Progress Report 24/12/11

Weight: 91.0kg.

This week I was pretty good with counting calories and cardio, I used my new exercise bike almost everyday, whilst watching episodes of The Office.

So that's about a loss of 0.8kg this week, which I am pleased with.

I am determined not to eat too much this Christmas, and I believe it won't be to difficult to stick with my current calorie budget.

Progress Report 18/12/11

I weigh just about the same as last week, maybe a 0.1 +- difference.

I now have a stationary exercise bike, which I got for $50. I only just used it and am all sweaty and gross, and have apparently burned around 230 calories. It may have been 250, I can't remember exactly. I really want to have a shower but I also have to lift weights today as well.

I will also try and get more sleep, my sleep schedule has been terrible. I need to cut down of caffeinated drinks and head to bed earlier. Here is an interesting article written by Scooby:

Sleep, Fat, Muscle, and Bodybuilding @ Scooby's Workshop

My diet slipped a bit last week, I counted calories for half a day and then would stop and guess, which is something I need to tighten up a bit. I got a bit slack trying to count calories when being social.

I bought some more clothes, sizes Medium to Large, depending on the fit. I have gone from XXL to Medium from August to now. It's kind of strange to me when I think about it. I still have no new pants, and I really need some new and better fitting jeans and track pants.

That's all for this week, thanks for reading.

Progress Report 12/12/11

This past week was not so good in regards to nutrition and exercise. Well, it wasn't completely bad nutrition, I just didn't count calories, I just guessed. I spent a lot of time with friends and maintained a poor sleeping schedule, so my exercise suffered. I went camping on the weekend, and did not count calories for probably more than half the week. I was a bit worried that I'd end up putting on a bit of weight, but I actually lost weight, which I was glad to see.

This week I weighed 91.8kg. I was actually scared because I originally read it as 97kg, but then I took a double-take and realised it did in fact say 91kg. Not too much weight loss, but better than nothing.

It's raining outside at the moment, and I am just finishing downloading a podcast to do today's cardio to, then I might have something to eat, get changed, then go skipping outside. The petrichor shall make today's cardio just a bit more enjoyable.

December Progress Photographs

Here are my latest photographs.

Weekly Progress Report 3/12/11

I just stepped on the scales this morning, weighing in at 92.5kg. Last weeks reading was 93.3kg so I am making good, steady progress.

A package from my grandparents arrived yesterday, full of chocolate. I have rationed it out, but I had two chocolates yesterday, which took up 400 of my 2000 calories yesterday! It didn't matter too much because I ate filling food and still kept within my caloric budget. A friend came over and helped eat another item so I don't have the temptation thankfully.

I haven't been super strict on eating the best foods I possibly could, like boiled chicken & steamed broccoli, and for a little bit I was worried that the quality of the calories might affect weight loss. Once my body fat gets lower, around 12-14%, then I might start looking up advanced diets & exercises if I want to get my bodyfat lower and have that "aesthetic" physique.

I went and bought a new shirt yesterday, only one, but it was $15! Most of the shirts I own are XXL size, and the new shirt is an L. I found that my older clothes are far too baggy on me and make me look really boxy. L's seem to fit my chest just right, while not being too tight at my stomach to cling to my fat. So, exciting stuff, though I might have to buy some more clothes by the middle of the year. August will mark one year of the lifestyle change, and I am really excited for it to roll around.

That's all for now, thank you for reading.

Progress Report 27/11/11

The scales yesterday read 93.3kg. The week previous they read 93.5, and the week before it read 93.8.

I'm not sure if I'm just 'plateauing' or if it's the results of my weightlifting showing, as muscle weighs more than fat, perhaps my weight will start plateauing but my body composition will still change. I tried on a waistcoat that I wore last earlier this year, and I remember at that time doing all the buttons up caused the bottom to 'furl' up, if you understand what I'm saying. When I tried it on at a whim, it was a bit loose, even.

The fat is shedding from my upper body first, from my chest area and the area under my armpits. My lovehandles are also slowly shrinking. I feel that it will shed from my stomach last, and I might expect that sort of progress next August, at a guess, but who knows, I am just going to continue as I have been and see what happens.

I am getting stronger though, I can now do a few pullups, either underhanded (to work biceps) and overhanded (to work lats). I'm not sure of the actual name for both pullup techniques so I hope you understand what I mean.

Believing Change

One thing I find difficult at times is actually believing I have made progress. I don't consider myself to be pessimistic, well not in regards to weight loss. I know if I eat less than my calculated amount of calories I will lose weight, and if I do cardio and lift weights it will help speed up this weight loss/fat loss.

But for some reason I get mental blocks in my head that I am not making any progress. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel discouraged and I don't feel like reverting back to my bad eating habits and lack of exercise, I just don't feel like I am making progress.

Which is completely foolish of course, I have dropped down to under 100kg, shirts that I bought at the beginning of this year are beginning to get quite loose on me, when they were "form fitting" when I bought them. Also, every pair of jeans I own (sizing is 97/38 on the tag, whatever measure units that is) falls down if I do not wear a belt.

Despite all of this I find myself feeling like I have made zero progress, and I feel the only time I'll feel like I've accomplished anything is when my abdominals show and I have an adonis belt.

Friends & family have commented on my loss also.

I guess it's just one of those things, from what I have read a lot of people feel this way too.

Again it's nothing I get overly worked up about and it doesn't discourage me at all, it's just a nagging feeling I suppose.

Side By Side Comparisons

Just put together a pic of when I started or close to and a recent pic to show progress.

New Frontal Photo & Comparison

U mirin bra?

Unfortunately lighting is different and slightly different 'pose' I guess you'd call it. Not the best for comparisons.

Progress

Well, Skyrim came out on Friday, so I spent the weekend sitting 5 inches away from a good friend playing Skyrim. Nothing like an Elder Scrolls marathon. It was a really good weekend and I had a lot of fun, it's way better than playing it yourself, and interesting to see what another player does in the same play time. He spent more time on the main questline than I did. I spent most of the time exploring the wilderness, and performing small side quests when I came across them or felt the need to do something heroic. I managed to complete the Thieves' Guild questline and Mage's College questline, and get up to level 3o-something.

I weighed myself today, and weighed 93.8kg, I believe. So, from memory that is progress. I can't remember my last weighing, I'll have to look at my blog to find that out, but I think it might have been around 95kg.

So, I feel a bit lazy after not working out at all this weekend, but I am about to lift some weights and maybe play more Skyrim if I am not too tired after that.

Also I got sick for a little but on the weekend, sore throat and small headache, no medicine in sight. A big bag of oranges managed to get to my house and I ate quite a few oranges. The vitamin C must have helped because I mostly feel fine now.

November Progress Shot

With Skyrim just around the corner, I'm going to have to work extra hard to keep cardio in my daily routine! That said this past week has been dismal for cardio, as I have been sick. I think I might have eaten something bad.

Here is the progress thus far, with my previous pictures leading up to today's.