Broba Fett

I'm not dead. Grandma is though. Passed away last week unexpectedly and it threw everything off a bit. In her 90s so it was't totally unexpected but there were no signs or chance to say goodbye. Just didn't wake up. Got a couple workouts in the past couple weeks and have stayed good on my diet though. Totally gave in and deadlifted some heavier weight in one of those workouts. 315x5 no problem, 365 was a struggle and I stopped after 2 because I could feel myself getting sloppy. This week is another weird one due to the wife being in Chicago on business and the kid finishing a report on JFK. Going to do my best to get my 2 lifting sessions in regardless. Cheat day last Sunday after a month straight of keto and 24lbs lost. Wife made homemade strawberry cheesecake and it was glorious. Right back on the wagon Monday. Decided I'm going to stick as close to keto as possible at least until I can dunk a basketball. How's that for unconventional goals? Weight last Friday was 402.6. Soon to be back in the 3s.

Thank you! Gym didn't happen Friday night due to impromptu dinner with friends. Found fully keto options at the restaurant (seared ahi tuna, steak, and veggies) though, so that was a win. Saturday and Sunday we traded gym time for a long walk (1.25hr) saturday and 9 holes of disc golf with one of our puppers sunday. Sunday night we had breakfast for dinner which allowed me to try out keto pancakes along with my eggs, bacon, and sausages. Not bad but not great. Kind of like a corn muffin pretending to be a pancake. Provided a suitable delivery method for butter and sugar free syrup. Back to the gym last night for both of us. My weights: SQ:125x5x5 BP: 85x5x5 Rows: 105x5x5 Also worked in some curls while spotting the wife's OHPs. BP and Rows still feel easy but squats are starting to spook me a bit. My muscles are capable of lifting it but every time I get to depth I'm overly aware of the area of my back with the herniated discs. No pain or anything but just... an awareness. Hard to describe. Might just be scared but I"m gonna continue to take it slow. Wifey deadlifted 165 like a champ. She's champing at the bit to be back over 2 plates per side just as much as I am. Decided to give up caffeine for Lent. I'm drinking a cup of coffee and a diet soda every day now and I'm too dependent on it. Pray for me and those around me as I detox the next couple days.

Weekly weigh-in today: 409lbs Total lost in 2 weeks of keto: 17.4lbs Wife also lost 4lbs this week. Stomach issues from keto are setting in but the weight loss is enough to keep my willpower high. Have been pretty strict on the diet for the full two weeks. This coming weekend I'll be trying keto pancakes and cheese wraps. Going to hit the gym tonight, as the kiddo will be at grandma's.

Idk, I've never felt a thing from edibles. Either the people making them had no idea what they were doing or my weight made me resistant like it does for alcohol or...? Idk. Probably need to try some retail stuff now that it's legal here in IL. Good to see you Willes. Thanks for the heads up on this challenge on FB.

I agree that the fact that you've moved from lifting to running and everything in between doesn't say failure to me. It says true Rangering. We are a group that realizes that there are too many amazing things in life to obsess over one for too long. Keep up the good work.

Excited to catch up on your thread, especially on the hip health aspect. Mine have been out of whack ever since my back injury. Need some inspiration to get my stretches in.

Good to see you again bud. Looking forward to catching up on how you're doing when I have a minute.

Tactical human? More like tacti-cool human, amirite?

Thanks Gents! It's difficult for me as my weakness is sweets but at the same time, that is why it is affected. You should be able to give it a shot and still enjoy your cheeses though. Most cheeses have only 1g of carbs per oz. Most folks need to go under 20g per day then can increase to at least 30-40g. I'm usually eating a couple ounces of cheese per day. Had like 8oz of cream cheese the other day in bacon wrapped jalapendo poppers. Good source of fat. Slow and steady gets the bounty. This is the way. Win of the day: National ops manager was in town today, which usually means a long day with no breaks or lunch trying to increase productivity. I forced myself to leave and grab a small order of chicken wings and take a 30 min walk.

Also, I just adjusted my settings so that the forums email me whenever y'all reply. Hoping that will help remind me to come check in every time I have a spare min.

Thanks old friends and new. First post updated with goals. Hit the gym last night: Squats: 125x5x5 OHP: 80x5x5 Deads: 165x5x1 Squats had some good fatigue starting to build for the first time in the new program on the last couple sets. Same with OHP. I blame ketosis and the fact that I'm probably not fully switched over yet. Deads are still tempting me every session. I want to slap 3 plates on each side but I know my back isn't ready for it. Then went up and ran a bit but got super fatigued. Again blaming ketosis. I should have grabbed a basketball and shot around but still got a half hour of cardio in, even if it was more walking than running. Also walked for an hour on lunch earlier in the day. This is the way.

The story so far: October 2012: I woke up at 500.5 lbs and majorly depressed. I found and purchased the old NF beginner's guide and started doing it with a box of kitty litter in place of a dumbbell. I also start walking, then running. I learn about proper eating habits. Fast forward to June 2014: I've lost 148lbs powerlifting and walking/running and am in the best shape of my life. I'm honestly happier and have found self worth. I end my marriage and am honestly even happier. (So is my ex wife, so everyone wins.) However, the emotional challenges of divorce combined with the dietary requirements of dating women again take me off track. Fast forward to today: Personal life is as good as it has ever been. I remarried to the love of my life and became a father to her daughter, who is now the most important thing in my life. I finished college and got a new job, which is much more fulfilling but requires much more of a time investment. I wrote and self published a freaking book. I've done a 5k and competed in strongman, tried Filipino stick fighting and roped bulls. However, I've not kept track of my weight. It's been a full on roller coaster: 352 - 425 - 375 - 390 - 435 - 380, and two weeks ago I woke up at 435. So here it is, the last stand. I WILL get my weight down to where my knees and back are not in perpetual soreness. I WILL lower my chance of dying in my 40s so I can meet my grandkids. This will happen. Goals: 1. Lift 2x per week - Rebooted a couple months ago via Stronglifts. Am starting to get back to a point where 5x5 is a struggle on OHP and squat (due to an old back injury) but still have a long way to go before it's a legit struggle on deads/BP/rows. 2. Run or play basketball 2x per week - I know it's not great for my joints but I freaking love it. I'll keep putting on my knee sleeves and running. 3. Keep keto going strong - I'm 1.5 weeks into restarting keto and it's going well. Not even going to give myself a cheat meal during this first challenge back. 4. Find a way to finish this challenge - I love this forum and I love y'all. Y life is very different than it was in 2012 but it will be a great benefit to me to find a way to make it work. My goal will be to update at least 2x/week, after each gym session. Starting weight week zero: 426.6 Good to be back. This is the way.

Last night: SQ: 70x5x5 OHP: 55x5x5 DL: 115x1x5 Realized we jumped too far on DL last time (after all the big deal I made about doing so/not doing so) so we just repeated 115. Wife had to have me spot last set of OHP. She has been rushing a bit so I suggested she listen to the stronglifts app and rest the full 90 seconds between sets going forward now that it's a little heavier. Then went up and did week 2 day 1 of C25k. Ran hard again. Felt really good breaking in the new New Balances my in-laws got me for christmas. Wife has been bit by the running bug HARD. She's run 4 times over the past week, including once without me. She's been so anti-running since we've been together and now she's addicted. I find it very amusing. Clothes feel a bit looser, even in spite of lbs of fudge, seven layer surprises, and candy that I've ingested due to the holidays. Getting that no-scale momentum going strong!

I don't mean to seem ungrateful for the jumps. I remember the weeks when 5lb jumps didn't happen every week. Just eager to get back up where I was and thought it was 20lb jumps. So the thought of it taking twice as long was disheartening for a moment. Not sure where I got the idea of 20lb jumps for DL. Starting Strength maybe? Or maybe one of those programs suggest you do sets in increases of 20lbs until you find your starting point? Not sure. If I just keep up with it I'll be struggling to grind out 5lb jumps soon enough, I'm sure. And I'll have done it in a safe way that better ensures I don't rush and blow out my back pulling what my muscles can handle but my discs can't.

The health club we joined has an inside track. It's really nice this time of year as it gets cold and gross in my part of the country. Also the track is made of some kind of slightly springy material so I like to think that it is easier on the joints than running on concrete. I'll do treadmill in a pinch but it bores me to no end and I can't stop staring at the timer the whole time, which makes it drag on forever. Always a pleasure Wolfie. It's all feeling pretty good as of right now (knock on wood) but I will definitely keep those in mind. Will google some glute activation movements too. I already have a 5 min routine I do before each workout to loosen up my lower back so wouldn't be a big deal to add in a bit more. Thanks! Hit the gym again yesterday, even though we didn't really feel like it. Credit goes to the wifey on that one. I think she's caught the running bug after just 3 runs. Here's what we did: Squats: 65x5x5 Bench: 55x5x5 Row: 75x5x5 Then ran the next workout in C25k. Ran hard again and legs were pretty well fried by the end of it. Instead of a cooldown played some volleyball with our kid. Looking ahead to next lifting session I noticed DLs are only increasing by 10lbs per session. Immediate reaction was to jump it to 20lbs per week so I can get back to meaningful weight faster. After thinking about it for a second, decided not to. Even at 10lbs per week I'll be well past my PR 5RM by year's end. (385ish? Might have done 405x5 once. I know my 1RM was 455.) That's if I progress perfectly, which I know will not happen, but still. So I'm going to play it safe and keep it at 10lbs per week and let my back have plenty of time to get good and strong along the way. That brings me to my strength goals for the year: DL: rep 315x5 by June 1st. Pull 405x1 by end of year. Pretty sure I could grind out 1 or 2 reps at 315 now. I think these are pretty reasonable while still giving myself time to build up properly as mentioned above. Squat: 225x5x5 by end of year with good form. Bad squat form started my issues originally. I'm going to do my best to cut myself off if form slips. Rows: 250x5x5 by end of year. Really don't know what is realistic here as my experience with rows is limited. We will see what happens. BP: Beat PR of 205x1 by end of year. Hopefully hitting 225 as that's long been a goal of mine due to the fact that the NFL uses total reps at 225 to measure player strength in the combine. OHP: Press 180x1 The average man in North America weighs 177.5. I want to say I can press the average man in North America overhead. Don't worry about why. My reasons are my own.

So the real question is, when are we going hunting?

While that does really suck, I've found that taking the ball and running with it in such situations can really change the narrative from how crappy they were to shining a light on how well you addressing/fixing it. Just some food for thought. Hopefully yesterday was better.

Good luck!

Attainable is the most important part of SMART goals, imo. Eat and write all the things.

It always surprises me how both much a simple 5 minutes decompresses me and how much I didn't realize I needed to be decompressed. That's some awesome advice, thank you! I think I'm going to limit to Stronglifts for the first few months until I feel my strength base has returned, then I'll probably transition to 5/3/1 and look at including those kinds of movements in as accessory work. Walked an hour on lunch the last two days and then the whole family made it to the gym together. (Last week didn't work due to holiday madness.) Tonight's lifts: Squats: 60x5x5 OHP: 50x5x5 Deads: 105x5x1 Our daughter wanted to lift with us so I had her do bodyweight squats and OHPs with 5lb dumbbells. She was super proud to be doing the same thing as her momma. Focusing a lot on popping my hips through at the top on deads. (I believe Tank once described it as "fornicating with the bar"). My hips have always been a weak point so I'm trying get it right while I'm still at low, safe weight. Then went up and did C25K. And I RAN. Really ran for the first time in a couple years. And it felt great. We shall see how my back and knees feel the rest of the week.

You're right, of course. It just always surprises me how it can feel like you've completely lost all progress. Here's to hoping I'm also surprised at how quickly it comes back. No gym so far this week, and outlook is bleak for tonight and tomorrow, due to holiday-related activities. So I thought I'd take the opportunity to set a goal or two: Mental - Check my weight only quarterly. I will measure progress intuitively via how my clothes fit, the progress I'm making in the gym, and how my body and mind are feeling on a daily basis. The scale is a great motivator for me when the number is going down but it sends me into a mental spiral the first time I had an off day or weekend and that weight spikes up. This often leads to "well, you already effed up Saturday, might as well eat 6k calories on Sunday and get back on the wagon Monday." No longer. This year will be focused on getting my body to where it can do what I want it to be able to do, if that makes sense. The number on the scale will fall into line. Cardio - Run 3 races in 2020. Probably all 5ks, but I'm open to a possible 10k depending on back and knee health. (And the ability to practice running 5+ miles a few times per week at my slow-ass pace to be properly prepared.) Speaking of my back: Health - Use inversion table at least once per day for the entire year. I spent over $3k out of pocket and too many hours on chiros, PT, steroid injections, and medications to fix my two herniated discs and pinched nerves in my lower back. Then spent $200 on an inversion table, used it 5 mins per day and immediately started getting better. Half my left foot/leg is still numb but the pain is non-existent. It's so much better that I neglect the table for a week or two and then get sore and tweak something. need to be using it every day. Thoughts?

Stack that cash man. It'll be worth it. Is your book sword and sorcery or urban fantasy or...?

5/3/1 is a great program. I can't wait to build my foundation back up so I can get back to it. Keeping it brief. I'm here to support you and your junk through this challenge.

Preach. I love that outlook.

Thanks bud. Good to have you along. Yes please. Already feeling the urge to jump on the scale and second guess everything I'm doing if that number didn't go down. Oh awesome! I started it solely because my wife and kid are Catholic but as I've learned more I am finding it really isn't that far off from my Baptist upbringing. I'm excited to be fully part of the church. Do iiiiit. Good to have you along. Hit the gym last night: Squat: 55x5x5 Bench: 50x5x5 Row: 70x5x5 Man those squats are humbling. I've apparently just been stilt walking on fully straight legs for the past couple years since my back injury because my leg muscles have disappeared. To take a positive away, I should be able to enjoy some newbie gains again, so that's exciting. Then we went up and did week 1 day 1 of couch to 5k. It was much easier to convince the wife to try it than I thought it would be. She made a big show of hating it but I know she was proud of herself for completing it. I felt great as well. It's much easier for me to run with some intensity when I know it'll be for a limited time that I can handle. Here's hoping we really build some momentum going into the year. Got two birthday parties for my two goddaughters in two days this weekend. 10hrs of driving or so from Bloomington to McHenry to Bloomington to Dixon to Bloomington. BUT, it'll be great to spend the weekend with the family. Hope y'all have a good weekend as well.