ok, i'm all signed up for the Fight For Air Climb and got my fund-raising page put together.  here is the link:

action.lungusa.org/.../ALAUM_Upper_Midwest

Any donation is welcome, $2, $5, it all adds up!

I can't beleive we're on Week 9!!!  I looked at the calendar today, thinking it was maybe week 5 or something.

Opti, when I get a minute I will donate, I think what you are doing is awesome!!

I hope everyone else is still around, only takes a decision right now at this moment to get back on track and don't forget that!!!!!

As of Sunday, I am officially down 15 lbs on the scale and a total of 6" around the belly.  I was so excited today when I put on a dress shirt I stopped wearing because I felt when I sat down that the buttons were going to fly off!  I can't believe I ever let myself get that bad.  My flex dress slacks no longer are suck the gut in to close and are slightly loose and the belt lol, the belt... I need to buy a leather punch, it's probably cheaper than another belt, considering I bought it a few weeks before I started because my other one didn't fit and I destroyed it by thinking it did.

Get on the train people, we are in week 9 and today should put you at 26 days left, woo-hoo!

Amazing what a day can do... I'm best and have been hit with a cold, decided to skip my cardio this morning, and move to tonight after lower body.  Have no energy but all dressed and ready to go... Not to mention we have like 5"of snow, ugh.  Off I go on a few...

Opti I will take the time to donate this weekend...your awesome!!

This week has been hard to get my workouts in...just got back from the gym..incorporated UPW & cardio today because I missed yesterday. I feel soooo much better when I work out daily!

Hope everyone is still hanging in there...we are so close to finishing C1. I plan to do back to back...anyone with me?????

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. What can you do when your significant other is undermining you? Its Fri I get home drinking water she’s drinking vodka wanting me to join in giving me a gilt trip…… I won the dinner part subway eat fresh better then smothered burritos what to do so many temptations………. I broke now she’s out Im drunk and fell off the wagon………… sorry for ranting just needed to let it out  

I am WAY behind here.  Well, maybe not that much, but it feels like it to me since I like to be caught up constantly.

No time for shoutouts.  Just letting you all know I'm still here, I've been catching up on personal emails to old friends and posting things to facebook.

I had a super duper tornado of awesomeness over the weekend and I think I had too much fun, 'cuz today I woke up with vertigo and a bum knee and crappy-feeling.  

I will go into detail later abou the awesomeness.  Right now I need a hot shower, chicken soup, and curling up with a book.

Week 10!!!!

D-

I am definitely up for another challenge!  Just working at maximizing this one.  I will be taking a few weeks off though for a recovery, I think lol.  I am officially in the 240's again at 249 for end of week 9 :)

J-

It's hard no doubt, I think the reason I have been able to stay focused this time around is that we have kids, they keep me out of the bars drinking and I really don't drink at home.  The other positive is that I haven't been traveling for work, but who knows when that will change, could be a moments notice and really throw a curve at me.  My wife and family have been really supportive and trust me, we like to drink and I LOVE burritos, but have not been a craving... thanks, I may be heading there Sunday now lol

Opti,

Hope all is well!

Flatliner--thank you for your donation!  I've hit my goal now!!  

Also thank you to those who have donated but it hasn't shown up on the site yet!

I was doing my 20-min HIIT on the stair climber the other day.  Hard to tell if I'm REALLY pushing myself.  Feels hard, but at the same time, easy to cheat by bending over and gripping the rails.  Next time I will go a little bit faster.

my awesome last weekend consisted of going cross-country skiing with my mom for the first time this season and the weather and snow conditions were perfect.  Then we went to the swimming pool where I tackled one of my fears-diving off the diving board.  There weren't many people there and no kids.  I got up there and thought "NO WAY is this going to happen." Then my mom shouts 'You can do it!" Of course I'm a little embarrassed 'cuz she got everyone's attention.  THEN the lifeguard joins in and chants it too!  NOW I have to do it!!  How can I let all these people down?  So I did--4 times!!  After that, the fear started creeping back in the more I thought about it.  I wasn't super graceful and it wasn't a nice swan dive, but now I know I CAN do it.

Then we went back to mom's, she made homemade veggie soup.  Then to a restaurant that served lots of food for little money.  I ordered healthy, but did take a few bites of garlic bread.  After a few bites I said 'no' to myself and set it down to the side.  Didn't finish it like I normally would 80% of the time.

then we went to watch my step-daughter perform in a Cheer and Stunt competition.  Wow!  That was interesting to watch!  The choreography is great and those kids are so talented, throwing up in the air, spinning, landing right on cue, going immediately into the dance routine.  Anyone ever see the movie "Bring It On?"  well, it's like that.  

It was a looong day, but so full of activity and great things!

Opti,

Sounds like an incredible week! You are STRONG!!! and showing much more will power than I am. Week 10 was bad for me, only made it to the gym 3x, and didn't ear well at all. Week 11 I am starting with gusto...kicking butt in the house, then straight to the gym, hubby is marinating steaks to grill, ymmmm put a salad with it and it will be fabulous.

I got run down this last week. I wasn't eating right, skipping multiple meals each day, putting in real long hours, ended up catching a cold that put me out of commission for 2 days. I honestly feel that I caught this cold due to not taking care of myself properly! I am back on track and going forward with a vengence!

Flatliner glad to hear you will join with another challenge. Yes I was thinking of 1-2 weeks off but no longer. It would be too easy to fall backwards if I wait any longer than that. I checked out your blog..nice.

Hope there are others out there that will continue with C2!!! Come on everyone we can do it!!!!

Checking in, where is everyone?

Believe it or not, I'm still here.  I read all the posts  - get them on my phone, but cannot post back from my phone.   I have been eating pretty well - not perfect, but well.  Workouts have been sporadic - but haven't missed a single cardio. Which is very strange because it was my least favorite when I started - now I love it.  It's an amazing feeling when your brain keeps telling you can't do it and your body says shut up I'm going for it.  That feeling of overcoming that doubt - I'm addicted to that.  Cardio today after work and I cannot wait.  

DMRN - I'm up for another challenge after this one.  Feel so good right now.  Shout out to Opti for the best piece if advice I received.  I'm pretty sure it was you that said that the fat doesn't leave the body we want it to.  Sound Advice.  The fat has left my upper body first - neck, chest, shoulders etc.  Leaving me with the spare tire that I started with - until now, finally I'm getting baggy pants.  I've melted like an ice cream cone - from the top down.  Didn't realize until I saw my before and after pics that it was happening.

Good work everyone - Finish Strong.

I've stalled this last two weeks....not been doing as I should. But I'm back on track now...going to finish strong for sure!

What do you guys think a week off...or two between challenges? From what i understand it is best to take some time off and not do them literally back to back. Any ideas or advice? anyone done back to back?

I am so stuck where I am at. I think I need to recharge and hit it hard! My abdomen down! problem areas bad! Seriously need to work off the fat!

zoobey, so glad to hear your melting!!!! That is awesome! Very happy for you!

Keep up the hard work everyone. We can do this too.

zoobey--not sure if that was me, but I've read that a lot in these forums.  You're welcome!

dmrn--about the decision to take a break or not--I think if you did BFL really tight to the program, you should really take 1-2 weeks off, 'cuz it is highly intense and your body could use a break the heavy lifting and constant pushing yourself beyond your limits.  This is called 'active rest', or "AR".  During this time, you should still eat nutritionally, but do lower intense exercise, maybe even something 'fun' you've been wanting to try but didn't fit into BFL.  A fun activity like zumba, cross country skiing, dancing: think of it like a reward!  Of course, these are things you could do during your challenge as well, but during AR you will have more time and less muscle soreness!  This AR is also a time to summarize your results with your goal sheet you wrote out in the beginning.  Think about what NEW goals you want to accomplish.  Write down new reasons for wanting to change, new habits, things you discovered and learned over the past 12 weeks.  Prepare for the next challenge: cooking food, printing out new worksheets.  

I know I will need a break to rethink things.  Mentally, I've lost my drive.  I haven't been writing things down like my meals.  Not completely planning out my workout days.  Started my part time teaching job and will have less free time for the next 16 weeks, and also am taking a continuing certification class that luckily only last 9 weeks sandwiched right in the middle of this 16, so that I can continue teaching.  

However, if your BF challenge was so-so in intensity and being accountable, I see no reason why you couldn't just jump into another one, if you're ready.

I'm disappointed in myself that I didn't give it my all this past challenge.  It's like I got comfortable with my prior results, too comfortable that my reasons for wanting to change just don't seem good enough.

And it's Weeek 12!!!  Gack!  Part of me wants to just stop now but I know that would be a stupid decision.  Instead I should look at my goals again and home in on them for this last week!

oh and this sounds like I'm whining and guess I am, but my husband took a 'stay-at-home vacation' this past week and is home constantly and I'm so missing my ME time!  I can still kinda get my regular workouts in, but only if I rearrange my schedule and I'm feeling too stubborn.  He's distracting me grr >:l

alright guys we've got 2 more days left!!!

LET'S MAKE THEM COUNT!

I feel like I was doing good crossing that abyss, and some bully snuck up behind me and shoved me over a few steps.  Made bad supper choices the last 2 days.  Been very crabby 'cuz I've had to rearrange my gym time and I got disappointed and turned to an old 'friend/devil'--food.

So I journaled what happened, like how dry it made my mouth feel and how I felt like going into a sleep coma after eating it.  Then magically my new issue of Clean Eating magazine arrived in the mail and it was like a hammer to my head.

I  Have 2 great workouts planned--UBWO tonight after work while wearing my "strong is New Skinny" tank top and then tomorrow cardio kickbox

Weighing in Sunday and taking measurements!!!!!!!  I always cringe at that part!!

Hey Opti and everyone else on this thread-

Congrats on almost finishing your challenge! You all must feel sooo good right now. Y'all worked real hard. This is a tough challenge. You all should be real proud of yourselves for finishing. I hope everyone reached their goal, and got awesome results! I started my challenge on 12/2, and as of today, have 21 days to go. But I see the light at the end of this 84-day tunnel, and it's just really exciting knowing I'm actually going to complete this thing! I applaud all of you for taking control of your eating, exercise, and health. Congrats!