My First Training/Diet Log

[dossas]

Hello.

I've decided to try starting a log of my attempt to recomp my body...Let me say that this is very intimidating for me. As a bit of a history lesson, I have been training for about 4 years. I started at about 240 lbs (I'm guessing somewhere around 30 % BF) and worked my way down to around 200 lbs (I'm 5' 11"). Over the last year, or so, I have slowly crept up to 217 lbs (probably around the 20 % BF mark). I have enjoyed getting stronger along the way:

Before: Bench - started with push ups, Squat - bodyweight, Deads - don't know

Now: Bench - 225 x 8,8,8, Squat - 300 x 6,6,6, Deads - 405 x 3


I'm just at a point in my life (I'm 41 yrs old/young) where for once I want to be lean and muscular. I was a chubby kid growing up, and then skinny through high school and university because of soccer. Even then, my lower body was much stronger than my upper. Bad habits and poor diet/eating habits have always plagued me.

NOW, I'm on a quest to try to get myself down to around 12 %, while, at least, keeping and maintaining my strength and muscle. I have never made this kind of commitment before, and thought it would be a good way to hold myself accountable, as well as possibly receive some motivation and guidance along the way. At the moment, I do not have any goals to compete in BBing, or powerlifting....but who knows down the road.

[MikeM]

Good for you. No need to be intimidated. You'll get lots of help here.

Nice squats! That's the number of the beast there in more ways than one! haha.

I have followed a very similar path. Eerily similar in fact. Not sure I'll ever see 12% bodyfat, but I'm trying to get a bit leaner myself lately.

Good luck!

[dossas]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Mike. I know this is a great site and forum. I've lurked around several forums for a few years now and this one is definitely one of the better and more positive ones.

I think we can all do what we put our minds to, so if we want 12%, we can get it. For me, one challenge is controlling myself when I get together with my friends and family with regards to eating and drinking (mostly it is the drinking). The other challenge is maintaining my clean eating, while my wife does her own thing (I'm really trying to get her to buy into the same lifestyle as well). I hope that when she sees my results she will come around.

[EliteDreams]

If you want it,get after it.I bet when she sees your happiness it will improve her world too.

[dossas]

Thanks EliteDreams. I hope so. She is not ready right now to put in the work. I try to tell her that this is the best time to take advantage of beginner gains. Tomorrow will be be my two week weigh in. Hope to see a little movement on the scale. But, not too concerned if I don't. I feel leaner and my wife agrees I'm slightly leaner. Two weeks is still pretty soon to tell. We shall see.

[dossas]

Note: Started this recomp on Jan 31, 2013.

Starting weight: 217 lbs.
Body fat: ~17.8 % (12mm pinch 1 site - abdominal)

Using Accu-Measure Personal Body-Fat Tester (I know it's not 100% accurate, but I'm using the measurements, especially the 12mm, as a point of reference) to measure progress.

At at week 1 weigh in I had actually gained 0.5 lbs. Didn't trouble me too much because of some "cheat meals " right at the beginning. Hey, sometimes life gets in the way.

Week 2 weigh in today:

Weight: 215 lbs
BF: still ~17.8 % (12 mm pinch) - thought I came down to 11 mm, but took a couple more measurements and they were 12 mm.

Today is a rest day, so no workout.

[sleepingdog]

I don't want to cross the line of "marital advice", but maybe see if you can get your wife to help you with a 7pt pinch test. A single point is only telling you how much BF you're carrying in your abdomen. I happen to carry more there than anywhere else, so I would read high if I did a single measurement there, and low if I did a single elsewhere.

Those are strong lifts, looks like this log is gonna be full of win! Don't forget to find a form of cardio you enjoy to bump the fat loss along, and try not to push past your personal limits on diet right away. Better to gradually improve your diet than to try jumping in too fast and cheating more than you intend to.

Glad to have you on board, looking forward to seeing some great things!

[dossas]

Thanks for the pointers sleepingdog. I guess I'm like you in that I carry most of my fat around the abdomen as well. I don't mind the "inaccurately high" measurement for now (but I will ask her to help me out down the road). Right now it is just a reference point for measuring progress. I'm actually more focused on the 12 mm measurement rather than the 17.8 % bf reading.

I do full body circuits for cardio 3-5 times a week.

My diet is not too rigid now. As you said, it is better to tweak and adjust as you go along, rather than jumping in to a strict diet that you can't adhere to.

[jdmalm123]

The mirror and the tape give better feedback than the scale!

[dossas]

Good point jdmalm123. I should get the tape out and take some measurements.