5 months of transformation

Well, we've passed February 2014 today. The New Year and Chinese New Year of 2014 just passed by *snap like that, in a blink of eye or whatever terms that describe time moves fast. Anyway, back to the story from the previous blog post, I've mentioned that I was transforming myself from the fat, geeky, boring dude into something new right?

Yeah, my old me. Back in 2012 when I was in a vacation with my colleagues at Cameron Highlands. Great place as always in my top vacation sites list. See that bump? That's a fat bump.

And now...

Jeng jeng jeng...

Sorry for not showing my front because it's still under construction. The abs and chest part is quite hard for me and that more effort and duration to build. Anyway, if you wanna know more (or peek on my frontals *gosh sounds awkward, just head yourself to my Bodyspace. All my progress including workout histories and photos are there for more info. It's like a Facebook place just that this site is for those who are enthusiastic about gym; let's say a gym freak like me. Yeah, I'm totally addicted to gym now.

From 95 kg, I dropped my bodyweight until 80 - 82 kg and I think I hit my limits as the measurement is more likely buffering at that range. The important one is that my bodyfat percentage has dropped from 23% to 16%. I've hit my target partially for my bodyweight but my bodyfat is still in progress as its goal is 8%. Fuh, another 8% to lose.

Not forgetting that I would like to thank to my new gadget for giving me opportunity to shot better pictures of my selfies. 

Why do I thank it while I'm the one who pay for it? *weird moment *move along

Nokia Lumia 1020. My latest addition in my tech family. 41 megapixels. And I'm still doubt its gigantic sensor but it delivers its promise though. More review next time on it.

So, back to my story. Ahem, where am I? Oh yeah, my brags about my 5 months of transformation. I'm currently on a program called "12 Weeks Daily Trainer with Kris Gethin" and I've almost going to enter the third month.

Credits to Bodybuilding.com & whoever 'patented' this banner

So far, the workouts are quite good, not that intense and I learned a lot from this program. Just that I need to maintain my motivation level up to par so that I won't give up easily. I have several times that those soreness from my muscle from hamstrings, calves and other parts of major muscles causes most of my weekends bedridden.

Practically, I can't go anywhere but to stay on bed while taking time to recuperate and having some casein shakes to improve my situation. When comes to that, we are gonna move on to my nutrition.

During October & November 2013, I made myself eating mostly fruits like apple and banana during morning and lunch while I was testing out fat burners. As I mentioned on my previous post, I've changed my fat burner to a better one (I think). Muscletech Hydroxycut Hardcore Elite.

This babe is a real deal and I would recommend this even for beginners. As long as you can tolerate high caffeine intake and the jitterish feeling daily, you will like this product. Back to normal intake, I added my nutrition with more fiber from oat. Uncooked oat to be precised. I just dunk 3 tablespoons of it into my cereal or shakes.

When I started my program on early December, I stopped my fat burner and move on into taking high protein. Hence, whey protein and casein come in.

Platinum Hydrowhey and Gold Standard 100% Casein from Optimum Nutrition. As planned, these proteins help me in building up lean muscles and possibly help me shred fat too. For your infomation, whey protein is a fast-absorbing protein which can be taken before or after workout and casein is a slow one and only can be taken before heading to bed. Both are proteins but different rate of absorption. They are not cheap but helps me a lot when comes to repairing micro tear of muscle fiber which causes the soreness and pain I had..

This fish oil supplement comes as an additional supplements. It's from Optimum Nutrition by the way. Well, that's wrap up my nutrition and supplements status quo from me. In future, I might add CLA and creatine and just see how my pocket money goes as expenses on proteins don't come cheap.

For now, I will keep going on and on as long as I kept my motivation level as I started from my transformation. My target:-

Jay Ryan's body is my current target. And his style too.

Hot, isn't he (and she)? Not to sound gay-ish but anyhow, I want to have such style. Soon!

So, just wait for another 4 months and finger-crossed that I will have that by then. Let's wait patiently and I will see you next post then. Signing off!

Me and my sister during CNY 2014

Transformation

Hey peeps. Another post from me in wee hours (practically the time now is 2.07 am) and I'm widely awake. I think it's due to something I started off in the early of this month that made me... erm... how should I put my word here?

Miraculously, insane, spontaneous decision?

I wouldn't think it will be in my 2013 to-do-list but in sudden, I decided to transform myself from fat to lean. Yeah, and believe of not, today marked me as the fourth week and I have set my goal within a year. I'm not sure how well I will go but I'm quite determined and persistent lately, perhaps due to exercise regimen which is practically everyday either I'm at gym (yeah, I go to gym now), swimming pool (don't sound surprised but I do know how to swim) and home.

I recalled my first gym session was during my varsity year, almost the end of my degree where one of my friend asked me to join him at campus gym. Back in those days, me and my friend were fat and well, overweight. So, I hit the gym twice a week but ending up I gave up due to muscle soreness, lack of motivation and I had a packed schedule with my final year projects and studies.

Well, I admit that I was lazy to go for an exercise. Maybe another reason I would blamed is the inadequate gym equipments in the campus gym as they have basic equipments, treadmills and a cross-trainer and sometimes, those equipments broke down.

Next, my sister enrolled herself to a gym which I would say it is (hopefully still) the best gym in town which located at Kinta City called Fitness Embassy. It has the most equipments I've seen so far and I was given privilege for 3 days free pass to go there. I was so excited until I worked out for almost 4 hours. My sister said that I was crazy and energetic. Anyhow, I ended up myself crash to bed after the gym session. Yes indeed it's cool to enrol there but when comes to the fee...

Yes, it's expensive and I don't have much money back then to hit such gym.

Afterwards, I kind of abandoning my exercise since then until recently. Maybe I made my decision to quick but I like to come out with unexpected ones as it gives me adventure. As I have started to work with UTAR, I didn't bother to go for an exercise or even a swimming session with my mum and sister. I was FB-ing a lot, taking sleeps on weekends, do my job on weekdays and the days just goes on and on.

In the early of this month, I've decided to make another life commitment: A transformation of my body.

I want to lose those 'spare tires' that I've seen since I was teenager.

I want to make my life better with healthy liver condition (I have a fatty liver condition btw).

I want my body to have lean, shredded muscles just like fitness model.

I want to look better.

But the word 'I want' doesn't come just like that. It's not a wishful thought anymore if I take the steps now, fast.

Hence, I told one of my good friend (also happened to be my colleague) to hit gym with him every Tuesday and Thursday. I make myself to go for a swim on Saturdays. I do crunches on the other days. In the end, this week has been the third week. I make myself to change diet until my parents worried and my colleagues teased me for being a sudden healthy freak. I even starved myself by resisting temptations from all around me. And heck, I still diet and exercise everyday in recent vacation.

I see results that makes me want more. More fat shredding. More lean muscle. At the same time, I had help from Bodybuilding.com by setting up a Bodyspace account. This account has tracked all my exercise regiments, giving me guide on which exercises that I should do and focus on and for the first time, I picked up a supplement. A thermogenic weight-loss supp.

What is it actually? Based from various info, it is a kind of supplement that helps you to metabolise fat whether you workout or not while curb cravings and give some kick during workouts and reduce lethargic effects after exercise session. I got this Musclepharm Shred Matrix a try for about 1/2 to one month supply and the price is fine but will it works?

So far, I did feel something but I'm not sure what I'm felt because it is my first time taking supplements for gym. I remembered the first time I took it, I felt the energy kick as it has caffeine. And it was just one capsule. The whole bottle has a strong scent of berry, hence from the ingredient of raspberry ketone. I dared myself to take two capsules during afternoon (suggested use is 1-3 capsules before 30/45 minutes prior to breakfast and lunch) and the kick stays. It happens to be my gym day so I took another one capsule before I hit for exercise and heck, it works.

The verdict is I don't feel hungry and lethargic after gym session. There's one thing I noticed that I took about 4 bottles of 1.5L water throughout the day. I was a bit worried because I didn't go for toilet to pee quite frequently as the product mentioned that it has diuretic effects. Anyhow, I sweat a lot more that day.

On the second day, it's Friday and I do crunches. Yes, the energy still there but I was a bit hungry hence I take addition small meals like few pieces of crackers and some juices. That day, I took 2 during morning and 2 during lunch.

For today (it's Saturday), I did go for a swimming session but I took an extra. Same as on Friday but I popped another 2 before I swim. That counts the maximum intake of the supplement as recommended. I feel good and my energy level reduce just a bit. Yet, I crashed on my bed at 8 and woke up around 12 am till now. I still feel the energy and maybe, or just maybe, I would like to do another crunch session later before I go to sleep again (for your info, I had a crunch session right before I go to swim). Crazy or what.

Anyway, I still widely awake but started to have some yawns. This product still under evaluation as it says and I quote, "Visible changes in less than 2 weeks". Well, hope it does as it said. I'm gonna pop 3 capsules tomorrow for breakie and lunch and see how my body response. For now, my throat feels the acid reflux and I need to quench some water to reduce it. Gotta stock up some apples tomorrow and pray that this product does the job.

Well, you can monitor my progress from my Bodyspace as I will track all the exercise thingy that I do. Just like Twitter but it's for people who are obsessed with exercise and muscle. That marks my point here to stop and actually I still have errands to do now in the middle of midnight.

This is guy (Adam Charlton) by the way that inspired me the most now. I hope that I can achieve such lean muscle in future and retain the result. Not too bulky but just some nice muscle and definitely the six packs. The kind of body that attracts people's eye on beaches or elsewhere that I can be half naked.

Farewell and cross fingers to my transformation.

Nike+

Last Sunday, I had a shopping with my family... (like usual Sundays I have)
My mum and my sister rather look on clothes and women stuffs and I actually don't mind to walk with them, just I hate to wait them and look on things which you are not your kinds.
Can't understand?
For example, you and your girlfriend (it's easier to say in this way in guy side) are shopping and she drops by in the lingerie department and you HAVE to accompany her. Get the feeling? >< One reason because I don't want get a girl now. So, mostly I'll drag my father with me to see other things at different departments. He also don't have the patience and mood like me for the same reason. On the other hand, sometimes I don't like my father when he starts to drag me to his favorite stuffs. Shoes. He like (+ love) shoes. He got 3 or 4 pairs of shoes. Remind you. He rarely use them. They are more likely in their boxes than face the outside world.

During every shopping time, he will ask me to see the shoes he loves. Sport shoes and sneakers. Since 15 Y.O., I stopped buying sport shoes and sneakers because I find them uncomfortable to wear and require troublesome cleaning process. I prefer sandals. Unbranded.

Mostly, I purchase them in pasar malam (night market). I like them because my feet won't get the foot odour (aka stinky smell), my feet will be fresh all the time and sandals require simple cleaning.

This time, my father really forcing me to get a nice sport shoes because he always grumble me wearing the same sandals to everywhere. He said it's unpleasant to see that I do so. When I use my sneakers that I've been using to go to university, he said it's too old.

I get his intention.

"Get a new shoe".

You can see me that I hardly buy apparels for fashion style and sense. All I want is just simplicity and comfortable. So, to stop him from nagging, I choose one and the price ain't cheap.
Introducing, Nike+ Air Citius 2+ MSL.
My foot size is at least 9 with UK measurement. Consider big feet.RM 259 plus 10% discount. This is the second expensive shoe I had after my black leather shoe from Larrie which was around the same price. "Considered design" of course. :P

First, it has an important feature that I want in present plus the future.
Nike+.
What does it stands for?
In every pairs of Nike shoes, if they are with the trademark, it means you can insert a special sport kit called Nike+ sensor.This small kit is inserted into one of your shoe beneath the foot padding. I wonder the kit will get smelly if I use it frequently. Maybe my shoe spray can help (or spoil the device XO).
It serves as a small accelerometer which connect to a receiver device either iPod Nano, iPod Touch or the newest iPod 3GS with the help from iTunes for data synchonization.
If not, Nike has another device call Nike+ Sportband which like a USB drive to become the receiver.
In each movements, the device will record the elapsed time of the workout, the distance traveled, pace, or calories burned by the individual wearing the shoes, and display it on the screen of Nike+ Sportband or broadcast it through the headphones of an iPod.
You can record your performance in your iPod, iPhone and PC and organize them under NikeRunning.com
Not only you can arrange your performance, you can have a virtual trainer who can motivate and train you during exercise and beat up with other members with your performance through given challenges. Make friends while achieve better performance with competition. Best of all, these services are free. No joke! Free of charge :D

I'm a techy guy and I love this great feature.
Another reason to purchase more tech stuffs especially the iPhone 3GS which I dreamed since it was announced. Anyone who is kind-hearted, you can sponsor me for that or just an iPod nano will do. :P.

I planned to get the Nike+ sensor and wristband because I'm not really a fan of iPods. Haven't get to know the price yet but I will.

Second, this shoe is the Air shoe series of Nike which means the shoe is light. It's helping wearer to feel less weight on their feet while doing exercise.
They are brilliant to build the shoe with soft and lesser materials so that the air can go in and out of the shoe. Just a few walks, I feel my feet is not sweating at all.
Plus, I feel a bit taller. Thanks to this shoe by its light, thick rubber baseThirdly, I just found out the real meaning of "Considered Design".This label has three main objectives: Performance, Innovation and Sustainability.

They created a range of products which carry this label has four advantages. These advantages are waste reduction, environmentally friendly materials, solvent used and sustainable innovation. By using less material, the product will contain lesser waste which serves on my shoe series: Air. The materials used are fully recyclable and not harmful to the environment. Harmful solvents such as VOC is eliminated in the product. Lastly, the product will be lost lasting and resist wear and tear.
I'm very conscious about environment since I was small and by buying this shoe, it means I have taken one step further to save the mother nature and I will keep doing it! :)Even though I'm not using for workout, I will use it when I go out for shopping or vacation and monitor my walk and burned calories. Another great idea, huh? :D

There is another reason which I cannot run away.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I can't give excuses to avoid cardio workouts such as jogging and cycling. X(



A bientot!