My Progress/Goals

MAGICMAGIC Doot DootFurniture City, Michigan Icrontian
edited December 2011 in Fitness
Hi,

Some folks noticed that I lost some weight when I saw yous at EPIC.

In May I was at my heaviest I had ever been I think 217 when I got a physical, 30ish% body fat, 35 inch waist... obese. It was pretty depressing.

Since then I had some life changing events happen that really drove me to change myself more than ever.

Now, it is July. I am down to 178lbs. 16.8% body fat, and 30-31in waist. Physically and mentally it feels great too lose all of that weight.

How did I do this? Pretty simple really. Calorie deficit and a lot of exercise. I didn't really change too much about my eating habits other than pretty much cut them in half. No junk or fast foods. Try to eat more lean meats and vegetables. No micro nutrition, just good choices and common sense. I always wanted to do some sort of race like a triathlon or running thing, so I just set the goal of doing the local Reeds Lake Tri in September. I started exercising 6 sometimes seven days a week. Lifting weights, running, swimming, biking. Just mixed it up. The weight started to fall off quick.

I know, most people don't have the time or desire to spend that much time in the gym, but I have a lot of free time so I do.

My goal, other then the sort term of my first Triathlon is I really just don't want to be an overweight/obese statistic. Primarily, and as vain as it is, I want to have an attractive body that as to my eye I have never had. Up until the race I am continuing to burn fat and lose as much weight as I can to increase my speed. After that I should be at a pretty low body fat %. Then I would like to start working on specific areas to build some muscle. My legs look like that of a chicken.

I didn't think to take any "before" pictures but most people know what I looked like. Here is today with pants that used to fit for reference.
attachment.php?attachmentid=29177&stc=1&d=1311301098

I'll put some updates on here as I get closer to the race and talk a bit about it when I actually do it too. Feel free to ask any questions.
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Comments

  • ZenModeZenMode Royal Oak, Mi Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Great work dude - keep it up!
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Do it fgt
  • fatcatfatcat Mizzou Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    nice job man
  • LazarusXeroLazarusXero Illinois Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Keep it up, Magic! I remember we spoke about your training at Epic! Only a little bit of time left for training!

    The event I've been training for is now less than 36 hours away and I'm starting to feel the butterflies... www.ToughMudder.com

    I'll post pictures when I can for everyone to witness the horror I'm putting myself through...
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Awesome work dude, so glad to see you're going for it.

    So do you have a weekly routine, or do you change it up all the time? How are you splitting up your days?
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    I lift weights every day, split between a legs/abs, chest/back, arms/whatever i want day. Thru July I am just doing one cardio thing a day after weight training.

    Once August is here I am going to start alternating between a day of 2 cardio things, i.e. bike/swim or run/bike, and days of weight training.

    I am for the most part random about what is paired up on a given day. I try to get after the least sore part of my body.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Keep it up, Magic! I remember we spoke about your training at Epic! Only a little bit of time left for training!

    The event I've been training for is now less than 36 hours away and I'm starting to feel the butterflies... www.ToughMudder.com

    I'll post pictures when I can for everyone to witness the horror I'm putting myself through...

    Yes, I remember. Yes, time is flying by. At first I was pretty scared of the whole thing, swimming specifically as I wasn't good at all at it. I've been practicing swimming a lot, and I found a rhythm that works very well for me. Now I just want to go for it. Super excited.

    Good luck with your race man. Stay safe.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    172 lbs after a good workout week and a weekend of chopping down trees and splitting wood. Creeping ever so close to the -50lbs mark.
  • ZenModeZenMode Royal Oak, Mi Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Keep it up dude! The gains come slower but things become easier to maintain the closer you get to your goal.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Update: I ate cheddar bay biscuits at Red Lobster yesterday.

    That's all.
  • LazarusXeroLazarusXero Illinois Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    That's right up there with Chic-Fil-A breakfast biscuits... I always feel like a tub of goo when I finish those things...
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    Well August is here, one month left. I am starting days of doing 2 large endurance workouts back to back broken up by days of weight training /light running.

    Monday - Swim .5 mi/ Run 4.5 mi
    Tuesday - Weight training/ 3 mile run
    Wed. - Swim .5 mi/ Bike 18 miles
    Thurs. - Weight Training/ 3 mile run
    Friday - run 4.5 / Bike 18
    Saturday - Light weights
    Sunday - sleep, little swimming maybe.
  • ardichokeardichoke Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    MAGIC wrote:
    Update: I ate cheddar bay biscuits at Red Lobster yesterday.

    That's all.

    I did that the other day. So guilty... but so tasty.
  • LazarusXeroLazarusXero Illinois Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    MAGIC wrote:
    Well August is here, one month left. I am starting days of doing 2 large endurance workouts back to back broken up by days of weight training /light running.

    Monday - Swim .5 mi/ Run 4.5 mi
    Tuesday - Weight training/ 3 mile run
    Wed. - Swim .5 mi/ Bike 18 miles
    Thurs. - Weight Training/ 3 mile run
    Friday - run 4.5 / Bike 18
    Saturday - Light weights
    Sunday - sleep, little swimming maybe.

    That is a CRAZY schedule Magic! Keep it up! I wish I could swim even a 1/10 of that. Swimming is just not my forte... maybe next year's goal.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    I didn't like swimming either. I was terrible at it. I was barely able to do 4 laps. After a couple weeks of a small progress, one day it just clicked. Found my rhythm i guess.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    Signed up for a bare foot 5k on August 28th. Should be interesting.
  • _k_k P-Town, Texas Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    Unless you have already been doing a lot of barefoot training this could be a very bad idea.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    I run in vibrams, shouldn't be too bad.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    Still around 170-172 this past week. Been moving to a new apartment, so living off pizza and bad easy food in the transition hasn't helped. Looking forward to breaking into the 160s this next week for sure.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    169.5 yesterday!. Hah, 69.

    And, I decided to give pull-ups a try. I've never been able to do them. I was able to do 6x2. Very happy about that. Note, doing pull-ups makes you feel like a badass.
  • PirateNinjaPirateNinja Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Total-Upper-Body-Workout/dp/B001EJMS6K

    Highly recommended for pull-up / push-up / sit-up pyramids.

    Congrats on your hard work paying off!
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    MAGIC wrote:
    169.5 yesterday!. Hah, 69.

    And, I decided to give pull-ups a try. I've never been able to do them. I was able to do 6x2. Very happy about that. Note, doing pull-ups makes you feel like a badass.

    I found low reps/high volume was the trick to progressing in chins/pulls. I switched from 3x8 to 5x5 and the amount of weight I could pull/hypertrophy improved dramatically.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    Cool thanks, I'll try to do sets of 5 tonight and see how many I can do.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    I've noticed that as I shed all this fat, I am far less buoyant in the water. Even with lungs full of air I sink now. That's kind of scary.

    Also, in 10 more lbs. I'll be able to bench press my bodweight. Back up to 155 from my shoulder injuries this past winter.
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    Been eating lead?
  • PirateNinjaPirateNinja Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    MAGIC wrote:
    I've noticed that as I shed all this fat, I am far less buoyant in the water. Even with lungs full of air I sink now. That's kind of scary.

    Also, in 10 more lbs. I'll be able to bench press my bodweight. Back up to 155 from my shoulder injuries this past winter.

    Congrats man. I remember the day I surpassed benching my own weight, years ago. I can't any more. I also remember, more recently, when I started floating in water. You are an inspiration Magic.

    must return to health. :rockon:
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    Tushon wrote:
    Been eating lead?

    I've cut back on the lead.

    Oh yeah, the pull ups. As Thrax suggested, I am doing 3x5 and working towards a fourth set.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    Weight is down to 165. Feeling good. Works paying off.
  • ZenModeZenMode Royal Oak, Mi Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    MAGIC wrote:
    Weight is down to 165. Feeling good. Works paying off.

    Great work man, its awesome what you can accomplish once your momentum is built.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    First triathlon tomorrow. If you don't hear from me, I have died.
    Kwitko
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