Hi there to all my fellow BFL aficionados,

It looks like everyone is busy with other things and nobody's posting.

Stephon, it sounds like you're doing very well under the circumstances. Cutting back on calories to compensate for lack of exercise sounds smart ... and that attitude you've chosen: EXCELLENT! ( as always)

I think it is a help when we have to deal with things like that and we realize that it's a part of life and it isn't going to de-rail us. We have to take time off when we're sick and it doesn't' mean that all is lost and that we are falling back into bad habits. You've done an amazing job and the quote you put there applies perfectly. The week or two of sickness you've had isn't going to ruin all the progress you've made, all the good habits you've built and the fact that you care enough about them to worry about it.

You're doing great with your commitment. I hope your body recovers soon and that you're able to do the kind of workouts you've become accustomed to. In the meantime, take care of yourself. Pray for wisdom for doing the right thing under these circumstances.

I have to run now but I want to talk about other things with all of you soon. PERFECTIONISM and the value of it or the problems it brings. That's going to be the topic.

Soon. ...

hope you're all well overall.

Patricia

Hi!  I'd like to join this forum.  I'm a 57 y.o. female.  I did BFL in 1999 (I think) and lost considerable inches (undocumented, I never used tape measure), but I did have a goal outfit that not only fit, but the skirt could be turned from back to front without unbuttoning it (it's a girl thing)...very happy!  I was never hugely overweight, just needed to firm up (and lose a few lbs.).  Unfortunately I injured my shoulder lifting too heavy of weights, but I did finish the 12 week program and was very proud of myself.

Fast forward 13 years later and I again need the program.  I'm not a lot overweight, maybe 20 lbs., but I want to get fit again and work my way back into that goal outfit for my trip to Paris at the end of April, and to be fit enough to have a good time with all the miles of walking involved.  

I had dealt with plantar faciitis of my feet for the past several years and finally got it healed last year.  I was working toward running a 5k on March 11, but after working up to running 1.25 miles non-stop my PF started to give me twinges again and I can't have that right before my trip, must keep feet healthy.  So I'm giving up the goal to run the 5k in March.  I'm just going to do the 20 min. HIIT as outlined and add in some extra walking at the end of each session to build up stamina for the trip.

All right, so I started the program on January 18, which puts me at week 3 tomorrow.  I haven't missed a single workout and haven't really "pigged-out" on my off days, just ate a few unhealthy snacks, etc.

The weight hasn't budged a bit, but I remember from the last time I did the program that when you're not a great deal overweight that the weight doesn't really move much, but the inches fall off, and the most notable changes are seen in week 9 (so hang in there).  But there's a huge shift from the fat to muscle ratio at the end of the program, very firm.

I only have a small change this time around...I've been a vegan for 2 years now and it's making it a little harder to follow the meal plan.  I made 2 concessions to my eating to help with this, I'll eat Egg Beaters and low fat cottage cheese, the only animal proteins I can stomach.  I get plenty of protein from tofu, nuts, seeds, homemade nut butter, and green leafies & veggies.  I've dropped my fruit intake considerably, down to 1 apple every other day with cottage cheese as one of my meals.  I do drink the AdvantEdge Carb Control ready to drink shakes for 2 meals per day.  

I have a gym at work and do my workouts during my lunch hour.

Hi, my name's Julie from Detroit!

Welcome Julie From Detroit. I use to live in Grand Rapids MI now live in Ohio!

I have not posted much as I have not figured it out. yipee tonight I did! ha.

been struggling a bit. I do the program but find it hard at night when hubby pops the popcorn, and eats chips. So I eat my pudding and some nights I'm sucessful and other nights not. Any suggestions out there on how to beat the good night snacks!  I also have a cold now and that don't seem to help. Lost 4 lbs though. I don't have  a bench or heavy weights. So I use sparkspeople exercise and bought Ristance bands. eager to try them. Say, Juli (jwin) I also have Plantar Facitis that is tough stuff. it hurts. but with good shoes and good stretches we'll over come!  see you NAN

Jwin - I too wanted to say welcome...

..I too live around the Detroit area... and to confuse it more 42feelbetter I grew up in Ohio and moved to Michigan.

I guess we all have our things to overcome with this challenge but I know we all can do this and over come. I mean if I can...and I love to eat...then I guess I feel anyone can. The only thing I found to remove the muchies hunger pains is the six small meals and keeping them spread out evenly. I am not saying I am doing this perfectly, and I still get those hunger pains especially for potato chips, but so far they have been managable.

To the end...welcome aboard!

run4life that is funny when I read you grew up in Ohio. I'm waiting for the day when i can more back! However, Ohio grows on you. I do eat every three hours are I have low blood sugar. I've been pretty good but the temptation came when I was tired of protein pudding, shakes and wanted crunchies. I tried hummus and veggies, but I will keep working at it. Love that saying,"It's not perfection, it's progess."

Blessings everyone

42feelbetter - I know I have not been a purest when it has come to the eating side of the program but I know I am eating better than I was before I started with the program.

It is funny...I used to say that I ran to eat...back then before BFL, it was true. Now on my free days, while I do enjoy the food, I have not been as 'eating wild' as I thought I would be. I hear that even shrinks more on the desires as you move forward with the program.

Looking forward to that as well.

Enjoy. Half way through week five.

Time flies when you are having fun!!!

yes, I'm finding that out also fun4life. If I splurge on my free day I find it hard to return on monday. So I keep track and finding out it's easy, but now I'm working on my portions. how times does go by! have you lost alot of weight yet run4life?

I think since I started (Jan 9th) I am down about ten lbs...lost an additional 5 in dec prior to starting BFL. I would like to go down another 20 pounds. It seems for me like those lost pounds must have been deep inside as the only change I notice is 3.5 inches around the waist... I was hoping for more but many on the blogs say to be patient as that will come later. I took 4 week photos and they did show some improvement which was encouraging but again not as much as I hoped. This week I added cardio to my lift days and did a couple double cardios. I don't think I can sustain that but I was hoping it would jump start the calorie burn a little more this week. Either way I do feel more healthy.

How about you...I hope you are trending toward your goal(s)

Great! congratulations. My first goal was just to get on track and keep my promise. I have only lost 4 lbs, but my waist is still the same. I've had my ups and downs with birthday  treats, and being sick.

Over all I know I have to get more serious, but I can't seem to get past not being able to work out. I really want too but don't have the epipment to do so. however, I just bought weight resistance bands so we will try that. Now I'm just getting over being sick so the protein shakes feel so good on my throat.

I am trying to accomodate my morning schedule to work out and have built now 30 min. in. My devotions in the morning are very important to me so I'm striving...... we must keep going. I saw on here somewhere a guy did a blog and it took him 1 year. that was inspiring seeing he was very much over weight. So if it takes me a little longer that is fine as long as I get over the finish line! it's a new life, and new way of eating and I have to give myself time. Blessings to you

42 feelbetter - I kinda understand where you are. I tried this several years ago and did not give myself a chance. I was thinking all or nothing and so after three weeks I punted. This time I am more serious. It is interesting that we are blogging together now as today I had a total melt down. Great tasting donut this morning in a coffee house drive through. 2 chocolate chip cookies in the evening, and my Upper body work out was a wreck...seems like I couldn't lift anything...I read a blog post a few weeks ago that said "It is not perfection, but progress."

Now that you are getting on the mend and finding time to develop a more complete exercise schedule, just remember that it is just moving forward and not the perfection to a schedule of activities. I am telling myself regardless of whether I make my initial goal or not, I will be stronger and healthy just doing as much as I can over the twelve weeks and then making it a lifestyle moving forward. You can do this, have faith, make the needed adjustments wherever they are needed and don't get discouraged.

I know your devotions are important to you and I have been weak over the recent years with a daily devotion in my life. It seems for me even that area of my life is getting better as I too make that a higher priority but still I struggle even though that is a void in my life that needs filled. I trust, like with this program, that if I actively seek and try to put some effort into it, I will be where I need to be. So do what you can. Meet your first goal. Get on track and keep your promise to yourself and become the best complete person you can be, physically, mentally, spiritually. I think Bill Phelips is right in that in the end it is good to be in great physical health, but more important it is about giving back. Now to find the right life balance for the journey. I look forward to reading more about your progress and journey here.

Great idea! I like to keep everything together and not have separate notebooks! Starting my challenge on Monday. Can't wait for the changes!! I turned 52 in November and its time to quit making excuses because it is not getting any easier.

run4life, as I was reading your reply,  I have been reading online at today health news MSN and they have a really good comment as I laughed at you eating a donut please read below as it's a good point:

"If a forbidden doughnut is tempting you to break your diet, tell yourself you'll have a bite later — just don't specify when".

link is here if you care to read it

todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/.../10303695-new-secret-to-resisting-junk-food-just-put-it-off

I guess it ends up being mind over matter.

Today I reminded myself that your body is the temple of the Living God and what have we been putting in? a good book I picked up is called "Made to crave" by Lysa Terkeurst. she's good and has strugged with food also. She has power words and today I love the word "empowered"

Going from Deprivation to EMPOWERMENT!

getting our WANT TO with spiritual growth, and mental motivation to make lasting changes. WE CAN OVER COME!  

Hows everybody doing? this week I actually gained the weight I lost. I have been sick for a week so all I ate was chix soup. Now it's time to get back on track. I tried today to run on my treadmill, but I coughed so hard, I guess I'll have to wait a few days.

Hope everyone is doing well. Blessings to all our friends out there.

42feelbetter - thanks for the "It's a cooling-off strategy," tip.  I believe that it will be helpful in the future. Funny thing is when I was done with that donut, it did not taste as good as I remembered them tasting.

Today is my free day and so I went out to lunch with my wife and my daughter. So yeah I got the broccoli, and there was a less than 100 calories mash potato dish, and some corn and a small corn muffin and a little pulled pork on bread and some BBQ sauce...and when I was done I realized (when doing t he math) that it was probably over a 1,000 calories. Wow, did I just take out a calorie mortgage here or what!

Well,  I will cut it back in the evening that will be my big meal and I am still planning to be around my BMR calorie intake for the day. I was also  thinking about a little cardio tonight just for good measure as well.

Either way, I gotta be a little more serious about the eating side, even on my day off. I guess I was celebrating that I did cardio every day this week even on my lifting days and doubles on my normal cardio days.

Hey that had to be a weight loss week so today on the scale, 0.8 pound loss for the week but I was hoping for more. I know that the extra workouts still made me even strong. I guess I just gotta banish the scale to the ‘Island of Misfit Toys!’

Hope you and the rest of the group here have a great week. For me week 6 a long way to go, but looking back I cannot believe how far I have traveled already.

'42' I left out the most important part - I hope you are getting back on the mend and that you will not have to suffer much getting back into the swing of things again.

It is interesting as I read a lot of the blogs on the BFL site (I guess I am addicted) as well as the posts. while many talk about the transformation of the body on outside; most folks in their profiles and posts really focus on how much this BFL activity has changed them on the inside and that this is an even bigger transformation. I guess that is the free gift that comes with adhering to the program as diligently as you can over the twelve weeks. It is a TOTAL transformation.

Hope you are feeling better.

Hello everyone!  I have read the first couple pages and the last page of this thread, and have decided to join you if you'll have me.  I will be 50 in July.  This is my first Challenge, and I am just starting.  Tomorrow (Sunday 2/12) will be Day 4. So far, so good!  I am female, married, three sons at home.  I am a physical therapist for the past 25 years (half my life!) but just today I registered with ISSA to become a Certified Personal Trainer.  I want to shift my career to helping "normal" people become healthy, fit people.  I am on the Challenge to get MYSELF there first, first for my own health, and then to have credibility as a personal trainer.  I have certainly let myself go, and need to lose about 70 pounds, started at 220 and want to be below 150.  I anticipate it will take three Challenges to get there, but really hope to have it just become a lifestyle that I continue to follow once I have "arrived."  I believe we are here ultimately to bring God's Kingdom "on earth as it is heaven," and I am excited and looking forward to helping people become healthy to live up to THEIR potential and purpose :)  Thanks for the encouragement and support you all have for each other, and hope I can be a part of it!

~Roni