Enjoy your trip - 1st and foremost!  Eat your salad first and then see if this fills you up.  I have noticed that my free days were full of junk instead of quality foods that I like.  So, eat a salad and then eat what you really want just watch your proportions.  It has made my free day more worth it to me and I actually eat healthier.

Good luck NashGal! Wish I had advice on how to abstain but I think the big thing to remember if if you DO end up cheating, which happens, it's not the end of the world. Get past it and move onwards and upwards. Do you have a good "cheerleading squad" back home you can call/text/email when you feel like you need some encouragement? I have a lot of friends who aren't doing the Challenge but have been so supportive, and that has made a huge difference for me. They are great at helping me keep my head in the game.

Also, don't despair over the weight thing! If you don't have a sewing tape, buy one, and a set of pinch calipers. Best $16 I've ever spent! I weighed in at the gym the other morning and have actually *gained* 2 pounds since starting the Challenge, but my body fat is thus far down by 2% and my wearing waist has shrank by 3/4". My jeans are starting to feel looser and I can feel less weight in my belly. So don't let the scale get you down!

NashGal,

I wish I had some encouraging words. This would be hard for me as well. All I can suggest is that you start your day off working out and just enjoy the foods in moderation. I have actually gone on vacation and lost weight doing that. I agree with Tonja though, definitely enjoy yourself. The BFL plan is for life and this cruise is short term so just get back on track when it's over. Don't beat yourself up about it.

I am getting a little discouraged as well. I haven't weighed myself since week 1, but my clothes seem like they are getting tighter, especially in the morning after working out. Then they will loosen up during the day. This happened on my first challenge too. It's like the muscle is growing but it's expanding the fat on top of it. However, I was re-reading the BFL book and Bill Phillips said to remember the goal is to not lose body weight, but body fat.

Have you read the "lady success" document? It's a collage of blogs or e-mails from past champions/contestants who were also discouraged and they are telling their stories of how they didn't see any changes until the 8th week. Some didn't see changes until the end. I think I'm going to read it again. I'm definitely doing measurements this weekend.

Hi all,

I've tried looking but cannot find the "lady success" document.  Can anyone point me in the right direction where it may be?  Thanks in advance  and keep on it!!

Go to media gallery under the community tab, then click on the "downloads" tab. It should be the first document you see.

Thanks so much for the great advice!  I cam going right now to read the lady success document.  

Have a great day everyone!

I missed you guys!  So, TRX trainer told me that I was looking stronger & able to do more difficult moves too.  I took pictures last week and just printed them.  I guess I was hoping for the tada moment, but I see stronger & more confident person in the picture, but little difference.  My husband told me that my legs & waist look slimmer :o)  I haven't done any measurements and I am going to wiegh myself on Friday.  Have a good afternoon!

All right Tonja! I think we are always our worst critic... in the mirror I feel I look the same but I have FELT different. I feel less spilling over the sides of my jeans when I sit, I feel less in my tummy when I do ab crunches, and last night I tried on a couple pairs of jeans in my dresser that had been "shelved" due to me not even being able to get them up my thighs; and while I do have to grunt and squeeze, I can actually get them on and they are all almost comfortable! Woohoo!

I've followed the advice on this site and have decided to change up my schedule a bit for the next 4 weeks.

In an effort to get my husband to the gym, he and I are going together on the 3 days I have weights. Unfortunately he works very early in the morning so we are going at noon, but I am going 2+ hours after eating and am working super duper hard when we go. It's nice to have a spotter, finally!

Normally Colorado in March is unbelievably awful but for once we are being blessed with sunny skies and 60+ temps! If this is Global Warming I'll take it. ;) So I've said sayonara to the treadmill and am running outside. Honestly it scared me at first... the last time I ran outdoors was last November and I collapsed in a heap of shin splints and dry heaves after a mile. I set up my MapMyRun app and went out with two supportive friends. We all totally forgot the time; it was a gorgeous morning with great views of the mountains from the trail. I went way past my HIIT time limit. I ran 3.67 miles in 43 minutes, no stopping and no walking. Woah!! I plan to take a watch next time (my husband has one with a heart rate monitor which will come in handy) and time my run appropriately but it was just amazing that I could go almost 4 miles and not even notice. I can't wait for my cardio and my next trail run tomorrow.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week! :)

Good morning,

Weather has changed & it is rainy with cold front which makes me feel tired (which is a first since starting the challenge).  I have a lower body work out tonight!  I changed my upper body routine last time.  I am a little worried, but I don't want my body getting use to it.  Way to go mwseahorse - running 1st of all & secondly outside!  I use the treadmill, but thought I would try the indoor bike for my next few cardio days (my HRT shot up like crazy on my last cardio day).  

Have a great day & I am going to sip on my coffee and do a little work!

Good job Tonja!!! Good job for noticing the strength and confidence. I think because we have busted our butt's for 4 weeks we think we should be fine as he** by now. LOL...I always have to remind myself that it didn't take 4 weeks for me to look like this and it's definitely not going to take 4 weeks to whip me back in shape.

mwseahorse,

Yes, I'm with you. If this is global warming, bring it on. I'm in Atlanta and it's been in the 80's for almost 2 weeks. They did a 3 month outlook and it's here to stay. I'm just dreading the Summer.

I was thinking about running outdoors too. It's still dark in the morning when I get up so I may try it one weekend. I've been using the bike lately because I developed shin splints. It didn't help that I really needed a new pair of shoes. I bought some yesterday and I'm going to try the treadmill again tomorrow morning. My body is really trying to reject this program. I didn't have any of these problems on my first challenge.

NshapeT-

I live outside of Memphis and I am dreading our summer too.  It is beautiful & green here and I normally don't have bad allergies, but they are bothering me.  I am at a toss up with running outside too and I am going to try bike for a few weeks then run outside.  Shin splints bother me too, but not yet on this challenge, but my feet bother me from time to time.  Congrats on finishing your 1st challenge - I'm on my week 5/6 and wow, I am at my half way point.  I hope the rest of the challenge goes this quick.  It seems like the 1st couple of weeks go slow & then bam.... week5, week6!  I could always eat cleaner, but I am sooo much better than I was.  We get free pizza at work today and I am eating turkey on whole wheat & online at bodyforlife.com.  I call that a change!

Good luck and keep us updated on your challenge!

Tonja

Everyone,

Today is another gorgeous day in the ATL. I have a LBWO after work since I didn't get up this morning. I am looking for some good LB routines. What do you all do? I try to change mine every week. I've been doing leg press, leg ext., dead lifts, lunges, sumo squats, seated and lying leg curls, and squats on the smith machine. To me, my worst feature are my legs so I want to work them as hard as I can.

A friend of mine at work joined my gym. I've been helping her get into weight training because she knows nothing, and I mean nothing, about weights. We trained upper body the other day and someone actually asked her if I was her trainer. I was flattered.

I'm definitely starting to feel a slight change in some areas of my body. I feel slimmer but the scale doesn't really reflect that. Maybe a 2 pound loss. I'm definitely starting to see more muscle tone in my upper body. A little in my lower body but nothing that's noticeable to anyone else. Some of my pants are slightly lose. I think the difference between this challenge and the first one is going to be my eating. Last time I only ate 5 times a day because I just couldn't fit in that last meal. But someone told me to have that 6th meal even if I'm falling asleep while I'm eating. So I make sure I have half a grapefruit or some strawberries. I really need to add a protein to up my calories and go by the book, but I just can't find something easy and quick to eat.

The biggest accomplishment for me is feeling like I have control of my body and what goes in my mouth again. I had went from one free day a week to everyday was a free day. Then it's like you get addicted to the food/sugar and you can't control your cravings. I hate feeling like I'm out of control.

Anyways, I decided not to take pics again until the end. I may do measurements at week 8 and then 12, but that's it. I also may not look at the scale unitl the end.

Hope everyone is having a nice day.

Wow, looks like those of you in the South are in for a doozie of a summer! It does get hot here in Colorado but the average humidity is about 20%... 40% is a "damp" day out here. Plus I can usually escape to the mountains if I need a break. One hour drive and the temp drops 20 degrees... love it.

Isn't it amazing how more self-aware we have all become in this process. I have also been sort of "coaching" a girl friend through her own fitness journey (she's trying to get a bikini bod for a trip to FL next month... she started 4 weeks ago so she has her work cut out for her!). We share food diaries and I give her feedback on that, and advice on workout frequency. Sometimes I see people in the grocery store, overweight and buying 2-liters of soda and giant bags of Doritos and I just want to shake them. It blows my mind how people view food these days. My husband has a lot of food allergies and was vegan when I met him, so that has made me hyper-aware of food content for years. I'm sort of grateful now; it's made the food transition in this almost like no effort at all.

Thought I would include a photo from my run earlier today. It was a glorious morning!

Happy Friday Everyone,

Ran this morning on the treadmill in my new shoes and thorlo socks and life was good. No shin splints!

mwseahorse- Ok, I am so jealous right now. If I had that kind of view I would be running outside every morning. My Aunt and Uncle used to live in Colorado Springs and it was gorgeous.

Tonja- You feel my pain too right? I don't want the Summer to come at all. I looked at your profile stats and you are doing great! Keep pushing, you got this. You are so right about the weeks going by fast. I can't believe it's already the end of week 4 for me, or as I call it "ending Phase1, hello Phase 2". And every time I get on here and read posts or look at someone's before and after pics, I get motivated all over again.