Hello,

I am just getting started or will be starting as soon as everything is in place, by this weekend. I read Body for Life years ago when my husband started the challenge.. sadly he never finished it, a back injury prevented him from lifting weights but now he is back to powerlifing and competing for the last 3yrs and I just started powerlifting about a year ago. I  thought I was doing well, I had lost about 30lbs but had not weighed myself in a long while and had fooled myself into thinking that I would be in a size or two smaller, boy, what a shocker I got this weekend when hubby and I went shopping for clothes for both of us. I saw myself in the mirror and cried buckets, and he had gone up a pant size. He loses weight easily so he was ok, he will just cut back. Me, on the other hand, well I have to fight for every pound that comes off and the treadmill and I are mortal enemies. I guess I will have to make friends with it and I am determined to get this weight off, become leaner and stronger. I know my self esteem will improve and I also won't be tired all the time. I work night shift and never get enough sleep and I am sure my sleep will improve too. Weight training is no problem, I am used to it and enjoy it though lately I have been coming up with excuses not to exercise and thought about giving up competiting altogether.. feeling a little sorry for myself..lol but cardio, it is a four letter word in my vocabulary and I shutter when I think of having to give up my morning coffee and my diet coke. I do drink water but not enough and am not looking forward to the headache I am going to get without my diet coke but I know it wont last long and I will be healthier for it.

I am sorry about rambling on about this, I am trying to put things in perspective for myself and hopefully to gain some help from someone who has been in the same situation that I am. I am over 100lbs overweight and have thought of bariatric surgery but because I have no other health issue.. thank you LORD.. my insurance will not pay for it and frankly, I want to be able to eat so I will just have to eat the right things and follow the BFL lifestyle.. I can do this.. I can do this... I will keep chanting that to myself.

Thank you all for listening..

Kristina

Hi Debs

Im just starting out - doing it alone this time round. Did BFL with a trainer a few years ago - loved the training but wasnt so good with the eating, anyone else from South Africa starting out??

Good luck all!!

I am a newbie too and have spent ALL DAY (literally) on this forum! I'm hooked! I am 40-year-young Mom, Wife, medical professional who has struggled with the same 50 pounds my entire adult life. I have tried a hundred different "diets" but have never tried to do anything that will require this much discipline (hence, I struggled with the same 50 pounds!). I am 5'11", so I can get away with carrying more weight than most ladies, but I had gotten to where every time I looked in the mirror, I saw my mother. I love my mother, but my mother is obese and suffers from just about every obesity-related complication you can have. I don't want to be that person when I am her age. So, here I am, and I have made myself a vow that I WILL see this Challenge to the end and I WILL be better for it! Heck, I WILL even do a second Challenge if I need to! Thanks to all of you "old-timers" for your support and your knowledge.

eargal-I'm almost 5'10 and before Christmas weighed 203#; I tell people that and they said well you hid it very well. Whatever, I don't want to hide it, I want to lose it! So that's what I set out to do...I think you are the one who commented on my pictures (Guns!); my first challenge I lost 20#, then on Active Rest lost another 5#, so do you know how good I felt when I finished the first challenge and weighed 25# less?  OMGsh! I was on top of the world! Still am because people whose kids I teach are asking me for guidance in the program. This motivates me to keep going because I want to serve as a role model for my family, my students and their parents.

I'm in my 9th week of 2nd challenge and I'm down to 170#, about 10 lbs from my goal wt, but still wanting to tone the ol butt and gut! I encourage all newbies our there to go through this forum and find posts that interest them, get on here and get to "know" people. These people who I connected with during my first challenge are the ones who helped me through this challenge. They can do the same for you!

Best wishes for your success in the best program ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey all!! I am a newbie as well. I just started  on Monday May 24th. I am feeling really sore, but I definately already have more energy and I am proud of myself for doing well with my exercise and eating. I am a registered nurse that works the night shift; so the girls are always going out for fast food late at night and it smells so good.. it's awful.. I do really well at home with eating and am not tempted like at work. I wish everyone the best of luck! It's great to know we have such positive support on this site; it makes it better!!

Hi DebMo!

You are such an inspiration to me! I'm going to print out your pictures and put them in my workout room!

After reading your post, I was wondering what is "Active Rest"?

Thank you,

Dee

Hi Everyone,

How do I start my own post? I'm starting on Monday the 31st... SUPER EXCITED!!  Someone please help me.

Thanks,

Sandy

Welcome to the challenge, Sandy!!! To start a new post, click forum and above all the other posts (I do encourage you to skim through some of the threads to see if any questions can be answered there) are I believe "5 Rooms" like my transformation, kitchen, etc...Click on one of those where you think your post belongs. Over to the right I believe there's a tab which says New Post. You can enter a subject line then you post, then click reply!

Hope this helps and again welcome!!!

Dee-Hey there! Glad I can provide some inspiration to ya! =) Active Rest is the 1-2 week break after your 12 weeks is over before you start a new challenge. Your body needs to rest after you have put it through 12 wks of hard workouts. Active simply means if you want to go on walks, rollerblade, bike whatever, you can. Just enjoy the time off from HIIT and lifting. Hope this helps! =)

Hi everyone, I've been checking this site every day this week and have decided to post today. I'm still not ready to commit 100% b'cuz when I start I want to do this right. I had my measurments taken and I am 5'10'' 177lb and 31% body fat. I was rail thin growing up and was never an athlete. So with a slowing down metabolism its all fat no muscle. The competitive streak missed me and went straight to my lil sister. I'm all mouse. I've half attempted weight watchers for awhile now and am interested in adding the weight training/cardio aspect, i was also shocked to read about  how imporatnt eating carbs and protein together are and bowled over that fat free and low point foods could be so full of carbs! I signed up at my gym to meet with a trainer once a week and after paying he told me to throw out the bfl plan I had printed and to listen to him, so I'm a bit frustrated as to how to continue, so much conflicting advice - i know the book says to start on a wiped out clean slate of mind but i truly believe all past experiences have their benefits. I'd love to not jiggle and for people to actually use the words athlete or muscles about me. So in conclusion I'm not sure if it's advice, encouragement, or what that I'm looking for but maybe I'll find it right here.

Hi Kristin!

It's only 12 little weeks out of your life so why not try it! What have you got to lose!

I, too have never had an athletic bone in my body! But doing BFL makes me feel proud of what I can do. I'm 46 and want to be a healthy & fit & strong Grammy not an old and decrepit one! I have a whole 2nd half of my life left and I want to enjoy every minute of it!

If you decide to go for it, I would do it all "by the book". The food plan is great! Check out the recipes in the Eating for Life book by Bill Phillips. The workouts add up to less that 4 hours a week!

I would find a more supportive trainer, one that will help you do what YOU want, not what he wants! Some people go to the gym with no clue of what they want to do so the trainer helps them map out a plan BUT when you already have your plan they should help you with it, your paying them!

Read the BFL book, it's so inspiring! And all the personal stories!

Good luck!

Dee

KristinLaw: I agree with Dee. BFL is the ticket, and all it costs is the book (for reference) and internet access (for US!!).

If I were to put out money for a trainer, I would want to have personal references. If he/she is willing and able to give you several references (age, weight, body type varieties) then be aggressive and call them -find out what this trainer did for them. THIS IS YOUR BODY and YOUR DECISION as to how you keep it running. If the trainer is unwilling to promote his "business" with references - dont hire him. Keep accepting applications from trainers and regulars (like us! shh!) and make your decision based on knowledge. There are several "references" on this site alone to read about.

We dont change fast, but when we do - it's for LIFE one week at a time. Solid, lean, hydrated, healthy, strong physically and mentally (well most of the time).

At times we feel like that, but your recovery may be different, keep your log and as long as your progressing that is a good sign

Hello everyone!  I'm new to the forum but I'm just finishing up my fourth week of C1.  I have a question below if you don't mind, or let me know if I should post it in another forum.  Thanks!

I'm trying to follow the B4L guidelines, of course, with the whole fist-carb palm-protein thing... but sometimes I am uncertain and I'd like to know some opinions about my diet. Do you think I'm eating too much? I'm 5'9" and female...

OK, here's a sample.

Meal 1: 1/2 cup dry Quaker oats mixed with 1 scoop (serving - 25g protein) of protein powder and about 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds. (Stir in hot coffee and let sit for a few minutes... enjoy...

Meal 2: can of tuna mixed with 1/3 cup hummus and raw vegetables such as celery, carrots, and broccoli.

Meal 3: half a cup of egg whites mixed with a whole egg blended with 4 packed ounces of lentils and cooked with spinach on top.

Meal 4: 4 packed ounces of quinoa blended with 5 tablespoons of hempseed with a few drops of stevia and some water in it to thin it out.

Meal 5: a palm-sized portion of chicken, canned tomatoes, spinach, and chickpeas in a kind of stew with garlic and onion seasonings.

Meal 6: chocolate protein powder shaken with water; apple

Thanks so much guys. I think I feel good eating this way and definitely am getting more energy, but just am not sure because it seems like a lot of food sometimes even though I DO get hungry for it...

plainerjane-I'm 5'9 as well; my first challenge I admit I was more of a calorie counting person cause I had an app that tracked my food consumption and kept me within my calorie needs in order to lose the wt. I wanted...it worked. And it also helped me get used to the sizes/quantities of the foods I should be eating.

This challenge (finishing up 9th wk) I don't use that app at all. If I'm not sure of the protein/carbs then I look at the label.

I'm not sure on some of your foods like the hummus and such, but like I said if you look at the label and try to keep everything around 20-25g protein and carbs per meal, you should stay on track.

Everything else looks good! Best wishes for your success!! =)

Thank you, Debbie!  I knew the grams of protein I should be aiming for per serving but didn't know the grams of carbs should be the same.  That's useful to know!