Wow, hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! Remember when you were a kid Christmas used to take FOREVER to get here...now its like, um, just waiting for it to be over...I really enjoy the preliminary Christmas cheer rather than the actual DAY (probably has to do with the fact that Jim and I don't do the Christmas Tree thing - our place is way to itty bitty and I shudder to think what mischief Sparky would come up with!). TBS has already shown "A Christmas Story" about five times I think I used to really enjoy that film but now I'm pretty well burnt out on it. Not Jim though...he just can't get enough of it (actually, if you liked the film, you MUST read Jean Shepard's book "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" - HILARIOUS).

Right now I'm all antsy over my upcoming show....eeeekkkkk...

Let's hear from y'all! JC - I'm going to PM you!

Hey everyone,

My major goal for the week is to drink more water and to eat fish. I have never been a huge fan of the stuff but i think it is mind over matter. Next week will be cottage cheese.

I am going for a fit test tomorrow. Its the kind of fit test that you have when you first join the gym. and I am getting re-tested so i am really hoping i do better at the push-ups and sit ups etc. so here goes...

one_sweetchick

Week 10 and I have two LBWO's this week - 1st one was this morning. It wiped me out. Got really sweaty. This rotation I am doing squats and lunges. I am using my new equipment now, my bench has a nice squat rack. I used 25lb. dumbells (6 reps) the first 4 weeks of BFL, now I am using a bar - I believe I squatted about 80 lbs. for my 6 reps. Anyway, my back is sore and tired tonight. I sometimes notice muscle spasms in my back after back day too. Just an observation. My legs are feeling really powerful. I hiked this weekend and I had a lot more strength for climbing. It seems like every week I look different. This week I don't look as flabby but I don't feel any smaller. Today my clothes felt tighter. I don't know what that is about.

Ledom- Don't worry about it! From the sounds of it, you are making great progress in building strength and muscle. The fat loss just hasn't caught up yet, so you probably feel bigger. But it will come. Just keep up the clean eating and intense workouts. You sound like you are enjoying your newfound strength and endurance. The rest will follow- it just takes time.

I had a HUGE quad, abs and calf workout yesterday and am hobbling around. Good thing tody is shoulders and bi's and I can pretty much stay in one place or sit down for that one I seem to be hungry ALL the time, even when and right after I'm eating. Maybe a fat loss is on the horizon....or maybe it's just the cold, dark weather. It was 18 degrees this am when I walked the dog. Neither of us had a real good time, so it was a short one.

JC- Hope you are hanging in there. I go through mental battles all the time. At this point I certainly don't have my dream body and never will due to the late start I got on this, but I've done more that I ever dreamed possible. I guess that's what keeps me going. A lot of days it's just habit and thinking of the alternatives that gets me through. Keep pluggin', girl. We're with you though several oceans away.

Gotta go to work,
mel

I seem to be having a hard time staying onm plan this week. I have not been overeating, just not eating well. I need to get back on track and start drinking more water again. Workouts are great however!
Virginia

purge your kitchen/house of food that you shouldn't eat. Plan ahead, get a bunch of stuff cooked up. Fight the good fight! For yourself!

Thanks for all of your kind words guys and thanks for the PM Karen. I am going ok - I pick up a few books last night to read but was disappointed to hear that some of the other books I want aren't easily available in Australia. I searched through 3 stores and then looked at 2 websites but alas nothing. You guys are so lucky over there!

I have determined that I am in rest/sponge mode - prepared to learn and adapt what I already know so I am primed to read! Any suggestions on good nutrition/exercise/motivation/program books?

JC

Well, I am down 4.5 lbs from last week. That's 14 lbs in 4 weeks of BFL. I am not concentrating on the scales, but I do go to TOPS everyweek. Started that before BFL so it is good support and keeps me motivated too. I have noticed I am not drinking as much water as I was and I need to stay focused. Still love working out however, have missed two sessions. Not too bad in 4 weeks I guess.
I have two other friends who have started going to the gym since I began. They said I inspired them to do something about their bodies. So I am happy about that. I wish they would also decide to quit smoking as I did on the first day of BFL. I have not had one since and do not really want one.
PMS'ing this week, so I hope I do not get weak, especially with eating too much or the wrong things. Pretty hard for me to rid my house of the "bad" foods, as I have a hubby and two children, and they like to eat.
Virginia

Busy busy BUSY...again!!!

JC...motivational books - how's about the two Dave Draper books - "Your Body Revival" and "Brother Iron Sister Steel" for starters???

Right now I'm trying to decide what I want to do as far as a program...started with the Krista Smash website as a basepoint...*BTW she has some recommended reading there on her site JC* I read the GetLean book by Keith Klein (available at the Labrada website - Laurie at L&S loaned me hers for a bit) and it is a REALLY GOOD program but I just can't make myself pay $60 for a paperback book (it comes with two videos and some bodyfat calipers...wish they'd sell the book alone - wouldn't mind paying $25-$30 for it by itself).

As far as FORCING myself to drink water...which I have to do myself, believe me! - I simply don't keep 'alternate bevvies' in the house. If I want a Diet Coke, I buy a (as in 1) Diet Coke. Right now our fridge contains Schwepps Seltzer Water, Pellegrino, Calistoga Sparkling Water w/lime...and Corona (I hate beer but Jim has one once in awhile!). We also have a water cooler in the kitchen for still water, so basically we're swimming!

Virginia - you're doing terrifically! Hope you took photos

Well, work calls - gotta fly!!

Well I think that I will need to put in an order with someone over there because Draper's books aren't available in Australia. I want to read Getlean as well but that would make it $120 for me - yikes!

Keep searching...

JC

OH oh OH I found a website that ships the books here! I ordered the 2 draper books and also Body RX. Now if I can work out how to get GetLean!!

JC

hope you don't mind another bfler posting here. It's been, i guess, 6 months since i last posted here. So i guess i'll introduce myself. I've been doing bfl on and off for about 2 years now, more off than on. I started at 220lbs. and i am currently at 180lbs. I went from a size 18 to a size 10 currently. I know bfl works for me, but don't always have the motivation. I have only completed one actual challenge in two years ( at the biginning of this year). I just purchased the new success journal and will be starting a challenge on monday and would appreciate any motivation i could get. I still do the weights on and off, but will be more consistent with my workouts and my eating, wish me luck.

nice to meet you. It sounds like you have had great results in the last 2 years. Good luck going into your next challenge.

JC, I am intrigued by the discussion about pilates going on over on the L&S board today. I am thinking about reading about and investigating that. If you feel you are in a holding pattern for the moment it might be fun to experiment w/ that. Between challenges I might try to figure out how to do some of the exercises.

Ledom - thanks for the thought - I have actually done Pilates before both at home and in a class. It's great but to be honest I find it mentally boring. I like Yoga better. Also it isn't very common over here yet so it's hard to find a class close to me and my gym doesn't offer it.

I haven't been at L&S this week because work is chaotic! I may pop in there today.

JC

Hi sheila, glad you are joining us. I'm not much of a motivator today, but welcome to our group. Anybody who need motivation better stop reading here.

I've had a cold all week, the main symptom of which is I just want to sleep 24/7; but aside from holiday madness, there is so much to do at work, etc, I can't. My house is fallen into total pigpen disarray, tons of shopping left to do, and Mother Nature went and dumped 10 inches of snow here today. So after work I shovelled out the driveway with ds, then drove to the gym, got stuck twice and had to help push 2 other cars back onto the road. Thank heavens the gym was open or I might have laid down and cried in the snowy parking lot! Had a good back and ham workout- (wait, didn't I already have one shovelling and pushing???)a freebie with my favorite trainer because he was so bored since I was the only nutcase in the gym, then marched right into the grocery store next to the gym and bought a big bag of cookies, a jar of peanuts and a BIG chocolate bar. I was determined to make myself sick! Luckily that happened before I could even get to the choc bar. I was possessed

What am I doing???? I'm working so hard, getting so close to where I want to be and then blowing it on purpose!
Geez!

Sorry to rant and whine. Hope you all had a better day.

mel