Claire -- tell me about Body for Life. I looked at the Body for Life thread here, but of course people who are already working the program don't need explanations. Anyway, how does it work for you?
Chickadee, you sexy thang, you! How's your week been?
Today I'm feeling VERY good about where I'm at OP. Been journaling consistently for the past two weeks -- ESPECIALLY during that time last week when I was feeling waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of control. I'm back to daily training for my next marathon. Lost two pounds this week. (( (( whoo hoo! )) ))
And two pounds, two dates!! The guy I saw last weekend would like to take me up on my World's Best Tour of Eastern Wake County this weekend. And a fellow writer I met a couple weeks ago called last night to ask if I'd like to go out and hear some bluegrass music Friday night. AND GUESS WHAT?!?!?! I haven't eaten a single cookie about either invitation!!! (It feels great to tell that to people who understand how significant it is.)
I remember my first dates after I became single. Scary, unnerving, exciting....
I'm 49 and Body For Life is the way to go for me. This is my second try at it and this time I'm doing it for the right reasons, so it is easy.
Basically, six meals a day. each meal includes high-quality protein, high-quality carb. Twice a day you are to include veggies (though you can eat them more often if you like).
Work out six days per week doing drop sets. 3 days resistance training (45 minutes each), 3 days of cardio (20 minutes each). You do not do your cardio and weights on the same days and every four weeks the exercises change so your body will change.
The ladies on the Body for Life thread are approachable and extremely knowledgeable.
You might check out the Body For Life website at http://www.bodyforlife.com . I will be more than happy to answer questions (as would the ladies on the Body for Life thread). The program is not scary, although it looked pretty daunting to me the first time I looked it over. You might also check the book out of the library -- "Body for Life" by Bill Phillips. You don't have to take supplements or use EAS products if you don't want to.
thanks for the interest! I didn't mean to write a novel
Kim... It put a huge smile on my face seeing you "glow".
You are doing so well. Congratualations !!! And enjoy both dates.
Waterbaby... Your body for life sounds pretty good.
I especially like the term "high quality". High quality protein and high quality carb. That is a very important description.
I am going to check it out myself.
Hey there, 2Cute! How're you feeling? I hope your burns are healing and that you're doing well. What does your doc say about scarring -- or is it too soon to tell yet?
Claire, the Body for Life site inspired me to try something like that. I mean, my daughter (the one who said she couldn't wash dishes because she might break a nail) made it through navy boot camp, so I can handle 12 weeks of weight training, right? I know I need lots of reassurance, though, to persevere through the tribulations of being The Fat Chick at the Gym, and decided to join a special program at our local gym that seems to be like the 12-week Body for Life program. I have my orientation session tonight!
Can you tell me more about what you hope to accomplish with your Body for Life challenge?
I'm having one of those rough, self-doubting days, and I'm glad I made the appointment at the gym and put in my registration for the Rock & Roll Marathon today. I've stayed OP, walked 4 miles this morning, and do have WW points banked from the past few days ... but I wish the WANTING to eat would go away. It takes up far too much of my time and just feels crappy.
I trust that in the past couple of years, I've learned that I'm not incredibly strong and not incredibly weak but RESILIENT, and that these moments of fragility will give way. Right? *sigh*
NEWSFLASH! Since I first posted this, the makers of GU Sports Gel called me to ask if I would do a testimonial for their next round of marketing pieces!! So I'm not only an athlete now but a celebrity spokesmodel! Move over, Kate Moss -- the Fat Chick's gonna get glossy, too.
Last edited by Venus Envy; 01-31-2002 at 03:49 PM.
2Cute, I'm finding that the better quality food I eat, the better I feel. Even my substituting something as simple as eating leaf lettuce or Romaine instead of iceberg has made a difference. Fresh fruit instead of canned. It does add up.
Kim, I hope to lose two sizes and about 30 pounds of fat, while gaining 5 pounds of muscle. I got on the scale at the gym on my first day, and won't weigh again until the challenge is over. Then I have "Free Week" where I can eat pretty much what I want and not have to work out. After that, the next challenge begins and I'm off and running for another 12 weeks. I think it will take me 4-5 12-week "challenges" to get to my goal of 15% bodyfat.
In spite of the hype from EAS, you do not have to use their supplements. The only ones I use are Udo's Oils for my skin and organs, good quality protein powder and glutamine.
Anyone interested can look at either the EAS website or the Body For Life website for more details, including the food plan and exercise logs. http://www.leanandstrong.com (where I also post) has fabulous support and they are kind and nurturing to newbies.
You are NOT the fat chick at the gym!! You are someone who cares enough about herself to make an honest effort to feel better. I got snickered at recently by some idiots at the gym and after I got over my bruised vanity, realized that their crappy behavior made me stronger and more determined than ever! I'm not doing this for them. I'm doing this for me. It's taken me four tries, and I'm going over the top this time!
I'm in your corner and on your side. Trust me, guys have mucho respect for women who are trying to better themselves. And women who weight train are held in great esteem! Besides, with the rest of the "new you" emerging, it may be that someone you decide to date could be a potential workout partner....
You can do this. The planning meals is the toughest part, and all it requires is some commitment until it becomes habit. Then it's easy and you won't want junk food anymore. I'll give you all the support you can stand...go for it!!
Claire... what an inspiration you are.
I just sit here reading and soaking it up.
Then... I stopped and realized... I was just as committed !!!!!
It made me feel good about myself.
I am just as committed...but I am NOT as proactive as you.
That is going to change.!!!!
I AM GOING TO GO FOR IT !!!!!!
Watch out... here I come.!!!!! LOL
2CUTE, you go for it! What are your plans and goals? In the Body for Life book, there is a section called "Crossing the Abyss." It talks about goals and how the promises your make to yourself are the most important ones. How to look past "what I want right now" to "what I want for the rest of my life."
There are specific questions to answer. For instance, one is "List 5 things you want to accomplish in the next 12 weeks." If you can think of 5 well-defined things, you're on the right track.
For me, the decision to make Body For Life MY lifestyle was like the difference between affiliation and total commitment, or, eggs and bacon.
With eggs and bacon, the chicken has affiliation, but the hog is totally committed I decided to not be a chicken but go "whole hog!"
2Cute -- (( (( WHOO HOO! )) )) You sound REALLY in charge. And I loved the pic of the charging moose! You always have THE picture to match your moods and posts. I admire that talent for impeccable accessorizing (it's very rare, you know).
Claire, sounds like you have a good grasp on what your goals are and how you want to nab 'em. The idea of measurable benchmarks beyond the numbers on the scale seems very empowering. I like your idea of having a relatively short-term fitness challenge that's renewable, and the egg-and-bacon analogy sheds a lot of light on motivation to achieve those goals. Let's all go hog-wild in our commitment to be fit and healthy!
Last night, I did my first gym session EVER. Learned some of the machines and made choices on a couple classes I want to take. I asked my 14-year-old daughter, Sibel, if she'd be willing to wake up an hour early on Fridays so we can take a spin class together, and she wasn't TOO cranky about it. Tonight I want to have her take my ''before'' photo. I love when she gets involved; helps a lot to have her support and her ability to keep me honest and real about what I'm doing.
Tonight my date and I are going to a music cafe. The performers are in my social circle, so I expect to see other folks I know there, and that makes the prospect of the evening less nerve-wracking. Even so ... in addition to my lite turkey sandwich and yogurt for lunch, I packed my lunchbag with grapes, carrots, tomato juice, a banana, an orange, a WW Just Two Points bar, and a can of diet tangerine soda to deal with the nervous snacking urges. I'd rather not have those urges at all. But I guess if they're determined to have tantrums about it, I'll have to make sure my inner grownup maintains some semblance of sanity through the ordeal.
It sounds like you are one PREPARED woman! Have a good time on your date. Your numbers are very impressive! I had lost 40 lbs on WW a few years ago, about 20 have creeped back on, so I joined again. I KNOW the diet works and I love the freedom, perhaps I love that freedom a little TOO MUCH! I'm struggling with staying motivated. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. How long have you been a WWer?
I have a 16 year old daughter...I love when she comes to the gym with me. We have taken a few Yoga classes together. She's not over weight, but I can see the potential is there. I'm hoping to impress upon her the need for good habits starting NOW and sticking with them...Instead of waiting til 100 lbs overweight like her mother!
Good luck in your efforts and don't worry about being the "fat chick" at the gym. I am a fat chick at my gym, but I am not the only one. I refuse to be intimidated by the teeny ones in sports bras and spandex! You are there for the same reason as everyone else...to improve your body and your health! Hold your head up high! Go for it!
My father died yesterday -- peacefully and in his sleep. He was a man of charming eccentricities, a hermit of many years who was a voracious reader and had a quiet love of his family and a fierce love for his quirky set of friends.
I'm heading back home to the Midwest for a week or so to take care of things. My brother inherited our father's schizophrenia, so it's going to be a task to keep things going smoothly. We're about it for family, and I have so much to do.
Slept finally for a bit last night but woke at 3 a.m. Even with a whole notebook filled with lists, there's really nothing you can do at 3 a.m. when you're a thousand miles away from where so many of them need to get done. So I did a little workout on my elliptical exerciser, wrote in my journal, and, when dawn came, went for a 7-mile walk. By that time, it was a normal hour in the Midwest, and I was able to make some more phone calls. I felt much more clear-headed than I would if I'd eaten instead.
Though there are no dad-and-daughter moments to cherish, I owe my father the dignity of my own grief. And to that I commit a week of abstinent and lucid sorrow.
Kim... I am soooo sorry for your loss. Please know that we are with you in spirit.
It sounds like you have come to terms with his way of life and how it has effected you. Someone taught me long ago that you do not come to terms with the past to help "them" ... you come to terms to help yourself.
Just remember that you DO have the strength to make it through this.
And you are using the tools to help you. (Exercise, healthy foods, journaling, sharing, and acceptance)
Take it one day at a time.
Remember there is only so much you can do.
And take time for yourself.
Our love and prayers are with you.
Venus, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I know that words can't express, and I also know that nobody else knows how you feel. Hang in there, girl! Take care of yourself as much as you can.
Midweek meanderings
Keep up the good work! I need to check out Body for Life website...thanks for the info!
