Hi Gang- Still doing good on the work-outs...need to be a bit more stringent on my nutrition if I'm to get maximum results. Will be with a bunch of kids tonight, pizza and such, but I plan on eating a lot of the salad and a little of the pizza. Wish me luck~!

Half way there---how's it going for you?

6 weeks under the belt!  Can you believe it?  Well actually tuesday will be exactly 6 weeks for me but I took progress pics this morning.

 I am chuffed to bits with them!  My 4 week pics did not really show much difference but I can see a difference now and more so than the 6 week pics in my first challenge.

  I kind of lost it last time around week 6 so even though I lost more weight I did not get the results that I had hoped for.  I know this time will be different.  

Results so far;

2" off bust

2.5" off waist

2.5" off hips

2" off each thigh

0.5" off arms

9lbs in weight

Way to go, Lou! That's a lot of inches! I took my halfway pics today and I can see improvement...more to come in these next 6 weeks tho!

Time is such a funny concept--there we were, only six weeks ago and just starting, wary and wondering if this was going to be any help at all...and now we have that equal amount of time to go out and kick a bit more a$$ in the weight room, tear it up on the cardio machines, and eat like we mean BUSINESS!

Let's Go!

Happy Upper Body Work-Out Day!...being currently unattached, Val Day is just another Tuesday! Please, no tears- I'm fine with it, really!

My personal and work schedules are being altered a bunch this week- so glad I can get my workouts done in the mornings, as each day seems to be "up in the air". Had a great UB this morn- really feeling stronger, lifting more weight and still maintaining control of my form. Yea!

Hope your day is full of 10's!

Hey guys need some motivation here. I am not usually one to ask for anything thing but I can use the help. I have so far in my challenge been doing really good , I have only missed one day in my challenge (actually I just did everything half hearted one day in week 2) but have stayed on track by pure determination not to quit. I am feeling great as I continue to push myself every week a little more each time and eat right. I actually started running on the treadmill for the first time in 8 years. I am excited. But........ I am discouraged when I stepped on the scale (URGH I hide it in the closet for now) and it shows no loss. ITs week 6 and the only thing I feel is sore all the time. Now in a week I have to travel out of town and out of my routine for a whole week to a conference where I am part of so my time will be slim to nothing, it is too easy to "put off a week". Any suggestions on making the exercise fit in.

KRH150-- Let me hear you say," And now for something completely different..."  It seems that at least once in each challenge, a giant curveball comes at us and we need to deal with it or get bopped on the noggin. Now, we can just chuck it all and do what we have always done and get what we have always gotten, OR we can keep our eyes on the ball and make adjustments. In your case, it will be a huge adjustment! Conferences can be such a pain to maneuver around!  the obvious first task is to check out the hotel gym (online?) and see what they offer,or call and see if they have reciprocal priviledges with a local gym. As for the eating, just be as clean as you can. Be concious of your choices and selections. Remember that we are looking over your shoulder...and I mean that in a good way! We are supporting you and your choices in this next week! Don't let a slip derail your accomplishments of the last 6 weeks! Get back on that horse!

Even if you end up with no gym options, there are always sit-ups and pushups and tricep dips off a chair and stretches to do and leg lifts and squats...be creative, be active, and get enough sleep! Looking forward to your report next week!

Hey kids! Who's left? LA? Lou? Tyler? KRH150?

I'm  psyched for the last 34 days of this challenge! I feel more muscle tissue throughout my body, but still have a layer of fat that needs to disappear! I shall remain true to the BFL protocol and understand that the fat will leave on it's own accord--as long as I keep doing the things that will encourage it's removal!

50 days down...Let's Go!

LOL, I'm still here. I've just been doing more lurking than posting lately. I'm on day 81! Haven't cheated on my diet since starting on Dec. 2, 2011. I don't know what I weighed when I started 'cuz I never weighed myself (LOL, I was afraid of the scale), but if I had to guess, I'd say 207-210. On November 1st, I weighed 204lbs and measured 41.5" around the fattest part of my waist. I was obese- My BMI was > 30. Now I'm 168lbs, measure 35" around my love handles, and my BMI is 25! I reached my initial goal, which was to get down to 168. And I still have a couple days to try and hit 165!

I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish this challenge. Yet at the same time, I know I'm not "there" yet... I see now that my expectations were unrealistic. It isn't possible to go from being obese to looking like one of the winners in 12-weeks. But I'm not discouraged! I was thinking about continuing on for another 4-weeks... But now I think I may just officially enter the challenge, starting next Monday, and do another 12-weeks- Especially since there's a $5000 prize!

Hey, one way or another, I'm going to get ripped. May as well try and win a little money in the process! My new 12-week goal will be to reach 150lbs, cut to 31" around my love handles, and be absolutely JACKED! And I'm going to start taking creatine again.

I hope everyone in this thread is doing well; Physically, mentally, and spiritually. This thread was on fire at one point, but there isn't alot of chatter anymore. I hope you're all continuing to plow along. I'll still be around checking in; But if there's anything I can do to help any of you out, feel free to shoot me an email. The encouragement I got from this thread was huge. I think it helped me stay on track by keeping me focused. Keep fighting everyone.

I am still here!

I had a very bad week last week, I managed my weights workouts and some cardio but not HIIT and I had some form of sugar every single day from saturday to saturday.

 I suffer from panic attacks and I had a really bad one last saturday night whilst at the theatre with a friend-she got me a bar of chocolate afterwards to get some sugar into my body and then it kind of went downhill from there.

  I didn't have the mental energy to focus on clean eating for thr rest of the week like I usually do and it threw me off balance for the whole week.  

 To be honest, I wasn't all that bothered, I was more concerned with getting myself back to normal again and I didn't put any weight or measurements on so it was only a minor set back.

Anyway, I have been back on it since saturday just gone.  I am almost seeing it as a fresh start, not that I am dismissing my progress so far but I planned on doing the challenge for longer than 12 weeks anyway so I think I am going to just do 12 weeks from now.

8 week pics on sunday,aaarrrgghhh!  Not that they will show much progress after last week, but onwards and upwards!

xxx

Hey Angelcake, Way to be resilient! Funny that you mentioned panic attacks, 'cause I also had one a couple days ago. Here's my take- WHAT WE'RE DOING IS CRAZY! :-) We're depriving ourselves of junk. Many of us were emotional, compulsive overeaters. That's how we got fat!  Now we're forcing ourselves to face issues head on without the luxury of self medicating with food. This means dealing with issues of depression, guilt, anxiety, fear, etc., you name it! It's a tough, tough thing to do. Couple that with fatigue, constantly pushing yourself, and being in a calorie-reduced state for weeks... It can change the biochemistry in your brain. Reduced serotonin is thought to cause depression. Honestly, I've been ALOT more emotionally lately. Not in a bad way though. I lean on God, and I believe he's shaping me to be a better person. You're awesome though! Keep fighting.

Hey hey.....I'm still here too, I am working at it.....we had our free day a little early last week due to Valentines day but and we didn't over due like previous free days but we're doing good.  I've been discouraged a few days back but I worked through it and just trusted in the program and just chalked it up to a bad day.  It's helped to remember what Bill said back in the Staying the Course chapter, about positiveness.  Like I said before I am a positive person most of the part but I sometimes have my days. I too realize like Steve that I might not be ripped in 12 weeks but I am overall healthier and stronger.  I have not necessarily looked at this as a 12 week challenge but a change in our overall lives.  I am debating about entering the challenge officially as of  April 2nd.  Thanks for checking in everyone.  I'm gonna step it up this week with upper and lower body workouts....I am already starting to run on the thread mill got up to a full 15 minutes of running this weekend, and still at 250 lbs.  I'll keep you posted.

I am still here too. :)

Thanks Bobby for your words of encouragement the other day ago. Still a little discourage in the results I have up to now but I have faith I can succeed. I am getting ready to head to New Orleans for a week of Conferences. Getting my shakes, bars and journal packed. Researched my hotel for a fitness center and  it has one it is a little pricey but in the long run it is worth it so I guess it is priceless. I am one to usually work out at 6 or 7am so I am going to accept my challenge this week and not let it conquer me. If I have to work out later than usual I will because I will not lose my momentum. Just in case I got resistance bands to do in room. I am pretty confident I won't have issues with eating wrong as I have made "the transition" of eating healthy for life (my body feels like crap when I make a slip up and I finally am listening to it).  Once again thanks for the support.

Hey guys! I am still here and going strong. I will say however that closing week seven and starting week eight doesn't have quite the same "romance" to it as week one. I am still eating well though I've been more flexible on weekends than when I first started. Still not doing a full on free day though. I haven't missed a workout, but having to stay focused to keep the level tens coming.

According to calipers, I've lost eight mm off the stomach and around eleven pounds of scale weight. My business going very strong, which is why my posting had been down.

Btw, did I read somewhere that everything has to be submitted 15 days prior to our finish date? Does this include our After pic?

Tyler- that's 15 days after the finish date you silly goose! How could you do an After pic when it isn't over!

Thanks to all that blogged--now I don't feel alone!

well done to everyone, you all seem to be doing so well!

I just used my calipers for the first time since week 3, which is when I realised they would not be going down very quickly so decided to leave it for a while.

 Anyway, the measurement seems to be exactly the same as it was 4 weeks ago which I do not understand!  Surely with the plan I have been following I am not just losing muscle mass??

 I am not exactly an expert in using the calipers but I just took about 10 different measurements, don't understand it!