BFL/BB #66 - C3FC Week 1!!!
 

Howdy Y'all! I had such a great workout this morning...

I am SO motivated! The only problem right now is that I thought I had a whole extra carton of eggs, I opened it and there are...5. I need 12 eggwhites for Meal 1 - so Jim is getting in the shower and gonna take me to Safeway. We're out of just about everything anyway - including toothpaste!

Mel - what you need to do is email Pam right away. She WILL tweak your menu to suit. When she did my first week, after day 2 I had no energy and I emailed her back - she sent me a new menu with a few more carbs. Tell her you want more veggies. You don't have to use frozen - you can use fresh (personally I prefer frozen since they are already cut and easier to keep on hand).

Also, don't worry about the times on the menus. Here's what Pam told me when I asked her about the timing: "Here's what you do... workout on an empty stomach, wait an hour before eating your first meal. Then each meal after that should be approximately 3 hours apart. If for some reason you are working out later in the day, make sure to have eaten at least 1.5 hours prior to your workout. Then wait an hour after working out for the next meal."

But DO email Pam and let her know your concerns!!! Trust me - she knows what she's doing - she'll be able to explain the reasons for why the menus are the way they are.

How's everyone else doing?? Jim just got out of the shower so we're off to Safeway with my list!!

I'm off and running on C3FC! Unfortunately, my gym is closed today, so I made due with cardio (although, after being out of town for three days, I was really looking forward to lifting again... grr!) Oh well. I woke up later than planned today, so Meal #1 didn't take place until about 11:30am, so I'm slighty adjusting my portions to compensate for only having 5 meals today (a little more protein, and extra veggies), and even then, will need to eat every 2 and a half hours to fit them all in. But overall, I'm feeling good about the next 6 weeks. And the end of this challenge will time out perfectly with the weekend that I'm supposed to meet my boyfriend's family for the first time (yikes!). So that's a little extra incentive to give it my all these next few weeks! Have a great day, guys!

Hello girls,

I'm in a good mood today too!! I also had to do only cardio instead of weights today because the gym opened too late because of the holiday... But I did do a 20K bike ride and I feel good... I'm in the mood for cleaning too... so there's a workout and a half, just carting the vacuum is great for the bis, tris and back... But I still prefer good ole weights...

So far today food is good and clean...

Later all....

Lana...:love:

Hello!!!

I have jello legs and bad bad carb and caffeine withdrawal (bad free week!!) but I'm doing good on Day 1! I got my CPB email this morning bright and early and printed off the workout and hit the gym--chest and quads and I am FEELING it!

I'm happy with my CPB stuff. I hate figuring out zig zagging for myself (but I do do it for my clients), but I know that it works and is effective, so I'm happy to let someone else do it! I love the fact that there's no cottage cheese on the menu for this week and that there's lots of veggies and fish and enough fruit to keep my sweet tooth at bay. The low carb days don't look all that bad, plenty of fats to fill me up. I don't mind the MRPs all that much, I'm starting my pre-school aide job this week so it's convenient for me.

Mrs. Jim--glad that you made it home safe and sound.

Colleen--meeting your BF's parents is such a motivator! Great job on having a good first day.

Mel--I'm sorry you're disappointed. I would definitely email Pam, she will fix what you don't like or explain to you what's confusing.

I am enjoying my Labor Day, even though I did train three clients today. I hate to get my schedule all mixed up, so if they're up for it, so am I! I am putting in an order for some new home equipment for my clients--medicine balls and a body bar. I bought a Bosu (a half gym ball with a solid bottom)--it's pretty cool but hard for beginners to use. But I have the rest of the day free so I'm off to the Super Wal-Mart with my list and then I'm going to the park for my cardio and then relaxing with a good book.

I'll check in later--have a great afternoon!

Morning Ladies! Yesterday went off without a hitch! (Am I using that expression correctly?? Ah well, you know what I mean!) I just got back from the gym. Cardio this morning, and will try to fit weights in tonight (gym doesn't open until 6am, which makes it hard to fit in a weightlifting workout in in the mornings - grrr...) But on a positive note, this is the first morning in 3 weeks that I've managed to make myself get out of bed to go to the gym, so I'm feeling pretty powerful today! Let's hope I can make a habit of it! Just wanted to check in. I'm off to scrounge up some breakfast - have a great day!

Day 2
 

Despite my grumping, day 1 of camp PB went smoothly. Despite getting up at almost 9 am and having to rework the meal schedule a tad, got it all done. Today, so far so good. Got up early again to get in my daily cardio (30 minutes, ugh! I'd gotten to like that 20 MAS or HIIT) and have had breakfast including my first slice of BREAD (can't post that one one L & S!) in 7 months! This feels more like my old ways....

I've emailed Pam for some help in tweaking the schedule and am determined to make this work somehow.

Have a good day everyone!

mel

hey girls...started the challenge off right!! woke up at 4:30 and worked out!! think i'll prob. post mostly at the low carb forum, but i'll continue to check in here~!
Good luck!!

Hello girls,

I only have a few minutes of lunch hour left so this will be short....

This morning I had a great UB WO, and food is clean and going very well...

Great big thumbs up to everyone doing their best on our 2nd day of our challenge...yippee!

Later all...

PS: Today is going better than yesterday, it seems that I was hungry every hour yesterday... I'm not sure why, but I drank water and ate every 2 to 2.5 hours instead.... Today I'm back on track..

Ok now I'm outta here...........

I'm a happy camper!
 

Pam sent me all new menus and a new workout today! Much more to my liking. I felt like I should have been hiding in the closet while eating that bread this morning :o . I'm going to do the less extreme workout she first sent me for a week or two, then switch back to a new 4 day killer split she also sent me. I think I must be the first to complain to her that there weren't enough vegies and the workout was too easy! LOL I'm pretty obsessive!

Hope everyone's day is going as well as mine...it finally stopped raining here (NO rain all summer, then WHAM 4 days straight) so in addition to my regular cardio, Cleo the wonderdog and I had a good jog around the neighborhood and admired the green grass.

mel

I'm Back
 

Howdy, everyone! Well, I survived 5 days with my family -- and no homicides to report! :devil: (I enjoy visiting my family, but for some reason whenever we "kids" are all together, we sometimes revert to fighting over the remote control, like we did 20 years ago. Grrr.)

I had a mixed BFL experience while there -- on the very, very plus side, I worked out 4 times. Yeah! I belong to a YMCA in Chicago, which generally allows me to visit other Ys nationally for a small (and even sometimes no) fee. I even dragged my family with me 2x. On the negative side, I ate more than I intended to -- anyone ever hear of Omaha Steaks? I ate more red meat in 5 days than I normally do in a month. But, I stayed away from sweets, and only indulged my fat/salt craving 1x (Chex Mix -- yummmm).

But now I'm back, and starting day 1 of C3FC. As with Nebraska, I have a mixed report so far today. Food and water-wise, I'm on track. But, I could NOT get out of bed this morning to do my cardio. As I've already reported, I'm not a morning person normally, and after a long weekend of sleeping in, I don't think a forklift could get me out of bed until the very, very last minute. I was even thinking of skipping the workout entirely, and starting the challenge tomorrow :o , but after visiting here, I'm re-energized and intend to go to the gym right after work. So, thanks for motivating me!!!

Gotta get back to work now. Keep up the good work, everyone, and see you tomorrow. Mox

Day two is a success!

Today's workout was shoulders, abs and calves and MAN am I feeling my shoulders today. Did my cardio in front of the TV on the elliptical watching a Food Network show...and the chef made these yummy-looking pizzas. Whenever I'm eating really clean, I always have the strangest urges to watch FN...not to eat the stuff, just to watch. Okay, I know I'm strange!

The food is going well. I'm realizing just how "unclean" I've eaten this summer. I'm used to sneaking in some ww pasta a couple of times a week and maybe a slice of bread or ww tortillas and having pretty equal carbs and proteins. Today was a low-carb day and I'm definitely a bit on the low side. Not miserable, just going through those first week tough times. I forget how hard zigzagging is sometimes!

Mel--I'm glad to hear that your second dose of CPB is better for you. It's so good to know that Pam is so willing to work with us instead of forcing her ideas as the only way.

Mox--I completely know what you mean about family issues. My sister and I get along so much better now that we live ten hours apart than we ever did while growing up. We fight all the time when we're home together but can talk every night on the phone without incident. Good to hear that you got your fam to the gym! I'm sorry to say that that would never happen in my family. Don't knock yourself too much for not getting up early...it's always hard after a holiday and you'll make it to the gym tonight!

Have a great night everyone!
Maggie

Hey everyone - well I still exist I just had to fly interstate yesterday to inspect one of my properties. I am on day 3 and still going strong I had a billion excuses NOT to eat properly yesterday and I ignored them all. I had a great day!

I will try and catch up later in the day.

My quads hurt!!!!

JC

Sounds like we're all doing fab!
 

Hey y'all!!!

Day 2 of C3FC is rockin' :cool:

Today was shoulders/abs/calves and 30 minutes cardio...so far my eating has been right on - yesterday I was a bit off since I was at home. It's way easier to stay ON PLAN when I'm at work. Yesterday Jim and I spent the day recovering from jet-lag and spending quality time with Sparky. My sister took such good care of him - brought the kids with her and they all played with him twice a day. But of course he was overjoyed to see us on Sunday - he's been following Jim around and purrrring to beat the band.

Mel - sounds like Pam tweaked your program to your satisfaction! I know she wants all her customers to be satisfied - please DON'T be afraid to ask her questions. That's the great thing about CPB - she will customize it to suit you, and I'll bet she'll want updates of your progress as well!

Mox - yesterday we watched the FOOD NETWORK. Could there be any network worse to watch on Day 1 of C3FC? :dizzy: but they were doing a whole NYC segment so we wanted to catch that. Emeril made cheesecake, steak, creamed spinach, Waldorf salad (which I actually did NOT have even though I was at the Waldorf) and hashed brown potatoes. Pretty decadent!

As far as your cardio - the day ain't over yet - you still have time to get it done! Go for it!

Susanje - I honestly don't see how you can eat clean in NYC - the food is just SO good. Jim's favorite was cheesecake (of course) and those hot honey roasted peanuts that the street vendors were selling.

More later gals - onward towards my quest for visible abs again in 40 more days!!! Yee haw!

Woo-just got home from the gym. Had a killer tri/chest/ab workout, and did cardio this morning. I can tell my body is detoxing from this weekend's splurgefest, because my body's been, ahem, cleaning itself out quite nicely, thank you. And is it just me, or do you guys pay *way* more attention to your bowel movements than you ever did before BFL? Is this healthy?! :^:

Mrs. Jim: I am completely the opposite when it comes to nutrition. I find it easier to stay on plan when I'm at *home*, away from the donuts and other sugarbombs that people bring in! As much as I like the way I feel when I eat soundly, sometimes it's hard to resist. And what kills me is that 80% of the women in my office (ok, that's a rough estimate, but you get my drift) are on "diets" of some sort. Yet, a dozen donuts won't last 10 minutes in the joint! (My trick is to tell myself that if I really want one, I can have it "in 30 minutes," which is always safe, because there's never one left after 30 minutes! phew!

Hey everyone! Today is day 3 for me and so far so good. I haven't cheated once yet and have done all my workouts. I tell you what though I am paying for my few weeks off though. I lost some strength and all my body is aching from head to toe. I was meant to run yesterday but I was so sore from doing quads in the morning that I just rode the bike for my cardio. :yikes: I hope that this pain goes away soon! The only thing keeping me standing is the glutamine! In another way it makes me feel good because I know that the pain will create improvement in my body and that's my aim!

I had 2 fly interstate yesterday morning and back last night and the flights happen to fall over 2 meals. I ate everything cold since I didn't have a microwave and discovered that omelletes are really nice cold! I could have drunk more water but I was busy running to appointments so I made sure that I had extra when I got home that night. I still went to the gym after I arrived home as well because I was NOT going to miss out on workout - even though I was dog tired. :yawn: I even dragged hubby along :)

wcolleen - yeah I noticed my bowel movements as well. I think that it is a healthy habit because it shows if your digestive systems has any problems. I also take note of how long it takes the digest the food completely and have noticed that my body is more efficient eating this way. Perhaps it is helped by the speeding up of our metabolisms as well? I do the same thing with cake in the office. When it comes in the morning I say that I will have some for afternoon tea and then by that stage it is all gone and I don't touch it! I am like MrsJim though I find it easier at work than I do at home with my diet and exercise.

MrsJim: Today I have 20 minutes of sprints and chest/abs (it's a light day for me!) That is after work though so I am looking forward to getting under that bench press again. I hope that my quads settle down a bit otherwise the sprints are gonna be hard. I am on a low carb day today so I presume that I will be exhausted by tonight. It's good though because hubby is back at work so he is really tired as well. I am finding the diet easier that 2nd time around - what about you? I had forgotten how much food we had to eat though! We bought over 60 eggs on the weekend! :hyper:

Maggie - I know how hard it is to zig zag at first - I went crazy the first time I did it! I threw my hormones out of whack totally because of soccer after about 8 weeks. It's certainly an adjustment period to get back into it again. There is NO WAY I could watch the FN on a low carb day. :jeno:

Mox: You know what? I am SOOO not a morning person either. I only plan 2 days a week where I go to the gym in the morning, the rest of the time I go after work. People tried to change me when I first started but I just couldn't do it so I concentrated on being consistent rather than doing it perfectly every morning. I found that being consistent over a period of time is more important than trying to force yourself to do something that you are not enjoying. I also love the afternoons because I get to work off all the stress of work at the gym and enjoy my evenings more because my head is clear. You know what I say? Each to their own! Do what works for you instead of trying to fit someone else's standard. No offence to anyone else here of course! It's important to work out what is right for you. :D

Mel: you did the right thing by contacting Pam. She is a great motivator and organiser but she can't read people's minds! I think that she would appreciate the feedback as well. I hope that you are finding it a bit more enjoyable now! :T

Well done to everyone on their first few days. We can do this together and we can do it right if we all support each other. :grouphug:

Now excuse me whilst I go refill my water bottle! I think I will have another toilet stop on the way! :rain:

JC

Day One Successful!!!! Clean eating/good workouts.

I did cardio/half my abs routine in the a.m. and then I walked from my school to the train station (a route I usually bus, I have to measure it but it is more than a mile). My legs HURT :eek: now I'm going to do 1/2 my abs before going to bed (trying to do an ab bootcamp type workout but have to split it because of time constraints on Tuesday). I also parked my car at the way way way back of the train station parking lot so I had to walk a long way both coming and going. The little things count!!!

Ladies: please keep posting your workouts! I love to read what everyone is doing!!!!

Had a great cardio workout this morning. (Day 2 of working out before work - something I hadn't been able to get up for in nearly four weeks!). Feeling very sore after last night's ab, chest, and tri workout. Off to make my oatmeal/egg white pancake! Good luck today, ladies!

Goooooood Morning!
 

Day 3 of our Great Challenge!!!

After a brief stumble at the gate, I'm going full steam into the backstretch...(okay, I just re-read "Seabiscuit" on the plane :lol: a GREAT book BTW).

Today's workout was back and hams followed by 20 minutes of butt kickin' HIIT cardio :strong:

I LOVE splitting the leg workout in three days - it really lets me focus on each section. Otherwise I tend to overdo the quads.

Tomorrow is a 'rest' day for weights - I'll be doing 45 minutes of cardio MAS instead. Then Friday'll be bis and tris.

JC - I'm also shunning sugar :) Easy to do on my CPB plan since today they only thing I get resembling sugar is 1/2 an orange with Meal #2. I really believe that if you STAY AWAY from it, you lose your cravings for it. However for my cottage cheese meals, I'll be making cottage cheesecake (cutting out the pudding mix and just using SF Jello or just Splenda and vanilla extract though) which is YUMMY. And on Sunday I'll treat myself to a frozen yogurt at Yumi - they have the Carbolite brand of yogurt which they say has no carbs or sugar...hmph, right. Whether they're exaggerating that or not, it still beats the heck out of, say, a Jamoca Almond Fudge cone from Baskin Robbins! :)

Well...gotta get back to work...the troops are calling!

Better Late Than Never!
 

Hi Ladies - I feel like I'm running after the bus!!! You gals are great motivators. I had every intention of starting yesterday after the Monday holiday BUT I just got home yesterday after having car problems from our weekend trip. Doing the best I can today with what food I have in the house. Will stock up and prepare prepare prepare tonight and ride this bus with you for the rest of the way!
Doing chest, shoulders and abs later on tonight followed by 20 minutes HIIT.

Catch ya later!

Day 3 Feeling Great!
 

In the last 3 days, I've had some of the best meals I've eaten in 9 months. My BFL meals were getting REALLY boring! Hope this works as good as it tastes. I literally could not stuff another bite into my mouth last night of Pam's Chicken Waldorf Salad, but it was sooo good!

Today's leg workout was the shortest I've ever done, but I hit everything really hard and totally failed at every exercise. That was a bit of a problem in the leg press machine!

Welcome back Thunder! glad you could rejoin us.

JC and Karen- I've been sugar free since July 01. Very easy to do after the first 2 or 3 days- kind of like caffeine withdrawal. But I really feel better. And the cravings go away. The only times I've had problems are when I've cheated, then it takes 2 or 3 days all over again for the cravings to stop.

Mox- After 1 disasterous early morning weight workout, I switched to late afternoons. I do cardio in the am, but never weights. There's just too much going in in my house then for me to leave and go to the gym. And I really NEED to eat first and wake up, or it gets really dangerous. Do what works for YOU.

mel

MEL!!!!

Chicken Waldorf Salad?!? Sounds interesting. Not on MY CPB meal plan - but I'm sure she's been improving it as she becomes more accomplished. JC and I were two of her first clients and we're both (at least I am) still using the original menus.

C'mon, give with the recipe...puhleeze...(moaning and whining here) Especially since I was just AT the Waldorf! I deserve it darn it!!! :lol:

Sounds like you're doing great on CPB...I am soooo happy for ya!

Thunder - we'll stop the bus now! (not like the movie "Spider-man" where the bus driver just kept going - I saw that on the plane on the way to NYC. On the way back they showed that "Ya-Ya Sisterhood" film but I just COULD NOT get into it. I usually don't care for those touchy-feely types of flicks - loved "Spider-Man" though).

Can you tell I'm feeling a bit low-carby today?!?

Mox - I agree w/Mel - I do most of my workouts in the morning - but it's what works for YOU. The important thing is that you do 'em.

Urgghhh. I just wrote out a reply, and when I tried to post it, I was told that I wasn't signed on. I must be a very slow typist or something . . . :?:

Anyway, congratulations to everyone on having a great day 2/3 of our challenge! It's sure motivating to know that there are others involved in this clean living thang.

Thanks for the encouragement/advice re: morning workouts. I was able to get my behind out of bed this morning to do my LBWO. I'm going to continue to try to do my w.o's in the mornings (you gals may get a little tired of me moaning about it, though :^: ), 'cause I'm afraid if I leave it for after work, I'll let other commitments (i.e. volunteer work, going out, meetings, TV, any and everything else) derail my exercise routine. And, it's not like my "early" morning workouts are really all that early -- I get up between 6 and 6:30 a.m. (not like 5 or 5:30 like some of you!!!) :o

I have 2 questions:
1) What are MRPs? I assume they're protein/carb shakes, but just wanted to make sure . . .
2) Non-soreness. Since Week 2, I haven't had any muscle soreness (which it seems that many people have/should have after lifting weights). When I'm lifting, I think I'm reaching for the right intensity levels (although it's hard to always reach a 10), and I've consistently increased my lbs over the last 4+ weeks. Also, my muscles feel "noodley" after I lift. But, since the end of the 1st week, I haven't had any muscle soreness. Do you think I'm not lifting enough lbs? Or is this okay? (P.S. I stretch after every workout.)

Thanks! And have a great evening. Mox

1) MRPs = Meal Replacement Shakes such as Myoplex, Lean Body, etc. Not to be confused with 'protein shakes' which contain little or no carbs.

2) Everyone's different - sometimes I'm sore - often I'm not. I also stretch and take glutamine - and just about every night (after Seinfeld but before feeding Kitty) I take a nice hot bath with a good book...

WOO HOO! We're doin' it!!!

Having a great day
 

Despite the fact that it is a low carb day. I had a low to moderate carb day yesterday and when I got home after the gym hubby said to me - have I done something wrong? I said no honey I am just running on empty at the moment and he subsequently laughed and said - geez I have to keep reminding myself about this low-carb thing. I whinged all night about feeling flat and everything annoying me and later on in the shower he said to me "I can handle being yelled at but at the moment you are just a whinging teddy bear" I had to laugh at that one it's hard to be upset when you have no steam in you! :^:

I had a great workout last night with excellant sprints. I got up this morning for my back/bis workout before work. I can slowly feel my strength coming back into my arms which is good. I am taking my dogs for a jog after work and before University so I will be exhausted by tonight. But I am going to try my hardest not to complain! :ziplip: I found it hard to get out of bed this morning because I am sleeping like a log at the moment. I was lying there about to let my excuses take over and I thought NO what I am going to tell the rest of the camp members? I can't let them down. So thanks for getting me up this morning girls! :angel:

Day 4 for me today! Still going strong on the food front.

Susan: You are right it's the little things that count. How is ab bootcamp going?

MrsJim: Ya I had forgotten how easy it is to stay away from sugar when you go cold turkey. I haven't had any cravings yet. I SOOOO hate the fact that you have sugar free and carb free food over there. We only started having fat-free food in the country over the last 2 years or so. We still only have a limited range though thank goodness I have great american friends like you and Super G (Kim) to send me fat-free puddings!
Yes I still using the original menus from Pam and I don't have Waldorf salad on my menu!!!! :censored:

Mel: I have given up sugar before so I don't find it a big deal. I don't think that I would want to give it up completely because I love chocolate so much but I can go without it for a period of time if I have a goal that I am trying to achieve. I DO appreciate how the lack of sugar evens out my moods more and you don't get the highs and lows that are associated with sugar intake. That's the best bonus of all! :cookie:

Mox: I still get soreness even though I have been on this program forever it seems. I go through periods of not being sore at all and then I will change something and bang I am in pain again. I like the feeling though because it usually indicates change. I know what you mean by commitments after work etc. I just go straight to the gym from work so it's out of the way straight away. :strong:

I have my first challenging situation coming up on Friday. I have our presentation night for soccer and we are having a dinner at a local club. I plan on eating right all day and then just eating the meat and vegetables of the main meal and skipping the entree and dessert. I don't want to waste my free meal because I like to be able to choose what I want on my free afternoon. What do you guys think?

Well I have a busy day ahead of me so good luck everyone!

JC :wave:

Day 3 is on the books!! Low carbing is KILLER. I'm sorry if I whine about this, but it's so dang hard! JC, you are so right--it feels just like I'm running out of steam.

I made it to my gym super-early today (5:45am) because I started my part-time job as an aide for a little autistic preschooler this morning. I'm just doing it as a favor for a teacher-friend, but it's so wonderful to be around special little kids...lots of energy. Sometimes it's just fun to play, ya know?

I posted about this on the Fitness Scam board, but when I went into the lockerroom at my gym today, there was this woman who had taken Hydroxycut for the first time and was puking her guts out. She was sicker than a dog. Her friend came in to check on her and told her that "the trainer outside told me that everyone gets sick taking this stuff the first time and that tomorrow will be better." Turns out that she had taken the max dosage, drank a couple cups of coffee and hit the gym. Ahh, the gym in the early morning is such an interesting place!

So I managed to get in my hamstring and back workout. No cardio today, thank goodness, and I managed not to watch Food Network at all either. Tomorrow is 40-60 minutes of moderate cardio. Think I'll hit the park for a relaxing power walk/run.

Mel--I WANT that chicken salad recipe! I'm enjoying Pam's recipes, but like I said yesterday, I'm eating cleaner than I have been in a while.

Mox--soreness comes and goes for me. I am really sore this week, but I'm coming off a week off and hitting it hard with a new split. When I first started out, my legs used to hurt so incredibly badly...like for six days afterwards but not so much now.

I think it's incredible that you guys are all off sugar...does that include free days? Like no white bread? No candy? No french toast? Okay, I need to stop thinking about free meals...I'm taking mine tomorrow night, by the way.

I'm off to watch the last half-hour of Big Brother and then it's off to bed! Take care ladies :)

Hm, good question!
 

about the Free Day. I'll have to play it by ear! I DO want a frozen yogurt - but like I said they have the "Carbolite" frozen yogurt which has 40 calories, 10g carbs and 3g protein per 1/2 cup - no added sugar :)

I'm surprised that I haven't had any real sugar cravings though - the Cottage Cheesecake recipe helps with that - so if I don't CRAVE a frozen yogurt, I won't get it.

I haven't been grouchy, just kind of out of it this afternoon!

ya for me I am cutting out sugar totally including free day. Our bread is made from wheat so it's not a sugar as such here. But all the other sweet things are gone!

We shall see how it goes. Last time when I got desperate I would have a protein bar on my free afternoon. I may resort to that if I feel like it on the day.

JC

MrsJim: How do you break leg workouts into 3 days? I spend so much time on my lower body workouts and would love to do that. Right now I'm splitting upper body into 2 days. (I hope I don't get confused! :lol:

I find that when I am in ULTRA SERIOUS mode, as I am now, I need to write everything down!

JEC: I am still figuring out abbootcamp. I have a lot of ab exercises and am figuring out which ones to keep and which ones to ding. MrsJim posted, many threads ago, the BEST ab exercises on a general post and I can't find it, I wish I could.

Mrs Jim: if you still have that, could you post it in the 411 post?

I will post the ab workout I do as soon as I figure out what is staying and what is going!

DayTwoReport: I LOST MY TOTE BAG!!! :eek: with my keys, my id, my train ticket....I was frantic in school all day. Planned to come home at noon and didn't make it. I did do my powerwalk from school to the train station despite the fact that I was so damn aggravated (dh says it is much more than a mile and I should really get someone to check it with a speedometer)

I got home late because I needed to wait for DH to get out of work and come to the train station with my spare key. I didn't even have "lunch" until 4:00 (because I was planning to be back home, I didn't bring it with me). But I worked out (half upper body at home with PowerBlocks) and then ate Meal 3.
I had a light meal 4 (more of a snack) a few hours later and then Meal 5. Other than the long stretch with no food, I was still very successful despite the lost tote.

Last night I get an email from my best friend at school. The library found the bag and because I had something with her name on it in it, they thought it was hers and emailed her. We always joke that everyone thinks we're the same person. I guess they do! But thankfully it's found!

Day 3 coming up!!!!

:dance:

Good morning!
 

Not feeling quite so 'wiggy' as yesterday :lol: sometimes it takes a day or two to adjust to the low-carb days.

Sounds like we are all rockin' here! Woo hoo!

Susan - I'll find that link and post it in the 411 thread. It'll just take me a few minutes...

BTW here is my current split (borrowed from Pam B - it's also HER new split!):

Monday - Chest and Quads
Tuesday - Shoulders, Abs, and Calves
Wednesday - Back and Hams
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Bis and Tris
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Chest and Quads, etc....

I do cardio - usually around 30 minutes on the elliptical - 5-6 days a week. Actually as you can see, today was my 'no weights' day so I slept in a bit (until 4:45 am) and got to the gym at 5:15. I'm afraid Sparky is totally useless as an alarm clock these days :dizzy: because he would rather be snuggled in bed next to Daddy!

As far as my training, here's yesterday's split:

Back: Superset - Close-grip Pulldowns/Cable Rows
Good Mornings (I'm feeling those today!)/1-arm DB rows
Hams: Stiff-Legged Deadlifts/Lunges
Seated leg curl (I was going to do LYING leg curl but the machine was occupied at the time)
Hamtractor

I am DEFINITELY feeling it today! I love the soreness :)

Day 4 is already full steam ahead! Let's go gals!!!

Had a great back/calves/abs workout this morning, followed by light cardio. I usually don't do weights in the morning, but tonight is yoga night, and I won't be able to hit the gym after work tomorrow, so figured I'd go ahead and get it in. How nice it was to be the only one lifting at that hour! I think I'll have to make that a regular thing. I loved it! Speaking of calf workouts, what do you guys do? I typically only do one exercise, because the only exercises I know for calves work them in the same manner, so it seems pointless. Opinions?

Still eating on plan. Yesterday, I failed to plan, which left me sneaking out of work at 10am to pick up cottage cheese and fruit from the grocery store. In the old days, I would have succumb to the vending machine (apple danish, pop tarts, muffins, mini chocolate donuts, and the like), but my willpower is on target this challenge. Woo!

Have a fabulous day, ladies! (and gentlemen, if eric happens to be lurking ;-P)

Looking Good
 

Just a quick note -- looks like everyone is doing great! Congratulations -- woohoo, and all that. :D I'm on track today food-wise, and plan on doing my cardio tonight after yoga (hey, wcolleen, what is it about Thursday night yoga?). So, I'm a happy camper 'cause I was able to sleep in this morning. Anyway, gotta get back to work. Hang in there everyone. 'Til tomorrow. Mox

Riding high!
 

Man I feel good today! Besides the fact that it is a decent carb day I have been sleeping like a baby this week so far. I actually have been waking up refreshed which is weird for me and also sleeping the whole night through. Gotta love this life! :love:

Day 5 for me!

When I said that I was cutting out sugar I meant refined sugar btw. I still enjoy natural sugar such as fruit and no added sugar yogurt because I have found that they don't adversely affect me.

Susan: I would interested in your ab bootcamp routine. I am so lazy with my abs because I have an hourglass figure like Karen so I tend to ignore them a far bit. But not this challenge! Hubby made me laugh last night and it hurt because my abs were still sore. Glad that they found your bag too! WELL DONE for staying on track DESPITE your challenges! We are proud of you! :cp:

MrsJim: I got to sleep in this morning as well since it is a no cardio day for me. Quads and abs are planned for this afternoon. My abs still hurt from the other day though!

Tonight's workout is;
Quads - leg extensions, leg press and barbell squats - 3 sets of 15 each
Abs - crunches, leg raises and lying leg raises - 3 sets of 15 each. Then I finish with one set of 100's which if anyone has done Pilates will know what I mean!

wcolleen: I actually don't work my calves at all. I did do them when I did BFL but I stopped about 6 months ago. I run ALOT so I find that the have a nice shape without working them. I stopped working them after I read on a bodybuilder's site (a swedish girl I think?) that she didn't work them because she runs for cardio so I thought that I would drop it and see what happened. By a lot of running I mean during the season at least 5 hours a week and during the off season about 2-3 hours a week.

Mox: :wave:

Well yesterday was a 5 star day for me! I haven't had a problem with water at all since I always seem to be thirtsy. I think that I remember being thirsty a lot from last time - MrsJim? I bought on my favourite pants this morning and they are feeling a bit loose so I jumped on the scale to see if there was anything to note (please note that I don't have emotional attachment to the scale and it doesn't bother me which way it goes up or down within a few pounds i.e. 5 - because I know its not the end of the world! :^: ) Anyway it told me that I have lost 3 pounds. So that could either be water weight, a bit of muscle or some fat. I will get back to you next week and see how it goes once my muscle mass settles into my new routine.

Yesterday was low carb and when I did my food shopping last night I was literally 'drifting' through the aisles I was so exhausted. We got home, put the shopping away and went straight to bed - I don't even think we said goodnight! Anyway we have inspired my hubby as well so when I got home from work yesterday he very proudly showed me his new split routine which he is going to start next week sometime. He jumped on the scale last night and was shocked to see that he has lost 8.5 kgs or 19 lbs since he was last working out a few months ago. He was fairly upset so he has asked me to work out a bulking up diet for him. I love it when he comes on board with a healthy lifestyle!

Anyway I have to do some work before I go shopping for a new strapless bra for my dinner tonight! I am wearing a halter neck sparkly top to show off my shoulders and arms. :s:

JC

Day 4 DONE
 

Today was easy- Just cardio and abs. I'm not sure I like this 3 day lifting, 5-6 days cardio. Feels weird not to race to the gym every day after work. I'll probably do just 1 more week of it then go back to a 4 day split. Pam thought maybe I was overtraining and burning muscle, so she toned things down a bit.

JC and MrsJim - know what you mean about the low carb days! Yesterday I wasn't ever hungry (could barely finish my food) but sooo tired. The worst was Tuesday tho when I tried to go from meal 3 at 12:30 to meal 4 a 7pm. I was literally seeing spots before my eyes. I've given up the idea of eating "dinner" with the rest of the family and eat at 5 now, then just have a glass of water when they eat.

wcolleen - I do seated calf raises and donkey calf raises, and now standing calf raises, doing a set of 20 reps with my toes pointed forward, then out, then in. I use as much weight as I can possibly move, and when I'm done a set it feels like the skin is going to explode with all the blood in there! I have genetically scrawny calves and running just makes them smaller. It's taken me 9 months to put about 1/2" on my calves. (the only place I want MORE rather than less inches.)

Susanje - Glad you got your bag back. That's a real helpless and infuriating feeling! I had mine snatched once years ago as I got off the train going to work in Phila. and had to beg $$ to get a train ticket home.

Good going all! Is anybody doing free days this challenge? I've got so many family birthdays including my own, it's gonna be tough!

mel

Mel: I am donig a free afternoon that will coincide with most of my social commitments. I make it an afternoon because I don't want to make it a whole day but if I make it one meal then often my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I feel too full before I get to eat what I want to. Then I feel deprived. So I make it the whole afternoon and then I can eat something free and in a few hours have anything else I was craving! It works for me!

JC

Mel: I'm doing a 1/2 - 3/4 free day. If I do a whole day, I find myself eating things "just because I can," rather than things I've really been craving. My boyfriend comes down from Maryland most Friday nights, so Friday afternoon/evening is typically my free food time. We'll typically go out to eat, maybe have a drink or two, and dessert later on, after the movies, etc. Friday is a day we often go out to lunch at the office, and although I *could* get an authorized meal at the restaurants we go to, it's nice to be able to let loose just a little. So will probably take a free lunch every other friday or so as well.

Hi everyone!

Free Day - I prefer doing it the way JC sez - a 'free afternoon'. And usually, what I do is have a normal first couple of meals, then we'll have an afternoon treat - often a burrito from Pancho Villa Taqueria or a salad from Draeger's (I think I've mentioned their AWESOME salad bar in the produce section!!!) with some sourdough bread, or lately sushi!

A bit later Jim and I will usually have something sweet - usually ice cream (but more often frozen yogurt) or oatmeal cookies...

This Challenge I'm sticking with frozen yogurt on Free Day as far as dessert - no Baskin-Robbins! :lol:

Hi everyone--
Just wanted to check in really quick before heading off to bed. Today was a moderate calorie day and I felt so much better. Just all-around more energy. Today's workout was 40 minutes of moderate cardio--I power walked and ran at the park. I love this time of year when the seasons are starting to change. One great thing about moving back home after living in California for a while. Tonight I took my free meal and dessert. My mom made homemade spaghetti sauce and I had a few cheese raviolis, some garlic bread and a little vanilla ice cream for dessert. That's my only free stuff for this week. I've never done just a free meal before so I'll have to see how it goes.

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday! I'm hitting the gym after work to do bis and tris. Food is ready to go for the morning.

Have a great night!
Maggie

Hi EVERYONE!!!

I love reading all these great posts!!! THANKS! :yes:

thank you to everyone for the good thoughts about my bag. It was infuriating and caused my whole day to go out of whack...but on the train ride home I spied a USA today on the seat next to me and they had the story of the people who were in the South Tower on the floor when the plane hit and I read their stories and suddenly my day did not seem so awful. So I managed to keep things in perspective. I ALSO think that is easier when my food is clean. Sugar and fat make my emotions go crazy.

JEC: Have you looked at the ab bootcamp on L&S? (I think the link is still there.) I did that in my first challenge but now am looking to change it up. I have a nice swiss ball so I love the swiss ball workouts for abs. I'm trying to put a "routine" together and will post it when I do.

MrsJim: THANKS for the ab info in the 411 section!!!

Thanks everyone for the YOGA posts!!! I was doing yoga on Sunday mornings during one of my stints and I LOVED it!!! I want to do it again. Thanks for the inspiration!!!

Re: Free Day. I am doing the free afternoon type thing or a modified free day (meaning watch what I eat but maybe have cereal in the morning, a "anything goes" dinner and dessert). The trouble with eating cereal for me is that I don't eat it by the bowl, I eat it by the box. And I never feel bad about it. If I ate 2 bowls of ice cream I would hate myself, but I can eat a whole box of cereal and think "too bad it's all gone". Cereal is definitely one of my favorite foods. :) So starting a "free day" with it can be dangerous. But I might try because I miss it or maybe do it every few weeks and not every one. Free day every week is not good for me but a free meal (plus dessert) is good.

Sorry for the rambling post. we have to have our resumes together for tomorrow for fall interviewing and I'm a bit scattered.
:dizzy:

Do not try this at home . . .
 

Well, gals, I remembered too late this morning why I shouldn't try on a new dress when I'm feeling bloated and achy -- 'cause I never think anything looks good when I'm feeling this way!!! :headache: Anyway, that's how my morning has gone so far . . . but food-wise, everything is okay. I missed my morning w.o. 'cause I was too busy lying in bed with a heating pad. (Can you tell I'm looking for sympathy?!?) I can go right after work tonight, so I'm not too stressed about it.

Regarding free day -- I'm still in my first BFL challenge, so I plan on following the book and having a whole day. So far, though, I haven't really pigged out. I tend to eat well for most of the day, and then eat whatever I want when I go out to dinner (which I do most Saturdays). I also allow myself a glass or 2 of wine.

Keep up the good work everyone. And have a great weekend (I can't always check in over the weekends.)
:grouphug: Mox