Morning all! How is everyone's Day 3 going so far?

I'm sitting down to Meal 1 right now (WW english muffin dry, 3 egg whites scrambled with mushrooms, onions, peppers and spinach) and looking forward to my WO tonight. The weather in Boston is beautiful today which helps my mood a lot--more motivation as it seems spring (and summer!) are right around the corner. I'm planning on buying the book this weekend (once payday hits Friday!) and getting a profile up with "before" pictures.

BCbill--I love your attitude about making this for life and not removing yourself from the things we enjoy! I feel as though the first couple weeks will be my true adjustment periods (watching portion sizes, getting to the gym 6x a week for shorter workouts instead of 3-4x a week for endless lackluster workouts).

Hope everyone has a great day!

Hi, all!  And welcome to Corbey!

HIIT on Day 2 was an experience...a minute at "9" feels like a really long time!!  And I had to reduce intensity after hitting 9 & 10 during the last couple minutes 'cause I stared feeling light-headed & my heart was really pounding.  Maybe my brain's idea of a 9 or 10 isn't quite the same as what my body can handle yet ;)  Will wear a heart rate monitor next time to make sure I don't go too crazy.  Trying to keep in mind that this is the start of a very long journey...I need to treat my body with some kindness & respect while I'm starting out, so that I can whip it into shape for the long term!

Eating is going OK, not perfect - still trying to arrange my schedule for more frequent meals/snacks.  But I have avoided sweets so far, which appears to be a temptation for many of us!  Does anybody have ideas for the extra egg yolks...I hate the throw them out.  

Keep up the great work, everyone!  -lily :)

Waterlily- "had to reduce intensity after hitting 9 & 10 during the last couple minutes 'cause I stared feeling light-headed & my heart was really pounding"

I'm no expert but you are only on day 2... slow down a bit you don't want to shock your body. I'm on week 15 of BFL and I've never hit a 9 and 10 on the treadmill...the max I go is 6 and I've lost over 30 lbs since starting...

Anyways, do what works for you but don't pass out at the treadmill lol

Good Morning Group!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day! Only 7:30am here on the west coast so to early to tell but I have high expectations!

A- Not sure how availability is where you are, but I buy liquid egg whites instead of whole eggs. Check around in the section you buy eggs, they should  be there in a little milk carton like container.  Where I live I can buy a small container equal to 16 egg whites for about $1.95.

Waterlily- So been there, in fact yesterday was my cardio#2 of the week and even after following the workouts for over 6 months now, I made the same mistake. Got to the gym all fired up to push past my current best time/distance for my run,went out to fast and flagged near the end.

 It will take some time to dial in where you are at physically. I know for me it took about 3 cardio sessions and 3 of each weight training day to really figure out my start point. The great thing is once you have that on paper, you can look to improve each work out after that.

Here is a great post by Orrin regarding reaching for those 10s. Have a read.

bodyforlife.com/.../2840.aspx

SoontobeMrsJ- Its a fine line to walk for sure. You have to set yourself up for success in many ways. For instance during a challenge I try and keep non approved foods out of the house as much as possible. to remove the temptation. Hard to eat a cookie if you don't have any  around ;).

  On the other hand, if you don't at some point start facing the old habits head on you can never conquer them. At some time during this 12 weeks I think everyone is going to be in a situation that really tests the will power.  

Tip of the day: Every night before you go to bed, look yourself  in the mirror and ask "Did I give it everything I had today?"  Be honest with yourself.  The answer will probably not be yes everyday, and that's ok but asking that question will focus your mind on the task. Progress not perfection should be your mantra.

The group here and hopefully your support out in the world is so important, but in the end the accountability is to yourself and honoring the promise you made.

Have a super day everyone!

Good morning everyone!

Had a pretty challenging day yesterday.  It started out really good but in the evening it kind of got difficult.  Husband and I went out for a quick "bite" to eat before a meeting that we attend.  I had a difficult time ordering what I had planned to order.  New restaurant with not a lot of options for eating clean.  In the end, I ordered a southwest grilled chicken salad with corn and black bean salsa (some cheese) and a chipotle ranch dressing on the side.  I used the old "dip the fork into the dressing method" instead of pouring it all on my salad.  Water to drink.  Overall, it was pretty healthy except for the dressing.

Did my first HIIT workout yesterday morning and really felt good about it.  Had a friend meet me at the gym and she pushed me the last few seconds of minute 19 so that I would not give up.  It felt really good to be able to finish as I am not a runner and just running for minutes 18 and 19 were quite a challenge.

Getting out of bed today was difficult!  I kept pressing the snooze on my alarm and finally made myself get up with a good mindset 20 minutes later than I wanted to.  I had mentally talked myself into skipping my workout ~  But, then I remembered the promises I made to myself and forced myself to get dressed and get moving.  I had my first day of LBWO this morning.  WOW!  Very challenging.  I forgot I had muscles in these legs of mine.  I feel great now that I have finished that challenge.  I am still struggling with finding my intensity level.  I think I reached my 10 on all of the exercises, but won't know for sure until I have another LBWO to compare it to.  Heading back to the gym later with my 12 year old daughter to do some cardio.  Again, I hope I'm not overdoing it on the cardio.  I don't want to tell her that I can't go because I've already been once today and I want to encourage her to be healthy too.  So -- if anyone has suggestions on whether a person can overdo cardio, please let me know.  :)

I hope you all have a very successful day!  

Welcome to all the newcomers!  Thanks to everyone for allowing me to be part of this group.  I find that it helps me be accountable for my actions.

Becky

Becky, as long as your second cardio is not at the intensity of  a HIIT session probably won't hurt ya.  The only concern I would have is burning yourself out. 2 a days for 12 weeks it going to be a lot of gym time.  During my first challenge I would go for a light jog every morning with my dog. Nothing real strenuous. More for the dog than me.

Now if it would ever stop snowing here grrrrr... I will start doing that again.

BCbill - I too use the liquid egg whites (founds them at Whole Foods) and measure out the amt of eggs to make veggie scrambles. Helps me feel like I'm not throwing $ away by not using the yolks!

Becky - Before I started the challenge I would go to the gym probably 3-4x a week and stay for loooong sessions doing both cardio and strength training. The problem was, I was so sore and tired the next few days that I couldn't get myself into a solid routine. My biggest fear is losing my cardio stamina and endurance by only focusing on HIIT sessions, but after seeing the amazing results so many people have achieved, I'm going to place my faith in the program and do it by the book!

Love the tTip of the day: Every night before you go to bed, look yourself  in the mirror and ask "Did I give it everything I had today?"   Thanks for that

Had a great cardio today.  Found some old, cheesy Gilad videos on you tube... actually had fun and got a gret workout.... eating is going well. So glad I can come here for accountability!

Hi All!  Checking in for the day!  Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!  Start strong - finish strong!

Nancy Jo

C1W1D2

Hi!

I love that...start strong, finish strong! I am so excited about the program but I'm hoping that enthusiasm doesn't wane as time goes one.

I think I am going to switch to nearly PM workouts. I was originally planning on HIIT in the AM and weights PM but I'm reconsidering. I don't go to bed early enough to wake up at 5:15  AM on most days. Sleep is SO key to fat loss and I find when I'm sleep deprived, my carb and sugar cravings are worse.

Becky, I will also be supplementing my cardio when I walk/jog with my puppy, probably 3x a week. Just like Bill, my dog needs to exercise and my fiancé and I split the task. Plus I love the quite time to reflect and take in some fresh air.

Re: egg whiles. I CANNOT find cheap egg whites anywhere. I saw them for $3.49 for 8 whites. I buy eggs at Costco and they are less than $2 for 18. So I just throw out the yolks. For me it's cheaper that way and I feel like its a wash ecologically, but that's what works for me.

I am doing well on the eating, but last night LBWO was frustrating. See, to save $$ I cancelled my gym membership since I am in grad school and have access to the campus gym. Well ALL the weights I wanted to use for my exercises were being used and I was having to substitute machines for free weights and things like that. I did the best I could, but I skipped the ab portion because it was getting late and I had to get home to dinner. I called my old gym and they said that i can sign up as a student at a new rate that was actually better than my old one! So I will do that tomorrow for up UBWO and do my HIIT at home tonight. A little money is worth it to me for a stress-free and quality workout experience.

Also, I need to see a doctor because, get this, my toe hurts! Totally silly but it is starting to be problem. I wear cheap shoes and I can tell something is wrong but I'm not sure what. In the morning and at night it's especially painful and swollen. I'm buying new shoes this weekend but I'm hoping the doctor doesn't tell me to stop being active. I can always do something, even if I have to use my workout nemesis, the bike! Right?

Sorry for the long post, guess I needed to do some venting. All better now :-)

I'm soooo angry!

Ok... I guess its a little my fault but COME ON!

For the last 3-4 months I've been having pain in my back and leg. Long story short - doctor said it is sciatica but they aren't sure what's causing it. Referred me to a spine specialist.

After doing my first LBWO this morning I am in more pain then ever. I don't want to stop the challenge... I've got so much momentum and optimism right now to finish strong... but I also don't want to do so much damage that I'll be out of commission for months or years recovering...

What luck. :(

Steph, I definitely wouldn't push it until you see the specialist, or at least talk it over with your Doc. Even still, don't think of what you can't do, think of what you can. You can stick to the nutrition plan. You can do light exercise. Sure maybe you can't push it hard in a run for cardio, but probably can do some low impact elliptical for cardio or a brisk walk on the treadmill.  

You may have to lay off of LBWO's but again that's life. Have to grab that mindset that there will be challenges to over come. Hope everything turns out ok!

Morning all!

Great day yesterday full of clean eats and a killer BodyPump class. It's weird to say but I'm really looking forward to getting back to the gym tonight for HIIT. I love the feeling of accomplishment after an insane run of sprint and hill intervals.

I finally bit the bullet and weighed myself this morning (C1 W1 D4). Oy. I'm 5'8" with a normal/athletic build (i.e. I'll never have a super model's frame!) and I apparently thought I weighed a lot less than I do. 153.8 isn't a terrible weight to start at, but I know I have extra fat that does NOT need to be there! I need to get my hands on a measuring tape and then I will post all of my measurements (and maybe some "before" photos) tonight. Having it all laid out there for me, as well as my "ace in the hole" will be embarrassing, but a great source of motivation to stick to the plan.

Steph--I agree with BCbill. Stick to lower impact exercises for the time being until you see your doc/spinal specialist. Even though you may feel derailed and discouraged due to you injury, you could use this as an opportunity to make sure your eats are super clean!

SoonToBe--that's great news about the gym!! As a part-time student (on top of working) I feel your pain about spending that extra $! My rationalization for joining my current gym was that my health should always take top priority and that I need to make exercise and fitness a part of my routine now (at 24y) so it becomes a lifestyle change. Not to mention the monthly $80 withdrawal from my bank account really makes me want to get my butt to the gym and use what I'm paying for!! :)

Have a great day guys!

Hello everyone, I started my challenge on Sunday (the 27th) and while poking around the website today saw all of  you!  I would like to join your group, if that's ok.

I have tried this challenge once before, 10 years ago - I didn't complete it but in the 8 weeks I stayed on it I saw amazing results.  I am more determined this time as I feel I have hit rock bottom with my weight and it's time to do something about it!

I've done well so far - today is day 5 for me.  I have found that when I get home from work and don't feel like cooking I throw a frozen chicken breast and a small zucchini cut into 3 strips on the George Foreman Grill - then I go change out of my work clothes and by the time i'm done so is my dinner.

I also make extra rice and keep it covered in the fridge - heats up well in the microwave if you add a few drops of water to it.

Good luck to everyone!

Kara

Kara, welcome! The more the merrier!