Hello everyone! I'm new here but have been made to feel very welcome on the ladies' board so feel comfortable enough to start a journal on here, as it seems like a really good way of keeping tabs on what I'm up to and getting advice.

Here's my background: I've been going to the gym for years with my mum and used to train pretty hard every day, split weights and lots of cardio. Then a few years ago I was really ill and had to stop training completely. I piled on weight not doing anything and then even after I was given the all-clear got into a cycle of feeling sorry for myself that I'd got so out of shape and comfort-eating to make myself feel better. Altogether I put on about 4 stone (not sure exactly how much as I stopped weighing myself after a while because it depressed me!). Anyway, I've finally got my motivation back and since last October-ish have been working hard to lose the pounds!

I'm now almost back to where I was body-wise a few years ago, but need to get really strict with myself to get back to my old figure. I'm 26, 5'6, 9st6, dress size 10, with body fat of 20.7%. I've decided a proper target will help me out so I'm thinking about starting to maybe train for a toned figure or bodyfitness competition next year.

At the moment I'm just about managing 6 meals a day with a 40/40/20 ratio of protein/carbs/fat. I've worked out that I should be having 1320-1584 calories a day if I go by 10-12 x bodyweight in lb and am more or less managing to stick to that. My protein is over 90g a day which would be at least 1.5g for every kilo of my bodyweight. I'm also taking a multivitamin with iron each day, a couple of lecithin, E-bol, and green tea. I drink at least 2 litres of water a day. I also alternate clen, ephedrine and Stack (2 weeks on each) for my fat burning and to give me a bit of extra pep for my cardio. Oh and I've not been boozing at all for a couple of months now!

Now for my programme... I've not been lifting heavy recently as I've been on an IST programme and have now moved onto a month SET progamme before I go back to real hypertrophy stuff. At the moment this is what I do:

WARM-UP (every day)

Ball cobra 2 x 12
Reverse crunch 2 x 12
Cable rotation 2 x 12
Walking lunge to balance 2 x 12

All done as one circuit with a 3-2-1 tempo, and repeat the circuit twice.

WORKOUT ONE - chest, back, biceps

BB bench press x 10, Swiss ball push-up x 10 at 3-2-1 tempo - 3 supersets
BB bent over row x 10, prone Swiss ball row with alternate arms x 10 at 3-2-1 tempo - 3 supersets
BB curl x 10, single-leg DB curl x 10 at 3-2-1 tempo - 3 supersets

WORKOUT TWO - shoulders, legs, triceps

Standing DB shoulder press x 10, prone military press with alternate arms x 10 at 3-2-1 tempo - 3 supersets
Leg press x 10, single-leg squat x 10 at 3-2-1 tempo - 3 supersets
Tricep pushdown x 10, tricep push-up with rotation x 10 at 3-2-1 tempo - 3 supersets

I do each workout twice a week; usually the first one on Monday and Thursday, and the second on Tuesday and Friday, although the days change as my working hours are a bit erratic. So far this week I've done workout one on Monday and workout two on Wednesday. Might have to rest today as well as I've got a bit of a mad day so will have to train tomorrow and Sunday, which is a pain as it'll mess next week up too.

Anyway I'm starting on a bad note already as my diet is up the spout this week. I had to go for a meal last night so I ended up having far more crappy carbs than I should've done, and I'm having a big party on Saturday so I'll end up eating something I shouldn't then too! Today is looking ok so far though.

Anyhooo here are some God-awful pictures of me yesterday as a starting point for what I hope will be future progress!!! Please excuse the crappy attempts at posing! Any constructive criticism and advice will be warmly welcomed!

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/3945/183rv2.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2052/188lt3.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/7973/189nq4.jpg




p.s. sorry if this is reeeeally long, just thought I'd try to put as much info in my first post as possible!

hello

Well done to you for starting a journal looked at your photos and you've some good definition coming through.

Well done also for losing all that weight, it can be hard when you get stuck in that situation and getting the motivation to lose it (it’s a lot easier putting on than taking it away)

Keep up the good work and don't stress too much over enjoying some of the ''soul foods''

Hi Tic, well don on starting the journal.

So, you're wanting to compete next year, why don't you up the training a little by modifying your workouts to a four day split so you only train each body part once per week but you will be able to concentrate on it a little more rather than doing 3 parts each time.

For example : Back/Shoulders and triceps/Legs/chest and biceps (in any particular order of course but if you deadlift and squat [recommended] then don't do them on consecutive days)

Have a read through the beginners section for some ideas on routines

Before picture Jan05 BNBF finals Oct07 Sponsored by Muscle Finesse

ORIGINAL: kitty

Hi Tic, well don on starting the journal.

So, you're wanting to compete next year, why don't you up the training a little by modifying your workouts to a four day split so you only train each body part once per week but you will be able to concentrate on it a little more rather than doing 3 parts each time.

For example : Back/Shoulders and triceps/Legs/chest and biceps (in any particular order of course but if you deadlift and squat [recommended] then don't do them on consecutive days)

Have a read through the beginners section for some ideas on routines

Cheers Steph and Kitty!

Kitty, that's what I normally would do and hopefully I'll be back to that soon. It's just that because I've only recently got back into it, the bloke who wrote my programme said it might be a good idea to do some core stability, strength and endurance stuff first - almost like recovery before I start lifting heavier stuff - hence the weird programme! He's had me doing all sorts of mad stuff standing on one leg, balancing on Swiss exercise balls, using one arm and so on. This is my second week on the SET programme and I think he said he wants me to do it for a month, then I'll let myself loose on the fun stuff!

I've not mentioned that I'm thinking about training for competition to him yet though, I wanted to get the idea into my own head properly before telling him. Hopefully next week when I see him he'll change whatever he's got planned for me to something more appropriate!

Anyway I've not managed to get to the gym today as I've been in and out of work all day (I manage a bar and we've had a funeral on today plus a couple of engineers have been in), but I have managed to go for a quick run (3 miles down the canal and it started raining halfway through!!) and do my abs (3 sets of each of the following to failure: hanging leg raises, Russian twists, reverse crunches and normal crunches).

Diet has gone quite well today too.

0930: 30g oats, 200ml milk, 150g papaya.
1130: 2 boiled eggs.
1330: protein shake.
1600: 30g rice, 170g chicken, 20ml olive oil, 100g courgette and 80g tomato.
1800: protein shake.
2000: 100ml cranberry juice.

Obviously those last 2 meals are intended as it's not 5pm yet!! That lot'll put me on 1620 cals for the day (including 133.02g protein) at a ratio of 51/31/18. I never quite get my macro ratios right!

Looking in very good condition in your pics all the best from me too

I can see you have worked hard to get down to a great base - well done, and good luck

_______________

UNDERGROUND-MUSCLE.CO.UK

Thanks everyone!

I have just realised I am dead thick and haven't put a before photo on here either! Can't actually find a full length one on the computer (strangely enough there aren't many photos around of me from then!) and I haven't got a scanner so this is the best I could do; you can see how flabby my arms and neck were though. I think I'd actually already lost some weight by then too as it's a pic from Christmas. That top's a size 16 anyway.

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1923/056ej4.jpg

Oh my God, I just know the next couple of weeks are going to be awful diet- and training-wise!

I've already had my cheat day going for that meal on Wednesday night (which would've been ok if it'd been a restaurant as I'd just have ordered sensibly, but it was a dinner party so I didn't have an option), and then in the next couple of weeks I've got loads of stuff coming up that'll test me, as I'm on my hols from work - a big party tomorrow, my graduation on Wednesday (after which my parents are taking me for a meal), a night at Haydock races next Friday, followed by a night away in Harrogate with the girls on the Saturday, and possibly a few days in Holland with the lads too watching our football pre-season friendlies the week after. Aaargh!!

Hopefully my training won't get too out of sync with all that as at least I'm not jetting off somewhere sunny for any length of time, but my diet will be smashed. Plus I'm not going to get to the gym today either I don't think, as my party has become the party from hell. So far this morning I've been to a wholesalers for booze for the party, been to work, tried doing some last minute cleaning at home, been back to work, am waiting for the bread delivery right now and need to go to Tesco for last minute bits and bobs after that. And then I have to be back at work again at 6pm. If I manage to at least fit a run in there I'll be pleased, but it'll mean I've missed a day of weights as I can't train tomorrow either due to the afore-mentioned party from hell!

Plus I ended up having a cupasoup at about half past midnight last night as I was starving. I try not to eat too late, which would be fine if I could go to bed at a normal time; but when I'm still tootling about at work at 1am I'm hungry again. Any suggestions apart from eating a carby meal later in the evening than I do now? Anyway the cupasoup has been added to the totals for today so at least I'm being honest with myself.

0030: cupasoup!
0820: 30g oats, 200ml milk, 1 lecithin, 2 E-bol, 1 multivitamin.
1110: 2 eggs.
1315: tin of tuna in brine, 100g pasta, 20g homemade pesto, 15ml olive oil, 100g spinach, 1 lecithin, 2 E-bol.
1515: protein shake.
1730: protein shake, 2 E-bol.

That lot will put me on 1515 calories, 45/39/16 ratio, 139.76g protein. If I do manage to train it'll be between the protein shakes, and I'll take some blueberries to work with me tonight in case I get peckish so I don't raid the cupasoups!




p.s. if any of you lovely big strong men fancy venturing into the Wigan area tomorrow morning there's a bloody great marquee needs putting up in my back garden. Apparently it takes 8 people to do it and so far there's me and my dad. Methinks I'll have to rope some of the lads from the gym across the road into it when I go stealing all their garden furniture later!

Ok so I was right - my diet and training have gone almost totally out of the window at the moment!

Last Saturday was my graduation party at home. It poured down all day but luckily everyone fit under the marquee and the barbecue still managed to go ahead. Food-wise I had a bit of everything off the buffet and a steak, and a yummy piece of carrot cake! My no-booze thing got forgotten that day too as it's not every day you finish uni, and people kept bringing me champagne so I thought stuff it and got a little bit tiddly (ok I admit it, I was smashed, and by the end of the night was dancing round the tent like a loon!). The only problem with this was that I had a hangover on Sunday so I didn't train (again!) and I ended up going to Wetherspoon's for a surf n turf to feed my hangover. Oops.

This week's not gone great either as I've only managed to get to the gym on Monday and Tuesday evening so far to do cardio - today will be the first day I've done weights all week. I keep telling myself I'm on holiday though, and if I'd actually gone away I wouldn't be training properly; so if the next two weeks end up a complete mess I'll just draw a line under them and start again.

Anyway this is how Monday went...

1130: 30g oats, 200ml milk, 1 lecithin, 2 E-bol, 1 multivitamin.
1330: 2 eggs, 120g tomato, 80g cucumber, 40g cheddar, 25g coleslaw.
1700: protein shake, 1 lecithin, 2 E-bol.
Cardio.
1900: protein shake.
2130: cupasoup, slice of white bread (!!), 2 E-bol.

1148 calories, 104.99g protein, 47/32/21 ratio.

Then Tuesday...

1015: 30g oats, 200ml milk, 1 lecithin, 2 E-bol, 1 multivitamin.
1230: 2 eggs.
1500: 80g pasta, tin of tuna in brine, 10ml olive oil, 80g cheddar, 2 E-bol, 1 lecithin.
1700: protein shake.
Cardio.
1900: protein shake, 2 E-bol.

1555 calories, 151.8g protein, 49/30/21 ratio.

Yesterday was my actual graduation (I looked ridiculous in my silly hat, incidentally) so my diet was rubbish: toast for breakfast, a couple of eggs for lunch then a slap-up 3 course meal at a posh restaurant at night to celebrate! Today is going quite well but then I'm going away for the weekend so Friday to Sunday are jiggered. To be honest I think I'm better giving up with the diary and writing off the next two weeks while I'm off work.

I have the willpower of a teaspoon.

Thursday 5/7 went a bit tits up too as my friend cooked dinner:

1015: 15g oats, half scoop protein, 1 lecithin, 1 multivitamin, 2 E-bol.
1130: 160g banana.
1400: protein shake, 2 E-bol.
Training.
1630: protein shake.
2000: 200g chicken, 30g shallots, 50g mushrooms, 20ml olive oil, 40g peppers, noodles, sauce, 50g broccoli, 1 lecithin, 2 E-bol.
2115: WeightWatchers choccy pudding thing, oops!

1216 calories, 114.97g protein, 43/45/12 ratio.

Right, I officially give up for 2 weeks until my holidays are over, as of now. When I've finished my hols I'll be back with a vengeance: eating big and clean, training hard, starting my first cycle.

Ticteaser signing out for 2 weeks of eating crap and loving it!!




Edit: oh, I forgot, I got my body fat done yesterday too - 18%.

Hello tic, did you ever post on an FV forum by any chance?

ORIGINAL: don marcos

Hello tic, did you ever post on an FV forum by any chance?

I certainly did!

Which one and what name might I know you by? And if any of my pics on here suddenly appear on there I'll know who to blame!

Anyway progress-wise, while I'm here anyway...

Friday, Saturday and Sunday went tits-up diet-wise, as I expected. I went for a Chinese on Friday night since the racing was cancelled, drank a load of wine on Saturday, and had a fry-up on Sunday morning to help my hangover! I did however manage to train on Sunday morning in the hotel gym after only having about 4 hours sleep - now that's dedication! Back to normal for a couple of days now but then on Wednesday I'm going away for 6 days so God knows what'll happen unless I find a gym in Bournemouth to use and have the time. I'm starting my first cycle on the 19th so everything will be back to normal by then with my hols out of the way!!

My journal: http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/m_1950539/tm.htm

hey there, just thought i'd say youve already made impressive progress and for that you deserve a pat on the back! and good luck with continuing with it!
enjoy your time in bournemouth, its a good night out there but make sure youve got plenty of maoney cus it aint cheap!

my journal, come say hello - I need all the help I can get!
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?m=2617218   

ORIGINAL: Imsimon

hey there, just thought i'd say youve already made impressive progress and for that you deserve a pat on the back! and good luck with continuing with it!
enjoy your time in bournemouth, its a good night out there but make sure youve got plenty of maoney cus it aint cheap!

Cheers Imsimon!

I'm really looking forward to Bournemouth actually as I haven't been before. I'm visiting a friend who lives down there so hopefully he'll show me all the good places to go! Plus I hope it's good for shopping as I need a new suit - 2 interviews next week, aargh!!

Managed to do my shoulders and triceps yesterday plus a Body Combat class, and the diet went ok.

1100: 30g oats, 100ml milk, 1 lecithin, 1 multivitamin, 2 E-bol.
1430: 40g olives, 2 eggs.
1630: protein shake, 2 E-bol.
Training.
1900: protein shake.
2030: 100g pasta, 230g chicken, 15g pesto, 10ml olive oil, 30g parmesan, 2 E-bol, 1 lecithin.

1488 calories, 147.95g protein, 49/33/18 ratio. Still drinking loads of water and green tea too.

Am I better having a protein shake when I wake up instead of my oats though, and having that as Meal 2? Please don't tell me to put protein on the oats as I've tried it and it was disgusting!!

My journal: http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/m_1950539/tm.htm

Hey TTT,
Well done on your graduation! Go and enjoy your holiday so you can come back focused and get stuck right in there. OK so you may have a few more pounds to loose due to having a good time but it's not something that can't be undone.

I know what you mean about oats and PP.... I just can't stomach it......in fact I have a real problem with oats full stop I was force fed em as a kid when I was really ill with a bad throat infection and I couldn't eat owt else.....kinda went off them after that!

Love & Light

Remember.....
It's Just A Ride!!!!!

Training Vidz
www.youtube.com/elfintan
www.paulgeorge.org

i'd say in an ideal world you want your oats and protein shake first thing so if you dont like them together just have the oats as you are and have a protein shake with water at same time

btw 11oclock for breakfast?!! you lucky thing

my journal, come say hello - I need all the help I can get!
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I'm back!!!

Diet didn't go too badly while I was away as the friend I was staying with knows I'm a funny bugger and had got oats and green tea and all sorts in for me. Didn't weigh anything or write anything down, but it was pretty healthy; even if I was only having three meals a day. We only ate out twice, and I only got drunk once, so all in all not too bad at all considering it was my holidays!

Haven't trained for over a week though, except for aerobics on Tuesday night. I've had interviews every day this week and I'm just exhausted from all the preparation and travelling so haven't even been able to face it the last couple of days since I got back from Bournemouth. I had a Dairy Milk today as well coz I felt fed up.

On the plus side Bournemouth was lovely. Went all through the New Forest on the back of a Harley, which was cool, and did a bit of sunbathing when the sun deigned to show its face.

Last interview for a while is tomorrow and I start back at work on Saturday so hopefully things will get back to normal now. Am gonna try having a protein shake when I get up along with my oats from now on too.

My journal: http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/m_1950539/tm.htm

glad you enjoyed good old sunny dorset!

my journal, come say hello - I need all the help I can get!
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.aspx?m=2617218   

Cheers Imsimon, it was lovely down there - really didn't want to come back to the rainy north to be honest!

Well I'm just about back into my routine after my hols and all my interviews. My diet is back to normal as is my training, although last Saturday I didn't eat anywhere near enough because I ended up stuck at work and last Sunday I cheated and had some bread and some mayo, and only ate twice. I really make a mess of things at weekends if I'm working.

Saturday 21/7:

1000: protein shake.
1130: 30g oats, 200ml milk, 10g sunflower seeds.
1400: protein shake.
1600: 2 eggs.

775 calories; 88.98g protein; 57/23/20 ratio.

Sunday 22/7:

1400: 2 slices wholemeal bread, 2 eggs, 100g cucumber, 100g tomato, 60g mayo.
1745: 150g fillet steak, 70g carrots, 50g broccoli, 90g cabbage, 10ml olive oil.

1169 calories; 64.4g protein; 33/26/41 ratio.

Monday 23/7:

1145: 40g oats, 200ml milk, 10g sunflower seeds.
1300: protein shake.
Training: chest and biceps, plus abs class and Body Combat class.
1500: protein shake.
1945: tin of tuna in brine, 100g pasta, 20g homemade pesto.

1154 calories; 120.64g protein; 47/44/9 ratio.

Tuesday 24/7:

1000: 30g oats, 200ml milk, 10g sunflower seeds.
1315: 2 eggs, 10ml olive oil, 100g cucumber, 20g tomato.
1600: protein shake.
Training: legs and triceps, plus abs class and aerobics class.
1900: protein shake.
2000: 330g salmon steak, 130g cauliflower, 120g cabbage, 15ml olive oil.

1666 calories; 164.09g protein; 55/14/31 ratio.

I still need to get some protein in me when I have my first meal though and having a protein shake along with my oats was just too much for me when I tried it. I felt bloated and sluggish. What about having a couple of eggs instead?