The Journey..

The Journey continues... on thejourney.me

2008-08-09T17:28:00.005+03:00

After less than 3 weeks of blogging on blogspot.com I am happy to announce that "The Journey.." have found a new home!

Thejourney.me is now open, although not fully up to my standards yet I am still working on it trying to improve it everyday!

This is the last blog entry here; from now on you can continue to follow my journey to a better body there.

Note: All previous blog entries and comments can be found on the new site as well.

Working on an improvement..

2008-08-08T19:38:00.003+03:00

Last night's workout was lighter than usual due to my illness, I did light full body workout without any cardio... I did get my meals in though.

Today and since I am feeling a bit better I have been working on improving this blog, I'm working on a new look and some additions, I'll let you know when its ready (it may take a while..)

Until then remember: Stay storng and shed hard.

Morale: 6

Not feeling well..

2008-08-07T19:31:00.002+03:00

It sure took me long enough to post today and I'm sorry but it will be a short one, I am not feeling well today which might explain the irregular sleeping patterns I've been experiencing lately.

Last night's workout was ok, I did a short but very exhausting HIIT cardio for 12 mins, it felt like a whole hour both in effort and seat amount! I also ate my 5 meals in time so it was a good day.

I'll try to talk more on tomorrow's post if I am feeling better.

Morale: 6

Setting your goals..

2008-08-06T11:55:00.008+03:00

Many of the people I know and get to know are interested in improving how they look, achieve greater fitness levels or just adjust their lifestyles to adopt healthier ones, all of them have the correct thing in mind but very few actually take the time to sit down and write down their goals and their plans to achieve it, that by itself may very well lead to failure especially if it is something they didn't attempt and succeed in before and here is why:

"failure to plan is a plan to failure" it have been said before, to achieve your goal you must first know your goal and know how to measure your success in your attempt to achieve it, leaving things loose will make you unable to see where you are and where you're going! Goal setting is not that hard really, do it right and you'll be amazed but how clear your view would be of what you want to achieve and how close are you to it, here is an example:

Someone may say: "I'm an overweight man who wants to lose weight and become muscular"

from that statement we know that:

1. The person is currently overweight, but that is not enough! we need actual numbers such as the current weight in kg/lb, body fat % or even pants size.

2. The person wants to lose weight, the first question would be: How much weight? 10 kg? 20? 30? drop fat % by 10%? or do you want to lose enough weight to fit in your old size 32" pants? you must be precise.

3. The person wants to become muscular, how muscular? Like Arnold? Like Arnel? define how much lean mass you want to put in and where.

The more precise you are about your goal the more you can visualize it and see it in front of you when you work hard to reach for it.

In general do the following in preparation of your goals:

Write on a piece of paper (write DON'T type) the following goals:

1. Your Ultimate Goal (the goal that is not easy to reach but once reached you'd be at the peak of your happiness in regards with fitness)
2. Your 1-year goal (The goal you want to achieve one year after you started following your plan)
3. Your 3-months goal (the goals you want to achieve each 3 coming months)
4. Your weekly goal (be it upping your cardio by 1 km/h or lifting 5 more pounds just write it)
5. Your daily goal (example: do 30 mins cardio and eat 5 meals)

Now place this paper somewhere where you can see it on daily basis (I have mine on the fridge!), and by all means change your goals as much as you like but don't set them too easy or impossible be realistic and push yourself harder with each week/month, you will be amazed.

Finally, Go easy at the beginning, don't start at the top, know that the best athletes started at the bottom at some point, if you can't do 45 mins of cardio 7 days per week at 10 km/h then don't! start at 20 mins at 6 km/h 3 days/week and increase the speed, time and days as the week go by, you will find yourself exceeding your initial plan as you develope endurance and cardiovascular fitness, take things one step at a time and you will be sprinting soon enough.

Before I conclude today's post here is an update about last night's workout:
It was a good workout, I did 20 mins of High Intensity Cardio and full body weight training, I've also stuck with my 5 meals.

For all of you who are reading this for motivation know that I once thought I couldn't, once I stopped thinking that way things changed, you should do the same because believe it or not you can, its a matter of wanting it bad enough to go through and getting it. Stay strong and Shed hard!

Morale: 7

The storm lies behind..

2008-08-05T08:57:00.004+03:00

Funny thing is, every time I sit down to type a day's post I forget about all the cool things I wanted to talk about whole day. Yesterday wasn't the best of days; the lack of good sleep I went through the night before resulted in me ending up with low energy levels and somehow feeling sickish, that have caused me to skip my cardio training for the day, and it does feel terrible I assure you. I did -however- manage to do some crunches and push-ups as an effort to end the day with something! I did stick to my meals but had few almonds as a snack as well.

I know this is one of many hard days to come, in fact this is nothing when I think about it, when you take a journey expect bumps along the road and some stormy days, but keep in mind that the storm will lift and the sun will rise and so would your spirit.

This is a song I used to listen to long time ago when I feel down, it is silly but helps lighted my mood most of the times, enjoy the song, stay strong and never give up!

Morale: 4

Whats for breakfast?

2008-08-04T08:44:00.009+03:00

Last night's workout wasn't bad, I did my cardio and full body weight training but I did however overwork my triceps a bit, nothing serious though. I've stuck to my 5 meals and avoided any snacks and managed to drink enough water for the day, for some reason though I couldn't get a peaceful sleep, I kept waking up multiple times during the night which resulted in me waking up this morning with less energy...

Today I'll talk about Kellogg's® Special K® Low Carb Lifestyle Protein Plus cereal which I use in my breakfast.

I really like how it tastes, the best thing about it is low sugar content and generally low carb to protein ratio, I usually grab 2-3 of those when I shop at Sultan Center and mix it with protein shake. It is basically one of the best cereals I would use on my low carb diet, I would use it as a meal at work when I run out of other options or when I know that I didn't prepare 2 meals for (10:00AM and 01:00 PM) I'd use it to fill the gap until I come back home and get my 4th meal for the day. The Nutrition facts label to right is the one you'd find on the box when you purchase it, it should give you an indicator of how much calories you'd get per serving .

Thats all for today, untill tomorrow's post remember, Stay strong & shed hard!

Morale:6

You are what you eat...

2008-08-03T12:05:00.004+03:00

Yesterday's workout was very good, I did 45 mins of cardio and did some weight training for arms mostly. I -however- didn't like my eating routine, I had a good bit of nuts in addition to meal timings being off, that cost me a point in the JSF challenge.

Again, as more friends and family members ask me about nutrition and what to eat and what not to eat, I've decided to make a post at least once a week to talk about foods that I've been eating that I believe that they're good, the good thing about this idea is that I will talk about products that we all can find locally in groceries around us, I also -as always- welcome any comments containing advice based on personal or professional experience in addition to constructive criticism.

At the end of today's post I want to say that I am extremely overwhelmed and very happy about the enthusiasm I have been observing in people around me who wish (just like me) to start their own journey towards their dream bodies, to you guys I would to say that I wish you all well and have patience good things come to those who wait. Stay strong and shed hard.

Morale:7

Going "Nuts"..?

2008-08-02T19:25:00.007+03:00

Yesterday's workout was good, 45 mins morning fasted cario + 40 mins of full body workout at night. I've noticed that I've been crunching down a good bit of almonds and *gasp* a few Macadamia nuts even! Since I haven't found a better snack option I've stuck with nuts to fill in those gaps in my appetite between meals and they have been effective, although dense in fat they sure beat sweets to do the job. I've stuck to all my meals so I can proudly say I passed yesterday with 100 points. Stay strong and keep your goal in mind!

Morale: 8

The John Stone August Challenge

2008-08-01T13:16:00.006+03:00

Today marks the first day in John Stone's August 2008 Challenge; the challenge is basically nothing more than a motivational method to encourage people to stick to their fitness plans in terms of meals and workouts. I've registered in the challenge and you should be able followup my progress in this thread (forum registration may be necessary)

Here is how John managed to transform his body throughout 371 days of dedication (prepare to be amazed):

Back to last night's progress, I had a light workout consisting of 30 mins of fasted cardio and 25 mins of arm (Biceps, Triceps and forearms) wight workout. I had some strange chocolate craving after my 3rd meal, it could not have been due to the fact that I ran out of new favorite snack (the 85% chocolate bars), I think I'll hunt for some later this week. Today is the family gathering day; Fridays used to be my glutton festival day back before I took control of my life, now its pretty easy picking the good foods and skipping deserts, the only thing I might do there (which I consider cheating) is eat a couple of bananas or some other fruit and that does tend to make me feel guilty sometimes due to their sugar content.

As always, stay strong and shed hard!

Morale: 7

The early weekend

2008-07-31T16:40:00.004+03:00

This 3 days weekend is a blessing, I really needed it to relax a little and get some rest, it seems that I laze off and post the day's entry a bit late when I'm on vacation, its true... I couldn't resist :)

Last night's work out was good, Full body weight training was completed successfully.

I have dug up a picture of me back in 2005 when I was 104kg, I'll post it today as a reminder to myself of what I was like back then.

This was taken in At Maracus Beach, Trinidad in the Caribbean,
and yes the snake is live and real!
(Click the image for a larger view)

I'll try to post pictures in the future, until then stay strong and shed hard!

Morale: 6

Another day, another step forward

2008-07-30T10:35:00.004+03:00

Last night I barely had time after doing the grocery shopping to squeeze in my cardio workout, I was very tempted to settle for 300-500 cal burn but I pushed myself to finish the whole 600, Its the feeling you get afterward that serves as the best reward.

I had 20-30 mins before having to hit the sack to update my profile picture, the picture I have on was taken back in January 2007 in Barbados just after finishing an ATV Adventure Ride on top of one of the mountains there, I'll try to post more pictures of me when I was 104 kg but the problem is I was very camera shy and quite embarrassed by how I looked..

I've been getting requests from friends and family to post some information about my training and diet, putting that up would need some more time dedication to this blog, I'll try to add little information here and there and as part of my future posts so stay tuned if you're interested.

I leave you with the long version of Dr. Randy Pausch's (R.I.P) Last lecture:

Morale: 7

Keeping the goal in sight

2008-07-29T08:06:00.009+03:00

I remember reading once that "Discipline is doing what is hard and boring to achieve what is best"; Now I realized since Day 1 when I first said no more and when I decided to start this journey that I will most likely have to learn to live outside my comfort zone, I will need to push harder than I ever did, be more strict about what I eat and how much I eat, and to constantly monitor my body for changes (be it positive or negative). The reason I am mentioning this is that to do a sort of affirmation, I want to remind myself that regardless of hard things have gotten and will get, it will be so for a good reason and it will pay off. This goes for you as well should you be traveling the same path I am traveling.

Going back to the my progress:

Last night's workout was good, a moderate full body weight workout along with some light cardio.
Today will be cardio day and I intend (God's willing) to make it count, I hope my grocery shopping today won't take longer than it should...

Here is another inspirational video you might like (I spotted this one on the Body Transformation Project Blog):

Morale: 6

Gotta watch those calories!

2008-07-28T08:38:00.003+03:00

Last night cardio was exhausting, I kicked it up a notch and went for 600 cal burn, the sad part is that I decided to spice up my post-workout protein shake with a table spoon of natural peanut butter (no sugar), the result was very calorie dense shake that I am sure have taken off 400-500 calories off my cardio!
I've learned my Lesson; I will be more careful when adding anything to my meals..

Today, I'll go for moderate cardio and some moderate weight workout (hopefully there won't be too many interruptions)

Morale: 5

A new Toy for the gym

2008-07-27T14:18:00.007+03:00

Last night I received my Dumbbell set and vertical stand, that kinda got me excited enough to try to do some weight training on my off day! I had to reject 3 of the dumbbells as I have noticed a good bit of rust on them, most likely stored in a damp space and I wouldn't accept rust on something I paid full fare on.

I got to admit that I've eaten 100 grams of 85% chocolate yesterday, I took it down in 3 intervals but I started feeling guilty for doing so, one good thing is that I know it was mostly pure coco and not sugar I was devouring but I should have been more moderate in eating that "semi-cheat" snack.

Today is cardio day, I hope all goes as planned.

Morale: 6

True Inspiration

2008-07-26T09:22:00.005+03:00

Yesterday's workout was very good, I did my 45 mins cardio and added some light weight training, I've also started reading one of the books I bought "Home Workout Bible" by Lou Schuler & Michael Mejia. It seems like a very good book, well written and has alot of illustration on different workouts and equipment types.

Today, I have seen one of the most inspirational videos I ever came across, I won't even introduce it, I'll leave you to watch it yourself:

Morale: 7

Week end blues

2008-07-25T10:13:00.003+03:00

One good thing about the weekends is that you don't have to go to work, the bad thing is: everyone knows it and you end up doing more things at home or for family heh..

Last nights workout was alright, didn't get that much cardio but I did a full body weight training and I was satisfied with the effort exerted.

Waking up this morning I see a few slight changes, its those small things that keep me going.

Morale: 7

My Stats 24-07-08

2008-07-24T16:37:00.003+03:00

Before heading back home from work, I went by the gym and had a body analysis test on the "InBody 320 Scale", here are the results:(not very exciting)

Ups and downs

2008-07-24T11:23:00.009+03:00

Today is not the best when it comes to work, regardless of the fact tomorrow is the weekend I am still not so very excited due to a bad day at work.. ah well.

Last night was good though, I did my 45 mins cardio and managed to fit in a nice 30 mins weight workout for Biceps, Triceps and Forearms. Now nothing beats feeling stiff and tired after a good weight training, can't wait for my new dumbbell set + stand to arrive on Saturday..

Today I'll put in more effort into chest training as I find myself lacking in that area.. I really need a Home Gym equipment.

Before I conclude this post, I would like to explain a bit about the Morale value at the end of each daily post, its a numbering system that I came up with to rate my motivation and mental focus towards achieving my goal, it also indicate how happy am I with the achievements I am getting and results I am seeing. It is on a scale of 10, 10 being the highest and 0 being the rock bottom.

Explanation:

10 - Highest Morale
"I feel great and nothing in this whole world can stop me!"
9 - High Morale
"I am doing wonderful and every workout really pays off!"
8 - High Morale
"I feel very motivated and I love the progress I am making!"
7 - Moderate Morale
"Progress is good and I am moving steadily towards my goal"
6 - Moderate Morale
"I feel that I am doing the right thing.. good things will come..."
5 - Moderate Morale
"I will continue my effort as the alternative is far much worse"
4 - Low Morale
"I had a bad day but tomorrow have to be better.."
3 - Low Morale
"I could not have made it through this day if it wasn't for sheer willpower"
2 - Very Low Morale
"Is it really worth it..? I try and I try and nothing is working!"
1 - Very Low Morale
"I think I've mastered the art of failure"
0 - Crushed Morale
"The weight of the world have truly crushed my spirit"

Morale: 6

Watching grass grow..

2008-07-23T12:57:00.012+03:00

I have made a promise to myself -first and foremost- and to others that by 17th of Jan 2009 I will reach my Phase (I) goal of 63 kg and 8% body fat. While achieving such goal may not be easy it is not impossible and that is enough to keep me going, but sometimes its frustrating being unable to see big changes, watching your own body transform is nothing short of watching grass grow or watching the big arm of a wall clock its boring at times and frustrating at others!

The reason for this frustration is when compared my 5 weeks photos I can barely see any changes! I know I can feel the changes in terms of chest muscles tightening up and love handles dissolving and such but beside that.... nada!

I - however- will stick to my training and meal plans as regardless of how slow the progress is, I can still see it and will never give up.

Morale : 4

The begining

2008-07-23T10:13:00.010+03:00

Let me first introduce myself to those who do not know me:

My name is Ali, I'm a 28 years old man who woke up one day looked in the mirror and wondered "what went wrong?"
My story is not one-of-a-kind, many people have been where I was and many managed to move forward, I will do the same one day.

I have been -and for about 6 years- (between 1998-2004 college years) very careless about what I eat and how much exercise I get, I've seen more and more fat accumulating in my body but barely cared to take action to put a stop to it. It was about 3 years ago when I first realized how bad of a shape I am in, that was when I looked at my graduation pictures and saw what I ended up as.

It is at that time that marked the real beginning of this journey, I started dieting foolishly, I starved myself at times and ate nothing but plain salads at another, I dropped from 104 kg to 90 kg and maintained that weight for a good while, I managed to drop my weight to 82 kg before the 13 June 2006, I remained at that weight but went up to 88 kg by 21st of Feb, 2008. That date marked my second and more educated journey; This journey.

I have managed through good/healthy dieting to drop to 76 kg by 17 of July, and on 23rd July I've decided to start this blog.

I am educating myself on proper nutrition, proper exercising and I am adopting healthy habits that will support my new healthy approach to changing my body composition.

I have hesitated before deciding to publish such blog, mainly because of the nature of the Internet where people (ab)use the power of "anonymous posting" to leave hateful, discouraging or even sometimes plainly tasteless comments with no apparent reason but I then realized that those who do so are their own worst enemies.

This blog was started not to brag or whine or make this look like an epic struggle, its merely a journal, a diary, a log book -mind you- to keep me motivated and make my challenge bigger by announcing it, what I hope to achieve is well within my abilities and I know I can reach it eventually, I just want this to be a motivation for myself and all who wishes to follow my journey and maybe even advise or leave a comment that my affect or inspire me along the way.