The journey begins …

To all my avid readers … you’re used to reading my usual posts on healthy tips, recipes, diet fads, etc … but I have something new to throw at you. A friend of mine has started preparing for a local bodybuilding competition and I asked him to write about his journey so that I could include the posts on my blog. It’s something I thought would be really interesting to read about. So … I’d like to introduce you to Bodybuilder640! I’ll be posting his blogs along with our bi-weekly recipes … so stay tuned and follow along over the next few months leading up to the competition in November!
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I always told myself, “Someday, I am going to get in bodybuilding competition shape.” I wasn’t sure if I wanted to actually compete or just see how good a shape I could get into. But without setting a specific time frame I could never have the disciplined diet that it takes. So maybe it was the fact of being in my 30’s and not wanting to look back someday and say I never gave it a shot. I decided that now is the time to do this. In January, I set out to compete in a local bodybuilding competition. I have no idea whether or not I am going to be in the shape I need to be in for the competition in November, but if I don’t make it, it won’t be for lack of effort. I am completely committed to my workout and diet plan. This is by far, the most difficult thing I have ever tried to accomplish.

I figured I had a long way to go to get in the necessary shape to compete. So in January I started the diet at 178 lbs on about 2250 calories/day. I started to eat very clean and easily lost weight and pounds of body fat in the beginning. As I get to sticking points, I increase cardio training and/or lower my calorie intake. Has anyone else had any similar successes? What do you do when you get off track from your routine?

-Bodybuilder640