Hi again everyone!

I thought of a few more things. Just what worked and what didn't work for me.

I was having trouble getting all of my protein, so for a mid morning snack I eat "Pure Protein" bars. They are actually very tasty! I have to keep my husband from eating them all the time! It has 20g of protein, 2g sugar and 3g of fat. The best I have found so far. I was eating clif bars then quickly realized they were really bad with tons of carbs and sugar.

Also, when I have finished the day and realize I haven't had enough protein, I make a shake with skim milk and Vanilla "Whey Protein". Sometimes I add cinnamon, or even cinnamon and a scoop of decaf coffee for variation. Very yummy.

I realized that at the begining I slept like a ROCK at night. Anyone feeling this? I still do, but I am awake more during the day. I used to be tossing and turning all night.

Oh, and with all the water I was using the restroom a bunch. Your body gets used to the water soon and you will be back on a normal routine. (I know, TMI). Anyhow, I bought a really cool water bottle with tic marks on it to tell me how many bottles of water I drank.

Vitamins- I happened to be in a GNC one day and was talking about Body for Life. The salesman (who obviously worked out a bunch) recommended CLA. I bouth a box of multivitamins for women that had CLA in it. It was kind of pricey and the vitamin are HUGE. Gag! However, I founf at my trusty Sams Club/Costco and GNC multivitamin for women and just bought the CLA seperate from Amazon. I will let you all know how that works.

Hmmm, lets see what else. OH! I have little post it notes all over the room I work out in. When I am not in the mood to work out I read through them and the reasons why I am doing this. (So I can wear my wedding ring again, so I can play in the pool with my kids, so I can wear shorts in 100 degree weather which I didnt do last summer...) I also have little sayings posted like "Suck it up so you won't have to suck it in" and "Sweat is fat crying", etc. They really helped.

I also read about HIIT. High Intensity Intreval Training. I try to apply this a little while doing my cardio. So I do my nines on the treadmill at 4 mph but then for my 10 I bump it up to 6 mph where I am barely able to stay on I am running so fast, then I take a 30 second break to grab a sip of water and get a breathe, then start all over again. By the time I am done I look like I have been hit by a truck, but it feels sooo goood after!

The third time I was going up in dumbell weights, I did not have 1 lb weights but only 2 lb weights. So I thought I would be okay and instead of going from 13 lbs to 15 lbs, I jumped to 17 lbs. Halfway through my arms felt like jelly, more than normal. Well, I knew something was wrong when I felt the muscle pain almost immediatly after instead of two days later. However, two days later I could not even hardly pick up my baby. Please don't jusp too high too fast! I ended up dropping back to my first set of weights (10 lbs max) for the next week. So, I actually went backwards.

Oh, and I also made the mistake of thinking in between each set I can read a quick email, check pintrest quickly, etc. DON'T do it!! Almost every time I got sucked into it and my workouts took longer than they should have, which probably affected the outcome.

By the way, I am from central Virginia, 41 yo, have a 6 yo boy, 4yo boy and 7 month old daughter. Still trying to lose the baby fat. Never lost it during the first two, just gained with each pregnancy. I am nursing and I have heard mixed messages about it being easy or hard to lose while nursing. So I am still confused about that.

Have a great week everyone!!!

"You can feel sore tomorrow or you can feel sorry tomorrow".

Nancy

One more thing...

After eating healthy for 12 weeks I noticed that when I indulge too much on Sundays it doesn't sit right with me. I had a rueben sandwich a couple of weeks ago and could only eat half because it just made my stomach feel so greasy and queasy. Then a week ago I had two slices of pizza and again, yuck. It wasn't even very fun or tasty. So, maybe I will indulge with some things a little healthier but what I don't eat during the week like cheese, crackers, etc. I think my body really enjoys being healthy and is starting to reject junk.

Oops, two more things I guess. I did this diet through Valentines Day, My birthday, and Easter, chocolate, candy and cake  was everywhere I turned. It didn't affect me one bit. I would just sit down at night after the kids were in bed and indulged in my Kellogs Fiber bar and a big glass of water. I did just fine, and I have always been famous for making excuses for everything and talking myself into bad behavior. WoooHooo!

Good morning all,

Week 1--- Last week went pretty good, my running routines are right on track as well as the eating clean was easy I didnt have those harsh cravings or withdrawals Ive experianced previously. Altough I ate clean... I do need to admit that the portion sizes were larger then my fist lol but in regards I chose to I skip the 'free day".

Week 2--- This week I am focusing on drinking more water and smaller portions. I already feel soo much better and can notice big changes in the way my body responds to a clean diet.

@Shellnikk- I too  can notice the immidiate affects alcohol have on the body and of course the diet. I have chose not to completely cut out alcohol as for "me"  this is a lifestyle change and I believe everything in moderation. But after working so hard to eat clean and work out I find that alcohol becomes less desirable and when I do choose to indulge I usually regret the empty calories and the cravings afterwards. But do remember this is a lifestyle change and your not going to go through life without over indulging  from time to time or satisfying a craving.. so dont beat yourself up for slipping up in the challange. The most important thing that has stuck with me from the first challange in which I didnt see through to the end is this " WE ARE STRIVING FOR PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION!!!"

Happy Tuesday and lets kill Week 2!!

JDM

Hey All,

Haven’t posted since last week due to business trip and a busy weekend, but I’m back for WEEK 2! I think this is a HUGE accomplishment that we all made it through the 1st week! I don’t know about you, but the 1st week is always the hardest. I did fairly well on my exercising. Meaning I didn’t miss a work out, but I’m barely now figuring out my 10’s. However, my run on Saturday was a definite 10! 2 miles in 20 minutes!!!! It felt awesome! This morning was also a GREAT cardio day. Now my eating is a different story. My business trip REALLY through me off, but I managed to get in 6 meals every day, even if every meal wasn’t the greatest. I figured that it’s good to keep my metabolism going so that’s what I did. So far this week I’ve done well. Planned my meals and eating 6 times a day. (Lots of protein shakes.)

Nancy- Thank you for the recipes! I’m excited to try them!

Diane33 – Congrats on running the stairs! Running stairs is HARD work, and it’s great for building a nice back side!

Shelley – Even though it’s HARD to work out when you are sick with a cold I would continue on if you can. A few weeks back I was starting to catch a cold so I went to the gym to sweat it out. After an intense sweaty workout I went into the Hot Sauna and it worked! I did that for 2 days and it went away. My suggestion as far as for nutrition when you sick would be STAY Hydrated. Lots of water and green tea (if you like it.) If you don’t feel like eating try doing shakes. They are easy and fast and at least you are getting in your protein and carbs. I also recommend trying the Chicken Noodle Soup recipe in the Eating for Life Cookbook! It’s awesome!

Well good luck to you all this week!  

I actually think Week 2 is harder than Week 1 for me.  Week 1 = Excitement, Readiness, Enthusiasm.  Week 2 = Determining to Continue, Making it a Lifestyle Change, Realizing it won't Happen Overnight...  

That said,  I am determined and this WILL be a lifelong change.  What has eating-what-I-want-when-I-want-it done for me?  What has not-exercising done for me?  Too much weight, not enough energy, and no tone.  

It is NOT difficult to eat healthier, to eat food that are NOT processed, to eat foods that are closer to how God created them.  If I get full on things like lean meat and vegetables and fruit, I am still FULL  ~  and I feel so much better than if I'd eaten processed flour and sugars!!!   And I'm already finding that I don't care as much about the junk foods as time goes on, which is great.  (but I'm glad we have a free day!)

I will confess here that I am not a by-the-book diet follower.  I just can't fix this exact meal on this exact day, altho I know it really helps some people to do that.  I am following the guidelines of the diet and eating protein and complex carbs, keeping healthy foods on hand and eliminating the others.  I've got to find a way of eating that I can live with all of my life, not just during this challenge.  I want to lose the weight, get in shape, and stay that way!   :-)

Keep sharing your thughts & activities, everyone!  It definitely helps all of us!

Calico

p.s. Nancy,what company makes the 'Pure Protein' bars?  There are so many 'protein' bars, and you've really got to watch the labels.

@JDM and VaNess,  thank-you for the advice.

I started to feel more awful throughout the day and have a fever so I am going to miss my workout today -I am not slacking because I don't want to go - I worked out throughout a cold months ago and that was fine, and sauna - great idea- but I think this is different b/c it's a fever, and I am going to nap, which I NEVER do.  I feel bad falling behind, b/c instead of "skipping" todays workout I will just do tomorrow instead, but this is also a long term lifestyle for me, so I am looking at the big picture.  Cannot wait to recover to get back to feeling awesome - I kept telling my husband "I feel so good" and he told me to "be quiet already"  - in a joking and hopefully loving manner : )

Am sticking to the clean eating though - finding it challenging, but will do it!!!

Shellnikk hope you feel better....and don't look at it as you are "falling behind".... Just rest up, be kind to yourself and pick it up again.

I did cardio yesterday and raised the resistance on the bike one level. I also did abs (moved them from lbw day) but they are soooo hard and I'm so flabby there!!! But I know .....no pain no gain. I was lazy in the ab department last challenge and only really got dedicated and serious probably the last four weeks and saw some definition forming. So I really want to make myself proud and start going strong with the abs....if I saw results in four weeks imagine what I'll see after twelve! Well now it's 11. Do you think I would get the same results if I did a few sets of different ab exercises everyday rather than an intense workout twice a week?

Nice job increasing that resistance..what a great feeling :)

I, also, am in need of working harder on abs..what i did was move abs & calves to a cardio day because I get soooo much more out of both of them both then trying to do it at the end of LBW ..I go as heavy & hard with lower body so calves (and abs) suffer due to this...I wouldnt recommend doing abs every single day..alot of the exercises definitely engage the core already & you need to rest muscle groups so they can rebuild & get stronger..try 3 times a week maybe?   As everyone always says " a six pack is found in the kitchen not the gym"  so keep eating clean & keep up with that awesome cardio

Hello Everyone! I was looking for a thread to join, and this one is closest to my start date... I started on Saturday April 14th. I wanted my off days to be on Fridays, so that's why I did it that way. :) I'm reading through the threads and there is a lot of good tips and things I'm learning from ya'll. I have 25-30 pounds to lose, and I'm ready to get TONE, TONE, TONE! I'm doing this really for overall health.... It's almost the end of my week 2 and I've been feeling fantastic!!! Anyone having the same reaction to the diet? I already have so much more energy, and I picked up my daughter (4 years old) out of a swing at the park and she felt lighter then usual... I must be getting stronger! :) It's a good feeling....  I'm strength training 3x a week, and I'm also training to run a 5K (one of my 12-week goals), so I'm trying to run 3-4 x a week as well increasing my speed and time gradually each time to push myself further then the last time...

This is my first time doing a BFL challange, and I'm so glad I did. I love not counting my calories. :)

Here are my beginning stats:

Height: 5'9

Weight: 197 (I'm 190 right now- lost 7 pounds my first week- WOO HOO!)

Body Fat %: 32%

Hips: 42"

Waist: 35"

R Thigh: 26.5"

Anyway- hope you all have a great week, and I'll be sure to check in on ya'll everyday ...

~Jacci

Hi everyone,  

ABS - I think they are like any other muscle and should be worked just like the others, but I find it challenging to add weight or resistance in a set of 6, 8 or even 10.  Any suggestions?  I am at a gym and so they have the hanging knee lift, which for me I quite like, and tomorrow is my LBWO so excited for it.  

I had a fever yesterday and just skipped the day - after logging in here I felt guilty for not working out but was pretty sure I shouldn't when I felt feverish and weak.  I took a hot bath and passed out completely on the bed for a whole hour!  I felt SOOO weak beforehand and then woke up feeling a little better.  I ate a clean dinner and then made myself go to bed early, and voila!  I felt WAY better today, back to normal, I was looking forward to HIIT today, thinking I would still take it easy, but I managed to push myself really hard without overdoing it and I feel like "I'm bacK!!!"  The key is that when I felt sick and like crap, I just want to eat crap food or graze all day, whereas today, feeling so much better, I was excited about packing my meals and eating clean - as silly as that sounds - but I was excited : )  I am so glad I let myself rest that one day.

I am struggling with IBS symptoms or something with digestions and have been for over 1.5yrs.  I don't know what it is, but too much milk or ice cream or butter makes me have stomach pain and so I figured it is a lactose intolerance.  I get bloating and severe, stinky gas (sorry for tmi), But then I can have cottage cheese and small amounts of low fat cheese and be fine, or even small amounts of milk at times and not have pain, so I really have NO idea what it is.  I do find that I have sever stomach bloating by the end of every day - last week it was better and I think it was b/c I cut out dairy altogether and so will try again, but just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat.  I am concerned about getting enough calcium, b/c I used to be a huge milk drinker.   I take Caltrate chews - they are sweet but it doesn't say what else is in them, so wondering if anyone else uses these and what is in them to make them taste sweet.

Shellnikk.....I cut out dairy from my diet a few years ago....same problems as you. I take a multi vitamin and a huge calcium pill when I remember and just started the original silk soy milk....says it has double the calcium of reg milk. And I think I have a similar reaction to wheat products that I never even knew I had until about the tenth week of my first challenge. I made some healthy cookies with wheat flour and I felt the same after effects as I did with dairy. I would have never seen this had I not been eating clean for ten weeks. That's why for this challenge I cut out the wheat pasta and other wheat grains I consumed in my first challenge....just to see how I feel.

Had a fantastic ubw yesterday folks!!! I started with a little warm up on the treadmill about 15 min of 30 second running and 30 seconds of rest then I hit the weights. I was totally sweating so hopefully that was my fat crying. I upped the weight on the one armed rows and on the tricep extension. Feeling strong and motivated but would like to see the scale move down a bit.....I don't know.....i weigh 135 but my fat percentage is like 36 !!!! I'm really ok with weighing 135 but i dont think its possible to lose fat and not pounds right?  

Y'all can be so funny!  Sometimes I wish there was a *LIKE* button we could push, instead of just Reply.   :-)

Like you, Jacci, I'm SO glad we don't have to count calories with this program!   I'm really watching portions and avoiding sugars and processed foods (white flour, etc), and with drinking lots of water and eating all the meals/nacks I'm not feeling real hungry - so I'm not reaching for things I shouldn't.  At work, one of my favorite snacks is  a string cheese and a few raw almonds.  It keeps the hunger away, which for me is awesomely amazing.

My workouts are gonig good, and I'm always so proud of myself when I'm done!!  And tho I haven't really lost weight yet (I can't count that one pound last week...), I'd like to think my clothes are fitting a BIT looser.   I'm feeling good, anyway.

Thanks for posting comments, everyone.  It truly helps to know we're not alone, even if we're alone!  

Calico

"I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday..."

Hey everyone!

I haven't posted anything in a while.  I'm a few days away from starting finals week in grad school, so all of my computer time has been going to studying, but I wanted to check in quickly.

It sounds like everyone is doing great and sticking with it!  That is amazing, and great job to you!  

One thing that I have learned through doing these challenges is to be kind to yourself emotionally.  During my first challenge, if I ate something I wasn't supposed to or was too busy to fit in a workout, I would be pretty upset with myself and thought that I wouldn't see the great results that I was wanting.  Honestly, those guilty feelings just made matters worse.  So if you accept that you aren't superwoman/superman and that you are going to make mistakes and can just move on, I've found that I'm a lot more satisfied with myself.  

Even if you slip one day, you can get back to it the next day!

Does someone know how to configure this so the NEWEST posts show up first, and we don't have to scroll thru several pages?  I've tried searching thru the Settings, but can't seem to find a way to put most recent posts first.

Thanx!

Calico

That would be such a good idea!  And I too wish there was a 'Like' button, just like on Facebook.

Sounds like we're all doing well - working out what this challenge is going to be like long term, and not just in that first enthusiastic week.  Well done to those who have struggled with illness, or had to adjust to work trips or social functions.  We can do this thing!

Deb