Hey Angela!
I haven't posted here in a bit but I have been reading! You are doing so well. Keep up the good work!

Linda

Family emergency. Have not had time to post. Needed to skip a couple of workouts. Trying to get back on track this weekend. Details in my regular journal.

Had a great 20-MAS when I got back from my mom's today. I think I needed to release, and the sweating and heavy breathing accomplished that. I feel very refreshed.

I found 2 great garage sale bargains today. The building my mom lives in was having a bake sale and garage sale, so I wandered over and low and behold, for $5 someone was selling a perfectly good Reebok step. I snapped that up, thinking it would be perfect for a temporary weight bench for the lying down exercises. It's long enough and sturdy (and beside, I broke the old coffee table I was using..it was not meant to be a weight bench)

The fellow selling it also threw in something straight out of the 70's. It had deadlifts, bicep curls and tricep extensions written all over it.

It's the 70's version of tension bands. There's a bar with foot stirrups on the bottom. you stand on it to keep it secure. In between your feet is this huge spring with a handle on top. Pulling up on it is exactly like doing a deadlift. With a little exerimenting this gizzmo could become very usefull...variety is the spice of life.

Oh yea...got 4 phone calls this week from people at work wanting to sell weight benches and weights. 3 had barbell sets which I'm not interested in. One has dumb bells. It looks promising. I'm waiting to hear back from the fellow on whether or not his kid wants to sell the set.

I skipped a few workouts this week but had a great one today. I'm going to adjust my schedule to make my week start on Tuesday (with Monday as my free day). It will be eaiser to keep track of what I'm supposed to be doing when.

I learned a valuable lesson today. The workout felt great and was a wonderful release from the strain I've been under this week. The moral of the story is even when things get rough there is value in working out. It's good for the body. It's good for the soul. And if there isn't time for a full weights workout, there's always time for a 20-MAS

By the time I got dressed and ready for my 20-MAS walk run intervals it had started to pour rain. So I scooted downstairs and threw on the Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies tape. It's not exactly 20_MAS, but it's a pretty intense aerobics workout.

Talk about progress. When I started this at the beginning of May I could only make it a little over half way through before being wasted. That's the most intense part..moving around to the beat of the twist and the pony. Now I can make it all the way thru, and feel every second of the last 20 minutes. It's a great tension releaser. Plus it doesn't seem to bother my knees anymore.

Followed that up with another litre of water, a leftover chicken parmesan (without breading). It's time for a protein shake with fresh strawberries. The rest of the day, since it's now 8 straight days of rain and gloomy weather, will be pampering...manicure, pedicure, whirlie pool, dyeing my hair, and an assortment of other girlie stuff which doesn't include housecleaning or laundry today.

I also want to give a very heartfelt thanks to everyone who scooted over with words of comfort and encouragement in my regular journal. This is an amazing online community!! There are some precious people here who always take the time to check up on others. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy, and at the same time very guilty right now that I'm not a social butterfly by nature, and haven't been as good about passing along encouragement to others.

It was supposed to be my free day today. I had such a bad day at work I needed a sanity workout. If I didn't do something with this pent up "stuff" I would end up spending the evening crying, or yelling and screaming at my poor innocent hubby. Huge frustration over work garbage I have no control over. Doing the Richard Simmons tape helped release all that pent up "stuff". ***breathing big sigh of relief***

Put some home made chicken cordon bleu in the oven before working out..so it's just about done and time for a protein fix.

Can't believe it's week 4 already!

Another stellar upper body workout. I really like the adjustments I've made to compensate for the lighter weights.

Will really need to work on building those shoulder muscles. Had to drop back to the 2 pound weights for the bent over raises. Hit my 10s on these even with the light weights.

Chest
Flyes using 5# for all reps. HM10s on the final set. Dumb bell bench press. doubled the reps to compensate for light weights

Shoulders
Bent over raises
12 ~ 3.5#, 10 ~ 2#, 8~2#, 6~2#, 12~2#, side raises 5~2#. HM10s

Back
Pullovers with 5# for all sets. I LOVE THESE. They are hard and I hit my 10s. Rows 12~5#

Triceps
Extensions and lying extensions. Doubled the reps. didn't HM10s, but really could feel it

Biceps
Curls and hammer curls, double reps for all sets with 5#. HM10s on the final set

20-MAS walk/run intervals

5:30 am outside. It was a glorious morning. It was cool, the sun just started to peek over the horizon, it was a bit misty, dead still windwise(we usually have big wind here) and the birds were on full volume. Had a lot of trouble with the running segments. My stamina isn't up yet. It will come a few yards at a time.

Quite enjoyable. I've been missing a lot by pushing these to the afternoon and jumping around in the basement instead!

Something interesting is happening. I now have 7 newly recycled summer skirts that now fit. They didn't fit at the beginning of May. It's about time - I was surviving in only 4 outfits for work. Ahhhh..now there are choices!

Don't you just love the peace of being outside at sunrise? It really is my favorite time of day.

Don't fret about the stamina, it'll come in time. Look how far you've come in such a short time.


Congrats on the skirts. Nothin' like free new (kinda) clothes!!
Regards,
Bren

Thurs - LBWO My heart wasn't in it, but I made it thru

Fri - 20-mas another great walk/run outside

Will throw the weights into the trunk of the car for this weekend. Should be able to do a workout without a bench on our friend's back deck early in the morning tomorrow, plus a 20-mas on Sunday

June 24 - Free day

June 25 - Start of Week 5 - UBWO skipped

June 26 - W5D2 - 20mas - aerobics tape

I'm physically and emotionally drained. Life has caught up to me, and it's taking every ounce to stay focused on BFL. I've decided to rearrange my summer vacation and take next week off since I desperately need a break mostly mentally.

I really want to keep going with BFL even though most days lately my heart isn't in the workouts, but afterwards there is a calm and refreshed feeling.

It's the start of week 5 already. Where has the time gone?

End of week 4 progress report:

No measurable change in inches (that's ok, this is a 12 week program)

Gain of 2.5 pounds by end of week 4, and another 2 in the last 2 days. (that's ok, this was anticipated and I'm actually happy since clothes are still fitting just fine)

I have developed calves of steel. That's the only place I can really notice any toning right now. The rest will come in time.

I haven't been keeping track of my meals and food counts. I'd like to start doing that again just to make sure I'm not short changing myself. I'm pretty confident that the weight gain is not due to bad eating habits since I'm staying on track with the right kind of carbs, plenty of protein and good fats.

Angela, congrats on your new muscle

It's almost strange that during times of stress and when we are pressed for time exercise can make us feel so much better. Logically you'd think sitting on your butt would do this. Keep at it as much as you can - think of those 45 minutes and 20 minutes as "Angela Time".

Nat

Hey Angela...

I agree with Nat. My life is too crazy these days, but working out is my anchor in all of this. It's the one thing that I can depend on and when I'm at the gym, I'm completely centered and in the moment. That's the best relief from stress that I can think of!

Hang in there...after all...no matter what is going on...This too shall pass.

Marlaine

Nat and Marlaine...
Anchoring myself with "Angela time" is what I'm going to focus on for the next week. I actually was able to start my vacation a day early, so I'm off as of now.

Skipped LBWO lat night, but will work it in this afternoon after housecleaning.

6am today, 20-MAS walk/run intervals. It was a glorious morning again. I'm going to miss these when the colder, darker season rolls around. We're scheduled for 4 days of sunshine, no clouds, no rain, and temps between 26-28. Perfect insentive for me do get out in the mornings.

My running intervals are getting longer in time and distance. The half way turn around point is getting further from home..so I'm covering more ground in less time. The running part is uncomfortable on my shins sometimes, and I find that it is easier and more "natural" to break into race-walking (funny walking) mode. It's just as fast and intense as my running stints, and is a nice alternative when all that bouncing around isn't comfortable.

Hi Angela!

Glad to hear you are doing what you can when you can. I really hope you are proud of youself for keeping it up. You are quite the trooper

I still can't believe how far you have really come in such a short amount of time.

I'm off for vacation starting tomorrow till the 10th of July, so I'l catch up when I get back. I'll miss your smilin' face!
Regards,
Brenda

Decided to do something for Angela, and bought 8, 10, 20 pound dumb bells. Now I am a happy camper.

Skipped lower body on Thursday, so did both lower and upper today

Lower - morning
(Quads)Step-ups: 12/5# 10/8# 8/10# 6/20# 6/20#6/10# plie squat 12/10#
(Hamstrings) Deadlifts: 12/10# 10/20# 8/20# 6/20# 12/20# 12/20#
(Calves) Angled raises: 12/8# 10/10# 8/20# 6/20# 12/20# single calf raises 12/10#
(Abs) Crunches: 12/10/8/6/12/12 This was the first time I was able to get thru all the crunches

Didn't hit my 10s on anything with weights, but was pretty close. Can't possibly hold on to 25# weights so will slow things down for next time around. The 20# dumb bells are all my wrists can manage (for right now). Legs felt like jello when I was done.

Upper body - afternoon
(Chest) Flyes - 12/5# 10/8# 8/8# 6/8# 12/8# DB bench press 12/8#
(Shoulders) Side raises - 12/3.5# 10/3.5# 8/3.5# 6/5# 12/3.5# Bent over raises 8/2#
(Back) Pullovers - 12/8# 10/8# 8/10# 6/10# 12/10# 6/10#
(Triceps) Extensions - 12/8# 10/8# 8/8# couldn't do any more
(Biceps) Curls - 12/8# 10/8# 8/8# 6/10# 12/8# hammer curls 12/8#

Remarkable improvement since starting and finding 3 or 5 # weights heavy. Pleased with new weight limits for lower body. Shoulders need more work to get past the baby weights. Shoulders and upper arms are very sore already.

Time for a protein shake and some relaxing, cuz I'm gonna feel this one in the morning.