Motivation!

In light of my return to training, I would like to share a list of motivational quotes I have collected over the past few months that have constantly helped me throughout my training regime. I understand there are people out there who shun these things and are more robotic in their approach to working out. Good for you. I am not like that. I need motivation from time to time. Sometimes I'm high as a kite, and other times life might be getting me down, and exercise will be the last thing on my mind. Therefore, after countless hours of scouring the net for motivational quotes, I have found some true gems that have helped fuel my passion to succeed and given me energy in the gym when I've been running on empty.

Here they are:

“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”
- Muhammad Ali (American Boxer and Activist, b.1942)

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
- Theodore Roosevelt (American 26th US President (1901-09), 1858-1919)

“You may fetter my leg, but Zeus himself cannot get the better of my free will”
- Epictetus (Greek philosopher associated with the Stoics, AD 55-c.135)

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.” - Epictetus (Greek philosopher associated with the Stoics, AD 55-c.135)

“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.”
James Dean (American motion picture actor, symbol of rebellion, 1931-1955)

“Never, never, never, never give up.”
Winston Churchill (British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965)

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you." - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Philosopher & Writer

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear”
Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)

“It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.”
Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)

"The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground." ~Author Unknown

“It is never too late to become what you might have been”
George Eliot (English Victorian Novelist. Pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans, 1819-1880)

"Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret"
- Jim Rohn (American Speaker and Author.)

‘A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.’ ~Herm Albright


"A boy comes to me with a spark of interest and it becomes a flame. I feed the flame and it becomes a fire. I feed the fire and it becomes a roaring blaze."
- Cus D'Amato (Tyson's manager and trainer)



"Never let the fear of striking out get in your way."
Babe Ruth

"An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this lies the distinction between great men and little men."
Thomas Fuller

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
Albert Einstein

'To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Those who are reluctant to give up their lives and embrace death are not true warriors.... Go to the battlefield firmly confident of victory, and you will come home with no wounds whatever. Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death. When you leave the house determined not to see it again you will come home safely; when you have any thought of returning you will not return. You may not be in the wrong to think that the world is always subject to change, but the warrior must not entertain this way of thinking, for his fate is always determined."
Uesugi Kenshin


'The war between being and nothingness is the underlying illness of the twentieth century. Boredom slays more of existence than war.'
Norman Mailer

'There's nothing like biting off more than you can chew, and then chewing anyway.'
Mark Burnett

'Effort is only effort when it begins to hurt.'
José Ortega y Gassett

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some; it’s in all, everyone. And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
- Authored by Maryanne Williamson, and used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech

'Pain is just weakness leaving the body'
- Author unknown

'Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they
were to success when they gave up.'
- Thomas Edison

'The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It's your
mind you have to convince.'
- Vincent Lombardi

'The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is
the man who will win'
- Roger Bannister

'Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility
of defeat. Concentrate on your strengths instead of your weaknesses, on
your powers instead of your problems.'
- Paul J. Meyer


'If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else,
It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits.
There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go
beyond them.' - Bruce Lee





“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
- Winston Churchill

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~Dr. Seuss

'...the wind speaks not more sweetly to the giant oaks than to the least of all the blades of grass." - Khalil Gibran

That's all of them so far.

I've also created collages of a few chosen quotes from above, which I have printed and put up on the walls of my bedroom/workout area. The images of each are below. There are two styles, light and dark, because I do not have access to a color printer, so the dark colored slides were not printing well in black & white. The links to the Powerpoint documents (if you want to print/edit the slides) are as follows:

Quotes Collage (Dark Colors): goo.gl/AxHi
Quotes Collage (Light Colors): goo.gl/B0wz

Google docs is not showing the slides background colors online, so you should download the docs to your computer and then open them.

Quotes Collage (Dark Colors):


Quotes Collage (Light Colors):


I hope you guys find these as helpful and inspiring as I do. Good luck with your respective goals!

If you've found some quotes of your own that you'd like to share, please do so in the comments. I'd love to read them. Cheers.

Ok, This Time I'm Really Back.

Ok, I know, almost two months and no update. Slacker! Procrastinator! Yep, I'm all those things. To be honest, I've been struggling to get back on track. Its true that if you don't constantly keep at it and remain in the zone, you will soon lose the drive to keep you going. My annual vacation, ramadan, and friends' weddings could not have come at a worse time. They all came and went one after the other, and I felt drained. I had been junk food binging, etc, and inconsistently exercising. It doesn't help that now that winters are here, I can no longer go hiking on weekdays, since it's already dark out after work.

Regardless, now that I have made my confession, I hope to get back on track. I've upped my training regime once again. This time I'm on the last intermediate/advanced exercise program from the book "The Truth About Six Pack Abs" by Michael Geary. I started it this week, and about halfway through the exercises for that day, I almost threw up. Regardless, I stopped to catch my breath before completing the rest of the workout. It is a very high intensity program, with only enough rest between each set to catch your breath. I love it.

As for my current weight, I am 186 lbs. I will officially note down my weight and body fat percentage on Monday.

Weeks 25 - 30: Back in Action!

I'm back! I had a fantastic time in the UK. The cooler weather was definitely a welcome change. However, it did rain from time to time, which put a wrench into my outdoor activities, but not by too much. The sun would usually pop back out after a few hours.

My brother had weights and a workout bench at his house, which I took full advantage of during my stay. Normally, I would work out in the morning and go for a run immediately after. Running by the nearby farms, over streams and narrow bridges, and through the parks and well-kept fields was truly a brilliant experience. Running was also made pleasurable by passing by like-minded runners, walkers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. If we had a running trail like that here, I would be on it everyday. It was sad to leave, but I have no regrets, since I took advantage of the place during most of my stay there.

Now, back to more important matters. Before I left, I was 182.5 lbs. I was expecting to gain around 5 to 10 lbs during my holiday, since I wasn't really on a strict diet for that duration. However, I measured myself today, and I am 185 lbs, which means I only gained 2.5 lbs, despite the binge eating, etc. I can only attribute this to my commitment to working out and running regularly. When I first stepped off the plane in London, the first poster ad I saw on the wall had the word "Discipline" in bold letters as the title. I literally took that as a sign that I must try and retain some semblance of my regime while I'm on holiday, which I did. And boy, am I glad I did!

I brought back skin calipers! Finally, I can track my body fat along with my weight, which will give me a more accurate representation of my weight loss progress. I took three measurements at the same spot today (an inch above the hipbone on the right side of my body), and divided them by three, to get the average. It came up as 22mm, which comes to about 22.3% body fat for a male my age, according to the Accumeasure chart. However, the body fat calculator at Scooby's Workshop (http://scoobysworkshop.com) mentions three different places on the body to measure. I'll try his calculator tomorrow and see how much of a difference there is.

Even if the body fat percentage itself is not an accurate representation of my fat, the basic purpose is to track the change in body fat over time, which is what I need it for.

I also brought back a Camelbak Octane XCT hydration pack, which is pretty cool. I'll be using it for my hikes. I plan to start hiking once Ramadan is over. I am still going to gym around an hour after Iftar (opening of fast) in the evenings. I am staying up all night during this fasting month because I need to feed my body every two or three hours, just like I used to do before. If I didn't do this, I'd probably end up losing quite a bit of muscle.

Ramadan will be over by the end of this week. Then it's back to the proper workout regime. I will have one big wedding to attend to at the end of next week (it will be a few days long). Hopefully my diet isn't ruined too much then. Other than that, I hope to be back on track, baby!

Weeks 21 - 24: Slow and Steady

It's been one whole month since my previous blog entry! I've been too caught up with work, due to project deadlines, etc.

Anyhow, the good news is that I am now 182.5 lbs. Down 5.5 lbs from last time. That's roughly a little over 1 lb per week, which is amazing, especially after reaching the plateau I was at for so long. I think the hiking really kicked my ass into gear, literally! I have been at it at least thrice a week, and I have improved my time to the top from >30 mins to 24.5 mins. The way down I have reduced from 16 mins to 11.5 mins.

I'm off to UK for my holidays in a couple days. I will most probably blog from there. The holiday diet will be a whole new thing for me. Lets see how everything goes. At the least, I should stick to my exercises and running, and let the chips fall where they may.

I can't wait to get a hold of skin calipers either.

Till next time!

Weeks 19 & 20: Back on Track

Sorry for being MIA last week, but I've been very busy at the office. Good news after today's official weigh in: I am 188 lbs. Not bad, I say! However, as I have said before, weight is a very unreliable measure now.

This does mean, though, that I have managed to break through the plateau. I must attribute this to the intense training sessions despite this exceptionally hot summer, and the 4-5 hiking trips per week I have begun.

More good news is that, as of today, my belt has gone down another notch. I am now using the fourth hole from last. This is a considerable feat, since I started this whole program at the second-last belt hole.

Hopefully this good fortune continues before my trip to the UK. I will definitely keep on hiking. It has become an addiction. I recommend it to everyone. If you haven't tried it, or have tried it once and felt like you almost died before reaching the top, trust me and continue doing it. It gets easier and you discover much about yourself once you break through your barriers.

Till next time!

Week 18: Race to Which Mountain?

Alas, no weight loss. That does not necessarily mean there's no fat loss, however. I've realized that weight should not be the determining factor in measuring improvements from this new regime. Though I would love to get to my ideal weight of 170 - 175 lbs sometime this year, it should not be my weekly goal.

This past week, I went hiking three times. Once was yesterday, right after hitting the gym. Let me say that before I started, I thought hiking would be a painful and unhappy undertaking, as it always used to be when I was younger. Boy, was I wrong! It is the most exhilarating thing to conquer your fears and overcome your obstacles, especially when you reach the point when every step begins to hurt. You really learn a lot about yourself when you keep on moving uphill no matter how much further you have to go. I love hiking now. The feeling you get when you reach the top of the conquered hill/mountain is brilliant.

This is the first time in my life I've hiked to the top non-stop. This shows how much my stamina has improved since I first started the regime all those weeks ago. It took me roughly 25-30 minutes to hike up. After a few minutes rest, I jogged all the way down in 15-20 minutes, which is also a feat in itself.

I am keen to see what effect all this hiking will have on next week's weigh-in. However, like I said, weight will not be a deciding factor for long, once I get back from the UK with skin calipers. I leave for my UK trip in less than two months.

The one dilemma I'm currently facing is that I have only been getting six hours of sleep everyday since the FIFA World Cup started. I may have to resort to getting an hour or two's shuteye in the early evenings (Football matches go on till 1:30 AM, my time).

Week 17: No News is Good News?

The weight has not budged this week. It might be due to the intensity of my strength training these days, but I cannot be sure. The only way to really tell if my muscle is behind this is with skin calipers. I can't wait to head off to UK this summer. I'll definitely bring back a pair of calipers.

Zero weight loss is a downer. I didn't even touch McDonalds this weekend. However, I have replaced that with another fast food--One Potato Two Potato. Their garlic-mayo fries cannot be good for me.

If the weather is good this weekend, I'm planning on going hiking. That should give my extra fat a run for its money! This day next week, I better have lost a pound at least!

Week 16: Plateau Schmateau

Today's weight: 189.5 - 190 lbs. No matter how small the weight loss, I have conquered the previous weeks' plateau. I have lost at least 0.5 lbs and at most 1 lbs. This is good news. The mountain is very steep now, but I'm trudging along at least.

I managed this because I did all my workouts. I have also changed up my strength training exercises again. Will stick with them for 4 - 6 weeks. On the diet side, as usual, the weekend involved quite some junk etc, since I went on a trip with friends. However, I still got results, and hopefully next week will be even better.

I may have to seriously consider early morning running. The only problem is making the effort to actually wake up. I'll decide after next week's weight-in.

Week 15: The Dreaded Plataeu

Yep, I have reached the ever-so-dreaded plateau (cue ominous music). I am still 190.5 lbs. Haven't budged since the previous week. Therefore, something is amiss. From today, I am changing my strength training regime once again, and it's about time too, since I have been following this one for over a month.

The last boxing class was also a downer for me. I didn't have the energy to do some of the exercises. This was mostly due to sleeping in (skipped work), waking up in afternoon, eating stupid McDonalds, and having not had much water prior to the workout. However, I better buck up! I only have a month left till my birthday, and I am supposed to be 180 lbs by then. Nothing's impossible (though this will be one steep hill). I can't give up however. I have been dreading and waiting for this moment. Now is when the going gets tough, and the tough get going!!!

Was thoroughly depressed most of last week, but that won't stop me. Nothing will. Onwards and upwa...errr...downwards! Raaawwwwwwwrrrrrrr!!!

Week 14: No Rest for the Wicked

Thank God I've dropped back down to 190.5 lbs. One pound gone from the previous week. Nothing else to report, except that instead of going to the gym for strength training yesterday, I fell asleep after work and woke up late at night. I have been sleeping only 5-6 hours a day for the past couple weeks, and it's showing now.

I must start sleeping at least eight hours a day from now on. I'm sure the lack of sleep has also been the cause of the minor depression and demotivation I've been experiencing for the past few days. Will adjust my timings and will see if there is any difference in my mood by next week.

Week 13: First the Bad News...

I am disappointed to report I am 191.5 pounds today, which means I've gained 1.5 lbs from last week. And I was expecting this before stepping on the scales. Why? Because I went overboard eating junk on the weekend. It was inevitable. I have no idea what possessed me to do so (It may be because I had three days off, instead of two).

Oh well. That was the crappy news. I need to get a grip on myself during the weekends. They're not an excuse to party it up without any repercussions. *sigh*

Anyways, the good news was that I wore a pair of my old size 36 pants (from college!) to work last Friday. It was a fantastic feeling, especially since I can actually recall not being able to get those pants above my knees only a few months ago. Awesome.

But yea, gained weight = bad. I better learn self-restraint if I am to progress any further. After all, it only gets harder from this stage onwards!

Week 12: Pants Schmants

Weight this morning: 190 lbs. That's another 1.5 gone in a week. I can't believe I've got this far. It's truly an awesome feeling. And I haven't been starving myself either. I've been eating the junk foods I like on the weekends, but I do not overindulge even then. One thing I have started doing is, in order to not exceed my cheat meal day calories by too much, I reduce the portion amount of my other meals a bit. This also helps get rid of any guilty feelings I may have during/after eating the junk food. It's worked so far, because the numbers don't lie (touch wood, ha).

Another thing to report. Both my very neglected size 38 pants now fit me very comfortably. The one I'm wearing today, I have never previously worn because of the extremely tight fit. Awesome.

I can't wait to try on more of my older clothes in a month's time.

Week 11: Smooth Sailing

Weight: 191.5 lbs. Down 1.5 lbs from last week. So far, it's been quite consistent. I have had to reduce my carb intake a bit, especially at dinnertime. This seems to have been an effective method to get me out of the 'plateau' I hit a few weeks ago.

Motivation severely dropped at the end of last week. I went into some weird depression mode for a day, but I literally forced myself out of it and did my boxing training with an all out effort. I'm glad I didn't give up, because my spirits are back up again this week, and I would have been kicking myself today for giving up, if I had done so.

All in all, it's been a good week. I have toned down the weekend junk food binge a bit. Only had McDonalds for one meal - A well-deserved meal I might add.

The belly does seem to be going in slightly now. Another shirt I hadn't worn for eight months has started to fit me again. No protruding belly in that one.

Here's hoping for more good news to come! Cheers!

Week 10: Stubborn Tummy

Two more pounds gone. Weight today is 193 lbs.

My belly does not seem to be disappearing, instead I feel it protruding from time to time. However, I think it's because of the intense ab exercises started by the boxing instructor. The reason my belly fat is not going away too fast is because I'm losing it from other parts of my body first. People lose fat in different orders of priority. I first lost it in my face, and now I think I am losing it from my hips, before I finally (and hopefully) begin shedding it from my belly.

That's all to report today. The going is good right now (touch wood!).

Week 9: Cheat Meal Overload

Today's weight: 195 lbs. Another 2 lbs lost in a week! The going is good so far. Nothing to report, except that I had quite an unhealthy binge this past weekend. McDonalds chicken nuggets meal, an entire pizza, and popcorn/packaged mixed nuts. I went a little overboard on sodium and unhealthy fats and processed sugar. Hopefully, I won't repeat that for a month at least.

Still have not started the elliptical machine in the mornings. Have to get my timings right. Woke up at 6:30 AM today, to feed the dog and do some household chores before heading to work. This week's routine will get me in the habit of waking up early, so that I can start the elliptical from next week.

15 lbs to go till I reach my current target weight. Woohoo!

P.S. Reminder to self: Get skin calipers from SOMEWHERE!

Week 8: Eye of the Tiger

Well, it's been two months already! Upon weighing myself today, I am 197 lbs! This is over a 2 pound loss in a week. I am sure I can attribute this to the rigorous (almost two-hour) workout the boxing trainer has made me do this past week. The exercises are unique and fun, and I am pretty much spent by the end of them. Instead of running in the mornings during strength training days, I will be using the elliptical machine at home.

I am almost totally used to the six - seven meal/day diet lifestyle now. Frequent smaller meals have become more of a habit. I do get the occasional junk food cravings, but I leave those for the weekends. I'll order fast food and eat some microwave popcorn (but I will be switching to air popped soon) on the weekends. Though I have also included a bit of ice cream in my cheat meals, I am trying to switch to home made frozen yogurt. Once I perfect the recipe (I still cannot get the texture right) I will no longer need to eat ice cream.

Only three months to go till my birthday, and I want to be 180 lbs by then. Impossible? No, sir.

Week 6 & 7: The Good, The Bad, & The Boxer

I was too busy to update my progress last week. Week 6 was not so good, because when I weighed myself, I noticed I was roughly 200 lbs, which means I probably gained 1 lb. Also, I measured my waist in week 5, after my post on that day, and it turns out I was about 34.5 in. That didn't make me too happy.

Today (week 7), I am again below 200 lbs, just like week 5. However, the good news is that I tried on a pair of my older office pants that I had stopped using for about 6 months (because I stopped fitting in them), and they fit perfectly today! This is great, because now I know I am losing fat, even though it's not showing accurately on the weight scale. Therefore, I must be maintaining most of the muscle. I have to get my hands on skin calipers if I am ever going to accurately chart my fitness progress.

Also, on the weekend, I tried on some of my old shirts that stopped fitting properly, and once again, they were looking much better on me than they used to. My tummy is not protruding as much as it used to. I will give it a couple more months till I wear those shirts regularly once again.

A professional boxing trainer has begun classes at the gym, so now I must replace my alternate running days with strength training, since I will be getting most of my cardio during boxing training sessions three days a week. I still consider running very important, as I have noticed a considerable increase in my stamina and endurance since I started it. I will have to find time to run at least 2 - 3 days a week. I think I'll start running in the mornings from next Monday.

Motivation is still going strong, though I do have my ups and down days. One thing I've learned is to keep focused on my end goals, and not to think too much about what I will be doing at gym once I get there. Then, if I am demotivated one day, going to the gym will just be another habit, instead of a cumbersome task that I may think of skipping. I was feeling quite sick on Monday, yet I forced myself to the gym, since it was the first day of boxing training, and I ended up doing my strength training, as well as the boxing workout. I felt much better afterward, and my cold went away too.

Now I know there is no excuse not to go to the gym, except if I have a fever.

Week 5: Carbs and Abs

I weighed myself this morning and am a bit over 199 lbs, but definitely less than 200 lbs. This means I've lost at least half a pound. I am not too happy with that, but then again, it hopefully means my muscle is staying put.

As for body fat %, it's difficult to find any sort of skin calipers where I live, so I am not sure how to go about it. I have asked a cousin to send me a pair from overseas.

Since I have lost only half a pound of weight, it must mean either I'm holding more water weight (which could be true since I have crossed 1 gallon of water/day) or I'm still over my calorie limit. I have stopped using the 'Lose it!' iPhone application this past week, since it is a hassle to keep track of, and I'm sure I'm getting the measurements wrong. However, after using the app for a month, I have gotten a fairly good idea about calories in most foods. Starting a few days ago, I decided to decrease my calorie consumption in order to increase my daily calorie deficit. Hopefully that will bring the verdict in my favor at next week's weigh-in.

I have also decreased carb consumption later in the day. I now eat most of my carbs in the morning/lunch/afternoon snack meals, because I can use up the energy at the gym in the evenings, and since I am usually sitting/lying idle afterward.

I have also, as of yesterday, added abs exercises to my gym routine. I was afraid of getting cramps, but the 'Beginner Level 1' exercises I took from "The Truth about Six Pack Abs" book (that I mentioned in on of my earlier posts), although strenuous on the abs, were surprisingly cramp-free. I'll gradually work my way up to the higher, and more vigorous, levels. I still have a lot of fat to trim anyway, before I can ever hope to see my abs.

The excellent news is that I can actually see my waist has reduced considerably. I must remember to measure it later today. If it's good news, I may update this blog tomorrow. If not, then I'll be too busy crying and throwing a tantrum. See ya.

Week 4: Time Flies When You're Losing Fat

Ok, four weeks of the new regime are up. Strangely, they've gone by pretty fast, considering the rigorous training I have put myself through. Just goes to show that patience is the key, because I could have just as easily sat on my ass for those four weeks and eaten junk food; I would have been sitting here right now swearing at myself for letting a month go by already.

On to more important matters: my weight. Well, I weighed myself this morning, and I am now exactly 200 lbs, which means I lost a pound last week. This is good. This hopefully means I am only losing the fat, while maintaining most of my muscle.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to get my body fat percentage calculated on the weekend. I tried shopping for skin calipers, but where I live, most people don't even know what they are. A trip to the hospital is the only way. I will go this weekend for sure.

So, just to sum up. In one month, I have lost AT LEAST 6 lbs (roughly 1.5 to 2 lbs per week). If I lost any more than this per week, I would have lost muscle along with the fat. Therefore, I'm very happy with my progress so far. I can also see my waistline receding a bit now. However, the motivation is slowly slipping away, but I have decided to remain steadfast no matter what is thrown my way. This time round, I am not giving up.

Until next week. Keep on moving.

Week 3: You Are What You Eat

I'm a couple of days late in reporting my progress. I forgot to weigh myself Monday morning, and even though I weighed myself yesterday, I couldn't find time to update my blog.

Well, after yesterday's weigh-in, it's good news. I am 201 lbs (down from 203 lbs last week. So, this past week I lost two pounds!

To be honest, I was not expecting to even maintain my weight, let alone lose some, considering this past weekend's binge I went on. A friend was getting married, and I attended three difference ceremonies. Desi wedding food is an amalgamation of rice, cooking oils, and lots of sweets. I definitely overate, as my iPhone's "Lose It!" application showed. I was very disappointed with my lack of self control.

The thing about an exercise and diet routine is that they go hand in hand. So, if you mess up in even one of them, it will affect the other. For example, during the last phases of my walk and sprint HIIT, when I am extremely exhausted, what pushes me on is the fact that I stuck with my diet the past few days and I controlled my temptations. This gives me the drive to keep on moving, since I will only be wasting my dieting efforts if I don't. The same applies the other way around. When I want to eat that candy bar or ice cream during the week, I think about the all out effort I put into my last exercise routines, and I realize it will have been for nothing if I don't control my temptations.

Though I have lost two pounds, I am getting a bit demotivated, since I do not see the belly fat disappearing as fast. It doesn't seem to me as if it is going away at all. Given, it has only been two weeks, I thought I may have seen some results by now. Anyway, I guess this is when I must remain strongest in will. I should at least wait a full month before I measure my waist, to check for any difference.

Lastly, I will go to the hospital this weekend to get my body fat measured. It is a more reliable and accurate method to check my fitness progress. I will remeasure body fat on a monthly basis.

Well, that's all for now. Till next week!

Week 1 and 2 Progress

Before I provide the update, I should mentioned the training regime I am following:

3 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri):
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) of Full Body Exercises using weights. This is followed by 15 - 20 minutes of heavy bag boxing for cardio (also HIIT).

2 times a week (Tue, Thu):
HIIT walking/sprinting. Basically, I start out by walking for 5 minutes, then sprinting at full speed for 10-15 seconds, then walking for 1-2 minutes, sprinting again for 10-15 seconds, and repeating the 1-2 mins/10-15 secs walk/sprint process thereafter. I do this till I have completed 4 - 5 sprints. This works for me, since I am a beginner at running. Don't get me wrong though, I am still exhausted and gasping for breath by the end of the workout. Such is the power of HIIT.

The full body workout sessions last about 30 - 40 minutes, plus 20 minutes of boxing, while the walking/sprinting sessions have a total duration of about 20 minutes.

So, after two weeks of rigorous exercise, coupled with a healthy diet plan, what do I have to show for it?

Well, it's good news so far. I checked my weight yesterday (February 22, 2010), and it was 203lbs. As mentioned before, I was AT LEAST 205 to 215lbs before working out, and have therefore lost weight a couple pounds for sure.

From now onwards, I will have a better idea of how much I am losing, since I know my current weight.

Extras:

Let me just say that I am not endorsing the below products in any way, nor am I trying to promote them for any self-gain. I am just mentioning them, to let you, the reader, know what I am using and finding helpful in my training. I am sure there are even better products out there, and if you know of, or are using, any good ones, please mention them in the comments.

I am currently using two pieces of equipment I have found pretty useful in my training. One is my ipod nano, which I use with a Nike+ sensor kit (Instead of buying Nike+ shoes, I cut a place in my old sneakers to place the sensor in). The kit helps me with tracking my running statistics, such as covered distance, time, and calories burned. And, of course, it plays my workout music.

Secondly, I have downloaded a free app for my iphone, called "Lose it!", which helps track my daily calorie intake, along with info about the fats, carbs, and proteins I have had. It may seem like a hassle to input the food you have eaten every single time, but the good thing is that the app has an extensive database of foods already, and you can combine those foods to make your own recipes, and you can even create your own foods from scratch and input their nutrient/calorie details yourself. I really like the app because it not only helps me keep track of what foods I am eating, but also opens my eyes to the pros/cons of each.

The Beginning

It is pertinent to record my measurements before I started working out, in order for any progress to be tracked:

Chest 45.5"
Shoulder 18.5"
Waist 43.5" (+1 to 2")
Biceps: Left 15" Right 16"
Wrist 8"
Hip 45.5"
Thighs 27"
Ankle 11"
Weight 205lbs (+5 to 10)

Some of the above measurements may seem useless, like the ankle, but these are necessary to get a more accurate calculation of body fat, without having to use any sophisticated equipment. Also, the above measurements are almost a year old (24 April 2009, to be exact), and are therefore not an accurate representation of my stats of a month ago; however, I am fairy sure I am a bit heavier and fatter since last year, so a margin of error of +1" to the waist, and +10 lbs to the weight, should suffice.

My overall goal is to reach roughly 170lbs and reduce my waist to approx 33". Impossible is nothing (Adidas).

It has been six weeks since I have been working out. The first two weeks involved only light weights, in order to get my body used to the fact that I will be lifting again. The two weeks following that routine, I began hitting certain muscles each day, three times a week. That is before I read the two books I mentioned in the previous section. Mike Geary, the author of "The Truth about Six Pack Abs", says that in order to lose fat while maintaining muscle, full body exercises, especially those that strengthen the core, are most effective. I have a few friends who follow similar exercises, and I have seen a significant difference in their bodies. Therefore, two weeks ago, I decided to adopt Geary's exercise regime.

For two weeks, I have also rid myself of the traditional three-meal diet. I am now taking six, smaller meals throughout the day, each separated roughly by three hours. I have also started using a 100% whey protein powder. I sprinkle half a serving on my cereal in the morning. I take another half a serving in a banana, milk, and oatmeal shake, as a meal replacement shake between breakfast and lunch. Finally, I take one whole serving in a banana, honey, and water shake right after working out everyday. For my regular meals, I have switched to good carbs, fats from oil and leafy vegetables, and lean protein, whenever possible.

Finally, I have also started drinking about 2.5 to 3.0 liters (roughly 3/4 of a galon) of water everyday.

In the next section, I'll quickly update my progress up till today.

Introduction

How many times have you looked in the mirror and thought to yourself, 'Man, I wish I was more muscular" or "I wish I was slimmer and more toned" or "I wish I had six packs" or even "I just wish I didn't have this stupid pile of jello for a stomach!"? I can only speak for myself, and to be honest, I know I've thought each of those above phrases many times in my life. I assume most of us have been in that same boat at one point or another. And we've also tried to do something about the situation every now and then. I remember getting so pumped up (no pun intended) to get in shape on and off, in the past.

At age 17, I started working out at my local gym, thinking I would be looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger in no time. Boy, was I wrong! I worked out for 6 months, with very poor results. Sure, I may have increased my overall muscle size, but by very little. With the Arnold dream slowly fading away, I gave it up for the next couple of years.

Come college, I started hitting up the local gym, along with a couple of my buddies, who were brothers. They were already in pretty good shape. They had good muscle definition and athletic builds. I felt if I worked out with them, and did what they did, I would eventually end up looking like them. They took creatine and protein powders, to supplement their diet after gym, and I decided to take a protein supplement as well, without reading up on it beforehand. Sure enough, after about four months of hardcore exercising, nothing much changed in my physique, or at least not close to how much I would have wanted. Again, I scrapped the idea, and stopped working out.

Then, five years down the line, I quit smoking. It was a turning point in my life. I decided to change my diet as well, and joined the gym. I read up on the internet about the foods I should be eating before and after gym, in order to get the best results. This only lasted about three months, since the stress of just starting a new job, coupled with the fact that I fell off the non-smoking wagon, and the tiredness after work not allowing any energy for the gym, made it almost impossible to continue. I had made some progress this time, but decided I wasn't in the frame of mind to go on. This failure was a huge blow to my confidence, since I felt that if even after three months I could start smoking again, how would I ever quit and maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Today, at age 28, I am making my last ditch effort to change my lifestyle and start a better life. It has been one month, so far, since I quit smoking again. And I am adamant to remain non-smoker this time. I am taking the "What doesn't kill you, will only make you stronger" approach. My past failures should not shatter my confidence, but build it. You must crawl before you can walk, and that's exactly what I had been doing in the past, crawling. Now, I am attempting to stand up and walk. And I have already taken the first step.

A week before quitting smoking (January 26, 2010), I had joined a new gym, with a couple of friends. But this time I made a pact with myself that, despite if my friends continue working out or quit, I will stick to my regime. I read up on all the material I could, regarding the right exercises to do in order to lose fat and maintain muscle, and the proper diet I should be following. I read Mike Geary's "The Truth about Six Pack Abs" and Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" books. They provided all the detailed information I required to begin my mission and healthy lifestyle.

I will update this blog, weekly, on my progress. Time to get rid of this stupid fat and be ready for the summer!

"The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character" - Arnold Schwarzenegger