New Gym, New Ideas, New Goals

Been a bit of time since my last post, So this one may be long.  Middle of March 2011, I went on a bit of a free for all, was not logging calories every day and was not working out. I maintained around 215-220 lbs. So I learned I can maintain weight. I was not satisfied with my overall weight loss. End of April was fast approaching and was not losing any weight, My calorie intake a day was about 1500 calories which should have been enough to lose some weight. Still nothing. So I convinced my wife to join our one of our local gyms. The one the talked to me the most was UFC Gym.  For those that have been living in the 80's this is the octagon cage fighting group that has been very popular in the last 10 years. The gym has all the standard gym equipment; free weights, elliptical, resistance machines, cable weights, treadmills, fitness/aerobics classes. It offers the additional benefit of different marital arts styles like Muey Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Hakido, Wrestling, and several Boxing Courses. While all of these things are awesome it is a class they give called DUT which is short for Daily Ultimate Training that caught my interest. The thought, is to take what a UFC fighter goes through to prepare and train for a fight and put you through it.  The first week was extremely tough, I am currently on week 5 and loving it.  I have lost another 15 lbs and maintaining 205-210 lbs.  I found the routines to be fun, creative, and exhausting.  The trainer puts together some of the best routines I have ever seen.  Great cardio, great strength training, and some MMA mixed in. LOVE IT!  Still on a pretty good supplement program, continue to mix my creatine up (4 weeks on 2 weeks off), multi-vitamins every day, Tribulous, CLA, and added Nitric Boost.  High energy levels every day.  I have lost 5% body fat in five weeks.  Had my blood drawn this week. All my tests came back low in the right areas. Note: My triglycerides went down almost 200 points! since starting this and I am no longer  a prediabetic.  While I have lost over 6 inch's to my waistline and almost 17% body fat I have to realize that muscle is going to start to build on this new workout program.  So I am adjusting my calorie intake to shoot for a pound a week, keeping the concept that its about how I look and feel that's important not the number on the scale.  I also signed up for the Tough Mudder competition in September 2011,  goal is to complete it, and then do it again next year beating the previous years times.  I am looking forward to making a more well rounded fit me then I've seen in over 18 years. I am off to a solid start and still forging ahead.