I’d like to say that I’m doing well on my diet, but I’m not.  Frankly it’s been slipping away from me and I’m not sure what’s going on.  I seem to be stuck at around 235 pounds (106.594 kg) and between 27-25 % body fat.  While it is frustrating, I will admit that I have had a few reoccurring setbacks including:

• 
  
• I’m not sure how much I should actually be eating so I tend to over or under compensate.
  
• I’ve been binge eating at night.
  
• I’ve been letting my cheat days bleed over into the weekend
  
• I have been pretty bad at keeping track of my calories in the evening
  

So pretty much all the same old stuff that has always held me back is doing so once again.  However, I’m bound and determined to be more aggressive in resolving these issues no matter how long it might take.  While I don’t know if resolving these will result in the loss of any more weight, my main concern is body composition.  My main focus is the loss of fat and the increase of muscle mass.  As far as I’m concerned the scale can spit out the same number every week for the rest of my life, but what I want is to obtain a leaner, more defined, and stronger body.  While I do think that this goal may result in the loss of weight I’d be pretty happy maintaining my current weight with a 10% body fat.

So what is my plan of action?

1. 
   
2. I’m going to reanalyze Myfitnesspal and Fitbit.com to see what they think my daily calorie intake will be.  I will experiment with my daily intake until I find one that seems to satisfy me nutritionally and helps move that body fat down. I have tried several things on my own already (such as intermittent  fasting, which just did not work out with my morning activities), but if I still find myself stuck in a month or two then I am considering consulting a nutritionist.
   
3. I’ve done some inner searching and discovered that I enjoy eating at night.  I just do.  It reminds me of my younger (and admittedly unhealthier) days when I was in High School; and there’s a sense of comfort to it.  The downside is that I can consume up to 1,000 calories that usually goes un-tracked within 10-15 minutes.  I realize that I am in control of this and that there is no real reward in the action of eating.  If I want to feel comfort I need to go give my wife and/or my daughter a hug and then go back to sleep.  If I absolutely must eat something then I should down a protein drink, which I know will fill me up if I put enough water in it.
   
4. We, as a family, have moved our cheat days over to Saturday which should help quite a bit, but I think I am going to try and start recording just how much I take in on those days in order to reign myself in a bit.  While the goal will still be to eat without feeling guilty, I think that keeping a record will be a good idea.
   
5. I just need to do this.  For Heaven’s sake I have always been so bad about doing this.  LOL Maybe I can get into the habit of recording it in the morning when I put in my breakfast and morning snack because I know that if I do not do it by the time that dinner rolls around I won’t do it.
   

The gym has been going pretty well.  I’m still on Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 program and it seems to be going pretty well.  I’m increasing in my strength still, which I count as good.  The program is flexible, but still pretty tough.  I come away sore most days, but I also count that as a good thing.  If I was looking to improve upon my gym experience I would actually have two areas in which I’d like to improve.

First would be cooling down after a workout.  I really think that I need to incorporate some time to stretch out soon after I’m done working out.  Whether this is at the gym or at home I don’t care, as long as I make some time to do it.  I think that stretching would help in my range of motion and it would help prevent any future issues health wise.  I’m also feeling pretty sore these days and my hope is that with the inclusion of stretching I will alleviate some of the soreness that I’m feeling during the day.

Second, I’m committed to cutting down my cardio exercise.  On average I was completing my weight training in the morning, doing some higher intensity cardio for about 20-30 minutes, and then doing an hour and a half of walking each day.  As I’m typing all that out it really seems excessive, but that’s what I’ve been doing for a while in order to get my weight down.  I think my body has just about had enough of that though and I’m beginning to suspect that I canabalized a lot of muscle having that much cardio in my daily routine.  Plus,  since getting my Fitbit Flex I’ve started to become aware of just how much of a calorie deficit that much work actually creates.  So, in an effort to try and retain muscle and lose fat I’m going to try and cut back some and see how it goes.  I’d still like to get in around 15,000 steps a day, but with a goal to make those steps much more leisurely than I had before.

Everyone gets hurt no matter what exercise they do

Most commonly it’s from doing too much too soon or from moving the body in a way it’s unaccustomed

• 
  
• Weight Lifting
  
  • 
    
  • Threats
    
    • 
      
    • Hurty by a weight
      
    • Joint injuries
      
    • muscle strain
      
    
    
    
  • Advice
    
    • 
      
    • Try sticking to free weights and cables which are gender neutral and allow for free range of motion
      
    
    
    
  • Always start lifting light
    
  • More is not always better
    
  • Be careful with which exercises you choose; some are better than others depending on your body type and your form.
    
  • Go slow
    
  
  
  
• Crossfit
  
  • 
    
  • Threats
    
    • 
      
    • Rhabdo
      
    • muscle strains
      
    • ligament tears
      
    • stress fractures
      
    
    
    
  • Advice
    
    • 
      
    • Don’t be afraid of being inexperienced.  It’s OK to take your time and learn the proper form first.
      
    • If the instructor or gym don’t have a support or teaching structure, consider going somewhere else.
      
    • Resist pressure to go too fast too soon.
      
    • You’re only as good as your coach
      
    • Find a gym that will introduce you into the program gradually
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• Running
  
  • 
    
  • Threats are primarily Overuse injuries
    
  • Advice
    
    • 
      
    • Don’t push past the pain
      
    • Work up your distance and speed gradually
      
    • Invest in good shoes
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• Yoga
  
  • 
    
  • Threats
    
    • 
      
    • Knee injuries
      
    • Strained muscles
      
    
    
    
  • Advice
    
    • 
      
    • Don’t let your ego rule your workout
      
    • Evaluate your instructor
      
    • Don’t bend to extremes
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• Indoor Cycling
  
  • 
    
  • Threats are primarily knee and pelvic pain
    
  • Advice
    
    • 
      
    • Take the time to set up your bike in the correct position
      
    • Adjust the seat
      
    • Adjust the handlebars
      
    
    
    
  
  
  

Hey Dodge, just wanted to update you a bit on my progress. I’ve started listening to SiO from the beginning again, since well, that’s where I am physically, lol. It’s overwhelming to dive right in to supplements, workout routines, etc., when you’re just starting out – as you know. Baby steps.

So I’ve been working out and documenting my food on MFP for about 3 weeks now. The first couple weeks were pretty frustrating because I actually GAINED weight. Ugh. But I finally lost it this week. Down 4 lbs for a total of 16 lbs lost.

I can’t thank you enough for the podcast. It’s so motivating, and I feel like I’ve got a work out buddy when I’m listening to SiO at the gym. I have to tell you that I burst out laughing on the treadmill the other day while listening to the bit about what to order at Wendy’s and the evil voice telling you to order everything on the menu!

Anyway, carry on! I’m sad to see you and Jamie go from CSTM (I’m about halfway through the final show), but glad I still get to keep in touch through SiO and FB, and occasionally TL:DL

• 
  
• The website is located at http://www.anewfit.me
  
• Leave a Voicemail on the Site
  
• Send me a review in iTunes
  
• I’m on Twitter as @tdhowell
  
• Email me at podcast@anewfit.me
  
• And on Facebook
  

Please note that all content here is strictly for informational purposes only. This content isn’t a substitute for any medical advice and does not replace any medical judgment or reasoning by your own personal health provider. Please always seek a licensed physician in your area regarding all related health care questions and issues.

All links to products within this post are affiliate links (even if they’re free).