When you feel like giving up, take a trip around to the other blogs.  Read about what everyone else has gone through and how they've overcome those issues.  Learn from their mistakes and successes.  You can do it if they can do it.  It just requires perseverance on your part.

There have been times during my journey that I have felt like giving up.  It gets to be too much.  I feel like I can't keep it going.  At those times the other blogs help me tremendously.  Those are also the times that the blog comments I receive change my attitude.  I realize that it isn't too much and that I can keep it going.  I then put one foot in front of the other and continue the journey.  Yes, it is never easy to make the right choices, but the right choices are what got me here and so I must persevere.

This is a journey and with any journey you have to keep your eye on the prize. 

I have found over the past year that strength can come and go.  It is what you do with yourself during times of weakness that really matters.  You have to avoid behaviors that will undo what you have already done.  Frankly, I believe we all go through periods where our behaviors don't propel us forward, but that is not as disasterous  as behavior that sets us back.  A holding pattern is never desireable, but it is ok as long as we don't fall backwards.

Nutriton

I am currently trying to pack on alot of muscle without packing on alot of fat.  I am using a form of carb cycling, but not really a strict form of carb cycling.  I start off every week with a single day of 40% carbohydrates, 40% protein and 20% fat.  I move into a single day of 35% carbohydrates, 35% protein and 30% fat.  The idea here is to keep the protein high and the fat high because fat increases testosterone production and I want that in order to help build muscle.  Finally, the third day of my high carbohydrate cycle is another day of 40% carbohydrates, 40% protein and 20% fat. 

Next I shift into a four day low carb cycle with four straight days of 20% carbohydrates, 50% protein and 30% fat.  Again, I am keeping the carbohydrates low, but I am keeping the protein and fat high to aid in building muscle.  It is all critically balanced to achieve maximum results.  Please note that I've designed this system for myself by taking careful measurements the past year.  I've used those results and measurements to come up with this very specific nutritional plan.

It is important to note my calorie scheme.  My goal is to average 3540 calories per day.  I keep my body guessing by starting the week off at 4000 calories, then switching to 3400 calories for 5 days and then back to 3800 calories for one day.  I am not a big believer in shifting my calories around frequently, but I do believe that by having a high calorie day, a moderate high calorie day and 5 maintenance calorie days I am giving my body no time to adapt to a set number of calories.  I've found that I drop alot of fat doing it this way.  I also manage to build muscle because I'm averaging 300 calories more per day than my maintenance level.

Pre-workout nutrition:

I am taking a protein shake prior to every lifting workout.  This shake contains 26 grams of protein, a 1/2 cup of oatmeal and a banana.   The shake is made with water.  This gives me a great carb boost prior to my workout.  I also take 200 mg. of caffeine via capsules.  This helps with muscle contraction during my workouts.

During-workout nutrition:

I have been drinking Champion Amino Shots during my workouts.  This formula contains creatine, essential amino acids and branch chain amino acids.  All of these things aid in muscle growth and recovery. 

Post-workout nutrition:

I am taking a protein shake after every lifting workout.  This shake contains 52 grams of protein, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, yogurt, 1 tbsp. Udos Oil blend, glutamine, and a banana.  This shake is made with non-fat milk.

Pre-sleep nutrition:

I am taking one protein shake made with Lean Pro Matrix Chocolate protein and 5 g. of glutamine.  This product contains 56 grams of protein.  I down 3 capsules of ZMA with my shake.  Honestly, the ZMA did nothing the first week I took it, but I gradually began to notice a change in my energy after the first week.  Now I swear by it.

I saw forums about divorce, long term relationships, love, death, dying, etc.  In each and every forum there were people offering some great advice to people who were hurting, seeking, lost, confused and intrigued.  As I read through the postings I was amazed at the love people had for strangers.  Some of the posts were very moving.  The responses to those posts were equally as moving.  This made me think of the accountability blogs.

We are all strangers to one another yet we encourage each other on a daily basis.  We get involved in each other's lives.  We are a support system for each other.  Some of us do a better job than others, but the fact is that we support each other quite well.  I know I would not be still blogging 305 days later.  I would not be pushing myself as hard as I have.  This blog helped me to become consistent.  It has helped me to stick with the plan.  At this point it is a habit for me.  I could not imagine not posting my blog and my pictures each day.

It is thanks to the support from all of you that I have continued to do this.  I do it for the random people out there who might get encouraged by my posts.  Honestly, I don't advertise this blog to my friends, yet several of them have found it and read it religiously.  It is interesting to me because I am bluntly honest on this blog, so at times I wonder what my friends think about what I have to say.  I wonder if they can figure out what I am saying (when I leave things out on purpose).  Yes, I purposely leave out details from my life. I tell you all what you need to know and leave the rest to the imagination.  If you read my blog long enough you can figure out the entire story from what I write.  I give just enough information to truly figure out the entire story.  The observant ones figure it out (I know because I get emails about what I've written) and the rest, well you can just be happy with what you read.

I watched the end of the Olympics today.  I'm honestly not a huge fan of the Olympics, but some of what went on today was interesting to me.  The US men's volleyball team put together a nice win for the gold.  It was exciting to watch.