A struggle against mediocrity

Second two week cycle of fat loss (17/6 - 30/6)

Stats (last time we checked, 16/6)
Weight: 107kg (235.4lbs)
Bicep: 44.5 (17.8 inches)
Waist: 110.5cm (44.2 inches)

Stats (23rd June)
Weight: 106kg (233.7lbs)
Bicep: 44cm (17.6 inches)
Waist: 109cm (43.6 inches)

Stats (30th June)
Weight: 105kg (231.5lbs)
Bicep: 44cm (17.6 inches)
Waist: 107cm (42.8 inches)

Weight loss to date: 3kg in 4 weeks
Average caloric intake: 2700kcal

Well the fat loss is moving along quite fast right now, perhaps a little faster than I would like; certainly I would not like to be losing more than a kilo a week. I seem to be handling the hypocaloric diet extremely well judging by my performace at the gym: I am lifting personal best weights whilst eating below maintenance; feels really good and now I can gloat about being able to bench 5kg more than I weigh for 3 sets of 7 reps (110kg).

While I’m bragging I may as well mention that in the past 2 weeks I’ve eaten out about 6-7 times. I often hear people go on about "oh I’m eating healthy" or "I’m going to the gym X times per weeks and doing X exercises for X time" and shit like that as if that’s what causes fat loss. No, we don’t have to ban certain foods, and no we dont have to kill ourselves in the gym. The major point is, above all, count your calories! Doesnt matter how many pushups you can do or how many hours you spent on the bike, if you don’t have a hypocaloric diet (read: you are eating less then you are burning) you ain’t losing any weight. After this has been taken care of, then you worry about macronutrients and training programs. So there’s my little rant, inspired by a few people I’ve talked to this week.

I will continue the diet for at least another month before any breaks to eat at maintenance. For the next few weeks i’ll lift the calories slightly to see if I can drop the weightloss back to 0.5kg a week just because I’m paranoid about muscle loss.

First two weeks of fat loss cycle (2/6 – 16/6)Stats (2^nd June)

Weight: 108kg (237.6lbs)
Bicep: 44.5cm (17.8 inches)

Waist: 112cm (44.8 inches)

Stats (16^th June)
Weight: 107kg (235.4lbs)

Bicep: 44.5cm (17.8 inches)

Waist: 110.5cm (44.2 inches)

Average calorie intake for the 2 week period was 2900 kcal.

Estimated maintenance is 3300 kcal (14 kcal/lb)

I actually started ‘dieting’ two weeks prior to the beginning date above and after losing no weight I rediscovered the necessity of counting calories. No prizes for guessing I had been eating at maintenance for those two weeks thinking I had been making progress.

Given my current preoccupation with assignments and exams, I’m very happy with the results. Indeed, half a kilo weight loss per week is the planned weight loss. After the next 2 weeks of exams I’ll be able to put more effort in and do things like increase my accuracy by cooking more and recording expenditure with the bodybugg.

No real issues with hunger or fatigue thus far. I’m supplementing with 10 grams of fish oil a day, a multivitamin, green tea extract and occasional caffeine/pseudoephedrine use.