Weight Loss and Healthy Living

This is the final journal entry for the competition. I share quite a few meals leading up to the photo shoot and recap the statistics for the twelve weeks. Despite the myth that carbohydrates hinder fat loss, I managed to lose over 30 pounds in 3 months while consuming almost 300 grams of carbohydrate per day.


8/6/2003

Heh.

Weight: 183.5

Training:

Upper body strip sets and pump routine (carb depletion)

Supplementation:

1 tbsp flaxseed oil
1000mg fish oil
50mg Niacin (B3)
1 tablet "The Bridge" multi-vitamin
4 tablets TwinLab multi-mineral
2000mg Vitamin C
400IU Vitamin E

Nutrition:

Breakfast:
2 turkey sausage patties
1/2 Nature Valley Oats N' Honey granola bar

Next meal:
1 oz beef jerky
1/3 cup mixed nuts

Next meal:
1 cup Perdue Short Cuts Lemon Pepper chicken breast
1 piece spicy chicken sausage
1/4 cup cashews

Afternoon meal:
1 cup Perdue Short Cuts Lemon Pepper chicken breast
1/2 Nature Valley Oats N' Honey granola bar

Dinner:
1 Causual Gourmet Chicken Burger (sundried tomato)
1 oz soy cheese
1/3 cup mixed nuts

Calories: 2164
Fat: 140g (25g saturated) 56%
Sodium: 5580mg
Potassium: 623mg
Carbohydrate: 81g (11g fiber / 20g sugar) 14%
Protein: 164g 29%
Water: 270oz (2 gallons+)

WHOOMP!

8/7/2003

Weight: 183

Training:

Posing

Supplementation:

1 tbsp flaxseed oil
1000mg fish oil
50mg Niacin (B3)
1 tablet "The Bridge" multi-vitamin
4 tablets TwinLab multi-mineral
2000mg Vitamin C
400IU Vitamin E

Nutrition:

Breakfast:
2 turkey sausage patties
1/2 Nature Valley Oats N' Honey granola bar

1 cup of vegetable bouillon

Next meal:
1 oz beef jerky
1/3 cup mixed nuts

1 cup of vegetable bouillon

Next meal:
1 cup Perdue Short Cuts Honey Roasted chicken breast
1 piece spicy chicken sausage
1 oz soy cheese

1 cup of vegtable bouillon

Afternoon meal:
1 cup Perdue Short Cuts Honey Roasted chicken breast
1/2 Nature Valley Oats N' Honey granola bar

Dinner:
Indian style chicken (legs)
2 oz soy cheese

Calories: 2065
Fat: 116g (19g saturated) 50%
Sodium: 7700mg
Potassium: 698mg
Carbohydrate: 72g (6g fiber) 14%
Protein: 191g 36%
Water: 273oz

We out!

8/8/2003

Weight: 183.5

Training: posing, practicing standing still as sunless tanning oil dries

Supplementation:

1 tbsp flaxseed oil
1000mg fish oil
50mg Niacin (B3)
1 tablet "The Bridge" multi-vitamin
4 tablets TwinLab multi-mineral
2000mg Vitamin C
400IU Vitamin E

Nutrition:

I honestly can't group these in meals, as I grazed throughout the day. Here is the inventory of what I ate. Everything was no sodium except for the sorbet, which had 20mg:

1 1/2 cups granola w/ dried fruit and almonds
1 cup organic strawberry sorbet
1 cup puffed Kashi cereal
2 Nature's Choice carob chip granola bars
2 Mother's natural sesame rice cakes
1 Lundberg apple cinnamon rice cake
12 HolGrain brown rice crackers
1/2 cup Harry's sweet banana chips
4 oz unsalted corn chips
7 oz baked potato

Calories: 2573
Fat: 83g (18g saturated) 29%
Sodium: 38mg
Potassium: 1970mg (more, because a lot of the foods don't list this)
Carbohydrate: 416g (32g fiber / 70g sugar) 64%
Protein: 50g 8%
Water: 131oz

WHOOT!

8/9/2003

Well, just wanted to check in quickly. That's it. Finito. Challenge over. Will update my stats, but pictures will have to wait until later this week. The shoot went fantastic. Let's review:

Woke up.

Breakfast:
1 rice cake w/ 1 1/2 tbsp raw almond butter
3/8 cup oatmeal in distilled water
2 oz espresso

After getting all of my stuff together, I had another espresso.

Before I left, 4oz of wine and 200mg Niacin.

On the way to the studio, I ate 24 Sweet Tarts, one every few minutes.

During my pump up and the shoot, I sipped on a solution of 4oz water, 4oz red wine, and 1 tbsp sugar all mixed together.

Had an AWESOME shoot. Went with someone who has photographed many, many bodybuilders and more specifically tons of male models, so he knew the lighting and just how to bring it out. I'm very excited about the pictures.

I weighed in at 179 this morning, exactly 30 pounds less than when I began and precisely 1 pound heavier than my leannest shoot. However, consider I was much leaner today, I reckon I may have gained some muscle. My body fat is tracking at 8%. I know my one shoot I said 6.5%, but that was probably enthusiastic and not accurate ... I think 8% is more on the money because I do recognize I'd have to lose more to get on stage at a 5% or even 4%.

Let's review:

Biceps maintained, 15" and change to start with, 15" to end with.
Waist dropped to 33" (I measure at the widest point).
Skinfolds plummeted from 40's down to 20 this morning (13mm umbilicus, needs to be 8mm or less for boddybuilding competition, and 7mm suprailiac).

I think I've demonstrated you can lean down, dramatically, increase strength, and maintain muscle without eating a ton of meat, with eating mainly a vegetarian diet, without eating your body weight in protein, and by having plenty of enjoyable foods like burritos, corn chips, chocolate, soy ice cream, etc. The night before the shoot I had a baked potato and unsalted corn chips - yum!

Here are the averages for the 84 days of this challenge, with only 1 yellow that was planned because I was feeling overtrained:

AVERAGE DAILY INTAKE FOR 84 DAYS:

Calories: 2122
Fat: 64g (11g saturated / 14g polyunsaturated / 13g monounsaturated) 26%
Cholesterol: 132mg
Sodium: 2360mg
Potassium: 3110mg
Carbohydrate: 297g (37g fiber / 59g sugar) 55%
Protein: 94g 17%
Vitamin A: 1910 mcg
Vitamin C: 3000 mg (3g)
Calcium: 1950mg
Iron: 35mg
Vitamin D: 127 IU
Vitamin E: 557 IU
Thiamin: 1230 mcg
Riboflavin: 1550 mcg
Niacin: 77 mg
Vitamin B6: 2710 mcg
Folate: 619 mcg
Vitamin B12: 663 mcg
Pantothenic acid: 5.88 mg
Phosphorus: 828 mg
Magnesium: 891 mg
Zinc: 41.4 mg
Copper: 4000 mcg
Manganese: 12.4 mg
Selenium: 288 mcg
Water: 156 fl oz (1 gallon + 1 quart)
Alcohol: 0.206 fl oz 2%

So, I averaged a 17/55/26 protein/carb/fat ratio.

I averaged 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, or 1.1 g / kg

I averaged 1.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight, or 3.37 / kg

I averaged about 730 calories burned in exercise per day, and that's averaged over Sundays which were always a full day of rest.

I went on vacation three times, once for an entire week, I hiked 16 miles in one day and I even helped build a house the weekend before my photo shoot. I studied for and obtained my certificate as a Specialist in Performance Nutrition while working an average 50 - 55 hour work week and spending plenty of time with my family. I volunteered in church, doing things such as ushering and being a lay reader and faithfully attended for most of the Sundays during my program. I'd say, all in all, this challenge I successfully balanced my active life around my goal and achieved all of them. While I did not reach the New Testament in my bible readings, I did faithfully continue them and have grown closer to God. While I did not hit my strength goals, 3 x 240 bench press and 2 x 300 squat for full range still remain my personal bests.

Now I must start a new log as I train for Mr. Georgia in 2004. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take care everyone and I'll post again when I can!

Jeremy

8/12/2003

(Final pictures in the gallery)

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