
Goal: To achieve a ripped physique (roughly 10% bf i think if i had to put a number on it), im not really interested in building too much mass at this point... as being lean and ripped will benefit me as i compete in martial arts. Im all about performance and health, trying to maximize my performance while keeping my health.
A little background information on me:
I started out around 225 at my heaviest back in april of 2009 (age:17) with a height probably around 5'8-5'9. I had reached my absolute breaking point and i realized how i was throwing my life down the drain. I made the change in my diet eating a "healthy" version of an omnivore diet (complex carbs, lean meats, veggies, and fruit) with no junk food whatsoever. Note: exercise at this point in my journey was not regular but diet (did not cut calories either) was followed. Around a year later i had lost close to 30lbs weighed around 190-195lbs, and i started to become more consistent with my exercise routine (2-3 times per week). Did alot of research on health and wellness over this period of time because i was breezing with the weight loss and realized how important diet was to my success (since i barely exercised). Stumbled upon veganism and read Skinny Bastard + China Study, and overnight I had made the switch (June 2010). 3 months on the vegan diet and i went from 190ish to 165ish easily (my fitness skyrocketed btw). (August 2011) a little over a year as a vegan, i weighed 155lbs(still pudgy lol) and reached an all time high with my fitness level (boxing and training in martial arts daily). Jump to (September 2011) just coming off a martial arts tournament in which i had dehydrated myself 10lbs to make weigh and felt abosulutly terrible in because of the cut, i was out muscled by a smaller opponent and lost a decision...(i took the loss very hard because of my competetive nature, and was bumbed because i could hold my own strength wise with guys weighing 200+lbs in practice). Post fight i talked with my coaches, teamates and family and was encouraged/pressured to start eating meat again to build strength (i refused chicken and beef simply because i do not agree with the factory farming + hormones, ect that goes into the meat) and i began eating fish a few times a week. I started doing construction a week later and figured i could consume more food and (build muscle) i ballooned up to 183lbs (october 2011) and had lost all motivation to workout. Fell into a bit of depression not having the time to do what i love (martial arts), watching my fitness and hard work slip away from me + getting fatter. I ended up quitting my job (november 2011) started training again while following the same diet plan (fish but no dairy) and lost some pounds (floating at around 175lbs until the new year. Enter 2012 i said wtf am i doing eating this crap... i feel so much better on a vegan diet so all through january i went back to my old ways eating healthy vegan food as much as i desired. February 1st i decided to cut my calories and reach new heights as far a bodyfat % goes and regain what i once had and beyond

A serious ramble and i must note that i am completly ashamed of myself for eating fish for those couple of months... with that being said in a way im happy i did because ive reinforced how ridiculously powerful veganism truly is... while eating the fish my energy dropped and i was feeling really crappy.
anyway ive been cutting my bodyfat since february 1st and decided to start documenting with pictures and a journal for motivation and accoutablitily about a week ago (Feb 12 2012- Week 2)
my stats:
age: 20
height: 5'10.5
weight: 163 now... was (170 Feb 1st 2012)
lastly im going to post my progress and program in the next few posts (i hope this is not a problem since i just want to keep it oragnized and im not trying to spam in any way)