I do agree on that part of it. There are so many people on Mondays, it makes me crazy, by Friday though, it is scant, and Saturday morning when I get to the gym, I have the weight room to myself. I try and do legs that day, as then I can do tri-sets and enjoy it without feeling like I take up other people's space, don't you get irritated when someone monopolizes more than one piece of equipment at a time. There is this guy who always put his towel on a bench and then comes back to it when he is ready. He can be using something completely diff and if someone asks if he is using it, he will say yes.
You should have seen the day when he went downstairs and talked to his buddies, came back up and his towel was hung on the smith machine which he WAS using. Someone was working out, he looked so confused. Can't imagine who did that?!
Make today your own.............
Hugs,
Marie

bleech. I had my free lunch (may do a light free dinner or cereal and dessert) ...burger and fries and I am SICK. This food can't be good for you to cause such a strong and immediate reaction when you haven't had it in a long time!!!

WHAT WAS I THINKING????????????????????????????????

Hi there girls,

TH - Hang in there girl! Karen is right journaling your food intake is a great motivator.... We can help you along for a week or so if that will help you by posting our foods here, it'll also give you ideas on what to eat... Mox's rambling as she calls it was a great motivator me, take one step at a time, one meal at a time, one minute at a time if you have to... but JUST DO IT!! lol.... I'm just teasing you, but I hope you get the drift and are not offended....

This challenge is definitely a process for a life time commitment... We commit to our jobs, our families, now we have to commit to OURSELVES!! My mother (I do love her) but always says how women today are self centered and why exercise etc or work when you can stay home and raise kids !! OH, but how this annoys me!! she's better now because I've given her my two cents.... But who will take care of US if we don't take care of US... Ok I did stay home with my kids, but I was never home I dragged my kids everywhere, and my house was always a mess...
will the kids remember the house or the fun we had? the fun I think.... So think of YOURSELF for a change and take one step at a time... and.............JUST DO IT!!

Geez .... did all that make sense.... I've even got myself confused....

The jean thang, when I try jeans , the hips fit but the waist is wayyyy too big... Just to show you we all have our different wonderful volumptous shapes...

JEC ~ saw your pics on L&S you look great what nice pics.... I wish I had the nerve to do that.... but you will probably never see pics of me, specially my whole body on the net.... maybe just maybe if I made that commitment I'd loose more..........hmmmm something to ponder...

Hello Pam so nice of you to take time to come by.... I've heard so much about you and all the great things you have accomplised... You are an awesome girl...........

Well gotta go girls, here's a great big to one and all .... and a special one for you TH....

Take care ..........

Hmm, burger and fries.....last had that about 1 1/2 years ago. Wonder what it would do to me? Sorry it made you feel so bad, Susan. Unfortunatly, the popcorn or chocolate I fall down with only makes me feel fat and guilty!

Had a good day, but TIRED! Only cardio and abs, but Pam has me doing longer cardio and it was another low calorie/carb day. Oh well, I'm feeling leaner (a bit) so I don't care if I'm tired for a while!

Marie: Equipment hogs bug me, but I am one. What really frosts me is when someone takes over a piece of equip I'm clearly using in a superset, re-arrages it all, does their set, then just SITS THERE! I workout when the gym is usually almost empty so when that happens I think it's on purpose. Tho I guess obliviousness is a better explanation than malice. What's a gym hoochie????

Thunder- PULL IT TOGETHER GIRL! You've done this before and succeeded! You know what it feels like. You can do it.

Hi Pam! Thanks for checking up on us! Your Vegas pics are awesome!

Hi JC! Love your avatar. I thinks it's time to change mine. No way do I look like that huffing and puffing dog now.

OK- Outta here!

mel

Wow well it's friday here which means that I am half way through this sprint! WOW I can't believe it time has flown so fast. I actually emailed Pam again to purchase another 4 weeks menu of her after I heard about the Waldorf salad episode! I am starting that in the first week of October so I am up to extending this sprint if anyone wants to join me! I felt like I needed something to freshen up what I have been doing and I am so looking forward to it.

MrsJim: That Pi-Yo class sounds interesting. I used to to Yoga and have done one class of Pilates but my instructer changed gyms so I stopped going. Now I just plain don't have enough time!
I can always see my abs before any other muscles, and my thighs are covered in what looks like cellulite but I am not sure. I used to have a little bit on my upper thighs but now it seems like it is everywhere! I am hoping that it is just all the fat breaking up and thus looking disgusting only for the moment. I am a nail biter from waaaaaay back too! But they feel harder when I bite them now! By the way Karen - how tall are you? I am 5'4" and I don't have much problem with the length of jeans - for some reason I always assumed that you were the same height as me (since we are the same body shape basically as well)

Mox: I hear you girl so many people get caught up with hopes of ending up perfect they forgot why they made the mental commitment in the first place. If ANYONE knows about patience it's ME!!! Look at my pics at L&S it has taken me 11 months to get where I am and I still have another 6-12 months to go to get to where I want to. to be honest I look at my pictures now and think - I was so much bigger than I ever thought I was at the time. Sometimes I can cruise along ok and other times it's a daily battle (like the other day) - YOU JUST GOTTA KEEP GOING! I always say the number one thing you need for BFL or another program to work is CONSISTENCY! It ain't gonna happen overnight!

To be perfectly honest I sometimes get a bit jealous of those people who aren't that big to start off with and then they achieve their goals in one challenge or so. It's just a human reaction I think but it's frustrating when you have so much fat to lose. It's easy to get lost in the process. I have to continually remind myself of my goals and where I am going. I didn't like putting up pictures before recently because I am still 'in progress' and don't have the final picture yet, but I learnt something important recently and that is that there process is just as important as the end result. I believe Pam is an awesome person and part of that comes from her ability to overcome her fears and frustrations and keep battling through until she achieved her dreams. Whenever I get jealous or envious I just think of Pam and that it took her 1.5 years originally to get to her goal so it's ok if it takes me a while as well.

Thunder: Thanks for the compliment! I REALLY appreciate it.
How did I get through my stops and starts? Well firstly I didn't take it seriously enough and then one day (my birthday actually) I just got up and started crying. I had truelly hit my low point and I finally admitted to myself that I just couldn't do it. I could never lose the weight - it wasn't meant to be. Then my brain took over and said what the **** are you talking about? I started reading a book by Dr Phil called stop making excuses and I analysed my thought processes and my self limiting beliefs (you know the ones - 'I am big-boned etc') and finally just told myself to shut up and do it. I was constantly looking and waiting for motivation and a REASON to do it all the time. Telling myself 'once I am motivated I will do it' 'I don't have a strong enough reason yet' etc. That day I cried I just told myself that there was never going to be a reason and my motivation wasn't going to come - I JUST HAD TO DO IT. So I got up that morning and went for a run. Then I started to emerse myself in education and learning about nutrition and exercise until I was bursting with information. During the first full challenge I was obsessed with it. Then the whole process kinda snowballed from there......

I still don't have motivation to do it and I still don't have very strong reasons to fall back on I just tell myself I have to do it, because where I am now is better than where I was then. So something is going right.

I will stop babbling now!

Susan: You know what? The first time I did CPB I watched and listened to my body very carefully. I had vicious reactions to deep fried food but could eat Pizza and chinese with ease so you know what I did? I cut out fried food from my diet totally! My body obviously didn't like it so why bring pain on myself? It's strange because now I don't crave those foods anymore but I crave Pizza and chinese. When I eat either pizza or chinese I don't get free day hangovers anymore so obviously my body doesn't mind it in moderation! Sometimes I think it's important to listen to the signals your body is giving you!

Anyway guys I have rambled too much. Take care!!

JC

Mel!

It's so cool isn't it? I found it the other day when I was browsing... Maybe I should get the other thread girls and DNW to come have a look!

JC

this is not me

what do you think of the new avatar?

mel (who looks nothing like that!)

I do have 2 arms and 2 legs and a head.

mel

I LOVE IT!!!!!!

JC

PS It's that Bergmin lady isn't it?

Yep, It's Juliette Bergman in her younger (less roided up) days! I was going to paste my head on, but figured the pic was so small once I got it to avatar size, who could tell?

I love her early look- just lots of lean, long muscle. The last 5 years, tho, even I think she looks like a freak.


Just ate 1 1/2 cups of cottage cheese blended with a sweet potato and i feel like I've got concrete in my stomach!

mel

Good Morning Ladies
What can I say? Such a supportive group, I really do appreciate your thoughts and pointers.

JEC - It's so weird I think I was having my little cry last night about the time you were posting. What's even more weird is that it was Dr Phil I was watching when I heard those same words and decided that I was done wallowing in the victim pool. That's when I started to make changes that eventually led me to BFL. It also reminded me that I have a couple of his books that I have yet to read. One being Life Strategies about being your own personal Life Manager - in his words I should be fired right now for the job I'm doing. Thanks for sharing your struggles, it helped me to feel not so alone with this battle.

LANA - You are so sweet - I appreciate the offer of posting your menus but I have already completed one challenge so I have the knowledge of what to eat etc. My problem lies deep within myself which is sometimes more difficult to work out. Thanks for the hug!

MEL - Your right! I have completed one challenge already and I do remember what that felt like. I never felt stronger both physically and mentally.

MRSJIM - I know that you have suggested journalling before and I haven't done that yet. I think I will give it a week and see what happens - it will probably help me to remain focused. I did use the workout sheets for my 1st challenge and that really helped.

MZHALLOCKSWEET - Welcome to our home! I have to admit that I have been admiring your success for quite some time. I went to BodyChangers quite early on and you were one of the ladies that I could identify with. You have done an awesome job!

On reflection, I think things started going downhill after my FIL died 4 months ago. I just let myself use that to eat through my emotions and I think it's time to crawl out of that and get busy. What I'm doing now is not a tribute to the way my FIL lived his life - he wouldn't want this for me.

My mother is coming up again this weekend but I'm going to prepare myself mentally/emotionally this time. Isn't it funny how they can still treat us like children and we can react in the same way? Time to grow up and take charge. Now I have to take responsibility for my actions and go out and buy another pair of "fat" pants. I gave away my fat clothes as I was losing weight and now I have no pants that fit (hence my little crying jag last night). I have to go out of town for my job next week and all I have are sweat pants. ARGG - I'm only buying one pair because I will be getting rid of them very soon!!! I also have to face my doctor next week. Believe it or not I am big on personal responsibility - time to face the music.

Thank you ladies for holding my hand and giving me a gentle kick in the #ss. If I didn't have this board right now I think I could be creating major damage. That's enough about me now! You gals are so awesome with your energy and enthusiasm - can't wait to hear how you all did after the six weeks!

We're leaving in less than an hour (sez Jim) and he's determined to break his Bay-Area-to-San-Diego record (around 7 hours) today. Not to mention it has been HOT here lately. Hopefully San Diego (we're actually staying around Del Mar) is a bit cooler.

Yesterday afternoon my PC FREAKED OUT on me so I turned it off for the rest of the day...why I've been so quiet - I've got LOTS of catching up to do!

Just got back from the gym - did a quick chest/quad workout.

I'm still a bit sore from Pi-Yo. I've stretched like that before - it's HOLDING the stretches that make ya sore. A good sore though

JC - I'm thinking about buying another 4 weeks from Pam after I return from SoCal. I'd LOVE to continue this as well - until November 2nd (when I leave for London).

Just wanted to add - I am also 5'4"

Marie - I'm so glad you're hanging out here - I'll have to answer your questions in more depth on Sunday when we return (unless I'm lucky enough to score internet access this weekend - I left my laptop at work).

I gotta finish packing and take a shower and eat! Later all!!!

Mel is that you in that pic? HOLY MOLY, you are awesome.................

I see that isn't you, but what a great pic, thanks for the compliment Thunderheart, if you ever need me, my email is always posted somewhere. I just recently relit my fire watching other compete, I want those abs to show. See you all this Monday.
Hugs,
marie