Good Morning All

I thought that I would start a new thread for a new day, as we were on the 3rd page again.

Claire~~~Welcome back . I'm so glad that you have not given in to the cruelness of some people. I applaud you for making an effort to be healthier. Never give in to others, always do it for yourself because you are worth it I hope to see you around here daily

~~~Sil

Hi everyone!

Made it to the gym this morning for the cardio!

This is eventful for me, because I'm such a night owl. I work 7 am to 4 pm and usually hit the gym after work. Then I'd eat something and veg on the couch. Not a very productive evening for me.

When I committed to this challenge, I promised myself I would do my best to work out early as Bill suggests. So I got up at 4:15 am and drove an hour to my office (we have a very small gym on premesis) and got in my cardio. Took a shower, dressed and walked across the parking lot to my office. Feel terrific!

Because the gym at work is so small (no leg equipment at all) is that I guess I'll go to the gym at home (for which I pay $40 a month anyway -- the place where the snickers are free) and do my weight routines there. Also decided that the snickerers are just making me stronger and more determined.

MrsJim, I am thoroughly enjoying reading your fitday journal, especially your weights and reps. You'll be ready for that competition in May, for sure!! I've been posting on Lean and Strong, too.

And all you wonderful women -- thanks for the warm welcome back! I feel like I've wandered into "The Land of the Strong, Proud Women!"

Have a great day!

Hey all!

It has been a totally busy day at work.

How's everyone doing?

Waterbabe, I'm so glad you've joined us again! Keep on posting both here and at L&S...for me, the online support system of the two sites combined is SUCH a critical part of my success on BFL. I have learned so much!

Thanks for your comments on Fitday. Now if I can only figure out how to get it to keep my paragraphing - I don't usually write in one looong paragraph but that's how it's coming out on the public journal.

This morning I got to the gym just before 5 am and for some reason it was already busy...I had shoulders/abs/calves this morning. If you read my FitDay journal you'll know that Theresa had me include calves last night - but my calves can take a lot of punishment.

One thing I wish I had the room for in our little place is a Swiss/Stability ball, actually a couple of 'em - Theresa is showing me a lot of great exercises using the ball. Like squats, holding two DBs and leaning against the ball which is against the wall...that is so much fun and really works the quads. I highly recommend a personal trainer if you can find a good one and afford it - she is really helping me with my form, esp on squats (I tend to arch my back too much) and deadlifts. I don't know how long I'll actually be able to AFFORD going to her but I'll just PBE at this point!

Whew! back to work. I'll try to write more later...

I second that advice about the trainer....all those years of lifting by my lonesome at home have created some pretty bad habits. I had a session today with the PT, quads, hams and calves, and barely had the energy to do a half hearted quicky abs when I was done with him. Since it was a weirdly warm day here (70 degrees in Pa. in January is just not right!) he had me outside, doing 100 yard lunges with an 18 pound body bar across my shoulders. I thought my quads were going to explode around the 80 yard line. But I finished!!! I'm not sure I could make myself do that on my own. By the end it was more my balance that was shot, tho the legs were burning too. Certainly mad the rest of the workout more of a challenge.

Claire- Welcome back, tho I'm new here since you left. Great attitude. Don't let the ^&*s get you down!

gotta go start dinner, son is whinig for Chinese. Not possible til next weekend!

mel

Yesterday I was having a hard time not being hungery........and well I cheated a bit.........POUT........got sooooo mad at myself......nothing major..........I had about 5 ritz crackers.........damn!!!......... tsk tsk on me

But today.......I started out fresh......and said I wouldn't let that little indiscretion get to me........so I have done very well today......I am just going to keep on going....

I have learned.......from going to L&S......that I am not eating enough.......man......and here I thought I was eating too much......the things you learn...........I knew going into my first challenge........alot of it would be trial and error.........since this is new to me.........soooooooo I am keeping it up......all this clean eating and exercising.......makes me feel soooooooo good......

meliris.......I think I would have passed out with those sprints.....

Mrs.Jim........sounds like you are doing very well.....as for the swiss ball I love it.........I do those squats..........I have been reading another book.......where the philosophy.......is much like Bill Phillips........and in their book they use the Swiss ball.........and I just happened to have one......

The book I am referring to is Body Change by Montel Williams and Wini Linguvic *she is a PT*......it has some good reading........they to believe that attitude plays a very key role in your lifestyle change......


Waterbaby........wow.......4:15 am.......don't know if I could get up that early .......GOOD FOR YOU!!!....BS.....

Well ladies..........have a wonderful evening....

if it's not too much trouble, could you explain that? It's hard for me to picture squats with two dumbbells and a swiss ball. I've been using one for my abs - it makes great pain a distinct possibility!

But I've been posting a lot at L&S. Short and sweet posts, mostly (for me) I tend to get a bit more verbose here at 3FC (if you haven't noticed!).

Anyway...let me see if I can word this correctly for ya, Lisa...ball squats. So you get a Swiss ball (the smaller one not the huge blue one) and you lean against it with the ball against the wall and your back against the ball...you have a dumbbell in each hand with your arm down, the same way you would hold the DB's if you were doing lunges - at your sides (or in front of you depending on how you're going to squat - sumo or feet close together). Then you slowly squat down while leaning against the ball, which should kind of roll along with you. The ball never loses contact with the wall. Stay at the down position for a count of 3, then up, and repeat...

Hey Kel, I've noticed a lot of gals first starting on BFL tend to UNDER estimate their portions. I was on another board just hanging out, and people were posting their menus...I was just lurking but the menus were SO off base that I decided to do them a favor and play TJ and do a bit of critiquing...some of the meals were just really off base...like one meal was 1/4 cup cottage cheese and a 1/4 cup of yogurt...that's it. Or another meal was 1/2 a PowerBar Protein Plus bar (I looked the nutritional info up and one bar has 24g of protein and 23g of sugar!!! not good). Anyway, I offered them some constructive tips and a couple of gals got offended. (I had also advised them to go to L&S for menu help).

I posted back that I was only trying to help them do the program correctly and I wouldn't be posting there again in the future...sheesh I told them that I was here and at L&S if they had any questions...if they happen to be reading this please do not take offense...I think BFL is a WONDERFUL program and I want to make sure everyone who is doing it is doing it RIGHT.

Anyway! Whew! As planned I was able to get out of bed before 4 am and hit the gym by 4:30. What a diff that made - it's been getting more crowded earlier (this will probably stop around Valentine's Day though - it usually does). Had an awesome chest/tri workout - I'll post it on Fitday later today when I have a moment.

I have to prepare for yet another meeting so hope to hear from you gals soon! Let's hear how y'all are doing!

Mrs.Jim........well I am learning quickly over at L&S just how much one can eat.......and tomorrow I will post my menu on Tall Jen's post.......see if I am getting it right......I JUST FEEL LIKE I AM PIGGIN OUT..........OINK OINK.......laffin.......but have already noticed looseness in me pants.........GRIN.........I LOVE IT!!!

As for your advice giving.....sometimes.......people just don't wanna hear it........why I don't know...but some do eventually come around.......I love criticizim.......makes me think ya know..........cause one thing I do know......I am far from perfect...........I love any and all help......but you can only do what you can do right??

Well I did my UBWO yesterday and my shoulders have been talkin to me today I tell yeah........I was happy to do my cardio......had to do it this evening....for my mom is visiting....and she was sleeping in the same room my equipment is in.....laff.........

all I can say is that I feel absolutely WONDERFUL........

have a great evening ladies.....

Hey gals!

Did my LBWO today and my ankles are still wobbly!

TallJen helped me with my menus from yesterday and I think I have the hang of it. MrsJim, some people get offended at anything, even when they are being helped. Sometimes my enthusiasm and passion for something is misconstrued by others as being overbearing. oh, well.

I appreciate the fact that you help me!

It is nice to go to LeanandStrong and see posts from familiar people!

Have a great evening!

Hi I am going to try to post here regularly now, for some accountability.

I have been doing a lot better this time doing BFL on the nutrition, but I am falling into a pattern of a lack of planning.

Ex: Yesterday, I planned to go to lunch with a friend and her little girl. I did great!! I had a grilled Chick breast with a green salad, water, and a half a slice of whole wheat toast, instead of the home made rolls that come with. I was drinking water all day - no prob.

Well, after that I spent the afternoon hanging out with them, playing, etc. Suddenly I realized, "Hey, I haven't eaten! ANd I have all these errands to run, etc. I was having so much fun playing, the hours slipped away, and although I didn't notice being hungry, I started to develop a headache, a sure sign that I had gone too long w/o food.

Some days (not often), when I am out running around, this happens to me. THE "OLD" Beth, would have stopped to grab a coke and anything else handy at a quick mart .

I could not allow myself to do this, which is a good thing, however, I fall into this pattern of not eating enough. i am so trained to not eat unless I'm REALLY hungry. I also had already eated one meal out, and I did not want to have to eat restaraunt food 2x in one day!

In the end because of my poor timing/planning, I only had 4 meals the whole day!! And probably not enough in my last meal.

I KNOW I JUST HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN! However, I HATE HATE , feeling like a slave to my food, that it controls everything I do !! The feeling of being overwhelmed with having to plan ALL the time has caused me to get mad and quit every "diet" I have ever tried.

I realize that if I plan correctly, I will feel more in control. But sometimes, I just want to LIVE, and NOT have to be so much in control of EVERYTHING! The "lunch date" was a spontaneous
decision. I only had an hour to get showered and meet her, and I had no idea how long I would be gone. I did not anticipate the need to pre- prepare a meal.

Just a vent!! I feel better now~ I have come a long way in terms of developing discipline. I did not do anything dumb like have a "grease fest" of fries and a burger, that is progress~ For me the struggle is...
How can one be disciplined, yet spontaneous when you have to eat every 3 hours like a newborn baby? My option of not eating is not a good one, I know.


Finally, I know this is all about the journey, not the destination. I will figure this out, and I will have to "overplan" (yuck) and be prepared for anything.

Thanks for listening. This was really a long rambling mess~

Beth

well, i've been lurking again. I just wanted to pop on and say that some people don't want to know when there doing something wrong (especially if they've been doing it for a while), so don't let it bother you.

I've actually been doing this BFL thing for over a year now but I always lose focus and fall into my old habits, but I'm still trying. The one thing I do know is every time I get back on track I seem to pick up more info. that helps me stick to it longer. The last time I made it 10 weeks (that's major for me). this time I plan on sticking with it for the duration. (not just 12 weeks).

Thanks Mrs.Jim I understand perfectly (about the squat.)

I lost 55 pounds on WW and was always amazed at the folks who clearly hadn't read their program material or done any "self study" to educate themselves. Then when I would try to explain some part of the program they weren't getting, great indignation would follow.

I always included protein with every meal and snack, which probably explains why I lost fat and not muscle on that program. Somebody else would say "oh, I had three ice cream sandwiches for lunch and I lost five pounds this week!"

Anyway, have a great day, everyone.

Hey everyone!

It's great to see new (and returning) people posting!

I actually for the first time hit a 10 today. During cardio, no less. Since I'm so heavy, it's hard for me to walk very far anywhere without getting out of breath.

The best I've been able to do up to now was a 3.1 on the treadmill. Made me sweat and huff and puff. Well today I decided what the heck? and cranked 'er up to 3.3. The difference was amazing. I kept my eyes glued to the timer, waiting for the minute to be up, knowing I couldn't go much past 60 seconds at that pace.

I made it though! It has finally sunk into my rock-hard head the importance of making small goals. I'll work toward making that 3.3 into a level 9, then an 8, etc.

Biv -- I understand how you feel. I have to plan, too, otherwise I will grab whatever is handy -- usually candy or fast food.

Sheila, this is my fourth attempt to complete a 12-week challenge and the difference this time for me is commitment. So glad you're here! You can do it!

Kelster, glad you are feeling sooo good!

Mel, with that lunge routine, I'd have keeled over! Or fallen down trying to wobble away from the trainer!

How's everyone else? I'll try not to blab every time I post...

Can I ask a question? I have been lurking in this forum a bit, in fact i am very interested in teh BFL program, only I live on an island off the coast of South america,, where everything imorted is expensive, and my understanding of the porgram comes from the internet. (i am a US citizen living abroad. And actulaly I am from Santa Cruz California. Yes, MrsJim, the DH and I moved justbefore the costs went sky high, and are kicking ourselves for not buying a house there before hand just so we could rent it out now! OUr old apartment which went for 875 a month now costs 1500+ crazy!)

I am currently undergoing a fantastic weight loss due to excersize, stregnth training and healthy eating, but i would love to know more about BFL. I adore stregnth training, my mother actually inspired me on this. I wonder if you all could share a bit with me about what BFL really entails, so i could judge if it is somthing i could do down here. I have access to a home gym. (barbells & dumbbells, and bench only) and run about three miles 5 times a week. I cook all my own foods, though meat is expensive, fish is not so. A gym in terms of one that had weight machines really isn't something I have access to. Is it possible to do this down here? I tried searching for a BFL/EAS representative here and no luck. Anyway, what are your thoughts?

=^..^=

Just what we need....another CAT person Maybe we should be the BFL Kitty Group! or the Kool Kats.

Meow - actually rents are coming down a bit around here. Jim and I were able to negotiate $150 off the rent with our landlord a few months ago. (We have a pretty cool landlord!) There are vacancies all over the place here - but Santa Cruz might be different. You missed the big snow storm earlier this week though!

Basically, you need to read the book "Body for Life" by Bill Phillips to get a full understanding of the program. It's an easy read - and don't skip the chapter "Crossing the Abyss" VERY important! If you have a home gym with barbells and dumbbells, you should be fine - many BFLers here and at www.leanandstrong.com (most of us hang out there as well!) work out at home! Not me though - my place is way too tiny! Actually free weights are WAY better than machines so you don't have to worry about having fancy-schmancy Nautilus machines or anything like that.

The book does suggest using Myoplex but meal replacement shakes are just for convienence's sake. As far as supplements, other than a multivitamin you really don't need any. I believe most of us do take glutamine for muscle soreness and an EFA such as Udo's Choice or flaxseed oil for the healthy fats our body needs.

The book is easily available on the Internet - or maybe your local library if you have one? - and I would really recommend reading it before beginning the program - last year some magazines had 'condensed' the book in articles (i.e. Woman's World) as kind of the 'diet of the week'. Had a lot of people try it without reading the book - and they gave up after the first week or so.

Feel free to post any questions you might have!

Last time I checked L&S was down for server maintenance. Never fear though - I emailed Erik (Quadzilla) and he'll have it up ASAP - just needs to do a bit of work!

Aack...just checked my finances... how depressing! I will probably have to give up Theresa every week, instead I'm going to try every other week. I've paid up front for four weeks and I'll go for the next two, then after that I'll have to play by ear. Like I said when I started, if I have to choose between personal training and my riding lessons, the PT is going to be what goes - learning to ride has been a childhood dream of mine...

Biv - Claire is so right - planning is a VERY important (maybe the most important) key to success on BFL. If you have a mo', do go to Lean & Strong (hopefully their server will be up and running very soon!) and browse through the Training Library for Pam B's training/nutrition/motivation document. A really good read! Pam has my vote for most motivating woman in the US! If you haven't seen her transformation photos you are in for a treat!

Lisa - OMG, I got that too...in fact on that board I was on, someone said "well, I have an extra carb or two at a lot of my meals and have already lost 7 pounds on BFL". Who cares about pounds per week - sooner or later those extra carb portions and nibbles here and there catch up with ya...like I said, I've given up the scale for good (and I do mean good ) since it has never made my life any better in obssessing over that number...I'll just use the Pants-o-meter from now on, with occasional bodyfat testing and progress pix, thank ya very much!