Men's Health Diary

Captain's Log - Star date 16.03.12

Well it's been a crazy 6 weeks. After having got my results back and seeing that I had slipped from 13% body fat to 16% was rather upsetting to say the least. But never before have two digits motivated me so much.

So a colleague of mine, Let's call him 'Murph Dog' (well that's what I call him.. I don't actually know his name), anyway he hooked me up with a new protein/meal replacement supplement called Lean 95 (http://www.lean95.com) developed by the Wellness Brothers, Sean and Ryan Penny (http://www.http://thewellnessbrothers.com).

The site says that Lean 95 is a completely whole food meal replacement/supplement that provides the body with essential nutrients to support optimal cellular function, muscle repair and weight loss. It's ideal for sportsmen and women, people wanting to lose weight and for health conscious people looking for a clean product to supplement their diet. But the reason I'm specifically taking it for is for fat loss and to provide all the good stuff that's needed to replenish my muscles with during and after workouts.

Now the stuff might not be the greatest tasting, I'll tell you that much. After my first dose I actually checked the container for an expiration date. But after a week of taking the shake you pretty much get used to the taste... thank goodness for that.

And on top of that my training program has gone from 4 or 5 days of gym to definitely 5 days of weight training using the 'Scrawny to Brawny' workout form the Men's Health Big Book of Exercises. And then on top of that I've included 2 cardio sessions in the morning. For this I'm basically doing high-intensity interval training with one of my mates down at the park in the mornings before work.

Diet wise I have been ordered by the Penny Bros to cut out dairy (except for fat free cottage cheese) and bread. And then on my own terms I have stopped boozing. Yip, it's been 6 weeks without alcohol and I'm going strong. I've always wanted to do this and when this challenge came up I knew it was the perfect opportunity.

I have seen results for sure so far. But today marks the last day of this current workout routine. From Monday next week, I'm gonna go a little more mental. 'Mental' really is the only word I can think of. So come back on Monday for my 'Mental Month' workout regime.

Dear Diary

Ok, I just joked that I would start my entries this way, but I think I'm gonna stick to it. It was either that, or "Captain's Log, Stardate 2012". Ok, I've changed my mind... that option definitely sounds more fun. Ok, now to channel my inner Captain Kirk.

Well, some of you might know, most of you won't though I'm sure, but I took part in the last Men's Health Six-Pack challenge. The program was great. It got me back into shape and caused me to stop spending my hard-earned money (hey, my boss is reading this... I work really hard) on cheesegrillers and to get into a more active lifestyle. Now my days are filled with protein-rich, low-carb, low-fat meals and gym. Yeah it doesn't sound fun, I'll admit. Two years ago I woulda said 'screw that, bring on the cheesegrillers', but the truth is that I enjoy it. I do. My mental state is now that when I eat bad too much of the time, I feel bad about it and want to get back to the gym and work it off. The same goes for actually going to gym every day. It's now my escape and my break from the daily grind.

You see the last challenge really changed me and the way I am. I now am very health conscious when it comes to my meals. Probably because I never really achieved what I wanted to last year. In all reality, I would never be able to get where I want to be in only 2 months, I realise that now. But I have been gyming constantly since the last challenge ended, and eating right too.

So why have I entered the challenge again? My reason this time round was different. It's not so much about getting into a good physical condition, but rather getting the total end result that I want, and have been working towards over the last 15 months or so. I have been gyming with one of my colleagues over the last year and it's been great. But around October last year I realised that I'd plateaud. I'd been stuck on 81 for what seem like forever. So for the first time I started taking whey protein shake. Since then I have picked up about 1kg per month. I really struggle to eat as much as I probably should, so the shakes def help.

So at the moment I'm reading about 84-85kg. Never thought I'd get there. And def never thought I'd want to hit 90. But I do, and I think that weight will be when I reach my goal. And that is to achieve the typical Men's Health cover guy body, i.e bigger arms and chest, and a killer six pack please (obviously while still working legs and back).

We're a week and a half in and I'm still training on my own using the Men's Health workout posters , but should be starting my new routine at a soon to be announced gym next week. Looking forward to that. Change really is a great thing when it comes to training. So next time you hear from me I will have received my results from my test at SSI (my body fat better be lower than my last test) and should be well into my new workout program.

Jurgi out!