Octatonic: 2011 diet and training journal

Hi popped in to say hi!  You are doing really well.  Looking at the photo's defo see positive changes - keep up with it. It's a long road but we are all on it with you! 

Have a great wkd

Kels Journal to The British NPA Finals 2011:  http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/Kels-Progress-Journal-m3844897.aspx
 

Thanks Kels.

Great workout today.
Chest Press:             4 sets x 64 kg, 12 reps                   
Cable Upright Row:   4 sets x 50 kg, 12 reps        
Seated Row:             4 sets x 56 kg, 12 reps         
Hamstring Curl:        4 sets x 63 kg, 12 reps                    
Standing Dbell Curl:   4 sets x 18 kg, 12 reps  
Standing calf raise:     4 sets x 106kg, 12 reps  
Stand Barbell Curl:     3 sets x 27.5kg 12 reps            
Tricep Cable Pulldwn: 4 sets x 50 kg, 12 reps   



Been a week since the last pics- just one for today though as I have to head out.
Getting there, slowly but surely.

Thanks mate.
Funny you mention it, I can feel a cold coming on.

I am eating around 1700 calories a day at the moment so a deficit of about 450 calories.
Working out 6 days a week with a weekly carb up (which is today).
Also a rest day today- bliss.

Back up to 103.8kg today but that is obviously holding onto some water.
I am back at university next week so it is going to be interesting to see if I manage to stick 100% to the diet and exercise AND do 18 contact hours a week and around 30 hours of study/practice on top of that (and my usual amount of teaching & playing).

I'm pretty disciplined so it should be too much of a problem.

Hey there mister...that is a cool piccie!! whey heeeeeey...... all looking good in Octantintonitics journal...GREAT!!!....

looking good in the pic mate . the guns, r getting there as my mate call,s them .  so back at uni this will be good to see how u get on with it i,m sure with they way u have came u won,t let this stop u

chest : 42 1/4 
arms  :R 15 1/2  L 15 1/2"
waist :29 1/4    skinney weee heeee
bum :371/2
legs   :R 24 1/2" L24 1/2 "

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=4689705&mpage=1#4689705

Thanks NG & stevenb.
Yeah it is all coming together.
My clothes aren't quite hanging off me but my jeans that I couldn't close 9 weeks ago are now loose about my waist.
That is a good feeling.
I have a couple of shirts that I've not bee comfortable wearing for a while that I fit back into.

I've had a great day today.
Feel completely carbed-up and rested.

Food for today was:

Breakfast: Eggs, wholemeal toast, 2 homemade hashbrowns, beans, tomato
Lunch: 100g chicken, 1 cup of couscous, large salad
Dinner: small amount of lamb/vege stirfry on top of a mountain of brown rice.
Dessert/cheat: Chocolate muffin.

Moderate protein, pretty low in fat, loads of low GI carbs and a sanity treat.
In my 9th week with no booze.
Feeling great for it. 
No gym today but still got in a walk with the dog for about an hour.
Back in the gym tomorrow feeling refreshed.

Goal for this week is just to keep working & moving forward.
If I can get under 102kg by the end of it I will be stoked.


Have a great week everyone.

good good mate good to see things all going well .got to love the cheat tho mate lol awsome .mind u need a cheat to keep u going pal

chest : 42 1/4 
arms  :R 15 1/2  L 15 1/2"
waist :29 1/4    skinney weee heeee
bum :371/2
legs   :R 24 1/2" L24 1/2 "

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=4689705&mpage=1#4689705

Hi mate... welldone on the progress, definately looking leaner in this week's pic!.. great work.

You wanna be careful that gun doesn't go off

Make every week count!!.. Train hard!! Diet harder!! 

Never give up!!

Gun?...is that a man joke?..what's a gun please?...is that rude?...errrmm...mebbe I don't need to know...lol....

:-)

Did 45 mins cardio today- 30 mins bike & 15 mins crosstrainer.
Back on the 185lb keto diet.
Feel a bit watery and sluggish but I'll drop it in a day or so and be back on form.

Upper body weights only today as I had a 5m walk around London yesterday afternoon and very tired in the low body.

Chest Press:             4 sets x 64 kg, 12 reps                    
Cable Upright Row:   4 sets x 50 kg, 12 reps         
Seated Row:             4 sets x 56 kg, 12 reps                              
Standing Dbell Curl:   4 sets x 18 kg, 12 reps      
Stand Barbell Curl:     4 sets x 27.5kg 12 reps             
Tricep Cable Pulldwn: 4 sets x 50 kg, 12 reps  

Feeling a bit jittery from the clen but I am sure it will calm down.

Northerngal


Gun?...is that a man joke?..what's a gun please?...is that rude?...errrmm...mebbe I don't need to know...lol....

it,s what the american,s call arm pal there gun,s

chest : 42 1/4 
arms  :R 15 1/2  L 15 1/2"
waist :29 1/4    skinney weee heeee
bum :371/2
legs   :R 24 1/2" L24 1/2 "

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=4689705&mpage=1#4689705

octatonic


Upper body weights only today as I had a 5m walk around London yesterday afternoon and very tired in the low body.

Chest Press:             4 sets x 64 kg, 12 reps                    
Cable Upright Row:   4 sets x 50 kg, 12 reps         
Seated Row:             4 sets x 56 kg, 12 reps                              
Standing Dbell Curl:   4 sets x 18 kg, 12 reps      
Stand Barbell Curl:     4 sets x 27.5kg 12 reps             
Tricep Cable Pulldwn: 4 sets x 50 kg, 12 reps  

Feeling a bit jittery from the clen but I am sure it will calm down.

going up in the weights eh mate welldone . thats some change since the start ain,t it
no wonder they arms r looking sweet with bb curls off 27.5,s

chest : 42 1/4 
arms  :R 15 1/2  L 15 1/2"
waist :29 1/4    skinney weee heeee
bum :371/2
legs   :R 24 1/2" L24 1/2 "

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=4689705&mpage=1#4689705

stevenb

Northerngal


Gun?...is that a man joke?..what's a gun please?...is that rude?...errrmm...mebbe I don't need to know...lol....

it,s what the american,s call arm pal there gun,s

 
A gun is an arm?...oh...I didn't realise that....on man....I was thinking it was some sort of man joke referrring to ...errrmmm......something else a bit lower down...  ...ya know...an in joke between men....lol....I obviously have a lot to learn...hahahaha....and I'm not even a young person....durrrrr.....but clearly blonde!!!!...lolol...thanks..
 
Octantic....you are doing soo very well...and I'm really glad....don't go mad will you?..ya know slowly but surely and all that..it will stay off better that way too....sorry to sound like your ma....I just want you to still be happy about your weight in 6 months time and not just for 5 minutes....take care mister......

Northerngal

stevenb

Northerngal


Gun?...is that a man joke?..what's a gun please?...is that rude?...errrmm...mebbe I don't need to know...lol....

it,s what the american,s call arm pal there gun,s

 
A gun is an arm?...oh...I didn't realise that....on man....I was thinking it was some sort of man joke referrring to ...errrmmm......something else a bit lower down...  ...ya know...an in joke between men....lol....I obviously have a lot to learn...hahahaha....and I'm not even a young person....durrrrr.....but clearly blonde!!!!...lolol...thanks..
 
Octantic....you are doing soo very well...and I'm really glad....don't go mad will you?..ya know slowly but surely and all that..it will stay off better that way too....sorry to sound like your ma....I just want you to still be happy about your weight in 6 months time and not just for 5 minutes....take care mister......

lol u r mad pal no wonder we all love u

chest : 42 1/4 
arms  :R 15 1/2  L 15 1/2"
waist :29 1/4    skinney weee heeee
bum :371/2
legs   :R 24 1/2" L24 1/2 "

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=4689705&mpage=1#4689705

Ok, so a few things have changed in the last couple of days.

Decided that after 9 weeks of keto that it simply isn't working for me as well as it is for some other people.
The weight loss that I have experienced is basically the same as any other calorie controlled diet- around 1lb a week.
If I can eat a balanced diet and lose around the same amount of weight then that is what I am going to do.
I am not saying that it doesn't work, but it hasn't been a significant advantage to me so far and requires a fair amount of what is for me pointless sacrifice.  
I tried it for 9 weeks and it has been an interesting process but I definitely feel it is time to move on.


I was originally attracted to keto because it had zero tolerance for alcohol.
I am pretty sure I am in the rhythm of it now and I will be able to stay off the booze.

I am reintroducing carbs slowly over the next 3 weeks and then going to employ Healthy Action to do me a diet program that will help me continue to lose weight.
Adding in 30g of carbs per day for this week and then 60g the week after then 90 the week after that.

Still eating clean and off the booze, still training as much as ever.
Still have my focus.
Weight is stable at 103kg (so 7kg in 9 weeks).

Yesterday was an hour of cardio- cross trainer & bike.
Today was an upper body workout:

Chest Press:             4 sets x 64 kg, 12 reps                    
Cable Upright Row:   4 sets x 50 kg, 12 reps         
Seated Row:             4 sets x 56 kg, 12 reps          
Hamstring Curl:        4 sets x 63 kg, 12 reps                     
Standing Dbell Curl:   4 sets x 18 kg, 12 reps   
Standing calf raise:     4 sets x 106kg, 12 reps   
Stand Barbell Curl:     3 sets x 27.5kg 12 reps             
Tricep Cable Pulldwn: 4 sets x 50 kg, 12 reps   

I did the last set of all exercises to failure.
Onwards and upwards.

Great decision!!... good luck with your new direction and i'm sure Healthy Action will keep you on track!!

I found cutting with carbs worked for me!!.. at least 150g a day!!

Make every week count!!.. Train hard!! Diet harder!! 

Never give up!!

Flanders


Great decision!!... good luck with your new direction and i'm sure Healthy Action will keep you on track!!

I found cutting with carbs worked for me!!.. at least 150g a day!!

Thanks Flanders.
I actually took something you said in the members interview to heart- something about 'doing too many changes at once'.

Sure, I can live on a very limited diet for a while- 9 weeks apparently is my limit- but it isn't something I would enjoy in the long term.
I'm not talking about going back to my old habits- just taking a long term view.
My 9 week diet has taught me a lot though, not the least of which is dropping the booze is completely doable.

hi mate . i,ve been watching u as u know the reason is my brother in the same boat as u but all he,s been doing is alot off cardio and cutting out crap food,s he,s done realy well as u have one thing i keep telling him look at what u have done and focus on the following weeks  your doing great so keep with it pal

chest : 42 1/4 
arms  :R 15 1/2  L 15 1/2"
waist :29 1/4    skinney weee heeee
bum :371/2
legs   :R 24 1/2" L24 1/2 "

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=4689705&mpage=1#4689705

Been very busy for the last 3 weeks as I went back to university.

Exercise has continued throughout- I figured it would be better to hit the gym than to post at MT.
I will still check in from time to time.

Diet has been an adjustment.
I've been eating fine and still off the booze but coming off the ketogenic diet has been a bigger deal than I thought it would.
I am back around 105-106 kg but my body fat is still around 23%.
The nett result of 12 weeks of diet and exercise has been a drop of 7% body fat but my weight has only dropped slightly- around 3kg.

I am probably done with the keto diet thing but very happy with my progress in 12 weeks & I am fitter and healthier than I was when I started.
I am basically at a normal healthy diet now and will keep doing that until November which is when I am going to get Healthy Action on the case and then we will really see the weight drop off.

 alright mate . good to see u still hitting the gym .
must be hard with all the crap u have on but supose this will give u a chance to let out all your aggression
about your uni

chest : 42 1/4 
arms  :R 15 1/2  L 15 1/2"
waist :29 1/4    skinney weee heeee
bum :371/2
legs   :R 24 1/2" L24 1/2 "

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=4689705&mpage=1#4689705

Hi all, 

I've been gone for the last 2 months as it has been a bit of a crazy time for me.
My hand injury re-occurred which meant I had to defer my music degree for the second year in a row, stop training completely except for running/cycling.
Also had some family stuff back in Australia that has been a problem.

Everything has died down and I am back training again with weights.
My weight is stable at 105/106kg but I've lost some muscle and probably gained some fat from the layoff- nothing much though.

I'm getting Healthy Action to do me a diet plan that I can stick to for the next 2 months, including the oh-so-difficult Christmas period.
Goal is as before, to drop under 100kg in the first instance, then to 90kg as my body allows it.


My pic hosting isn't working but I will try to sort that out in the next few days.

Good to see you back in here mate... all the best with your fresh challenge.

Flanders

Make every week count!!.. Train hard!! Diet harder!! 

Never give up!!

 great to see u back on mate

chest : 42 1/4 
arms  :R 15 1/2  L 15 1/2"
waist :29 1/4    skinney weee heeee
bum :371/2
legs   :R 24 1/2" L24 1/2 "

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=4689705&mpage=1#4689705

Thanks guys, 

It is good to be back.

...ahem.....clears throat...

Welcom hoooooome, weeeeeeeelcome,
come on in and clooooooose the dooooooooooor,
youv'e been gawwwwwwwwwwn, tooooooo looooooong
Come on in...you're home once mooooooorrrrreeeee...

Whooo hoooooooooo!!! Hey there mister!!!!! yup it's MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Nutty Norah! stillhere...welcome back you...........

Thanks NG, I think.

An hour of cardio today.

30 mins cycling & 30 mins cross-trainer.
The cycling was HIIT.

Feels good to be back in the swing of things.

octatonic


An hour of cardio today.

30 mins cycling & 30 mins cross-trainer.
The cycling was HIIT.

Feels good to be back in the swing of things.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay for Octantonitintic!!! back wiv his mt faaaaaaameerrrrrrrllleeeeeeeeee....
 
you don't wriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiite! you don't caaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllll!...lol
 
sorry ...I'm just mucking....it is good to see you back..... I won't muck up your journal I promise......

Thanks NG.

Good workout today but I am sure gonna be sore tomorrow.

Chest Press:             4 sets x 56 kg, 12 reps                     
Cable Upright Row:   4 sets x 45 kg, 12 reps          
Seated Row:             4 sets x 46 kg, 12 reps           
Hamstring Curl:        4 sets x 56 kg, 12 reps                      
Standing Dbell Curl:   4 sets x 18 kg, 12 reps    
Standing calf raise:     4 sets x 70kg, 12 reps    
Stand Barbell Curl:     3 sets x 22kg 12 reps              
Tricep Cable Pulldwn: 4 sets x 50 kg, 12 reps

Weights are definitely down from a couple of months ago but that is to be expected.
Decided this will be more of a 'proper' journal than just a list of my training program.
Whilst I have plenty of friends I don't really have any place to voice some of my thoughts about the training/dieting/weight issues that I have so this seems like a good place to do it.
I will try to keep the moaning to a minimum.
Comments and feedback are welcome.

First thing i want to talk about is this feeling that I am *always* starting over.
I train for a bit, get injured, busy, bored, depressed or something else and then drop it for a while.
Each time I start back up I feel I am in the same situation just a bit older.

I really want to make progress this time- to avoid injury or at least work around the injury rather than just giving up.
Boredom- I guess I need to find more things to do than just my basic workout- so I've got Drew from HA on the case to do me a new training programme.
I really want results- but I've wanted results every time I do this.
Depression is something I cannot manage quite so easily- I'll do my best I guess.

Starting back now rather than after the new year is a conscious choice to avoid over-indulgence during the Xmas period.
I'm going to allow myself a drink or two on Sunday (as it is my wife's 40th), on Christmas Day and New Years Eve but that is all.
I'm also going to put myself out as the driver for those situations so whilst I can have one or two, I definitely can't over-indulge.

I tend to be an all-or-nothing person.
Either I am 100% strict with myself with regards to diet and exercise or I am completely the other way.
I wonder if part of the solution is actually finding a degree of balance?
For instance - I'm currently training 6 days a week for 90 mins a day.
Is this too much for me?
Am I going to burn out, like I often do and stop all together?
Wouldn't 4 days be better?

I don't know- and these are really rhetorical questions.
I'm going to keep bumbling along until I get the diet/program from Drew and then I can really get down to work.

Thanks for reading.

 good to see u back in the swing mate . don,t worry about being down in the weights as u said it,s to be expected with being off . now the bordome thing  change things about as soon as u find it getting boreing .differant excersise,s /the routine your doing them in  and i,m sure it,ll be alot easyer for u mate

chest : 42 1/4 
arms  :R 15 1/2  L 15 1/2"
waist :29 1/4    skinney weee heeee
bum :371/2
legs   :R 24 1/2" L24 1/2 "

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?high=&m=4689705&mpage=1#4689705

This is your journal and if it helps to write down what is in your head then this is the place, and all who come in here to read can input, or bog off if they haven't got anythng constructive to say.......we are on here to try to do something with ourselves and I'm no exception to that....well done for making a start....and also well done for all the starts you have made, cos bud, at least you are making them and that is better than not....we are here.......good, bad and uggggerleeeeee......so journal away....it's all good...even when it's not!...take gentle care youuu....and happy birthday to your wife....

Hi mate...

I think the key is to see it as lifestyle and not a 'diet' as this programs the mind to think it's only a phase and that we'll be returning to normal soon. Not the case so that's hurdle number 1 to get over. Mindset is key here.

Remember try not to do everything at once... gradually build yourself back up into it.

I too made many attempts of getting into shape and everytime found an excuse to fail... all I needed was a little inspiration and found it here on MT (I also wanted to prove someone wrong who laughed at me when I told them I wanted to get into 32 trousers, I was in a 38 - 40 at the time).

You'll do very well!!... especially with the help from Healthy Action.

Make every week count!!.. Train hard!! Diet harder!! 

Never give up!!

Thanks Flanders.

Do you find it ok to start out doing 6 days a week or keep it around 4?
Does it matter?

Ok, I am waiting for my missus to get ready so I can drive her to the train to meet some people for a surprise dinner with some friends- she turns 40 tomorrow.

She thinks she is going there for a completely different reason.

I am turning up later as I have some students this afternoon.

It will be fun.

Going to try to get a workout in- cardio today.
Really need to make an effort as the next couple of days will be tricky due to the birthday celebrations.

Plan is to have one glass of wine tonight and the healthiest thing on the menu.
Tomorrow is another meal out- a lunch with about 40 people.
I am going to allow myself 1 drink tomorrow as well and nothing too unhealthy.

Have moderate level DOMS today.
I like them- means I am on the path.

Ended up not making the gym Sat/Sun/Mon due to birthday celebrations for my wife Sat/Sun.

I stuck to the plan on Saturday night- had the healthiest on the menu and one glass of wine.
Sunday, I was not so successful- the champagne was flowing.
Ah well, she only turns 40 once in her life so I am going to give myself a break.

Off to the gym now to do weights followed by a cardio workout.

I have had one email from Drew at Healthy Action but so far no diet/training program has arrived.
I am fairly impatient to get it going I guess and they seem to be pretty busy.
I am sure it will come in due course- for now I am just continuing as I always have.

Back from the gym.
Did upper body and cardio today.

10 min warm up on cross trainer

Chest Press:             4 sets x 56 kg, 12 reps                      
Cable Upright Row:   4 sets x 45 kg, 12 reps           
Seated Row:             4 sets x 46 kg, 12 reps                                
Standing Dbell Curl:   4 sets x 18 kg, 12 reps     
Stand Barbell Curl:     3 sets x 22kg 12 reps               
Tricep Cable Pulldwn: 4 sets x 50 kg, 12 reps 

Then 1/2 an hour of cycling.

Still very much getting back into it- my endurance is shot and weights are low but I am ok with that- gives me a place to work from.
Just feels good to be doing it again.


Something weird I just want to add in.
Find myself psyching myself out in the gym.
Not sure why.
I'm in a fitness first gym - no-one in there is massive but most people have less bf% than I do.
I find myself second guessing every look I receive from people- my internal dialogue is just going crazy.
I know it will quieten down once I get a bit more comfortable but at the moment it is kinda taking a bit of the fun out of working out.
It is almost like I feel shame about the condition that I am in and that 'perhaps I shouldn't be there' when actually I need to be there more than the others to sort myself out.
I dislike the aspect of my own psychology and just have to tolerate it I guess.
Not sure what else to do about it other than ignore it the best I can and know that once I get fitter, stronger I'll feel less out of place.

Hi mate...

You've got to find a routine you can stick to, 6 times a week would work if you're only in the gym 45 - 50 minutes but if you're doing weights then cardio and spending over 90 minutes in the gym 6 times a week then that would be too much IMO. Work out a 3 day split routine and fit cardio in 2 to 3 times a week and I think that would be a good start.

Don't worry about what other people are thinking in the gym (he say's having been there himself)... for a start they're not thinking anything!! and as you start reaching your goals you'll notice that 95% of the people around you in the gym haven't got a clue what they're doing... you'll have the cardio people who just want to lose fat and not bulk up... << good one!! then theres the guys on the machines doing the same routine with the same weights with sh!t ROM week in and week out... and will look exactly the same in a years time.

I found it helpful to set some goals... for example, next summer you want to be x weight and in x clothing, then christmas 2011 target 12% bf and so on.

Make every week count!!.. Train hard!! Diet harder!! 

Never give up!!

Thanks Flanders.
Sometimes I just need to hear it from someone else.
You're right of course.

I had an hour long conversation with Drew this morning.
Very productive.
We are going to sort out my shoulder problem that I am currently training around, which will be good.
I am so used to the shoulder problem now that I don't really think about it but it is obviously limiting what I can do in the gym, which limits my results.
I'd love to be able to train more freely so it makes sense to approach it now.
I might surprise myself.

My goals are to first get under 100kg (and stay there) hopefully by end of February.
Then I want to get down to a healthy 90-95kg by the end of 2011.
I turn 40 in January 2012 (!!!!) and want to be under 15% body fat by then.

Achievable goals, I think.
Food today has been 3 eggs scrambles with small amount of smoked salmon and tiny amount of shaved parmesan, 4 rough oatcakes.
Just had a pre-workout shake.
Heading to the gym for an hours cardio.

Cardio went well.

15 mins cross trainer
30 mins bike doing 1 min intervals for the first 20 mins and then SSCV.
15 mins stretching and ab workout.

Just has sample diets and training from Drew, which I probably shouldn't be posting up here but it all looks fine.
My first reaction was that it is more food and less training than I am currently doing.
Looking a bit deeper it IS more food but better food.
It is less training but better, more targeted training.

Can't wait to begin.

Great stuff mate... targets set, diet and routine in place, all foundation for success!!.. now it's time to get stuck in and get some consistancy in this lifestyle!!...
 
We're the same age!!... well school year anyway... i'll be 40 in July 2012

All the best

Make every week count!!.. Train hard!! Diet harder!! 

Never give up!!