DRAVEN: Don't worry, a bodybuilding regimen IS what I was originally looking for. Since Mr. Stone dropped by, I happened to change it. It was a coincidence that he came by offering non-bodybuilding advice and that at the same time, I had checked my body fat percentage and decided to focus more on trimming up than bulking up.
My goal has changed, which means my lifting has changed. I now am doing lower weight to do higher reps. I realized that this was the right idea when my right side fatigued much faster than my left side (left finger is busted, so I was on a low-weight high-rep regimen for that side to prevent atrophy, but kept lifting with the right side). After boot camp I'll have much more time to build because I'll have no deadline to meet (I have a boot camp deadline, so I was worried and trying to pack on as much as I could), so all will be well.

I agree with you about the 1g of protein per pound of body weight. I had not heard that, either, but I think what Mr. Stone was saying was that I should consume 1g per pound of LEAN body weight. If he didn't say it, someone else somewhere else did, and it sounded like it made some sense to do it that way.

I have since picked up a protein supplement called Muscle Milk, which tastes great and...you know, maybe I'll make a new thread so I can tell everyone.

Oh, as for the bodybuilding diet, I already knew that but thank you for reminding me. It's good to be reminded of that to put things in perspective. :nods:

I don't use any protien shakes at all and I'm bigger then some that stuff them down there throat three to four times a day.
The protein shakes I use for two reasons:

1. Natural protein is great, but I don’t always have access to it (I’m at work 10 hours a day). This way I can get my protein in. Natural is best, but it’s better to have some form of protein than none at all, I’m sure you’d agree.
2. I have this before I go to bed to prevent my body from eating my muscle since this is a complex protein (casein)...learned that here in the forums

If I had it my way, I’d be able to eat meat, egg whites, and have at all the milk I want.

Since you first mentioned it, I cut back my protein intake and I don’t feel weighed down. I drank a lot of water anyway but I could feel that it wasn’t always getting absorbed...I’m not sure how. It’d feel like a rock in my stomach or something, and no, I didn’t overeat. Now, I feel as if it metabolizes a lot easier. I get hungrier faster, too. I have also lost 4 pounds since starting this endurance training + lower cal diet + Hydroxycut, so now I’m back to my enlistment weight, which is 2 pounds under the max. I would like to lose at least 11 more pounds, which is absolutely do-able since while I was on my weight-loss diet using only diet and exercise (no supplements or fat loss pills), I lost 11 pounds per month. Since I have 8 weeks, I figure I can lose at LEAST 11 more pounds, which would put me at 150 and that would be the lowest I could ever remember being. Best case scenario: I lose more fat and end up at 145 with a body fat percent between 18-20 (although my goal is 15%, I’m not sure how realistic that is to achieve in 8 weeks...do you happen to know?).

Thanks.
Is there a way to calculate how many inches you lose to equate to your body fat loss?

Pfft, figures.

A former seaman was telling me about when he enlisted in the Navy. He had gotten his BF checked via water displacement and was 6-7%.
He goes to basic, and he's overweight (muscular) so they have to tape him.
They said he was like 30% bodyfat!

Guess I'll go displace some water.