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[X-Frame]

Nope! I'm fine running hills, but flat ground can get a little sore sometimes. Yesterday was fine though. Back felt better than usual afterward and today. Still slight sciatica but not as bad as normal.

Stair runs are usually fine too.

Good to know! I've mostly just been walking for recovery. I walk around the block which is a lot of hills for ~40 minutes, generally listening to the Fitcast podcast on iTunes which makes the walks fly by.

I'll add in a set of hills next weekend -- but now I just need to find a grass hill. I know 2 but they're at my high school and another at an elementary school .. both of which I assume will be off-limits now that school is back on.

 

[parrotbeak]

I actually run hills on the street or sidewalk. I feel like the better grip is safer and impact going up isn't bad. I used to run grass hills regularly before my injury and my knees would hurt sometimes. I decided the slipperyness of the grass and hidden unevenness in the ground probably wasn't good for me, especially now. It's been a couple years since I ran on grass but I remember my back hated it (although my back was worse at that time).

 

[X-Frame]

I actually run hills on the street or sidewalk. I feel like the better grip is safer and impact going up isn't bad. I used to run grass hills regularly before my injury and my knees would hurt sometimes. I decided the slipperyness of the grass and hidden unevenness in the ground probably wasn't good for me, especially now. It's been a couple years since I ran on grass but I remember my back hated it (although my back was worse at that time).

Hmm. I suppose I should try the road first -- especially seeing as how I have plenty of those right next to my house at varying distances and heights which means I wouldn't have to drive 10 minutes to a grass hill.

 

[parrotbeak]

Ya, running up on the road feels fine to me. Walking down sucks though, but not because it hurts; it's just slow and boring.

 

[kylej]

Saw the biggest chucklefuck ever in the gym tonight. Some little asian kid with Levis, Timberlands, and lifting gloves on was desperately "pulling" (heaving) ~100lbs on a cable machine about 2 inches up before the weight snapped his body back and the weight clattered like a shotgun blast. You could hear this idiot from across the gym. Never seen anything like it.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

You go below parallel in your dips? 100 times? Are you super skinny or just strong as hell? I can't imagine doing 100 perfect form dips.

That shouldn't be that difficult with adequate resting time. I'd say he should start using a weight belt. At least give 25 lbs a shot.

 

[MickeyKnox]

Amazing moment at the gym the other day, I'm sitting at an adjustable bench doing incline flys which happens to be near one of the leg press machines, there's three guys rotating through their sets on it, 2 of which kept upping the weight each time and cranking out a couple reps with all of like a 3 inch ROM, and one who was seriously strong and went with a full ROM each time. So one of the chuckle-heads loads up 9 fucking plates on each side, so like 810 pounds without factoring in the sled, whips out his phone to take pictures and instructs chuckle-head number two how he needs to take a pic of him rep'ing this out cause "it'll make a sic profile pic wit all that weight on there." He un-racks it, unlatches the safety catches and proceeds to get sandwiched Looney Tunes style between the sled and the seat. He starts yelling for help since the guy with the camera is still looking at the phone waiting on him to rep it out so he can take the picture. Third guy, who was getting water or something, comes back to the commotion and him + a few others lift the sled back up.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

Saw the biggest chucklefuck ever in the gym tonight. Some little asian kid with Levis, Timberlands, and lifting gloves on was desperately "pulling" (heaving) ~100lbs on a cable machine about 2 inches up before the weight snapped his body back and the weight clattered like a shotgun blast. You could hear this idiot from across the gym. Never seen anything like it.

I never get those, I just get these guys who lift relatively light weight while yelling/grunting loud as hell.

There's some fat asian meatball dude who does some chest machine (I can't be bothered to look at what it is) and slams the weight down every time. I want to tell him that not controlling the weight isn't going to help his progress (not to mention using a machine), but It's just too funny watching his fat ass slam weights into that expensive ass machine.

 

[LogicStep]

Well today I tried lowering the weights a little (5-10lbs) and raised the reps to 12 and I felt way more burn than I have before. Don't know if this is the way to do it to gain muscle.

 

[Cudder]

Amazing moment at the gym the other day, I'm sitting at an adjustable bench doing incline flys which happens to be near one of the leg press machines, there's three guys rotating through their sets on it, 2 of which kept upping the weight each time and cranking out a couple reps with all of like a 3 inch ROM, and one who was seriously strong and went with a full ROM each time. So one of the chuckle-heads loads up 9 fucking plates on each side, so like 810 pounds without factoring in the sled, whips out his phone to take pictures and instructs chuckle-head number two how he needs to take a pic of him rep'ing this out cause "it'll make a sic profile pic wit all that weight on there." He un-racks it, unlatches the safety catches and proceeds to get sandwiched Looney Tunes style between the sled and the seat. He starts yelling for help since the guy with the camera is still looking at the phone waiting on him to rep it out so he can take the picture. Third guy, who was getting water or something, comes back to the commotion and him + a few others lift the sled back up.

Even though he was a dumbass, shit is still not funny.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

Amazing moment at the gym the other day, I'm sitting at an adjustable bench doing incline flys which happens to be near one of the leg press machines, there's three guys rotating through their sets on it, 2 of which kept upping the weight each time and cranking out a couple reps with all of like a 3 inch ROM, and one who was seriously strong and went with a full ROM each time. So one of the chuckle-heads loads up 9 fucking plates on each side, so like 810 pounds without factoring in the sled, whips out his phone to take pictures and instructs chuckle-head number two how he needs to take a pic of him rep'ing this out cause "it'll make a sic profile pic wit all that weight on there." He un-racks it, unlatches the safety catches and proceeds to get sandwiched Looney Tunes style between the sled and the seat. He starts yelling for help since the guy with the camera is still looking at the phone waiting on him to rep it out so he can take the picture. Third guy, who was getting water or something, comes back to the commotion and him + a few others lift the sled back up.

Haha, I wish I had seen that.

Even though he was a dumbass, shit is still not funny.

You're right, it's not funny. It's god damned hilarious.

 

[MickeyKnox]

Even though he was a dumbass, shit is still not funny.

Oh it was fucking hilarious, everyone busted a gut once he got up out of there, I have no idea how he didn't seriously fuck himself up but he walked away with just a hobble, his ego is the only thing that got crushed.

And I'm not kidding about the looney tunes bit, in like a quarter-second he went from just under lockout to his feet being at his ears and probably being able to lick his own balls if he reached out.

 

[sebajuNujabes]

I'm starting this couch to 5k thing tomorrow( my running endurance is abysmal), so I'll be running for around 8 minutes and walking for 12, 20 minutes in total. Would it be wise to go barefoot on my first go? I plan to pick up a pair of minimus mt10s, but I figure getting into minimal support running should be started sooner rather than later. Am I in for a world of pain? Will I lose my legs?

 

[parrotbeak]

And I'm not kidding about the looney tunes bit, in like a quarter-second he went from just under lockout to his feet being at his ears and probably being able to lick his own balls if he reached out.

He's right, a pic of him trapped like that would make an awesome fb profile pic.

 

[J Tourettes]

Oh it was fucking hilarious, everyone busted a gut once he got up out of there, I have no idea how he didn't seriously fuck himself up but he walked away with just a hobble, his ego is the only thing that got crushed.

And I'm not kidding about the looney tunes bit, in like a quarter-second he went from just under lockout to his feet being at his ears and probably being able to lick his own balls if he reached out.

:lol That is fucking brilliant!

 

[PumpkinPie]

One month tomorrow (since I decided to change myself)! I felt disappointed in myself last week as I didn't eat properly and I think it showed, normally I can see myself growing but I didn't see anything last week. Back on track now though.

14th August:

13th September:

Even though it's only small gains and only one month I feel impressed with myself that I've stuck with it and feel better physically and mentally. I've gone from 116lbs to 134lbs, it's the heaviest I've been in my whole life and even though it's mostly fat, I'm happy to be getting nearer to a 'normal' weight.

 

[Enco]

One month tomorrow (since I decided to change myself)! I felt disappointed in myself last week as I didn't eat properly and I think it showed, normally I can see myself growing but I didn't see anything last week. Back on track now though.

14th August:

http://i.imgur.com/sg0Nn.jpg[/I MG]


13th September:

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/e4bVV.jpg[/IM G]


Even though it's only small gains and only one month I feel impressed with myself that I've stuck with it and feel better physically and mentally. I've gone from 116lbs to 134lbs, it's the heaviest I've been in my whole life and even though it's mostly fat, I'm happy to be getting nearer to a 'normal' weight.[/QUOTE]
You look 10x better man, well done. All in one month. That's pretty darn good.

What was your routine like?

 

[Aurora]

Hey guys, I'm in the process of creating a weekly routine but I would like some advice.

I want to exercise 4 times a week (Mon, Wed, Thur, Sat), and I've identified the following group of muscles I want to train: chest, arms, shoulders, core, back, legs.

The problem I have is trying to fit 6 muscle groups into 4 training sessions. It basically means I need to group 2 of them together. So far I've been grouping arms and shoulders together with good results. Does anyone have suggestions on how to sort out my routine?

 

[Krispy]

Hey Fitness Gaf. I was hoping to get some advice about diets. At the moment I weigh 128lbs and am 5'6. I haven't had any gains in a while due to my poor diet. I was wondering how many calories I should be eating per day and the best foods to get said calories. I drink a whey protein shake after each workout btw.

 

[Bad_Boy]

I feel like I'm hitting a plateau again. I need to push myself harder, not seeing any more gains lately. Body wise I'm just not getting bigger/stronger. I don't get sore anymore.

I have kicked up my running lately by an extreme margin though. I never ran before. Like at all. I suck at running. It's been 7 years since I ran track. I now run 1.5 miles every day after my workout (getting ready for the military).

So I don't want to not run. My goal is to do 1.5 miles in 8-9 minutes. I'm sitting at around 11.

My friend told me about negatives, so I'll try that when weight lifting.

 

[Luscious LeftFoot]

Hey guys, I'm in the process of creating a weekly routine but I would like some advice.

I want to exercise 4 times a week (Mon, Wed, Thur, Sat), and I've identified the following group of muscles I want to train: chest, arms, shoulders, core, back, legs.

The problem I have is trying to fit 6 muscle groups into 4 training sessions. It basically means I need to group 2 of them together. So far I've been grouping arms and shoulders together with good results. Does anyone have suggestions on how to sort out my routine?

I prefer an "ABAB" work-out (like in the OP) for a 4 day split. But depending on your routine, the standard grouping most people follow is.

Chest-Triceps
Back-Biceps
Shoulders (alt. triceps)
Legs-Core

 

[Idde]

Grrr...I finally deadlifted twice my bodyweight a couple of weeks ago, 330. I was totally pumped to go to the gym again. Then I sprained my wrist at MMA. Couldn't go to the gym for a week, the injury was almost over...and then I had to be all gallant and help a friend move a lot of tiles in her garden. Now my wrist is back to square one. Fuck I hate not being able to work out.

/rant...

@ PumpkinPie, awesome progress for a month

 

[Aurora]

Hey Fitness Gaf. I was hoping to get some advice about diets. At the moment I weigh 128lbs and am 5'6. I haven't had any gains in a while due to my poor diet. I was wondering how many calories I should be eating per day and the best foods to get said calories. I drink a whey protein shake after each workout btw.

Eat wholewheat pasta, peanut butter, milk, yoghurt, brown rice. They all have a tonne of calories and are super good for you, plus rich sources of protein as well.

I'm skinny like you and I'm on a bulking phase too. The trick is to never be hungry. Eat every 2 hours, even if it's some biscuits, a banana, a small sandwhich, whatever. You want your body to constantly be digesting food. And try and slowly increase the portion sizes so your stomach expands and therefore your appetite increases as a whole. Also, eat something before going to bed.

Hope this helps.

Edit: oh, and you should take a protein shake before as well as after a workout. Regarding number of calories, it depends on many factors but aim for 3,000 a day, more if you can, but certainly no less than 2,500.

 

[Aurora]

I prefer an "ABAB" work-out (like in the OP) for a 4 day split. But depending on your routine, the standard grouping most people follow is.

Chest-Triceps
Back-Biceps
Shoulders (alt. triceps)
Legs-Core

Hmm, I wouldn't have thought to give shoulders their own day. The most physically demanding for me is legs so it seems pretty hardcore to include core work with them.

I guess it's something I need to experiment with.

What do others think?

 

[Bad_Boy]

Eat wholewheat pasta, peanut butter, milk, yoghurt, brown rice. They all have a tonne of calories and are super good for you, plus rich sources of protein as well.

I'm skinny like you and I'm on a bulking phase too. The trick is to never be hungry. Eat every 2 hours, even if it's some biscuits, a banana, a small sandwhich, whatever. You want your body to constantly be digesting food. And try and slowly increase the portion sizes so your stomach expands and therefore your appetite increases as a whole. Also, eat something before going to bed.

Hope this helps.

This helps me as well, thanks. I just hope I can afford always eating. Lately I've just been eating a lot of steak, vegetables, and eggs. But I do get hungry between meals.

 

[Aurora]

This helps me as well, thanks. I just hope I can afford always eating. Lately I've just been eating a lot of steak, vegetables, and eggs. But I do get hungry between meals.

Well, if you buy the right stuff it really isn't that expensive. A pack of wholewheat pasta for example is easily enough for 4 meals (with meat and vegetables) and will cost like £1.80. For meat, you can get 1.5kg of chicken for under £10 and that will last you a week. Milk and yoghurt are super cheap and pack plenty of good calories, as does peanut butter. A bunch of 6 bananas should cost no more than £1 and that's 600 calories right there.

As well as those, I also buy oats from online nutrition stores. For around £10 I got 5kg of oats, which is the equivalent of almost 20,000 calories!

 

[Shamrock7r]

So I could use some advice. I am comfortable at my current strength level and looking to drop about 15 to 20 lbs. I have been trying to change my routine at the gym by supersetting (chest with bicep, back with tricep, shouldwe with legs) and running 10 - 15 min after the weighted workout. Is this the right way to go about things?

On another note, I am really stupid when it comes to nutrition and don't know what I should eat/avoid as far as trying to maintain my muscle mass but get rid of some body fat.

 

[Luscious LeftFoot]

Hmm, I wouldn't have thought to give shoulders their own day. The most physically demanding for me is legs so it seems pretty hardcore to include core work with them.

I guess it's something I need to experiment with.

What do others think?

Yeah, experiment to see what works best for you. Just remember arms and core are secondary to your main muscle groups (chest, back, legs, shoulders).

Stick 'em in where ever they fit within your routine.

 

[Carbonox]

Well, if you buy the right stuff it really isn't that expensive. A pack of wholewheat pasta for example is easily enough for 4 meals (with meat and vegetables) and will cost like £1.80. For meat, you can get 1.5kg of chicken for under £10 and that will last you a week. Milk and yoghurt are super cheap and pack plenty of good calories, as does peanut butter. A bunch of 6 bananas should cost no more than £1 and that's 600 calories right there.

As well as those, I also buy oats from online nutrition stores. For around £10 I got 5kg of oats, which is the equivalent of almost 20,000 calories!

What sort of chicken do you buy from supermarkets (if you shop there, as I do so will need to find decent stuff)?

 

[Aurora]

What sort of chicken do you buy from supermarkets (if you shop there, as I do so will need to find decent stuff)?

I buy chicken breast fillet. They always have some kind of deal on, usually 3 packs of 500g for £10. You can also find whole chicken for £5 which is good value but kind of awkward to cook and prepare. I prefer simplicity just so I have no excuse not to make something and eat.

Other good meats I buy are frankfurter sausages. They have a bit more fat but they are very cheap and super easy to prepare, plus high calories. Costs around £1.80 for a pack of 10, at 100 calories each sausage.

 

[balddemon]

That shouldn't be that difficult with adequate resting time. I'd say he should start using a weight belt. At least give 25 lbs a shot.

I went parallel, at least, every time. But yeah 3-5 minutes between each set, if not more. I was working overnight at the gym that night, so just cleaning stuff and not really a workout.

But I will try the weight belt tonight and see how it goes.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

Well, it's official, my back doesn't hurt anymore.

No clue what the hell happened in my back when I stepped over that bench to cause that pop and shock, but the pain is completely gone now. Just a "weird" feeling in my lat that was there before the back injury.

Good thing too, since today is back day.

 

[Enco]

I buy chicken breast fillet. They always have some kind of deal on, usually 3 packs of 500g for £10. You can also find whole chicken for £5 which is good value but kind of awkward to cook and prepare. I prefer simplicity just so I have no excuse not to make something and eat.

Other good meats I buy are frankfurter sausages. They have a bit more fat but they are very cheap and super easy to prepare, plus high calories. Costs around £1.80 for a pack of 10, at 100 calories each sausage.

Yikes, I would never buy any pre made sausages/burgers from supermarkets. It's a load of crap.

Chicken breast, beef and minced beef is all you need.

 

[Carbonox]

Yikes, I would never buy any pre made sausages/burgers from supermarkets. It's a load of crap.

Chicken breast, beef and minced beef is all you need.

These are the ones I like and are the most commonly found pre-packed frankfurters in UK supermarkets.

Despite that, I haven't actually eaten frankfurters in quite a long time.

EDIT: Thanks Aurora, next time I go to the supermarket I'll look at the breast fillets.

 

[Aurora]

Yikes, I would never buy any pre made sausages/burgers from supermarkets. It's a load of crap.

Chicken breast, beef and minced beef is all you need.

Carbonox_Ratchet linked to the frankfurters I was referring to. They're not bad as far as nutritional value goes.

 

[Carbonox]

For any Brits in the thread, Yeo Valley organic Greek-style honey yogurt is the tits. Can't get enough of the stuff. Great snack.

 

[PumpkinPie]

You look 10x better man, well done. All in one month. That's pretty darn good.

What was your routine like?

I don't really have a fixed routine, I work out at home as I'm self concious about being quite skinny. I usually do barbell curls, dumbell curls, incline chest presses, chin ups, chest fly, calf raises, hamstring curls, bench dips and squats. I don't have enough weights to do deadlifts

I think most of my results comes from eating, I haven't had any junk food, fizzy drinks, sweets etc... just good stuff. My diet is made up of:

cottage cheese
natural yoghurt
wholewheat pasta
wholewheat bread
eggs
tuna
chicken breast

That's it, that's all I eat every day, no cheating allowed. I do make up the extra calories with milk substitute so it comes to about 4500 calories and 200g-250g of protein. I find lifting the weights is easy, eating is harder.

 

[Yami]

Hit 90KG squat today for 5. Feels good man. Aiming for 100 in a few weeks. Been doing PHAT for a good number of weeks now, and increased my strength and number of reps by a decent amount in both upper body and lower body. Seeing good gains in my arms now for once haha. Used to dread doing upper body, but can't get enough of it now.

Also got my Casein today too, Orange Chocolate flavour. Can't wait to try this later, nom nom.

Off to uni soon so a change of gym is needed. Hoping my uni gym isn't going to be super packed all day, every day! Need my squats!

 

[MjFrancis]

Contrast Baths

You know your hands are getting worked up when you need a process such as this to facilitate recovery between training days.

 

[Enco]

Carbonox_Ratchet linked to the frankfurters I was referring to. They're not bad as far as nutritional value goes.

These are the ones I like and are the most commonly found pre-packed frankfurters in UK supermarkets.

Despite that, I haven't actually eaten frankfurters in quite a long time.

EDIT: Thanks Aurora, next time I go to the supermarket I'll look at the breast fillets.

I still wouldn't trust them :lol

I don't really have a fixed routine, I work out at home as I'm self concious about being quite skinny. I usually do barbell curls, dumbell curls, incline chest presses, chin ups, chest fly, calf raises, hamstring curls, bench dips and squats. I don't have enough weights to do deadlifts

I think most of my results comes from eating, I haven't had any junk food, fizzy drinks, sweets etc... just good stuff. My diet is made up of:

cottage cheese
natural yoghurt
wholewheat pasta
wholewheat bread
eggs
tuna
chicken breast

That's it, that's all I eat every day, no cheating allowed. I do make up the extra calories with milk substitute so it comes to about 4500 calories and 200g-250g of protein. I find lifting the weights is easy, eating is harder.

Props to you! Must take a lot to be so strict. I should tighten up my diet.

 

[kylej]

I don't really have a fixed routine, I work out at home as I'm self concious about being quite skinny.

Most people in every gym in your area are in a hell of a lot worse shape than you, dude. You shouldn't be self-conscious.

 

[Bad_Boy]

I wish i had a boxing gym near me. I'm fascinated by the hand speed, endurance and strength of the sport.

 

[Cudder]

One month tomorrow (since I decided to change myself)! I felt disappointed in myself last week as I didn't eat properly and I think it showed, normally I can see myself growing but I didn't see anything last week. Back on track now though.

14th August:

13th September:

Even though it's only small gains and only one month I feel impressed with myself that I've stuck with it and feel better physically and mentally. I've gone from 116lbs to 134lbs, it's the heaviest I've been in my whole life and even though it's mostly fat, I'm happy to be getting nearer to a 'normal' weight.

fuck dude, you gained that in a month? I've been going to the gym for around 3 months now and don't look anywhere near that. congrats!

 

[Aurora]

Most people in every gym in your area are in a hell of a lot worse shape than you, dude. You shouldn't be self-conscious.

I just want to echo this thought.

I was in the same boat as you and felt too shy about being so skinny. After a while I just said fuck it and went for it, signed up to the gym and never looked back. The gym is a thousand times better than anything you can do at home. You will see much bigger improvements in a smaller time frame. And you know what? Nobody in the gym gives a shit what you look like, they're all focused on doing their own thing. You will see guys with great bodies (which actually spurs me on) and guys in much worse shape than you.

Definitely join man, it's the best thing I did about my body.

 

[ezrarh]

I just want to echo this thought.

I was in the same boat as you and felt too shy about being so skinny. After a while I just said fuck it and went for it, signed up to the gym and never looked back. The gym is a thousand times better than anything you can do at home. You will see much bigger improvements in a smaller time frame. And you know what? Nobody in the gym gives a shit what you look like, they're all focused on doing their own thing. You will see guys with great bodies (which actually spurs me on) and guys in much worse shape than you.

Definitely join man, it's the best thing I did about my body.

This. Plus, if you need help on an exercise, people will be around to help usually. Just make sure you ask the right person and not the guy that's into broscience.

 

[Carbonox]

This. Plus, if you need help on an exercise, people will be around to help usually. Just make sure you ask the right person and not the guy that's into broscience.

I wish we had gyms like that here. The one I'm at, everyone keeps to themselves and appear very arrogant.

 

[heyf00L]

Yah, a gym with good equipment is essential.

The other thing that will help a lot is a buddy. Meeting someone will keep you motivated and allow you to go all out knowing he'll spot you.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

I need help adjusting my new routine. I'm only on my second week now, but I'm thinking of changing it up a bit. Really the only thing I'm aiming for is to do more of a full body/compound routine.

Right now it looks like this:

Mondays:

-frong squats
-stiff deadlifts
-incline bench press
-standing military press
-alternating single-arm dumbell cleans

Wednesdays:

-deadlifts
-power cleans
-pullups
-dumbell chest press
-dips

Fridays: Repeat Monday workout

I'm wondering if I should change it to this:

Mondays:

-deadlifts
-bent over rows
-pullups
-dumbell chest press
-dips

Wednesdays:

-front squats
-power cleans
-alternating single-arm db cleans
-incline bench press
-standing military press

Fridays: Repeat Monday routine

Which do guys prefer?

 

[shadowsdarknes]

I need help adjusting my new routine. I'm only on my second week now, but I'm thinking of changing it up a bit. Really the only thing I'm aiming for is to do more of a full body/compound routine.

Right now it looks like this:

Mondays:

-frong squats
-stiff deadlifts
-incline bench press
-standing military press
-alternating single-arm dumbell cleans

Wednesdays:

-deadlifts
-power cleans
-pullups
-dumbell chest press
-dips

Fridays: Repeat Monday workout

I'm wondering if I should change it to this:

Mondays:

-deadlifts
-bent over rows
-pullups
-dumbell chest press
-dips

Wednesdays:

-front squats
-power cleans
-alternating single-arm db cleans
-incline bench press
-standing military press

Fridays: Repeat Monday routine

Which do guys prefer?

That second routine looks like a bitch. Damn. I'm not sure which I prefer personally, just wanted to comment how dead you must be by the end of the week.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

One month tomorrow (since I decided to change myself)! I felt disappointed in myself last week as I didn't eat properly and I think it showed, normally I can see myself growing but I didn't see anything last week. Back on track now though.



Even though it's only small gains and only one month I feel impressed with myself that I've stuck with it and feel better physically and mentally. I've gone from 116lbs to 134lbs, it's the heaviest I've been in my whole life and even though it's mostly fat, I'm happy to be getting nearer to a 'normal' weight.

That's badass. Keep it up!