Woke up and walked straight into the kitchen this time.  Went with the hard boiled eggs instead and heated up the last batch of the chili/bolognese. 

2 hotrox and went on a quick 20ish min walk and included the stairs.  Legs felt stronger today… had a bounce to it. 

Breakfast – two hard boiled eggs, serving of chili/bolognese

Lunch – 1 hard boiled egg (wife’s leftovers) and two scoops of protein.  4 flameout, 3 vitamin d, 3, liver cleansing.

Dinner – string beans, chinese meatball soup, 2-3 short ribs, 10-12 mini shrimp sweet shanghai style, some chicken soup, one little rice cake, some sort of dessert.  the positive takeway I abstained from the fried rolls next to the shrimp, didn’t have the pan fried scallion pancake or pork dumpling.  drank tea. 

Evening – two scoops of protein, 2 teaspoons of liquid fish oil, 4 multis, 3 zma. 

Scheduled DEXA scan while I’m in HK next week.  It’s supposed to be the gold standard of body composition tests.  Pretty cheap… 380 HKD which is like 50 usd.  In the states it can be anywhere from 150-250.  I’ll see if I can do it from time to time and see where I’m at and make sure I don’t get too fat again.

So now I’m transitioning with some solid meals.  Going slowly and with a plan at least for breakfast.  I’m sure plenty of people have heard that adage that says failing to plan is planning to fail.  Need to make this habit of making breakfast stick. 

Made decent progress but realize I’ve still got a ways to go both strength wise and with body composition. Staying patient and sticking with the program.  I was doing some more reading and almost started to postpone this and try something else but realized that’s the way to failure.  So what if this isn’t the most 1000%, super optimal way?  It’s ok…. let me execute and finish.  It’s only 7 weeks.  I can finish, learn some more and get into other methods stronger and more knowledgeable. 

One of my highlights was contacting Dan John the author of Mass Made Simple and asking him some questions.  And he replied!  I hear he’s a really nice guy and lots of people have a lot of respect for him so I shouldn’t be surprised but still….getting a email from him was making me giddy.  I’m sure I’ll think of him in a different light when I’m in the last week of his program and in the middle of my squat to 50 reps.  

Anyway here are some measurements (I skipped week 3 because it was just too hectic with me traveling to NY).  I was loathe to put this on here but figure that better to do it and stay accountable rather than hide it and fail.   Progress!  Looking forward to more.

AM – 2 hotrox.  20 min walk with 40lb weight vest.  Took the stairs on both wanpang lu and tianyaoqiao lu.  Have decided that I’m going to have to make breakfast a priority over the walking.  Doing this took too long… it only was ok today because I’m taking a 915 breakfast meeting. 

Two eggs and a small bowl’s worth of chili/bolognese. 

Lunch – two scoops of protein, 4 flameout, 3 vitamind d, 3 liver cleansing.

Snack – two scoops of protein

Green tea – two liters of the Tea and me. 

Dinner – One small bowl of the chili/bolognese.  Chicken breast from the freshly roasted chicken from the supermarket.  Wow.  Juicy!  The wife ate the rest.  She’s way lighter… eating more.  Appetite is way down but solid food tastes good. 

Night time – Two scoops of protein, 2 teaspoons of liquid fish oil, 4 multi vitamin (need to order more), 3 zma.

Last day of the “strict” phase… although I’ve been having solid food as a meal here and there lots.

AM – 2 hotrox, and went for a quick walk around the block (no stairs) because honestly…. I didn’t want to go.  I need to sleep earlier and stop playing pocket plans. 

Breakfast – two scoops, 4 flameout,

Lunch – two scoops

5pm snack – two scoops

Front Squats #185 for 5/5/5/5.  These are becoming easier.

DB flat bench #50 5/5/5/5

Lat pull down with hands facing in #145 for 5/5/4/3/3

Ab roller at home (forgot it in the apt again) 5/5/5/5

Maybe drank 1/3 of my surge.

Total Time 16:50.  I’ve been really slacking with my workouts. 

Night time – two scoops protein, 4 multi.  3 zma.  Starting to conserve the flameout so I’m going with the liquid fish oil from carlsons.  It’s got an orange flavor and you can detect a hint of it with the chocolate surge but I managed to swallow it down without too much issue.  Two teaspoons. 

2 hotrox, approx 40 min walk around the park with 40lb weight vest. 

got to the office, two scoops of protein.  4 flameout.  3 vitamin D.  3 liver cleansing.

two scoops of protein for lunch

two scoops just before dinner

wife was craving burgers.  I went along… one burger patty, lettuce as the “bun”, slice of cheese, small amount of chili, small salad.

night time – two scoops protein, 4 flameout, 3 zma, 4 multi vitamin.

Looking forward to the transition!

Oct 30 -

Oct 31 -

Nov 1 -

Nov 2 – 2 hotrox.  walked one block about 20 min.  loaded the weight vest to the full 40lbs.  for some reason I forgot to have a shake when I left the apt.  was probably focused on getting down early enough to wait for a taxi.  got to the waldorf and indulged in breakfast.  handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half, about 10 slices of green, red, yellow peppers.  2 slices of smoke salmon.  two chicken sausages.  two poached eggs.  was not very hungry but two scoops of protein for lunch.  dinner at franck, 2-3  slices of smoked salmon, tomatoe and mozzarella (2-3 slices), couple of slices of prosciutto, some salad, 4-5 mussels, two slices of steak.  one fig for dessert.  stuffed! 

Nov 3 – woke up kind of late, messed around a bit at home, was hungry but just didn’t want a shake.  had my first real craving for blueberry muffins from starbucks.  i briefly entertained just buying one and not telling the wife.  haha  helped the wife cook, ate an poached egg and a spoonful of her veggie/beef bolognese.  then headed out to the store to meet with coworker.  afterwards decided to walk back home.  stopped at a 7-11 and bought some bottled green tea, took 2 hotrox and walked home about 1 hour total. 

Nov 4 – woke up, took two hotrox, walked around the park with 40lb weight vest for approx 40 min.  protein shake with two scoops, church then some light to moderate exercise for about 3 hours at football practice.  bought two bottles of green tea but found out it was slightly sweetened.  finished one bottle.  got home had another protein shake.  dinner at mr. willis, 2 oysters, some rocket salal with a couple of slices of pear, roasted chicken and pumpkin.  ended the night with another two scoops of protein, four flameout, 4 multi vitamins, 3 zma. 

Overall, I know I broke away from my diet but no damage done but then again not a lot of progress either.  Still not going to beat myself up too much over it, two long haul flights (~13 hours) in 4 days can be stressful.  Did a surprising job of keeping away from carbs for the most part.  Staying positive.

Back on the shakes as of this morning with the fresh batch of metabolic drive that I bought in October.  WAY better feeling.  No nausea at all which is a huge relief because if I was allergic that would have really sucked. 

AM – two hot rox.  got to work and two scoops protein.  4 flameout, 3 vitamin D, 3 liver cleansing. 

Noon – two scoops of protein

2pm – walk to subway station and back ~ 30 min

430pm – two scoops of protein

2 liters of green tea.

Night time shake with two scoops of protein, 4 flameout and 3 zma.

Skipped my workout, met up with a buddy Dennis and gave him some things for the concussion he got during a football game.

took some time off because I went back to NY for 3 days to attend Omay’s wedding.  definitely broke

Saturday Oct 20- am went to the office and had a shake there for breakfast.  4 flameout, 3 vitamin d and 3 liver pills.  meetings followed by shake for lunch. 

Sunday – am – none.  shake when I got home after church.  not feeling so hot.  stayed in and worked on aacf talk.  dropped off book at church and used that as my nepa walk.

Monday – gym.  don’t remember the rest of this day. 

Tues – am and noon shake.  flight to nyc.  did my nepa walk in the airport.  got a bunch of water in the lounge.  had the codfish, the dumplings for snack and skipped breakfast.  ate two eggs and 3 cheese strings. 

Wed – am, nepa walk on the brooklyn bridge.  4 flameout, 3 vitamin d.  veggie omelette with 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, turkey and reduced fat mozzarella.  chicken shwarma platter for lunch and snack consisted of shwarma, hummus, Mediterranean salad (cucumbers, tomato and lemon) and pita bread. 

Thurs – veggie omelette with 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, turkey and reduced fat mozzarella.  chicken shwarma platter for lunch and snack consisted of shwarma, hummus, Mediterranean salad (cucumbers, tomato and lemon) and 1/4 pita bread. dinner at otaisho – asparagus, some tuna/avocado salad, chicken

Friday – skipped breakfast, skirt steak with spinach salad.  two bites of mac and cheese.  cup of green tea at coffee foundry.  two pcs of string cheese.  two pcs of filet on toast (small), fig salad, 2/3 salmon with spinach. 

Saturday – cha siu bao (bad but so tasty), one cheurng fun with shrimp, two shrimp dumplings (not tasty at all).  mozzarella salad and cod fish with string beans on plane. 

Sunday – landed.  water, dinner at dozo – few pcs of squid, two salmon sushi, sukiyaki veggies and beef, salad, 4 pcs of bite size steak, bottle of mineral water.  4 flameout, 4 vitamins, 3 zma, 3 z12 before bed.  slept like a baby.

AM – woke up later around 630 but went for a walk anyway.  Took two hotrox instead and was originally going to do one block (20 min) but felt good so did my normal 2 for about 40 min of walking.  Note to self, you can move even if you wake up late.  Something is better than nothing.

Morning – two scoops of banana protein.  I’m testing it out to see and the nausea is back.  Feels like this one is expired as well.  4 flameout, 3 vitamin d, 3 liver detox. 

PM – Chocolate shake – two scoops of protein.  sat with the team while they ate their spaghetti lunch.  was tempted to eat just the sauce which was chock full of ground beef and veggies but knew I was going to go out that night with coworkers.

Afternoon – C

Dinner – its amazing what happens when you commit to something for a brief period of time and can hold onto that hope.  so i’m pretty hungry by the start of dinner but i know I can’t have any carbs.  need to hold out till the appetizer and main course.  in the past I would have minimum eaten 2-3 slices of bread with butter.  minimum.  instead I held out for my buffalo mozzarella with tomato and arugula appetizer.  I shared with my wife.  another helpful thing to know for next time… i can share things and cut the calories in half.  i ordered the “beef stew” but it was really a massive piece of fatty beef.  i had a bite but gave the rest to my wife and ate her cod fish instead.  carefully and mindfully ate the vegetables. 

Downed 4 multi vitamins, 4 fish oil (even with the fish I ate) and 3 zma. 

Woke up at 6, was actually semi up already before.  Hotrox and brisk 40min walk.  No music this time since I needed to think and pray for my talk with AACF next Wednesday.

Already thinking of recipes and menu’s for transition.  Realized we have some sort of pot in the kitchen that isn’t a slow cooker but behaves as one sort of.  My wife tells me you heat something up to boiling, put the lid over it and then put this in the pot.  It apparently keeps the temperature hot but not boiling for quite a bit (at least overnight).  Beef stew.  Chili.  Yum.

AM – two scoops protein.  4 flameout.  3 vitamin D.  3 liver cleansing.

I’m taking the liver detoxifier and regernator pills by NOW because I got diagnosed with fatty liver.  Now I’ve never even heard of this condition before coming to China but apparently it’s a condition that many westerners in China get diagnosed with.  It’s not a serious condition but it can lead to more serious issues with your liver that are irreversible.  I strongly suspect that it’s the pork that I was consuming(it is much more available in China than in the States) and I’ve since cut it down. 

Lunch – two scoops protein

PM Snack – two scoops protein

Evening workout – one scoop surge recovery.  Deadlift 225# for 8/5/5/5/5/4/4, Bench press DB 45# 10/9/9/8/4 should have been decline but they don’t have a decline bench there so I just went flat bench, lat pull downs @115 8/6/6/5/4/3 then 100 for 5/3.  My back is weak.  Hand walkouts 10/4/10/8/8.  in 41:09.  I was going to do deadlifts at 275# but opted to go with 225# instead.  Good thing because doing it at 225# had me gassed.  I’m not sure how much of it is because I’m on a low carb diet and how much of it is I’m simply out of shape but I know it’s both.  By the time I got to that 2nd set of walkouts I wanted to quit.  Then I just decided I’d take the rest I needed and at least finish and felt much better.  There’s a lesson there somewhere.  You might not be able to finish quite as strongly as you thought you might or as easily as you visualized it to be but it is important to finish. 

I probably should have gone with 1/5 scoops of the surge like yesterday. 

Dinner – Just took about 2 scoops of protein, 4 fishoil, 4 multi vitamin, 3 zma. 

Had about 1.5 liters of green tea.