Mazjaz,

It will not have much of an effect to do one of your workouts in the evening, in fact, all of my weekday workouts are done in the evenings, between 9:30 and 11:00 pm, due to my work schedule.  It is purported to be somewhat better for fat burning to do the workouts in the morning, before breakfast, but that is not essential, especially if you have less fat to lose.

Also, the weight results you report are perfectly normal at this point.  Let's assume you have been running a 300 - 400 calorie deficit daily.  That may add up to about 8400 calories over the 21 day period.  Using the accepted value of 3500 cal per lb of fat, you would lose about 2.4 lbs of fat.  If you have gained 1 - 2 lbs of muscle, and have increased your water consumption to accumulate 2 lbs more in your body, then it would not be surprising to see a slight weight gain.

Jacium

Thanks Jacium... this all makes sense now.... I think I am averaging around 1400-1500 calories a day. I am going to stay patient till week 8 and then monitor my progress from there.... I will post some week four photos up at the end of the week and lets see if anyone can see a change I can't see !!!

MazJaz -

Hang in there!  I think you and I carry our weight somewhat similarly, solidly and in the bottom half of our bodies.  (By the way - your before pix look pretty damned good already!)

Anyways, I figure that even if I can't see the differences yet, with the workouts we are doing the muscle underneath is becoming much firmer and more defined, so when that darned weight comes off it will be so cool to see!

Tina

MazJaz-Not sure if you have seen this yet, but I think it's spot on...On day 31 of my first challenge I took two rolls of paper towels, left one full, then the other I took off 31 sheets. Those two rolls are still downstairs on the shelf in front of my treadmill to remind me what happens on the inside first...That was 3 challenges ago. All my best for you!!

PAPER TOWEL THEORY!

Here’s a little inspiration for those of you who are worried about not seeing any changes in your body so far. It’s what I call the "Paper Towel Theory"

Let’s assume you go out and buy two rolls of paper towels, each with only 84 paper towels on it (one for each day of the challenge).

You put one aside, and keep it for future reference (your "before" picture).

The other one represents you (I’ll call your paper towel you "Ed"). The core represents the lean Ed. The towels represent the fat that is covering the lean Ed. For sake of argument, let’s say that Ed wants to lose 21 pounds of fat, so (84/21) each sheet represents a quarter-pound of fat lost. Let’s also assume that Ed loses his fat equally during each day of the challenge.

Each day during the first week, you tear a sheet off of Ed, representing the fat he has lost for the day. Next, you put Ed next to the full roll ("Big Al") for comparison. No noticeable difference!!! Even at the end of the week! This can’t be working for me!

But, being a good Ed, you continue to follow Body-for-LIFE. At the end of weeks two and three, you continue to compare Ed to Big Al, and still notice very little difference. That stinkin’ Bill Phillips MUST be a liar!

But Ed is determined! He works hard! Hitting his 10’s…eating his 6 daily meals. Three more weeks go by, the sheets peeling off day after day, before Ed gets up the courage to stand next to Big Al again. Holy Myoplex! Ed is skinny! OK, not skinny, but less huge!!!

By the end of the 12-week Body-for-LIFE program, Ed is down to his lean dream, or somewhere near it. Ed is happy. We are happy. Big Al – well he’s not so happy.

The lesson to be learned is that fat, like paper towels, comes off in sheets. When you are heavy, you are big around. And when you are big around, that fat is spread over a MUCH larger area – just like that outside towel sheet. The closer you get to the lean you, the more each lost pound of fat shows, because it is spread over a smaller area.

While the outside sheet may only cover 1 layer of the roll, the inside sheet may go around 4 times. That last sheet looks like it gives you 4 times the results of the first sheet, but in reality, the results are the same – your perception is just different! And you’ll never see the inside, if you aren’t patient while the outside is coming off!

Seems so logical when you read it like this!

This article and other great stuff on www.hussmanfitness.com!

Hang in there!  You have gotten great advice and encouragement already!  Your before pics are pretty amazing!  You will see changes!  Weeks 7-10 were the weeks for me!

I too have just finished week 3 yesterday.  i have lost a bit of weight...and have noticed that the "muffin top" hanging over my jeans has considerably shrunk down.  I try to stay between 1400-1500 calories per day.  i am a runner...so for the cardio part i have been running 30-40miles per week. on the days that i do not do weights, i do shorter run and include sprinting intervals for HIIT. on the days i do weights, i try to split my workout(run in am/weights in pm) the sixth day i do one long run and sundays are to relax.  i just turned 40 and have not been able to wear a 2 piece bathing suit since before having my 3 sons(15,13,and 11). of course i focus too much on the scale....so i am trying to focus more on the goal of buying and wearing this bathing suit!!!! I am loving the paper towel roll story!!!

also, i have not done the "free day" of eating.  do you think this is ok?

Hi Tina,

I think your before pics also look pretty damn good!! haha.. at least we are both starting at a fairly reasonable point, so should see some dramatic results.

I am on W4D3, and I can't say even my clothes are feeling looser.... so I did have a bit of a down day yesterday, thinking something should have happened by now!!!! Even with my clothes!!! I am staying off the scales - but will take my week 4 photos this weekend and post them on my profile. I know I feel good, but was hoping I would feel my clothes a little looser by now with all the hard work (and tired muscles). Maybe my body is just re-adjusting itself and getting used to this new way of eating.... I know something has to give soon!

I hope you're having a good week

M

I'm so glad I got on the computer this evening to read this!  Mazjaz-I am feeling the same way you are! I'm not "feeling" smaller.  I'm not actually trying to lose weight, but really tone up with definition in my stomach, legs, and arms...you know the people that you look at and say, "Wow, she must work out!" That's what I want to look like!  This is my second challenge and I really started noticing major changes in week 8.  So am I just being impatient?  I'm also not drinking water like I should.  Any pointers from anyone will help!

Brenda

The closer you are to your "ideal" the longer it seems to take.  A lot of people start to lose quickly if they have a lot to lose.  I, like you, didn't have a lot to lose, and it took longer for me to see any noticeable results.  Hang in there!  What a great thread and feedback!

I agree with all the above... I am with you sisters!! I totally feel you! I am in week 12 and am just now starting to see some action lol! I am in my last 10lbs or so. I know it will take longer... but at the same time I have come to understand even though we can't see the changes, they ARE happening! Hang in there. If nothing else, you are doing great things for your body!!

Good luck!

Thanks MazJaz!

I have to tell you, when I was on the treadmill yesterday for HIIT, I kept thinking of that paper towel analogy someone put on here for you, it kept me going an extra 6 seconds (when I felt I was already dying!!!) on my level 10, which was a .5% incline at 8.3mph.  (I can barely make it one minute at that speed to begin with, so the extra 6 seconds was huge to me!)

Have a great rest of the week, I'll join in and put up my 4 week progress pix next week as well!

Tina

Tina

I am in the middle of week 4, having started January 3.  I love this as it is sustainable for me unlike a 90 day video program my husband and I attempted--great exercises but I lost interest.  With this, I haven't missed a day.

Right away I felt great from the eating, by week 1 I could see small changes and certainly felt them.  My complexion is even brighter.  This has to be from the increase in exercise as my eating is decent anyway.

My poor dog is not getting her walks since my cardio is all inside and it's cold and snowy out...but I had her out on my free day and I have to laugh because she is the one getting the comments on how great she looks---she has the silkiest black coat from all the HARD BOILED EGG YOLKS!!  HAHA I'm thinking I'm not going to get any comments until week 8 or so?  ...maybe I should be eating those yolks so at least my hair can look as good! :)

Mazjaz,

I would like to join this thread.  I want to stick with you through the whole 84 days because I know both of us will get where we need to be.

Keep pushing.  I am seeing a lot of movement in inches and pounds...but I had a lot more to work off :(

Karla

Mooti - I got such a laugh out of your posts and how good the dogs hair looks!  (I always tell my neices to enjoy their beautiful silky long hair, because when they get to be my age (43) they will be paying a lot of money to make it look half that good!)  

Karla - welcome aboard, MazJaz is great inspiration to all of us!  Dang girl, are you dropping the weight quick, are you doing more cardio than the 20 minutes 3x a week, or just very lucky/good/blessed at dropping weight???  Way to go!!!

Thanks...no I am definitely not lucky/good/blessed with dropping weight at all.

This is my training routine...which works better for me because I need a set routine on a set day:

Sunday--Lower

Monday--Upper (and I am doing a spin class in the evening)

Tuesday--Cardio Only (I do a 20 min BFL Cardio in morning and if I have time..I do another in the evening)

Wednesday--Lower

Thursday--Upper (starting to do spin this week on a 2 x a week basis)

Friday--Cardio

Saturday--Free Day (but I usually end up doing a cardio--a 20 min BFL and a 30 min treadmill)

I have set mini goals throughout this whole 12 weeks and a reward (cruise) at the end of the challenge.  

I am blessed to have a friend who has held the title of Ms Bikini USA and Ms Fitness World (Katie Uter) and she is measuring me each week and monitoring my BFL journals (nutrition and training).  She is making sure my caloric intake is between 1400 and 1600 to make sure I meet my first goal of wearing a gown that shows off my abdomin to Washington DC Mardi Gras on February 11th.  By the way...she is impressed with the Body for Life program!

I read all of these motivational discussions also.