[Kratos]

My first challenge is complete with success! I've gotten stronger, more resilient, I've lost some body fat and I'm ready to take the next step forward. Here are some of the things that I accomplished on my very first NF challenge:

1. I exercised on my own every day to some degree, even if it meant just going for a walk
2. I intermittent fasted every single day! During this time, I also worked to balance my calorie intake and balance out my macronutrients favoring protein, then complex carbohydrates and then fat. About half of the time, I logged of calories in an app.
3. I read more about nutrition and exercise during this challenge than I ever have in my whole life. I read the entire book Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday and I read half of the book Bigger, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews and I intend to finish it.
4. I'm down 3 lbs and down 0.6% body fat.

 

In terms of weight and body fat change, I thought I would be further than this, but it is okay. My body is saying that the changes are working, but I should increase the challenge if I want to change faster. So here are my new goals:

 

The habits I developed from before stay: this means continue daily intermittent fasting and exercise every single day. But the bar is being raised this time:

 

1. Rigorous physical activity every day for no less than 30 minutes, and walking the dog no longer counts. This can take the form of lifting weights, TRX bands, HIIT training, running, playing a sport etc. The change is that the bar is raised, and walking no longer counts as exercise. Report your exercise and how it went to this thread.

 

2. The intermittent fasting is now a given. What is added is that I must track my calorie balance everyday. If I am going to add a link to my chain, I must track my calories and I must complete my fast. Lapses in judgement causing me to overeat or eat excessively above my calorie balance will not break the chain, but failing to fast and exercise at my new level will. Report your eating for the day and how it went to this thread. Edit: I'm no longer doing the intermittent fasting. Now that I'm working out in the mornings, I really need to eat to support and recover from my workouts, so I gotta eat in the morning. Instead, I'm going for a carefully crafted regiment of eating at my 25% calorie deficit. I'll log my calories with the app Fittur, and I'll be shooting for hitting somewhere within 100 calories of my target.

 

3. Finish reading Bigger, Leaner, Stronger and incorporate the nutritional and exercise guidelines into this challenge if possible. If it's overwhelming, opt for next challenge.

 

Update Feb 28:

4. Cut out caffeine entirely until the end of the challenge. Caffeine is consumed in such inexcusably unhealthy amounts and it no longer does anything for me besides put me at a disadvantage. Once the challenge is over, the next challenge will incorporate keeping my intake at a minimum.

 

Rewards.... I wish to offer myself some kind of reward, but I don't know what yet. I'll be thinking about it. But seeing the improvements on the scale will be a big reward.

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Congrats on a great first challenge. Here to watch you kill the second.

[Kratos]

Thanks! Here's to a successful coming challenge!

[Defining]

23 hours ago, thealienthing said:

In terms of weight and body fat change, I thought I would be further than this, but it is okay. My body is saying that the changes are working, but I should increase the challenge if I want to change faster.

Unsure if you're up for a different POV on this; I'll put my thoughts in a spoiler, if you're not into worrying about the details at this stage of your journey, just tell me to buzz off.  It looks like you're setting long term lifestyle goals, and are focusing on the important stuff - awesome!

 

Spoiler

I LOVE the idea of moving every day, and it looks like you've done a rockstar job of it thus far. But rest is super important too! It might be worth giving yourself 2 non-concurrent days of the week where the dog walk DOES count. Recovery is important for hormonal balance, as well as building muscle - not to mention that if you're still recovering from any lingering COVID/flu stuff, it's a good idea not to run your battery down to the last bar.

 

As for the weight loss, oh DUDE do I feel you on that one. But there was a super interesting study done a few years ago called MATADOR, where they compared two groups of overweight men; one group ate at a constant deficit and then maintenance once they hit their end goal, and the other group ate at a deficit for two weeks and then two weeks at their current maintenance and back and forth two weeks each on/off. The latter group, who lost weight at a slower rate initially, actually ended up keeping the weight off more effectively later. A big reason for that was actually because alternating between a deficit and then maintenance for two weeks at a time helped to preserve the dieters BMR (basal metabolic rate).

 

When we lose fat/weight, our bodies get more efficient at using calories. That translates to an unfortunate side effect (to varying levels depending on the individual) where someone at 200lbs who has always been at 200lbs will likely burn more calories when sedentary vs someone at 200lbs who used to be 250lbs. The MATADOR study showed that you can blunt that effect by using intermittent energy restriction (which is different from intermittent fasting, technically). 

 

I can see that you're doing research on how to progress on your journey, and are also trying to take reasonable & sustainable steps along the way to develop new habits; so I don't want to make you stress more about the details, and I don't want you to doubt the fantastic strides you've already made.

 

If you're wanting to try tweaking your routine though, to maybe keep your BMR slightly higher once you hit your target weight & BF%, you could try alternating two weeks in deficit (the study was 30-35%, but a lot depends on what works well for you!), and then two weeks at maintenance (tdee calculated based on current weight & activity), and then back and forth. The fringe benefit of this approach is that it can also help to combat some of the psychological side effects of long-term restriction too, which is a nice bonus.
 

[Kratos]

10 hours ago, Defining said:

Unsure if you're up for a different POV on this; I'll put my thoughts in a spoiler, if you're not into worrying about the details at this stage of your journey, just tell me to buzz off.  It looks like you're setting long term lifestyle goals, and are focusing on the important stuff - awesome!

 

  Hide contents

I LOVE the idea of moving every day, and it looks like you've done a rockstar job of it thus far. But rest is super important too! It might be worth giving yourself 2 non-concurrent days of the week where the dog walk DOES count. Recovery is important for hormonal balance, as well as building muscle - not to mention that if you're still recovering from any lingering COVID/flu stuff, it's a good idea not to run your battery down to the last bar.

 

As for the weight loss, oh DUDE do I feel you on that one. But there was a super interesting study done a few years ago called MATADOR, where they compared two groups of overweight men; one group ate at a constant deficit and then maintenance once they hit their end goal, and the other group ate at a deficit for two weeks and then two weeks at their current maintenance and back and forth two weeks each on/off. The latter group, who lost weight at a slower rate initially, actually ended up keeping the weight off more effectively later. A big reason for that was actually because alternating between a 30-35% deficit and then maintenance for two weeks at a time helped to preserve the dieters BMR (basal metabolic rate).

 

When we lose fat/weight, our bodies get more efficient at using calories. That translates to an unfortunate side effect (to varying levels depending on the individual) where someone at 200lbs who has always been at 200lbs will likely burn more calories when sedentary vs someone at 200lbs who used to be 250lbs. The MATADOR study showed that you can blunt that effect by using intermittent energy restriction (which is different from intermittent fasting, technically). 

 

I can see that you're doing research on how to progress on your journey, and are also trying to take reasonable & sustainable steps along the way to develop new habits; so I don't want to make you stress more about the details, and I don't want you to doubt the fantastic strides you've already made.

 

If you're wanting to try tweaking your routine though, to maybe keep your BMR slightly higher once you hit your target weight & BF%, you could try alternating two weeks in deficit (the study was 30-35%, but a lot depends on what works well for you!), and then two weeks at maintenance (tdee calculated based on current weight & activity), and then back and forth. The fringe benefit of this approach is that it can also help to combat some of the psychological side effects of long-term restriction too, which is a nice bonus.
 

 

Hey! Thanks for the input here. The results from that study are quite compelling and worth looking into further. I'm thinking that for right now, I'm going for a more aggressive weight loss regime to get me to a happier place with my body and energy levels, but I just might switch to this intermittent method of cutting and maintaining every two weeks. Especially as getting down to those much lower BF% will get more challenging, I think that doing a slow burn and maintain can help to get to that dream body in a practical and maintainable way.

 

As for the intermittent fasting, I'm changing my diet regime now. I'm working out in the mornings and I really need to make sure that I'm eating to aid and recover from those workouts. So as of today, I'm keeping a very close eye on my calories in and maintaining a 25% deficit. This is all part of the diet plan outlined in Michael Matthews Bigger, Leaner, Stronger. I'll be amending my challenge to simply eat within 100 calories of my target.

[Scaly Freak]

Here for the Kratos badassery, and of course to cheer on the challenge efforts.  

[Waldo]

4 hours ago, thealienthing said:

 

Hey! Thanks for the input here. The results from that study are quite compelling and worth looking into further. I'm thinking that for right now, I'm going for a more aggressive weight loss regime to get me to a happier place with my body and energy levels, but I just might switch to this intermittent method of cutting and maintaining every two weeks. Especially as getting down to those much lower BF% will get more challenging, I think that doing a slow burn and maintain can help to get to that dream body in a practical and maintainable way.

 

As for the intermittent fasting, I'm changing my diet regime now. I'm working out in the mornings and I really need to make sure that I'm eating to aid and recover from those workouts. So as of today, I'm keeping a very close eye on my calories in and maintaining a 25% deficit. This is all part of the diet plan outlined in Michael Matthews Bigger, Leaner, Stronger. I'll be amending my challenge to simply eat within 100 calories of my target.

 

I'm surprised that study mentioned found a useful impact in overweight individuals with an undulating diet.  Undulating diets are well known to be effective, and by far the best route to go for the lean to get leaner naturally (without drugs).  The usefulness though doesn't go much beyond the lean getting leaner for cutting or gaining muscle with minimal fat when bulking.

 

The hormones that regulate metabolism and that are responsible to the body's response to dieting are really only relevant when you are fairly lean. The primary hormone, leptin, uses carb intake/storage as a signal but is produced by body fat itself; with a lot of body fat there is plenty even without much signal.  Low leptin is not some invisible killer that makes your muscles shrivel away and chops up your bmr in secret.  You can tell when leptin levels are getting low, and there are prescriptions to fix it (undulating diets are meant to keep it at bay).

 

The first visible signs of low leptin are an excess of ghrelin production.  Its normal once you get past the beginnings and into the meat of a diet for it to seem super easy; you changed your habits, this is how you now live, the weight is melting away.  Then comes the hormone effects as you start getting close to your goals.  The body produces ghrelin to keep you to your eating schedule.  As leptin drops, the body starts pumping it out whenever, and you'll feel hungry when you normally don't eat.  This is a huge low leptin red flag, but also the most basic sign.  Likewise you will also start getting extra hungry, and a little early (remember, this is long after establishing the new normal of your diet).

 

Leptin is a master controller hormone that interacts with a ton of others.  As it continues dropping, a bunch of other systems start to change due to the absence of leptin.  The body thinks it is starving when leptin is low.  After hunger the symptoms get progressively more intense and worse.  Next up the body will try to preserve cals by dropping NEAT and heat production, so you'll be cold and tired all the time (but not shivering).  If that doesn't do the trick it'll interact with Seroton, make you start dreaming of eating a big meals and focus your mind on your need to eat (not unusual to see this symptom in people on Survivor, literally food crazy).  Finally as a last resort it'll shut off your reproductive systems (stage lean male bodybuilders can't get hard even if they want to, women lose their period).  

 

When you are seeing significant drops in your bmr, you also experience significant side effects.   

 

But, you can cause leptin pulses with carb refeeds (1K+ cals of carbs in a single sitting) that can keep the symptoms at bay; the leaner you get the more frequent the pulses have to be.  Diet breaks do a much more thorough reset, but take at least a week.

 

I'm going to be ending a linear diet, taking a diet break, then entering an undulating diet as part of this challenge; I'm on the outer fringe of abs now, a flexed 4 pack.  Still a ways from a true 6, but in the zone now where leptin goes from only being a concern after months of dieting to a nearly constant concern.  But instead of 2-2 I'm thinking 4-1 at first then 3-1.  Usually a single week is enough to mostly reset leptin.

 

While it sounds like an undulating diet is great for compliance, its not, its a bunch of extra effort to pull off well.  Changing your diet regularly is not easy.  Trying to maintain strict diet compliance while at maintenance is hard to make stick for any real length of time.

 

When I was younger and had more go getter in me, I was fine (even better off) running steep 1K/day deficits when cutting.  I don't think the magnitude of deficit matters much for hormone control.  If you have it in you to cut hard, go for it.  If for no other reason than to experience it.  When I first joined NF I'd been running a 1K/day+ deficits for 3 months and had already lost 40 lbs; when you have plenty to lose losing it fast is no big deal.  Also super steep deficit microcuts work really well for undulating bulking diets, especially when timed with workout cycles; there's a whole lot of plans out there for that, its a well established concept.

[Defining]

2 hours ago, Waldo said:

While it sounds like an undulating diet is great for compliance, its not, its a bunch of extra effort to pull off well.  Changing your diet regularly is not easy.  Trying to maintain strict diet compliance while at maintenance is hard to make stick for any real length of time.

That depends on how you do it, I think. For myself, the difference between deficit and maintenance is an extra protein shake and a peanut butter apple. Using the same baseline meal plan, and then just adding in 'extras' to hit maintenance is an easy way to alternate, IMO. Not to mention that if you want a 'splurge' like going out to eat with friends, that's easier to schedule on maintenance weeks vs deficit.

 

Further thoughts in the spoiler, since I don't want to take over the thread!

Spoiler

Waldo, The MATADOR study was pretty cool, you may find it intresting: https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2017206

 

I'm not really concerned about 'significant drops in BMR', personally - something like 80-150kcal difference in TDEE can make the difference between comfortable/intuitive eating vs always needing a meal plan, for some people (eg. for myself). It's more about incremental improvements, rather than looking for dramatic changes. That's useful for any demographic really, not just the lean trying to get more lean.

 

There is also some debate around leptin and ghrelin being relevant factors in weight regain or maintenance at all: https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2013118

 

But you don't have to already be lean to see metabolic adaptations during caloric restriction. As an example, specific to women, amenorrhea can also be dependent on the extent of the deficit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4281686/ independent of what the subject's actual weight or BF% is.

And the % of the deficit can also affect other metabolic parameters, not least of which it can increase the proportion of weight lost as muscle vs fat (small, older study, but does point to that idea: https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/64757B0CEC544642639571A46780113E/S0007114580000438a.pdf/factors_influencing_the_composition_of_the_weight_lost_by_obese_patients_on_a_reducing_diet.pdf_ ). According to that example, even using a higher protein intake doesn't necessarily improve that ratio.

There are definitely advantages to rapid weight loss (the reinforcement and psychological benefits of seeing results faster are definitely important!), but I think it's important to look at each strategy with enough context to appreciate the pros/cons to each approach.

 

 

6 hours ago, thealienthing said:

Hey! Thanks for the input here. The results from that study are quite compelling and worth looking into further. I'm thinking that for right now, I'm going for a more aggressive weight loss regime to get me to a happier place with my body and energy levels, but I just might switch to this intermittent method of cutting and maintaining every two weeks.

Will be interested to hear how it goes for you! I'm super impressed with the systems you've created for yourself thus far, please don't let my nerdy interests be TOO much of a distraction.

 

Spoiler

As an aside, thealienthing, I skimmed through Bigger, Leaner, Stronger last night - looks pretty cool! I wouldn't take the 'you must use free weights because they're better than anything else', or the 'bulk/cut is the key to obtaining the ideal physique' stuff TOO seriously though. Just a personal bias: I dislike bulk/cut cycles, since they essentially look like yoyo dieting, and can sometimes have unexpected side effects long term (Weight cycling of athletes and subsequent weight gain in middleage - PubMed (nih.gov)). And while free weights are AWESOME, the best resistance training is the kind that you enjoy and can stick with long-term. Be sure to give yourself permission to experiment a bit too, and figure out what works well for YOUR needs. There is a ton of good info on that book though, looks like a fun resource to refer to!

 

[Kratos]

5 hours ago, Defining said:

That depends on how you do it, I think. For myself, the difference between deficit and maintenance is an extra protein shake and a peanut butter apple. Using the same baseline meal plan, and then just adding in 'extras' to hit maintenance is an easy way to alternate, IMO. Not to mention that if you want a 'splurge' like going out to eat with friends, that's easier to schedule on maintenance weeks vs deficit.

 

Further thoughts in the spoiler, since I don't want to take over the thread!

  Reveal hidden contents

Waldo, The MATADOR study was pretty cool, you may find it intresting: https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2017206

 

I'm not really concerned about 'significant drops in BMR', personally - something like 80-150kcal difference in TDEE can make the difference between comfortable/intuitive eating vs always needing a meal plan, for some people (eg. for myself). It's more about incremental improvements, rather than looking for dramatic changes. That's useful for any demographic really, not just the lean trying to get more lean.

 

There is also some debate around leptin and ghrelin being relevant factors in weight regain or maintenance at all: https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2013118

 

But you don't have to already be lean to see metabolic adaptations during caloric restriction. As an example, specific to women, amenorrhea can also be dependent on the extent of the deficit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4281686/ independent of what the subject's actual weight or BF% is.

And the % of the deficit can also affect other metabolic parameters, not least of which it can increase the proportion of weight lost as muscle vs fat (small, older study, but does point to that idea: https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/64757B0CEC544642639571A46780113E/S0007114580000438a.pdf/factors_influencing_the_composition_of_the_weight_lost_by_obese_patients_on_a_reducing_diet.pdf_ ). According to that example, even using a higher protein intake doesn't necessarily improve that ratio.

There are definitely advantages to rapid weight loss (the reinforcement and psychological benefits of seeing results faster are definitely important!), but I think it's important to look at each strategy with enough context to appreciate the pros/cons to each approach.

 

 

Will be interested to hear how it goes for you! I'm super impressed with the systems you've created for yourself thus far, please don't let my nerdy interests be TOO much of a distraction.

 

  Hide contents

As an aside, thealienthing, I skimmed through Bigger, Leaner, Stronger last night - looks pretty cool! I wouldn't take the 'you must use free weights because they're better than anything else', or the 'bulk/cut is the key to obtaining the ideal physique' stuff TOO seriously though. Just a personal bias: I dislike bulk/cut cycles, since they essentially look like yoyo dieting, and can sometimes have unexpected side effects long term (Weight cycling of athletes and subsequent weight gain in middleage - PubMed (nih.gov)). And while free weights are AWESOME, the best resistance training is the kind that you enjoy and can stick with long-term. Be sure to give yourself permission to experiment a bit too, and figure out what works well for YOUR needs. There is a ton of good info on that book though, looks like a fun resource to refer to!

 

For sure! I realize that there is no "best diet", "best workout" etc. I'm just trying things out and seeing what works. So I plan on keeping it simple. Eating at a deficit and gettings some good-ass exercise in every day except sunday.

 

Today has been a good start to the new challenge. I got up at 5:30 this morning (something I never do) and did a heavy leg workout. Amazing how starting the day early with a rigorous workout can just get you going! Made a big difference! Also, I ate exactly on my calorie mark today and didn't feel hungry. Good start!

 

Starting over the chain:

🪢

[Kratos]

Woke up at 5:30 again this morning. I'm a caffeine junky so I mixed up some POTENT (Bucked Up Woke AF) pre workout and set it by my bed with enough ice to keep it cool until I woke up. Just having that drink as a motivator to get out of bed and slouch down to my basement to workout was huge! I just started running upper body weight sets and over an hour later, I was surprised I was still going. I just didn't feel like stopping!

 

I ate exactly as my body needed and at my caloric deficit. I love how making good exercise and food choices makes me feel so much better about my body as it currently is in the moment. It's just nice to know that even though I don't have my ideal body yet, I'm being my best self. 😀

 

The chain:

🪢🪢

 

 

[Kratos]

From yesterday

The chain:

🪢🪢🪢

[Mr_Willes]

Sounds like you are on a great streak. Keep the momentum going!

[Unix]

You are doing good man  

[Kratos]

It's been a minute. I've been busy but I've kept the exercise and food monitoring going. I did a special couples workout with my wife on saturday and ended up burning over 900 cals at that time. That plus eating well finally had me break through to 205 pounds and 18% body fat.

 

Name change: I've used thealienthing as my name for everything for a long time and I'm done using it. Especially since my time here at NF is supposed to represent a major change in personal identity and my life path, I'm choosing here to use the name Kratos since it resonates with me well: The story of this man burdened by a past (much more horrible and full of sorrow than my own), but ultimately growing and becoming someone much stronger is very powerful. Although I'm seeking both physical and personal/spiritual growth. I feel that the name works well for my intentions. So I'm Kratos now!

 

I'm doing all my physical stuff, but I've been confronted with financial burdens now that are really weighing me down. I've really dropped the ball with managing my money over the last few years and I'm starting to reap the rewards. Now, I need to pick up the pieces and get my shit together for the good of my family. It's quite a rude wake up call and is also one of the moments where you are forced to "come of age" a bit. Anyway, I need a course correction. I'm budgeting and part of my challenge now is to monitor my CICO which now stands for both Calories In Calories Out as well as Cash In Cash Out. Only with cash, I'm going for surplus rather than a deficit.

 

Well, I feel like shit for being so irresponsible with my expenses. But I know that I can turn things around with my finances just like I can with my health. I'm sure I'll feel better every day as I start putting one foot in front of the other.

 

The chain:

🪢🪢🪢🪢🪢

🪢🪢🪢

[Scaly Freak]

46 minutes ago, Kratos said:

Well, I feel like shit for being so irresponsible with my expenses. But I know that I can turn things around with my finances just like I can with my health. I'm sure I'll feel better every day as I start putting one foot in front of the other.

 

Well, that is normal. Just don't let the bad emotions distract you from doing what you know you need to do. Taking control and being proactive against what makes us feel like shit is one of the most effective ways to move past those feelings and towards more positive ones. And you're already doing that, so you're set.

[Waldo]

8 hours ago, Kratos said:

That plus eating well finally had me break through to 205 pounds and 18% body fat.

 

People's bodies and the margin of error on almost all measuring systems vary so widely, you really have to take % body fat with a serious grain of salt.  Setting diet goals based off a body fat % has led to disappointing end results for many of us (many times too...).

 

 

[Kratos]

1 hour ago, Waldo said:

People's bodies and the margin of error on almost all measuring systems vary so widely, you really have to take % body fat with a serious grain of salt.  Setting diet goals based off a body fat % has led to disappointing end results for many of us (many times too...).

Good point of caution. I don't set too much by it in terms of the actual value. What I'm looking for is a downward trend, and a slow and steady on at that.

[Kratos]

As of today, I hit my lowest body weight since probably 2016. Feels good. I'm starting to look forward to my morning workouts and I'm trying to sneak in a couple extra sets of pullups once in a while since I'm working on getting my rep count up. It's really exciting to be in a place in my life where I like exercising and I'm liking dieting. I don't feel like I'm on a diet because this time around , I'm eating the foods I like and I'm mainly just working on making my calories count for what I need most.

 

The chain:

🪢🪢🪢🪢🪢

🪢🪢🪢🪢🪢

[Unix]

On 2/16/2022 at 6:02 AM, Kratos said:

It's been a minute. I've been busy but I've kept the exercise and food monitoring going. I did a special couples workout with my wife on saturday and ended up burning over 900 cals at that time. That plus eating well finally had me break through to 205 pounds and 18% body fat.

 

Name change: I've used thealienthing as my name for everything for a long time and I'm done using it. Especially since my time here at NF is supposed to represent a major change in personal identity and my life path, I'm choosing here to use the name Kratos since it resonates with me well: The story of this man burdened by a past (much more horrible and full of sorrow than my own), but ultimately growing and becoming someone much stronger is very powerful. Although I'm seeking both physical and personal/spiritual growth. I feel that the name works well for my intentions. So I'm Kratos now!

 

I'm doing all my physical stuff, but I've been confronted with financial burdens now that are really weighing me down. I've really dropped the ball with managing my money over the last few years and I'm starting to reap the rewards. Now, I need to pick up the pieces and get my shit together for the good of my family. It's quite a rude wake up call and is also one of the moments where you are forced to "come of age" a bit. Anyway, I need a course correction. I'm budgeting and part of my challenge now is to monitor my CICO which now stands for both Calories In Calories Out as well as Cash In Cash Out. Only with cash, I'm going for surplus rather than a deficit.

 

Well, I feel like shit for being so irresponsible with my expenses. But I know that I can turn things around with my finances just like I can with my health. I'm sure I'll feel better every day as I start putting one foot in front of the other.

 

The chain:

🪢🪢🪢🪢🪢

🪢🪢🪢

Just don't jump off a cliff like kratos did

 

As for the money part, i actually think to have a decent working spreadsheet for budgeting. If you wanna, check it out in my signature

12 hours ago, Kratos said:

As of today, I hit my lowest body weight since probably 2016. Feels good. I'm starting to look forward to my morning workouts and I'm trying to sneak in a couple extra sets of pullups once in a while since I'm working on getting my rep count up. It's really exciting to be in a place in my life where I like exercising and I'm liking dieting. I don't feel like I'm on a diet because this time around , I'm eating the foods I like and I'm mainly just working on making my calories count for what I need most.

 

The chain:

🪢🪢🪢🪢🪢

🪢🪢🪢🪢🪢

Me too. I am actually liking the efficiency of eating once per day. And some hunger is needed to keep me awake during the day. This is how i discover that i work 😧 

[Waldo]

12 hours ago, Kratos said:

As of today, I hit my lowest body weight since probably 2016. Feels good.

 

I'm with you there, just one year off (2017).  It is quite an awesome feeling.

 

I felt like I was on the right track when the pandemic started, then that completely upended everything, it took a while just to get back to that point.

[Kratos]

Keeping things real. Still exercising daily and tracking my food intake. I'm on the path. The gains are slow but I'm trusting that if I continue to follow the science, I'll be seeing long term gains that are worth the wait. I feel more energetic most days. This morning, not so much, but I skipped my morning workout so that's probably why. Since I finished my workout an hour ago though, I feel that energy has come back and has me craving more. I'm excited to get up tomorrow morning and get wrecked!

 

I think I could use some more time to be introspective.

[Scaly Freak]

7 minutes ago, Kratos said:

I think I could use some more time to be introspective.

 

I think we all could.  

[Kratos]

I need to get off caffeine for a while. My intake is out of hand. I'm going to add to my challenge to consume zero caffeine until the end of this challenge. Once it's over, I'm going to need to set a low limit on how much I can consume in a day. It does nothing for me and is just getting ridiculous.

 

I'm still doing good on my challenge. I did take two days off of working out because I had a busy weekend and last night, some family stress really affected me more than usual. I woke up feeling like shit and made myself get out of bed even though it was 5:30 and it was the best choice I've made all day. I felt so much better after getting in a workout, and it wasn't even that great of a session.

 

In other news, I'm at 12 pullups for my PR. I'm getting pretty damn stoked. Never been able to do this many pullups EVER in my life. I think I'm gaining weight (in a good way) while I've been in a cutting phase of my diet. My gut is shrinking slowly but noticeably, but my weight is remaining at 202-205 lbs each week. I'm tracking my calories every day to eat 75% of my BMR, and exercising daily. I did think that I would weigh less by now, but I've been sitting at this 202-205 for about 3 weeks now. I guess that over the years my muscle mass has really diminished and my body fat has really accumulated. So my weight loss looks like net zero but the slow transformation seems to really be happening.

[Kratos]

4 days without caffeine and I'm starting to feel more normal. The couple days were rough and I was feeling like a zombie. Doing my morning exercise has been a hard sell without heavy stimulating pre workout to coax me out of bed. The last two days I've had to do my workouts in the evening instead. I don't want to repeat this threedays in a row because the mood boost from exercising early in the morning has been very helpful for being an effective human at work, school and home. Plus, the more distant I become from a routine, the more I feel myself drifting away from the mindset of "this is important" and I want to drift back to not exercising or eating healthy. When I start to drop into autopilot mode, that has been when I've lost my edge and momentum. This time around is supposed to be different. I need to keep my drive and motivation up. I've been losing fat on my body and I've been feeling good about myself, I don't want to go back to feeling like shit all the time.

[Kratos]

Over a week without caffeine. I'm really craving it right now since I've had about 3 sleepless nights in a row because my baby has the flu. But I'm holding strong. Gonna make it to the end of the challenge without folding.

 

My weight is down today: 203 lbs and I'm thinking I've broken out of a plateau by increasing my daily caloric intake. I took a few days off my diet to eat regular and even a couple of more fatty and carby options like a burger or some pasta carbonara. I think it helped to boost my energy levels a bit as well.