Weight and Resistance Training - BFL/BB #73 - week of 20 Oct 2002

Happy Monday to all!!!

For those of you who are wondering WHERE THE HECK I HAVE BEEN ALL WEEKEND :cool: well, it's been a very very busy weekend!!

Working backwards...first of all...I AM NO LONGER WITHOUT WHEELS!!! Yep - I got myself a brand spankin' new vehicle!!! A 2003 VW Jetta. This is my very first new car (oh, yeah, we did buy the Dakota new but I never drive it). VW has a super deal right now - zero cash down on 2003 Jetta leases. Jim kind of had a coronary when I told him I was thinking of leasing - his idea is that you should buy the car and then hang onto it for dear life. All well and good when you're referring to trucks since they are supposed to take a lot of punishment (he uses the truck for his bass equipment) but I don't consider vehicles 'investments'. Now I can use my bonus next month (yep we still are getting bonuses) to pay some bills and enter my first horse show on the 8th of December! I'm really looking forward to that. :)

On Saturday after my riding lesson (which ROCKED - they seem to get better every week!) Dee Dee and I talked about the horse show coming up in December. Classes cost $8 to enter which is cheap - the real cost involved is hauling the horse over to the site, which is $175 round trip. It would be great if another student wants to show Freight (the horse I've been riding) as we can split the cost of hauling. Dee also mentioned to me that the owners of Norman - a 6-year-old purebred Arabian gelding who is a lovely dapple grey - are interested in part-leasing him. I would love to do that but first need to see where I stand after committing to the Jetta!

Free Day - jeez - I was so busy this weekend I barely thought of Free Day - got a burrito and ate like 1/2 of it. On the way back from the car dealer, we stopped at Yumi and each got a small frozen yogurt cone :)

Gotta run now - in less than two weeks I'm flying to London and I've got a TON of stuff to do between now and then! I'll post more after work...

Hello girls,

Happy Monday to you all....

Wow Mrs. J. your w/e was extremely busy... and your next month or so seems to be also... Good for you it will keep you out of trouble...lol....

My w/e was quiet... and I wasn't good food wise.... today either...
someone put some Wether's candy on my desk this AM before I got to work and I proceeded to eat them ALL... But the rest of my day was clean and I had a great shoulder and ab workout this AM...

Tonite we are having salad and stew that I made and I make it pretty plain because the kids don't like anything hidden in gravy...

Tonite I will go for a walk and I will do better tomorrow....

Buhbye for now...

Just a quick note before dinner, then I'll update longer later--

Mrs. Jim--Congrats on the new car! I have a 2000 VW Jetta TDI that I adore to high heaven. I've driven across the country in it on four separate occasions and haven't had major trouble at all! It's so comfy and you can get tons of stuff into it. Such a good choice.

Jan--congrats on your progress so far. I remember thinking the same thing about changes in my body when I'd take pictures. Just keep hanging in there and working hard, there's no secret to it or magic, just hard work, sweat, and good clean food. Just think about two more months how long that list of positives will be!!

Off to eat flank steak and a potato.
Maggie

Hey guys,

I had a busy weekend also. The fun run went really well and it wasn't too difficult either because I ran it with a friend. It was such a beautiful day as well and the run was along the edge of the harbour with gorgeous views. I saw 2 movies on the weekend as well and we went out to the markets to look at birds because hubby wants a cockatiel. On Saturday night I went to a hens night which was average but at least the food was Japanese so it was great. We even had to take our shoes off at the entrance to the restuarant which was weird.

I am feeling much better this week and well rested. I am taking this week off plan and am starting another 8 weeks with CPB next week. I got my bodyfat tested on the weekend and it came in at 25%. Not bad considering that I started at somewhere above 44% (I didn't get it tested until 5 weeks in) I am hoping that Pam can drag me down to 15% - which is where I want to get to. I had a long think about it over the weekend and decided to make this my priority again. I have dropped a class at grad school, cut back on social events, cancelled my holiday for Dec and decided to give up free day. I really want to wear a bikini for summer this year. They are some the decisions I made on the weekend. I was starting to get upset because it seemed like I was never going to reach my goals so I needed to do something about it.

Hopefullly, no definately ... I will be around more this week!

JC

PS thanks for all of your support last week.

Mrs J: Congrats on the new wheels!

Congrats on the new car Karen - those Jetta's are very cute.

Lana - I am with you on getting more vegetables in. That is a struggle, I think maybe I need to have crudites on hand and have those with every meal I eat at home. I know I need more fiber in my diet. I did make a delicious curried cauliflower this weekend. I can post the recipe if anyone is interested. It has a sauce made with plain yogurt and it is a good side with chicken, almost gravy like.

Mel - I'm 48 too. Celebrated my friend's 50 b'day at my house on Sat. night. About 3 in my circle of friends will turn 50 in 2003. We are kind of amazed and stunned by this!

Jan, well. I'm right behind you. I still am wondering what to expect out of this process. I agree that there are many things that are very good so far. The posts at L&S, and here, keep me motivated and convinced that we are on the right track.

My new weight bench should arrive one evening this week. I'm looking forward to that. I need to find a source for purchasing an olympic bar. The sporting goods store where I bought the bench only sells it as part of a set with 300 lbs. of weights. I don't think I need all that weight and would prefer to buy it piecemeal. Any suggestions for a source?

I also bought glutamine powder tonight. The instructions say to take a heaping tsp. in water after working out and another tsp. 2 hrs. later. Is that what you guys do?

ledom: I take a heaped teaspoon in the morning and again after my workout if I am particularly sore. If not I just take it once. I don't take it everyday - only when I really need it - usually around 3-4 times a week.

HTH

JC

Good morning!
Just wanted to drop in and say hello.

Lanaii--Keep your head up and your eyes on the goal. You can do it!

JC--I'm sure Pam can get you to where you want to be. 15% is my ultimate goal as well, and I hope to reach it in a way where I can maintain it easily and not have it be a one-day thing where I take a picture and then it's gone, do you know what I mean? My body seems to be really comfy at about 18-19% and doesn't like to think about giving up any more...

Ledom--There's a great website at http://power-systems.com that sells tons and tons of exercise equipment for home/commercial use. I buy almost all of my PT equipment here and have been happy with the prices and customer service. They definitely sell Olympic bars individually but you'd have to pay shipping. I don't know if you live in a bigger city or not but you can often find individual bars at fitness stores, not sporting good stores.

About glutamine--I hate having to mix it in water in order to take it. I usually spoon some out, drop it into my mouth, and then take a drink of water really quickly. It's kind of yucky that way, but easier in my opinion. It's tasteless and dissolves really quickly and easily. I usually take 3 servings a day, right when I get up, after my workout (no matter how long I've been up), and then right before bed.

Another plug for glutamine--I cut my face this weekend and debated about going to the emergency room for stitches. The bleeding stopped really quickly, though, so I didn't go. I am amazed at how quickly it is healing. I really do think the glutamine has something to do with it. I hope that my muscles recover and heal as quickly as this cut has!

What kind of weight bench did you end up getting?

Okay, I'm off to the gym for a hamstring/back workout!
Take care everyone.
Maggie

Hi everyone! Hopefully today won't be as nutty as yesterday - hard to believe that my London trip is in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. Aacck...

Susan - forgot to mention this but Jim passed his Class M with FLYING COLORS. Only missed one of the trick questions the California DMV is so well known for - goes something like this:

What is the major cause of motorcycle accidents?

1) Speed
2) Alcohol
3) Road conditions

Well Jim picked #1 but the answer was #2. (personally I think that the REAL answer wasn't listed: "Stupidity" :lol: )

Maggie - another good place to buy weight equipment (like I would know, I don't have a place to put it!) is eBay. I have seen some REALLY killer deals. Or just check out the Penny Saver (or whatever you call the 'free classified ads' that get dumped in your mailbox every couple of days). Jim's new favorite place to hunt for stuff: Craigslist.com - I don't know if it's just a Bay Area site but it's a great place to buy/sell/connect with people (I sold my old BMW through CraigsList and Jim found his drummer and guitarist through an ad he placed there as well).

So many people with good intentions buy home workout equipment...and end up not using it...then selling it for very cheap prices. Their loss is your gain! :)

As far as taking glutamine - I can't do the dry powder in the mouth and swig it down - I just mix it in a small glass of water, swish it around, gulp it down, then put some more water in the glass, swish and gulp (to get the residue). I'm with JC - I don't take it every day - and usually only once a day unless I'm really sore or know I will be (like today since I had a killer leg workout!).

Back to work - everyone have a good day :)

Oh yeah baby! Just tried your baked yam w/ cc, cinammon, splenda, and a splash of vanilla Karen. I get it - simple and delicious! A new staple in my arsenal.

Mox, thanks for info regarding equipment and glutamine. My first stop might be a pawn shop or two in search of the bar. Oh, by the way - that was a great website that I have bookmarked for later. I'll list details of the bench later when I have specs in front of me, I'm still learning terms. I paid about $200 for it. I hope that I bought the right one - I think so though it certainly isn't the heavy duty quality you see in gyms. But then again, in a way I will be sorry to retire my simple little bench that I paid around $35 for at least 20 yrs. ago. This one has more stuff, but will also take up more room.

Adios - more later.

Karen, is your yam recipe in the recipe file?

CONGRATS to Jim on his m/c passing! I did have to take the CA written tests to change my license when I came here. The auto one was a breeze but the m/c one was full of trick questions as you say...it was like...WHAT??????????? when they gave me the answers. My husband, riding 30 years, failed the m/c written test the first time in CA. sheeshers.

CONGRATS on the car. I love Jettas. I haven't had a new car since 1996 (when I went back to school) and before that I traded in every 3-4 years. I am so looking forward to a new car a year from now.

JEC: I am restarting my sprint (as of yesterday). From now til Christmas with thanksgiving as a free day and another day or two but not one every week.

Moxie: thanks for the exercise equip link. I think that when I move to Dallas I will be able to have a really great exercise room.
Right now I'm scattered all over the house. I have been looking for a Universal Leg Press (horizontal with the weight stack on the side so you can change weights without getting up off the floor) for years now. One of these days I will find it.

Everyone is doing well! I cooked all my food on Sunday and restarted 100% yesterday and it's so hard to restart. I ate completely clean and worked out. I cannot believe the progress I lost in 3 weeks. It's horrible. Well, back in the saddle (so to speak). Maybe I need riding lessons. :lol: I start back to middle of the night workouts in a couple of days. Hope I get swimming and yoga in there as well. :)

Thanks everyone for being here.
Susan

Susan

SOOO Susan you're moving to Texas for sure huh? I've never been there but it's most definitely Horse Country. When are you moving? I'll be in Vacaville (most likely) December 8th for the horseshow...

Hey guys,

Great to see that everyone is doing well! :D Last night a friend of mine Jayne (Jaylizbet on L&S) dragged me along to a belly dancing class! It was so much fun. I even didn't mind staring at myself in the mirror for an hour!

Susan: Glad to hear that you are back on track! Pam has me for the next 8 weeks up until Christmas again to get me to 15%. I am really really hoping that I can get there!

Take care everyone!

JC

I seem to have turned into a lurker. Very busy doing I'm not sure what- bosses are on vacation so I'm running the company this week and rebuilding the website.

I'm also really hungry most of the time and the only time I don't think about food is when I'm working out! I'm reassessing how much lower I really want to go in terms of body fat. I don't like my midsection and there's still a little extra on the inner thigh- but damn I'm hungry! But I gotta say, my shoulders and chest and arms look pretty awsome. I just need to find a way to wear nothing but strapless gowns!

JC and Susan I admire your new dedication. No free anything is really hard. I've fallen flat on my face twice since starting it almost 8 weeks ago. Also not really seen the progress I expected, but then again I never do. Didn't help to eat a whole 1/2 gal of ice cream one weekend.

Karen- Enjoy your car! That was one I really wanted to test drive but hubby has decreed NO MORE EUROPEAN CARS! So it's Hondas and Toyotas for us. I love my Honda, but the Jettas looked so cool...we've had lemon disasters with volvos, saabs and one insanely purchased bmw. They probably weren't lemons (well, the saab was) but they just cost so darn much to fix and he's also a drive it forever type. So the fixes do get pricey.

Hope everyone is doing well and is back on track if derailed,

mel

MrsJim: Yes, I am moving to Dallas. Before the offer, Michael and I had been spinning in circles about where to live. The northern CA economy is so bad and we've been broke for a long time. I wanted to go back to NYC and he wants to stay in a more rural/suburban area. We were thinking we would be a bicoastal couple with me in NYC and him in CA. We knew it would be difficult and expensive. We also thought of Florida and NYC. He wants a more moderate climate than the northeast and a less urban place where he can fish (bass fishing is his thing). Because the firm has offices in Dallas and NYC I'll be back and forth for a year or two and be able to be mostly in the NYC office after that but still have business in Dallas. Dallas is so much cheaper than east or west coast that we can better afford 2 places if one is in texas. So this way we both will have what we want. We'll have a place outside Dallas, on a lake, and an apartment in the city. Then when I go to NY we'll have an apt in NY and the house on the lake in Texas. Even though I wanted an all NYC job, this actually works out quite well for us.

Mel: You and I are a lot alike with progress. When I was in MA and holed up in a hotel, I ate candy out of the vending machine and I NEVER eat candy. Of course, it will take me 6 weeks to lose a few inches but I swear I gained 5 lbs the first night I was around that vending machine. I find that free days can trigger all kinds of stuff and I am just going to do what I did at the beginning of the last sprint....keep them for only the times when I'm coming off the walls. Once I'm eating clean, I'm not hungry and have lots of energy and I think that free day can disrupt it and leave me grump. I notice that I'm less hungry than I was yesterday and expect that to continue until I feel "well". Before I got sick and Michael was assaulted, I was so into the whole exercise thing and I WANT that motivation back!!!! My motivation right now is the New Years Resolution crowd...I dont' want to be one of them. I've been there too many years....:(

Off to have meal 4 and study.
Take care everyone!
Susan

Moxiegirl – I know what you mean by having it for one day and then losing it. I definitely don’t want that to happen. I want to be able to stay at 15% once I get there.

Mel: I am giving the no-free day a try but haven’t done it before so we will have to see. I know that it will be hard but I am trying to focus on the bigger picture more. I really really want to get my bodyfat down now. It’s becoming frustating.

Susan: It sounds strange but I never really get motivation from anywhere – I just tell myself that something has to be done and I find a way of getting done. Thank goodness I am not a procrastinator otherwise I would be a very unhappy chickie!

JC

I know Mel and JC know this but it is SO THRILLING to see that Tall Jen (TJ) at L&S is GETTING HITCHED! And what a gorgeous couple they make...check out the photos in the L&S Playspace! TJ doesn't post here but I know she pops in to lurk once in awhile - and remember...I always recommend to newbies that they check out her weekday Menu Thread at the main board there to get menu ideas...

JC/Mel/Susan - I'm in the same boat you are - as far as being a slow loser. One of the things I've learnt over the past 12 years (going from 265 pounds to whereever the heck I am now - dunno since I have BANISHED the scale) is that, like the tortise and the hare, SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE. I always recommend losing fat slowly...for me, I get to a level, then hold it for awhile (so my body gets adjusted to the 'new' setpoint) then lose a bit more, then maintain, and so on. I don't know if this is a totally scientific way to do things but it works for me - and was one of the main reasons (along with $$$) I decided not to compete. Funky Diva at L&S (yes, JC, she is one of my idols as well) said it all so well in a post about Post-Show Body Rebound at the Competitors board at L&S:
Well, I'm back on a healthy nutritional plan, with a *scheduled* cheat meal each week . I've set new goals, I'm lifting heavy again (well, as heavy as one can lift without a spotter), the water bloat has subsided, and...

I'm fat. Really no nice way of puttin' it. I'm about the same size, so I'm not growin' outta my new jeans or anything, but I jiggle again. My "look-good-naked" factor has diminished considerably, with remarkably great haste! Wow, a week of semi-sloppy, semi-healthy eating and BAMMM!!! Belly flab!

Someone neglected to tell me about fat-cell memory! Seriously, I've actually heard a little about this rebound phenomenon, so I'm trying to keep it all in perspective, and see it for the temporary condition that it is.

Who else has experienced this? When did it level out for you? What have you done to balance it out?

My ultimate physique goals have yet to be met. I started BfL 1.5 years ago in a virtually atrophied state (okay, so that's an exxageration) and so I'm being patient (sorta) with my muscle growth. I don't have pumpkin shoulders, nor do I have a great outer sweep and striated glutes. But I will! And I want this ideal physique every single day, not just for one day after carb depleting/loading, dehydrating my body, and all sorts of unhealthy tricks to make myself "look" conditioned on stage. I want to be able to enjoy my best body every day, without this kinda fat-fluctuation.

On me, body fat isn't just this nice, soft little layer barely covering yet not smothering the firm, underlying muscle tissue and it's beautiful curves. No, no such luck. It's lumpy, dimpled, concentrated in blobs, and it moves as if it has a life of its own. So it's hard for me to accept that this -- regardless of my progress from the start -- is as good as it gets. The way I looked on stage a couple of weeks ago still isn't my penultimate goal for my permanent physique. I want to be healthy-looking, not stringy in parts and flabby in others. Can ya blame a girl for havin' a dream?

At this point, my perspective on this competition dieting stuff is that it's a glorified diet roller-coaster. And today, I'm thinking I just got off my life-long yo-yo, I don't want to get back on. The competition, from the start, was a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. If this is the aftermath every time -- well, that may be the end of my competition trek.

I'd love to compete again, but I want to attain my ultimate physique permanently. If competition prep will become a deterrent to that, I don't know if it's worth the risk.

Diva said what I had a hard time expressing...to work so hard and make so many sacrifices for ONE DAY is just too much for me. Not to mention the fact that the inevitable weight gain (I kind of slacked off after the July Lift for the Cure myself) would end up TOTALLY depressing me - probably causing me to eat and getting me back into that endless circle that I have struggled so many years to escape. But being told I could NEVER again have chocolate...or bread...or whatever...just doesn't work for me - only makes me want it more. For me one of the main selling points for BFL was the FREE DAY...because for me FREE DAY (please don't call it Cheat Day!!!) means that there are NO deprivations...and if I'm busy on Sunday (now that I have my new wheels I will be at the stables every weekend probably!) I sometimes have to REMIND myself that it's Free Day - that actually happened this week. We were driving back home from the dealership in Redwood City...and I remembered AHA! I was going to have a frozen yogurt cone!! Jim was following me in the truck so I signaled when we got close to Yumi and we stopped...but all I wanted was a small cone (I usually get a big ol' Waffle Cone on Free Day). ANYway...Pam did respond to Diva's post with the following:
Unfortunately, I go through this every time!!

I don't have any answers here... but I do know this... everytime I do this I learn more and more about what my body can and can't handle. I know that when you get so lean and so dehydrated, your body is going to respond by throwing you the other way temporarily. I know that the more fat you have to quickly take off, the faster the weight gain comes on after contest. [b]I know that I continually strive to have the "look" I have at Lift for the Cure, healthy, muscular, but not ripped. It's tough to attain this "look" post competition... but that's what I strive for. I want to keep that bodyfat % year round and then diet down for contest for only 6 - 10 weeks.

I'm definately no expert in this area as I struggle myself. I look at each experience as an experiment with my body... to find out how to treat it and how it responds. I've learned so much from these competitions about what I can and can't do. But I still have a lot more to learn.

I've learned that 5 competitions in one year is not good for my body... I'll only do 2 maximum per year.
I've learned that cheese is not a good post contest food! My digestive system just won't process all of that!
I've learned that the more sugar I eat, the more sugar I want!!
I've learned that when I eat poorly I feel sick and everything else is not as much fun.
I've learned that almost everyone goes through this post contest weight gain and if you can get through the mental anguish, the rest is easy.
I've learned that you can't cry about it, your body responds how your body responds and you just have to buckle down and set new goals.

So am I going to compete again? I sure am! I love the feeling of striving for the impossible dream! I love the display of hard earned muscle and the stories of sacrifice that are told backstage. I love to inspire, to motivate, to move the average Joe from being a couch potato to being a motivated, healthy, fit individual. I love to be able to tell my story and see the light turn on in people's eyes. The competitive bodybuilding stage opens so many doors that I once thought were closed.


Hey JC - Can't I be a Motivated Procrastinator?? :lol:

Mel - That's one of the reasons I opted to lease over buying. Besides I also have the maintenance contract so no worries about all that. Basically after 4 years - in my experience - is when a car starts turning to S**t and costing a fortune to maintain. My boss has a BMW - every time she takes it in for routine scheduled maintenance, it ends up costing $2000 - they always seem to find something ELSE wrong with it! Sheesh...

Hey Karen - yeah that was a great thread and I really related to the Diva and Pam. I feel the same way - I don't want to get to my ideal for one day - I want to get there and stay there.

I have made a BIG decision! I am not stepping on the scale for the next 8 weeks! (Which reminds me that I need to remove it from my bathroom.) It's not that it dictates my mood or stops me but I just want to work really hard for a while and not measure or weigh in or anything like that. I just want to focus on me and how I feel inside and spend more time listening and learning from my body. I feel that I can do that better if I don't have other tools to gauge against. It's a big step though along with no free day but I think that I can do it!

I hope all is well with everyone else.

Mel: I swear you crack me up everyday wih your posts on leanandstrong - you are so funny chickie!

JC

Yeah, that was a depressing thread from Diva- I read it at the time. Her description of her fat sounds like mine. It's not a nice smooth coating!

JC- Good luck on banning the scale. You seem to have abetter attitude towards it than me. Every time I make that resolution it lasts about 4 days. At least now I know when NOT to weigh myself.

off to bed, after more glutamine! I really did have an awsome arm workout today! Did bench dips to failure with a 50 pound sack of sand on my thighs :o Managed about 25 of them before I decided to ditch the sand. It was weird thinking that a year and a half ago, I had that much more fat on me.

mel

I'm enjoying reading all your posts. So much wisdom.

I had a good "free day" as in I felt indulged but not out of control. I don't know if I'm gertting a cold or something but for the last three days I've been feeling so, so weak and really tired...

Still working out and eating well, though.

Well wishes to all,

Jan

Sounds like everyone has had a busy week! Me included. Looking forward to my day of rest tomorrow.

I'm happy to report that I have made it through the first 4 weeks and am still going strong. It feels so good to be sticking with the program.

My workout bench will not arrive until Monday, but that is just in time to start a new group of exercises for the next 4 weeks.

Now from what I read, between weeks 10 and 12 is when I MIGHT expect to see some dramatic changes? I see little changes but I am so anxious for BIG changes. I love looking at the transformations at L&S, it helps me along. I know in the past a few of you have posted the web addresses where your before and afters can be viewed. I'd love it if you'd post a link again, I can only access the transformation pages from my computer at work. Mel, didn't you have something up a while back?

A collective sigh of relief that the snipers are behind bars and WColleen I bet you are enjoying a sense of freedom now that they have been caught.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

We all seem to be quieter than usual....
I've had a good eating week and workout week. Pam put me on a really strict menu for the last week of my 8 weeks, and it's been tough, I was hungry, BUT I'm getting results!!!! Yipee! First time I've actually lost any scale weight in almost 10 months!

Ledom- You are doing great! Everyday you stick to this program is its own reward. I didn't lose any scale weight during any of my challenges until now, but I started a lot lower than you. What did change was the composition of my body. In my first challenge, I went from 29% bf to 21-22% without the scale moving at all. So I was building a tremendous amount of muscle while burning the same weight in fat. And it wasn't until week 12 or even my "rest" week that I really saw a different body shape. I like to call it rest week, because to me free week implies a week-long binge, which is totally counter-productive! For me, that was the kind of behavior I had to unlearn, so condoning it is a real bad idea. I haven't posted any pictures from my endless C3-C4 and camp Pb yet, but my C2 pics were posted June 22 if that helps when you scroll thru the transformation gallery. I hope to get some new pics up after this weekend.

JanCan- Hope you are feeling better. Are you taking a good multivitamin? I was really draggy for about a week a few weeks ago and had bloodwork done for other reasons, and my doc called to tell me I was anemic. I guess a steady diet of chicken and lean fish doesn't get enough iron into the system! Iron is not a supp that you want to pop indiscriminantly, but something to think about if you are constantly feeling weak and draggy without really being sick.

So where are you all????

Hope all is going well for everybody. This weekend ds is going to a boy scout camporee in the pouring rain, so I expect Sunday night to be "deal with mud" laundry orgy. And I'm going to visit my brother, SIL, nephew, 2 epileptic golden retrievers and mother and step father who have flown in from Colorado. Eating should be a real challenge. The only salvation is that my step-father is allergic to all milk, wheat and corn products, so he eats as weird as I do. And carts around coolers of clean food, too. We had a lot of funny conversations when we were in France together last summer trying to explain at restaraunts that we couldn't eat croissants for breakfast- did they have any fish and fruit? LOL- they thought the Americans were nuts. Luckily we speak good enough French that they knew we just weren't mixed up. Crazy- but fluent!

Have a good weekend!

mel

The story of my week :)

Not only my upcoming London meeting...but there's a ton of other things I'm taking care of or assisting with!!! aack!!!

This weekend promises to be great though...tonight Jim has a gig (not with 'his' band though - he's freelancing) and fortunately it's just down the street from our house - so I can walk over, watch a set or two, and still get to bed early! They're playing the same place on Halloween night, so I plan to go trick or treating with my sister and her kids - which should be done WAY before 9:00 pm. Since it's a Thursday, not sure if I'm going to have the energy to actually go watch Jim play...

Saturday, no riding lesson :( because the horses are at the Grand National Rodeo and Horse Show - the BIG event at the Cow Palace (www.grandnationalrodeo.com). We have tickets for the 8:00 pm Saturday night show but of course I plan to hang out there most of the afternoon anyway! (with a cooler of course - the food they sell at the rodeo isn't what I'd call 'clean eating'). Dee Dee was High Point Trainer last year and we had a great time. I've been going to the Grand National for 20+ years, but this is my first time going to the evening show. After the show is a country music concert with Lonestar (I'm not a country music fan but Dee told us this is always a blast so we might stick around for a bit). Apparently Lonestar is a really really big country music group. Jim is going to be the Semi-Urban Cowboy :lol: well he does resemble that guy in the Chevy Truck commercials a bit - he's going to wear his cowboy hat and his Ariat western boots. Me? Probably just a T shirt, paddock boots and jeans. I don't have a cowboy hat yet!

Ledom - if you go to my website, you can see the photos from my first two challenges (yeh, I know...gotta update it one of these days...) I didn't start seeing significant VISIBLE changes until week 8 as you can see. But I do encourage you to take photos. The scale does NOT tell the story on BFL - I've probably lost all of 11 pounds scale weight since April 2001, but dropped down from a 10 to my current size 4 (which I'm wearing today and boy are they comfy!). Sometimes, even with tape measurements and BF measurements you can't really tell a diff unless you actually HAVE THOSE PICTURES to make comparisions. In my last post, I talked about quick weight loss vs. slow and steady - as I stated, I believe that your chances of keeping the fat OFF PERMANENTLY is better if you lose fat slowly. I know we're all used to wanting results YESTERDAY...and most of the traditional weight-loss programs tout "Lose XXX pounds in 7 days!!!" IMO, even though Bill Phillips made BFL a 12 week program, he wasn't saying that you could go from 'flab to fab' in 3 months...rather that's the time it takes to make this a permanent lifestyle change...it's a simple program, but that does not mean it is EASY. I do promise that if you put your heart into it, through planning and keeping your motivation up, as you feel stronger, leaner and HEALTHIER this will become second nature to you... ;)

Well...time to put out a few more fires...I'll try to post more later...

Well, I've had an incredibly busy week -- working 10-12 hours/day. This crazy schedule has turned by 90-95% good on food/work-outs to about 50% for both. I'm disappointed in this, because I'm actually on my last week of my first challenge (it officially ends this Sunday). I had hoped to end the challenge on a really strong note, but it hasn't quite worked out that way.

But, I feel like I've learned a lot about trying to maintain healthy habits, regardless of what work/life throws me. Before BFL, I don't think I would have even worked out 1x, let alone 3x, with this work schedule. And, before, I used food to "reward" myself. Even this past week, I've been somewhat successful viewing food as just fuel. I still have alot to learn, though.

My crazy work schedule continues until Thursday -- including working this weekend. (After that, I plan on taking a 3-day weekend. Yeah!) I intend to stop my first challenge on Sunday, as planned (I remember that great post about plowing through problem times, and not falling into a "do-over" mentality). I'm going to take next week off as a free week, although I plan on doing some cardio -- it's really helped my stress levels this week. After that, I'm going to do a 7-week challenge, beginning Nov. 4, and ending Dec. 22.

I'm then thinking of doing a Camp Pam B stint starting in Jan. But, I'm still thinking about that.

Anyway, it sounds like everyone is doing pretty well. Hope this next week is good to everyone. Peace, Mox

Mel, I found your transformation pictures. I can see what you mean about the change in you body composition. You look fabulous by the way - and it is nice to put a face with a name.

I, unfortunately, didn't take before pictures. I did take my measurements.

I was remembering photos of someone here on the BFL thread that was in their motorcycle leathers. Susan maybe?

Karen your before and afters have long been an inspiration. JC as well.

I have a weekend ritual. I have a skirt that was too tight when I started, that I try on. It fits just right now, unfortunately it is a summer skirt. I love that skirt, but will be disappointed if it isn't too large by next summer. I also have a pair of capris that I like to wear on Sat. mostly just to check the pant-o-meter factor.

It is such a delicate balance not to obsess a little about the weight/size issue. I have days that I get hung up on thinking about it, other days not so much.

In reality, 4 weeks is a short time to see positive changes - I am pleased with how it is all going.

Mox, I appreciate your comments on the "do-over mentality." There are so many old patterns of behavior to lose and overcome. I like the way Bill Phillips calls the book BFL: 12 weeks to MENTAL and physical strength. The mental part is as valuable to me as anything going into this program.

Everyone have a great weekend.

Hi,

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

I was out today shopping and stumbled upon a secondhand sporting goods place in that had a York bench with the leg extensions for only $60 ( that's Canadian $$$-so that makes it about $10 American;) ) I can hardly weight, pardon the pun.

I found a great book at the library that's given me some awesome ideas for working out at home. It's called "Body Shaping with Free Weights", easy routine for your home workout by Stephanie Karony and Anthony L. Ranken.

Meliris... thanks for asking how I'm feeling. I started loosening up on my food a bit and eating more. It's helping some I have more energy. But still going to bed really, really early. My iron is okay. It's probably such a drastic lifestyle change that my body is getting adjusted to it. So how are you making out with your anemia? Is a matter of supplementing your diet with iron? Let us know how you're getting on.

Mrs. Jim... great photos!!!

ledom... I love your weekend ritual. You've inspired me I'm going to start my own ritual with a sexy little black dress I have in the hanging in the back my closet.

Cheers,

Jan

I have a couple of rituals too, that help to keep me on track. Whenever, I feel like "why bother- this is really hard work!" I pull out the pair of size 16 jeans that I couldn't zip up on the plane ride home from England in August 2001 which is what started me on this journey. They go on and off without unzipping or unbuttoning, and I just can't imagine what I would look like if they fit. I now wear size 4 in that brand! Unfortunately, I never took real before pictures, since I didn't start out doing BFL (lost 40 lbs doing Sugarbusters and working out on my own before I ever heard of it!) and like most overweight people (women) I avoided being on the receiving end of the lense as much as possible! Putting on those pants and remembering how horrible I felt ( remember , I'm only 5'3"!) usually stops thoughts of any but the most minimal cheat!

My other ritual, which is kind of embarrassing, is combing throught my 20 year old daughter's clothes that she hasn't taken to university. It's part bargain hunting- yesterday I found a brand new GAP denim jacket she'd left, size small, which fit me perfectly! And part wishful thinking: she must have 15 bikinis! There's one that I'm holding out hope for :lol:

Ah, rest day! I'm still sore from by back workout on Friday. Really hit my lats HARD and the glutamine doesn't seem to be working. I think I'm still getting sorer.

Re anemia: I took iron supplements for a few days and felt 100% better. Now I take it about once a week. My diet is a lot stricter than BFL since I'm aiming to get my bf% down to 12-15%. I live on chicken breasts, egg whites, turkey breast , vegies, sweet potatos, and oatmeal. If you are eating red meat at least once a week, you shouldn't need extra iron unless you have very heavy TOM.

JanCan-great on finding that weight bench deal! Wish I could find a taker for the extra one sitting in the middle of my bedroom!

Karen- hope you are out enjoing your wheels and horses this weekend!

Hi everyone else, gotta clean house today. Some "rest" ! That vacuum seems heavier than a loaded olympic bar sometimes!

mel

Hello Ladies!
I am new to this site and quite new to body building. I started in my local gym on September 25 and love it very much. On july 29th I weighed in at 270 lbs, at that point I decided enough is enough and told myself I would never be that heavy again.
Today I weigh 247.5 or at least that is what I weighed Tuesday night at TOPS. I think I am down a pound or two from then. I crave going to the gym and cant wait to work out. I never thought I would ever say I love to exercise and sweat.
I was wondering how you guys determine your body fat %. It seems to be a big thing with you all.
Virginia

Hi Virginia- Congratulations on a month well spent! You are doing really well! If I were you, I wouldn't worry at all about body fat % now. Follow the program by the book, eat clean, work hard, and you WILL see your body change, and fat start to melt away. Sounds like that's started already! Body fat % becomes a big issue when you get to the point that the scale is not moving at all anymore, and you need to figure out whether you're gaining muscle at the same rate as losing fat, getting fatter and losing muscle, or just plain stuck on a dreaded plateau. If you scroll up a few posts and read my message to ledom about how I didn't lose any scale weight , actually gained a few pounds, over 2 1/2 challenges, but lost body fat, you'll see why it becomes important to know.

As for how to determine it- except for water immersion or bod-pods (same principle) there is no 100% accurate tool, especially if you are over about 35% body fat. I'm guessing from your post, that unless you are at least 6' tall you are over that, so don't worry about it at this point. Take measurements, take pictures. Use the scale SPARINGLY- remember, you are building muscle which weighs more than fat. Those Tanita scales are notoriously inaccurate for anyone- the general consensus is that they are best used as a plant stand. You can get electronic calipers that calculate your bf% based on 3 skin fold pinch sites, or use manual ones and use either a 3 pinch formula, or the more accurate 7 pinch formla. Personally, I have a bodybuilder/trainer at my gym who does mine about every 8 weeks, or whenever I feel brave enough. He's very consistent, and I do it at the same time of day and time during my cycle, so I know I'm not getting water retention fluctuations.

At this stage, just follow the book and you'll go great!

Probably more than you ever wanted to know about body fat measurements! LOL (obviously I'm not real into housecleaning today!)

mel

Hi everyone.. I am new to this.. someone mentioned meeting you all at the main thread?? is this the right one??? I check to see if any of you have written 2 times a day...It is so nice to see what goals others have accomplished... mrs. Jim.. evey time I wonder if it is worth the work of getting thin again.. I think of you...I have finished one challange but then gave it all up and now have more weight and body fat than before.. I am on week 3 of the challange.. food has been hard.. i really need to just follow a plan..i do better with structure.. how do I find out about pams menus.. I get all the energy magazines and muscle media.. and it seems some of the challanges live mostly on supplements and others real food.. I like a good mix.. which way do you do it? I was (am using the myoplex lite.. but thinking of doing the myoplex low carb??? any suggestions from anyone??

Hey girls,

I am around just busy preparing for 8 weeks of CPB and geez does she have me working my butt off! It's nice to see the board a bit more active than last week.

Me an inspiration? Nah........ But I will be soon!

Karen I can't remember when you were leaving for London??

I will catch up later with everyone!

A big HI!! to the newbies - welcome to the family!

JC