i got into an argument with a gentleman at work a few weeks ago who insisted with no sources that you can both burn fat and gain muscle at the same time.  i did some research then and found that it might be possible.  Maybe.  Sometimes.  Perhaps.

One of the studies was 12 weeks long, and featured carb cycling.  At the end of 12 weeks, participants were down some weight, but also down in body fat percentage points, enough to say that they at least maintained their lean body mass (meaning it wasn't total fat and muscle loss like traditional dieting and cutting does).  (here's the main article i focused on http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/build-muscle-burn-fat-simultaneously.htm but it's supported by lots of other articles, and refuted by few).

So i'm going to give carb cycling a shot here for a few months and see what i think.  This week is like a practice run.  Meals are a little more spread out, but some meals are bigger, so that will make it easier to get adjusted i think.

Each day has the same meals, but on high-carb days, you add fruit or extra oatmeal to most meals, so you eat the same times every day, just different size meals.

Results will either report themselves over the next few months, or they won't. 

The end of April is coming up, and this Saturday is the last day of my current 12 week transformation period.  Not done yet, but wrapping up.

i stopped my fat burner this week, so i can clean out some of the supps.  Just continuing with my regular meals, lighter on the carbs a bit, and still sipping BCAAs all day.  Last night, i felt pretty week on Chest and Triceps.  i still went up in weight, but i got tired early.  Not taking a preworkout or fat burner has a big impact on what work i can get done there.

At this point, i've lost 14 pounds i think, and i've dropped 4% bodyfat points.  i can see some of those changes in the mirror, and the bit around my midsection pinches a bit thinner, so that's pretty good too.  Still need to work on leaning out on legs and chest.  But that's for another transformation period.

Just need to stick with it.  i think within the next 12 months, i can make some more amazing changes, and by next summer, i will be in a position to start lean bulking again.

Need to simplify my life, and get rid of some of the time wasters i have. Then i'll be more motivated and free to go to the gym every day.

The next transformation is going to kill:  i'm going to try CarbCycling and a PHAT program (a la Dr. Layne Norton).  

Even though the middle of January has passed, it's time again to set some markers ahead.

i let myself get lazy, so it's time to start over.

Cardio twice a day, and i'm going with the HIIT.  It's boring, since i can't watch TV while i stand there counting down the minutes, but i get to say "Duty Cycle" (haha, Duty!).

Three times a week, i'll do some strength training to keep some of the muscle mass i have.

Now, ultimately, my goal is to lose about 35 to 40 lbs of fat.  At 3.5 days per pound, it will take at least 125 days to lose that fat.  But, in 12 weeks, i should be able to lose up to 25 lbs of fat if i stick to the diet and cardio routine i have planned out.

One week at a time though, i'll just work on losing about 2 pounds a week.

Here we go, starting over again. 

New year, time for some perspective.

i've been measuring my body fat all wrong.  i didn't know how wrong
it was, or what to do about it (i'm not about to go to a doctor's office
and use a bod pod), so i researched some fat measurement methods. 
Turns out, caliper testing is just wrong usually.  Even for an
experienced tech, results will be wildly different from one pinch to the
next.

Instead, i bought a bathroom scale that can try to measure body fat
percent using small electrical signals.  This method is still not that
accurate, but it's much better and much more consistent than the
calipers.  As long as i am well hydrated and am not on my period (not
much of a concern for most males), the result will usually be close to
the same from day to day.  May not be exactly right, but it's better
than the calipers.

Now, it's very true that the number doesn't matter that much.  The
number is just a marker, a data point.  i can use it to gauge how far i
have to go.  i won't be getting a tattoo of my goal when i reach it. 
i'll just be a much better looking individual.  That's the aim here, to
look better.

So, for January, my goal is to stick to this 6 week shred and do
well.  i went last night, and the workout didn't take as long as i had
feared, so that was a relief.  After this first couple weeks in January,
the gym should clear out some, so i won't have to wait for newbs to
move their water bottles and magazines and cellfoans off the benches.

i think i'll block some of the dumb websites i waste time on too, so i
will be able to keep a good schedule, and get some proper sleep at
night.  i was up until 2 last night just because i was looking at stupid
pictures on imgur for a couple hours.  Time for some choking hostfile
entries again!

So there we go.  Better measurement, stick to the workout program, better time management.

Well, this will be retroactive.

Thanks to the constant eating on this plan for the last month, i was easily able to abstain from pies and cookies on thanksgiving.  So that's great!

This plan is weird.  i have gained very little weight on this bulking plan (maybe three pounds total in the last month).  but i haven't done measurements yet, so i will know more about it soon.  i think i can see changes in the mirror, and i feel like i have gained some strength, so that's where it really counts.

07:00    Mass Mush, Calcium    [700 calories]
09:00    D4, CLA, Fish Oil, Multi,
10:00    Chicken, wide egg noodles, apple    [500 calories]
12:00    Steak and egg sandwich    [525 calories]
14:00    Toodles, apple     [425 calories]
15:00    D4, aminos
16:00    Chicken and rice    [325 calories]
18:00    Rice cakes, PB, protein shake, strawberries, cottage cheese    [950 calories]

21:30    Pre-workout without caffeine
    --- INTENSE CARDIO ---
00:00    Alpha Protocol, Benadryl

TOTAL    ~3425 cal

07:00    Mass Mush, Calcium    [700 calories]
09:00    D4, CLA, Fish Oil, Multi,
10:00    Chicken, wide egg noodles, apple    [500 calories]
12:00    Steak and egg sandwich    [525 calories]
14:00    Toodles, apple     [425 calories]
15:00    D4, aminos
16:00    Chicken and rice    [325 calories]
18:00    Rice cakes, PB, protein shake, strawberries, cottage cheese    [950 calories]

21:30    Preworkout with caffeine, creatine
    --- LIFT ---
23:30    Post workout with creatine, banana, jelly beans, casein    [350 calories]
00:00    Alpha Protocol, Benadryl

TOTAL    ~3775 cal

07:00    Mass Mush, Calcium    [700 calories]
09:00    D4, CLA, Fish Oil, Multi,
10:00    Chicken, wide egg noodles, apple    [500 calories]
12:00    Steak and egg sandwich    [525 calories]
14:00    Toodles, apple     [425 calories]
15:00    D4, aminos
16:00    Chicken and rice    [325 calories]
18:00    Rice cakes, PB, protein shake, strawberries, cottage cheese    [950 calories]

21:30    Pre-workout without caffeine
    --- INTENSE CARDIO ---
00:00    Alpha Protocol, Benadryl

TOTAL    ~3425 cal

07:00    Mass Mush, Calcium    [700 calories]
09:00    D4, CLA, Fish Oil, Multi,
10:00    Chicken, wide egg noodles, apple    [500 calories]
12:00    Steak and egg sandwich    [525 calories]
14:00    Toodles, apple     [425 calories]
15:00    D4, aminos
16:00    Chicken and rice    [325 calories]
18:00    Rice cakes, PB, protein shake, strawberries, cottage cheese    [950 calories]

21:30    Preworkout with caffeine, creatine
    --- LIFT ---
23:30    Post workout with creatine, banana, jelly beans, casein    [350 calories]
00:00    Alpha Protocol, Benadryl

TOTAL    ~3775 cal

07:00    Mass Mush, Calcium    [700 calories]
09:00    D4, CLA, Fish Oil, Multi,
10:00    Chicken, wide egg noodles, apple    [500 calories]
12:00    Steak and egg sandwich    [525 calories]
14:00    Toodles, apple     [425 calories]
15:00    D4, aminos
16:00    Chicken and rice    [325 calories]
18:00    Rice cakes, PB, protein shake, strawberries, cottage cheese    [950 calories]

21:30    Pre-workout without caffeine
    --- INTENSE CARDIO ---
00:00    Alpha Protocol, Benadryl

TOTAL    ~3425 cal

07:00    Mass Mush, Calcium    [700 calories]
09:00    D4, CLA, Fish Oil, Multi,
10:00    Chicken, wide egg noodles, apple    [500 calories]
12:00    Steak and egg sandwich    [525 calories]
14:00    Toodles, apple     [425 calories]
15:00    D4, aminos
16:00    Chicken and rice    [325 calories]
18:00    Rice cakes, PB, protein shake, strawberries, cottage cheese    [950 calories]

21:30    Preworkout with caffeine, creatine
    --- LIFT ---
23:30    Post workout with creatine, banana, jelly beans, casein    [350 calories]
00:00    Alpha Protocol, Benadryl

TOTAL    ~3775 cal

07:00    Mass Mush, Calcium    [700 calories]
09:00    D4, CLA, Fish Oil, Multi,
10:00    Chicken, wide egg noodles, apple    [500 calories]
12:00    Steak and egg sandwich    [525 calories]
14:00    Toodles, apple     [425 calories]
15:00    D4, aminos
16:00    Chicken and rice    [325 calories]
18:00    Rice cakes, PB, protein shake, strawberries, cottage cheese    [950 calories]

21:30    Preworkout with caffeine, creatine
    --- LIFT ---
23:30    Post workout with creatine, banana, jelly beans, casein    [350 calories]
00:00    Alpha Protocol, Benadryl

TOTAL    ~3775 cal

07:00    Mass Mush, Calcium    [700 calories]
09:00    D4, CLA, Fish Oil, Multi,
10:00    Chicken, wide egg noodles, apple    [500 calories]
12:00    Steak and egg sandwich    [525 calories]
14:00    Toodles, apple     [425 calories]
15:00    D4, aminos
16:00    Chicken and rice    [325 calories]
18:00    Rice cakes, PB, protein shake, strawberries, cottage cheese    [950 calories]

21:30    Pre-workout without caffeine
    --- INTENSE CARDIO ---
00:00    Alpha Protocol, Benadryl

TOTAL    ~3425 cal

07:00    Mass Mush, Calcium    [700 calories]
09:00    D4, CLA, Fish Oil, Multi,
10:00    Chicken, wide egg noodles, apple    [500 calories]
12:00    Steak and egg sandwich    [525 calories]
14:00    Toodles, apple     [425 calories]
15:00    D4, aminos
16:00    Chicken and rice    [325 calories]
18:00    Rice cakes, PB, protein shake, strawberries, cottage cheese    [950 calories]

21:30    Preworkout with caffeine, creatine
    --- LIFT ---
23:30    Post workout with creatine, banana, jelly beans, casein    [350 calories]
00:00    Alpha Protocol, Benadryl

TOTAL    ~3775 cal

07:00    Mass Mush, Calcium    [700 calories]
09:00    D4, CLA, Fish Oil, Multi,
10:00    Chicken, wide egg noodles, apple    [500 calories]
12:00    Steak and egg sandwich    [525 calories]
14:00    Toodles, apple     [425 calories]
15:00    D4, aminos
16:00    Chicken and rice    [325 calories]
18:00    Rice cakes, PB, protein shake, strawberries, cottage cheese    [950 calories]

21:30    Pre-workout without caffeine
    --- INTENSE CARDIO ---
00:00    Alpha Protocol, Benadryl

TOTAL    ~3425 cal