Day #129 - Still Reaching My Goal, After Gaining Muscle Weight

First of all, happy post season to everyone who has a team that they root for in Major League Baseball, that made this year's playoffs. All I have to say is, "LET'S GO YANKEES!! Anyway, I am sitting here at my desk, trying to write this post but I keep on getting distracted by the nail biter between the Yankees and the Twins.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I recently set a small goal for myself to reach 245 lbs. As of yesterday morning and the day before yesterday, I was weighing in the 243 lb range. However, I was a little skeptical that I was going to stay in that range because I have learned, from experience, that the human body can fluctuate in weight quite a bit. Well, I guess my assumption was correct because I weighed in this morning at 245.8 lbs. In the past, especially at the beginning of this mission, I would have been totally bummed about this weight gain. However, I have also learned that there is such thing as positive weight gain. What I mean by this, is that I can also gain weight by putting on muscle. And of course, muscle does weigh more then fat. Believe it or not gaining muscle actually assists with the fat loss process as well. I have gone through this same situation in the past during my mission and the answer then, was muscle gain as well. Just to be on the safe side, I went to my buddy (personal trainer) and asked him what he thought of the whole situation. He asked me if I was still eating healthy and exercising everyday like he instructed me to. I told him that I am eating the same way I always do and I am still working out the same way he told me to about 4 weeks ago. He replied back to me, that it is most likely muscle gain.

It does make sense that I went up in weight a little from yesterday to today because I have been struggling a little with executing my workout routines. I have gone up in weight, with my weight lifting, since I started my new routine and I am at that point right now where I am working hard to complete my routines. I said it before and I will say it again, "No Pain, No Gain!" At the end of each workout, I am sore and it feels great. When it comes down to it, I am feeling great and I am still noticing significant changes in my body.  So, it really doesn't bother me any more if a gain a little here and there because I know I am working as hard as I usually do. And by the way, I still managed to reach my goal of getting down to 245 lbs even with the muscle gain!

With that being said, let's get to the details of the day:

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 37 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - Egg white on a multigrain bagel with a slice of american cheese = Points 9
Snacks During the Day - 1 Weight Watchers brownie = Points 2
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) and a crescent roll = Points 6
Mid Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) and a crescent roll = Points 6
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Beef Stroganoff (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 9
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 39 Points (2 points over my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I executed the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine: Incline Dumbbell Press, Rear Delt, and Alternating Bicep Hammers (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Lat Pull Down, Shoulder Dumbbell Press, and Side Lunges (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Chest Flyes, Row Straight Bar, and Leg Press (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), and Stability Ball Crunches, Skull Crushers, and Cable Chops (4 sets of each x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will do cardio.

Day #129 - Weigh-In = 245.8 lbs

Day #129 Weigh-In

Day #129 Front Shot