Lee's Workout/Diet Journal 9/30/2014- HONEYMOON OVER

I went from tall, dark and (questionably)handsome to... tall, bloated and chubby.

So a little about me. I'm Lee and I FINALLY got married at 36 years of age on June 22nd to the most beautiful woman I've ever known, inside and out. BUT, I've taken this honeymoon thing waaaaay too far and she won't stop cooking deliciously fattening foods.

Lots of Presidente beer :o and rich Dominican dishes caused my temporary downfall. From the day we stepped into that resort in ***** Cana(I live in the DR) to celebrate our marriage I've been slacking on my workouts and eating like there is no tomorrow.

The worst part is that I've been weight training for over 15 years, teaching and training others to get in shape for 10+ years. Usually through intermittent fasting, which I am now back to doing after having TOTALLY abandoned it post-wedding the last 3 months.

My Stats: 6'4" 265 lbs

My Normal Size: 6'4" 235 lbs

My New Goal: 6'4" 225 lbs 

I've done this before and I always get back to my shape, but trust me...I'm genetically disposed to obesity, everyone in my immediate family is or was obese(Mom, Dad, brothers and sisters), if I don't stick to the script I get overweight VERY quickly. For example...

Here's a pic from when I got somewhat big, I was about 275 lbs in this pic and went down to 240. And that wasn't hardly my biggest, I've been north of 290 lbs in years past, but I purposely didn't take many photos in that stage of life.

 I HOPE to be back to my normal "pre-wedding" weight in 3 months and even leaner, I'm not a naturally lean guy but I know how to get lean when I FOCUS on my diet and STACK WORKOUTS(thus this journal to keep me motivated), and since I won't be having anymore honeymoons I will stay lean.

Feel FREE to give your encouragements and helpful suggestions.

I'll be doing 3 full-body weight-training workouts per week and atleast 120 minutes of cardio per week.

 Yesterday's fasted workout....(I always workout fasted, regardless of my goals but it's REALLY great for fat-burning)

Walked 1 mile to the gym with loaded backpack. Then I did....

Squats: 

3 sets of 10 squats -  

Barbell Clean & Press(fast-paced): 3 sets of 12

Bench Press: 3 sets of 10

Lat Pulldowns: 3 sets of 12 

This workout had me TOTALLY GASSED. By the time I got to the 2nd set of Barbell Clean & Press I was huffing & puffing like no tomorrow and you should know that I work out on an empty stomach ALWAYS.

I must admit, I had to break up my bench press sets and ended up doing 6 sets of 6, I was gassed from the clean and presses. The Lat pulldowns went well and I felt a second wind coming, I threw in a couple extra reps in each set and will definitely up the weights the next time I do it. Afterwards, I walked back home one mile, the first few blocks are totally uphill(The Dominican Republic is full of hills and valleys). Anyway, I felt GREAT and Energized after the workout. I wanna see if I can hit my fitness goal in 3 months and if I can get my wife to cook healthier dishes without hurting her feelings... - Lee

I didn't mean to put a sad smiley on my post, oh well. I'm smiling, cause I'm on the road back to fitness.

I did my thing today, got some good cardio in....

Today I sprinted/jogged/walked 1.5 miles pretty much mostly downhill to the vegetable market for some augacate y cebolla(avocados and onions), I had my backpack on, I'd estimate it weighed 15 lbs cuz it still had my gym crap in it.

Then sprinted/jogged/walked 1.5 back to the crib pretty much all uphill and I'd estimate the bag on my back weighed 25 lbs on the way back.

Worked up a good sweat, gonna eat at 3:15pm, about 3/4 of chicken with some of the skin left on it cooked stove top without any oil, 1 whole avocado, a butt load of coleslaw(vinegar and a couple teaspoons of olive oil).


Did about a 33/33/33% split of walking/jogging/running with the backpack. Took about 45 mins with the food shopping(rest) mixed in.

Can't wait for the gym tomorrow!

Today was a tiring day at the gym but I'm feeling good

There are 2 main gyms that me and the wife use here in Jarabacoa, 1 is a mile away the other is 1.5 miles away from the house(Mega Gym), we always walk.

This is a small mountain town and there are no major chain gyms here, but it has plenty of good equipment, more than the gym that is 1/2 mile closer.

Both gyms are both somewhat hole-in-a-wall gyms but this one is the nicer hole in the wall.

I usually don't go on Monday's to Mega Gym because it's always LOADED with guys, it's National Chest Day and the lights always go out in the city at around 10am almost every Monday like clockwork(DR problems) so all the fellas head to this gym in particular. But I usually go wednesdays, love this gym.

Only thing that sucks about Mega Gym is that there is no squat rack. But that's OK, I use the leg press when I go.

ANY-WAY....

I was fasted since 7:30 yesterday, we walked to the veggie to grab some fruit for my wife then headed to the gym.

Today's workout consisted of....

Started with Barbell Clean and Press
1 set 12 reps
3 sets 12 reps 
3 sets 12 reps 

Lat Pulldowns

4 sets 12 reps

* I LOOOOVE this Lat pulldown machine, Far better than the cable version. 

 

Leg Presses

3 sets of 15 with sets of burnout calf presses in-between sets.
(wanted to do 4-15, didn't have it in me...)

Chest Flyes

4 sets of 12 reps 150 lbs

I also LOVE the feel of this machine over the majority that I;ve used, didn't ask my wife to take pics, I was tired and ready to get things over with. I'll take a pic another day but it's awesome, GREAT mind-muscle connection on that bad boy.

Elliptical Machine Cardio 

My absolute favorite piece of cardio equipment is BY FAR the elliptical machine, always has been.

I did 15 minutes at a medium-paced, I was super-gassed and didn't really give it everything I had but burned 173 calories.

THEN...

We walked to the meat market on the way home bought 3 lbs of whole chicken cut into pieces for 180 pesos ($6 mas o menos) and walked home with loaded backpacks 1.5 miles.

I ate 1/2 lb of chicken with skin(cooked stovetop without oil) a ton of coleslaw (vinegar, olive oils) and a large avacodo at about 3pm. Then had the same at 9pm.

That's enough of my rabbling for today! 

What do you think? leave your tips and advice if they are constructive 

Good for you! It sounds like you are on a roll. You challenged yourself and you are following through. I always suggest keeping a workout journal to help you challenge your body - that's what I do. This helps me keep track of the weight I'm using, the reps, etc. Also, keeping the workouts fun always help me to stay on track.

Also I think keeping up the protein is good. It sounds like you are doing well. I love the elliptical too but if I do it too much over and over my body will get used to it and I'll hit a plateau. So I have to change it up to keep my body changing, otherwise I'll keep hitting those plateaus.

Keep up the great work!

Best,

Kristin

Sounds like you've got a good plan for diet & exercise! In suggesting to spouses to modify THEIR behavior (which is usually a tricky conversation), being humble and asking for her help in your journey might give her motivation. If she expresses her love for you thru food, rejection of her food can leave her feeling hurt.... so focus on modifying the recipes/ portion sizes (e.g. sancocho doesn't have to be off the menu, but leave out the sausage/beef/pork and replace startchy veggies with ones that have more fiber/color). Suerte!

Heeey! What do you know about Sancocho???? Lol. DELISH! yeah she goes to the gym with me and she is actually being very supportive and is changing the menu a bit!

10-3-2014

I didn't want to do alot of thinking today and it was hot as all-get-out outside so I wasn't feeling very motivated but I went to the gym.

I was fasted since 8 pm yesterday. 

The wife and I walked to the farther gym (Mega Gym 1.5 miles) because I wanted to use the elliptical after lifting.

I did a timed workout with the Barbell Clean and Press, I like to do this when I don't wanna think much about sets and reps for everything.

I gave myself 40 minutes in which I took barbells of different weights and simply did as many clean and presses until I couldn't catch my breath anymore or couldn't raise the bar overhead anymore. And then I sat down and rested just enough to catch my breath and go do it again, and again, and again.

I didn't count the reps and sets, just burned out. I went as high as 95 lbs and as low as 55 lbs barbells.

It REALLY stresses my cardiovascular system and muscles.

I was dripping with sweat like CRAZY. Felt good and I felt more motivation than when I entered the gym.

[B]After that I did....

Dumbbell Squats 
3 set of 10 reps

Lat Pulldowns (plate-weighted)
3 sets of 15 

Bodyweight Dips
3 burnout sets to failure

Elliptical Machine Cardio

15 minute - 200 calories
--------------

Now for my admission of guilt...

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself, that burrito was whispering sweet nothins in my ear... 

We walked to a restaurant that's on the way home had a burrito de res(beef burrito) and a diet coke with the wife. 

SIDENOTE: This restaurant has the BEST HOT SAUCE ON THE PLANET, I found out that some local guy makes it and sells it, I'm tracking him down to buy that stuff for the crib. It's real hot but with a great flavor, my butt's gonna be burnin' tomorrow, but live for today right??

That was my first meal at 3pm. Finished walking home after the meal.

Even though that meal wasn't the healthiest, I needed some fat anyway and tonight at 7:30 I'll eat some "clean" homemade burritos filled with chicken breasts in whole wheat burrito wraps.

Oh, BTW I didn't do JACK yesterday, but I ate clean. All constructive help is welcome.... Will update later!

10-4/5-2014 (the weekend)

Ok so over the weekend I Broke my fast at around 12:30 both days, I ate pretty clean. Saturday ate about 2 lbs of chicken breast sauteed in garlic/sesame seed oil and soy sauce between the hours of my 8 hour eating window. 

Midday Sunday, I ate a chicken burrito WITH the hot sauce that I talked about in an earlier post(found the guy and bought a gallon of the stuff for 1000 pesos($26) and coleslaw(olive & vinegar). Sunday night I ate whole wheat pasta spaghetti with meat and red sauce, my wife used low fat ground pork. I intended to go running over the weekend, but life happened and I got too busy. But I was happy to stay on track with my eating.

10-6-2014 Busy day today, went house hunting with my wife before the gym and it kinda zapped us both. We didn't spend as much time as usual in the gym because of it, just got some decent work in. I went fasted until 6 pm today, not that I wanted to, just so much going on.

We walked to the closer gym (1 mile) because I wanted to do squats.

I did...

Barbell Squats 4 x 10 

Barbell Clean and Press  4 x 15 

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 3 x 12  

Weight-plated Incline Chest Press Machine

Somebody left 200 lbs on with all 25 lb plates, I just did burnout sets to failure and stripped 1 plate from each side each time until I failed to bench press 50 lbs. 

Bent Over Barbell Rows 3 x 12 

Then we walked home and ate avocados and left over wheat pasta spaghetti and a couple protein shakes. Ima try to jog or something tomorrow.