Lord Of The Pudge >>> My Destiny

[mightypudge]

October 8, 2002

First day on WBB Routine #1. Not bad, but could be better. I think I took it easy on myself since it was my first time. I'll fix that next week. I also need to make sure my form is good on some of these exercises. Time to invest in mirrors that aren't above the bed. tuttut

Chest

Flat BB Bench Press: 2 x 8 @ 80. Good weight. Last rep was near failure. 5% bump next week.
Low Incline BB Press: 2 x 8 @ 75. Subbed for DB Press. Will switch back next week, 25 lb.
DB Flys: 2 x 8 @ 15. Good weight. Felt some trouble near end. 5% bump next week.

Back

DB Pullovers: 2 x 8 @20. Too light, no pain. Will try 30 lb. next week.
Deadlifts: 1 x 8 @ 60, 1 x 8 @ 75. Too light first rep, second OK. Bump to 85 lb.
Barbell Rows: 2 x 8 @ 75. Did these as Bend-Overs. Not bad. Try 80 lb. next week.
Shrugs: 2 x 10 @ 50. Too light, so I did 2 reps. Going to 70 lb. next week.

Well, that's it. Overall I felt a little TOO good at the end. Out of breath, but not sore. Maybe tomorrow I'll start to feel it. Did 7 minutes on Cardio-Glide. Man, I hate that thing. When is my Recumbent Bike coming, Santa?

Took a protein shake w/ flax seed oil after workout.

Day 3 coming up. Stay tuned. :)

[mightypudge]

Forgot to mention the diet today...

M1: 1 c Oatmeal Crisp and 1 oz mixed nuts, coffee
M2: 1 oz trail mix
M3: turkey and cheese sandwich, apple
M4: 1 oz trail mix
M5: protein shake with flax
M5: veggie burgers, steak fries, salad
M6: 1 oz mixed nuts

Feel like I ate a lot today. Tomorrow I'm going to mix it up a bit, plus only 5 meals. I'm thinking about 2400 cals. I actually need to check with my doctor to see if I should be doing less or more. Trouble is, I'm 227 and need to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time. Oh, so confusing.

[mightypudge]

Yesterday was blah. No workout, and I managed to come under my calorie intake for the day. But I reworked my little plan, removed some fat-free nonsense, and added some much needed proteins. Today looks good so far:

(P/F/C/Cal)

M1
Cereal and coffee: 6/10.5/50/310
M2
Cottage cheese and Wheat Thins: 19/25/8/250
M3
Chicken breast sandwich (multigrain bread, mayo, cheese, lettuce, tomato): 47.5/26.5/35/581
Apple: .3/.5/21/81
Orange juice: 2/0/27/120
M4
Mixed nuts: 8/16/6/210
Post Workout
Whey shake w/ flax: 40/4.5/5/220
M5
Turkey burgers: 27.6/10.1/0/201
Broccoli: 2.6/0/4.6/25
Rice: 4.3/.3/21/205
Apple: .3/.5/21/81
M6
Mixed nuts: 8/16/6/210
Yogurt: 8/0/22/120

Totals for the day
Protein: 173.6
Fat: 127.9
Carbs: 250
Calories: 2744

How's that? :)

[The_Chicken_Daddy]

Don't allow calories to drop too far, too fast.

[mightypudge]

I agree. I have to be more careful. Believe it or not, I forgot how to eat so much. This was easier when I ate fast food every day. :)

Oh, except I looked like a fat slob. Go Burger King!

[Neil]

You should get some protein with your first meal.

[mightypudge]

Thanks for the suggestion, Neil. I'll go back to adding some mixed nuts with my cereal. How's Total cereal for protein. Guess I'll check their website. :)

[mightypudge]

Here's the breakdown:

DB Squats: 15 x 8, 20 x 8, 30 x 8 (x2)
Hack Squats: 60 x 8 (x2)
Leg Curls: 70 x 8, 70 x 7 (that last one beat me, dammit :))
Straight Leg Deadlifts: 60 x 8 (x2)
Single Leg Calf Raises: 15 x 10 (x4)

Not a bad day. I need to build myself a calf block. Could have done more lbs. on the squats and DL's.

[mightypudge]

This will be my last journal entry for a while. I have decided to stick with what has been working for me these past few months - Weight Watchers.

I have learned a great deal from reading the posts on this forum, and I have made some permanent changes to my WW plan as a result. I've also made some changes to my workout routine - changes I feel will result in better workouts, better muscle tone, and all around better health.

I feel that the world of Bodybuilding requires an intense commitment. Not only to working out, but to nutrition and your way of life. I do not feel at this time I am capable of making such a strong commitment. I'd rather adhere to my previous routine (with some minor changes), rather than put forward a half-hearted effort on the new plan.

I will continue to lurk these forums picking up good advice and hopefully learning a thing or two. Once I am down to my goal weight and in better shape, physically and financially, I am going to put a serious effort towards hardcore bodybuilding.

Thanks for reading.

[The_Chicken_Daddy]

See you in about 3-4 weeks.

[Max-Mex]

Pudge,

I think it is possible to do both, lose fat and build muscle. It just takes time. :) Before I started going to the gym, I weighed 187 (from a high of 220). I remember barely being able to do 3x10@80 pounds on a Hammer Strength Bench press. After 1 year I was able to do 2x10@180. More important, I had a BF% of 30 and dropped it to 21%. Weight was down to a low of 172. It wasn't easy though. I had to eat very clean. I did allow myself a splurge day, but I kept my junk food to a minimum. If you want to lose the fat, you gotta do the cardio as well.

I'd suggest getting a bodyfat/weight scale. This item really helped my with my goals. I didn't worry so much about weight when it came to muscle. If I lost weight but I could still lift more, that meant I was heading in the right direction.

For diet, try to get most of your carbs from complex sources. Fruits and veggies. I'd say during that weight loss period, I was getting like about 70% of my carbs from F&G's and the remaing 30 from other sources. My protein came from shakes, meats (fish and chicken mainly), and Soy products.

One last thing, don't think of losing weight as weight -loss, think of it as FAT-LOSS. That helped me a tremendous amount with the mental aspect of this whole process. Good luck!

[Max-Mex]

Pudge,

After that long winded reply I feel cheated, damnit! :) Good luck with WW. I did that when I was 220 and went to 187. The only reason I joined the gym was I couldnt get past 187 with WW only. The gym helped me get past that. Again, good luck and cya l8tr.

[mightypudge]

Max-Mex,

Thanks for the advice. I fully intend on doing both, losing fat and gaining muscle. I am already on that path, and things are going great.

Here is the deal: Weight Watchers is not simply a diet, it is a way of life, just like Bodybuilding. It is very difficult to live both lifestyles simultaneously. I am not willing to give up WW just yet. Maybe it's the fear of gaining weight back. I don't know. Both my wife and I are on WW and it has worked. I don't feel like this is the right time to make this commitment.

Chicken Daddy,

I hope your comment was meant to be an encouragement. It came off as a tad arrogant and self-righteous. But that was just from reading it. Hard to tell on these forums what is sarcasm and what is actual help.

[The_Chicken_Daddy]

No!

Not sarcasm.

I mean i want an update in 3-4 weeks!

[mightypudge]

Thank you CD. And you got it.

And I apologize...like I said, it gets hard differentiating sometimes. Hope you understand! :)

[The_Chicken_Daddy]

Yeah man, you'll understand me eventually.

It just takes time :)

[mightypudge]

Quick update:

Still working out, but only two days per week. Back to WW dieting routine, which means far less calories than a typical bodybuilding diet.

Haven't lost any weight in three weeks (still 227) but not gaining, and not getting fatter. My pants are getting a little looser, so I think I'm on the right track.

Suffered a minor setback on Saturday. During a morning workout, doing DB Lunges, I strained a thigh muscle. Was sore for a few days, but it's fine now.

I have an appointment with a nutritionist/personal trainer next week - hope to get some serious advice with my weight loss/muscle building routine.

That's all for now. Peace.