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