rnorton74’s BodyBlog

Okay, my new stat measurements are posted - now I have to maintain healthy eating.  I’m hoping by the end of this week I will be able to hit the gym again without having a coughing attack or having to suck down my inhaler.  I’m done with my antibiotics and the steroid they gave me should be completed by the end of this week.  Later!

I’m still attempting to get over this illness thing - hopefully, I will be able to hit the gym soon.  Beginning November 29th, I’m going to jot down all my measurements and begin a new journey.  Well - it’s really a continued journey, but this time - a lifestyle change that I keep.

When I originally started, I was around 230,dropped to about 225 when I started on BBC and got down to 178 over the next several months.  I’m now at around 220 again.  NOT HAPPY, not happy at all.  I’m starting Nov 29th with my measurements since hopefully I will be back at the gym.  I may have to start slow as the bronchitis doesn’t appear to be going away anytime real soon.  However, I will be able to give myself enough time to clean the cupboards and get nutritious meals/snacks back in the house.  Crud - I know I will have a few holiday cookies, but I will have self control.    

I wont be posting any progress pictures since people at work think they are funny and like to copy them and post them.  Real tired of that.  I will be taking them and keeping them at home -maybe once I hit a comfortable mark, I may post some of those.

Signing off as OMG - what happend to me!!!

Well I ended up with H1N1 the other week followed by bronchitis and now I’m being told I have pneumonia.  I’m still on antibiotics plus my inhaler.  I’ve been out of the gym for a little bit now.  My eating is off track, gained weight and feel like crud.  My boy Caleb who just turned five on the 17th has pneumonia and my wife Jen has bronchitis.  Prior to getting sick, I was hitting the gym twice a day in an attempt to lose all the weight I gained.  I was doing cardio on my lunch break and then strength training after work.  I’m about 40 - 50 lbs overweight again and once I get healthy, I need to get back to the gym again.  It’s kind of hard to do anything when you have coughing fits that just about make me black out.  I need to get my eating back on track too.  I’m going to Vegas at the end of March for a week for a friends wedding - it would be nice to be somewhat fit while I’m there!!!  Thanks for listening and any motivation anyone has will be greatly appreciated - really need it right now!!!  If anyone is out in Vegas around then - wouldn’t mind hooking up for some networking.  I’ll be out there for a week at the end of March - first week in April.  Later!!!

So a handful of us are having a friendly competition at work from 10/5  - 11/30.  Whomever loses the most % of bodyweight wins the pot.  I weighed in last Monday at 220 - just weighed in today at 221.6.  I know my eating hasn’t been the healthiest at night, but I’ve done 30 minutes of cardio 6 days last week and some strength training (kept it light as I just started back up again).  I hate scales and normally don’t use them - the good thing is that my % of bodyfat dropped a hair.  Frustrated right now - with so much going on, it’s easy to find an excuse to eat at night.  As I’m sitting there eating, I’m even telling myself I shouldn’t be doing this.  I wish there was something that could increase my will power.  I’m doing my best to get on the 6 or so meals a day track and do well, but then night comes and I screw everything up.  There are a lot of things going on in my life right now that may be impacting my will power - I’m not depressed, but there sure are days when I feel like I am.  Is this a cry out for help - no, but I just get so tired of trying something and failing each time.  I can’t even sleep at night - I wake up at 2:45 AM daily and lay there wide awake and usually can’t get back to sleep and when I do fall back to sleep, it’s already time to get up.  Later everyone!!!

I have had a setback due to a number of things, but we all know those are just excuses.  I’m back on track, just had a tough time hitting the gym over the past couple of weeks.  I decided to do a full body detox (7 days).  I begin this tomorrow (Saturday).  I hope it assists with clearing out all the bad toxins and whatnot in me.  I’ll let you guys know how it goes as you hear both good and bad.  Later!

Okay - I told myself to stay off the scale and for the most part I did until today.  I felt good at the gym so I decided to step on the scale.  I have actually gained weight!!!  I’m wondering if it’s because I’m putting on more muscle than fat - don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot of fat to lose, but I noticed that I can lift more weight thant I could a couple of weeks ago.  I haven’t added more since then, I just do more reps.  I still need to lose a lot of fat around my mid section, but I can see definition in other areas.  Is it possible not that I’m really into the strength training piece that I could be adding more mass while losing fat???  I went from about 218 to 208 and now I’m back up to 212 again.  I’m eating healthy for the most part and feeling good.  My overall goal is to lose fat and get the defintion I always wanted.  Just not always 100% about my workout routine.  Hmm???

Well I had a good workout yesterday, but I must have over did it on the lying Leg press or running on the treadmill on a major incline b/c my right hamstring is a little sore - tends to cramp up easy.  Trying to stretch it out as I will be on the water wakeboarding around 1pm today.  If I have enough energy - I will hit the gym later today for a core workout and some additional cardio since I used my day of rest on Friday instead of sunday.  Later!

Training is going good - I’m staying at it 6 days a week with one day of rest.  I need to improve my eating a little more.  I do great during the day, but the night can be challenging.  I eat breakfast, healthy snack, lunch, healthy snack, dinner and then fight off giving into temptation watching my wife and son eat all the unhealthy snacks that I would love to get a hold of:)  Gave in to a few wafer cookies tonight darn it!!!  My wife has great metabolism and of course so does my 4 year old:)  I really have to work at it, but I’m getting there.

My training consist of Monday (Chest/back - light core - cardio), Tuesday (Arms/legs - cardio), Wednesday (Hardcore core - Heavy cardio), Thursday (Chest/back - cardio), Friday (Arms/legs - cardio), Saturday (Hardcore core - Heavy cardio), Sunday (Rest).  I’m only doing about 15 - 20 mintues of cardio on all days, but Wednesday and Saturday.  I do 30 minutes of hard cardio on Wednesday and Saturday (HIIT).

As I said before, I’m not seeing the weight loss, but it does appear that I’m beginning to tone up more and my body fat percentage has decreased some, which is good.  I was getting discouraged when I added on a few more pounds, but realized that my clothes were actually fitting better.  I’m assuming that with my strength training, I’m losing the fat and adding muscle.  Some say you can’t do it at the same time, but I believe something is happening.  The stomach is the hardest to lose.  I cut back my ab routine since it sounded like no matter how many crunches you do - it wont matter unless you’re eating healthy.  Well now that I’m eating healthy (for the most part), I’m wondering if I should go back to my original vigorous ab routine.  If anyone reads this - let me know your thoughts.  It seems like the stomach is the last thing to go on me and any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!!

That’s all for now - I wish all of you who read this the best - Take care!!! 

I worked legs today with some bicep/tricep exercises, but not too much. Only ended up doing about 5 minutes of cardio due to needing to get back to work. I’m finding that I can’t lift as much as I could just two weeks ago - wondering if the cardio is eating at some of my muscle.  I must have to add some more protein back - not enough I guess.

Also, one of the pills I’m on causes weight gain so not certain how I am going to counter that.  It seems the more cardio I do to lose the fat the weaker I get - it never ends.

Later! 

I’ve been consisent with my training routine, but not seeing the changes around my mid section.  As usual with me, that is the last to go.  My legs are begining to tone up along with my arms and upper chest and the tube sits around my waist with a big smile.  I want to focus more on my back - pull-ups are a killer for me right now.  I use the weight distribution so I can really focus on my back muscles instead of just trying to power myself up using my arms.  If anyone has and ideas on other great back exercises, please share.  Otherewise I’m doing reverse flys and lat pull downs. The weight is no longer coming off as quick as I would like it to, but I believe that is due to my routine.  I’m shedding the fat, but building muscle at the same time.  I cut my ab routine down - I still do an ab workout 3 times a week, just not as vigorous.  I’m under the impression that regardless of what you do, you need to eat clean to see the defintion in that area otherwise I’m just hiding the muscle under a layer of fat.

To the gym today for a light core workout and cardio.

Later!