6 pack in 6 months

[Andrew Gubb]

I decided when talking to Roser that I'd get a six pack. She asked me what was the time limit. Good goals usually have time limits. So I said six months. I swear I didn't think of "SIX pack SIX months", in Spanish that word play doesn't work. But there you go.

I think I have enough muscle. I'm actually pretty muscular for my current activity level, must be from my swimming days. The main goal (while still stepping up my activity level) will probably be to lose enough fat for the abdominal muscles to be visible.

I'm trending towards weight loss these days anyway, so I just have to ride the wave and add some intention to that.

Some brainstorming of ideas:

- Keep up the motivation for my current goals. The more I work, the less I feel like eating. It's like I was filling a void with eating. That void is better filled with meaningful work I think.

- Continue the process of getting more conscious about food and improving my diet. At the moment this means learning to eat just the right amount of food to feel good and not overeat. I'm also in the process of learning to drink plenty of water which should help the body detoxify. If I can eat a little less oils even better. Find some low fat snack that scratches the same itch potato chips do (I think mainly convenience and quick satiation).

- I'm getting to really enjoy running. I guess if I keep it simple and just focus on running I can make some good advances in my general fitness and lose fat thereby.

- And just visualising myself as lean and hot looking

By the way, if anyone is wondering, I stopped feeling that gender bendering urge a while back. It was fluctuating even then so I don't know if it'll never come back, but I feel really quite happy having a man's body basically all the time now. So I don't feel any conflicts with being more manly, so cool.

Funnily enough I think fear of being more manly in appearence held me back from getting my body in really nice shape until now.

I'm pretty glad I'm not feeling any gender conflict any more, even though I totally respect those who do feel it. It was a cool growth experience anyway. Learning to accept sides of myself that I'd hidden from myself.

But I digress.

Six pack in six months... let's do this.

[Andrew Gubb]

More stream of consciousness.

If good goals have a time limit... let's give my other major health goal a time limit.

Ten years to either experience breatharianism ("experience" defined here as living on nothing except perhaps water for 60 days or more) or come to a solid conclusion that it's not possible, or not possible for me.

I think if it's possible for anyone it's doable for most people though. So either experience it or conclude to my personal satisfaction that it's not possible.

A friend of mine is attempting the 21 day process now, and I've asked him to be strict and only drink water for 60 days if he can. That would feel a lot more convincing than accounts I read over the internet.

That said, if I went out and read up enough about breatharianism I guess I'd be convinced if there really was any substance to it. I'm not doing the reading though, because I know that right now is not the time for me to be making such a large effort as trying breatharianism anyway. I've got to work on supporting myself rather than using so much resources on something like that, at the moment.

[IvyW]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

I decided when talking to Roser that I'd get a six pack. She asked me what was the time limit. Good goals usually have time limits. So I said six months. I swear I didn't think of "SIX pack SIX months", in Spanish that word play doesn't work. But there you go.

I think I have enough muscle. I'm actually pretty muscular for my current activity level, must be from my swimming days. The main goal (while still stepping up my activity level) will probably be to lose enough fat for the abdominal muscles to be visible.

I'm trending towards weight loss these days anyway, so I just have to ride the wave and add some intention to that.

Some brainstorming of ideas:

- Keep up the motivation for my current goals. The more I work, the less I feel like eating. It's like I was filling a void with eating. That void is better filled with meaningful work I think.

- Continue the process of getting more conscious about food and improving my diet. At the moment this means learning to eat just the right amount of food to feel good and not overeat. I'm also in the process of learning to drink plenty of water which should help the body detoxify. If I can eat a little less oils even better. Find some low fat snack that scratches the same itch potato chips do (I think mainly convenience and quick satiation).

- I'm getting to really enjoy running. I guess if I keep it simple and just focus on running I can make some good advances in my general fitness and lose fat thereby.

- And just visualising myself as lean and hot looking

By the way, if anyone is wondering, I stopped feeling that gender bendering urge a while back. It was fluctuating even then so I don't know if it'll never come back, but I feel really quite happy having a man's body basically all the time now. So I don't feel any conflicts with being more manly, so cool.

Funnily enough I think fear of being more manly in appearence held me back from getting my body in really nice shape until now.

I'm pretty glad I'm not feeling any gender conflict any more, even though I totally respect those who do feel it. It was a cool growth experience anyway. Learning to accept sides of myself that I'd hidden from myself.

But I digress.

Six pack in six months... let's do this.

Thats definitely doable! keep your diet 100% clean.. do sprint intervals (hiit) & hit the weights good luck!

[PrinceCharming]

In my experience having a healthy diet is the main thing with fat loss - so as IvyW said, keep 100% clean! What's your eating plan?

Having said that, I'd consider adding in a bit of weightlifting to make sure you limit your muscle loss. Ideally big, compound exercises - squat, deadlift, benchpress, pull ups, that sort of thing. They hit many muscle groups so are more effective. If you want to do abs exericses, do the plank and see how long you can hold it for (probably a couple of minutes after six months of training!). Don't bother with sit ups.

Good luck!

[Mariana Trench]

My recommendation would be to make your goal even more measurable. Say, look up the BF% where you'd likely have a six pack and aim for that. Look at your goals and your starting point, with objective measurements on fat loss and see what period is a reasonable time limit. Try even concocting a plan, following it to a tee for two weeks and extrapolating out those results to the point you'll get the results you want. None of that is perfectly precise, but it's a hell of a lot more, which makes it even more likely you'd reach your goals.

[abcbac]

Do high inteval training cardio for the best results. Running on treadmills for hours is pointless

[Peek]

Pictures, pictures, please!

[Medusa locked]

yeah, I'd have to agree cardio is the main way. Apparently we all have a six pack already. It's just that we don't all show it due to body fat.

I'm also confused about avoiding dry foods in nature comment. I get the avoid dry processed foods, but what's wrong with seeds and nuts? Those are the good fats and they contribute to body fat easily.

[Andrew Gubb]

By "contribute to body fat easily" do you mean nuts have a negative or positive effect on body fat?

[Medusa locked]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

By "contribute to body fat easily" do you mean nuts have a negative or positive effect on body fat?

You would have to eat a lot. My point is, it has all the GOOD fats. And I was referring to Devin's reply when he stated "(in nature)"

Ah, I just realized his emphasis on managing digestion. Yeah, I get it now. If you go crazy on nuts, you can get constipated. Peanuts have had a nasty effect on me in the past also(not by constipation though).

[BillyTheAdult]

Andrew I'm guessing since you are already vegan and you look incredibly skinny from your photos, you can probably do it in much less. I don't think you (general you)even really need muscle, just muscle tone. I'm currently working on six pack myself. Do you know your body fat %? I have suggestion or two but first I'd like to know if you know your % and what it is.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by BillyTheAdult

Andrew I'm guessing since you are already vegan and you look incredibly skinny from your photos, you can probably do it in much less. I don't think you (general you)even really need muscle, just muscle tone. I'm currently working on six pack myself. Do you know your body fat %? I have suggestion or two but first I'd like to know if you know your % and what it is.

Lol I look *incredibly* skinny? You're joking or something ? I think you've got a stereotype in your head about vegans. God damn, I'm the last person on Earth I'd call incredibly skinny. Acceptably padded, neither fat nor skinny, but leaning on the fat side.

I don't know what my % is, but I'm going to work it out. Will report back to this thread when I do.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Medusa locked

You would have to eat a lot. My point is, it has all the GOOD fats. And I was referring to Devin's reply when he stated "(in nature)"

Ah, I just realized his emphasis on managing digestion. Yeah, I get it now. If you go crazy on nuts, you can get constipated. Peanuts have had a nasty effect on me in the past also(not by constipation though).

Can't deal with peanuts either.

I agree that a balanced amount of nuts is probably a very good thing. Eating nuts but not overdoing it is part of my weight loss plan.

[Medusa locked]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

Lol I look *incredibly* skinny? You're joking or something ? I think you've got a stereotype in your head about vegans.

Either that or it could be white shirt in your photo, and your lying down. . Assumptions we make. Lol.

[BillyTheAdult]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

Lol I look *incredibly* skinny? You're joking or something ? I think you've got a stereotype in your head about vegans. God damn, I'm the last person on Earth I'd call incredibly skinny. Acceptably padded, neither fat nor skinny, but leaning on the fat side.

I don't know what my % is, but I'm going to work it out. Will report back to this thread when I do.

Well the vegans I've know were all pretty skinny so that probably has some to do with it. But you also usually look pretty skinny in your photos.

Anyway I've been doing the slow carb diet from 4 hour body which you could do as a vegan as long as you kind find good protein sources. If in fact your bf% is already pretty low you could just do the two specific exercises he talks about in there. Myotatic crunches and something else, I don't remember the name right now.

[neilpage]

Originally Posted by Peek

Pictures, pictures, please!

Oh' Yeah!

Dude, Your Intense with progression, to get better and better!
Way
I'm Looking forward to view your experience and I thank you for sharing it.

[Eisho]

My advice is to be prepared to try different approaches to cardio and find the one that works best. I have tried a lot of different things and walking for over an hour at a time at a moderate pace has been the best. Yes, it is time consuming and yes, it can become boring but that, combined with a low fat diet, can work wonders and it is low impact with little chance of injury.

Cheers,

Eisho

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by BillyTheAdult

Well the vegans I've know were all pretty skinny so that probably has some to do with it. But you also usually look pretty skinny in your photos.

Haha, well I do think this photo is flattering to me.

[Medusa locked]

Originally Posted by Eisho

My advice is to be prepared to try different approaches to cardio and find the one that works best. I have tried a lot of different things and walking for over an hour at a time at a moderate pace has been the best. Yes, it is time consuming and yes, it can become boring but that, combined with a low fat diet, can work wonders and it is low impact with little chance of injury.

Cheers,

Eisho

He makes a good point. The slow burn approach, if adopted as a long term strategy does trim away a lot of body fat. I know because I cycle as a means of transport for about 2 hours, 4 days a week(on average) and i'm both thin and tone. I DO have a six pack. (maybe my martial arts helps also)

[Razia]

Thats cool to have 6 abs ,i think i would suggest my bro about this.

[Apresto]

I guess you need only motivational song to keep you up when you're not at your best mood, maybe like this one:

Kick Ass & Limp Bizkit (Break Stuff) - YouTube

good luck!

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Apresto

I guess you need only motivational song to keep you up when you're not at your best mood, maybe like this one:

Kick Ass & Limp Bizkit (Break Stuff) - YouTube

good luck!

Thanks

Short update: I've made some improvements to my diet, particularly eating less and eating slower. I stopped eating right after waking up in the morning, which I noticed my body didn't really like, and have been allowing the night's fast to continue often till lunchtime. I know a lot of people really believe in breakfasts but this feels right for the moment.

I haven't got those scales because I have other priorities at the moment for the time and money -- but soon enough I'll be tracking my weight.

Just visually, I'm getting the idea that I'm losing weight - time will tell.

[VinceG]

Tim Ferriss has some great things to say about getting six pack abs. For one thing, ab exercises do work, but you have to do the right ones. 90 percent of them suck. The idea is to tighten the muscles that wrap around the abdominals like a big belt, pushing them out.

That combined with low body fat (sub 12%) will make them visible.

[missbhaven]

Originally Posted by Peek

Pictures, pictures, please!

[neilpage]

I feel so excited-ed on your progress and it's not even me that's feeling fit or getting in to better shape!
GOOD ON YOU!