Great pic Natalie!  Just checking in here.  Cardio night for me and I have to be honest after my week at work, kids, yada yada I almost bailed due to being worn out!  But I did it and I feel better that I did.  Does anyone out there use the Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 (xbox)?   I use it in conjunction with some of my workouts and add weights.  The cardio is awesome and works up a good sweat.  I don't go to a gym so it is a good substitute for now.  Anyway, just curious what other non-gym members do.  

9ers love the recipes...

...man am I hungry now...

...hey it is after midnight so technically this would count as my first meal of the day ;-)

Natalie - love the expression in your picture. Your face really does say it all. I could not express my feelings any better.

You will love the 5 k... you really will.

The best thing I love about running is all the endorphin rush you get when it is over.

At times when I am crabby...OK down write cranky...my wife will just tell me, “why don't you go out for a run.” As I head out the driveway, I always look over my shoulder to make sure she is not getting in the car and coming my way ;-)  Anyway by the time I get back, I am so pumped up and all is right with the world. So enjoy the runs. The solitude also gives you great time to think and reflect.

ssm - I am with you on the little rough start for C2.

And here come my confession. Yesterday...I had a lot going on… got home late...like Natalie, I have a long commute, but I am the one pushing the gas pedal. So...home late...some honey do projects...ate dinner late...one thing lead to another and it is 11:30 PM and I still have not done  cardio. I change into running gear and get ready to head to the elliptical in the basement...and then I stop. I get a drink of water in the kitchen...turn and say “screw it" and I head off to bed. For C1, I cannot tell you how many times I did midnight work outs no matter how tired I was…Disappointing, not respecting myself enough yesterday to get ‘r done.

Today was another story...home earlier...dinner a little earlier and still some outside brick moving honey do work. LBWO around 8 PM, then inside honey dos...then it is 11:15 pm. well I put on the running gear and get a drink in the kitchen and I remember yesterday - I have a cardio IUO that I need to repay. Well I am a little ticked at myself for missing yesterday so I set the elliptical for a 20 minute fat burner and I consistently crank it out at 20 RPMs more than the machine is yelling at me to do. I guess I had some emotions to work out.

@faithrainbow: I also have heard that the work outs are better for you in the morning if you can do it. For me, that is not an option so then you just put them in when you can. Try to be true to the program and if you happen to miss a workout...Well that is just history...just keep going strong tomorrow.

Hey tomorrow (today) is a scheduled cardio for me...Supposed to rain. If it clears up, I think I will go for a 5k cardio HIIT run I know...besides, my wife says I can use the endorphin rush.

Good night 9ers...glad you are all here!

@faithrainbow: I had this same conversation with a friend of mine the other day. She’s doing some very hard core workouts and hardly ever gets sore now. But she knows she’s giving 110% and it sounds like you are too.  I quickly went to bodybuilding.com and this is a common question. The answers fall along the line of “if you’re gaining strength, the workout is working and you’re doing great.” Another person noted that an improved diet can have a positive impact on muscles healing. Perhaps your macros are where they need to be. All in all, it sounds like you’re just getting into a very positive groove. If you’re getting stronger, you’re doing as you should. That’s my 2 cents.  

@buckibbq: congratulations to your daughter and you! That’s an awesome achievement and shows a bit about her dedication and hard work. She earned it. I would brag too!

@Agey: Yay. I’m glad you liked the workout. I was huffing and puffing too with it. Next time I do it, I’m going to wear my heart rate monitor so that I can see how many calories I’m burning and what my heart rate measures. It is a great workout to have available and you can do it anywhere. Re: your recipe for a shake, that’s one of my favourite regulars – minus the flaxseed oil. So yummy and filling. I don’t use myoplex. There’s one place I know that stocks it and it’s always out of stock, so I use a different brand, but it tastes nice.

@Frick: lol. I am saying prawns now. And the other day I used the word “knickers.” What?! I’ve been in Oz since late 2005, so it was bound to happen.  The recipe sounds delicious. I think my hubby would love it  - spicy is his favourite. (My spell check automatically does that “ou” thing.)

Again @ Faithrainbow: I have the same challenge for cardio mornings. I’m in the gym 2-3 hours after getting up and I need to have some nourishment before that. I’ve been trying to keep it along the lines of a protein shake, made with skim milk, not water and some frozen berries. As Bobby noted, I don’t think we’d be doing our body or our metabolism any favours by fasting for 4 hours 3 days of the week. That was my old life, not today.  Not to mention, for me, it would result in a VERY sluggish cardio session. So, I have a little something and push hard! If you’re making progress, I wouldn’t fret over this.  I’m not. When I stop making progress, I’ll take a look and see if I can make an adjustment somewhere.

@SSM. “Only an 11lb loss” – I’m quoting you, of course.  That’s fantastic!!!  You were successful. Keep up the great work! You can get to your goal. We’ll get there and we can support each other along the way.

@Natalie: Great job on the run and I can’t wait to see your before/afters. It looks like you had a great workout.

@Mosher: great job for doing the workout. Sometimes, those ones that you have to make yourself do are the most satisfying!

@r4life: lol about checking on your wife coming after you in the car. Great job on pushing through and making up your missed cardio session.

LBWO for me this morning. I really gave it my all. I never knew your heart rate could get so high doing weights. I only thought it was possible during cardio sessions. I was so wrong.  I’m a little nervous about the weekend because that’s always when I undo all the great progress made during the week, but I’m going to hold strong. I’m not giving myself a free day on Sunday because I have a girl’s lunch scheduled next weekend and I know that I’ll be having adult beverages and unapproved foods, so I’m planning to keep it  to plan this weekend. Does this sound like a good approach?

What is the BFL policy on coke zero or other diet drinks? I consider a coke zero a huge treat and like to enjoy one once a day. Is that okay?  

Perthmom, there's a hearty discussion about diet sodas going on in the forum, titled "Diet Mountain Dew" (or something similar).  Check it out.  One of the BFL grand champions weighed in (heh-heh) and said it was fine, and lots of other people gasped in horror.

Hey 9ers –

Thanks for all the congrats for my daughter and family regarding the scholarship.  We are still on cloud 9er and waking up each day wondering if it was a dream.  She deserves all of the credit as she is VERY self-motivated and driven and works hard at hitting the books.   

Perthmom – You won’t find Coke Zero on the authorized food list, but IMHO, I say one a day will have no ill effects on your progress with BFL.

Run –Way to go on hitting the late night cardio.  It is that kind of determination that produces results in the long RUN.  I’m working on not beating myself up over imperfections with the program because I’m pretty much gonna be a lifer at this, although I’ll never catch up to Frick and his insurmountable number of challenges.  Mount Union campus is beautiful and a great school…I’m looking forward to good college football Saturdays and the nice hour trips down Route 44…

Mosher – I’m a gym rat cause there are too many distractions for me at home.  Use whatever tools it takes to get the job done…

Nat – Excellent work on the mileage!!  I wish I were a runner…maybe someday.  That picture definitely shows a 10+ effort.  Keep up the good work!

Agey – Thanks for mix suggestions.  I need to expand my Myoplex horizons.  I drink lite chocolate everyday from a shaker, sometimes mixed with orange Betagen after workouts. 

Good to hear from you Sherene!  Keep checking in…I found that slacking from the forum in C1 during the final weeks contributed to less accountability with the program.  I do believe that posting and reading positive comments produces positive results.

Tonja – If you can stick to the morning workouts, hang in there.  That is my new goal for the last ten weeks.  Whenever possible, I need to get my butt to the gym in the AM.  There are too many other afternoon and evening activities in the summer months ahead.

Good advice, BobbyA – how are those pants fitting?  Is the gap getting smaller?  I don’t have to tell you that those next seven years will fly by.  I have an 8^th grader who will be starting college as one finishes up…Feed the piggy bank when you can…I can’t believe the price of tuition these days!!

Faith – Get in your workouts when you can.  I believe that you do burn more fat when doing cardio on an empty stomach.  If you do it later in the day, just do it a couple of hours after a meal.  If you wake up at 9:30, try to get your cardio in at 10:00…then eat at 11:30.  Since your first meal is so late…maybe cut down to five meals on cardio days.  I rarely eat six times in a day.  At least 4, but usually 5.  Just a thought… 

Frick – It is Buck “eye” as in Ohio… I tried using BuckeyeBBQ as an online name once and it was taken??? So, I shortened it to Buckibbq.  I was born a Longhorn and transplanted to the Buckeye state.  You are well versed in the culinary arts…A man after my own heart.  Keep the recipes coming.  I’m going to try the ceviche this weekend and will report back.  The Indian dish sounds great too.  I like the heat…I’ll save that one for a rainy day….

Cheers to a great weekend for all…Hit those tens, enjoy a free day and let’s get ready to head into week #3

Perth – back on the 18th you asked – “I would like to add a bit more cardio to my cardio days and I notice others doing this by adding steady state cardio. Have any of you increased your hiit? For the runners, have you substituted a tempo run for the hiit or do you think sprints or yasso 800s are best?”

I meant to weigh in but didn’t. Can I still give you my thoughts?

I use my cardio days as a calorie burner for the most part. I try to burn at least 500 calories while doing HIIT. The reason I like 500 calories is that I am still on the weight loss side of the BFL equation and so that is just my own metric goal. I use three exercises for HIIT cardio and I think they all exercise different sets of leg muscles.

Elliptical workouts for me take me to 2 favorite programs on the machine. One is a repeat program that has four ramps in the program with increasing resistance, RPM and inclination for each ramp. It is a 30 minute workout and I believe it hits the HIIT well as recommended for BFL. I have mastered this (couldn’t finish it at the start of BFL C1). So to keep it interesting, I try to spin even faster than the program wants me to. Soon I think I will play more with the resistance forcing it up higher throughout the program. The other Elliptical routine is more a tempo exercise – 45 minutes taking me to three 14 minute high resistance plateaus and oscillating resistance  up and down a little at each plateau level. This is a great workout that I have yet to meet the machine parameters all the way through. I believe this is more an endurance cardio and not really a BFL HIIT. On the plus side, when I am done the machine claims it is a 750 calorie burn and my exercise tracking program aligns as well with the calorie claim.

Running – I mainly now do a 5 k training run. The first 3 k are slight inclines and small rolling hills along the route, then in the 4th kilometer I have four good sized hills that I used to just coast up when I ran. Now I try to power up those hills in a BFL HIIT fashion…then I jog at the top for recovery till the next hill. Finally, a cool down of rolling hills to the finish and a short ½ k walk home for a complete cool down. I love this run. Overall ascent is 1,200 foot elevation climb (sorry about the mixed units ~370 m). I feel great after this run – 500 calories burn.

Finally, I am mountain and road biking. I have a 15 k dirt road ride with an ascent climb of 2,500 feet ~ 750 m. This appears to be around 400 calorie burn according to the Garmin and the bike computer.

My experience over all is that each of these work out appears to work my legs and body differently. This past winter, when the snow was flying, I did mostly elliptical workouts. When I did go out and run after about 4 weeks of just elliptical workout, my running struggled…my breathing was off and my leg running muscles were not performing like they did when I was doing more running.

Going forward I hope to actually do all three in one week on a rotation basis, weather permitting.

Anyway, just my humble unqualified thoughts. I am still in the tinkering experimental mode here.

Enjoy the weekend group.

@Perth - LOL, hope you enjoy the prawn.  I learned that word when I did some work in Sydney at the Coke offices in Da'lin' 'Ar-bah by the Opera House.  And yes Coke Zero is not only good for you, it's Great for you (disclaimer: I work for Coke)  Just don't drink that yucky imposter brand.  Coke Zero has Ace-K as one of it's sweeteners which gives it a unique flavor and no aftertaste compared to Coke Light.  OK, commercial is over.

I have read that Diet Colas from what I have read DO impact the brain to release insulin, so this may be an issue, but at the end of the day, a sugar craving needs to be satiated, so it is better to do it without adding empty calories.

Bucki - sounds like you are going strong.

Hey I am going to be in your neck of the woods Sunday.

My daughter and her friend wanted to go to a rock concert late at night in a rough area of the big 'D' town last week. We told her no for reasons I won't bore you with here.

But I love her and it crushed her and the band is playing on Sunday in Cleveland in the Flats and won’t be back in the States for 2 years as they are a British band. So I will flip my Saturday free day to Sunday and I will be driving 3.5 hours to Cleveland. Drop them off to lose their hearing (I’m not going in...not my Glenn Miller kinda of music). Then a midnight pick up and a 3.5 hour drive back home. Up for work at 6 am (two hours sleep :/P). The things you do for love. It will be good to be back in the Buckeye state. Perhaps I will go down near 'Carnation City' and see my folks.

Keep it strong 9ers

...I drink Coke Zero and Fanta Orange Zero almost exclusively.  I mix Glaceau Orange Vitamin Water and Dasani Water for my protein shakes also.  My protein brand of choice is Body Fortress Whey Protein from WalMart.  It is the least expensive per grams of protein and the flavor is pretty good.  

Nat - Thanks for the motivational poster.  We just need Run4's quote underneith it:

"I am not going to tell you that it will be easy ... I am going to tell you that it will be worth it!"

Good morning,

Third time this week with am workouts and next week I am going for four (wicked witch hasn't come out because of it - per my husband)!  Our weather in Mississippi has been great this Spring and doing the morning workouts have been nice.

Bucki - congrats!  I agree great parenting.  I am just getting started 2 & 4 year old and working on saving for college now - 529 or an education savings account.  I am leaning toward the ESA and starting this year for both of them.  I listen to David Ramsey on the radio & almost all the calls have student loan debt.

Run - all I can say is WOW!  Keep it up & I don't know how you do it.

Frick - you crack me up and I am going to try Body Fortress Whey Protein from Wal-Mart.  I have been using the Advantedge pre-made for this challenge and whey protien that my husband buys (don't tell him).

Perthmom - I don't drink sodas - trigger food for me.  I have had one soda on my challenge (2 year old up all night with a feaver) Frick don't get mad (diet Pepsi) & I am a Coke drinker - fully leaded preferably.  I will have to try the Coke zero after this challenge.

Any good grilled fish recipes??  I'm thawing out MahiMahi - normally, I would just salt & pepper with butter.  I already used my free food day yesterday (Southern fried catfish - it was free lunch!).

Have a good Friday,

Tonja

I forgot - I looked up the 5/25 transformation and I saw the examples of UBWO & LBWO, but what about the abs?  Definately, ready for change up after this C1.

Thanks,

Tonja

@Tonja- For a good fish for the fam clean eating style, I would saute some garlic, onion, salt and pepper (sometime I add some spinach).  Put the fish in some aluminum foil toss the sauteed stuff on the fish, seal and cook on grill or in the oven.  When it is done put on the plate and if you are good with lemon (my hubby isn't) squeeze some on top.  The kiddos enjoy it this way.  

Either everyone took off this weekend, or there was some trouble getting online with this BFL thread! Wow- no messages?I tried both Sat and Sun, but it wouldn't let me post anything.What was your experience?

I didn't try until this morning & I couldn't stay login.  I was surprised that I had no emails this morning to read.  UBWO completed by 5:45am & weekend wasn't too bad on the program either.  I am on week 11 and I checked my weight - no difference - ugh!  I will keep chugging along......  

Have a good Monday!  

Tonja