Hey guys, for those of you starting out on BFL, I thought you would interested to see some examples. Disclaimer: while my working out was spot-ON for the 13 weeks, my food was spot-ON/and off. I'd like to think it all evens out in the end, if you have some really really good times balanced with some indulgence, but I'm not that naive. Bottom line, at least for me, is you have to do what it takes to keep you on the plan. If chicken breasts and brown rice 24x7 would drive you to eat the nearest 1 lb hershey bar, then you need to sprinkle some unclean food in along the way, if that's how you stay on plan. The eventual goal is to do less and less of that, which I can agree that I have, but staying on plan is better than dropping out.
So, with that said, here are my gains in the 13 weeks:
Weight: 20 lbs lost
BF%: 6% down
Inches lost:
Chest: -2.5
Waist: -2
Hip: NC
Thigh: Right -1; Left -1.5
Not sure what is up with the hip no change - it actually appeared to be 1/2" larger! It could be a measuring error or tape placement. The pants do feel looser, so that is okay.
Clothes-o-meter: Have gone from being able to wear only stretchy type pants to now wearing some of my old waist band and zipper pants. The stretchy pants are all very loose now and some have even had to be set aside.
I have poor food choice days less frequently than I did in the beginning, my energy level is much improved, as is my mood/outlook on life.
I'm definitely sticking with this and will have another update at the end of Feb.
That sounds awesome! keeping your exercise up even if your food slips a bit is something to admired (I cannot do this!) and in the long run has so many benefits, I'm sure weight will come off in all the right places that you want it to if you keep it all up.
I don't know what body shape you're going for or want to have or currently have or whatever, but I think fuller hips are lovely and necessary to an hour glass shape. And since you lost 2" off your waist it sounds pretty hour-glassy to me. (they should really have a Marilyn Monroe-esque smiley on here.)
Funny Carey, but you nailed it! I am a total hourglass, and apparently becoming more so by the day. Even at my heaviest, I was in proportion, so like 48/40/48, but can remember a time when I was 38/26/38 and would like to be back there. So 2" toward the goal of 10" means I'm 1/5 of the way there. I figured this would be about a 1 year process and that sounds like about what it will be.
A question - a number of people who did Body for Life have mentioned not seeing much change at first, then having the dramatic changes in weight & measurements come around/after week 7 or so. Could you speak to your experience with that? I am on Day 13, and my weight is actually up a few pounds from starting (I'll admit, I haven't always made the best food choices this holiday season), so I am just wondering whether this is in fact normal and okay on this plan.
For me, it was normal. I lost a chunk the first week (but keep in mind I went cold turkey off of real sodas, candy, and all the other toxins I consumed on a daily basis, and replaced it with water), but after that it was slow. A gain is also normal because I think your muscles keep more water since they are being challenged. I would not worry too much and check in more with how some of your waistbands are doing. But, as I have learned, food is very important, so the sooner you can get your arms around that, definitely the better!
But, as I have learned, food is very important, so the sooner you can get your arms around that, definitely the better!
So, so true. It was hard (but necessary) to accept the fact that I can undo a week's worth of hard work in the gym and 6 days, 23 hours of clean eating with one unplanned hour of eating. Heck, give me 15 minutes and I can wipe out a whole week's efforts! Nutrition is 80% of weight loss and for me at least (at age 52 and hypothyroid), it's got to be ON 99% of the time. Darn it!
Yeah, I've been struggling with that even the last 2 days. You would REALLY think that spending an hour on the treadmill each day in addition to weights would really knock some sense into you, and I have been known to say to people, "no thanks, that would undo my hour on the treadmill" but I'm not saying it often enough to myself. Yesterday I noticed that I was feeling listless, kind of dazed/unfocused, isolated, and had a bad choice lunch and then felt much more grounded and focused in the afternoon, like I had been rejoined from traveling on the road to being grounded with friends at home. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? IT AFFECTS OUR BRAINS THAT MUCH??? Wow.
What have you guys found to counterbalance this desire to munch over to the dark side? What keeps you away? Just sheer will and determination? I'd like to say that my real problem is that I'm addicted to the treadmill so I have to eat bad to justify in my mind these hour long sessions on it, but, that's a stretch! HELP!! You see, for example, my weight ticker has gone NOWHERE since returning from my trip. aaaah! And I know WHY, so WHY can't I stop undoing the good work? (Geez, sounds like a new thread to me......)
Sounds corny, but I ask myself if I'm really hungry. I clean my teeth. (I bought a new toothbrush that has wierd electric bristles that really REALLY cleans my teeth and I have strong tasting toothpaste)
I think STOP and go and do something else. Watch a DVD, read a book.
I also don't deny myself all goodies. I have a small square of chocolate every day or if I really want to eat a cookie, then I eat a cookie but count it in and eat a protein shake with it. I'm more from the skwigg(.com) school of thought than the hardcore Meg school of thought, but that's reflected in my body with squishy bits!
Sometimes if it's just boredom then it passes but if it's what I call a "real craving" then nothing really satisfies it. Like on Sunday I was really wanting a warm mince pie with ice cream, and I ate apples and silly corn-cakes and ryvita, but until I finally "gave in" and ate the mince pie nothing was satisfying me. So methinks in the long run eating something you truly truly want and have been thinking about for hours will satisfy you more than eating 10 apples! Oh and after I ate the mince pie, I stopped eating for the day.
Also, personally I find eating too clean for too long sets me up for a mindless-eating junk food day, hence the small pieces of chocolate and the odd mince pie. I can't do free days like properly on BfL, but a free nano-meal like a piece of chocolate keeps the wolves from the door.
You know, I wasn't reading this thread because I am sooo far away from the last 10 pounds! I'm in the just starting out spectrum! But thanks for linking me. I often think too that if I just do and live and not care what the scale says, it will all be ok in the end. But it's the controlling those inputs that I struggle with.
No, because with 80 more pounds to go, the fear of not getting to goal is a much wider gap and thus bigger fear than being 10 pounds out. At this point, it's easier for me to see the disaster of going back to my starting than making it to goal. Really.
In theory though, yes, you're right, it should be the same.
My first 13 weeks, BFL-W progress report!
keeping your exercise up even if your food slips a bit is something to admired (I cannot do this!) and in the long run has so many benefits, I'm sure weight will come off in all the right places that you want it to if you keep it all up. 
And since you lost 2" off your waist it sounds pretty hour-glassy to me. (they should really have a Marilyn Monroe-esque smiley on here.)
You are on your way!!
Nutrition is 80% of weight loss and for me at least (at age 52 and hypothyroid), it's got to be ON 99% of the time. Darn it!
then nothing really satisfies it. Like on Sunday I was really wanting a warm mince pie with ice cream, and I ate apples and silly corn-cakes and ryvita, but until I finally "gave in" and ate the mince pie nothing was satisfying me. So methinks in the long run eating something you truly truly want and have been thinking about for hours will satisfy you more than eating 10 apples! 
