Hi Team -
Sharon - Soooo excited to have YOU back in the game Woman!!! You have so much to offer is just your presence alone; you were definitely missed... Just a thought, I am not entirely convinced that you have to start all over back to Week 1, unless that is where you feel the most motivated. Since you are doing back to back Challenges anyways, I would encourage you to dust off those "10 Emotional Cleansing Days" (which believe it or not were absolutely essential in this Journey for you!!!) and then jump right back in with the rest of US! There's a high probability that even with those "days off" you have still completed more than the average person up to this point in the Challenge.
I only mention this because I have had my own habits of stopping and then re-starting and then just feeling like I'm never getting anywhere. And again, this is only Day 44 of the rest of your Life! ;) Lol - Def do what you feel the most confident about; just givin you a loving nudge to maybe change up the perspective a bit and try a new approach to an "old mental program". Regardless, I'm so happy to have to back and I absolutely LOVE the Inspirational post above!!!
David - HI!!! Welcome to our Forum :) You are definitely welcome to jump into this BFL Family if you are looking for some more consistent support. Thank you for the props and please let me know where YOU may need ANY support right now! Any progress pics that you are willing to share with us, being a week ahead!?! :) xo
Mr. Guy and Hrdhat77 - Thank you very much for the kudos. I've been waiting a loooong time to break out that bikini Hah, and I'm either gonna have to go get some more or just go through the rotation once again
On a more personal note, I've been struggling with some pretty severe emotional/physical meltdowns over the past few days. Don't have the energy or desire to post in detail right now, but just wanted to say thank you to everyone who participates in this Forum. Coming here and reading the posts and connecting with the energy on here seems to have this magically ability to make me feel so much less alone and just more centerred :) Lots of LOVE to ALL my Gladiators... we Sure are gettin' beaten and bloodied out in that Arena lol, but wouldn't have it any other way!!! Muah
xoxo Kat
DAY 44 - BFL Journal daily Lesson-for-LIFE:
"Consistent variety is the spice of Life." The Body-for-LIFE nutrition Program is very structured and specific - it is designed to give your body a consistent supply of the nutrients it needs, but it also allows for variety. You don't have to eat the exact same foods day after day. There are many ways you can prepare healthy Body-for-LIFE authorized meals. In fact, in my new Body-for-LIFE Cookbook, I share over 100 of my favorite Body-for-LIFE recipes. By using a variety of cooking techniques, ingredients, spices, and sauces, you can enjoy Body-for-LIFE meals more than you enjoyed eating the old way. Throughout this Program, as you consistently enjoy the taste and experience of eating a variety of healthy, nutritious meals, you'll notice that your appetite for junk food goes down while your energy level goes up. So please, be sure to incorporate consistent variety into your Program so it doesn't go stale. ~Bill Phillips~
Good morning Gladiators!
David - so happy to have you here with us! We started off with a very large group as well but have whittled down to an awesome core group of committed "Gladiators." This is a term given to us by Kat - if you are wondering - in a terrific post a while back.
Kat - are you ok? I'm here is you just need to get something off your chest!
Today started with a 4:45am call so a little off in my sleep. I'll try to get a nap in later. My hours will get more difficult next week since Arizona does not do daylight savings. This call will be at 3:45am for me next month. I'll be going to bed when it's still light out before long :-)
So who is still with us? Roll call...
Have a great BFL Day!
~Sharon
"Believe"
Hi Team!
I am still here!
Sharon--Glad to see you are back. I love all the inspirational quotes you post at the end of your messages!
Kat--That is a hot swim suit! Just a thought, but it might be interesting to go back through your rotation to see how your body has changed compared to the last time you were in that swim suit since they all fit differently.
Amy
Looks like you all have a great group (Lots Of Posts). Makes me wish I would have started a week earlier. I think it's just me and one other that are still in the 1/28/13 group.
Thanks Amy! I have a file folder of them that I use as my computer screen saver. Keeps me motivated so I figured I'd share in the hopes of motivating others!
Kat - love Amy's suggestion of rotating back through your bikinis for your upcoming weekly pictures. That really will show the amazing progress that you have made!
j_gilmer1979 - welcome and come join us!!!! Bring your other "teammate" with you. The more the merrier. I just took an unplanned 2 week "break" so not sure if I'm a week ahead or 4 behind. Doesn't matter since this is Body For Life and I need to do back-to-back challenges as it is. I just picked up this week with an UBWO on Monday and went from there.
Hello Gladiators!
Awesome LBWO today. My legs keep getting stronger and I keep pushing them. They feel like jello now but i think that is to be expected. I did 30 min on the treadmill after my workout and they were not happy about that. I was trying to burn a few extra cal since I am going to happy hour tonight. I've been trying to come up with a game plan for eating close to BFL but not sure it is going to happen so it may be a free day Wednesday! That won't make Sunday easy at Nanny's or my mom's but I can make it work. Anyway it took me six weeks to buckle down on my eating but I've made the adjustments that work for me and the scale is finally starting to move in the right direction. It is still a journey and I am learning what works for me and my family. I don't stress about it too much since this is a lifestyle change for me and even if I don't lose the 30lbs i wanted to at the start of this program I'll prob be half way there and by the end of my second challenge I'll be there. The best part is that it doesn't feel that hard anymore. It took a bit but my mind has made the adjustment and controlling the impulse to eat the wrong food is much easier.
I'm glad we have this strong group and that so many of us are still here battling through! Go Gladiators!
Bart
Hi Group,
I fight the battle like everyone else here on a daily basis. I don’t really get the support I need from the spouse; she has given up and resigned to being old and fat. My daughter lost interest so with them bringing junk into the house, it’s a constant battle. I love junk food just as much as anybody else and it’s tough.
I use my iPhone app to log my daily calories. It lets you scan the barcode and keep tracks of everything. It will also take into account calories burned on exercise and how many you still have let to eat for the day. No matter how many it says I have left, I try not to go over 2000 in a day. That’s helped me lose the weight I’ve lost.
My workouts were:
Tues: 45 Minutes on the Arc Trainer, then straight into 40 minutes of circuit training on weights for Biceps and Back.
Thurs: 45 Minutes on the Arc Trainer, then straight into 40 minutes of circuit training on weights for Triceps and Chest.
Sat: 45 Minutes on the Arc Trainer, then straight into 40 minutes of circuit training on weights for Legs and Core Muscles Groups.
On the days I’m not at the gym, I have recumbent bike in front of the TV that I ride while watching the shows I’ve taped. Walking Dead, Pawn Stars, Being Human, Shark Tank, Kitchen Nightmares, etc. I’ll ride the bike the entire time the shows are on so for an hour.
I don’t take any days off. I’m always doing something.
I’m now going to kick it up a notch and go to the gym on Mon and Fri in addition to normal gym days just to ride the Arc Trainer for an Hour. I can burn 1000 calories in that time on that thing. Also, I have some exercise equipment at home and I’m going to use those on non gym days just to keep me limber.
Have to take this into the home stretch and finish strong.
96% of the people who start the challenge don’t finish. So, if you are still here you are doing great and now is the time to kick it up and put it in over drive :)
My goal is to get abs. I’ve never had them. Even when I finished before, I had a flat stomach but no abs. Just once in my life, I’d like to have a washboard stomach. I’m turning 50 in October and want to bring my half century mark being in the best shape of my life.
No regrets, no surrender.
hi Sharon, my husband and I are started BFL Sunday 03/10/2013 as I was reading the different comments. yours really caught my attention ( not to mention I couldn't figure out how to start a conversation). I know you already have your group and you guys have been working hard, yet if anyone is reading this please consider starting the program with us. MrGuy hang in there I understand theywill all come around when they see your determination and progress. Well guys wish us luck. Just printed out my grocery list and haven't had a soda all week so I am really trying to prepare for this and have a great 48th bday.
healthier in 2013
I'm still here :) Glad to have you back, Sharon. I think we were all a little worried about you. Kat...you look fantastic, as always, and I really appreciate all the hard work you do for us here every day. I'm sorry you've been having a hard time, and I sympathize. I have had the blahs this week, and that is all that is wrong with me. I post less when I'm in the blah zone.
My boyfriend is still in, and of course I am...my daughter says she is, but I notice that a lot of the meals aren't getting eaten, or I find food in the trash. I have the feeling that she is trying to do her own plan by doing less exercise but eating almost nothing. I have explained that that will backfire and have an opposite effect, so if she doesn't listen, well...she's old enough to make her own choices.
As for Steve and I, we have not missed a work out or even cheated one day on our diet (since free day isn't cheating). I don't even find the eating hard at all. We do eat stuff we want on free day, but it turns out that we can't eat NEARLY as much as we used to, and stretch one meal out all freakin day long on Sunday, then still feel bloated and like crap. So...we may start foregoing the free day (except for the creamy coffee I love on Sunday). I actually stopped using creamer or even artificial sweeteners in my coffee a year ago because I discovered that they were causing me to keep weight on no matter what I did. I don't miss them, so I guess I really do like coffee ;).
I wish I had taken pics at the start, but I still don't have anything that I feel acceptable to take a photo in and I don't want to spend money on anything when I will be wearing a smaller size soon. I want to make sure I can wear what I buy. I still haven't lost but a few pounds, yet my body feels better and all that. So I'm really just hanging in there until stuff really starts going well, which I hope is at the end of the next 2 weeks. If not, it doesn't matter, because I don't plan on changing anything even once the challenge is done. If it doesn't work in 12 weeks, it certainly will by 14 or 16 or 18.
Mrguy, you are dedicated! I will see how things are in 12 weeks myself and then if I don't have the results I want I might add in more cardio.
love y'all! Hang in there.
Melissa
Hello my bfl family. I've been blah too. What's going on girls? Just wanted to let u know im stilll with yas. Down 10 pounds and more toned. Would love for more change but trying to be patient. So thankful for all of you. I check in every night. Good night xo. Lor
Hey Team Gladiators... and ALL the awesome new-comers!!!
I'm pretty sure this Team could care less about anyone's actual "start date" - we are ALL here to fully support those who are committed to Changing their Lives for the better through this BFL Challenge! So DEF WELCOME to anyone NEW who wants to join ;) That's so great! Annnd it's sooo cool reading everyone's post's today - feels like week one again lol.
I'm okay - just been dealing with medical issues (chronic conditions that I was born with), and as positive as I really do try to stay they just sometimes get the better of me every once in a while... then when the anger and frustration kicks in I become such an awful ***!!! I was just really hopeful that I would be feeling some relief by now and could maybe wean off of some medications, but lookin like that will just have to wait... On the bright side though, by some miracle God has somehow given me the grace to have completed every single workout to date! I don't know how - cuz today was a rough one, but got it done!
So sorry I don't have the energy at the moment to respond to everyone's post right now, but I am sooo happy to see how many of us are still here TOGETHER!!! How cool is that!?! Week 12 will feel like MAGIC - and I think I may be in the group that does a back to back Challenge because of the current lack of weight loss. Who knows, maybe 30 pounds will come off in the next six weeks!!! Hah
Love you ALL and sweet dreams xoxo Kat
DAY 45 - BFL Journal daily Lesson-for-LIFE:
"Renew your body; rejuvenate your Life!" Here's an interesting fact about how the human body tends to work: Up until about age 25, the body renews itself - it builds up faster than it breaks downs. Unfortunately, after age 25, both men and women slowly but surely begin losing muscle strength and gain bodyfat. Now, that happens only if you don't do something to prevent it. The good news is that modern science has clearly shown that we can not only slow this process, but in some cases reverse it. With an integrated approach to health and fitness, like Body-for-LIFE, you can increase muscle strength and decrease body fat, improving mental strength as well. So please realize that if you're over the age of 25, you have to work at being healthy, renewing your body, and rejuvenating your energy - but it can be done! And I firmly believe that it's never too late to make a change for the better! ~Bill Phillips~
So MrGuy - YOU WILL have those washboard ABs for your Happy Five-Oh!!! ;)
Hey Gladiators! Great name for a great group of people! I'll look for that post where Kat gave you guys the name. Also, have to say Gladiator one of my favorite movies of all time - "What we do in life echoes in eternity."
Kat & Sharon - thanks for the welcome! I have really enjoyed following this thread and have been very encouraged by the posts.
Mr. Guy - Dude! You are a cardio machine! I wish our gym had the arc trainer. I tried it at another gym last week and really liked it a lot. Like you, I have upped my cardio. I am doing about 6 days a week (the 3 HIIITs) and also several spin classes after my lifts. I swim around 2 to 3000 yds Sat and Sun (access to indoor pool). Really want to finish the last 4 weeks strong and "leave it on the field."
Little history - just turned 49 a week ago. Happily married for 25 years (yes, I married up), Have two great sons, one in grad school and the other a freshman in college. I grew up very involved in sports, of course being in Texas, football is king! As an adult I've stayed active, but went through the yoyo weight gains and losses. I did BFL back in 2001. While I didn't officially enter, I did the workouts and followed the eating plan fairly clos. I lost about 15lbs, but more importantly, it changed my mindset about exercise and what it meant to make a lifestyle change. Prior to BFL, it had been about 12 years since I lifted weights. Over the past 10 years I have stayed in pretty good shape, but even excercising regularly, I've packed on about 15-20lbs in the last 2 years. Some of that had to do with a job change which has an hour commute, but mainly putting too much in my piehole. Early in January, I was in a bookstore and came across the BFL Champions book. Once I picked it up, that was it and I spend the next week preparing for the contest. So far, I have lost around 12lbs. I feel so much better on the inside. It has been a great ride so far and I'm not about to get off the BFL train!
Kat - I have taken pics (week 0, 4, and 6) I plan to upload them. Just need to figure out how to do it. Appreciate any tips.
Gladiators, thanks again for letting me join in your forum! I'm looking forward to checking in with you guys!
What we do in life echoes in eternity.
David
@Hapkym05 - Join us!!!! I am so very happy to hear that my posts have in some way "spoke" to you. We would absolutely love to have you and your husband take this journey with us. Many of us still posting here will be here for a while. My plan all along was to do back-to-back challenges since I know I will not be where I ultimately want to be in 12 shorts weeks (especially with set backs). Hopefully many others will stay here just for support as they maintain their new fab figures at the end of the challenge. I guess my first piece of advise as you both start your journey is to PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. Most of us have experienced the "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail" situation. Kat and I are both solid believers in the BFL Success Journal (you can pick up a copy pretty cheap off Amazon) for help with meal planning, workout planning, and getting my head in the right space. This is where Kat's daily quotes come from. Others here use various apps on their iPhones/iPads. Do what works for you but come up with a system for planning. Of course, reach out to all of us here for accountability, motivation, and support! That is the entire reason that BFL has these forums available for us all. "Together we all achieve more". Welcome aboard!
@David - Sounds like your journey is going really really well. Congrats! Here is how I uploaded my pictures (I have no idea how Kat makes hers work the way she does :-) - if you click on the Use Rich Formatting right below your text box it will open another screen for you. From there, you are able to upload photos - there are new icons that pop up in the tool bar above your post. The one that is a green square (picture frame perhaps) with a little plus sign in the corner will allow you go browse for the pictures you want to upload. Erik you posted pics as well so maybe you and Kat can share your technique.
@MrGuy - I agree with David - you are a cardio machine!!! Very impressive. Guess my initial thinking that I would need to add more cardio was spot on. No Arc Trainer here for me either but I have done a few Zumba classes which are calorie torchers for sure. I am sorry to hear that you are now at it alone at home. Hopefully your dedication and determination will show your wife and daughter that this can be done and they'll want to rejoin. If not, you have us for support. Congrats on just saying no to the junk food in the house. Strong mind = strong body.
@Melissa, Amy, Lor - stick with it girls! I keep reading over and over that many of the past female champions don't see results until towards the end of the 12 weeks. TAKE PICTURES and MEASUREMENT!!!! Start now if you haven't already. Who cares what you are wearing - take it in bra and panties or a sports bra and workout spandex shorts. It doesn't need to be shared (unless you are entering the official competition) but it will really help you see the progress. Just do it!!! This is so much of a better guide than a random number on the scale.
@Kat - hang in there! You're right - I doubt if 30 lbs jump off your bones in a few short weeks but maybe they don't need to??? Maybe tweek your mindset? Are you getting this number from when you abused your body and dropped down to 130-140 lbs? My guess is that you look way healthier and sexier at your current weight than you looked then. Just a guess but healthy is the new sexy ;-) Looking at your pictures - I don't see where you have 30 pounds to lose honestly! Go on clothing size maybe or body fat calibration perhaps. I truly believe that you will get to a point where you can take yourself off almost all if not all of your medications. Focus rather on how very far you have come. If I recall correctly, you were bedridden and taking 18 different meds just to survive the day. Now look at you rocking one of the sexiest swimsuits I've ever seen!!!! Your progress is amazing. This is the best time of year in the Valley of the Sun. Get out there and enjoy it (before summer returns). I hear a horse calling your name. That'll put you in a positive space :-)
@Bart - first off, thanks for sharing your real name! You too are an animal. I can't do cardio after a killer leg workout so kuddos to you. I have no doubt that your body revolted but that will help work out the lactic acid and keep you from getting sore right?!?! How was your happy hour? This is where I like the philosophy of Dr Peeke (author of BFL for Women) a bit better that Bill Phillips (Sorry Bill). She doesn't believe in an entire day dedicated to cheating. It leads to binge eating and using food as a reward - see picture below. Her philosophy is to eat clean 80+% of the time and you'll be ok. If there is a happy hour planned, go and have a good time. Get right back on track the next morning and don't feel bad about it at all. Life is meant to be enjoyed and by eliminating all social gatherings and events in our life, we won't be living to the fullest. So, I like the 80/20 rule better than planning my life around a "cheat day". Plus - I felt like poop after a few full blown cheat days - remember Super Bowl Sunday? Blah...
I love the energy from our BFL Family. Girls - get out of your own head and out of your own way. Go do something - anything - that you know will brighten your mood. Get a pedicure, go for a walk, take a bubble bath, watch your favorite movie (speaking of which - have you all seen The Secret????), revisit your vision board - don't have one yet - MAKE ONE, walk the dog, WHATEVER! To get myself out of my self destructive funk last week, I went put and bought a new outfit AFTER my mini-makeover. I now have a new hair do (covered the grey for the first time every and cut off 8" so I'm now sporting a sassy new look) and had fun at Sephoria letting them play with makeup. I was going to wait to do this until later in the challenge but I needed the boost! You got this now go do it...