Losing the LasTTen Lbs.

[cappuccino]

Now I understand the ---> about the HR monitor. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Lots of chaning going on in here. Glad it helped your grip issues.

Is the tight hip flexor limiting you in full squats or regular squats? Going all the way down or more weight?

Feeling good about measurement day?

[Kaiser]

More weight. My knees limit my squat depth, which is slightly below parallel.

Lots of changing? Huh? I thought not enough.

No, not feeling too good about measurements. I already know that my weight and belly numbers will be virtually no change. Which is why I want to go down in kcals.

OK, back to creating my final and watching Jennifer Garner in hi-def. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[cappuccino]

Well watch out for those splurges when you go down in kcals (Jennifer Garner splurges are ok, she won't cost you any kcals ) Seems like you haven't talked about those binges lately.

[Kaiser]

Binges? Craig has my fitday password and jumped all over me about the hot dog. remember? [img]smile.gif[/img] I'm a procrastinator and the retreat and meeting with you and JP is looming, so... maybe I'm getting serious. But it may be too little too late.

Jennifer Garner could get the HR going a little faster, thus burning more calories.

[cappuccino]

I found some chicken hot dogs, 4g Fat, no nitrates and all that other crap, and taste much better than oscar mayer. Hot dogs are what 20g fat and 2g protein? A real one would make me sick to my stomach, I think.

Yeah, next thing you know you'll be justifying that hot dog from that great tv show you watched [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Kaiser]

Ugh... have tried faux dogs. No good. If I'm going to have one, I'd rather have a real one. Loaded with onions, relish, hot peppers... not that bad overall.

[Kaiser]

3 Week Results

That screeeching sound you hear is my progress coming to a halt.

Here’s my results after 3 weeks. As usual, there will always be measurement variance. I have only included the difference since last week because there has essentially been no change at all - all numbers are within measurement variance tolerances.


................... last 7 days change
Weight: (172.50 lbs) -0.5 lbs
BF%: ~ +0.5%
Fat GAIN: 0.75lb
Waist: -0.13”
Right Arm: +0.13”
Left Thigh: no change
Left Calf: no change
Chest: +0.25”


Diet
Craig, here's the averages for the last week and 2 weeks:

Last week: 1995 kcals 33%P/32%C/35%F of which 8% of total was saturated; Every day was logged.

Last 2 weeks: 1962 kcals 34%P/33%C/33%F of which 7% of total was saturated. 1 day not logged.

Averaging around 160 grams protein per day during both time periods.


Comments
-Total lack of progress this last week. I am alternately extremely pissed off and bummed out.

-Possible causes of plateau as I see it:
a) increasing kcals goal from 1800 to 2000 kcals/day.
b) no bicycle rides in last week. Usually have one long ride on Sunday and one recovery on Monday; this week I did HIIT on those days. Instead of burning 3800 kcals over two days of endurance work (riding), I burned 600 kcals over 2 days of HIIT instead. Yeah, but we all know that HIIT is MUCH AND EXPONENTIALLY BETTER for fat loss (insert extremely sarcastic and pissed comment emoticon).

Otherwise, all other factors, sleep, macros have remained the same. If anything I have eaten better and am sucking down so much water and green tea that I am peeing every 2 to 3 hours, avoided large calorie cheat days, and lifted heavier (which should theoretically bring a better metabolic response). I am getting stronger, which I know is a pathway to fat loss, but that is little consolation right now. My past pattern of regular and predictable loss, the one I thought I had found again, is gone once more.

If the weather was good enough, I'm discouraged enough to go on a catabolism-wreaking 4 hour bike ride.

OK, now that I've vented (partly for dramatic purposes for Capp [img]smile.gif[/img] ), I'm ready to get back to it. At least I have found a stasis point where I am maintaining. Time to move from there. Craig, any other suggestions besides the decrease in kcals?

[Craig]

I would eat more protein.

The elliptical machine, you are finding out, is a waste of time. That's why I do not recommend using it.

Craig

[cappuccino]

don't get discouraged, Kaiser. You can't really expect change every single day of the week. Stick with it and you'll be pleased. Weren't you the one that told me progress wasn't linear??

I find that I tend to get results in spurts.

I was wondering about the elliptical Hiit...they're convenient and a nice change from treadmills, but I never really got the same resistance push from them.

I figured you were saving the bike for your outdoor rides, instead of hiit.

[Kaiser]

The weather has been bad here - cold, windy as heck, and rainy. We haven't seen 70 degrees in 2 weeks and have been below normal for a week now, so I haven't been riding outdoors.

I get my HR up during the ellipticals and crank up the resistance so that I can barely make the 30 seconds at my goal RPM, so I'm not sure why it wouldn't be good.... as long as the HR goes up and I go anaerobic, does it matter how it is done? BTW, I use the ellipticals with the arms. The movement is supposed to be much the same as running, just not as jarring to the joints. Craig? What are my options besides the bike?


Wednesday, April 28th

Discouragement kind of forced me to take a day off. After my last class of the semester (other than the final), I just wanted to go home. Had super-thin crust cheese pizza in class, but not a lot. Maybe I just needed a mental break too, because my last rest day was last Friday. I just didn't want to take one today because I will be taking one on Saturday to rest my legs for my Sunday morning 45-50 mile group bike ride.

The positive is that now that teaching classes is over until next fall (I refused to teach over the summer because the classes are 2 nights a week for a total of 7 hours!!), I have more flexibility in going out on the bike and riding intervals and having to go in and lift.

Diet
1867 kcals

41%P (184 grams)/ 27%C (137 grams)/ 32%F (65 grams) of which 7% of total was saturated.

Considering I had pizza for dinner, not too bad. Pounded the protein shakes today. Need to eat more veggies.

[cappuccino]

A rest day is always good, especially if you've been on since last fri.

Remember that the other vitals were all good too. I would take a week off from measuring and weighing, especially if not getting the results you want in a short time period will throw you off the wagon.

Looks like you did fine today. And like your post in another thread...it's a long term continuous lifestyle change....

[emartin10]

Maybe a rest day and pizza will be good for you, will probably get you pumped up to get back into the gym. Don't get discouraged man, I know it's very easy to do. Just keep pushing, and if you a boost, check out one of your own threads:

http://forums.jpfitness.com/noncgi/u.../t/003236.html

You have the retreat coming up soon! Keep that in mind, I really think that will be a great motivation booster as well! You're going to have a blast man.

Keep working hard man, it'll be worth it. Congrats on the completed semester too!

[BamaDave]

Originally posted by Kaiser:
Yeah, but we all know that HIIT is MUCH AND EXPONENTIALLY BETTER for fat loss (insert extremely sarcastic and pissed comment emoticon).

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!

Have you tried the P/F and P/C meal approach, or has that concept faded these days?? I tried that for a sorta kinda bulk last Summer, and it did seem to alter how my body handled the caloric intake (i.e. I was eating enough extra calories compared with pre-bulk to gain weight, but instead I held steady for weeks and weeks).

[Kaiser]

C- of course you're right, as usual. If I had weighed myself today, I would have shown a half pound loss.

E- thanks for the encouragement. I was just a little pissed yesterday. [img]smile.gif[/img]

D- I just try to eat clean, following Craig's guidelines. Haven't tried Berardi's P/F, P/C approach. Thanks for the advice though.

[Kaiser]

Friday, April 29th


Resistance
Stage 1, Workout B
beginning week 4 - last week before switching exercises

General Warmup
Specific Warm-up: Snatch-grip Deadlift: 95X8, 115X8, 145X8
Bench press 95X10 (added this in myself to make sure shoulders were loose)

Workout:

-Snatch-Grip Deads: 205lbsX8reps, 215X8, 225X8
-Close Grip Bench: 130X8, 135X8, 140X6 (failure)

-DB Row: 60X8, 65X8, 65X8
-DB Low-Incline Press (401 tempo): 55eachX8X 3 sets

-Underhand Seated Row (on ground-cable machine): 155X6X3 sets
-1-Arm Standing DB Press: 40X7eachX3sets

-DB O/H Triceps Extension: 25eachX6, 25X8(L)/7(R -failure), 20X9each(failure)
-DB Incline Curls: 25eachX8X3sets

Cool down: 5 minutes treadmill walk, 0.25 mile and stretching

Craig told me I should start geting up in weights, so I got pissed and lifted more in almost every set than I have been. Anger is a good motivator to lift heavier.

I had the check of my hip flexors today (cute new trainer named Eva) - all is good, no excessive tightness. She did say the left side was a wee-bit tighter than the right and that if I was concerned about it limiting my squats, I should stretch it before I squat. After, she told me to keep her updated. I told her I would.

Oh yeah, I asked Craig and he said I could do the complexes at the end of this workout too. WIll add it next time.


Diet
1796 kcals

42%P (184 grams) / 24%C (124 grams) / 34%F (65 grams) of which only 5% of total was saturated.

Damn, Craig really gave me a kick in the ass about my diet. So I did what he recommended - fibrous veggies with my protein at lunch and dinner. Need to also add fish-oil caps. Pounded the protein again. Overall, a very good eating day. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Tomorrow is a rest day in deference of my long ride on Sunday.

Craig - my results are in your hands (and mine). [img]smile.gif[/img] I am following your advice as best I can. You'll find me a willing and eager student.

[cappuccino]

Wowee, Craig seems to be a lot tougher with you than he is with me. Wonder if that's because I'm a better student. [img]tongue.gif[/img] Or he's nicer cause I'm a girl. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Veggies are great. You can eat a ton, fill up, and feel like you've had a big meal with barely any calories. Not to mention they're good for you. It was tougher than I thought to get fruit or veggies in every meal.

Glad to see you're pushing forward and hard. It's not easy, but it works!

[Kaiser]

Probably because I need to get it in order more - and I should know better. I respond well to the 'stick', so it works for me.

I was eating a lot of veggies before I started pounding the protein. Will just go back to it now.