I am down to 4 weeks before my deadline. It doesn't HAVE to be a black and white date but I made it that way so I am still pushing hard for the next 4 weeks. I do have that cushion, though, that if I still need more work I can come back from vacation and keep going.
For the first time in almost 1.5 years I looked at myself this last week and thought, "I am finally getting close to where I want to be". Until now it has been more like I look in the mirror and can tell I am progressing and getting leaner but then I focus on this (grabbing and pinching) area is still soft, this area could be tighter, I am not happy with this, yet, etc.. Waist is coming down quite a bit and the satisfaction of finally seeing that I am closing in on my goal is awesome.
I finished the week at 209 so if I push to 200 I have 4 weeks for 9 pounds which isn't going to be a breeze but I am pretty confident that I can get it done - and when I say I think I can get it done I don't want to resort to "prep" type cardio by doing twice a day cardio or something like that. I will if I have to but I don't want to. I want to get it off doing my current cardio load of 4 days per week and I think I can pull it off.
I have to cruise this week, though. I am starting to get inflammation in my elbows and my shoulders - they are both killing me when I train them and my biceps don't feel great, either. Knees and back are pretty good BUT ... I feel really slow coming out of the hole for any press or squat and that is always indicative of me starting to overtrain - always has been. It is that feeling where you think you can only get one more rep for a leg exercise because the rep takes forever but ... you do another one and - same thing. This goes on for the entire set - every set.
This cruise will be a training cruise but it is going to be very light and very quick - in and out with a pump and that is it. This way I can let the inflammation die down and I should be ready to roll hard again the following week.
Not sure about you guys but I ate more candy this last weekend I think than my own kids did. I am not even a candy guy but I killed it... And I feel it.