Burning Fat/Building Muscle Update

So, 7 weeks ago, I put away the P90x DVD's and never looked back.  I wanted to confirm a few suspicions.  My goal is to shred fat and gain muscle.  Other people have different goals, so what I post may not coincide with what you are trying to accomplish.  Anyway, I felt I didn't have to kill myself 6 days a week with intense workouts to shred fat.  I also felt I was spending way too much time with several different resistance exercises that targeted the same muscle group (i.e.  P90x had me holding the dumbells at several different angles to work my biceps).  Again, I wanted to cut through the BS and get to the bottom line....how can I shred fat and build muscle in a way that is sustainable, understandable and plain simple.  I have been shedding about a pound of fat a week and continue to get stronger.  Here's how I am doing it:

• Eating under my caloric maintenance level (the level at which I can maintain without gaining or losing a pound of fat) which I calculated to be 2,400 calories a day.  This assumes that I am doing very light exercise and I am at my target weight of 168.  I am currently around 180, so I will reassess again at 168.
• The caloric deficit at the start of the 7 weeks was significant.  I would max at 1,800 calories for 5 days and around 1,400 the other two.  I was able to successfully do this by incorporating intermittent fasting into my plan.
• About 5 weeks in, I started to crash as my body fat was continually decreasing (my energy "reserve" was melting away).  I decided to up my calories on workout days (2100-2300), try and shoot for 1,400 calories on two non workout days, and stick to 1,800-2,000 calories on the weekend.  At first, I was shooting for my BMR (which is the amount of calories my body would burn if I was in a coma) and slightly under that.  This was great in shedding more fat, BUT, it is not sustainable.  I recommend only a few weeks of this if you can handle it.  GET TO KNOW YOUR BODY HERE!  I found there is a difference between feeling hungry out of habit and actually having your body crash on you.  
•  I'm really not giving a darn about my macros.  What I am giving a darn about is my fruit and veggie intake.  When I don't eat my daily 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies, I notice it in my performance at the gym.  That actually goes for any nutrient dense food I put in my body.  If I have a burger with fries, I don't freak out because I ate "bad" food, I enjoy it because I know I am still in a caloric deficit.  But, I also know performance at the gym may suffer because I am not getting the most out of my food.
• Again, no pre or post workout supplements, or any supplements for that matter.  I will mix in some Whey Protein Isolate into a fruit or chocolate smoothie that I make, but that usually happens 12-13 hours after my workout.  In fact, my pre and post workout drinks have been coffee and water.
• I only workout at the gym three days a week.  I also only do three different exercises, 5 sets, reverse pyramid style to build strength.  It's working fine for me, but I also believe there is not end all way to train with weights.  Just try and do one more rep than the last time, or add an extra 5 lbs. to the next set, and I don't see why you can't build muscle.  
• No cardio (except 5 minutes on the stationary bike to warm up) and no ab work (I workout my abs with my push ups and squats).

So far, it's been more simple than I could ever imagine.  The only "rules" I am following right now is less calories weekly than my maintenance target, fruits and veggies daily, and lifting more than I did the previous week.  This is not to say that there is not some discipline involved, but for crying out loud, once I stopped worrying about this food and that food, or optimal times to feed my body, or optimal conditions to burn fat, or optimal heart rate zone, or cold vs. hot, etc., this fitness thing became much easier, more enjoyable, and I believe, more sustainable.

Updated Pics

It's kind of hard to see, but I have been averaging a pound a week since the last photos on April 17th. The top pic is the before....about 11 lbs ago.   I will add some commentary tomorrow about my current program.

  

Front.....

Side view....sort of...

In the top pic...I was embarrassed to show my fat roll, which was there.  It's slowly but surely melting away.

I turn to others for inspiration as well.....

One of the many things that have helped me so far is following other people's successful weight loss journeys.  I read many blogs, one of them being the Adonis Index Blog.  They had a great story about Todd Burgette ( http://www.adonisindex.com/save-time-with-dieting/) and his struggles mirrored what I was going through prior to this journey.  He also summed up his approach in such a way that I had to share.  Sometimes, I can ramble on this blog, and my points may not be as clear as I would like them to be.  I think Todd did a good job of summarizing the keys to his success, and follows closely to what I am doing.

Take home message from Todd ( I have added my comments in yellow):

1. Diet Tips

• Be proactive, think in advance, plan, save calories, so you can enjoy social eating events over the weekends
• If you are struggling with a eating disorder, take it slowly, small steps moving forward every day/week/month
• Figure out when it’s easier for you to fast
• Don’t eat too often, taking breaks will give you more control
• Try avoiding snacking
• Eating breakfast will most likely make you overeat, try to put the first meal off as late as you can (I skip breakfast and have larger lunches and dinners - it's all personal preference)
• If you are a boredom eater, you need to plan to be social
• If you eat less, you will save time

2. Training Tips

• Have a well-structured workout plan
• Have a workout plan written months ahead
• Keep a workout log/diary that will help you track your progress

3. Mindset Shifts

• You’ve got to identify the key drivers of your success and work on them
• It’s all in your head, your body can do it, but you have to believe it’s possible
• Clear your mind before your workout
• Work on your key habits and issues every day
• Find someone who has done what you want, seeing it will give you the confidence to do it
• Reward yourself with vacation and clothes (not my ideal rewards, but you get the picture)
• Be covert, you don’t have to tell anyone what you are doing (again, I have a blog, which goes against this point, but the idea is a fitness journey should seen, not heard, although I believe it must be heard if you are trying to inspire)

Thank you Todd, I couldn't have said it better myself!

This is where the fun really begins......

Today I stepped on the scale.....185 lbs.  Back in 2001, when I was doing the Body for Life program, I was able to get down to this weight, which was the lightest I had been since high school (I started at 246 in February 2000, so it was a nice accomplishment).  I was working out like crazy....spending at least 45 minutes on the treadmill 3 times a week, swimming and weight training on the other days.  I also felt hungry....all of the time.  I would gorge on the weekends, starve on weekdays.    I was able to sustain this for a few more weeks, then, the weight started to come back on.  By summer of 2005, I was back in the 238 lb range and hovered around that number for years, losing some, and gaining it back.

Fast forward to this morning, I feel like a completely different person, and much more in control of my fitness goals.  What's different?  I started fasting, which has been a tremendous help.  I'm able to stick to around 1800-1900 calories a day, and bump the number up to 2100 on the weekends.  If you take those calories and break them down into one or two meals, you can eat big and still feel like you are not depriving yourself.  I am not going to go into detail again on why I am convinced fasting does some really good things for your body, but, it is a great way to control calories.  In fact, on days where I am only eating one meal (which is 2 times a week on my non-gym days), the most calories I have been able to consume have not exceeded 1,400 calories, 400-500 calories below my target caloric range to be at a deficit!  The fasting takes some time to get used to, especially if you were like me and thought you had to eat 5-6 meals a day to burn fat.

My workouts are also an absolute pleasure. 30 - 45 minutes in the gym, max.  No cardio, 3 different exercises, then I'm out.  I love it (minus the loud grunting bro who seems to be on the same lifting schedule as me).

Bottom line, I stopped sweating the small stuff.  I have enjoyed brownies, cake, ice cream...you name it.  Oh yeah, check out my sandwich from last Saturday night.....

 
This is the Pig's Delight Sandwich served at this awesome joint called Hoggs-N-Chicks.  Fried pork loin, shaved ham, fried egg, bacon, hatch chili sauce and chipotle mayo.  I would have felt guilty about eating something like this.....not anymore.  I just don't eat them every night.  The fasting and flexible meal plan are going to be the key for my long term success.  I can't wait to to take this on this remaining body fat...I'm getting close...not quite there yet.  I mix in weight training to build muscle.  I am getting stronger by the week.  I have found this awesome recovery drink post workout....it's called coffee.  Updated pics will be coming in about three weeks.