I've done this sort of thing (dieting, exercise, goals) many times before. When I was younger and competed athletically, it was a necessity. Now it's mostly vanity driven, but I have to admit, I feel better and enjoy life more when I'm in shape.
I never let myself totally go, but I care enough about the way I look that it starts to bother me when I look like this (shot today):
I know it's not all that bad, but it's a long way from here (shot July 2005):
So, my goal is to look like this again by July 2007. I actually think I can do better. Losing the fat will be harder because I think I'll have to pace it at about 2-3lbs lost/month. The upside is, I'm starting off with a lot more muscle mass than I did before (which means my caloric maintenance will be higher). With each post, I'm going to give some strength and body composition stats. They will appear in a box like the one below for today.
| Weight: Calories consumed: Aerobic time logged: Bench Press: Max Pull-ups: Mile time: | 180lbs. 510 0:24:30 215lbs. 13 reps ~6:30 min |
In addition to getting leaner and looking better, I'm setting some hard performance goals for myself too. Here's where I want to be numerically by July 2007
| Weight: Calories consumed: Aerobic time logged: Bench Press: Max Pull-ups: Mile time: | Don't care N/A 1:00:00 250lbs. 20 reps 5:30 min |
In the past I've been able to reach a 5:30 mile time and bench 250lbs, but never at the same time (not even close). I've never been able to do 20 repetitions of pull-ups, but I think with the fat coming off, this should be an achievable challenge.
How am I going to do this?
I've studied nutrition and been a guinea pig for many diets and exercise regimens. In general, I have an easier time making big changes in my body composition than most people. I can get stronger (and fatter) very quickly. Getting lean is more of a challenge, but more rewarding too. There have been times where I've loved running, but I'm a bit out of condition (cardio) to really enjoy it right now. I thing it will take a few months before I'll look forward to a run on a sunny day. That's background, but none of that describes how I'm going to reach my goals. Here's how:
Nutrition:
This is the hard part (in my opinion.) The typical low-carb stuff is effective, but nearly impossible to stick with. If you hate exercise and want only to lose weight, you could give it a try, but I'd suggest that my way is easier.
I keep it pretty simple. I eat just about anything I want with 2 limitations:
-I never go more than 2 hours without eating unless there is a workout replacing a meal
-I never consume more than 400 calories (usually closer to 200) in any 2 hour period
How did I come up with this? The short answer is trial and error.
I believe that any diet which restricts the kinds of foods you can eat destines you for failure. Everyone has to indulge now and then, but [clique coming...] moderation is the key. I also believe that hunger leads us to poorer nutritional choices. Eating a small meal every two hours should satisfy any appetite. It's a strange thing to get used to, but you may never feel deep hunger the same way again. Finally, when your body's blood sugar remains even throughout the day (this is largely regulated by how often you eat, not just what you eat) you'll feel better and burn more total calories without doing a thing.
So, Nutrition is fairly simple and easy to follow. What about...
Exercise:
This part can be hard at first, but should be easy and a joy after a few months. I'm going to work towards 1 hour of aerobic activity per day, but they key is burning calories, so some days might be more intense and short, others more casual and long. It'll largely depend on my mood, but I'm always shooting for about 1000 calories per hour on the more intense days. I'll mostly be running, or on the elliptical machines on days when my knees can't take the pounding.
In addition to the aerobic, I'm going to continue a very minimal weight training routine. Essentially, I alternate with chest and shoulder on odd days, and back and bicep on even days. I only do two exercises a day, so my workout is done in about 20-30 minutes. Sometimes I skip the secondary workout (shoulder or bicep) and only do the bench press or pull-ups.
Why make this stuff public?
Well, it's more or less anonymous, so even though a clever person could probably figure out my identity, what's the point? The purpose is to provide a real-life example of a physical improvement system that works. It's free, but it's not easy. Nothing that works is.
Are you trying to sell anything?
Uhhh....no.
Why only 6 months? Why not forever?
The truth is, most people don't last with any regimen longer than about a month. I think this is a pretty easy regimen to follow (especially the nutritional part) and if anyone makes it to 6 months, they're likely to develop better habits that last much longer.
Here we go! 6 Months To A [Much] Better Body!
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