Day 1 All Over Again, 345 lbs with Videos41.2 lbs LOSTso farAugust 27, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 2 comments
Yep, that’s right. I was on the right track for about a month, doing my workouts and eating the way I needed to eat. I was even mentally “there.” But that’s behind me now because today was the day I started all over again.
I weighed myself today and was at 345 lbs. I told ya it was day one all over again! So that’s the starting weight I will use. So I woke up today and told myself “Israel, get off your butt and do this! Just do it!” I know I have it in me darn it. I was on a high school football team that was borderline torturing us for practice and I made it through Parris Island in South Carolina (that’s the Marine Corps Boot camp). So this should be super, duper easy. But you know what I realized? I had peer support during those tough times, working out alone in my shack doesn’t provide me that. So that’s where this blog comes in, along with some offline peer support from some friends and family. So I suggest if you are planning on embarking on a mission such as this, you do not do it alone.
So my first workout in a few months was a good one. Here are some videos of my bench workout. I managed to still be able to rep 225lbs 10 or 12 times. That’s pretty good muscle maturity I got going. I started out benching 205 lbs to warm up.
Repping 205 lbs on the bench
A close-up of my Y R U So Small Shirt and pumping out that last rep.
Me repping 225lbs on the Bench
Afterward, I almost passed out. Not because I was intentionally trying to push myself to the point of exhaustion, but because I think my body was SHOCKED! I knew that I had to stop so I came inside and got a cup of water. Then I started feeling dizzy and my stomach was in knots. I had passed out once before many years ago but it was nothing like this. So I sat down and collected myself for a few minutes. After it had passed I made a whey protein shake: Two 25 gram protein packing scoops of muscle building goodness. I then scarfed down some amino acids, creatine, glutamine, and a multi vitamin to wash it all down. The only supplements that I plan on taking include protein, glutamine, creatine, amino acids, and a multi-vitamin. I won’t be taking any appetite suppressants, rapid-energy boosters, or what ever else is out there. Not until I am at least 50 lbs lighter or so.
All I did for today’s workout was upper body. I benched, did some lat pulldowns for my back, and some standing bicep curls. That little and I still almost passed out. Go figure…I guess I am that much out of shape.
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Finding It Hard to Exercise and Eat Healthy41.2 lbs LOSTso farAugust 23, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 10 comments
Ever since getting back home from New York I have been finding it extremely hard to exercise and eat better. I told myself that when I got back home it would be back to my normal routine that I followed before heading off on vacation. Well, disappointingly I have not lifted one weight or eaten anything healthy. It has been about 2 weeks since I got back. Ugh. I can’t stand myself right now, but I know that I need to get my act together.
The closest I have come to a workout has been running around the house playing tag with my 2 year old daughter. I know that I lost what I gained (stamina-wise) because running around the living room makes me lose my breath and I start breathing really hard. I have also manage to break a sweat by changing the car seat from car to car outside in the hot sun. Besides that there has been nothing.
I do have the desire, but I am not sure how to kick start myself. My wife is back on track, working out and eating right. She tries to motivate me but I resist. Those darned Burger King Rodeo Burgers are too irresistible, and they are only $1 for now!! How can I say no to that? Anyway, I guess I need to dig deep and man up (as they say back where I am from).
I have already failed my goal of being at a decent weight by end of August. I managed to gain back all the weight I lost and lose all the stamina and energy that I gained.
Here is to hoping that I can man up and start getting my act together.
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Steady Progress41.2 lbs LOSTso farJune 27, 2007 by Israel Lagares | No comments
It has been a while since I posted. Since my last post I have been hitting the weights and cardio on a consistent basis. Except for a couple of days last week when some “things” happened that required my undivided attention. But besides that I have been on a role. I have already made this my way of life. One thing I am looking forward to is the day when I can eat whatever I want and not have to worry about it. But that is a long way away, possible some time around Christmas, which would be perfect because my family tends to make some of the best food around the holidays.
Other than that I feel really strong. Stronger than before. I have also incorporated some different exercises into my routine which have helped me get hit some untapped parts of my body. I am also looking forward to being able to do some more cross training.
One thing I did notice today was that as I was on the treadmill I felt the weight holding me down. It was as if I had on a fat suit and it was pulling me down towards the earth. I hated that feeling!!! It made my legs feel heavy and my back hurt. Just thinking about it now makes me feel sluggish. Once I drop the weight I will try my hardest to keep it off.
I have decided to not weigh myself for a few weeks, maybe months, and to not take any pics until I do weigh myself. I will just post my progress by how I am feeling physically, by how my clothes fit, by how my body fits in the world around me (chairs, amusement park rides, tight places, etc.), and by how people react to my appearance. Besides that I won’t be officially measuring my progress with a scale for a while.
Well, that’s all for now. Until next time… Get it done!
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Weigh-In Day: 330 Lbs. Progress Photos41.2 lbs LOSTso farJune 10, 2007 by Israel Lagares | No comments
Well, I am happy to say that I lost 18 lbs so far in only 2 weeks since I have begun my journey. I have developed a mini-complex. By that I mean that I on a constant workout mode. I always want to be working out or eating right or doing something that will assist me in my overall weight loss. I guess its a catch 22 because it’s good that I want to be healthy and exercise but I also need to catch myself so that I don’t over train or under eat.
I have also decided to only blog a few times a week, minimum once a week. My workouts have me feeling awesome, lighter on my toes as I walk around. I have had some really great workouts this past week. This was only the first full week of my strength and conditioning training, but it has been awesome. I have managed to up my minutes on the treadmill to an average of 20 minutes per session before needing to slow it down to a walking pace. My strength training has been awesome. I am actually in a really good place. I have been able to maintain a good amount of strength through out my fat days. I also discovered that I have a good amount of lean muscle, which is over 200 lbs.
Overall, with my cardio, strength, and alternate routines I am happy. Plus losing 18 lbs in 2 weeks makes me feel good. I was originally aiming for 10 lbs a week, but I think a reasonable amount would be 5 lbs minimum lost per week. Anything over 5 is just extra. I want to take this time to say that losing over 2 lbs a week is not something anyone should strive for unless you are experienced with it. I have been through this road before and know my limits.
I have been able to stick to my strict eating diet. I have managed to only drink water and green tea for the last to weeks. I have the occasional soy milk or 2% milk with my cereal. I have cut out practically all of the sugars I used to consume. Its been a very strict diet, but I know that I need to do this in order to reach my goals. I have cut out anything else. I eat healthy and it feels good to know that I am sticking to it. I am already used to the eating of certain foods only so it isn’t a big deal anymore. When I go out to dinner I order healthy dishes.
I am looking forward to next weeks weigh-in and progress. So, until then, without further ado, here are the updated photos.
That is all for now, I am off to a good start. I am eager to start posting pics with more definition. Peace.
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Analysis of Israel: week one.41.2 lbs LOSTso farJune 8, 2007 by Israel Lagares | No comments
Analysis of Israel: week one.
An unbiased third party opinion.
First Impressions:
Israel has incredible upper body strength.
Example 1: Even out of shape without touching a weight for over 120 days Israel can perform seated behind the neck military presses with 135lbs with ease for twelve repetitions. He proceeds with this weight and rep count for 4 sets. It’s apparent pressing 165lbs for 6 to 8 rep sets would be a cake walk for him. Curious if a 225lbs 1 to 2 rep max is within his reach already still within week one.
Example 2: Bench press strength is just as impressive. Performing 10 to 12 reps with 225lbs is routine. Israel uses this weight for up to 4 sets. 315lbs max bench is a good estimation.
Israel’s Strength:
Israel’s ultimate strength stems from his extraordinary stamina. Remember this is a man that weighs 340 plus pounds who can push through 20 sets of strenuous movements with significant poundage. All this while keeping the strictest form. He is a fanatic about form which has most likely contributed to his well honed innate muscular control and subsequent strength. It unusual to find a 340 pounder that can out last me, but in the case of Israel there is living proof. A running background that expanded his lung capacity and possibly a large powerful heart are major reasons that Israel can last to the point where others might feel the effects of over exertion.
Israel’s weakness:
Israel holds a large portion of his weight in his thighs and rear. To burn off weight on one’s legs every muscle head worth a dime knows that you have to really fry those legs. Israel needs to step up the intensity and volume on the resistance training portion of his lower body. His running regimen is without a doubt on target but complimenting that with a more challenging weight lifting plan for his legs will take things to the next level. Here’s what a revamped leg workout might look like:
4 sets squat 8-12 reps 185lbs
2 sets squat 6 reps 225lbs
1 set squat 2-3 reps 265lbs
4 sets leg extensions 12-16 reps 150lbs
2 sets hang cleans 8-12 reps 145lbs
2 sets calf raises 16-24 reps 145lbs
2 sets lying leg curl 12 reps 110lbs
Final Impressions:
Israel will indeed reach his goal. Not only because of his sheer stamina but of his indefaitigueable will and focus. These are his true strengths. Although it never hurts to be naturally strong and have the lungs of a diver. Israel will lose weight and I can confidently say that a final weight of 225lbs is attainable.
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Weird Day, Wii Day41.2 lbs LOSTso farJune 7, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 3 comments
I feel weird today, not sure what it is really. I managed to eat right and work out. Today was a cardio day and I was on the treadmill for 20 minutes. I fought through the pain though. At around 13 minutes I was feeling like stopping but I kept going. I also felt but light headed but got it under control and finished strong. I then walked the last 5 minutes to cool. By the end of it I could barely stand so I immediately sat down before folding up the treadmill. I couldn’t even do my abs. I figured I would do them during my second session, but that’s another story.
What did I do for my second workout? I played Wii. The Nintendo Wii has a bunch of sports games and they are awesome. I had my cousins over and we played Wii boxing, Wii golf, Wii tennis and Wii bowling. By the end of it all I was so drenched in sweat that I figured I didn’t need to get on the treadmill again. Even my abs were hurting me at one point during the boxing matches. It was one of the best gaming experiences I ever had. I actually managed to workout while playing video games. It reminds me of the running mat Nintendo used to have years ago for their track and field sports game on the original console.
I feel weird because I didn’t have the “typical” type of workout for my second session but a sweat is a sweat and I am happy to have gotten in a second workout. I may even play some more boxing just to break a quick sweat again.
Off to play.
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Feeling it…41.2 lbs LOSTso farJune 5, 2007 by Israel Lagares | No comments
I really need to start working out earlier in the day that way I can do my night session with out being so tired. It all started when I went out for that run last night. I was so pumped that I went to bed at 4 AM. That caused me to wake up at around 11:32 AM. I didn’t get my full 8 hours of minimum sleep for the day but it was close. Sleep is something that I need to start getting more of. I immediately made my blend of whey/glutamine/green tea shake and downed it. Nasty as heck but necessary. I ate some Total Raisin Bran again but this time with some Parmalot whole milk. I definitely need to go to Wal-Mart and do some shopping. Maybe I will pick up the amino acids Lukas keeps mentioning. Yeah, I think I will. I need some more glutamine as well. I am good on Whey Protein, but I get that at Sam’s Club anyway. On my way there I will stop by GNC to get some more mega men multi vitamins. Those make my urine neon green. Weird!!!
I didn’t start my first workout session until about 6 PM. That is way too late in the day if I plan on having 2 sessions. I have decided on a 2 month routine that will consist of the following:
-Two Cardio Sessions (bike, run, walk, sex, anything that will help me break a sweat) Per day and Abs for minimum 6 days a week, Monday thru Saturday.
-One Cardio Session on Sundays.
-Monday: Strength Train targeting Chest and Triceps
-Wednesday: Strength Train targeting Legs and Shoulders
-Friday; Strength Train targeting Back, Biceps and Chest
The specific exercises I will be doing will depend heavily on where I workout and what is available to me. I can follow this for 2 months and then go from there with a different plan. Ideally I would like to be 50 lbs. or more lighter in 2 months. This will allow me to begin my muscle building routine that Lukas has prepared for me.
Being that it was Tuesday I had to get in two cardio sessions before the day was over. So it’s 6 PM and I am stretching, getting ready to step onto the treadmill. My legs weren’t too sore so I was feeling good about it. I don’t mean to show off, but I am freak of nature. At 300+ lbs, out of shape I managed to jog on the treadmill at a decent pace for 20 minutes non-stop. This puts me way ahead of my initial estimates. I then walked for 4 minutes to cool down. Just imagine all of the sweat dripping off of me. I am the kind of guy that if I don’t break a decent sweat I don’t feel like I worked out. As soon as I cooled down I began doing some ad rollers. That’s what I call them. It’s this blue wheel contraption that I purchased a few years back that assist you as you roll forward and contract your abdominals. When I first began using it a few years ago it helped me me chisel down my abdomen so I swear by it. My other ab exercise for the day was my weighted twists. Its basically this: you pick up a 30 lb dumbbell or 35 lb plate and hold it in front of you. You then twist from side to side as far as you can for 100 twists. I do this twice. It helps with my sides, arms, back and shoulders. I love it. When I first got my abs defined a few years ago this is all I did for my abs. It worked great.
After that was over with I made my Protein concoction, ate tuna with salad, and rested for a couple of hours. Then it was time for session number two. I decided to use the stationary bike that I bought my wife from Wal-Mart a few months ago. That damn thing makes my butt numb after 20 minutes of sitting so I decided to stay on until my butt was numb. I managed to get a good sweat worked up and was pleased with my second session: low impact, sweat producing, mentally satisfying. Can’t ask for more than that. Now all I need to do is get some more sleep and start my workouts earlier in the day. I did manage to take a 15 minutes nap with my daughter during the day so that helped. Damn did I need it too. I was so groggy at around 2 PM today. LOL.
Now that I think of it I feel a little lighter on my feet. Maybe it’s the Nike Shox (I call them Boings because of the commercials that came out a few years ago, plus I make believe that they make a boing-boing sound when I walk) that I am wearing, maybe it’s the fact that I am working out again. It’s probably a combination of both. I know that there will come a day when I just don’t want to deal with working out, but I think I will be prepared.
All in all, it was another awesome day. I ate right and worked out hard.
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Double Time41.2 lbs LOSTso farJune 5, 2007 by Israel Lagares | No comments
Today was an awesome day. I woke up ready to workout but couldn’t because I spent the majority of the day with my daughter. It was so great because we enjoyed each others company. For breakfast I had some Total Raisin Bran with some 2% low fat milk. It tasted really good and filled me up. After that I had my daily morning protein shake. I usually prepare my shakes with Green Tea instead of milk or water. I don’t know why but I like it that way. After spending some more time with my daughter and in between episodes of The Backyardigans on Nickalodean, I managed to eat some tuna for lunch with some green tea to wash it down. Yummy!
I called Lukas to come over so that we could have our weekly workout session. He jetted over and we began working out. We benched and did some triceps. Some will argue that you shouldn’t work those two muscle groups on the same day, some will argue that you should. I like switching it up so I don’t really care. We did about 6 or 7 sets of bench. First with 135 lbs to warm up. Then 3 more sets with 225 lbs. Finally 3 sets of 135 lbs to cool down. It was quite a workout. Then we did some triceps and abdominals. He showed me some new exercises to target my mid section and I showed him my patented twist workout. We loved each others new found torture-like exercises.
After we finished with the strength training part of the day, I jumped on to my treadmill and JOGGED for 10 minutes straight. Why did I capitalize “jogged?” Well, it’s not every day that you see a 340 lb man jogging for 10 minutes at a decent speed. Also, I was not expecting to be at this point until 2 or 3 weeks into my working out. So it was an awesome achievement. I jogged for 10 minutes, walked for 6 minutes, then jogged or 4 minutes more. I was extremely pleased with the afternoon workout.
This is my treadmill in the “closed” position:
After the workout we had some whey protein and took a break. I made my shake with green tea, fiber, whey protein, and glutamine. It does not taste too bad and I like to take it all in at the same time, instead of separately. For dinner I had two slices of grilled chicken with salad. It hit the spot. So a few hours pass by and guess what? I was ready for my “two-a-day” second cardio session. Normally I would workout in the morning and then again at night, but this time I had to exercise only a few hours later. It was well worth it.
My wife has been wanting to drop about 15 lbs off of her petite frame. She keeps saying she needs motivation, so instead of going into The Shack to get on the treadmill I told her to get dressed so that we could go for a walk. She does so right away and after a nice stretch we start off. Right away I tell her to jog instead of walk. We start off jogging down the street. It’s dark so we decide to jog in the middle of the road instead of the sidewalks. I didn’t want any weird animals jumping out at us. LOL. About 10 minutes into it I start needing to urinate, my wife is 130 lbs and is in pretty decent shape so she is a few steps ahead of me. I yell at her to stop so that I can relieve myself in a bush. A minute later we are back hitting the pavement. The sweat begins pouring down my face, arms, and legs. I immediately realize that my body is beginning to show the effects of working out a few hours earlier. But that did not stop me as I kept pushing. My wife did as well, she was now about half a block ahead of me at the point. I was not in any pain, I simply could not pump my legs any faster. It was odd, almost like slow motion. But I kept at it. When we got back home I was drenched in sweat. I sat down for a few minutes then did some of the ab exercises that Lukas showed me earlier in the day. My wife did some push ups and abs of her own and we went inside. My mom thought it was pouring rain outside. That just shows you how sweaty I was.
After a nice warm shower I laid down and thought of the great day that had just passed. I had managed to workout two times with two different motivated individuals. Days like this are good, especially after the lack luster week I had on my trip.
Oh, I almost forgot, I took some pictures today after my first workout. Here they are:
This is me posing like a super muscular strong man.
I have a long way to go, but this is 8 days later.
This is me looking normal and worn out after the first workout of the day.
Well, tomorrow is another day. I am extremely excited with what tomorrow holds. Hasta la pasta.
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9 Pounds Lighter: Internal Furnace, Thermogenesis41.2 lbs LOSTso farMay 29, 2007 by Israel Lagares | One comment
That’s right. 9 Pounds of waste is no longer a part of me. By the way, last night I could only crank out 25 push ups. Halfway there but it’s a start. I have some pics of the gym I have set up in my shack and also of the back yard where I will be doing some cross training to spice things up a bit.
I will post those pics as soon as I get home.
“The Shack.” This is where a majority of my weight training will be done. I got an excellent work out today when I squatted. This contraption was a gift from Lukas. He totally hooked me up. He even built the damn thing. It has a lat pull down, bench, incline bench, shoulder press, squat rack, triceps pull down, curling station and some other stuff I made up along the way. I jumped on the treadmill today for about 20 minutes today and broke a mean sweat. I was actually really surprised how good it felt.
The day started out with me not wanting to wake up. I was laying in bed thinking of whether or not to workout in the morning AND at night or to just work out at night. After about 20 minutes of senseless contemplation my daughter woke me up and we got dressed and went shopping. That bailed me out of having to workout in the morning. I did have an excellent breakfast: a fruit salad that consisted of mango and strawberries.
As I walked through the stores I noticed that I was unusually sweaty. I had been drinking tons of green tea and fiber and why protein. So I started to realize that my body was like a furnace. One word. Thermogenesis. It had begun after only one day. I was totally shocked. What is thermogenesis? Google or Wiki it: Wiki Link, Google Link. It makes your body act like a furnace. Burning up the crap in your body. It was so bad that I started getting uncomfortable. So I went home and and decided to workout. I first at some spinach and lettuce and drank some more water ( I had been drinking tons of green tea and water all day). My workout was a quick one. I did squats. Squats of doom. They hurt so bad, my legs are sore. I did 4 sets with 135 lbs: 14 reps, 14 reps, 10 reps, and 10 reps. They hurt so bad I was grunting and sweating and in pain. But it was awesome. I had Lukas come over and squat with me. Great motivation. We are going to try and workout at least once a week together. Afterwards I had some whey protein and some green tea then I sat down for like 20 minutes to recover.
Lukas kept working out, I don’t really know what he did but he did it. So, I was entrusted with the task of building the patio furniture we just purchased from The Home Depot. I looked at it like another workout. I didn’t really sweat so after it was built I went to The Shack to walk on the treadmill and do some bench. Like I said above, it was a really good second session.
Lukas kept pestering me to weigh myself so I finally caved in. That’s when the scale read 339 pounds. The thermogenesis and bathroom visits had begun to o their job.
So I showered and met my wife at Wal-Mart. That’s when I decided to grab some milk gallons and curl them for about 15 minutes on each arm. I broke another fierce sweat and this time it felt good. Like I posted before, I am going to be doing some unusual things to get this weight off. Curling milk gallons as I shop, building furniture, walking aimlessly, it will all help.
Now I am preparing for my business trip. This is going to be my first major test/obstacle. I will be away for about a week with no traditional gym equipment or means of preparing my own food. What will I do? I have prepared some fruits, veggies, nuts, yogurts, cereal, and green tea to assist me on my trip. I will also do some calisthenics while I am away.
I am not looking forward to this, but its been a good start. Now all I need to do is keep it up. My posts this week my be lessened, but I will try my best to keep the blog updated.
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Day 1 of forever: Before Pictures41.2 lbs LOSTso farMay 28, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 2 comments
What a day. It started out wrong. Things didn’t feel right. I was dreading waking up today because I knew that I had to begin my lifestyle change. Last night I was craving some Dominoes Pizza. I even ordered it , but it never came. I guess it was fate that didn’t let it come.
Anyway, so I wake up and the first thing I smell is breakfast. My mom is here on vacation and has taken it upon herself to make the most tasty meals at precisely the point in life when I have made this decision to shape up. It was mashed potatoes with onions and salami.
Why did the day start off wrong? Because I gave in to the food. I ate half of the heaping potatoes and all of the salami. I was disappointed in myself. Pissed off actually, but while eating it I couldn’t stop until I realized that I was failing. That’s when I pushed the plate aside and put the fork down. I didn’t eat anything until after my work out several hours later. I don’t recommend going long hours without consuming food or nutrients.
I was originally going to start off the routine by taking a mix of supplements, but I have since changed my mind.
The above is a shot of supplements my friend Lukas gave me. They include Ripped Fuel, Oxegen-Nitric Oxide Stimulator, Creatine Fuel and some others. I think I need to focus on the eating and exercise part of it. Therefore I will hold off on these until I drop some pounds. Instead I will stick with Whey Protein, green tea and some multivitamins.
Speaking of green tea, I just made a fresh batch today. It will be a major part of my new diet
I like it cooled. So I make it then let it sit for a while before putting it in the fridge. I ran out of lemons so I couldn’t add any. I have drank half of that batch already today. Plus tons of water. My bathroom visits have increased dramatically today. I suspect thats gonna be the case for a long while.
About 6 hours later I finally decided to workout. I was dreading it and the workout showed. It wasn’t the best workout in my life, but it was a start. I did break a sweat. I did some bench reps, lat pull downs and bicep curls. Then I walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes. I am a little sore. I was really disgusted throughout the entire workout. But like I said, something is something. I think tomorrow will be better. I am going to try and do two-a-days. Which is working out twice a day. I don’t want to burn myself out, but I think that will be a good boost. Maybe doing it a few times a week when my energy levels are higher.
I was a bit more active today too, which helps. I am going to try to do as much as I can: take hot showers with steam so that I can sweat, do a more around the house, go outside for walks, play with my daughter more. Little things that will help with the entire process.
I took some photos so that I can have before pics to show throughout the journey. I really do not want to post these, but I think it is essential. I figured the end result will be that much sweeter.
So here goes. ::Gulp:: The before pictures.
Yeah, it’s bad. 348 pounds of swollen fat. I am confident that I can carve away the fat and get back to my in-shape days.There is definitely room fro improvement. I will try and post photos every few weeks when I notice a significant drop in weight.
Well, that’s it for tonight. I should actually be sleeping. I am looking forward to tomorrow. I feel a bit better especially considering how the day began. Got to do 50 push ups first. Then I can sleep.
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