Drug Test

Click Pictures to expand. 

                                       

It didn't take long after this blog came out for people to discredit my hard work by thinking this is just another case of steroid abuse. First - that's not what this blog is about. That's not what I'm about. It's about the ability of one individual to showcase the capabilities of the human body via precision training.

I've written countless articles on the growing abuse of anabolic steroids in our society and the growing amount of people who continue to pollute our sport with them. Steroids are not fitness and never will be. The remarkable potential of the human body and it's ultimate will to adapt...to stay alive..to overcome is far more advanced and complex than you will ever know. That's where I come in.

I TRAIN ALL AGES AND FITNESS LEVELS. 

You name it, I've worked with it. I am by far the busiest trainer at my gym and for good reason. I'm highly experienced in working with beginners, elderly, advanced athletes and injured clients. I have extensive experience in training clients with: Crohn's Disease, ruptured disks, black disk, bulging disks, torn ACL, rotator cuff injuries, stroke victims, elderly up to 82y/o, flat feet, sway back syndrome, multiple sclerosis, eating disorders and more. This is not a hobby or a second job for me. Take a peek at my before and after section. I am a career personal trainer and I take your fitness goals seriously.

Day 30!!!! The final day

Today is a very special day - it represents the sum of my accomplishments, sacrifices and utter determination. I measured in at 5.4% bodyfat today, just .9% off of my target of 4.5%. Even though it's not exactly where I was hoping to be, my underlying goal has already been accomplished. Many of you wrote in to me letting me know how this blog has motivated you to work harder at your own program or try some new things in the gym. Some of you even signed up with me (thank you)...but what was really accomplished here was a demonstration of an individuals ability to reach a goal, regardless of life's obstacles, setbacks or obligations.Throughout this month, like you, I faced many, many obstacles. Peer pressure, social obligations, summer school, dining out, drinking, cravings, travel, training others and running my own business. Regardless, I stayed focused on what my priorities were and tomorrow I'm going on this cruise to reap the rewards. To me it was all worth it. 

But what about you? What epiphany are you waiting for? Are you going to keep telling yourself you're too busy to do something like this or that you have too much going on in you're life? If not now, when? If you have time to get on Facebook, you've got the time. If you've got time to turn on the TV after work, you've got the time. If you've got time to go out to dinner with friends, have drinks or get on the internet, YOU HAVE THE TIME! Put your foot down, set a goal and work for it.  Strategize. Prioritize. Exult.

Day 29

Well today I felt a little more hungry than usual and ended up munching on too many protein bars. Not terrible, but not ideal. Also, I also screwed up my diet at the gas station as well. While waiting for my tires to get changed, junk food in every direction just stared me down like an addict fresh out of rehab. At that point I broke down and snacked on some during the 45 minutes I waited for my car to be finished. I'm kind of disappointed in myself because at this stage in the game I can't really afford any more mistakes. I set the bar pretty high when it comes down to topping my day 21 picture and I know people are expecting something better this week. I also wanted to get some cardio in today but I was slammed with clients and getting things ready for my cruise this weekend. On a good note, the extra carbs I ate should fill me out nicely tomorrow, so maybe I won't be so flat after all.

10AM: Grapefruit                                          75 calories /0g protein
NOON: Promax Protein Bar                         275            /20g  
2PM: 3 cups watermelon (filler)                    150            /0g
5PM 2 Protein Bars (oops!)                           575            /40g
7PM: Apple (medium)                                  100             /0g
7PM: Speed Stack  reguar                               5              /0g
8PM; Protein bar                                            300            /20g
9PM: Snickers Almond King Size! mmm     425            /4g   (not part of plan)
9PM: Small bag Doritos                                140             /2 

Calories 2045 / 86g (horrible!) Today was a carb load day after all.                

Day 26/27/28

The last 3 days I have definitely made up for lost time in training and dieting. For a moment, my bodyfat actually went up after that day 21 picture. That pic set the bar pretty high and I've been thinking how much harder it's going to be to top that. As you may know, the lower in bodyfat you get, the harder it is to get leaner. I measured in at around 6.3% today, which is at least 1% off of where I should be by this day. I can attribute that to not sticking tightly to the 16-1700 calorie range I planned on and a slight shortcoming in cardio. It looks like I'll come in around 5.5% by Friday. Lowering it anymore in such a short time frame would be very difficult if not impossible without losing major amounts of muscle mass.

Unfortunately, you guys won't get to see me carb loaded out before I leave for this cruise. I'll be hella lean- but kind of flat, like a balloon that has lost it's air. That's what happens when you diet hard. Fortunately carb loading fixes that and then some. After your muscle cells have been in a starved state for greater than 6 weeks, they become desperate for carbs. When they do get carbs, they can hyper expand up to 40% of their normal size to absorb all of those carbs...giving you a Huuuge jacked look. It's got to be done just right in order not to spill over into fat stores though. You must walk a very fine line here.

 A reduction in water intake amplifies this look as well. In order for your body to process this mega amount of carbs, it needs water. If the athlete is not consuming a whole lot of it, the body will suck the water right out of your skin and into the muscle cells, eliminating any bloating and giving you that lean "Dry" look. This effect lasts for just a few hours in it's peak and a few days in general. Carb loading baby! I of course, will be saving my carb loading for when I get on the ship. =-]

So..5 or 6 pieces of cake later, I will look bigger, leaner and more shredded than ever. That's certainly going to have a lot of people hating on me and wondering "how does he eat like that and stay so lean!??!!". Only you and I truly know what's going on here. Anyways, pictures to come Friday, I should be leaner, at the sacrifice of some size and slightly flat. We will see. I've got to work on my color as well to to bring out my definition. Shouldn't be hard with this heat.

Day 25

Oh wow did I make up for lost time today. I felt kind of fat this morning because I was so behind on cardio and over the week I had consumed an extra 1600 calories that I wasn't planning on. I ran for over 2 hours today in Rock Creek Park and did an addtl. 30 minutes worth of plyometrics for legs, pull-ups (wide close and inverted grips) and some other chest stuff that I can't even begin to describe on here. I hate doing the average workout, mainly because I believe it yields average results. I have been documenting some of the exercises I do but truthfully, they may scare some people. I use only body weight for most of my training but still I don't expect the average person to be able to do my exercises. That's why I never post them up here. I'm not sure if I should post them. I don't want to scare off any beginners. Anyway, that's another story for later. The diet went extremely well too. I feel as if I'm ALMOST back on track.

10AM: Protein bar                               300cal       /20g protein
Noon: Speed stack                                 30          /0g
Noon: Oatmeal Bar                              150           /8g
2:30-5PM  RUn and workout    
6PM: Mediterranean Chicken Salad     400          /35g
6PM: 3 small breadsticks w/tapenade   275          /12g
8PM: Chicken breast w/small pasta      325          /30g
10PM: Protein Brownie                        250          /25g
Total 1730 calories  / 130g (wow, was I that short?)

DAY 23/24

Day 23-24. It's been a rough 2 days diet wise. I found a great new website for supplements (priced incredibly cheap) supplementwarehouse.com. I ordered about $350 worth of supplements for $156 shipped. When the shipment arrived, I just couldn't wait to "taste test" the gazillion new flavors of protein bars I ordered. I think I ate around 5 bars that day. That coupled with the fact that Harris teeter had 600 calorie fresh made chicken and pasta plates buy one get on free put me over my calorie limit for the day (I only ate one). I'm assuming I ate at least 2500 calories on Thursday.

On Friday it was my friends birthday and we baked him a cake of course you know I ate 3 large slices. WOWZA it was delicious. I estimate that was about 1500 calories. THe rest of the day I had only one protein bar and 1/2 of a honey dew melon. THat puts me at 2000 calories for the day and hardly any protein. I got a 45 minute jog in today but still  I can tell my body fat went up at least 1% since my last pics. Tomorrow it's hardcore training day. Full body plus cardio to get me back on track. Theres only more week to lose the rest of this fat and I'm seriously behind schedule!

Day 22

Day 22 - Today I worked on a ton of new workout films for my website. I plan on completely revamping it in for the fall season. The new website is going to be awesome! Lots more before and after pictures too. I planned on getting a great workout in like I do every Saturday but I never ended up getting it. With film you have to stop, record, reshoot etc. I need a cameraman! Anyway, it really took the flow out of the workout. Most of it is done though. I'll try for tomorrow.

On the other hand, the diet went great! here's the low down.

10AM: Protein shake w/fiber                     300cal /    20g protein

Noon: 1/2 Honeydew Melon                      175cal/       0g 

1PM Protein Bar                                         300cal/       20g

3PM: 2 breasts of chicken w/sauce             300cal        50g

5PM: Oatmeal  (1 packet)                            150cal         5g

8PM: Protein bar                                         275/            20g

10PM: 2 cans Tuna w/fat free mayo            300            56g

TOTAL: 1800 Cal  / 171g protein

DAY 21 PICTURE TIME!

Even though the diet hasn't been perfect, I'm still leaning out (just not as fast as I planned). However, the extra calories in my diet have fueled my workouts nicely, giving me an extra rep or two in the gym. I don't expect to be as lean as the last time I did this, but I will certainly have more muscle because of the increased calories. As you can see, I got some great color at the beach this weekend.

I'd like to dedicate my day 21 picture to Jordan who told me last Saturday that "I don't set the bar very high" (with my physique), to Dan who made me feel like an ass last weekend for not chugging down vodka shots with him and to anyone else who tried hard to screw up my diet that night. Cheers. =P

                   Day1                                                        Day21

   

Day 20

Sorry for the late post on this one, it's really difficult to blog every day with my work and training schedule. Anyways, I got a great leg workout in, lots of Plyometrics and lots of static holds. Legs are developing nicely. Had a tough time with the diet today and but over all I did well all the way until about 10PM where I snuck some Doritos at my friends house. Though I am leaning out, I don't think I'm going to be able to come in at 4.5% bodyfat because my calories have been to high (too many screw ups) and my protein percentage has been coming up short. I expect I will probably come in at 5.5%. I'm a bit disappointed though at that level of bodyfat, I'll still probably be the most shredded person on the ship. Good enough for me!

10AM: 1 lb grapes                            325cal  / 0g protein
11Am: Protein Bar                            300      /20g
1PM: Kiwi                                         50       /0
1PM (3/4) Protein Shake w/fiber       200     /30g
4PM: 2 Protein Bars                          550     /40g
6PM: 1 cup watermelon                     50      /0g
7PM: 4 oz deli ham   w/ mustard       125     / 25 
7Pm Protein Bar                                 300     /20g    
10PM: 1/2 bag Doritios (oops!)          700      /15g
TOTAL 2600 calories (Very bad) / 150g protein 

Day 19

Today was a great day. The diet went well and I got a 1 and a half hour run in by the mall today. I didn't run very fast because that wouldn't maximize my fat burning. I'm sure you have seen this chart before on the cardio equipment at your gym. Let me explain how it works. Basically if you run twice as fast, you won't necessarily burn twice as much fat. This is because fat CANNOT be burned without the presence of oxygen. Since the lungs only deliver a limited amount of oxygen into the bloodstream, your fat burning ability is limited as well.

The fat burning zone is the point at which you begin to get diminishing returns. Any pace faster, will likely decrease the rate at which the body burns fat. The cardio zone is where the body starts to work anaerobically (without oxygen). This process does not use fat, it uses Creatine. So if you're 30 years old, you wouldn't really want to get your heart rate above 140 unless you were training to improve your cardiovascular performance.
Here's the diet today

10AM Trail Mix (too much!)      500cal/20g protein
Noon: Protein shake w/ fiber       300    /42g
2Pm: Protein Bar                         300    /20g
4Pm: Protein Bar                         300    /20g
6Pm: Lg pickle (for sodium)            5/  /0
(what most people don't know is that salt is an
 important electrolyte for the training athlete.
 During periods  if strict diet a lack of sodium
 can cause sever cramping)
930PM: 2 grilled chicken breasts 325   /50g
w 1 cup baked beans                     250  /15g
Total 1980 cal /167g protein (with this consistent shortage of protein I risk muscle loss)

Day 18

Today took lots of willpower. As you may know, a weekend at the beach is NOT easy! I did alright on the diet, not superb but I still feel I conquered most diet temptations. My friends were really tying to push drinks on me at the bar, giving me crap about not drinking. Whatever, I'm gong to be shredded in the end- not them. I sat with them at 5 guys burgers too while they ate but I didn't touch anything. That wasn't really a problem, it was avoiding Candy kitchen across the street and grotto pizza next door to that! I did have a bag of pretzels which threw off my protein ratios but after drinking protein shake for breakfast and having nothing but melons all day, I REALLY needed some crunch!

What makes this blog great is that I don't pretend to be some perfect trainer who can't admit to the public that I too, face the same obstacles as you when dieting. I screw up, recognize it, and shoot for a better day tomorrow. It's just a matter of priority, a matter of motivation...how much do you want it? For me, I wanted the pretzels more than the cuts today and that was my mistake. I will try to work them off tomorrow. Overall, I feel I did well compared to what I have been tempted with this weekend.

10AM: Protein Shake w/fiber          300cal/42g protein
10AM: 5 strawberries                        25/0g
1PM; Protein Bar                             300/20g
4PM: Protein Bar                             300/20g
5PM: 2 cups watermelon                 100/0g
6PM: 1 cup cantaloupe                     75/0g
9PM: 5 oz. pretzels                           550/10g
10PM: String Cheese                          50/6g
Total 1700cal / 98g protein

Day 17

I finally made it to the beach and before we even checked into the condo, I hit up the grocery store for a watermelon and 2 lbs. of strawberries. I brought protein shakes with me as well to keep the protein numbers up. However, the previous guests left a perfectly good bag of chicken strips and fries in the freezer! Yum. I stuck with the diet most of the day but after coming back from a day at the beach I was famished and I broke down and cooked some. You may be thinking, oh chicken, it's good for you. Not if it's breaded (pre-soaked in cooking oil) and I have to eat 400 calories just to get 35g of protein in. That's what breaded mixes are. It advertised as "baked" but the cooking oil is already in the mix. Same with Tater Tots and baked fries. You might as well throw them in the deep fryer because your not getting any less calories. Again, corporate America wants to fatten their pockets even if if it means fattening you!
10AM: Med Apple                  75cal/0g
Noon: Protein Bar                    300/30g
Noon: 1 cup water melon           50/0g
3PM: Energy bar                      150/10g
5PM: 4 chicken strips               400/35g
5PM: Fries (1 cup?)                  250/3g
5PM: 1 lb strawberries              150/0g
7Pm: Fries  (1.5 cups)               375/5g
9PM: Protein Shake                  300/42g
9PM: 3 cups watermelon           150/0g
Total 2200 calories/ 125g protein
In general, this day was NOT good and will hamper my results. Lets see if I can do better tomorrow.

Day 16

Today was great. I did extraordinarily well on the diet and I got a ton of running in. Due to some cancelations today, I was left with 3 hours to get my workouts in! I went running all around the city for about an hour, came back trained a client and took another two hours to so some more cardio and weights. For the first half of the day I only consumed about 900 calories. Normally this would not be beneficial to my metabolism but my body was running on all the glycogen (stored carbs) that I ate the two nights before. Heres the diet for Friday day 16.

10AM: Ballys Protein Shake w/fiber         275cal / 45g protein
1PM: Nitrotech Protein Bar                            300/30
2PM: Energy Drink                                        100/0g
5PM: Potbelly Chicken Salad                          400/20g
          w/fat free dressing  
8PM: 5 Protein Truffles                                  125/12
10PM: 1 cup watermelon                                  50/0
10PM: 8 oz. deli Ham                                      275/35
11PM Medium Apple                                        75/0
11PM: 1 cup watermelon                                   50/0
1650Calories/142g protein


I'd also like to note that the fat free dressing I requested at Potbelly was likely not fat free. I could see oil spots floating around on the top so I estimated for an extra 50 calories for the dressing. Corporate America cares nothing about your physique, it's up to you to keep up the watch for hidden calories. I have a great article on my other blog @www.derrickinglut.com that talks about how PAM cooking spray and Splenda DO HAVE calories. Plenty of them. Check it out here! 
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfmWjx3phBMG5maYVVQUY6sir3sY6fpPKqb_lvXa4HclB_zyvfiFMZgw9BZBHE-n4i-upp52Xv-D4G5L-HgTEgOCwsmcTeWqRJ9obclblpqlnsxdSbtScjdv_905i2LtYXJRBUnvRL1pB/s1600-h/Southwester_NOV_2009.jpg 

Day 14 and 15.

I've got some new video I'm working on, and a tally of my calories for the last 2 days. I've also got some new pics posted here for the 2 week mark. Anyway, day 14 was horrible. Day 15 was bad too, but better than 14. I estimate it was nearly 4000 calories on day 14 and 2800 on day 15. Maybe. It was a cheat day after all, and I am off to the gym right now to go burn up the surplus. I ended up eating some italian food (manicotti, bread and salad) at a restaurant later that night that put me way over my calories, even though it wasn't one of the heavier dishes, eating out can really do you in! I did get lots of cardio in, but not enough to balance these numbers. Details to come later peeps..These two days will be posted but I only have an hour to get my gym time in and then headed straight to the beach tonight. I will bring my laptop with me so I can post. Oh the beach - one diet obstacle after another!! Wish me luck!

Day 12 & 13

Hey peeps, sorry I didn't get a chance to write yesterday, it was crunch time for my final exam and that had me completely preoccupied. Well, its almost midnight the next day and my final is now over! I am so happy to have that burden off my shoulders. Now I can really focus on knocking off the last bit of fat on my body. 


Also, I'd like to mention something I've heard a lot of people say lately "Getting shredded should be easy because Well Derrick, you were lean to start with". Comparatively speaking, that is true. BUT what people DON'T realize is that after one gets in the single digits of body fat, especially for my age group, it becomes exponentially difficult to get lower. Increased efforts only yield diminishing returns as the body fights to hold on to essential fats. THat's what I will have to deal with in the next 2 weeks. If I started at 20% and said "hey, I'm going to drop down to 14% in 4 weeks" that would be FAR EASIER task than dropping from 11% to 5% (both are a 6% drop). I'm already lean and the leaner I get the harder it gets. Thats where determination and skill separates typical gym rats from the pros. 
Heres my diet yesterday. Munchies didn't strike, but actual hunger did. Higher calories than I anticipated. 
9AM: 1/2 Protein shake w/fiber      125cal/25g protein
10AM: Promax protein Bar              275/20g
Noon: 8oz. Deli Ham w/ mustard    250/36g
3Pm: ProNos Shake                        300/42g
4Pm (TRAIN LEGS plus CARDIO)
5Pm: 2 protein puddings                350/70g
6PM: Promax Protein Bar (cherry)    275/20g
8PM: Promax Protein Bar (peanut)   300/20g
10PM: 2 cups Collard Greens             75/0g
10PM: Protein BAr (german Choc)    300/20g
10PM: 12 strawberries                       50/0g
        TOTAL   2300cal/253 g protein
Heres my diet today:
9AM: 2 cups watermelon                  100/0g
10AM: 1/2 lb cherries                       150/5g
10AM: 8 oz Deli Ham w/mustard        250/36g
Noon: 15 Strawberries                       75/0g
3PM: ProNos Shake                           300/42
5Pm: McD's grilled chicken Salad       275/25g
         (w/fat free dressing)
7Pm: Ham& cheese wrap                  400/30g
7PM; (half) Pomax Bar                      150/10g
7:20PM-9:30PM      FINAL EXAM!
9:30 PM: Speed Stack/3 Miles              25/0g
CARDIO/Back Biceps (30 MIn Hi-Int)       
Midnight: 3 Cups Watermelon            150/0
  TOTAL 1875calories/148g  protein                     

Day 12

OMG the diet was terrible today! It was absolutely gorgeous outside and all my friends went to the beach. I unfortunately locked myself inside to study for my final on Tuesday. You know what happens then...I munch! I was clean out of strawberries and watermelon too which made it hard to find filling foods that didn't have too many calories.  Eventually, I had to go to the grocery store to buy more, only to notice they had the most delicious looking cheesecake slices on sale. You put together the rest. So, I guess today was my cheat day and I will have to skip wednesdays planned cheat day. Monday is time to get back on track. I've got myself scheduled so I can't miss that!

9am: Shredded wheat cereal w/protein                350cal/35g protein
11am: More shredded wheat & protein                350    /35g
noon: Large Grapefruit                                           75   /0g
1Pm: 2 cups Collard greens (prepared)                   75   /5g
2Pm: Large Grapefruit                                            75   /0g
4PM: 1 lb cherries                                                275    /0g
6PM: Cheesecake                                                 450   /15g
6Pm: 10 strawberries                                               50   /0g
7PM: Deli Ham 4oz.                                             125   /25g
8PM: Protein Bar                                                  275   /20g
10pm: 3 cups watermelon                                     150   /0g        
Total: 2250 calories /135g protein (way too low!)

Day 11 - Sneak preview

Diet today was:
10AM 25 cherries 100 calories /0g protein
10AM ProNos Shake 300 cal /42g
Noon Large grapefruit 75 cal /0g
Noon Speed Stack 30 /0g
2pm Dymatize shake w/fiber 300 /50
4Pm Kiwi 50 /0g
6Pm Large Grapefruit 75 /0g
6Pm 9oz. Deli ham w/ mustard 250 /45
7PM 3 turkey sausage links 150 /18g
8Pm 25 Cherries 100 /0g
TOTAL 1430 calories/155g protein

Day 10 - A close one!

Somehow last night between tossing and turning I threw my upper (thoracic) back out. Seriously!!? I was half asleep when it happened, so I only vaguely remember the position that caused it. It came on quickly like a cramp and is a very dull, centralized pain. Though I'm familiar with the exercises for therapy, my cruise is just 3 weeks away, I don't have the time to rehab this thing right now. Fortunately, there are workarounds I can perform for most muscle groups, but my overall intensity will have to be lower when working my upper body. Since the diet is 75% of my progress, I should still be able to get lean, but I may be slightly smaller in the end. We will see!

UPDATE: Back is feeling 95% 12 hours later, so I must have had a really bad muscle spasm. That was a close one! Muscle spasms/cramps can be caused by a shortage of electrolytes, muscular imbalances or excessive heat. I will have to be careful to make sure all 3 possibilities are monitored.
Man I'm feeling leaner than ever. My obliques are coming through nicely and my 6 pack has tightened up for sure. I think my arms may have gotten a bit smaller, so I need to work on getting the proper amount of protein or add creatine in at some point. I have a HUGE amount of studying to do this weekend for my final but I'm going to get in my workouts one way or another!

9AM: 1 lb cherries (hey they were on sale!)                275 cal   /5g protein
11am: Can of tuna w/10cal mayo                                175        /30g
2PM: 1 cup watermelon                                                 50       /0
3PM: ProNos Shake                                                    300       /42g
5Pm: Promax Bar                                                        275       /20g
7Pm; Protein Pudding (x2)                                          350       /70g
9PM: Orange                                                               100      /0g
10PM: 1 lb cherries... mmmmmm                               275      /0g
TOTAL 1800 Calories/ 167g protein .....no workout today

Day 9

Oh man today was a high calorie day. I didn't eat any crap food, just a lot more food than I planned on eating. However, it's all good because I feel leaner than ever and the extra calories really charged my workout tonight! I got in 30 minutes of treadmill and some more legs. Dead lifts, more dead lifts, calve raises, quad extensions and lots of jump rope. Wow I'm energized now! It's midnight. I should go to sleep. This could be a problem!

6AM: Promax protein bar  (lemon)          280cal    /20g protein

9AM: 3 servings Cottage Cheese             250        /45g

10AM: PLum                                           50          /0g    

11AM: ProNos Shake w/fiber                  300        /42g

1PM: 4 cups of watermelon                      200        /0g

4PM: Promax Bar  (cherry)                      275         /20g

5Pm:  ProMax Bar  (peanut)                    300         /20

7PM: 15 cherries                                      65           /0g

8PM Salad 2Xw/chicken f/free dressing  325         /50

8PM: Speed Stack                                      30         /0

9PM ProMax Bar     (cherry)                   275         /20

TOTAL 2350 calories/ 217g protein

You might be wondering how I have the time to eat all this food in a day. Well the answer is, I really don't. I don't even take lunch breaks at work. Mostly I munch on protein bars or fruit on the go. Most of the food I buy requires very little prep time....blending at most or maybe some microwaving. I constantly snack, that way I don't come home from work with a ravaging appetite and eat 5000 calories!

Day 8 - The results are in!

OK Peeps, the results are in and they are looking good! My weight has dropped to 189.5@9.5% body fat. I was hoping to come in at 9%, but it's still early in the game, I can make it up. Up in the top pics we can see the obliques coming through. Midway down, we can see the fat layer around my waist has been reduce by about 1/3. Down on the last pics we can see that the muffin top around my shorts has disappeared. All this and I hardly did much cardio. It's ALL ABOUT YOUR DIET. Speaking of diet, here's what I ate today.

9am: 2 cups of watermelon                           100 calories /0g protein
1030AM: 9oz deli ham with mustard            275             /55g
2pm: ProNos Shake                                      300             /42g
4pm: Promax protein bar                               275             /20g
7PM 3 baked chicken breast w/hot sauce      400             /75g
9PM; 3 cups watermelon                                150            /0
10PM Dymatize shake w/fiber                      300             /45
Total 1800 cal/ 237grams protein

Day 7 - Progress Pictures Tomorrow!

I noticed a real lag in my energy levels today and I had a hard time getting out of the house. I will have to pay close attention to that over the next few days because if my body sees a problem with the food supply, it will sharply lower my metabolism. 

I was half asleep, yet half awake all the way into the afternoon. I got to the gym late, yet still had time for a 25 minute run outside and 20 minutes of weights inside (mostly pull up type stuff) before my clients. The humidity killed me even more and it felt like I had a parachute trailing behind me. Still, I like the outside more than a treadmill. I think I knocked off a good 600 calories or so. Energy fluctuations are to be expected, but not prolonged. Just to be on the safe side, I consumed a few extra calories today, which of course I had no problem doing. After a re-up at the grocery store, here's how it went down. 

7:AM Protein Bar  #1                               300cal  /20g

9AM ProNos Shake w/ fiber                    300cal  /42g

noon: Speed Stack                                    25cal    /0  

noon: Promax Protein Bar #2                   275cal /20g

Exercise@1:00

2pm ProMax Bar #3                                 300cal  /20g

3PM Medium Orange                               75cal    /1g

4PM ProNos Shake                                  300cal   /42

6Pm 2 cups Watermelon                          100cal   /0g

8PM: Subway Ham Salad  w/cheese       175cal   / 0g

          (honey mustard dressing)

9PM:2 kiwis                                            100cal   /0g   

    TOTAL 1950cal/ 145g

In the last couple of days, I've been seriously short on the protein due to all the fruit I'm eating. This will most likely hamper weight loss because my carb and fat ratio is high - about 70%. It should be 60% or less. Ideally, you would not want to eat this much fruit. You should substitute it for white meat. However, the diet is only in its 7th day and fruit helps me get my sugar fix and keep me full. In the future, I will be cutting it down. 

Day 6

Well I finally got my paper done today, now it's just my final exam in the way of things. I can't wait to get that over with so I can really focus on getting shredded. My cruise is getting closer by the day!

My body is slowly getting used to the reduced calories. Today I consumed just 1575 but I feel great and am not too hungry. Sure I would love to go grab a big fat burrito from Chipotle but that would put me over quite a lot. Did you know that a burrito from Chipotle with everything on it is over 1100 calories? I don't care how healthy it is, that's a lot of calories and you can't lean out on that. Anyway, here's the diet for the day. No workout today but video workouts are on their way!

10AM:  ProNos Shake                                               300cal /42g protein
12PM: 1/2 cup brown rice with a bit of chicken         200    /20g
130PM:  I'm Not Telling! mmmm                              200     /0g
3PM: Protein Cookie                                                  200     /20
4PM: Plum                                                                   50     /0
5PM: 1 cup prepared Collard Greens                           50     /4g
7PM: Protein Bar                                                        275    /20
9PM: Chickpea salad w/ fat free dressing                   300    /25
                                               TOTAL  1575 cal /131grams protein  (a bit short)
 Whenever I go under 40% protein, I am at an increased risk for muscle loss). 

For a rough estimate, you should be getting at least 1 gram per LB of lean body mass. 
TO calculate your lean body mass use the following  formula:
Your Weight x % body fat = Total Fat
Your Weight - Total Fat = Lean Body Mass. If your cutting, you should be consuming between 10-12 calories per pound of lean body mass AND at least 1 gram of protein per pound of LBM. 

Day 5 - getting leaner

I got a great 4 mile run outside today and I can already feel myself leaning out. It was a bit hot but people were out, nature was in full bloom and the energy was certainly there. Still, I took my time, making sure not to go too fast so I could stay in my optimal fat burning zone. I ran for about 3 miles before I had to stop to cool down in the shade. It's was 94 out today but I like this kind of heat, and I actually do better in it. After a 20 minute cool down I proceeded to work on my quads with:

3 sets of 10 vertical leaps (max height)

3 sets of 10 horizontal leaps (max distance) and

300 balance beam steps for calves all in Rock Creek park.

From there, I ran another mile to the gym to finish off my hamstrings, calves and adductors. (weak areas for me that need work). I did:

5 sets of straight leg Dead-lifts totaling 30 reps

Lots of seated calve raises and adductor contractions.

Finally, I tried to run home but legs failed me, so I decided to speed walk. I'm glad I got out the house, it felt great. Now back to this damn paper! 


10AM: Dymatize Shake w/Water & ice  250cal /50protein
1PM: ProNos Shake w/fiber                  300     /42g
3PM: 1lb strawberries                          150    /3g
4PM: ProMax Protein bar                      275     /20
6PM: 2 servings Cottage Cheese 1%       175      /28g
7PM  2 small plums                              100     /3g
9PM 6 slices Ham w/3 slices swiss ch.    500     /55g
10PM: 100 calorie snack pack                100    /2g
TOTAL 1850 cal/203g 

Day 4 - more dieting

Today I ate a few more calories than I was planning to but I was still under my calorie cap. I ate a ton of fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth.Yum! I normally wouldn't condone eating this much fruit but I'm still fresh into the diet. My body still craves the junk it was previously getting so it's going to take a while before these sugar cravings stop (5-7 days).


 The problem I had today is that I forced myself to sit here all day to try to finish this research paper which is due on Tuesday - and I won't let myself leave this house until it's finished! Therefor, I munch. Thank god for delicious fruit =-] Saturday is usually my BIG full body workout day where I don't have any clients and I can just focus on myself. Unfortunately that didn't happen today BUT tomorrow I'm going to allow myself to workout bright and early to keep my calorie burning on track. This paper is going to have to come in second. Here's the breakdown of my diet today. 


9AM: Dymatize Whey Isolate Shake w/ water and fiber      300cal / 55g protein
12PM: 1 sample size slice of banana bread                        100     / 4g
1PM: 12 oz fresh raspberries                                            180     / 4g
2 servings cottage cheese (1%)                                         180     /28g
2PM: 1 Fresh Plum                                                           50      /1g
4PM ProMax Protein Bar                                                   277     /20g
5Pm:Dymatize Whey Isolate Shake w/ water and fiber      300cal /55g 
7PM: 12 oz fresh Blackberries                                          180      / 4g
1 servings cottage cheese (1%)                                         90      /14g

830Pm ProMax Protein Bar                                               300     /20g

1030PM: 1 qt. Fresh Strawberries                                      150     /3g

2107 calories/ 208g protein

PICTURES TO COME ON WEDNESDAY! (DAY 7)

Day 3 - Supplements Have Arived

My supplements arrived today. Now I will have everything I will need to get my program in high gear. I will be using the Pro NOS complex for it's perfect balance of whey isolates for muscle growth, carbs to fuel my lifts and fats to trigger hormones. THe Elite protein below is mostly whey isolates (the most anabolic protein known to man) I chose isolates for their superior 
nitrogen content and amino structures. THey outperform whey concentrates by about 50%. They are a little pricey but worth it. 

To combat fatigue during lifts and to further increase nitrogen levels, a good nitric oxide like Noxavol will do the trick. There are other kinds of N.O out there, but Noxavol is my favorite. You can really feel it working in about 30-40 minutes. THe niacin content is high, so expect some flushing. 

Low cal diets will leave even the strongest bodybuilder

 weak. This is where Speed Stack comes in to play. It will certainly help with my energy levels during gym time. In addition, it supplies a healthy does of caffeine, a powerful appetite suppressant. I'm careful not to take in more than 600mg total caffeine per week (2 bottles), that way my body doesn't develop a tolerance when I need energy most. If you stack it with a good thermogenic like Octopamine, you will amplify this products fat burning potential about 3 fold. 

FOr my sweet tooth, I chose ProMax protein bars. THey are not the best bars out there but I got them cheap and they shut off my sweet tooth. A better bar choice would be something like nitro-tech or pure protein. Be ready to pay more though. I am also taking GNC-Megaman vitamin pure L-GLutamine powder and a mineral supplement from Vitamin Shoppe. THe energy process itself uses calcium and Zinc. This will aid in that process as well as keep strong 

bones etc. 

The diet went well today. I had a bit of a tough time at Giant because they had my favorite candy bars on sale buy one get one free. Very tempting. Thankfully they had fresh cherries on sale as well so I got those. Did the trick perfectly. I got around 450 calories of cardio in on the stair stepper and treadmill. The next 30 minutes was heavy lifts for my upper body. Here's my diet for today. 

10am: NOS Complex with Water                        300 cal /42g protein

12Pm: 1 quart fresh strawberries (filler)              250       /10g 

2PM: 1/2 lb cherries                                          150       /8g

4pm Promax Protein Bar                                     280      /20g

6PM NOS Complex w/ water                                300      /42g

8pm 3 cups prepared Collard Greens (filler)         120      /5g

10PM Rest of the cherries (1/2 lb)                       150     /8g

=1550 cal/135g protein (a little short on the protein)