I'm starting a new training log, hoping that it will help keep me motivated in my quest to gain strength and lose fat.
My background is that when I was single I used to be an avid triathlete and mountain bike racer. I obviously concentrated on biking, swimming, and running, but I did some strength training and lots of stretching. However, my strength training consisted of doing the machine circuit at the gym a couple of times a week. Now that I'm married with a demanding job and family I don't train like I used to and I have gained fat and lost core strength and overall fitness. I also realized that the machine circuit wasn't working for me. Even though I was doing 2 or 3 sets of 8-12 reps to exhaustion, I wasn't able to increase the weight, so it wasn't actually making me stronger. So I started reading up on training with free weights and it made a lot of sense that doing whole-body movements with free weights would give me more functional strength for everyday activities like moving furniture and lifting my toddler, plus would give me a better workout.
So I started the NROL routines. To date I have completed Break-in, FLI, and FLII. I didn't lose any weight with the FL programs, and I don't think I lost any measurable fat, but I did gain some strength. I was able to increase the weight week to week. My muscles didn't gain any significant size, but they do feel more dense and firm to me. My diet has been poor, and that is why I haven't lost fat.
Following FLII I took a few weeks off due to a house move and famiy visit. Plus, I developed a tendonitis in my elbows from the lifting and have been letting that recover. I did a lot of moving furniture and boxes, though, so I have still been doing some heavy lifting.
So, here is my current state:
47 year old male
5'7"
165 lbs.
34" waist
At my peak triathlon condition I was 133 lbs with a 30" waist.
My goals are to get stronger and to lose fat. Some muscle size gain would be nice, but isn't a priority.
Here is my plan:
1. Start the Strength I program next week (my forearm tendons are still pretty sore and I hurt my back, so hopefully I'll be feeling good enough to start on Monday). I plan to start lifting 3 times a week, but might try to increase it to 4 times a week if I can manage that.
2. Do some running or cycling on the non-lifting days (I enjoy these too much to give them up and want to maintain my cardio fitness.)
3. Get my diet under control. I have already started this week. I am essentially following a clean eating plan, avoiding sugar, baked goods, fried foods, sodas, and most carbs that aren't whole-grain. I have no interest in counting calories, but I will keep portion sizes reasonable. When going out to eat I will make healthier choices.
I realize that it is hard to gain strength and lose fat at the same time, but as a relative newbie to lifting I think I can pull it off, and as long as I am either losing fat without losing strength or gaining strength without gaining fat I'll be happy with the improvement.
While doing StrengthI I plan to eat enough food, and especially protein, to support the strength development, but by clean eating I hope to lose some fat as well. I am not counting calories, but suspect that I'll be eating at maintenance or at a slight deficit. I will eat more following workouts to aid recovery. After I finish StrengthI I plan to do FLIII to get even leaner before the holidays.
Here's a little of my diet history:
After getting married 9 years ago I started gaining weight, going from 140 to an average of around 160, and most of the gain was fat. I was still doing a lot of biking, swimming, and running, but couldn't keep from gaining weight. My wife and I made some changes to our diet. I stopped drinking sodas and stopped putting sugar in my coffee. I started eating more fruits and vegetables and eating smaller portions. But I couldn't lose weight. I trained for and completed a triathlon and a marathon, and still didn't lose any weight. It was very frustrating.
Then my wife suggested doing Weight Watchers online, since it had worked from some of our friends. I stayed within my point limits for my goals, but still didn't lose weight (my wife did lose some). More frustration.
Then my wife suggested the South Beach Diet. I was against it, since it sounded like a very low carb diet, which didn't sound good to me for an endurance athlete. But I tried it. The first couple of days of phase 1 were really tough. I had no energy, had big cravings, and got headaches. But I stuck with it and after a few days I started feeling okay. After the 2 weeks in Phase 1 my cravings for carbs were much less and I had lost 4 lbs. I stuck with the SBD for awhile after that, but then selling (showing) and buying a house meant going out to eat a lot more, and I slipped back into eating too much and not making healthy choices.
This week, I went back to a healthy diet. I have been sugar free for 5 days, and it wasn't as hard as last time. I've had decent energy and no headaches. Some cravings still, but not too bad, and a cup of skim milk or some nuts usually satisfies them. It haven't gone as extreme as SBD Phase 1 since I am eating a little bit of fruit and some whole-grain carbs and I've had some wine, but I'm happy that I've stayed sugar free and I don't feel miserable.
I'll still have the occasional pizza or ice cream, but I'll keep the portions small and not eat them too often. I figure that I'm more likely to stick to a diet that isn't too extreme, and if I can follow clean eating at least 80% of the time it will be a significant improvement.
Summary for last week:
I stuck to my diet pretty well last week. I was totally sugar free until Sunday night when I had some ice cream. I also didn't have any fried foods and didn't have any bread until the weekend.
I lost maybe a pound last week. Nothing significant, but hopefully it's the start of a downward trend.
Today I plan to start Strength 1. I'm bummed because my forearms and back are still hurting, but I haven't lifted in nearly a month and I really want to start again.
I've never taken food supplements in the past, but am going to start drinking a Meso-tech protein shake (mixed with skim milk) after my strength workouts to help recovery and muscle repair.
I have no interest in counting calories, but I figure I'm eating at a deficit. If I can lose some fat and still increase my weights each week, then I figure I'm doing well. If I stop gaining strength then I'll start eating more.
This was my first Strength 1 workout, and I'm a newbie lifter, so it was hard to figure out how much weight to use. I erred on the side of too light to make sure I didn't hurt myself and to ensure proper form. I know these are wimpy weights and I am quite weak, but that's why I am working on my strength.
Squat
Set 1, 6 reps 95 lbs. (was a little too light)
Set 2, 1 rep 120 lbs. (felt too easy)
Set 3, 6 reps, 110 lbs (better, this is where I'll start next time)
Set 4, 1 rep 130 lbs (could have gone heavier)
Set 5, 12 reps, 90 lbs (good burn)
Set 6, 20 reps, 85 lbs (good weight for 20 reps)
BSS
used body weight, and still couldn't get to 15 reps on both legs
Step-up
used 4 risers on a step bench, 5 or 6 might have been better. Held 20 lb dumbells. Grip strength started to give out at the end, but I made the 15 reps each side on each set.
Then back extensions and swiss ball crunch sets, using just body weight.
Notes: Didn’t sleep well once again. Not sure if it is due to the workouts or diet or stress or some combination.
I was going to run, but my legs were pretty sore from Monday's Strength 1(A) workout, so I decided to Strength 1(B), which is more of an upper body workout.
I was on my own for dinner, so I heated up some green veggies then added a small cheese omelet and a blackberry yogurt smoothie for protein.
I took a rest day today. I was pretty sore all over from the Mon & Tues Strength 1 workouts, and my lower back is still hurting. I even got a massage, which is rare for me (once or twice a year), but I'm going to start getting one every month.
Diet is still going well.
- Breakfast was some Kashi Go-Lean cereal with skim milk, and coffee
- Mid-morning I ate a boiled egg and drank some v8 juice (to get some vegetables in the morning)
- Lunch was a salad with lots of veggies, garbanzo beans, and fat-free Catalina dressing and some string cheese
- Afternoon snack was a nectarine and some celery with hummus
- For dinner I sauteed some mixed vegetables in olive oil with some seasoning, and crumbled some cashews on top, and also had a moderate portion of roasted chicken. It was very yummy.
- Before bed I had some decaf hot tea with agave nectar in it. I know the agave nectar is a sugar, but it satsfies my desire for dessert and it doesn't cause a blood sugar spike like honey or processed sugar. Besides, I've been sugar free otherwise, so I figure I'm doing pretty well.
That doesn't look like a lot of food, but I'm still not losing weight. Hopefully I'm gaining muscle and losing fat, but I can't tell. I guess I need to start measuring my body fat percentage.
When I did FLI and FLII I didn't lose any weight and didn't lose any noticeable fat, but my diet also was not under control. I did gain strength, though. Now I am starting Strength I and also starting a diet. I am not counting calories, but I am clean eating, avoiding sugar and baked goods and processed and fried foods, and I suspect that I'm eating at a deficit.
Thursday I did Strength 1(C) and it was so much tougher than the A or B workouts for me. I was drenched in sweat and dripping on the floor and out of breath. Great workout.
- Breakfast was a 1-egg omelet with cheese, & coffee with skim milk
- Had a handful of pistachios mid-morning
- Lunch, following the weightlifting workout, was some roasted turkey breast, Brussels sprouts, and a Meso-tech protein shake
- mid-afternoon ate some more pistachios and drank some v8 juice
- For supper, my wife made some "Wendy's" style chili, which is a lower fat chili that is South Beach approved.
- Before bedtime I had some decaf hot tea with agave nectar
Just came by so you wouldn't feel all lonely and stuff over here.
I know I just told you that you should stick with plan for a month and give it a chance to work, but let me make the comment that a diet like the one you are laying out would be a disaster for me. The low carbs are crazy-making for lots of people.
Just a thought. If you hate counting calories, maybe a palm/fist BFL type diet might be better for you? I can explain it if you've never heard of it.
Thanks for the response, Fang. I looked up the BFL diet, and I think what I'm doing is similar, although lower in carbs. I do get some carbs, though. I have cereal or oatmeal for breakfast about every other day (alternating with eggs), and I have fruit, beans, and vegetable juice. I'll also eat whole-grain carbs like brown rice or whole wheat pasta or bread.
I do love carbs, though. I could (and have) sit down and eat a loaf of good bread for a meal. I love pizza (who doesn't?) and ice cream (who doesn't?), and I've always had a sweet tooth. I realized that I needed to get that under control, which is why I am limiting carbs to whole foods or whole grains.
I am also trying to make meals based on vegetables, with some added meat and/or pasta/rice/potato, which is a whole new way of thinking. My wife still bases meals on meat or pasta or rice with vegetables as an afterthought, so it's been difficult to switch.
The other big change we've made recently is not going out to eat as much. We were spending a fortune and generally overeating high calorie foods. Now we are trying to limit restaurant eating to once a week, and I am making healthier choices from the menu.
Well, my diet wasn't so good over the weekend. My wife thinks that if she eats pretty well during the week she can eat anything on the weekend. I don't think that's a good plan, so I try to avoid doing that, but sometimes I give in a bit. I do allow myself a treat and one big meal each week, but I went beyond that this weekend.
On Friday night we met some friends for a school fundraiser spaghetti dinner. So I ended up eating spaghetti with meatballs, fetuccini alfredo with chicken, garlic bread, and some Italian ice for dessert. In hindsight I should have just had some salad and a small serving of spaghetti, but I was I did a hard trail run at lunchtime on Friday and was pretty hungry.
On Saturday I did a lot of brush clearing in the yard, so I got some exercise that way. I actually skipped breakfast, which I almost never do, and grabbed a small subway sandwich for lunch (no chips and drank water), so I did pretty well up to that point. But then we went to a burger place for a family gathering for dinner, and I ate a fried fish sandwich and some fries. I also had a rootbeer float, which was my big treat for the week.
Then on Sunday I again did some house projects and took care of my son while my wife did some projects. We were so busy and had some painters in the house, so we just got a pizza for lunch. So I ate some pizza for lunch and later on for a snack, and even had some Pepsi with it. After that, though, I really wasn't hungry for dinner, so I just ate some grapes and shared some cheese with my son while I fed him. Finally, after I put him to bed I made time to do my NROL workout. I did Strength 1(D). It didn't feel like a very hard workout (1C was really hard) and I barely broke a sweat. I think part of it is because I can't do very many chin-ups, so I do assist them with my feet on a chair, and the overhead press and barbell bench press don't work the whole body like deadlifts and squats do.
Surprisingly, my weight was actually down a couple of pounds this morning. I'm might just be dehydrated; however, my pants felt looser today so hopefully I am losing some fat. Today it's back to Strength 1(A), planning to add about 10 lbs to the weight I used last week.
Back to Strength 1(A) for the second time. I increased my weights from last week, so that was good, but then died on the step-ups. I went from 4 to 5 spacers under an aerobic step and also increased the dumbbell weights, and it was too much.
I know this isn't much weight, but that's why I'm doing strength training.
Squat 105/6, 135/1, 115/6, 145/1, 95/12, 95/20 BSS BW/10, BW/9, BW/10 (still can't make the 15 reps for both legs) Step-Up 25/15, 20/8 (died), 15/10 (died) Back Extension BW/10, BW/10 Swiss Ball Crunch BW/10, BW/10
I read your response on one of the other logs about your diet, and thought I'd come visit your log .
I have also found that eating within a certain caloric/points value does not equal weight loss for me, but eating clean does. Plus, I don't like to count calories, so it works for me. Except that I'm discovering that because I eat well most of the time and workout a lot, I feel that I can treat myself. Those treats easily get out of hand, though, and hence my weight gain (I think also being nearly 40 doesn't help, either!)
Keep up the great work with NROL - I'm currently doing FLI on the program. And congrats on the looser pants!
Thanks, Tawny. I'm close to 50, and you're right, that doesn't help. I also work long days, have a long commute, and have a toddler at home, so I can't exercise as much as I used to.
When I was in my late 20's and early 30's I was an avid triathlete. I commuted on my bicycle, swam 2000 yds before work every day, and during lunch either ran or lifted weights. I would ride extra hill repeats on my ride home once a week and ride an extra long distance another day. On Saturday I would do a 60 mile ride immediately followed by an 8 mile run. On Sunday I rested. I also did a lot of stretching and core strengthening. I was eating all the time, anything I wanted, and I couldn't keep from losing weight. I actually got worried because I got below 130 lbs. at one point. I was probably overtained a lot of the time, which I found is a great way to lose weight, but probably not healthy in the long run. Now I eat way less and way healthier and still gain weight.
Good luck with FLI. I enjoyed the FL programs. I like that feeling of being sweaty and winded during a workout. On the Strength programs I hate the long rests between sets. Following Strength 1, I plan to do FLIII. I was going to then do Strength 2, but I I might try Hyp I and see how I like it.
Today I did Strength 1(B). It was a good workout. I added a little weight from last weight, 5 or 10 lbs on most of the exercises. I also did the bench presses on a regular bench instead of the smith machine, except for one of the heavy 1-reps because I didn't have a spotter and figured the smith machine was safer.
I keep reading on this forum about people doing 300+ lb. bench presses. My heaviest was 145, not even my own weight, so I guess I'm pretty weak. I'm not discouraged, though, and I'll keep at it.
I had a pretty big meal after my workout at lunchtime. I've been feeling like I might not be eating enough following a workout for full recovery and muscle building, so I decided to eat more following the workout. I had some roasted chicken, grilled veggies, wild rice pilaf, and a protein shake. I am also trying to lose fat, so I am trying to balance getting plenty of post-exercise nutrition with not taking in too many calories overall.
My weight has been holding steady at 162 all week.
Went for a trail run today. Ran for 50 minutes. I have shifted my exercise emphasis to weightlifting, but I still love running, especially on trails, and I think endurance exercise is necessary for total fitness and health. For me, nothing relieves stress like a trail run or mountain bike ride. The combination of exercising for a relatively long time and being out in nature just does so much for my well-being. Plus, the trails I run are pretty hilly, so I get a pretty intense workout. And I don't seem to get injured running trails like I do running on the road. I also believe that keeping an elevated heatrate for at least 30 minutes straight is necessary to maintain cardiovascular fitness and health.
The area where I ran has 2 rivers that join there, and most of the trails either run along a river or run on a ridge with a view of a river. It's a very pretty place. I also saw several deer, which was cool.
The diet is still going pretty well. I haven't given in to sweets, other than a little agave nectar in my evening tea. I was down a pound today, but I also felt dehydrated, so it's probably water weight.
No workout yesterday. I was planning to do Strength 1(C) on my lunch break, but ended up having to work through lunch. Then I got home late and helped my wife deal with a sick kid and didn't have time left for a workout. Life happens.
I also ate too much. I have generally been avoiding carbs that aren't whole grain, but occasionally might have a sandwich. Well, for supper I ate a whole Panera sandwich. Half would have been plenty, especially since I didn't work out.
My weight was back up to 163 this morning, but my pants still fit a bit looser, so hopefully the weight gain isn't fat.
No workout yesterday. I was planning to do Strength 1(C) on my lunch break, but ended up having to work through lunch. Then I got home late and helped my wife deal with a sick kid and didn't have time left for a workout. Life happens.
I also ate too much. I have generally been avoiding carbs that aren't whole grain, but occasionally might have a sandwich. Well, for supper I ate a whole Panera sandwich. Half would have been plenty, especially since I didn't work out.
My weight was back up to 163 this morning, but my pants still fit a bit looser, so hopefully the weight gain isn't fat.
Don't beat yourself up! Life happens - I highlighted the important part of your last post
Well, once again my diet wasn't so good over the weekend, but it wasn't a total failure either. On Saturday we went out for some pizza. I just had one slice and a salad, so it wasn't too bad, although I did drink some pepsi with it. Then later on I treated myself to a root beer float.
On Sunday my wife wanted a burger so we went out for a burger. Not only did I eat a big burger but I ate some fries as well. I did avoid the pepsi though and drank unsweetened tea. I didn't eat much else that day, so my total calories were probably not too terrible.
Then on Monday we again had some commitments that prevented cooking at home so we went out for Mexican food. I had a beef and pork dish that probably wasn't too bad, but I eat too much and also ate some chips and had a margarita. I used to drink margaritas a couple of times a week, but hadn't had one in months. This place has great margaritas, so I couldn't resist. Again, other than this meal all I ate was vegetables, so overall not a total failure.
As you can see, going out to restaurants is my downfall. They serve portions that are too big and end up eating it. Fortunately, we aren't going out very often now, usually just a couple of times a week. And I generally make better choices now when we do go out, usually avoiding fried foods and drinking iced tea.
As far as exercise, on Saturday I didn't manage to do an actual workout, but I did do a lot of yard work, including clearing brush, which was pretty hard work.
On Sunday I did a 5-mile run with intervals, and I did NROL Strength 1(D).
My weight is holding pretty steady, but my wife said that I look like I've lost weight, so hopefully my body composition is improving. I really need to start measuring my fat to find out for sure.
Today I did Strength 1(A) for the third time, and I totally died during the BSS/Step up sets. I increased the weight of my squats from last week and felt strong. I've also been studying some online videos and improved my squat form. I'm guessing it was the increased squat weight that caused me to die during the BSS/Step up workouts. I decresed my weights from last week and decreased them each set, but still could never do the full 15 reps. I did get a great workout, though -- drenched in sweat, out of breath, and wobbly-legged. Good stuff.
Yesterday was my 9th wedding anniversary, so my wife and I took the day off of work, dropped off our 2-year old with his grandmother for the morning, and enjoyed some time together.
We went out to breakfast, and I ate a couple of eggs, bacon, potatoes, and part of a blueberry muffin. Not so good for my diet, but I think it's healthy to celebrate on occasion.
Then we went to a movie and had some popcorn and a coke.
And for dinner we went out for Thai food. I had some chicken curry with rice and a Thai iced tea (which is sweet).
However, I did manage to do a workout last night after putting our son to bed. I did Strength 1(B) for the 3rd time.
I lifted on Tuesday and Wednesday, so today I am planning to do a 5 mile trail run
My weight is still holding pretty steady. I was hoping to lose some, but I am getting stronger and pants are a bit looser, so I'm seeing some positive changes anyway.
I haven't updated this log in a week, so here is an update.
I am still doing well with NROL Strength 1. I'm on my last week of it. One issue I've had this week is that I seem to have lost some strength. After increasing my weights each week, this week I have had to stay at last week's weights, and have even failed on some of them. I'm pretty sure I'm eating enough, actually I have been eating too much this past week -- I gained a couple of pounds. Or perhaps I'm a little overtrained -- I have added some more intense running on my non-lifting days. Anyway, I will rest for a week or two after I finish Strength 1, and during the rest week I will just do a lot of stretching, some swimming, maybe some pilates and yoga, and a little running.
I did a pretty hard run yesterday, while pushing my 30-lb son in a jogging stroller. Ran about 5 miles with intervals as follows:
10 minute easy jog warmup
2 minutes fast, 2 minutes easy (4 times)
90 seconds fast, 90 seconds easy (3 times)
1 minute fast, 1 to 2 minutes easy (3 times)
20 to 30 second strides, with ~1 minute easy in between (3 times)
Cool down jog
One issue I found was that I was really hungry the rest of the day. I always thought that more aerobic exercise was great for fat loss, and that intense running can actually raise resting metabolic rate for hours afterwards, but I've recently learned that the hunger generated from this exercise can actually make it very tough to stick to a diet.
Today was Strength 1(B), and I even added a couple of miles of intervals on the treadmill afterward. I generally never run 2 days in a row, but I've been wanting to try some running after the weightlifting to try to increase my fat burn. It was hard.
Today I completed the NROL Strength I program. My plan now is to stop lifting for the rest of this week and perhaps next week too. The tendons on the inside of the insides of my elbows have been hurting for months, so I want to rest them and let them heal before I start lifting again. Apparently it is called medial epicondylitis, or golfer's elbow.
While not lifting for a week or two, I plan to do some other things like running, swimming, some plyometrics, maybe cycling, maybe some yoga or pilates. So I will still be active, but it just won't be lifting. I also plan to do some more extreme dieting during the break, or at least stick to my diet better. I didn't lose any weight during Strength I even though I made some significant changes to my diet, so I am going to try some more extreme dieting and see what happens.
Then the next program I plan to do is Fat Loss III.
I started this log a little over a month ago. My main goals were to get stronger and lose fat.
During this month I started and completed the NROL Strength I program. I was able to increase my weight each week until the final week. For some reason I seemed to lose a little strength during the final week.
I have been doing a clean eating diet for the past month. Eating lots more vegetables, good lean proteins, and almost completely avoiding sugar and baked goods. However, I haven't lost weight. I was maintaining my weight before, and now I have to be eating fewer calories, so I should be at a deficit and losing weight. I don't count calories, but the significant dietary changes I've made should have resulted in a reduction in caloric intake. I do cheat a little on the weekends, but I'm still clean eating and eating moderate portions at least 80% of the time.
The positives are that my pants fit a bit looser and I have gained some strength overall.
Current weight: 163 (with significant pudge around my middle)
I have made big changes to my diet over the past month. Mostly clean eating, avoiding sugar, processed foods, fried foods, and baked goods, and limiting carbs to mostly whole grains. However, I haven't lost any weight. To be fair, I probably have gained some lean mass -- some muscles seem a little bigger, or at least more solid, and my pants fit just a little bit looser. But I'm still not losing fat as rapidly as I'd like to.
So I am trying not to eat today until supper. I did have some black coffee and I took a fish oil pill and a calcium supplement, but that's it so far.
I did have an extra large supper last night, so this may not be a large calorie deficit, but I didn't want to make this too hard since I haven't tried this before. I finished NROL Strength 1 yesterday, so the big meal was a reward as well as preparation for today's intermittent fast. I ate a baked pasta dish with cheese and meat and garlic bread, so it was calorie-dense and loaded with carbs and fat compared to my more usual veggies and protein.
Today is an easy training day, so I thought it would be a good day to try the fasting. I did a pilates video this morning. I hadn't done any pilates in a long time, and I needed it. It helps my chronic back pain more than anything else I've tried. Then during lunch I did a short swim (1000 yds) and stretched in the jacuzzi and sauna. It was more therapy than a workout. It was my first time in the pool since March, and since my gym membership is expiring soon, probably my last swim for a long time. During this rest week (or two) from lifting I will be doing these sorts of recovery/mobility/therapy workouts, including pilates, yoga, and bodyweight calisthenics.
I really wanted something to eat this morning before my swim, but now I'm not feeling too bad.
This is just an experiment so help figure out what works for me as far as fat loss. As you can tell, I'm pretty clueless. If you have any advice or comments, let me know.
Well, I got through the intermittent fast just fine. I went 24 hours without food and didn't feel bad. My supper was pretty big, but it was mostly nutritious stuff. I sauteed a bunch of mixed veggies in olive oil and had a bowl of homemade chili made with ground turkey and beans and veggies. I also had a few tortilla chips (the one bad thing). Then I finished with a strawberry smoothie (non-fat plain yogurt, frozen strawberries, whey protein, and some agave nectar).
Weight was down a couple of pounds this morning, probably water weight loss.
This morning I ate a bowl of Kashi Go-Lean cereal with skim milk.
Should be nice weather today, so I'm planning to do a trail run.
BB's Strength and Fat Loss Journal
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