Frick - glad you are hanging in there. Sounds like Coke is keeping you busy ... which is a good thing right!?! Hope the travel does slow down a little bit for you.

So this is the last block party!?! That will be good! You are building quite the castle there.

I think I have moved my last ton of rock for my landscaping project, which is a good thing. Of course I thought I was there about three weeks ago, until my wife threw out some more improvement ideas The nice thing here is if we keep going I will not have anything to mow ;-)

Now just a few more yards of mulch and we will be on maintenance mode only (at least on the outside). Oh, maybe a little deck repair. We had a chocolate mink living it our deck box over the early spring. It was a great shelter for the little guy {actually - gal we think}. She fished out all our fish from the Koi pond by our patio. My wildlife loving wife did not want to evict the mink for fear of her having babies. I guess that was the potential time of the year when that could happen.

Well, she is gone now, and so are the fish! So,  this summer it will be a repair and patch job on the deck to make sure no other guests move in!

Frick, Long Boards are all the rage up here in MI. You gotta place to ride that(I believe you are in FLA). I mean like along the beach on the board walk, or paved path...etc?

Better watch yourself or soon we will be seeing you upgrading to Skeletons boards and you will be screaming down mountain roads at break neck speeds… just saying.

Enjoy the board it sounds like fun…others in the family also skateboarding? It would be fun if you went out as a pack.

Keep the lifting strong and cannot wait to see your finished home project!

Okay, I fell off the wagon this weekend and now getting back on....life happens!  Out of town, birthday party, not getting to the grocery until Monday night...grrr excuses.  TRX tonight & LBWO in the morning!  I hope all is well with everyone.  Frick on a skateboard did I read that??  Honestly, I was thinking about dusting off my old rollerblades just the other day.  

Need to work on eating clean & getting back to the gym!

Oh Tonja!  I am glad I am not the only one!  We went camping over the weekend and I, for some reason, had insomnia terrible!  Monday I did UBWO and yesterday cardio but I have been so TIRED... Ate junk all day today at work...grrrr and skipped my LBWO tonight.  Hopefully I will get some good sleep tonight and feel more energetic tomorrow.  I plan on doubling with Bodypump and PIYO like I did last week.  I have been kicking myself for my lack of motivation but I know its because I have been so tired.  Hope I snap out of this and soon.  ughhhh

Mosher,

When I am tired.....it seems my food choices go down the drain.  I am getting some extra ZZZs on Saturday and get back to it.  I did go for a bike ride this morning....bike needs a little maintenance.  I thought I would just try to bike to the Y a few times next week, but i think I need to get it looked at.  Way to go on the classes too, went to TRX class on Tuesday just need to get back to eating clean & workouts.  I think my weekend & my son swim lesson have my timing off and need to sit down & just plan a little more.  

Have a good one everybody,

Tonja

Mosher and Tonja - yeah planning is the key. I know that! I realize that! So why did I just eat 2 donuts today … three slices of pizza … and a celebratory slice of cake for a fellow colleague of mine?

I hate myself.

I don't deserve to post here anymore. OK, this is where you image a little carpetbagger walking out of the western town’s dusty little train station… head hanging down like around their shoelaces.

Why do I do this? DoI really not want my goals? My destiny?

I need to buy myself one of those shocker collars. You know, the ones that you think about buying when your dog barks too much. Then you decide it is not kind so you don’t. But for an over eating husband, it would be just right. Then as I head over to a desert table, my wife can just push the button and presto!!! …will power problem solved.

OK, enough self pity…going out for a long bike ride in the rain. The way I figure it, I have about 2,500 calories to burn off. I’m gonna be riding all night long…Ouch!

Be stronger than me today 9ers … someone has to have a win today. SO just do it … for tomorrow will be my day!

OK Group we are rounding the C2 corner... OK laugh with me here... nutrition is better than before. Like that is a stretch after what I just posted earlier. Cross state bike ride is now in the works starting today so I might be silent for a week. Be strong and do some heavy lifting for me will you.

Have a great week 9ers.

I guess it's ok to fall off the wagon...as long as you keep running along side it ! Yes, my nutrition plan didn't follow strict BFL challenge guidelines, but am still very conscious of what I do eat and when and how much! As a side note- did you know that the big box of oatmeal from Costco (10 lbs) will last 4 months if used daily? How's that for a fun fact!

I don;t think I am going to lose the last 2" off my waist that I wanted,but I sure am stronger than I was 11 weeks ago! It's all good! Keep pluggin' along!

Bodypump this morning was awesome!  Felt a great burn in those muscles.  You know what makes you work harder???  When you have a pregnant instructor in front of you and 2 ladies in their sixties behind you..tends to get your ass movin'! LOL!  Amazing gals, all of them!  

As I mentioned above, this past week I battled with motivation and fatigue.  The days I did workout I MADE myself go out of shaming.  ugh!!!  I missed 2 days of WOs but I beat myself up over it too.  Yesterday was LBWO and I did great, today was a cardio day but I did the full body Bodypump workout.  I came home and drank a protein drink and took my vitamins.  Weighed myself today, I have lost 7 pounds and maintaining 4 inches off my waist and definitely toned up!  YEAH!

I decided to take photos today because I haven't in about 3 weeks and compared to day 1.  HOLY COW!!!  (no pun) but I cannot believe the difference!  Doesn't even look like the same body.  I am soooo glad I have been taking pictures all along because seeing this has revived my motivation.  :)  I am at the end of my week 11 and happy with what I have accomplished so far.  Stay motivated everyone!!  

BobbyA sounds like you are doing awesome and close to your goal. Finish well.

Mosher glad Bodypump is really kicking you,but it sounds like you are rather really rockin it!!! Keep going strong.

Day one done on my cross MI bike ride. We rode an easy 44 miles today. Did not push just a consistent cadance all the way.

Be strong 9ers almost in the barn now!

Way to you guys,

Mosher... way to go!  Keep it up your enthusiasm keeps me going!

Bobby... your doing great too.   I don't know if it is worth it, but add a little more cardio on your HIIT.  Do 10 min of steady state & see if it helps?!  I was reading about a few of the champions and found out they did more cardio than BFL plan to burn more fat & inches.

Run... have fun on your ride with your daughter!  I did get my tires aired up, but bike needs a little maintence.

LBWO this morning - feeling good too!  TRX tomorrow & cardio.

Have a good day,

Tonja

Keep it strong 9ers. Almost home. Week 12,right around the corners. Day 2 of my cross Michigan bike ride100miles in the bank. Both days were hill days with today being the hardest. Continuous hills and constant burn with some intermittent areas if rolling terrain to get the burn to go away. Tomorrows forecast another 50 miles with more hills for breakfast!

Give them the long 9s tomorrow group!

@run-  I am very impressed with your biking adventure considering I would have a special motor mounted on my bike for those "hilly" areas and occasional flat spots  :)

@tonja-  I peeked at your profile and loved how you kept a diary of your WOs.  You and I are very similar in stature.  When I got to 151 pounds that is when I said NO MORE.  My current weight is 143.  Wish I would have measured my arms, thighs and calves when I did my chest, waist, hips but I didn't.  Darn it!.  All I can say is those areas are toning up and not so flabby!  

We can do this people!  Stay focused!  

Hi all. Still here. I've been reading the posts via email. It sounds like everyone is staying on track even with a few misses here and there. Like bobby says, when you fall off the wagon, just keep running along side it.  I love that! Never before have I been this conscious of what I feed my body and how it makes me feel afterwards.  When I eat well, I feel great and I'm definitely a person that eats under stress.

Workouts are going strong. I can't get over how much stronger I am from where I started. My issue has always been on the nutrition side, though, which is the MOST important aspect. It's a process and, while I'm not perfect, I'm certainly healthier and becoming more so as I go.

What's everyone's plans after week 12? I'd love to keep going with this thread (or a new one) to keep updated with everyone's progress.

Ok, gang, I'm still standing.  Catching up on emails and 3 weeks of excess on the road.

My pool project is almost done - week 10 of a 4 week project, lol.  TS Debbie put a damper on the final stretch, but we are about 2 days of work away from adding water and lemonade to our backyard activities.  Looking back at my notes, I started working on this last July with the installation of an outdoor shower and french drain.

As for my diet and exercise, I think I am ready for my first beach run in a while.  Knee musta just needed some down time.  

I have a vacation coming up in August that I am preparing for.  Gonna go on a two week bodybuilder diet just for fun.  This is my next short term goal.

Run - good job on the bikeride.  Can't believe you were kicking yourself over a day off of bad eating.  You NEEDED the carb load.

Perth/Mosher/Tonja - great job.  Glad to hear how you have all stuck with it.

One final note as we enter the final week of the challenge:  You didn't get out of shape in 84 days or 168 days.  This is a journey, a lifestyle.  Embrace it, take the small wins, unsolicited compliments, dropped pants sizes and increased energy.  Don't kick yourself for moments of weakness (Run, I'm looking at you).  Know that you have the strength and knowledge now to be strong and stay strong.  

Congratulations team, you made it!

Now go get your teeth whitened and spray on tans (LOL - happens at the end of every challenge for some reason)

Cheers, Y'all

Frick

Perth- your insight and awareness is right-on! I, too, recognize how I have changed by completing the Challenge... but I am still showing my humanness (?) by indulging and/or eating "out of bounds". HOWEVER, ( and I think it should be in capital letters) I am most certainly healthier than I was at the start of this year- and that is the goal for me... be healthy, stay healthy.

I had the illusion that making the cover of the book ( those folks with fantastic changes) was the goal, but I was wrong. The goal for all of us is to be the best WE can be, and I am working to be the best Bobby I can be! We all are!

As for the future-- I am undecided. My original plan was to finish this challenge, take until Aug 26 off and start another on Aug 27-Nov 18. I will continue to work out this whole summer, but not as intensly...and I will be changing up what I do. I need the break from BFL as my shoulders are sore and my body just needs to do something different. Variety, ya know...

And as much as I don't want to talk about it, I am turning the big 6-0 on Dec 18, so my focus for the year is to be in swimsuit shape by then so I can go to somewhere tropical and feel good about being on the beach. Vain, I know, but oh so true. Whatever I do, I will be checking in at this forum (maybe BFL Warriors as they seem  to be in it for the real long haul) because it is part of me now. I am a BFLer.

Last week- Let's Go!