Hi everyone! I'm still with it, still kicking butt! I have been losing inches too memphis, in places I usually have trouble losing too! (that would be my thighs). I am really enjoying this challenge so far. I'm not going to modify BFL until I do a few challenges. Sheesh! First my goal was to do one challenge, now I'm saying when I do a few more! I sense I'm becoming an addict!

Hey DL, going strong, got on the scale for my once a week weigh in, down another 3 lbs. now makes 7 total... wooo hooo. Gonna hit the gym today for a upwo and some cardio. COLD here in the south. not used to 9* temps in the mornings. Baby boy is on my lap and kicking the keyboard, 2 1/2 mos old. what a sweety head... love him to no end.. later

Great job memphis. Glad to hear there are some fathers out there that love there son. My son hasn't seen his dad in a year and a half and I have yet to see a dime from him in almost five years. I just get threatening letters. My boy and girl are the loves of my life. ITs seems like only yesterday that he was bouncing on my knee. Now almost five he never sits still although he tells me he loves me the whole world. Keep up the good work. Two weeks down of bfl and ten more to go for me. I feel a little thinner even though all I lost was two pounds so far. Hopeing for a loss this weekend because monday is scale day.
Laurie

Just checking my emails before I heard out to do my weekly errands. Today is weigh in day for me too, scale hasn't budged in about a month. I'll recheck tomorrow in case though I can't call it a stall though, cause I've lost inches, gotta check that later too. So that can mean only one thing I think: increased LBM which is what I'm after. Congrats to everyone this week, sounds like you're all kicking butt!

Hi, a newbie here. My name is Kay and this is day one for me, so I'm still full of vim and vigor. Hope I can be as psyched as you all are after six weeks of this! Did my first ubwo today and no longer have arms but spaghetti instead.

Thanks, Nat, for pointing me in this direction. It'll take me a couple days to get it all together and be posting the right things in the right places.

You all seem like a really supportive group and I'm looking forward to getting to know you all.
BTW, my husband Jay is doing BFL too. We just took our "before" pics yesterday. I wore my bikini -- you know, the one that has resided in the back of my sock drawer for three years because I didn't dare put it on. I want to look GOOD in that by the end of these twelve weeks!! Okay, I'd be happy if it just didn't cut off the blood supply to my legs by then.

Later,
Kay

Hi kay & welcome Nat's a big help, isn't she? She's always helping me out and giving me good advice. You know you can supplement with glutamine for muscle soreness, right? It may help your spaghetti arms get ready for the next punishing!

Taking those before pics is hard. I had to do some practice ones so I could see myself first and get used to it. It was scary and yet productive too. I saw fat in places I didn't want to and not so much where I thought there was a lot. Weird. But, anyways, I'm being a blabbermouth here...welcome! Kudos to you, you at least own a bikini! I have never owned one, but I can't wait to!

Welcome to the club Kay and Jay. The first week is tough but you will not believe how you feel after about 5 days or so.. Congrats on taking the challenge. I have my before pic as my pic(to the left) and I would STRONGLY SUGGEST hanging it on your bathroom mirror. It is a daily reminder of what you look like and gives great motivation to head to the gym. The workout sessions are great, just stick to the program, cardio and all. If you are truly doing the lifting and cardio the way that you are supposed to, you will feel great. welcome to the thread.

NAT IS GREAT. BY THE WAY NAT I CAME ACROSS YOUR WEBSITE, WHAT A CHANGE, YOU ARE NOW MY ROLE MODEL,,,,,

ONE MORE THING AKY, GET YOUR BODYFAT CHECKED AT YOUR GYM, IT IS TRULY THE SIGN OF MAKING OVER YOUR BODY MORE SO THAN THE LBS. FYI, jeff

I leave this smiley face everywhere... you will see that as you join this group.......

JEFF -- thanks for the welcome and the suggestion to get my BF checked. I really don't want to see those numbers, but I'll do it just the same. It'll make the "after" so much better.

LOTUS -- I never actually wore the bikini in public! It was only for laying out on my balcony. However, we now live in Hawaii and I'd like to get some use out of it. Thanks for the warm welcome.

Well, the de-motivation gods are conspiring against me, but I'm holding strong. Yesteday the gym was closed for the holiday, but I foiled them by working out on our weight bench at home. Today I forgot (I mean they made me forget!!) a t-shirt to work out in. Solution: I went to the BX and bought one.

This was my first cardio and it doesn't seem quite as easy to identify the levels of intensity as it does with the weights. What I did was the stair master:

2 minutes at level 8 (slightly lower than what I would normally work out at, so I considered that my BFL level 5)
1 minute at level 10 (6)
1 minute at level 12 (7)
1 minute at level 14 (8)
1 minute at level 15 (9)
1 minute at level 10 (6)
1 minute at level 12 (7)
1 minute at level 14 (8)
1 minute at level 15 (9)
1 minute at level 10 (6)
1 minute at level 12 (7)
1 minute at level 14 (8)
1 minute at level 15 (9)
1 minute at level 16 (10)

I felt pretty ragged at the end and had to talk myself through the last 9 and 10. What do all of you normally do for your cardio? I plan to run on Fridays, as I'm home, but Mon-Thurs I'm kind of stuck with the offerings at the gym.

Day two's going good. Talk with you all soon,
Kay

Kay, those last few intervals are usually killers. But you'll notice a few weeks from now that those 8, 9 and 10s will become your 7, 8 and 9s. It's the same for testing your BF, it's the trend that matters most. Another great tool for measuring success is the 'pant-o-meter' - find a pair that don't fit and keep tryin' 'em on!

Cheers,
Nat

gotta agree with the pant test. Mine is actually a belt test. look at the notches on the belt to see how far you can crank it. the cardio thing you will have to feel out for yourself. I run in one minute intervals on the treadmill. goes like this"

4.0 walk 1 min
6.0 jog 1 in
6.5
7.0
4.0
6.1
6.6
7.1
and so on; i add one tenth to the speed until it is time to get off the thing. do what works for you.. take your pics..... MOTIVATION AT ITS FINEST.... LOVE THE ISLANDS!!!!!!!

Hello all! Something just happened that I feel compelled to share: I'm on C1,W1,D3. I'm sitting here eating my yummy grilled chicken salad and my tart yet divine Granny Smith apple and I thought to myself: "I can't wait to do my cardio tomorrow." What? Have I EVER thought such a thing? NO WAY!!!!!!

I LOVE Body for Life!!!!!

I know just how you feel. I was bumming yesterday thinking I only lost two pounds in two weeks and then I checked my bodyfat spreadsheet and I lost 2% bodyfat in those two weeks and It put it all in prospective. I just want to exercise all the time. Energy is unbelievable and I feel great. I did my cardio at the gym yesterday and realized that I can now walk at 3.7mph compared to the 2.8mph that I started at back in august. My treadmill at home only has a dial so there is no way of knowing how fast you are really going. Its seems like such a small amount of time to put in to get the benefits we are all seeing. Who would have thought.
Laurie

The two of you make we want to go home and workout!

Keep up the great work, Ladies
Nat

Chemlady!

2% BF loss, thats pretty good! Its sure alot better than the tetter totter scale for measuring!

Sounds like you are doing really well! Cant wait to see your upcoming results!!

ciao,
j