Congrats Northwestie.  I hear you about the stat shocker.  When I weighed in this week I was about a pound heavier but I'm still feeling comfortable that it's nothing to worry about.  Muscle weighs 4x as much as fat.

The Droid apps I use for HIIT are:

• Click Counter by Digital Fish (Free)
• StopWatch & Timer Plus by Jupiter Apps (small cost)

I also use:

• iFitness—multipurpose app which allows me to create and track my workouts by offering several exercises based on muscle group.  With pictures and description of each exercise and videos of many exercises.  It also has a timer to time 60 seconds between sets.
• Cardio Trainer Plus (which I have set to post my workouts to Facebook—just another accountability tool)

If you have trouble getting your iTunes to Droid just let me know.  It's not intuitive so I had to google how-tos.

Alright ... I just did it.  I got a Gilt Groupe email about 7s on sale.  Just bought a pair of size 29 EURO straight-leg jeans.  They're going to hang in my closet next to my True Religions for day 84.  What an incentive!

Missed my aerobics yesterday so that I could be with the fam for their band and orchestra concerts and then dinner afterwards.

Ate a cup of vegetable lentil soup while they were chowing down sizzling fajitas.  Then sat there while they ate chocolate mousse cake and espresso oreo sundaes.  (UGH!)  But I was strong (glad I had my Droid to surf on while they ate) and had 2 small bites of the cake and a couple of the banana slices from the sundaes.  What a trial!!

Today I wasn't sure if I should do my aerobics workout that I missed yesterday, or go right to lower body workout.  Opted for the aerobics and hit 9—even though I really ramped it up from the other day when I hit 10.

What do you guys do when you miss a day—do the next workout in sequence or the workout assigned for that day?

PamNZ, I loved your response on a forum today that caught my eye: "Confused About Highpoint".  I'd like to share it here for everyone if I may.

To quote:

If you can't do the full superset of 12 with the weight you've picked, do you call it quits when you reach muscle fatigue, or drop the weight and get your reps out?  Usually I swap to lower ones to try and finish the reps.  Someones my arms have nothing left  to lift the weights!  wobble wobble.

—PamNZ (on Thu, May 12 2011 6:24 PM)
bodyforlife.com/.../4153.aspx

Good Morning Everyone!!

Ready for the day. I'll be heading to the gym in a 1/2 hour or so to do my upper body workout.

I've got a challenge this weekend because I'm having a girls weekend with one of my best friends. We're going to a festival in our home town. I'll make tomorrow my free day and I'll make healthy choices. I don't want to blow my week of hard work. Luckily she's a skinny girl who doesn't make food a prioriy in life.

Good job haltersweb on your self control at dinner with the family. Sounds like you were at a mexican restaurant. That's a tough one for me.

My husband and I eat out a lot. We're retired and it's part of our social, let's get out of the house lifestyle. So, I did eat out twice this week but ordered what I needed to stay on the program. So far I've avoided the mexican restaurant but I know I can order what I need and they will accomodate me. I'm thinking a grilled chicken breast with some salad. I can use salsa for dressing. I'm not sure about the rice. I know it's white and all but I need to ask them if they put any oil in it. I don't really think so. Sometimes the sodium level seems kinda high on things in the mex place though. I'll make it work though because I'm trying to make a lifestyle switch this time not be on a "diet". I want to feel like I can have what I want just the right amounts at the right time. I know if I deprive myself I can lose weight but I've been yo yoing since I was 14 years old. Always 10 - 15 # to lose. It's gotta stop! Along with that up down of weight loss also is my self esteem and self compassion. Love myself...beat myself up....love myself....beat myself up. Uuggghh. I'm sick of it!

Hope you all have an awesome day! Be kind to yourself!!

Happy Friday everyone!!!!    Having some Knee problems ugghhh this has just been one of those weeks. Managed to stay on track with the food but did not do cardio yesterday. Today I put on the knee brace and had a really good LBWO. Just tried to be really careful with the Knee. Not sure what is wrong with it but this happens every so often. Just work thru the pain.  

Haltersweb, Not sure if this is the correct answer regarding missed workout but if I miss one its just missed. I go on to the next day and do whatever workout is for that day.Good job on the self control..that is hard to do. Espesically the Sweets.

Hope everyone has a good weekend

AnnaFL

Haltersweb - thanks!  I must check the forum tosee if I have an answer yet!

Isn't it great to finish week one??  Look forward to a DAY OFF!!

I came across another fabulous quote that really shifted the paradigm of how I have been thinking about my workouts and "hitting my 10s". I am going to start to put this into practice tomorrow. And it will be interesting to see how week 3 and 4 go in comparison to weeks 1 and 2.

This quote is from Orrin, who has had amazing results. And you'll see why once you read it:

I have been thinking about the rep sequence of 12, 10, 8, 6, 12 , 12. A pyramid (decreasing reps increasing weight) ending in a super set. It is amazing and works! However, this sequence is not intrinsically magical. The key is the level of intensity an individual brings to every set and each and every rep. The key is finding that amazing place where perceived failure and maximum intensity collide and hitting a true 10.

It is not enough to go through the motions and simply complete the required repetitions of 12, 10, 8, 6, 12, 12. It is up to the individual to find their limit and then go beyond it – well beyond it.  Hard breathing, sweat, burning muscles, your mind telling you your done, getting in all the required reps – none of these necessarily equals a 10. To me, if you want BFL results, hitting your 10s is crucial.

Two things about hitting 10s. First, I think for the most part when you think you have hit a 10 you haven’t. Not to be negative but the mind plays dirty tricks on us. The truth is we are all capable of so much more than we think we are. Most likely what we think is a 10 is closer to a 9. Still an excellent effort but we can lift more. Secondly, we don’t hit 10s with every exercise every time, but that is okay. I don’t always get 12 reps on the final set. Honestly, I purposely set myself up not to and try and prove myself wrong. If I get all 12 reps it is time to up the weight.

What I aim for on the final set is this: By the 4th rep my muscles should be burning. Thoughts I may have too much weight try and creep into my head. I ignore them and keep going. By the 7th or 8th rep every fibre of my being is telling me to stop. My mind tries to tell me its ok I have done enough, I am there.  I press on. By the 10th rep my muscles are done for. This is where you want to be. This is where the mind, that deep inner strength we all posses, comes in to play. It is hard to explain but you don’t lift with your muscles. You lift with grit, determination, resolve and commitment; you lift because you want to shatter your self erected limitations; you lift because you know you are capable of more.

I know this is a fine line. It takes practice and focus to get to that place where a true 10 is possible. I have hit the 5th rep and been unable to lift more. Obviously I had too much weight. I have hit 12 and pushed out 3 or 4 more. Too little weight. But that is okay. Keep track of your workouts and the weights you use (I use the BFL Success Journal and highly recommend it) and you will find that place more and more often, hit your 10s and see amazing BFL results!

—Orrin (posted Wed, Nov 17 2010)
bodyforlife.com/.../35741.aspx#35741

Week2 Day1 done and dusted, feel much better today with having a calorie load yesterday!  Hope everyone else powers through!  Have a good one!

PamNZ, Congratulations on moving on to week two.  You really have a positive attitude.  It will carry you far.  Make sure to read the Weekly Challenge Guide:  bodyforlife.com/.../guide.

Glad this week is done!  My schedule got so messed up this week with the kids' concerts, elementary school family night on Friday, and an entire weekend spent traveling to and from my daughter's three fencing tournaments.

I did not stay on track with the eating plan, but am glad to say I didn't go overboard like I usually do.  Resisted the hot dogs, funnel cakes, and cotton candy at the Family Fun Night.  Packed healthy carb/protein balanced things for the tourneys so we didn't eat out.  I wasn't gong to sabotage the work I've done so far.

But I feel wiped—really feel the effects of not being able to make it to the gym.

Hoped to get to the gym today but we left at 6am (the gym opens at 8) and got back at 7pm (the gym closes at 6).

It's 7:30 pm and I am actually heading to bed now.

Tomorrow will begin week three.  That's the great thing about this 12 week challenge, there's always time to get back on track if you hit a spin.  Have my fridge and cupboards stocked for a good week of 20/20 meals. I WILL be hitting my 10s tomorrow!!

Good Morning! Week 2 Day 1 for me today. Had a fun weekend. Exercised on Saturday morning but eating was a bit off program for both Saturday and Sunday. Didn't do too terrible though so I'm not going to beat myself up though. I had funnel cake resistance too haltersweb. I told myself when I was at the festival I would allow myself something you can't get elsewhere, something fried and sweet. Well once we got there and I smelled the grease from the fryers and saw them pull one of the funnel cakes from the oil bath I said no way, I'm not putting that in my body! I was so happy I felt that way. I really do want to be successful on this BFL journey.

Carpe Diem!!

Hi everyone!!!  Day 1 of week 6 for me. So far so good. I  kinda had a free weekend. But I did not do bad. Just was so busy on Saturday It was hard to get in all my meals.  I had my myoplex bar for lunch, by the time I got home I was starving, Had  some all natural multigrain chips with some extra spicey hummus. Not exactly what I should of ate but it sure did taste good.  Hope everyone has a good day!!

Anna

Just a shout out to all of the 45 and older ladies doing something for themselves for a change!!  Way to go!

Great resistance work (I.e. Funnel cake denial) this weekend Northwestie.  Wow, AnnaFL you are days away from half-way.  That's fantastic.  I'm looking forward to getting there too.

Thanks for the encouragement Michelle. With how far you had to go to get you where you are today you are a real inspiration.  If you could do it we have absolutely no excuse.

Gotta say I did not want to go to the gym today.  When I've missed several days in the past it's near to impossible to get myself back on track.  It was you ladies that inspired me to make it to the gym tonight.  I only got through half my lower body workout before the gym closed but by then I was so pumped that I came home, pulled out my barbells and finished up.

My 7s arrived in the mail today.  Great to see the package after the workout.  I'm setting my sites on getting into them at the end of week 12!  Maybe I'll even take a picture in them at the end of the challenge and post it.

Got to the gym 20 minutes before it closed and did my HIIT.  Hit my 10.  Happy!!

So glad that I made my way to the gym even with having to work right up to the minute I left for my workout.  It's given me the energy for the 11pm meeting I have going on right now.  With the way I feel after my workout I'll easily make it through this 2 hour conference call (although I will sleep in tomorrow).