My body transformation log

[BarryThunderball Member Find all posts View Profile Close BarryThunderball]

For most people 221 lbs isn't too hefty for someone who stands at 5' 11". But for me it would have seemed nearly impossible, it's amazing to think that just 4 years ago I was 155lbs. I ran at least 6 miles every day. I would rarely sleep and when I did it usually wasn't longer than 3 hours.

I steadily gained weight and stopped running as much. But on New Years Day of this year I had what's called a psychotic break. I hadn't slept at all for over 9 days and I felt like shit. I stopped eating, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't even cum when I jerked off. I had lost over a pound and a half a day every day and every time I did eat, I immediately puked it up.

They told me I have schizophrenia (even though I don't hallucinate or talk to anybody that isn't there) That's what they tell me anyway.

So they put me on this pill called zyprexa. And I started going to the gym working out and I was in great shape. I was running at a 5:47 minute mile time. But I was gaining weight. I did not think it was physically possible, I was dieting I was exercizing and I was gaining weight, alot of weight and not muscle weight, it was fat.

Eventually I stopped going to the gym, I didn't have any energy and I started craving terrible foods. On more than one occasion I went through a whole box of ice cream sandwhiches in one sitting.

I am 5' 11" And on 6/1/11 I weighed in an all time high of 221 lbs. I gained over 43 lbs in less than 5 months. I went off the medications, and I gained a bit more weight. So about a week later I decided to really get in shape. I took a walk and I walked and I walked and I walked. Then I walked some more, and I realized I was very thirsty, there were no water fountains, and because I am crazy I decided to start walking at about midnight.

I walked into D.C. in a bike path I had never taken before. I found a fountain (not a water fountain - but like a large decorative fountain infront of this big office building) I drank it, and it turned out to be clorinated, it also turned out there was a security guard looking directly at me. So I just went on walking.

I was SOO thirsty, after having inbibed about 8 shots of rum and a couple of beers I was extremely dehydrated. I started drinking from sprinklers, but I couldn't get very much and I was worried about attracting attention to myself.

Finally I met some lovely ladies who were walking to their apartment, and I told them that I needed water badly and they invited me to go with them. So they gave me water and I went on my way.

I made my way back to the bike path, and instead of going home I took the other fork in the path. Which was a much longer way. I had left at about 12:30 and I came back at 8:00, in the morning I had taken a break on this overpass bikepath that is a dead end. (the most pointless overpass ever) at the other end of the this dead end overpass was a homeless person, who appeared to have his moving hand on his peeper. Awkward. But I was too tired to move. So I rested for a couple minutes uncomfortably before moving on.

About a mile away from home my legs pretty much gave way. I was getting charlie horses every other step so I decided to take a break, I walked down to a super market and went to the back to their dingy toilet. I didn't have to crap I just wanted to sit.

I walked for over 8 hours. I covered more than 25 miles and when I came back I couldn't move.

Since then I've been walking 6-14 miles every day, (again with little sleep) and so far I've lost 12 lbs. Now I am starting to run more and more. By mid July I hope to be under 200 lbs.

I've decided to get more serious about my diet. Kidney beans, Tuna, Oatmeal, and vegetables. (along with the occasional protein shake and egg whites. I will not make any exceptions to my diet. I will not put cream in my coffee, I will not butter my toast. Hell, I won't even have toast.

[TTBB Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TTBB]

Hi Wcoltd
i'm going to move this to the Exercise and health forum.. you might get more feedback in there.

Keep up the good work.
I would say talk to your doctors about your meds and have them run some tests.. the meds might be effecting the way your body is breaking down protein and sugars.
Def keep up with the healthy diet and exercise.. even if the weight is slow to come off or isn't shifting always remember if you stop trying you will spiral further into the weight gaining ..so its better to do it even if you feel like you aren't progressing.

[BarryThunderball Member Find all posts View Profile Close BarryThunderball]

Thanks. I don't worry about not losing fast enough though. every day I am pushing myself harder and harder. There is no way I am not going to lose this weight. At the rate I am losing I am going at about 3/4 of a pound per day. This is even before I became really strict on my diet. I am aiming for 10lbs a month but I know at the rate I am going it's much more like 20lbs per month.

Today isn't over yet and I've already walked/ran 9 miles and had the most strenous upper body workout to date - still doing 25 lb arm curl 3 sets of 10 20 push ups (3 sets) and 8 overhead barbell lifts 40lbs set of 3 - was unable to complete the third set, had to go down to 35lbs

At the bench press I maxed at 155 (set of 3) had to lower it to 135 for lack of a spot and did 3 sets of 6, and squats I was unable to use the guided squat machine so I tried it with a bar only 65 lbs (because I am still learning to do it correctly) I didn't count the number it was probably around 20 per set (3 sets). I also did dead lifts 115lbs 8 times set of 3. I also did some pull downs, but I didn't really push myself there. I was out of gas.

Then I went on the eliptical and did about 1.25 miles on 11 resistance in 18 minutes (including cool down) typically I average around 7 mph on those settings but my legs were worn out and I was lazy. I started off at 3 and went up to 6. Then went downstairs and did about half of my previous routine. I started getting hungry so I went home walking 2.15 miles - I got the feeling when I was running that I could really feel my biceps bulging. When I got home I ate 1 bannana 1 scoop of whey protien, and 1 can of tuna.

(before my workout I had 1 bowl of oatmeal with protien powder, and 1 bowl of vegetables.)

I still don't know really what I am doing in the gym - I got the form for squats down, but in terms of a routine, I will be looking forward to my personal trainer meeting at 1:30 on Monday. She should tell me everything I need to know about what routines on what days, what excercizes are good for what - what I should use in combination and proper form.

Another solid day. Tommorrow I will have to work out earlier, Going to DC to shoot at a wedding event. I will bring all the necessary diet provisions, including frozen vegetables, oatmeal, and whey protien (along with apples and bannanas).

[RockstarParkingDude Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RockstarParkingDude]

great job on the commitment. most of the guys who work at the gym are really nice usually and wouldnt mind at all showing you how to do things if you just ask nicely.

about the dieting part, i lost a lot of weight over a long time, from 205 to 150 at 5'9. there are ways to do it healthy and efficiently, that can really speed your journey if you do the research. heres a few things i wish someone told me.

do fasted exercise - dont eat for like 12 hours before you workout, if you absolutely need to eat, eat 1.5 ounces of dry roast peanuts - a near perfect energy source. after you workout eat protein heavy and a large meal (protein shake, half hour later big chicken breast and a salad). this will force your body to use stored energy (fat) during the workout and food energy (protein) for recovery.

cook everything for yourself, use nothing from a can, box, or sealed bag. period.

make it a lifestyle, not a chore.

give yourself one cheat day every week religiously. make it the same day every week, one of your rest days, days off from work, days with no class, etc. do a light workout in the morning so that you dont feel guilty, and then order a pizza. sit around and watch a movie. be lazy and rest one day a week or you will get burnt out and give up. the lazy day will give your body time to recover, which it needs, and will give you a mental break from the stress of the regimen.


good luck man!

[BarryThunderball Member Find all posts View Profile Close BarryThunderball]

thanks for the advice and congradulations on your weight loss - going from 205 to 150, that is pretty incredible

Fasting is a good way to loose weight quickly. The last time I was fat that was exactly what I did. I lost 7% body fat in like 10 days and I kept it off for a good 3 years.
However, this time I'm not going to fast too much before workouts this time. After a few days of only eating bannanas, I fainted on the treadmill. The gym instructor guy told me that doing that was dangerous and I had to eat more or he would revoke my membership. I did loose weight quickly but I didn't enjoy going to the gym. It was always a struggle. Also I want some muscle mass, I don't want to be completely lean, so if I fast I will definately loose my chest and biceps and I don't want to do that.

I will workout before breakfast though, which is kind of like fasting I guess. I understand that is the best time to workout, before you have had breakfast.

As far as eating out of the can, I see what you mean with Kidney beans. there is corn syrup and preservatives in there so I will probably want to get it dried from the bag instead of out of a can. Even though the nutrition facts are really good. I could do without the 3 grams of sugar, but for the most part. It is very healthy choice.

I looked at the ingredients for tuna, and they are tuna, water vegetable broth and salt so that's ok.

Right now my diet is pretty good. Tuna, mixed vegetables, kidney beans, bananas, apples, and drinking only water. When I finish my stocks of food (in about 2 weeks) I will switch from tuna to solid white albacore, and mixed vegetables to peas, and apples to cucumbers - and I'll stop eating turkey breast altogether. This diet is already about as extreme as you can get (in terms of calories or calories from fat)

I am probably burning about 1600 to 2200 each day working out (including afterburn effects) in addition I need about 2000 calories per day. I am probably taking in about 1100 - 1400 calories a day (about 120 -150 calories from fat).

Today I was a bit dissapointed, I have only done about 6.8 miles today, 1 in the morning (.5 running) 2.15 miles to the gym, 1.5 on the eliptical and 2.15 miles back home.

While walking to the gym, I tried to plan my workout but realized I had done almost everything the last two days. All I had to do was abs and shoulders. My workout was short, I have to drive to D.C. today anyway. I will take a break tommorrow, just walking.

First I did some tricep exercizes overhead with a barbell, but I felt like I was doing it wrong because my elbow started getting strained. So I decided to work my triceps on the compound row. I started off on low weights (95 lbs) then moved up to 125.

I did some crunches, bicycle things, and straight leg lifts, cross leg oblique exerizes sets of 3 I did as many as I possibly could every set without breaks. I did some overhead lifts with the bench press bar, did about 14 for 3 sets. Then I went on the eliptical turned up the resistance to 13 and went 6.5 to 7.5 mph for 7 1/2 minutes went downstairs and went downstairs and did the same routine over again.

I've gotten into the bad habit of weighing myself every day. And I was dissapointed to discover that I have gained about 2 lbs since yesterday. there is no way that is fat. What probably happened is that I was dehydrated on the previous weigh ins. Even though I am still loosing weight at a rate of over 10lbs a month I am happy.

[RockstarParkingDude Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RockstarParkingDude]

I will workout before breakfast though, which is kind of like fasting I guess. I understand that is the best time to workout, before you have had breakfast.

I looked at the ingredients for tuna, and they are tuna, water vegetable broth and salt so that's ok.

Right now my diet is pretty good. Tuna, mixed vegetables, kidney beans, bananas, apples, and drinking only water. When I finish my stocks of food (in about 2 weeks) I will switch from tuna to solid white albacore, and mixed vegetables to peas, and apples to cucumbers - and I'll stop eating turkey breast altogether. This diet is already about as extreme as you can get (in terms of calories or calories from fat)

I've gotten into the bad habit of weighing myself every day. And I was dissapointed to discover that I have gained about 2 lbs since yesterday. there is no way that is fat. What probably happened is that I was dehydrated on the previous weigh ins. Even though I am still loosing weight at a rate of over 10lbs a month I am happy.

working out before your first meal is what i meant by fasted exercise. fast for like 12-16 hours out of the day (including sleep) and eat during the other 8-12 after you exercise.

limiting your diet and calorie intake too much is an easy way to give yourself nutrient deficiencies. i would add in some things like sunflower seeds, or some nuts - maybe 2 ounces a day for minerals, and some sauteed mushrooms for vitamins to keep you healthy, and nonfat milk 2 quarts a day to keep you from losing muscle. variety is better than non variety. go to the shop every other day rather than every 2 weeks.

weighing yourself every day is a good thing, not to track your progress but to understand how your exercise and diet is affecting you. you need to do it at the same time everyday though. i prefer right in the morning after i pee (or otherwise) before i eat or drink anything, to ensure dry weight.

keep at it man.

[BarryThunderball Member Find all posts View Profile Close BarryThunderball]

Ok so it's been a while since I last logged. Over the weekend I was unable to workout much, but I got a workout from my job.

I didn't bring enough food provisions especially because my employer needed me to stay a couple extra days. (I missed my appointment with my gym instructor)

I stayed pretty well on diet. I ate a couple of chicken breasts and about a spoonful of mashed potatoes, (I also had lots of peanuts) (which I wouldn't have eaten if I had known how fattening they are. I also had mushrooms which were cooked with butter.
In order to avoid eating bad things, I went hungry, and as soon as I got home I pigged out.

The night I got home I had a footlong subway tuna sandwich on wheat extra lettuce tomatoes and bannana peppers. I had this after a pretty good workout, bench pressed 155 (still weak, but much better than I was - I have tendonitis on my elbows.

and then the next day was really bad, I ate about 1200 calories of honey mustard mixed nuts, (I then checked the label, freaked out and threw them away) and then I had toasted bread with farmers cheese because I was really hungry. That is about the only time I have really broken from my diet.

I think I was really hungry that day because I got diarrehia (probably from the kidney beans in the fridge - (they were in there for about a week). So I had to stop working out for a couple of days - still walked a couple miles though - but I had no energy.

Yesterday I was at a bookstore and I picked up a book on training.

I've decided to double down on my diet. I am getting serious now. Before I was choosing the right foods, but I wasn't setting portions. Now I am planning and preparing each meal. Measuring with a measuring cup. I am choosing even healthier foods as well, adding lentils and less fruit.

What I learned from the book is that I should probably have more carbs (that will allow me to do more intense cardio) Also I will be doing one set routines 6-10 reps for the next 3 weeks.

I have also been taking special care in getting the right form - when I push weights I do it nice and slow, high reps low weight.

My form is good, so now I am going to up the weights.

[RockstarParkingDude Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RockstarParkingDude]

dont give up on nuts. the labels on foods in this country (and most in europe) are fairly misleading.

you probably saw the high calories and the many many grams of fat and freaked out. what you need to remember is that nuts are a dry food - there is no water weight, so the nutrition is compact. the fats are also very healthy fats, the good kind that your body loves, that keeps your blood vessels healthy and your skin looking nice. plus, 1 ounce of nuts is enough to stave off the worst hunger pains and helps avoid binge eating.

[BarryThunderball Member Find all posts View Profile Close BarryThunderball]

dont give up on nuts. the labels on foods in this country (and most in europe) are fairly misleading.

you probably saw the high calories and the many many grams of fat and freaked out. what you need to remember is that nuts are a dry food - there is no water weight, so the nutrition is compact. the fats are also very healthy fats, the good kind that your body loves, that keeps your blood vessels healthy and your skin looking nice. plus, 1 ounce of nuts is enough to stave off the worst hunger pains and helps avoid binge eating.

Yeah I still have a little with my vegetables. But that one time I ate over 9 servings in one sitting. I just sat infront of my computer started editing and before I knew it half the can was gone! 1200 calories! Diet fail.

[BarryThunderball Member Find all posts View Profile Close BarryThunderball]

Ok so I am starting to chart my progress.
Exercize:
Leg extension: 10 reps - 125lb
(try 140lb next time)
Prone Leg Curl: 8 reps - 125lb
(try 132.5lb next time)
Leg Press: 11 reps - 300lb
(try 340 next time)
Glutes: 12 reps - 80 lbs
(try 110 next time)

As expected my legs are still very strong. I'll be maxing out the machines (or very close to it) by the end of summer probably.

My weakness are my triceps, shoulders, chest and lats. so I'll be doing triceps exercizes, bench press and chin ups. And other exercizes I don't yet know the name of.

Apparently I can do ab excersizes once a day no problem (because abs recover quicker than other muscle groups), but I will probably do them every other day, because I don't like doing ab exercizes.

tommorrow I am going to start taking creatine before working out.

[BarryThunderball Member Find all posts View Profile Close BarryThunderball]

today I've done 5 miles, Knees are a bit sore from the leg extension yesterday so I took it a little easy ran only about 1/2 mile.

Today was my chest bicep and shoulders day.

Dumbells I did 30 lb 11 reps with my right and 9 with my left (I did an extra set with my left for symmetry) going to try 35 lb next time.

Pull downs 140 lbs 10 reps I'm going to try 155 next time.

Isolated Chest Press 190lbs 7 reps (move to 200 next time) -

Bench Press 190 1 rep then a second set 135 12 reps.

wide pushups did 14 reps

front straight arm dumbell raise 20lbs 8 reps
side straight arm dumbell raise 20lbs 8 reps

Dumbell overhead lifts 35lbs 35lbs 13 reps (raise to 40lb)

Then I did my abs, cruches leg raises and upsidown bycicle, I also trained my obliques did 2 sets

Then I went back to the pulldown and did some forearm exercizes at 140 about 7 reps.