Weight and Resistance Training - BFL/BB #79 - week of 2 Dec 2002

Wow, hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! Remember when you were a kid Christmas used to take FOREVER to get here...now its like, um, just waiting for it to be over...I really enjoy the preliminary Christmas cheer rather than the actual DAY (probably has to do with the fact that Jim and I don't do the Christmas Tree thing - our place is way to itty bitty and I shudder to think what mischief Sparky would come up with!). TBS has already shown "A Christmas Story" about five times I think :lol: I used to really enjoy that film but now I'm pretty well burnt out on it. Not Jim though...he just can't get enough of it (actually, if you liked the film, you MUST read Jean Shepard's book "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" - HILARIOUS).

Right now I'm all antsy over my upcoming show....eeeekkkkk...

Let's hear from y'all! JC - I'm going to PM you!

Hey everyone,

My major goal for the week is to drink more water and to eat fish. I have never been a huge fan of the stuff but i think it is mind over matter. Next week will be cottage cheese.

I am going for a fit test tomorrow. Its the kind of fit test that you have when you first join the gym. and I am getting re-tested so i am really hoping i do better at the push-ups and sit ups etc. so here goes...

one_sweetchick

Week 10 and I have two LBWO's this week - 1st one was this morning. It wiped me out. Got really sweaty. This rotation I am doing squats and lunges. I am using my new equipment now, my bench has a nice squat rack. I used 25lb. dumbells (6 reps) the first 4 weeks of BFL, now I am using a bar - I believe I squatted about 80 lbs. for my 6 reps. Anyway, my back is sore and tired tonight. I sometimes notice muscle spasms in my back after back day too. Just an observation. My legs are feeling really powerful. I hiked this weekend and I had a lot more strength for climbing. It seems like every week I look different. This week I don't look as flabby but I don't feel any smaller. Today my clothes felt tighter. I don't know what that is about.

Ledom- Don't worry about it! From the sounds of it, you are making great progress in building strength and muscle. The fat loss just hasn't caught up yet, so you probably feel bigger. But it will come. Just keep up the clean eating and intense workouts. You sound like you are enjoying your newfound strength and endurance. The rest will follow- it just takes time.

I had a HUGE quad, abs and calf workout yesterday and am hobbling around. Good thing tody is shoulders and bi's and I can pretty much stay in one place or sit down for that one :lol: I seem to be hungry ALL the time, even when and right after I'm eating. Maybe a fat loss is on the horizon....or maybe it's just the cold, dark weather. It was 18 degrees this am when I walked the dog. Neither of us had a real good time, so it was a short one.

JC- Hope you are hanging in there. I go through mental battles all the time. At this point I certainly don't have my dream body and never will due to the late start I got on this, but I've done more that I ever dreamed possible. I guess that's what keeps me going. A lot of days it's just habit and thinking of the alternatives that gets me through. Keep pluggin', girl. We're with you though several oceans away.

Gotta go to work,
mel

I seem to be having a hard time staying onm plan this week. I have not been overeating, just not eating well. I need to get back on track and start drinking more water again. Workouts are great however!
Virginia

purge your kitchen/house of food that you shouldn't eat. Plan ahead, get a bunch of stuff cooked up. Fight the good fight! For yourself!

Thanks for all of your kind words guys and thanks for the PM Karen. I am going ok - I pick up a few books last night to read but was disappointed to hear that some of the other books I want aren't easily available in Australia. I searched through 3 stores and then looked at 2 websites but alas nothing. You guys are so lucky over there!

I have determined that I am in rest/sponge mode - prepared to learn and adapt what I already know so I am primed to read! Any suggestions on good nutrition/exercise/motivation/program books?

JC

Well, I am down 4.5 lbs from last week. That's 14 lbs in 4 weeks of BFL. I am not concentrating on the scales, but I do go to TOPS everyweek. Started that before BFL so it is good support and keeps me motivated too. I have noticed I am not drinking as much water as I was and I need to stay focused. Still love working out however, have missed two sessions. Not too bad in 4 weeks I guess.
I have two other friends who have started going to the gym since I began. They said I inspired them to do something about their bodies. So I am happy about that. I wish they would also decide to quit smoking as I did on the first day of BFL. I have not had one since and do not really want one.
PMS'ing this week, so I hope I do not get weak, especially with eating too much or the wrong things. Pretty hard for me to rid my house of the "bad" foods, as I have a hubby and two children, and they like to eat.
Virginia

Busy busy BUSY...again!!!

JC...motivational books - how's about the two Dave Draper books - "Your Body Revival" and "Brother Iron Sister Steel" for starters???

Right now I'm trying to decide what I want to do as far as a program...started with the Krista Smash website as a basepoint...*BTW she has some recommended reading there on her site JC* I read the GetLean book by Keith Klein (available at the Labrada website - Laurie at L&S loaned me hers for a bit) and it is a REALLY GOOD program but I just can't make myself pay $60 for a paperback book (it comes with two videos and some bodyfat calipers...wish they'd sell the book alone - wouldn't mind paying $25-$30 for it by itself).

As far as FORCING myself to drink water...which I have to do myself, believe me! - I simply don't keep 'alternate bevvies' in the house. If I want a Diet Coke, I buy a (as in 1) Diet Coke. :) Right now our fridge contains Schwepps Seltzer Water, Pellegrino, Calistoga Sparkling Water w/lime...and Corona (I hate beer but Jim has one once in awhile!). We also have a water cooler in the kitchen for still water, so basically we're swimming! :lol:

Virginia - you're doing terrifically! Hope you took photos :)

Well, work calls - gotta fly!!

Well I think that I will need to put in an order with someone over there because Draper's books aren't available in Australia. I want to read Getlean as well but that would make it $120 for me - yikes!

Keep searching...

JC

OH oh OH I found a website that ships the books here! I ordered the 2 draper books and also Body RX. Now if I can work out how to get GetLean!!

JC

hope you don't mind another bfler posting here. It's been, i guess, 6 months since i last posted here. So i guess i'll introduce myself. I've been doing bfl on and off for about 2 years now, more off than on. I started at 220lbs. and i am currently at 180lbs. I went from a size 18 to a size 10 currently. I know bfl works for me, but don't always have the motivation. I have only completed one actual challenge in two years ( at the biginning of this year). I just purchased the new success journal and will be starting a challenge on monday and would appreciate any motivation i could get. I still do the weights on and off, but will be more consistent with my workouts and my eating, wish me luck.

nice to meet you. It sounds like you have had great results in the last 2 years. Good luck going into your next challenge.

JC, I am intrigued by the discussion about pilates going on over on the L&S board today. I am thinking about reading about and investigating that. If you feel you are in a holding pattern for the moment it might be fun to experiment w/ that. Between challenges I might try to figure out how to do some of the exercises.

Ledom - thanks for the thought - I have actually done Pilates before both at home and in a class. It's great but to be honest I find it mentally boring. I like Yoga better. Also it isn't very common over here yet so it's hard to find a class close to me and my gym doesn't offer it.

I haven't been at L&S this week because work is chaotic! I may pop in there today.

JC

Hi sheila, glad you are joining us. I'm not much of a motivator today, but welcome to our group. Anybody who need motivation better stop reading here.

I've had a cold all week, the main symptom of which is I just want to sleep 24/7; but aside from holiday madness, there is so much to do at work, etc, I can't. My house is fallen into total pigpen disarray, tons of shopping left to do, and Mother Nature went and dumped 10 inches of snow here today. :yikes: So after work I shovelled out the driveway with ds, then drove to the gym, got stuck twice and had to help push 2 other cars back onto the road. Thank heavens the gym was open or I might have laid down and cried in the snowy parking lot! Had a good back and ham workout- (wait, didn't I already have one shovelling and pushing???)a freebie with my favorite trainer because he was so bored since I was the only nutcase in the gym, then marched right into the grocery store next to the gym and bought a big bag of cookies, a jar of peanuts and a BIG chocolate bar. I was determined to make myself sick! Luckily that happened before I could even get to the choc bar. :?: I was possessed :devil:

What am I doing???? I'm working so hard, getting so close to where I want to be and then blowing it on purpose!
Geez!

Sorry to rant and whine. Hope you all had a better day.

mel

Mel :chin: wonder what's up!?!?

Are you pushing yourself too hard! Sigh, I am no where near where you are (not anywhere close), but I bet I'll have some issues too when I do get where, or close to where, I want to be.

I am tossing out some observations and feel free to tell me to shut up - I am speaking from reading L&S. It seems that when people put SO MUCH into it, refining and cutting back on food and really pushing beyond BFL they sometimes get into trouble.

Could it be you need to pull back a little? Just do plain old BFL for a while. Maybe be satisfied w/ where you are because woman I've seen your pics and you are at a fabulous place.

There are psychological reasons to sabotage yourself and then there are physical, just being plain old worn out.

As I do BFL I am trying to be really cautious about what I perceive as some pitfalls that others have shared via cyberspace. I don't want to hurt myself, I want to make myself better.

OK, enough of my random arm chair, disjointed psychiatry. Give youself hug and be nice to you. You have done great, you have come a long way, you have had a lot of stress this past month and the holidays are still ahead. Do what you need to do to maintain the progress you have made and don't worry so much about getting thinner or stronger - you are already there baby.

MEL!!!!

I so know how you feel and have found myself doing the same thing lately. Last night I was doing my grocery shopping and I had had a clean day and a hard workout and what do I pick up? Brownies..... I didn't even have a craving for them - I just bought them, ate them and then thought - what the **** am I doing??

To be honest I have come to the conclusion that I am just burnt out from life itself let alone training and dieting. I am doing what Ledom said and sticking with BFL for the moment and trying to focus on rest and recouperation. Also, concentrating on weights and cutting back on the cardio. I think that you may be burnt out as well!

Give yourself a huge break and STOP thinking about every little thing every moment. Give yourself a date to get back on track (however far away) and then just chill! (pardon the pun with the snow there!) Don't go free week hogwild but cut back to doing normal BFL eating and just go a bit easier on the workouts.

I have had similar symptoms - first the cold and lack of sleep, then my quad was strained earlier this week. I think that our bodies are saying HEY - STOP STRESSING ME!!! I am going to listen to mine!

HTH

JC

PS You know that other thing that has gone?? My skin and my nails - after all that hard work I have broken off 4 of my nails.

Not impressed.

JC

Must be something in the air. I have been too ashamed of my self to even post. After DH 40th party we had some of the snacky food left over, I've been slowly achhkkk eating it!!!! Man! I just can't avoid it if it is in the house. And I just can't chuck it out either. Maybe it is the weather (well in the northern hemisphere anyhow). I dunno. I've been sick too - missed a couple of workouts. But that has gotta stop. I'm doin' arms tommorrow even if it kills me!!!! And all the bad food is gone now, except what is on my butt!!!!

On the workout arena I have been having some trouble with motivation. I've almost completed this challange. Officially it will be over Dec 15, but I will be going 1 more week, so as not to have too much time off during Christmas. I will be starting a new challange Jan 2, and to motivate myself I have it all planned out with a spread sheet and a split workout schedule. I got the plan from Krista's page. I'm pretty excited about it too! :) I'm going to try a no cardio challange for 12 weeks and see what happens. I do need to lose more fat, so we will see if this will work or not.

A while back some L&S'ers started a Canadian workout team thing, I was wishing my challange timing would have fit in with that. It might help with the motivation if someone was working on a challange at the same time and stuff.

Hi Sheila - welcome to the club.


Well, gotta go and eat again .......

Patt0- Just join in and start posting with us! I'm the "honorary" member cause I lived in Toronto for 5 years, and the resof of my family is all Canadain. We just check in and say hi and how and what we are doing each day. I'm sure you'd be welcomed!

Today I have no voice again- great except I've a 9:30 meeting with a consultant I NEED to talk to, the a neighborhood ladies holiday luch that I haven't missed in the 9 years I've lived here.

Today is cardi and abs- I'm thinking I'll just do the abs, then a long, slow cardio tonite. I just feel too rotten for HIIT or even 20MAS.

Need to spend some time thinking about why I'm sabotaging myself. Many thanks JC and ledom and pat for your suggestions and shared experiences. I don't know what's going on.

mel

Hi All,

New here, but not to BFL, or L&S. This last week has been H#@*LL for me. Major eating and not going to the gym. What happened? Thanksgiving, first of all. Then sister's wedding that Saturday. Then schedule changes at the last minute - one whole day running others around to all kinds of appointments and a sick puppy and and and and!!! :dizzy: I was just mad and frustrated and who did I take it out on? ME. Arg! Gots to learn another way of dealing!

Well, today was much better. It was off to the gym at 5:00AM to do Tris and Quads - felt great!:D I guess I shall plan plan plan these next few weeks so I don't fall off the wagon and get run over like I did last week!

Well, now! THAT was a nice introduction. :no: I have been lurking for a few weeks, and thought I would join in - today just seemed like the right time! :D

What is it about this time of year??? (could be the cocooning and comfort food that is soooo traditional and brings back memories??)

I think it's pretty much burnout. If you're doing the same thing - working hard, eating super clean (especially if you're eating the same thing day after day) it's BOUND to get to you sooner or later. I know that because it's happening to me too! :(

In fact I was wailing about it to Jim this morning. How FAT I was feeling in comparison with this past spring and summer...Jim said well, you don't look fat to ME...but if I keep that mindset I'll be back up to where I was in April 2001 pretty darn quick!

The trick is - finding something new to get that 'click' turned on. I DON'T want to wait until after Christmas or New Year's. I could easily gain 10-15 pounds of fat in that time!

Jim said to me: "sounds like you're BURNT - with work, the gym and the horses - plus babysitting a couple or three nights a week - it was bound to happen". In fact that was my day yesterday...gym early for cardio...then work...after work, a riding lesson...then after the riding lesson, babysitting!!! Didn't get home until 8:00 last night and BOY was kitty glad to see us!

Okay...now to find something to get that 'click' turned on...

Reminds me of an email message I got this week from Funky Diva (Corey, hope you don't mind if I post this here!!):
Your "spark" -- You'll get it back, don't worry about that. Things come around in cycles, I'm convinced. It's the ebb and flow of life, energy, priorities... We can't be "on" all the time. That's too much output, and not enough input. We'd burn out like a lightbulb left on. I'm intentionally not totally "on" right now -- sorta in powersave mode if you will ;) -- because I know it'll be all-out again come January, through May. I'm conserving... we all do our part! ;) :P

The thing for me is...finding the match to light the spark. With me, I need to have something new to get the old flame goin' after awhile. For sure, there's going to be bodybuilding/weights HEAVILY involved - the toughie for me is the nutrition. It always has been hasn't it?? However, I know for me, to be able to stay clean I NEED to have a Free 1/2 day once a week (or free meal once a week anyway).

I'm going to dig out my two Dave Draper books for inspiration (it's just getting the TIME to read them...especially this weekend!) for a start. Still thinking about the GetLean program but JEEZ sixty smackers for a book?!? Trying to justify it...it is a terrific program though...

Well, as far as this weekend goes, Dee Dee just told me she wants us to be at the show site in Vacaville by noon. It's a nifty little place called "Ranchotel" right off the freeway - it's a little 50's motel attached to a horse complex. Jim and I will be staying overnight on Saturday and the show starts at 8:00 am Sunday morning. I should be done with all my classes by noon. Sneaky was such a good boy last night - I feel confident riding him and am just going to do my best!

Mrs Jim,
Good luck at your show this weekend! Can't wait to hear all about it. Welcome Sheila and Niffer! Chins up everyone! We will get through this. Don't beat yourselves up so much over falling off the wagon. Just pick yourself up and jump back on.
Hugs
Virginia

I think we have so much going on this time of year that we (this is gonna sound familiar) don't take time for ourselves.

I remember one year, I wanted to fit into a great holiday outfit by the 13th of Dec. It was the day before Thanksgiving and I figured I needed to lose 8 pounds. Hmmmm, do ya think I did it? You bet I did! I lost 13 pounds and looked great that night. Why do you think I did it? I put myself 1st! I planned. I took time for what I wanted to do and got it done.

This year was a little different - I crashed big time. Why? Because I was running around doing too much for everyone else and not planning what I needed to do for myself. That was November. It's a whole new month my (new) friends! I have planned out what I am going to do at the gym, what I am going to eat and when. When my free days are - and I gotta plan around 7+ parties! YIKES! :^: I have learned to say (gasp!) "NO" :D

Don't know if that helped anyone, but it sure made me feel good!

Welcome Niffer.

I am finishing up week 10. My gosh, I can hardly believe I have been able to do this. Clean diet, exercise, and giving up diet coke! I am looking forward to finishing up the last 2 weeks.

I am, by the way, wearing the pair of jeans that I hoped to wear by the end of the challenge today for the first time. Snug, but not extremely.

Speaking of the challenges we face. This week my challenge had more to do with things outside my control than with doing my nutrition and exercise. I attended my monthly book club meeting which included gourmet treats. I had no problem passing up the food. Everyone noticed I wasn't eating, no one noticed I was in better shape. I wanted them to notice that I was losing weight. Either it isn't noticeable or they just weren't noticing. Petty, but I got pretty worked up over it in my mind.

The next morning I weighed and was down 3/4 of a lb., which made me feel so proud for maintaining my focus, that would not have been so if I'd indulged my feelings in food. It brought home to me the fact that I really have to do this for me and not think about the external attention I would like to receive. That is a way to set myself up for failure because the thought did snake through my mind - I am sacrificing enjoying this food with my friends and for what, no one even sees that I looking better?

Well, that is my insight for the week for whatever it is worth.

I think I found a way to stay o the straight and narrow for at least 5 more weeks- I'm running the Disney 1/2 marathon January12! I signed up for it last April with some friends from the Sugarbusters board here at 3FC, but then kind of ignored it as I got more into BB and lost touch with that board. However, a timely email from the moderator who is also running it made me start thinking maybe it's what I need to keep the spark alive. So for the next few weeks, I'm going to lighten the lifting a bit and concentrate on running. Did 5 miles this morning, and have mostly recovered :lol: I don't think we're out to set any race records, except may the people who lost the most amount of weight in the 2 years before the race (she lost 130 lbs) to actually finish. But it should be fun.

Ledom- I understand your frustration with others not seeing the changes. It took a long time for me also. And now it makes me mad when someone says "oh, you're so much skinnier." I have this urge to pull off my clothes and flex yelling "skinny???You call that muscle skinny???" And I'm nowhere near skinny, anyway. :lol:

Karen- I you you had/are having a good show this weekend.

mel

Goodmorning, How was the horse show Karen? Well, I am a bit of a weeny whiny this a.m. I did not want to get up and do my workout. Yesterday I felt myself struggling to keep focused on my nutrition. I guess I might be getting a little tired. I am determined to stick it out for two more weeks though. I think I have read of other folks hitting the wall at 11 weeks. I am there. I did do a good UBWO and my food for the day is packed so the rest of the day is on auto-pilot. Oh yeah Mel, that sounds like a plan to keep yourself motivated. Good luck with your training.