I'm Very Frustrated

[xcelbeyond]

I shouldn't be but I am - here's why.

In prepping for this contest I've lost over 20lb LBM and I was neither fat (actually fairly lean) nor "that" big.

During the last 2 weeks I've continued to lose BF as my waist is still getting smaller. My weight has actually stayed relatively consistent during this period.

Here's what's frustrating me: People are beginning to say "boy, you've lost a lot of weight lately haven't you?" Now bear in mind, these are people that see me every day!

Again I wasn't "that fat" but I now have a TON of loose skin around my waist, which I'm afraid is only going to get worse as my goal is to lose an addition inch and ideally 2! Got 4 weeks from this coming Saturday.

And there's this shoulder!!!!!! I haven't really worked out in a week - I cant! I tried the other day and here's what I could do: the "bar" for OH press, 5# dumbbell curl and they HURT LIKE HELL. I'm afraid I did some nerve damage

Anybody have any reassurance for this ol' guy?!?!

xcel

 

[Dave_19]

well I cannot comment on everything, but I can tell your for sure DO NOT let comments like the one "boy you've lost a lot of weight get to you". How often to do you hear that when your checkign progress by posing shirtless, of course in clothign its almost impossible especially lose clothing to distinguis the quality of the weight loss, this messed with my head for years, when I would diet and just stop hearing comments about being "big". then I realize your trading one aspect for another... Just stay dedicate and hold out, remeber to forget numbers and go by the mirror.

 

[BIGKIWI]

Hi Xcel sounds like you doing very well bro, you sorted out your problems with losing lean muscle and weight staying constant now not far to go to show and you now in yourself your are looking getting leaner and looking better keep going we all here to help

 

[Strunk]

Xcel, hang in there!!! That's the thing that always made me mad were the non-lifting people that would come up and ask if I was still lifting, if I was on a diet, or you look smaller..are you trying to loose weight?LOL I'm one of the worst people to be around when dieting for a show. I hate to diet and there was so much pressure put on me by everyone. I always became a hermit and always tried to avoid people when geting ready for the show as I was always an ass. As for the shoulder...just try to do what you can. You may only have three weeks of lifting to do anyway as I always took the last week off from the gym and just posed for a hour or so everyday practicing my routine and mandatories.

 

[Steak Helmet]

The average JOE in the gym has no idea what you are doing and what it takes to get there...

Ask someone that knows what you are doing and has gone through this before.

Just my .02

Don't let negative comments drag you down...you are dialing things in so no worries

 

[big_byrd52]

im feelin ya xcel, im 3.5 out now. i actually went out and bought a few smaller shirts to help with my ego. you know that your in hands, have faith The Man! just wait, in a few weeks theyll be sayin, "how the hell did u gain all that weight so fast?!" stay focused and carry out the plan.

as for your shoulder, as long as u can do maintence work ur ok. just use the time to burn cals, ur not eating enough to grow anyway(unless ur Kiwi). good lock man.

 

[reconhardc]

hey xcell hang tough

Hey xcell I have a little advie you could problably user . When I first got into the game I came down from a 320lb fatguy to a 226lbs contest guy. I losst this weight in about 4 months, so as you can imagine, : Yes I had a ton of loose skin. The trainer that helped me get ready 6 weeks out, was an olsd school guy, and every other day had me at night taking hot baths with 5 lbs of epsome salt, and sit in it for 30 to 45 minutes. This is the equivalent to sitting in Brine, very very slty water. This solution though after getting out gave the cosmetic apearance of tightening the skin. After the bath I put on preparation H around the buttocks, and the abdomen, and put on sweats and went to bed. This pull out alot of subq water, and made the skin tight or appear tight. The last week before the show he had me do it every night. Now I did not win but I placed 5th, and my skin did not hang. Now in reguards to the shoulder. You will not build anything new in the next few weeks. Pose and use isometric exersize like walk pushing, and such to tense different upper boddy parts. This might come as a welcome chnage, and at the same time stimulate ftigue in different ways. If you can do isolation exersizes the good, but if not do the isometric pushes and postures, alon with hard uper body posing, and it should be enough to carry you. I hope I helped. And by the way Go to that comnpetition,and STEP ON THERE ASSES>

 

[bigarms]

bro,

They don't have any idea what they are saying....just remember this, when you hear you have lost weight...say to yourself " I don't look smooth...I must be cut".

Also, I still have shoulder pain and have been going to a chiropractor.....if it's nerve related he may help.

Hang in there.....bigarms

 

[DIEZEL666]

Hey Xcel, I've noticed as the contest gets closer you seem to be having more setbacks. Are you sure you're not sabotaging yourself subconsciously? Your mind is your most powerful weapon and if you're not using it properly or if you are doubting yourself, it will work against you. Have faith in yourself, your abilities and your physique. I'm sure this will be an outstanding experience for you. Good luck.

 

[xcelbeyond]

Thanks for all the words of encouragement and advice.

DIEZEL666 wrote
Hey Xcel, I've noticed as the contest gets closer you seem to be having more setbacks. Are you sure you're not sabotaging yourself subconsciously? Your mind is your most powerful weapon and if you're not using it properly or if you are doubting yourself, it will work against you. Have faith in yourself, your abilities and your physique. I'm sure this will be an outstanding experience for you. Good luck.

Deep down I really feel positive about this competition. It just seems like EVERYTHING I do theseays brings on new challenges.

One thing I don't believe I've stated in earlier posts: My entire right-side, upper arm is one big bruise. It looks like someone took a baseball bat to it. IT DOESN'T HURT and I have no idea how it happened. When it happened, I was not injecting my biceps. I was occaissionaly injecting delts.

I went to a skin specialist (as my regular doctor couldn't find anything wrong after doing blood tests). He said that I more than likely ruptured a blood vessel when I was working biceps and the blood is just pooling under the skin's surface (and it's actually spread out over time - gotten larger!).

xcel

 

[instynct999]

Bro-

ya know i stay lean, but when i diet effectively i get FLAT--pancake flat

i get depressed, shit is loose on me, i feel like i disappeared, i hope not to hear some schmo say hmm ya lost some weight/size whtver...

some can sstay full when dieting
for me if i want to lose it efficiently i have to go this route...sucks but that is what it takes

guess what though--when i replenish and fill me self out--BAM

especially tough iws ehn you are flat you do not even look as tight as ya should and think fuck i am getting small and i am not even shredded

ride it out--yes it sucks, but for many that is what it takes

 

[instynct999]

on top of it like many here i suffer from BDD and would love during this time to hole myself up somewhere and see no one if that were an option

hell not even see myself--and to boot we are so body aware just standing around naked or clothed you can feel the loss in size/presence
(btw i just started a 3 week diet as that is all it takes for me to shred but i am iun the flatness as we speak)
i'll GGRRRRRRRR with ya,lol

btw my shoulder and some other BPs are freakin pissin out on me too
we can call each other up and have a pity party ,lol

 

[crackerjack414]

excel dont worry about stuff so much bro people make stupid comments my fav is every one tells me i look bigger when iam cut not when iam all bulked out, then there is my fav also, u look better when u weigh more. the point is screw people like that there opinions dont mean crap so dont even worry about it. hey u are so damned close to your show just do what you need to and relax stress is worse than anything else

 

[w8's]

Hey excel as far as the brusing goes. the closer i get to the show. the worse i gets for me. last year i bumped into the side of table (not even that hard mind you) a week before my show. i had a HUGE black and blue mark there through the week after my show. my body when i lose b\f gets brusised very easy when the b\f is low.

 

[homonunculus]

Hey Bro,

Good thing r.e. the fat-free mass loss is that you'll gain it back very quickly after the show. (Remember what we said r.e. body comp. Gym strength is a better indicatior IMHO.)

Blow off the comments - like many have said, they don't have a clue what you're going through. When they say, "Boy, you've lost a lot of weight lately haven't you?" you could answer, "Yep, I'm down around 5% body fat right now. Thanks for noticing!"

I would try the epsom salt and prep H idea. Prep H works pretty nicely just before going on stage, too.

Have you gotten a diagnosis on the shoulder?... Do you have tingling running down the arm, neck, over the shoulder, etc.?...

Hang in there, man. This is the time when people do start to freak a bit. Just keep following wylde's advice. The next 2 weeks are the hardest, then it eases up as the show gets close.

-Randy

 

[xcelbeyond]

instynct, cj, w8's, & randy - Thanks for words of encouragement. I've been in this same state/condition several times before - it just REALLY plays with my mind

I haven't gotten a diagnosis on shoulder - what do I say "I was injecting 2.25ml of various steroids in my shoulder and now have this pain . . ." LOL Like I said there is no "tingling" or "actual loss" of movement. It just HURTS like hell. Here's what I found: When I turned 50, they did a royal roast BD party and gave me plenty of gag gifts. One was a tube of Ben Gay. I found this laying around and figured what the hell. It's the only thing that begins to make it feel better! But it's FAR from being close to normal. Go figure.

xcel

 

[bigarms]

I have been using Clelbrex 200mg for my shoulder and it has helped with pain. The scrip is for 1 capsule every day but I use 2 and this seems to work....for now.

 

[homonunculus]

My bust

Xcel,

I didn't realize you hadn't had any problems before the injection related bruising. I've had a similar thing - the bruise eventually drained to below my elbow - left my shoulder looking like it was made of purple play-doh, but it went away in a week or two.

You've likely just hit an artery. I would stretch it, but not too vigorously, to move the hematoma. Also, anti-inflammatories (Alleve, etc.). You might also try some Traumeel ointment, which is a homeopathic anti-inflammatory / analgesic:

**broken link removed**

Also, you could try lightly wrapping the bruised portion of your arm to prevent further fluid accumulation there.

And, you might also try some vitamin K supplementation - important for clot formation.

-Randy

 

[xcelbeyond]

randy
The bruise (right arm) is not on the same side as the bad delt shot (left arm).

Bruises take forever to go away on me I got this one about 7 weeks ago. At this point in time I was just finishing up my "cruise" so I wasn't injecting ANYTHING, anywhere! The point of origin for the bruise is not close to where I inject anything. This is what's so troubling about it. My naturopath gave me Arnica (homeopathic) and Traumeel. I've also been taking a ton of bioflavanoids and bromelain.

Since kendahl will have his digital camera with him this weekend, I may have him take a picture and post it. You'll feel sorry for me as it looks NASTY!!! - lol

xcel

 

[JETHRO TULL]

WE ARE ALL PULLING FOR YOU EXCEL!

SOMETIMES THINGS GO AGAINST A FELLA.....LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO BIG KIWI! THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL BUMMER TO BE RIGHT ON THE MONEY AND THEN HAVE SOME FREAKING WEIRD THING LIKE AN ABCESS DESTROY ALL HIS PREPARATION!

EITHER WAY......YOU ARE A LIFTER AND ONE OF THE BOYS.