image | Project Bulk

Day 189 - front

Weight: 137.8 lbs.
Workout C: 20 minutes, 25 seconds; next: Workout C, March 11
Total inches: 124.5
Protein: 131 g (1 g over target)
Calories: 2,302

Others could see it.

But for me, it took months. Six months.

It’s not like I couldn’t see myself. I saw the photos I took of myself daily. I see myself looking down, or in the mirror. Not a moment I’m awake that I don’t see some part of myself.

Yet, the transformations were so subtle, and my self-perception so ingrained, that I had trouble detecting any changes.

I would spend 15 minutes in photo software comparing Day 1 and the current day’s photo, putting them side by side, zooming in, overlaying them. I saw nothing.

I felt cheated.

But in looking at the Day 1 vs. Day 181 photos, I saw a better physique from the front and the side. And in cropping and sizing more than 200 photos for the special 6-month video, I again picked up on what I had difficulty noticing for months.

I feel elated.

My body looks stronger, is stronger. The measurements are good across the board. My only challenge now is to reduce my body fat percentage to a healthy level.

I can continue without worry because this is part of my lifestyle. I wonder what I’ll look like in another 6 months …

Day 189 - side

Weight: 131.6 lbs.
Workout A: 17 minutes, 20 seconds; next: Workout B on Nov. 27
Total inches: 121.1
Protein: 125 g (0 g over target)
Calories: 1,994

I ran into the Piggly Wiggly the other day to replenish my milk. This is one of my many trips to get either more bananas or more milk for protein shakes.

In the checkout line, my pal David saw me and said hello. Or more specifically, “Well, if it isn’t Mr. Bulk.”

Ha! (I’ve been called far worse things in my life.)

I am known for a lot of wildly different reasons: my haiku, my love of Birmingham, my snark, my blogging and social media wizardry and so on. But with minor effort in a short period of time (fewer than 40 posts in about 10 weeks), I changed how some people perceive me.

Surprising, to me at least. But fun and flattering, too.

I really set out to change my perception of me. Build muscle and at the same time build self-confidence.

David probably hasn’t read every single post. But he did see some of my daily updates on Facebook. And took a peek at least a couple of posts or photos. That was enough to “rebrand” my image in his mind.

My results haven’t been dramatic, especially considering the other bloggers I know who have lost significant pounds over the years. But my consistency in posting and promotion gave me an edge.

It’s not important that others know exactly where I am in my project, but I’m pleased to know they’re aware of it. The foot in the door is getting harder to place with so many distractions for people.

My perception of me is evolving. And apparently, people are paying attention.