Day 15 (T-43): I feel that I earned it

Today was the first day in a long time that I feel I earned the respect of even myself. I have been in a haze of unclarity partly due to my circumstances and partly due to lack of information and research but I sure worked it today.

FOOD LOG
I kept an eating and workout log today and will continue to do so, posting my results each day
Meal 1: 370 cals ( Whey shake with 1/2 cup of oats and grapes)
Meal 2: 318 cals ( I don't remember? I know that al lmy meals fit all of the 3 macronutirents)
Meal 3: ~300 cals ?
Meal 4: 300 cals ?
Meals 5: 450 cals (chiken sandwhich and corn on the cob (lightly buttered) )
Meal 6: 325 Bowl of Kashi Winter Wheat? and .5 cup of D milk and .5 cup of Soy milk(not intentional- I just ran out)
Also I lifted weights at around 9:00 pm and had a protein shake of 110 calories

Calorie Total: 2173
Final Judgement:
All macro-nutrients met? yes
Calories counted? yes
Logged specific meal? not for all
Met calorie amount for day? - I need to calculate how much I need
Correct Macro-nutrient ratios? - I didn't consider that in all my meals- (I just put a portion of each
Tapered meals? Not fully
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WEIGHT and CARDIO LOG
Thursday Aug 7 DAY 15 ( T-43)
Cardio
~7 am : HIIT 6 interval
Evening Cardio: None- too late and have an early rise tomorrow
Weights
~9 pm : Chest: 62.5 X 8....75X6....75X6
Bicep: 37.5X12....37.5X12....50X8
Lat Pull down: 37.5X12....50X12....50X12

Final Judgement: I did well today to start weight training but it wasn't ideal at all: I actually just changed my plan from the original one that had me only working bicep,chest,abs, and butt because I was confused on the concept of maintaining LBM by working muscles all around not just parts I wanted to improve and let other ones shrink and lose LBM. So... today didn't follow quite exactly as my new Weight training schedule says but I'm happy to be getting somewhere! : )

Solution:
1.Next time Follow weight program more accurately
2. In addition, right down the difficulty of each set LIVE.
3. Right down the specific muscle groups worked and machine being worked on for EVERY exercise.
4. Use the proper method of increasing weight> First more sets...then more weight.
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DAY TOTAL JUDGEMENT: Relative to days in the past, today was a good day. In reading BFFM like a mad man, I finally made a break through which I didn't understand before: I didn't understand the concept of the Zig-Zag method and what exact plan to follow so I was just kind of doing whatever until I figured it out. I ate right, but I didn't pay attention to calories or have a set goal of fat loss or muscle gain.
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MY REFRESHED GOAL:
-My goal is essentially the same except that now it is:
-% Fat loss with Muscle maintenance
- My goal is to be down to under 10% body fat from 12.5 % by September 18th and have maintained my lean body mass at 125 pounds.
-My Goal weight is 137.3 pounds according to the accumeasure body fat caliper formula.

Current Goal: Maintain LBM of 125 lbs. AND Decrease body fat % of 12.5 % to <10%

WEIGHT TRAINING
I am adapting a new weight training schedule from BFFM that goes as follows:

Variant 1: Four day routine (more aggressive)
Works each muscle once every three to four days
Mon:
Chest
Shoulders
Triceps
Abs
Tues:
Legs
Back
Biceps
calves
Wed: Off
Thur:
Chest
Shoulders
Triceps
Abs
Fri: Off
Sat:
Legs
Back
Biceps
calves
Sun:
Off

Repeat each week exactly as shown above

CARDIO
As my goal is fat loss in addition to this weight training schedule I will also be hitting cardio very hard:

Most mornings (5-6 days/week) I will do HIIT to kick my metabolism in the booty and help me to earn my big breakfast (biggest meal of the day!)

I will then do 45 minutes of medium-high intensity cardio (not too high as to burn muscle) later in the day (evening most likely)

Day 14 (T-44): Almost done researching

I'm working on revamping my program . I know it seems messy but I've been really working hard on reading my resources and getting stuff together. The begining wasn't ideal but I have my eyes set on my goal and making the preparations to get there on time in 44 days from now! I'm quite tired today so I'll be brief but I basically just ate right today read a whole lot of BFFM and did morning HIIT . Tomorrow I will begin weight training. Stay tuned changes are coming!

Day 12 (T-46): What a day!

Well today was quite the interesting day. Because I expected to start work today at UPS at 4:30 PM I and didn't know how intense it would be I didn't do my usual HIIT. So I ate right all day and went to UPS only to findout that my background check hadn't come through yet so I have to wait another week but I'm rethinking working there because I don't know if I can commit to a year of service there and I may want to work there later. Anyway, I've eaten right today and I went to a skate park for exercise after finding out I couldn't start work. I stayed there for like 3 hours and it really took a lot out of me. Tomorrow is day 13 and I'm taking a well needed free day. It's been a shaky start but things are coming together slowly. And I'd rather things come together slowly than come and go or never come at all. I expect to return from my free day with a refreshed mind set. I do have to go back to the house and work again. Wow, I am really sick of that house. Anyways I'm pretty tired and the motivation is on the low side. I'm feeling negative thoughts start to flow but in fact, this blog is what's keeping pulled in. I really do want this! And it's too easy to get demotivated with a bunch of shit going on in your life all the time but I'm trying and I'll make it. My life has been pretty crazy lately but I'm stickin to this because it's something I value in life. Being fit and eating healthy.

Shred on Shredders!
No camera yet

Day 11 (T-47): Rest and study day (sorta)

It seems like this is the first day in a while that I haven't started off the day with some morning HIIT and I kinda miss it. I did this because I knew I had to go and do semi-intensive labor cleaning for a large part of the day. Today I went back to do some finishing work on the house (I'm now at my aunts house until OSU starts) to get it ready for the exchange family. I worked really hard and while working could even feel my knees soar from the intensive HIIT I did yesterday so I was glad I took a break for the sake of my joints.
Tomorrow is the first day of my job at UPS which I know will be pretty labor intensive so I think it best not to workout in the morning since my job starts at 4:30 and can go up to 9:30 lifting and moving packages in a humid trailer. Based on how intense it is I will gauge what exercises outside of work I can do and not wear myself out completely. So...we'll see but either way I'm going to get a good workout tomorrow and of course I will continue to eat my 6 meals.
Well I'm pretty tired so this is all for today and sorry about the picture situation. I'm working to get a camera lined up and no matter what I'll have one within a week.

Shred on Shredders

Day 10 ( T-48): Steppin it up a notch!

Well, I'm feeling alright today! I started the day off as usual with some morning pre-breakfast HIIT and decided to really make it count. As you can see I have set out my goals clearly and printed them to have with me at all times and to read them throughout the day. At the end of my HIIT last interval in that last 30 seconds when I was about to give up, I imagined the girl from sixth grade saying those things to me..Saying to me, " You don't look so good in a bathing suit." That visualization is what honestly took me to the next level. I really felt as if I had broken barriers in my body and mind by pushing myself. I didn't know I could go there! I actually had imagined before that I would keel over and die if I took another step but in reality...IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD! Positive affirmations work! and making goals works because it engages your mind to action in a positive direction and pushes you out of your comfort zone.
I wrote in my goals about visualizing 1 week each day at a time. And that the definition of a great week is just one great day after another grouped together in a bundle of 7 to call it a GREAT WEEK. Imagine that! If you worked hard every single day of the week and everyday when you went to go put your head down to sleep you thought " Wow, I really worked hard today...I really pushed myself a little further!" If you had a week like that, you're sure to feel good and see improvements.
Putting things in this perspective really helped me to feel like my goal is accomplishable not just some distant dream! What I do today directly effects the outcome of my results!

Sorry no pic today...But I ate all my meals but one on time which I missed by one hour but was sure not to get of kilter and just return to my regular schedule : )

I am going to take some time to update on how I'm doing on this weeks goals VVV

GOAL 1. I am going to make a commitment RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW TO WORK MY HARDEST THIS NEXT WEEK! I am just going to surge! I want this bad and I wanna feel the burn.
CHECK-IN: I feel that today I have proved that in my HIIT workout but I could still push more. Tomorrow I will try harder!

GOAL 2. I'm also making a goal for myself to have read BFFM by next Wednesday in its entirely.
CHECK-IN: I have read a little bit of BFFM but really need to step it up to meet this goal. I will plan to awake early tomorrow and read to make up lost reading time.

GOAL3. I'm also going to make 1 more goal and that is to have a comprhensive plan tomorrow morning for eating during the school year since the deadline is tomorrow for housing and meal changes I believe.
CHECK-IN: I did decide what I was to do next year in terms of eating for OSU and decided to keep my current meal plan with the university HOWEVER: I do need to make a more specific and controlled plan to ensure my success. I will work on this and have it done by wednesday to share with my blog readers.
GOAL4. I would also like to participate more on my blog and Interacting with others! Feel free to interact if you're reading.
CHECK-IN: I don't really feel I've done this! I want increase my support base and that includes getting involved within other peoples blogs and encouraging them: I guess you get what you put out there! I will work on this and implement interacting as a daily blogging habit to help my accountability and support.

KEEP SHREDDIN GUYS!
TODAY WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
TODAY IS EVERYDAY!
TODAY I AM LEAN 4 LIFE!

New Goals!!! T minus 48 days

49 day goal: I'm already there...I'm just waiting for my body to catch up!!

I am so happy and thankful now that my body fat is in the single digits. I am now 9% body fat and I look great!

I am surprising (and shocking) my friends and family who I have not seen in a while by the way I look at Christmas time.

I am an inspiration to my family to lose weight, be fit, and eat healthy.

I am surprising friends when we meet at the start of school by the way I look and they are asking about how i did it.

I am keeping up these lifestyle changes when the 12-week program is over.

I am reaching my ideal weight and body fat composition by the start of school so i can show off my body at college.

I always carry my goal card with me at all times and read it as often as possible (at least

three times a day).

I am reaching my goal of 9% body fat and by September 18th. I know this is a little fast but it is my dream for School starting.

I am now leaner than I was before this workout!

I am stronger and leaner than yesterday.

Today, I am improving my body

Each day is another step towards my goal.

Today, I am making efforts to be one step closer to my goal.

All a GREAT WEEK truly is, (read each day and visualize the work done in each day to make a great week)is a successful day......

followed by another successful day...... followed by another successful day followed by another successful day

followed by another successful day followed by another successful day followed by another successful day! What a terrific week!

It is sometimes hard to comprehend the goal period of 49 days. I am having a great 49 day period of success.

Each great day is just one step closer to a successful week! and each week is just one week closer to a successful 7 weeks.

Each week is one week closer! And I am improving all of the time and feel great about.

I feel free of worries because I am doing such a fantastic job and working my hardest to accomplish my goals!

I am feeling Great for working so hard today and this week!

I am keeping up the good work!

Heads are turning when I take my shirt off.

My girlfriends is extremely attracted to me now and appreciates my effort to look attractive for her.

I eat six, small meals every day, each with a serving of lean protein,

complex carbohydrate, and fibrous carbohydrate, preparing my food in advance every morning.

I take my vitamin and allergy meds every day.

Visualization;

My mid-section: stomach and abs, are as tight as a a drum head and sleek and deadly attractive. my chest has nice form and shape and is muscle bound. I feel strong, I feel free of the chains of fatness and embarrassment. i have finally arrived to the place I have beenlonging for and i feel like I can finally take a deep breath in, inhaling the cool, fresh air deep within my cavity as a new man, a new body; not ashamed of my former visage, not scared or guilty of having killed it. The chubby little boy is still alive. The caterpillar has not died but has simply transformed, manifesting itself into it's truest form. The same form that could be seen hidden inside the body of the chubby boy; That same light and that same truth that nobody saw inside him but himself, that has always remained
trapped inside....... I am no longer tied and bound by this inaccurate and deceiving image. I am free for the world to see my true colors and see my true being. I am a strong butterfly redeemed proudly on a high branch: free, beautiful, and justified.

REDEMPTION VIDEO(To come when my goal is accomplished): "You don't look so good in a bathing suit!" - Katie Nock, Summer of 6th grade

Day 9: Trying to make things official

Well gang... Way back 9 days ago when i decided to embark on this journey I had alread waited atleast 4 days to get started and a fire was just burnin' in me to begin. So, tired of waiting I began regardless of the fact that I didn't have any resources and regardless of the fact that my mom was leaving the country and i had the most stressful week of my life in front of me but guess what? I made it this far haven't I? I think that if I can pull it off through all of the shizzle i went through last week including my mom leaving, cleaning and clearing the entire house, orientation, my unsupportive family(of my fitness plan), being afraid of dying of mercury poisining for eating to much tuna( haha, yeah : ) ), my crazy aunt yelling in my face, OSU freshmen orientation and scheduling, and having my girlfriend away! Wow...I really haven't even stopped to think about this past week! Anyway, If I can make it through that by taking it one day at a time and staying commited without a set plan, I can make it through anything! And I will! It's all in your head. I am the captain of my own ship ( my body) and I must command it in the direction of success and leanness for LIFE! 

And so... Now that I've made it to this point I need to GET OFFICIAL and make a set plan and timeline with measurements and set achievable goals and deadlines! I have confidence now more than ever that i will transform my body into the one i see in my dreams every night! So I need to make a plan. I will be posting the details of my official plan very soon! So stay tuned...and although I wish I could've had it done last week...Life doesn't wait for you and so I wont wait to take advantage of it!

I want to send a special thanks to Larry who has been especially supportive of me and all of the other shredders who inspire me and give me confidence! Shred on!

DAY 9 PICS: