Travis Speegle's Fitness Journey

Two Weeks Down - Something Must be Working!

It's been another successful week on what can be accurately described as an intense program.  I continue to learn about myself, the interaction with others while doing something drasticallly different that the "norm" and what it really takes to get truly impressive results. 

I keep hearing similar things from people around me. Quite frankly these common themes are starting to fire me up a little bit and my answers are probably going to become more and more blunt as the program continues.   Here are a couple:

"I don't know how you do it". The answer is simple.... I made a committment, I follow the program and when it gets really hard, I SUCK IT UP AND FOLLOW THE PROGRAM, which actually helps me gain momentum. 

"That's too hard... I just couldn't do it"   If this is the way you think, you're absolutely right you can't do it!  The program is not easy!  Just like almost anything else great in life that is worth achieving, it takes hard work, a strong will and the commitment to stick it out.

"It's easier for you because it's your job"  If that makes you feel better about the continued failure that you continue to experience with diet and exercise programs, then go ahead and believe it.  Just remember,  it's just another excuse..... excuses never produce results.   If you think it'll make it easier for you, get yourself committed to a program and make it your second job. 
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I am pleased to say that I am finally noticing some significant changes in my body.  I can see a difference in the mirror.  The waistbands on my pants are no longer straining to make the buttons connect. My "comfortable" jeans are once again comfortable and the fat that remains around my midsection feels much less dense as if it's on it's way out as well. And the best news is that my shirts are not getting any looser through the shoulders, and may actually be tightening up a bit.

Could I actually be gaining muscle while losing fat?   I'll get measured again, but I don't need to know tale of the tape... I will stay the course and continue making progress. (my personal body fat indicator says I'm about half way there)  It will be fun to look back on the progress numbers when I'm finished. 

It feels like I've got things pretty well dialed in.  The extra intesity of the cardio sessions seems to be necessary, so I will continue to increase intensity at each successive session.  The weight training sessions are awesome.  The progress is starting to feel pretty good. 

I do feel like some days I need a little extra rest... so I will get to bed a little earlier on those days. 

I mentioned last week that I wasn't eating enough whole foods on strict days.  I have increased the veggie intake slightly, but the protein powders are really the only way I can keep my calorie intake as low as necessary to keep with the plan.  Next week will follow what we've done this week.  I'm getting better with the overfeed days and will be dilligent about cramming in as much healthy, nutritious foods as possible on those days. 

I've still got a long way to go over the next 10 days, but I am very optimistic.  It feels like I'm firing on all cylinders and will be able to power through the finish line with great success. 

I'm looking forward to the result, but I'm also finding new ways to appreciate the process.  Thank you for sharing this journey with me. 

Day 15

I woke up this morning looking forward to my afternoon training session.  I'm not sure if it's the training session I'm looking forward to or being able to eat real food, but either way it's something to look forward to. 

6:30 I started the morning with the standard protein and flax shake.

With as low as my energy levels were yesterday, I decided to replace my morning cardio session with 25 minutes of Z-Health I-phase drills.  I definitely feels good to get every joint in the body moving and warm as a way to start the day.  I-Phase Z is challenging, so while it won't count as cardio, it's definitely still a training session. 

8:30 A scoop of protein

I had a morning meeting, so I put some protein in a bottle and took off for the meeting.  Mixed that up mid-meeting at about 11

About 1 I'm heading into the studio for my training session. Prior to leaving for the studio I took my pre-training mix of 4g BCAA, 5g Glutamine, 1g Vitamin C, and a scoop of PowerDrive. 

Today's session:

5 min Z-health warm up
5 min specific warm up

Front Squat and Chin Up  Supersets 10 sets of 3
    5 min rest + 1/2 dilute protein carb shake

15 Min EDT  Bulgarian Split Squat and Inverted Row
     5 min rest + 1/2 dilute protein carb shake

10 Min EDT Partial Pistol and DB Lateral Raise
    Full serving of post training carb/protein shake (Surge)

10 minute cool down.  Stretching and Z

I didn't get quite the buzz that I did in my last weight training session, but I still improved all the numbers over the previous session and I felt energetic throughout.  Overall it was a great training session.   

About 20 minutes later I did start feeling quite a buzz.... this time I don't think it was as much from the training as from the sugar in that Surge.  I am definitely a believer in "food as a drug" now. WOW... this is good stuff. 

About 90 minutes after my training session my first solid meal consists of about 4oz of grilled pork loin and 2 chicken enchiladas.   

It's my nephew's birthday, so we've got a little family gathering over at my mom's house.  (Happy Birthday Trenton!)  Good thing it's an overfeed day :)  I spent the majority of the evening grazing over roasted chicken, BBQ ribs, salad and even a piece of really tasty french bread.  I finished the party off with a big, homemade chocolate chip cookie (that was always the favorite treat from mom's kitchen) 

Back at home, I needed to eat one more time.... 1 left over slice of pork loin, an apple and a serving of nuts. 

I feel like I got the overfeed right today.  Never too stuffed, but still a lot of food and I think I'll actually be able to get to sleep tonight.   

Day 16

I keep thinking that these overfeed days are going to be the ones to look forward to, but somehow in the context of the program it's just not the case. 

This morning I got up looking forward to consuming copious quantities of all the healthy stuff to refuel the tanks. Most of the food was even prepped and ready to go  for the day (marinated chicken breasts, fruits, veggies, eggs and yogurt).  Overnight the refrigerator decided to transform itself into a warming oven, just perfect for breeding bacteria in all of the food I was planning to eat today. 

The refrigerator had been making some funny noises, so we actually have a repair guy coming out to look at it today.... couldn't it have waited until tomorrow to die? 

So for breakfast it's a couple scoops of protein and dry granola.

As soon as I made my way up to the office the phone rings... it's the refrigerator repair guy calling to reschedule.  He's out sick today!  Is the whole world against me today?   

Second breakfast this morning consisted of a couple servings of nuts. 

After a couple of morning meetings Lisa brings me a burrito from my favorite joint in town. (the one that my buddy waved in front of my face last week)  So the day's looking up.  I got through half of it, before feeling completely stuffed. 

The other half was consumed about 90 minutes later.  Unfortunately, my body doesn't seem to like this sort of "junk" food quite as much these days. I know I would have felt better if I had been able to stick to what I had in the fridge.

Meetings fill the afternoon.  Nuts and a protein shake keep me going. 

I just realized that my legs are really sore from yesterdays training session. 

Late afternoon I make a batch of fresh peanut butter and spread some on a slice of sprouted grain toast.... I think this was more of treat today than the burrito that I thought I had been craving. 

For dinner we head to a local diner.  I enjoy a 3 egg omelet  filled with steak, mushrooms, onions and cheddar cheese and a piece of whole wheat toast.  That's what overfeed days should be about ;)

About an hour before bed, I have 1/2 an apple with peanut butter.

Off to bed to rest these aching legs.   

Day 17

17 days of this already.....  I feel pretty good about what I've accomplished so far. 

It's always hard to believe, but these mornings after the overfeed day are when I wake up noticeably leaner.  It's good motivation going back into the strict, low calorie days. 

The broken refrigerator won't be causing me any trouble today. Powdered protein and water don't require much to stay safe for consumption. 

7am protein and flax

A couple of brief, but interesting morning meetings have my mind running a million miles a minute, I'm going to need to remind myself to eat for the next few hours. 

9am protein

At about 10:30 I throw on the X-vest and set the timer for 20 minutes of high intensity interval drills.  This session included, lateral sprints, stairs, push ups, kettlebell swings and snatches.  Finished off with 5 minutes of Z drills to release some of the tension. 

11 - Small apple - scoop of protein

1pm - Protein with flax

After another off site client meeting, I make my way to the studio for my afternoon cardio training. 
Today I'm shooting for 30 minutes on the "DreadMill" at a 13 degree incline.  The challenge of that made it almost bearable and I felt good about the accomplishment when I was done.  10 minutes of Z drills as a cool down  really helped.

3:30 Protein 

5 Protein w/ flax

Now comes the biggest temptation of the program thus far... this is the one event that I have been dreading since I started. 

We have planned (for months) to meet some old friends that we haven't seen in some time at a favorite Mexican restaurant in Sacramento.. Great food and award winning margaritas, it's like a party in there every night.  Right up to the minute I walk in the joint, I know this will be the true test of my commitment and will. 

I actually thought to myself, "if I crack just a little, one margarita, one homemade tortilla or a little rice and beans, won't hurt that much"  This is when my " inner coach" kicks in with some relentless commentary about being tough and staying true to my personal commitment....that voice is certainly not Politically Correct.   

So I agonize over the menu to find something that will fit into my program. Ceviche appetizer it is...white fish marinated in lime juice with peppers, onions and tomato, it doesn't get much cleaner than that. As soon as that decision was made, it was like the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders and I was free to enjoy the company of our friends.

Turned out the serving of Ceviche was huge, so I was actually filled up by an appropriate portion of the dish, which left me another serving for later in the evening (good thing, because the refrigerator is still broken.)

All in all it was a nice evening and  powering through another one of these "tests" was great for the psyche and continued success of the program.   If I can get through this one, there is pretty much nothing that's going to pull me off the wagon.

Certainly a successful day! 

Day 18

I woke up this morning still feeling pretty good about the accomplishment of last night.  It's amazing how much better it feels in the morning after a night of clean food and club soda w/lime, than a night of margaritas, chips and salsa. 

Protein w/flax for breakfast

The refrigerator repair guy finally showed up, but of course he can't fix it... he'll have to order the part.  Dealing with this has been a nightmare for Lisa and it continues.  In this house is the first time we've purchased appliances other than from Sears and will likely be the last. The service centers from the manufacturer are ridiculous... I hesitate to actually use the word service.  We are actually having to pay the Sears service center to fix the fridge that is under manufacturer's warranty.  Had we purchased this at Sears they would have had it fixed by now, at no cost to us.  In house service is the way to go.

.... sorry for the rant, but being without refrigeration for a week definitely has an effect on the logistics a nutrition program. Yet another problem that could potentially derail the whole project. 

Protein @ 10

Protein w/flax @ 12:00

9 holes of golf this afternoon....  I mix up a shake and throw it in my bag, because I won't be done before 2pm when I'll need to eat again.  Not a bad round today.  I didn't feel nearly as exhausted or energy depleted as I have in the past weeks.  No trouble passing by the clubhouse without stopping in for that 19th hole beer this time either. 

After the round, I hit the training studio for 20 minutes of interval cardio.  I used 1 minute sprints and 2 minute recover rounds on the elliptical today followed by 5 minutes cool down and 5 minutes of Z. 

Small apple and protein. 

Not having a refrigerator is making it difficult to manage the solid foods.  Luckily I was able to borrow a mini-fridge from my dad, so at least we'll be able to keep some healthy sources of lean protein and a few fresh veggies in the house. 

For dinner it was 5oz of roasted chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli/cauliflower, and 1 cup of shredded cabbage. 

It seems that I have finally become accustomed to these underfeed days.  I feel like I can function normally (alertness and energy levels). I'm not having crazy food cravings.  It's just getting easier. 

Day 19

Nothing unusual about this morning.  Woke up feeling fine, had a cup of coffee and my regularly scheduled protein w/ ground flax.    

Earlier in the week I had run out of whole flax seeds, which I had been grinding in a coffee grinder,  and had to revert back to the packaged pre-ground flax meal. Until today when I switched back, I didn't realize how much better the freshly ground flax tastes in the shakes. If you have a choice, buy your flax seeds whole and grind them yourself, not only will it taste better but it will also preserve more of the healthy, omega3 fatty acids in the seeds. 

For morning steady state exercise, I threw on the 30# X-Vest and went out for a 30 minute walk. It's a nice cool, overcast morning, so the time outside was very refreshing. 

Protein and flax when I returned. 

I am looking forward to my weight training session this afternoon.

Another scoop of protein at 12:00

About 1pm, I pull together my pre-training supplements; 5g Glutamine, 500mg C, scoop of PowerDrive and 4g BCAA

Today's training session:

Warm Up 5 min Z + 10 minutes specific warm up

Supersets - 10 sets of 3 Bench Press and Dead Lift (done in 20 min)
    5 minutes rest + 1/2 dilute carb/pro drink

EDT 15 Minutes - Push Press and SHELC
     5 minutes rest + 1/2 dilute carb/pro drink

EDT 10 Minutes - Dip and Lateral Lunge
    Full Serving of Surge (carb/protein shake)
    10 minute Z-health drills to cool down

Another good training session.  The first 20 minutes or so were tough today.  I definitely had to dig a little deeper to find the energy to beat my previous numbers. After that, my enegy levels surged a bit and powered through the remainder of the session. I made significant increases over last week on each lift.  Like everything else about the program, it seems to be finding a more comfortable groove of progress.  A lot to feel good about here.

4pm 3 oz Chicken
        2 peices of sprouted grain toast/ w peanut butter and 1 bananna

7pm Chicken Nachos, Salad, broccoli, black beans and 1 egg

9:30pm 3oz chicken, Apple  w/peanut butter.

For this overfeed I'm looking to get in a ton of fairly clean, nutritious foods...  looks like I'm off to a decent start this evening. As usual my energy level is spiked a little with the additional food, so I'm up a little later tonight, but I am finally starting to feel like I'll be able to get some good quality recovery sleep. 

Less than a week left, and I've still got a way to go.... I'm off to bed to dream away a little more fat from the midsection.

   

Day 20

It's really coming down to the wire now.... Saturday is the day. 

To be completely honest, I'm a little nervous about the result.

Whoa!!! I can't believe I just said that...I don't believe in outcome based goals as the way to achieve great things, but I just realized that in this case I basically set an outcome based goal.  The outcome that I was after, of course, is defined abs.  At this very moment, I caught  myself measuring the "success" of the program based on my current proximity to that result.  It feels pretty crappy.  This is exactly the mindset that derails program after program for people in this situation... 

Now that I have recognized this, I will make the shift back toward a focus on all the things that have been going right with the program..... 19 days of strict adherence to a program as challenging as this is something to be proud of in it's own right.  I am back in the habit of training every day, including the cardio training that I hated and avoided like the plague a month ago.  I feel far healthier and more fit.  Other people that have shared in this experience have found additional ways to hold themselves more accountable and will certainly see the benefits as well. I still have a week in which I will make significantly more progress.  Regardless of the end result, I will remain focused on the successful aspects of what I am doing and continue doing what it takes to get what I want. 

Aside from all that, I've been eating constantly this morning. 
1 scoop of protein w/1 cup granola and 1 cup of nonfat yogurt. 

2 hours later - 3 eggs w/1oz of cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup black beans + 1/4 cup broccoli

30 minutes later Toast w/peanut butter and honey

My wife has been sick for the last couple of days, and I'm beginning to feel a little under the weather myself. 

Lunch 4oz roasted chicken breast 2 cups mixed greens and 1/2c black beans. One bananna

scoop of protein and two pieces of sprouted grain toast w/ peanut butter

Now I'm feeling really crappy.... I'll go out for a 30 minute walk.

The walk was good. It cleared my head a little, I don't know if it was fast enough to out run the cold though. 

Dinner - Home made chicken soup

After dinner - Apple w/peanut butter

Today was a pretty solid overfeed.... I kept feeding throughout the day, the food was relatively clean , nutritious and tons of fiber.  I would call this a success. 

It's election day tomorrow.  Get out and vote! 

Day 21

I think the cold caught up with me....  I feel like garbage this morning. 

Starve a cold?  Feed a cold? Heck, I don't remember the rule... Luckily, I have my own rules.  Whatever is going on, I'm staying the course.  The plan was to take this program through Saturday, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.  The best part of this whole experience is the adversity that comes up during the process... I can't wait to see how this one works out .

I woke up in the middle of the night to take some cold medicine, so I slept in a little later this morning.  It felt pretty good to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

8am Protein w/flax

10am Protein w/flax

I am feeling pretty run down, but I need to move.  25 minutes of Z-Health I-phase drills did the trick.... got my heart rate up a bit, broke a light sweat and actually feel quite a bit better

12:30 A Scoop of protein

Out for a long winded meeting at the coffee shop.

OK, I must really be sick.... I haven't been the least bit hugry all day and have pretty much no interest in food.   

3:00 I force down another shot of protein. 

At 5, I'm feeling pretty crappy, but I really feel like some sweating may make me feel better.  20 minutes of jumping rope in intervals and a brief walk to cool down does actually clear my head and get me feeling a little more normal.  I follow that up with 5 g glutamine, 1g vitamin C and a scoop of whey protein. 

I'm still not hungry.... for dinner I crack open a can of tuna, mix in a little fresh salsa and toss it with some shredded cabbage and mixed veggies.  That actually turned out to be a very tasty salad. 

I'm heading to bed early... I'm sure some extra sleep will do me good.

Want More Details?

I've had a bunch of people asking me more about the details of this program.  So I went ahead and created a Squidoo Lens with some additional details about what I'm doing here.  I even posted a picture of my gut at 18.6% when I started.

You can click on the icon up there in the right hand corner or go to http://www.squidoo.com/travisfatloss.

Head over there, check it out... leave a comment, ask a question, just let me know what you think, or heck, you can even build your own lens.

Day 22

It's pretty rare that I get sick, but this morning I am officially sick.  If it were an option, today would be one of those days that I would roll out of bed, call in sick to the office and curl right back up into bed.  Unfortunately, that's not an option.

On the bright side, the refrigerator guy is here, with the correct parts, to finally fix the refrigerator.  It will be nice to have cold food and water in the house again. Who knows I could have picked up this bug from inappropriately refrigerated food items.  (the chances of that are extremely remote, but sometimes it's just fun to point fingers) 

Another bright side of being sick is that it makes it really easy to stick to the strict calorie restrictions of the program.  No appetite makes this whole thing a lot easier... I expect to be better tomorrow so I should be prepared to eat again. 

8am Protein w/flax

I'll be drinking hot liquids and trying to take it easy all day, but I will be sticking to my protein shake every 2 hours.

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Overall I did pretty well at keeping to the schedule... I did try taking naps a couple of times during the day which spread out the feedings, but I kept thinking about keeping a constant supply of protein in my sytstem. 

This sucks!  I am really not a good sick person.  Since I don't get sick very often, I don't know how to deal with it all that well. For the most part I end up frustrated, and not very nice. 

Lisa is awesome when it comes to taking care of me when I'm sick.... I'm a pain in the ass and she makes homemade chicken/vegetable soup for me. I don't know how she puts up with me, but I sure am happy she does.  If there's a bright side to being sick, it's that I get to realize how fortunate I am.

I turned in shortly after the chicken soup.... that must have been good soup, it knocked me right out.