Howdy y'all! Thought that last thread was getting a bit long.

Wanted to start with this gem which was posted at L&S today by the one and only Pam Brown - I found it TOTALLY motivating - it's titled "Feeling Bad about Regaining Weight?"

Wow MrsJim!! Just what I was thinkin! I read that post this morning on L&S and I thought if PamB gains 40lbs and gets back on the horse then I can too!! So I took her advice and thought I will just see if I can do it for today. Heck, I completed one Challenge so I'm sure I can do ONE DAY!!! I am happy to report that I ate clean all day (BFL eating) - just ready to make Meal 6 and I just finished working out with weights. I also managed to get 4 litres of water down too - forgot how many visits to the bathroom that entails. In some ways this one day was harder than my whole first challenge. I was really taking it hour by hour - but I made it. I am really proud of myself - I haven't been able to make it through a day for about 3 months now. I'm trying a split that I read in Karen Andes book "A Woman's Book of Strength" It's a 5 day split just to try something different. I also prepared some foods today for the week so that I don't have any excuses - that has been a big downfall for me in the past few months. I get too hungry and grab something quick and processed.

Susanje - so nice to see you back!! Now if we could just find Carps (if you're reading this hope everything is OK)

PS - I really like the recipes thread - gonna borrow some ideas for this week!

Well wish me luck!! PamB's right - I will sleep good tonight! - Going to be early just for insurance.

TH,

Nice to be back! (though I miss New York desperately).

I started school today (MY LAST YEAR!) and everyone was surprised that I had already packed my food the first day! I had the first 3 gladware containers in the NEW refrigerator in the women's lounge (in a couple of weeks, there will be NO room in there!)

Most people were catching up over lunch, but I was in the lounge, heating my food and calming down a few first years!!!! (first week of law school is very intimidating!). But people were impressed with the packed lunch.

Before I ever put on weight, I used to go to the cafeteria at work (I worked in high tech for 12 years) and just eat whatever I wanted...I used to think that people who packed their own lunch were either cheap or crazy. Now, I can't STAND to be without a packed lunch.

Hey guys!

I am bery bery tired at the moment - I just finished my exams - which went well.

Mrs Jim - 1st September I am starting a CPB 6 week sprint. I have been the same weight/size for about 6 weeks now due to poor eating and a weird exercise routine with soccer and all. I am looking forward to getting back on the horse for the 6 weeks although dreading the discipline. I am using the same menus from before and the same routine for weights/cardio.

I will be happy if I can get similar results as I did before and I feel better reading Pam's post and hearing her saying it is easier the 2nd time around. Not that I have put on any weight but I have been a sloth the last few weeks and just feel unfit. I am picking September 1st because this weekend I have a 3-day retreat for soccer which will be a write off. Also the day that I finish the 6 weeks will be my one year anniversary of BFL and also my 27th birthday. It seems like a good way to end the year.

Anyway I hope that all is well with everyone and apologise that I haven't been around lately - I hope to be around more over the next few weeks now that soccer is over and Uni starts again next week.

JC

Just a few quick sentences and then I must dash off (time to get my materials in a row for next week - hard to believe that next Tuesday I'll be flying to NYC...time flies...)

JC - mind if I join ya for that CPB challenge? Are you going to re-use your menus or have new ones done? (Since money is a factor for me, I'm going to reuse the original menus). I'll start MY 6 week CPB sprint on 2 September as we are flying back from NYC on 1 Sept (I upgraded Jim and I to business class for the flight back - sometimes I get so sick of flying coach and being packed like a sardine - besides Jim's never flown business class before - he will be SPOILED now). I also feel the same way you do right now - still doing my workouts but my eating could be WAY better - especially on the weekends. Doing CPB will tighten it all up for me. Besides I'll be 40 on 10 November and I wanna look HOT (I'll be in London then).

Thunderheart, Susan - glad to see y'all checkin' in. I thought that was an AWESOME post by Pam - and didn't want you to miss it. (posts tend to disappear quite quickly from the L&S board). I actually printed it up and it's on my wall at the office now!

I saw some soup recipes, but I don't have the patience to make my own soup. Is Campbell's soup an option?

Of course you can join me Karen! I am going to re-use the menus I had from before because I know that they already work. I got my dates mixed up though so I am actually starting on the 2nd Sept as well (Monday right?) - it will be so much easier to have someone to complain to on lower carb days!

Wooo hooo!!

JC

AY CARAMBA! Let's do it chick!!!

I remember how draggy I felt on the low-carb days. Of course it was made up for by the spectacular appearance of ABS.

So what I'll do is BFL eating until then...kind of treading water until 2 Sept. I want ABS on my 40th birthday!!!

Liz - about Campbell's soup - I'm afraid it's NOT an option...too much sodium and not balanced for ya, hun. I'm thinking there might be SOME sort of soup out there - low in sodium - that might work as a carb - maybe a Pritikin lentil soup? (I'm not a big soup eater myself).

Another option might be to use some chicken broth - the low-sodium, fat-free version - as a stock - then you can toss in meat, veggies, etc (leftover chicken maybe?) and let simmer until to your liking.

Actually I found a quick recipe - I'll post it on our BFL Recipes thread

Remember - the best thing to do while on BFL is not to focus on what you CAN'T have (and remember with Free Day, there really isn't anything you can't have!) and work with what IS clean. Accentuate the positive!

yay! Let's do it!

I am so excited now!!

JC

Oh, I wish I could do camp pb with you too! and September 2 is perfect for starting, but don't have the bucks right now. I've got to do something different- no size/weight/changes in months! I'm getting spectacularly stronger but that doesn't seem to do anything other than make people stare at me in the gym. I'm eating perfectly cleaner than clean and have found maintenance mode.

But it's fun to heave those big plates around! I used the 100 lb plates for squats yesterday (had help in racking and unracking) and they looked pretty scary before I started!

Thunder- of course you can do it again. Just hour by hour, day by day...getting cool up there yet?

Susanje- Glad to see you made it back. Only 1 more year- WOW!

off for meal 6 then bed,
mel

Hi Mel! Good to see you! yes, this is my last year and I have senior-itis big time!

Re: soup: I used to make my own in the crock pot. If you put in some chicken and water, with some brown rice and and spices, cover and cook for hours, you have a very thick but tasty soup. Add veggies about a half hour before you're going to eat. yum.

Hi Ladies,
Just a quick note to check in. Going on my 4th day of eating clean. It's amazing how much better I feel - except for the old familiar soreness of the muscles from the weights - but even that feels good again. I can feel the energy level changing and a big difference in my general mood.

Now for a computer illiterate question - I couldn't find the Recipes thread one day and then it was back. Could someone enlighten me as how to find it the next time this happens? Thanks.

Mel - How's it goin? I see your going to be on stage soon eh? The weather here has been hovering around the 20's C. It is absolutely my most favourite time of the year. You can feel the cool fall air starting to move in. Maybe that's what helped to get me back on track - in any case I can feel that I'm ready to go again!

Even got my hubby working out with me so far!

Talk to ya later!

Can't ya tell I worked out today?? I'm feelin' GOOOOD!

Hey Mel - you can still join JC and I on our 6 week sprint even if you're not doing CPB! Just pick out whatever eating program you want and stay on it 100% - whether it be BFL, CPB, GetLean (check it out here http://labrada.com/glh/ ), whatever (Check Mistress Krista's website - I think she has a few nutrition plans on there if I recall correctly)...and that goes for the rest of you too! Let's see a show of (Virtual) hands - who wants to do what I am now calling CAMP 3FC 6 WEEK KIDS ARE BACK TO SCHOOL KICK-BUTT CHALLENGE??? (hey, if anyone thinks of a better name for our challenge, out with it gals!!) Oh, what the heck, let's just call it the Camp 3FC 6 Week Pam Brown or Whatever Challenge. Wait a second...that sux too! Gimme some names here!!

ANYway here are the rules I propose:

Beginning September 2nd...

1) 42 days (except for planned Free Day which is optional BTW) of eating "on program" (no cheating)
2) 42 days (except for planned rest days) of completing your workout
3) 42 days of drinking all your water
4) 42 days of THINKING POSITIVE!

Let's take it a step further - and if you want to, use Pam's "Star Reward System":
Whaddya gals think??? Hmmm?

Thunderheart - I am now officially jealous that you can get your hubby to work out with ya! If I could get Jim in the gym, I'd be one happy camper indeed!

More later gals! Lemme know what ya think about the C3FC6WKABINSKBChallenge...

OK - I'm IN except I haven't found an eating plan! I just emailed Pam about camp pb, but I can only imagine what her schedule must be like now. I looked at an old document of hers and was thinking based on that, maybe I should drop the starchy carb from meals 2 and 6, and substitute a cup or 2 of green vegies. Don't know whether to do that every day, cardio only days, or what.Actually, I have only 2 cardio only days....I lift between meals 3 and 4 usually, so I don't think I wanna mess with them. Any suggestions?

And that's OK timing, since it will only extend my current 12 challenge by 1 week.

So count me in! Help me break this plateau!

mel