More Calories, Less Fat

If there’s one thing I learned from my participation in the Bodybuilding.com 2013 Transformation Challenge Sponsored by Dymatize that stands out from the rest it’s that when one eats is sometimes as important as what one eats.

In an effort to find an eating plan — I’m not even sure “plan” is the right word, it’s more of a lifestyle thing — that works for me, I’ve been steadily upping my calories since the Challenge ended. Whereas, the 3,040 calories I consumed on Feb. 28 was my highest total during the seven-week Challenge, lately I’ve been averaging more calories than that.

Yet, I’ve gained a grand total of 0.1 pounds since I took my Final pictures two weeks ago.

Frankly, my goal after the Challenge was to gain weight by “bulking” a bit, as I thought that might be a great way to allow me some extra calories. Now, I’m not sure what I should do. I’m OK at the calorie level I’m at — not hungry and, in fact, often full — but I want to have some goals in the gym besides working hard… and I’m still very, very nervous about quitting my cardio program altogether.

My thinking is: Why “bulk up” with fat? Right now, I’m maintaining my present weight and losing fat; that strikes me as a whole lot better than gaining weight and having to trim a ton of fat later on (been there, done that, didn’t care for it).

All things considered, it’s a good problem to have (it sure beats the alternative). I’m thinking that maybe I should set some strength goals since I go back and forth between strength- and size-building exercises anyway.

In the meantime, I think I’ll get something to eat.

The Dog Days of Winter

I haven’t posted much recently for a couple of reasons: 1) I had to take on another job to make ends meet; and 2) I just haven’t had much fire recently. I don’t believe for a second that 1 & 2 aren’t connected — even though the job is in fitness, which is great, I’ve been working full-time from home since 2007 and not being able to do so anymore has been tough, no matter the spin I put on it.

As far as the Challenge goes, I’m in a bit of a rut. I fear my diet, which I always thought was ridiculously light given my size and activity level (typically, well under 2,000 calories), may have actually lowered my metabolism. Recently, I’ve been terribly tired and, worse, terribly hungry — all the time.

The odd thing is in the past couple of weeks I’ve gained weight, yet may have (probably have) lost fat. But I’m still frustrated by how slow the process has been: my shin splints seem to get worse every day, making the treadmill a half-hour of torture. The thought of upping my time, given that I’m already doing it every day…

So, I’ve decided that, starting today, I will do different types of cardio—I like push-ups, I can do burpees, I can run in place with minimal pain (probably because it’s more of an up-and-down rather than a reaching motion).

Overall, I look a lot better, but there’s still a long way to go… and, now, a short time to get there.

The Secret to Weight Loss

I have found the secret to weight loss (at least for me)… and it's not eating/avoiding certain types of foods, snacking incessantly or any of the other stuff one typically hears.

It all boils down to ramping up one's metabolism. How that is achieved is up to the individual. For me, the combination of a good fat burner and slightly more intense (than I would like) cardio has done the trick.

When I started the Bodybuilding.com 2013 Transformation Challenge, I had a simple, tried-and-true diet in place. I would eat 6-8 times a day, mixing protein and complex carbs into my meals and snacks and I would lose weight and gain/retain muscle…

It didn’t work. My weight stayed more or less the same.

Undeterred, I decided that, perhaps, I was taking in too many calories and fat each day. So I revamped my diet and starting tracking everything I ate. I thought 2,000-2,300 calories per day would do the trick — beach body here I come!

It didn’t work. Sure, I lost more weight than before, but it was coming off very slowly.

Next, I decided to cut my daily calorie intake. Instead of 2,000-2,300 calories per day, I opted for 1,800-2,000 (mind you, my twin brother, who is naturally 30 pounds lighter than me, was losing weight with a much less stringent diet). But, hey, if fewer calories is what it took to get mean and lean, so be it.

It didn’t work. Again, I was losing weight, just at a glacial pace.

Then came my breakthrough. I noticed that, when I was walking on the treadmill (I’d maintain a pace of about 3.4-3.6 MPH at an 8-9 percent incline), my heart rate was generally in the 116-123 beats-per-minute range. Although I’ve heard that 60-70 percent of one’s maximum heart rate — crudely determined by subtracting one’s age from 220 — is ideal, I wondered if my body was resistant to that theory.

I decided to work in some interval training and quicken the pace of my workouts to get my heart rate up.

It worked. Now, when I get on the treadmill, my heart rate is immediately in the 130-135 beats-per-minute range and I’ve started losing weight — and, more importantly, fat — at a greatly accelerated rate.

So much for theories. I guess it's true: Practice makes perfect.

Seeing Improvement

Fantastic day in the gym today, continuing a trend of great workouts. Heck, even my 40 minutes on the treadmill was bearable today.

Even better, since I started tracking my diet, I’ve lost four pounds and I’m finally starting to show some improvement in terms of fat reduction. Consequently, I look slightly more muscular, which I knew would be the case once the fat started leaving my body.

I still have a long way to go, though. My waist is hanging — not literally, but close — at 39 inches (down just slightly from 40).

Nonetheless, I feel great about my dedication to the process. I may not win this Challenge, but I will win.

Counting Calories

Well, my workouts have gone really well, but my diet is another story.

Not through lack of effort, mind you… or planning… or anything else. The fact is I’m eating well, but my weight has pretty much stayed the same. I think it’s one of two things or, perhaps, a combination of both:

1) I’m taking in too many calories. I’ve planned out my meals, of course, but I haven’t really paid much attention to my calorie intake. Instead, I’ve just tried to eat healthier and eat enough protein-rich foods to fuel my training.

2) I’m not drinking enough water.

So, to fix this, I’ve started tracking my calories. It’s not fun, but I found a Web site, MedHelp.org, that makes it a little bit easier—and I’m guessing there are others.

My goal is to consume between 2,100 to 2,300 calories per day. My stats from Day 1:

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge