Well, a mini-biography as pertaining to this site would be something like:

I've always been a medium build. Several years ago I started putting on weight very rapidly because of my diet. I have since mended my ways only to become quite compulsive about my activities and diet.

When I was reaching 180 lbs, I made a life-style choice to change my ways. I started eating healthy. I eliminated all processed foods, red meat, fast food and almost all saturdated fats. I became too healthy, too extreme. I didn't eat enough and I worked out too much.

I started exercising like a mad-man. Weights, running, basketball, and biking. It was not uncommon for me to do two of these activities in one day. The 1200 calories were not enough for my body size and activity level. I was probably burning half of what I took in.

Within several months I destroyed all of my muscle and fat by not taking in enough calories. I dropped to 135 lbs. I was proud at first, but this was prior to me gaining any knowledge on how to really live a healthy life-style.

Since that time I have been fighting to put muscle mass back on. I've upped my calorie count significantly (between 2,200-3,000 per day), but I don't feel that I can let go of the "diet mentality" that I beat into my head when I was losing weight. My weight has gone back up to around 155 lbs on average. I have put on a lot of the muscle that I lost. To be frank, I'm almost satisfied with where I am. I look healthy again (not too skinny) and I am defined and toned.

Still, I'm having problems with burning that remaining 1-2 lbs of fat off of my lower two abs probably because of the starvation response in my body... but I'm not sure about that. 

So, this is currently where I am: I'm wondering how and what I have to do to get rid of the little bit of remaining fat that I have and I'm striving to hit my goal weight of 175 lbs, pure muscle.

I just don't know if I'm not hitting it because I'm over active, not eating enough, a combination of both, or I'm just destined to stay around 155 lbs.

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As of 4/20/07 Patrick is:

5'11"
158 lbs.
22 BMI (healthy = 20-24)
Body Fat via Tape Measurements: 6%(+/-3%, most likely plus)
Average Daily Calorie Intake: 2,500-3,000
Average Daily Protien Intake: 155-165 grams
Average Daily Carbohydrate Intake: 300-310 grams
Average Daily Fat Intake: 40-50 grams
Heavy Weight Lifting Days per Week: 3
Light Weights per Week: 2 (abs)
Cardio Days per Week: 1