Hey there! Back for my bi-yearly check-in :)

Who would have guessed that a weight loss blog named readytoprocrastinate would be unreliable with posting regularly!? Well, I’m back again for another attempt to lose weight and keep it off.

As usual, I feel pretty motivated this time and have already successfully finished day one without eating more than 20g of carbs for my keto diet. I even went to the store and bought $100 worth of healthy shit that will probably end up rotting in the fridge before I get to it.

Personally, I have discovered that my weight loss attempts are the most successful during this time of the year. There are a few reasons as to why Fall is the best time to start for me:

• It’s cooler outside and a lot less miserable for working out
• I’m so busy with work and school that bored eating is impossible.
• Since I have less time, Keto Chow becomes more desirable which again keeps me on track for my keto diet.
• Eating well motivates me to work out more

So that is the current jist of my life. I weighed in at 198.8lbs this morning and I am about the same measurements as all of my other failed attempts I posted about.

I will try to give an update at least every two weeks. Probably more often if I have anything to post and am not too busy with school.

Diet starts at sunrise and I’m ready!

Surprise! I’m back again and it’s before waiting six months!

I never thought I’d say this but…. I completed my first 5k on Saturday!! My time wasn’t anywhere near impressive but I didn’t finish last which was my only goal. I was 83 out of 89. I have another one in two weeks so I’m pretty excited to beat my first time or place. For anyone who has always dreamed of doing a 5k but want to wait until they are in better shape, I recommend to just sign up. If anything it will only further motivate you to continue on your weight loss journey and it’s fun. Even if you can’t run for more than 30 seconds they make 5k’s where you can either walk or run so there is no excuse not to meet your goals.

I forgot to mention in my last post that I made a “bet” that I will lose 4% of weight in 4 weeks for money on Dietbet. Someone mentioned that they were going to do this a couple weeks ago and I finally checked it out and it appears to be legit. What better way to motivate yourself then money??? I could probably lose 10 lbs in a week and a half so I’m feeling extremely confident! This is another reason I am starting my diet tomorrow. I took my measurements and before pictures once again. They are pretty similar to my last pictures I posted so I decided I’m not going to share them until my next update for comparison. I will, however, post my current measurements because I am currently at my fluffiest.

Weight: 201 lbs (4% of my weight would bring me to 193lbs)

Biceps: 14.25”

Chest: 43”

Stomach: 45.5”

Waist: 43.5”

Hips: 47”

Thighs: 27.25”

Calves: 17”

I made Keto Chow shakes to take to work tomorrow. I have four more shakes and then I can start drinking the newer formula that Chris Bair invented. It uses Acacia Gum fiber instead of the Psyllium Husk powder which makes it really smooth. I have a feeling I will like this formula much better making it easier for me to be successful with my diet.

My classes resume Tuesday  so I will be updating in a week or two depending on how I adjust to my new schedule. See you later!

 

 

 

Happy New Year! (Life Update)

Hello! Obviously I have yet to figure out how to keep up with this blog. Therefore, it should not surprise you that I haven’t made any progress losing weight. In fact, as of yesterday, I have exceeded my maximum weight by a pound (201 lbs). I still refuse to give up! With that being said, I will now catch you up on the last 5 months of my life.

Christmas 2016 I’m on the right (I think this picture will be good for comparing results later on)

I am about to start my 3rd semester of college. This is relevant to my weight loss journey because while I am in school, it makes it extremely difficult to eat healthy. I work 8am-5pm on weekdays and have school 6pm-10m Monday through Thursday. I gained most of my weight back because I wouldn’t eat much during the day so I would be starving after I get out of class at night. This resulted in me stopping at Mcdonalds on the way home and eating enough for two and then going to bed.

It is also very difficult to find time to exercise while I’m in school. My weekdays are already full and I still have to find time to study. The only way I can see exercise fitting into my schedule is if I work out in the morning before work. Me trying to get up early is equivalent to a child trying to give a cat a bath… It just doesn’t work. All I know is this is going to be a rough semester!

I put Keto Chow on hold a while ago (Check out Keto Chow… What is it?). I kept convincing myself that I’ll start after the next weekend. Then it was I’ll start after Thanksgiving… Then Christmas… Then I’ll start on the New Year. It never did happen, after all, I’m an excellent procrastinator.

So what’s next? I will be starting a ketogenic diet on January 16, 2017. You may be wondering what is so special about that date… (probably not, but as usual, I’m going to tell you anyways)

Back in November, it was around 2 am when I had the bright idea to sign up for two 5k’s and a half-marathon. I’ve been dreaming of completing a marathon for years now and I felt like it would never happen. At this rate, it wouldn’t. I said fuck it and just signed up.

I have been using the c25k app to help me train for my first 5k which just so happens to be this Saturday. I was not very consistent in the beginning of the program so I fell behind (Surprise Surprise!). I am currently on week 5 and the longest I have run/walked is 1.7 miles. I started out struggling to run for 90 seconds at a time and now I can run up to 5 minutes straight with only a little big of struggling! This may not seem like much but I am super proud of myself! I haven’t run for 5 minutes straight since high school which was about 5 1/2 years ago! ANNNNDDD….. I am on week 5 of something!

Look out world! I’m moving up in life!!!!

Back to why I’m waiting until Monday to start my diet…. My 5k came up fast after the New Year. I felt it would be best to wait until after my first 5k to change up my eating habits so I don’t mess up my stomach while my body is adjusting to ketosis. I also want to do more research on exercising on a ketogenic diet since my body will be fueling on fat which takes longer to digest and convert to energy.

That is pretty much all that’s happened since the August. I will try to post again by Jan. 22 the latest to give an update on how my first week of Keto Chow goes.

Also tofu shirataki noodles are the shit! I like to make a stirfry with soy sauce and it’s delicious. There is a good chance I go over my carb limit with the veggies but it’s still healthier than my usual go-to which is fast food. See you later 🙂

 

 

Back again.. what is this, round 3?

Last couple months have been pretty crazy for me. I am about to finish my first semester of college. Now that I have a good idea of what to expect for being in school and working full-time, I feel like I am now more capable of reaching my goals of blogging and losing weight. I am currently on day three of my keto challenge, as you might have guessed,  I have not been faithful to my diet during my long break from here!

Here is a quick recap:

August 1, 2016– started keto diet weight 190lbs. With all the junk food that i have been eating since my last keto attempt, I’m surprised that I didnt exceed my heaviest weight of 200 lbs!

I’ve been feeling bloated, sluggish, and weighed-down the last couple weeks and by the end of the day I started to feel better. I did get hit with the “keto flu” the first couple days but I drank a lot of water (with Naan) and took pain killer and it helped while my body tries to adapt.

I ate a couple carbs my first day but I would be surprised if I went over my carb limit by more than 5 grams. I ate a key lime keto chow shake and made scrambled eggs with veggies.

August  2, 2016– I weighed in at 188 lbs! Minus 2 pounds within 24 hours, not bad! I felt so much better on the 2nd day. It felt like my body was running efficiently, specifically my stomach. No stomach aches, bloating, or bubble gut, as my girlfriend would say.

I almost gave in and ate carbs but after a motivation, yet hilarious, talk from my girlfriend, I was able to make it to day three!  I found that I’m more likely to ditch the diet if I don’t eat during work. By the time I get home at 5pm, I turn into the Hulk and eat everything that is in reach.

August 3, 2016– Today is not over yet, but I have been so good today as far as not eating carbs go. I have ate keto chow pancakes (recipe on chris bars website) that I made at 2am last night with peanut butter chocolate  keto chow and I had some turkey and cheese.  I weighed 187.6 lbs.

Last night I bought some tofu shirataki noodles for the first time and I plan on trying them out tonight. (They are low calories and carbs which is good for ketogenic diets.)

Come back Friday evening to see my review!

New Measurements (Keto Chow Week 3-ish)

Hey there! I know it has been a while but my last week results were not worth posting in my opinion. My weight has been yo-yoing especially on weekends since I don’t have much to keep my mind off of those delicious carbs. Not only that, but my girlfriend and I have very bad habits of eating out on weekends. I know that it is possible to get low-carb food on most menus but the temptation is greater… especially when you’re at your favorite sandwich shop or you’re eyeballing what’s on everyone elses plate! Also, I’ve got it in my head that once I cheat and go over my carb limit for the day, I might as well go all out.

That said, my results are not nearly as great as they could be but I’m still motivated to push forward. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. I did make better progress this last week. I’ve also gotten in the habit of riding my bike 4 miles on the metro park bike trail near my house everyday. I even experienced my first mountain bike trail! It was intense and exciting however, it also taught me that I need to do a lot more training before I hit that trail. I feel that this new habit/hobby is responsible for some of the inches lost in certain parts of my body. I’ll get to that in minute.

One last thing I’d like to share, I currently have bronchitis. Besides not being able to breathe, it has its pros. For one, I have had a loss of appetite since Saturday which really helped me to not cheat. I have lost some weight resulting in this and have reached my lowest weight since September when I first started this blog. That’s pretty exciting!

Anyways, Here are my current results in measurements and weight:

 

Weight Loss since last Measurement: 5.1 lbs (2.5 weeks ago)
Weight Loss from heaviest Weight: 15.3 lbs     (Feb. 9th 2016)

Inches Lost since last Measurement: 9.25 in
Inches Lost from first Measurements: 12.75 inches

I just compared my first ever measurements back in September 2015 on this blog where I weighed 188.4 lbs to my current body measurements and I am pretty close measurement wise. My body fat percentage is the only real difference and that’s probably due to human error since I kinda don’t know what I’m doing when it comes to that. I’m pleased so far with my weight losses. I definitely need to start going back to the gym and work on my upper body strength and I’m going to keep up with my bike routine once I can breathe again. I haven’t decided yet if I want to post pictures since they are probably the same as the ones I posted in September last year but if I change my mind you will probably see them within the next few days if not tonight. It’s kind of a pain in the ass for me to take before and after pictures since I need someone else to take them which is still a daunting task for me since it’s my girlfriend that takes them. Also it takes me a couple of hours to get it all together and post. Not complaining… just explaining.. 🙂

Keto Chow update… I’m still making my shakes and average about one a day. Two if I’m lucky. I’m still struggling finishing them. Not giving up! My goal as of today is to get at least two down and remember to take my multi-vitamin and fish oil pills daily. (This is probably why I’m sick since my body is probably not getting everything it needs) I’ll be officially starting this goal once I’m feeling better and can go back to work! That’s all for now!

See you later!

 

Keto Chow… (Take 2) W/New Measurements

As always, I had trouble following through with my plans. It’s been almost three weeks since I first started my keto diet and for the first two weeks I had problems with not eating carbs. I mean, come on, carbs are delicious. I could live off of sandwiches… During these weeks I managed to go from 196 lbs to 191 lbs which is actually pretty decent but my weight fluctuated a lot. I’m sure if I didn’t cheat every other day I could have lost a lot more and I’d probably be almost in the 170’s by now.

But Easter happened and I dug in. (and I don’t regret it!)  So I started this week weighing 196.4 pounds  on Monday, March 28th, 2016.

I’m happy to say that I have completed almost a whole week without cheating on my keto diet! Check out my weight log below:

Monday: 196.4 lbs

Tuesday: 196 lbs

Wednesday: 194 lbs

Thursday: 193.4 lbs

Friday: 192.1 lbs

Saturday: 190.2 lbs!

I weigh myself every morning naked before eating or drinking anything and after using the toilet so that my weights can be as accurate as possible.

I’m thinking I’ll probably lose 8 lbs for the first week assuming I don’t cheat when I go to a family game night tonight. There are going to be A LOT of delicious snacks but I’m feeling pretty confident right now.

My week really hasn’t been as miserable as my first couple of weeks that I attempted to change my eating habits. Probably because I allowed myself to eat keto foods instead of just drinking the shakes 3x a day to loose weight faster. In fact, I even have bacon for breakfast this morning! I would eventually like to switch over to just shakes to save money (since I won’t be buying food all the time) as well as to lose weight faster but if I try again now, I’ll probably be setting myself up for failure.

Eventually I plan on doing daily blogs but for now it’s more of when I can get around to it.  I’m completely exhausted after watching infants all day for work and weekends are my best bet.

Speaking of weekends… Last weekend was so nice outside I decided to take my bicycle out on a bike trail (Ohio to Erie Trail) which was basically my first time ever! I managed to go 17 miles (by myself I might add) without stopping and it was AWESOME! So awesome, in fact, that I am going to start cycling and mountain biking. We have a mountain bike trail close by and I’m super excited to try it. I will say that I didn’t feel anything until the day after. I thought I  was going to have to amputate my legs they hurt and burned so bad. Probably not a good decision to go so far my first time and being in the shape that I am in… Still worth it!

Body Measurements are pretty similar.. I mean, it only has been 6 days…. But I want to do weekly measurements so here it is!

Starting Measurements (at my fattest point)                        Current Measurements

Weight-200.4lbs                                                                               190.2 lbs

Body Fat%-36.2%                                                                               36.2%

Neck-14.5                                                                                              14.5 in

Chest-  42.5                                                                                           42 in

Navel-43 (44.5in at largest point)                                                  42 in (44 in)

Hips- 46in @ middle of butt/ 42.5in @ waist line                     46 in/41 in

Biceps- 13in Flexed 13.5 ish         (14in@largest)                          13 in/13.5in

Forearms-10in                                                                                        10 in

Thighs-27.5in at largest                                                                      27.5 in

Calves- 16.5in(R) 16in (L)                                                                    16.25 in/ 16 in

I used a different measuring tape this time since my cat knocked my good one into the trash can a while ago and I didn’t notice until it was too late. It is very possible my measurements haven’t changed at all.

Total inches lost so far: 3.75 inches! Not much but it’s better than nothing.

 

One last thing to add..

I tried a keto recipe for keto chow jello. I used cherry sugar free jello and made pina colada whipped cream from heavy whipping cream. Honestly it was not bad. Also, it was a nice break from the shakes (even though everything that’s in my shakes went into the jello) and recently I’ve been craving ice cream and it helped reduce that craving.

That’s all for now.. I’ll probably be seeing you again next week! 🙂

 

DAY 1-2 OF KETO!

I planned on starting keto chow this weekend, however I received all my ingredients and was too excited not too start. Not only that, but I’ve been spending 100’s of dollars these last two weeks eating as much carbs as I could since carbs are now a thing of the past!

MONDAY, MARCH 15TH, 2016
DAY ONE–  starting weight: 198 lbs
I struggled to make a days worth the night before day one. I forgot the recipe was a days worth and I accidentally made it all in 1 blender bottle instead of three resulting in a half mixed mess. One hour later… everything is mixed.. the taste was a bit salty and the texture was slightly slimy. The day went by like nothing changed. (Probably because I’m use to having a meal replacement shake for breakfast and lunch on weekdays). For dinner I decided to skip the shake and go for (mostly) keto friendly dinner at smokey bones.  I did have mashed potatoes and they were delicious! I also had grilled chicken breast, pulled pork and broccoli in case anyone is wondering about everything I consumed. I figured might as well cheat the first day than get a week straight without carbs and give in. I felt kind of tired all day without my daily coffee which I willingly decided to give up.

TUESDAY, MARCH 16TH, 2016
DAY TWO– current weight: 196.2 lbs
Last night’s preparing of the shakes went a lot smoother. They even tasted better.. still a bit salty probably because I’m not a huge fan of salt. Today I managed to drink all three shakes and because I was hangry with the world, I decided to have some scrambled eggs with cheese. After the eggs, I was at peace with the world and happily watched my greys anatomy until bedtime.

Keto Chow… What is it?

Hey guys! Again, it’s been a while…

So I have recently become very interested in ketogentic dieting… A guy I work for has been doing Keto Chow (a keto diet) for the last 2 months and has already lost around 30 pounds and he doesn’t even work out! Now I know a lot of people hearing about a great amount of weight loss in a small time frame will be skeptic or even say it’s not healthy. Well, I haven’t seen any bad reviews of people on this specific diet and quite frankly, I kind of don’t care.

Now most of you are probably wondering what is this miracle weight loss diet?

It’s a low-carb high fat diet that is something called a soylent. From my understanding a soylent is a liquid diet that contains every mineral and vitamin and whatever else your body needs in order to run efficiently. You can do one, two, or three shakes a day. If you decide to only do one or two shakes, then your diet can be  mostly of meats and cheese. Anything as long as you stay under 5% carbs for the day.

I plan on doing the shakes 3x a day for maximum weight loss as well as I believe this will help me save money since that’s where most of my money goes.

I’ve got all of my information from reading the Chris Bairs (the  creator)  blog: www.thebairs.net

Chris sells different shakes of Keto Chow on his site as well as the ingredients to make it yourself if you want. I’ve decided to go route B and make it myself to save money.

I’ve already ordered everything I need online and should be getting it all by the 16th of this month. If everything goes as planned, I should be starting this diet by the 18th.

I’ve decided to start on a Friday afternoon because there is a possibility of side effects during the first week and I’d really like to experience them at home need be.

Lets just say most people’s bodies aren’t use to how much fiber is in these drinks…

Well that’s all I’m going to say about this for now. If anyone has any questions or are interested in possibly starting Keto Chow or have been there done that, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

As far as a recap from my last post, I am currently 195 lbs average. I was working out but stopped last week when I decided to start this diet. I am currently eating whatever I want since I will not be eating solids most likely for the next couple months or more. I am planning on resuming exercising once my body has adjusted to no carbs since that is what fuels most people’s bodies. Keto diets basically make it so that you are burning fat instead of glucose… Something like that… again, for more information check out Chris’s page.

 

 

 

My First Workout Plan!

I’ve been putting off posting this for a while since I am still tweaking my schedule around as far as what muscle group on what day, how many reps/sets, what weights, and which machines/exercises to do. I might as well just show you what I got so that everyone can see what my typical week looks like.

MY WORKOUT SCHEDULE

Monday: Glutes, Hamstring, Quads, and Calves (Leg Day!)

• Glutes
  • Hip Abduction-                     50 lbs     4 sets of 15 reps
  • Hip Addiction-                      50 lbs     4 sets of 25 reps
  • Standing Glutes-                  50 lbs     3 sets of 12 reps
• Hamstring
  •         Seated Leg Curl-                   90 lbs     3 sets of 10 reps
  •         MTS Kneeling Leg Curl-     30 lbs     3 sets of 10 reps
• Quads
  • Leg Press-                             140 lbs     3 sets of 12 reps
  • Thigh Extension-                 30 lbs     3 sets of 12 reps

Tuesday: Cardio and Abs

• Cardio
  • Elliptical, Cycling, or Jogging*(see below) for at least 30 minutes
• Ab Workout (From Bodybuilding.com “The magnificent 7 ab routine”)
  • Jump rope for 3 minutes or as long as possible
  • Sit ups then Leg raises (as many as possible) (currently 10-12 reps)
  • Rest for one minute
  • Lying leg raise w/crunch and Knee-ins (as many as possible) (currently 8-10 reps)
  • Rest for one minute
  • Toe touchers and Crunches (as many as possible) (currently 8-12 reps)
  • Rest for one minute
  • Reverse crunch

REPEAT AB WORKOUT SET UP TO 3 TIMES (In the same order) 

*I am currently using an app called 10k to train me how to run. I just finished week one which has me exercising 3 times a week. My long term goal is to be able to run in a marathon within the next year or two so this app is an important part of my weekly workout routine. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to start jogging/running but doesn’t know where to begin.

Wednesday: Biceps, Back, and Lats  (I will add weight/sets/reps later)

• Back
  • MTS Row
  • MTS High Row
  • Seated Row
• Bicep
  • Freemotion Bicep
  • Bilateral Arm Curl
• Lat
  • Rotary Lat

Thursday: Cardio and Abs

Same as Tuesdays workout

Friday: Chest, Triceps, and Shoulders/Traps and Deltoids

• Chest
  • MTS Decline Press–                      15 lbs     3 sets of 13 reps
  • MTS Incline Press–                       15 lbs     3 sets of 12 reps
  • MTS Chest Press–                         10 lbs     3 sets of 12 reps
  • Pectoral Fly–                                   30 lbs     3 sets of 12 reps
• Shoulder/Deltoids/Trap
  • Shoulder Press–                             20 lbs     3 sets of 12 reps
  • Freemotion Rear Deltoids–        20 lbs     3 sets of 12 reps
• Triceps
  • Arm Extentions–                            30 lbs     3 sets of 12 reps
  • Total Triceps–                                  10 lbs     3 sets of 8 reps

Saturday: Off/Makeup day or Yoga

Sunday: Cardio and Abs

Same as Tuesdays workout

So that’s what I got! I’ve only completed one week so far and like I said, I’m still making changes.

I was initially planning on splitting my leg day up and doing quads one day and hamstrings another so that each muscle group can rest kind of how most people split biceps and triceps into different days but from the schedules I’ve seen from a lot of people, no one really does that… What do you think? I’m open to feedback as long as I have explanations to back it up. Anything you would do different?

 

 

SUPPLEMENTS

I’ve been doing a decent amount of research on supplements to take when trying to lose weight or body fat pecentage and this is where I’m starting.

My average day begins with a meal replacement shake and a fish oil pill. Depending on how hungry I am, I might have a small handful of almonds, fruit, or a sandwich (If I’m starving).

Meal Replacement

Meal Replacement

 

 

Sometime around noon I have a snack which is probably a handful of almonds or some fruit. I like to save my second meal replacement shake (and fish oil pill) until around 3pm or 4pm (I get off work at 5pm) that way I will have enough energy to complete my workout and give it my all.
Speaking of energy, Around 5pm, I like to take my amino acid supplement and creatine. (This gives me about 30 minutes for it to kick in before my workout.)

Post-workout, I take a protein shake with creatine within 30 minutes of completing my exercise and a fish oil pill after a nicely portioned, healthy meal.

This is the start of my eating healthy journey as well as my first time ever taking supplements. I am in no means an expert and I am still figuring out what work best for my body. So far I have lost 5 lbs since I started 1 1/2 weeks ago. There would probably be more weight loss but I am incredibly awful at eating healthy and moving around (let alone exercise) on the weekends since I stay in my room a lot and don’t leave the house.

Below I have written my personal review for the supplements and what not…

SLIM FAST MEAL REPLACEMENT:
I take this meal replacement twice a day when I wake up and for lunch Monday through Friday typically. I buy the powder because it’s cheaper and mix it with 2% milk. It does an awesome job at keeping me full for about 4 to 5 hours with one small healthy snack and I love the taste.

FISH OIL:
I bought mine off of bodybuilding.com. It’s lemon flavored and doesnt give me fish burps which apparently is a problem with these supplements. I take mine 3x a day with a meal as recommended. When I take them with my meal replacement, I feel slightly nauseous but it normally goes away within a hour or so. Probably because I’m not getting enough calories from the slimfast but it’s tolerable. I’m not too sure if the fish oil is doing anything for me but from my research, it has a lot of benefits for everyone.. plus I got a great deal on them!

AMINO ENERGY :
I take 3 scoops before a workout for energy and to help recovery time. It definitely puts some pep in my step but the flavor is really strong.

100% CREATINE:
Today is my 2nd day taking this. I buy the unflavored and mix it in with my slimfast or protein shakes. Not sure yet how much it benefits me but it’s suppose to help lose body fat and build lean muscle mass.

MUSCLETECH PLATINUM WHEY:
I take this once a day after workout. It’s the first protein powder I’ve ever used and it’s delicious.

I’ve also been drinking a minimum of 64 ounces since last Monday.

Again, I’m still new to all this so I’d love to have your input or what supplements you like to take!

I’m still tweaking my workout schedule but I will have it posted by the weekend. Probably sooner rather than later.