US trying to get back into the city (and there are exactly 3 major ways to do so) I predict is going to be a nightmare.

Word currently is that folks will be allowed back into Orleans parish at midnight tonight.  We will probably leave tommorrow, and will post here on exactly how it went.

Well, we’ve evacuated New Orleans and are waiting to see what happens.  It’s a very strange feeling, like watching a train wreck happen in extremely slow motion.  I need to get to the gym to work out some stress.  I’m going to try to get to a local gym for an hour or two this afternoon to do something that feels "normal".

I promised my children this past Saturday that I would quit smoking, and I did, cold turkey, on Sept. 30th. I still crave them, but I’m feeling good, and not coughing as much as I normally do (big surprise!).  I’d had enough, and I made a promise.  I’m done.

Finally!   I’m under 300 and I’m feeling good - although I’m not eating nearly as much, my energy level is higher in general.  I haven’t seen this weight since I was about 25! Right now I’m lifting and doing cardio 3 times a week.  At this point, I think I’m going to aim for 290, see how I feel, and then reassess - and I’ll try to get some more pictures up at that point.  I haven’t gotten any comments from the blog, so I can’t assume that anyone is actually reading it, but as it helps me define my goals, it doesn’t really matter, does it?

Well, for anyone wondering, the initial weight i entered (320) was an estimate - it’s more likely that I was around 315 or so.  So, no, I did not lose 10 lbs in one week.  I’ve mostly been cutting down on portion sizes, rather than radically changing the way I eat.  With kids around, (not to mention work) I find it fairly difficult to find the time or energy to prepare special meals.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not turning my nose up at those who espouse rigorous nutritional regimens, I’m just admitting that, at this point, I’m not sure I have it in me to eat nothing but skinless boneless chicken for weeks on end.  I like food.  There, I’ve said it.  Now, if I can train myself to eat small portions of said food (as I’ve been doing) coupled with exercise, I think (hope!) I can get to where I want to be.  I have no desire to enter a bodybuilding competetion (at this point, at least), and I’ve never had a six-pack, nor do I particularly want well defined abdominals.  I’m been more interested in having more of what you might call a "powerlifter" style physique, and remaining healthy and strong.  I would like to have my waist back, however, and the spare tire I’ve developed from a 3 year period of inactivity WILL BE SHED over the next 6 months.  This is my goal as best as I can define it.  I’ll also be trying to improve my legs, though I realize that this will be hard to do while shedding fat.  Oh, and I have never, nor do I intend to, use anabolics.  I don’t judge anyone who does, but it’s not for me.  

I’ve posted a few more pictures grabbed from video of august 07, to serve as a sort of "before" series.  I’ll be posting new pics as I progress.  Any advice, anecdotes, or encouragement is certainly appreciated!

heavywt

I’ve been lurking around bodybuilding.com for quite some time now, occasionally reading the threads, but rarely having the time or energy to post.  I don’t have any more time now (actually less!) but a move to a new city (New Orleans) has prompted me to seek out other folks who are into powerlifting and bodybuilding in the area.  Hopefully I’ll find a few training partners in the greater NOLA area.  My goals at this point are to maintain the muscle that I’ve gained over the years, while losing much of the fat I’ve put on in the past few (I’ve got 2 great kids, and often end up eating "kid food" with them - not good!).

heavywt