1000th Post - What have I learned? DVD GIVEAWAY!!!!

I started this blog on August 3, 2007 - almost 3 years ago. At the time, I'd been low carbing and I'd lost about 30 pounds. Today, I'm down about 30 more. That's 10 pounds a year. Not all that great, but I have learned quite a bit about myself in that time, especially regarding my eating patterns. That is the biggest struggle - the food. I know how to eat. I know how to exercise. And when I do it, I do great. But that damn binge monster gets me and sabotages everything. I know I've said before that I feel like I'm making progress, but I really don't. I feel as helpless as I did 2 years ago, when I first recognized the problem.

I think I need more support regarding my binge eating. I tried finding a local group for binge eaters, but all I found was a Weight Watchers group, and I am not interested in paying for Weight Watchers. I need something specifically related to over eating. The nearest OA chapter is 90 minutes away, and to be honest, I'm not sure I agree with the whole 12-step thing. I considered therapy but I have a feeling I'm going to need to save my therapy pennies for something else (which I'll touch on later in this post). I posted on one of my mommy boards about my binge eating, and there are quite a few of us in that sinking boat. So we started a private Facebook group to deal specifically with the binge eating. In just a few short days, it's been such a relief to find similarly-minded women and just talk about it without any other weight-related issues. I'm hoping to make some progress through this group. If anyone is interested in joining, please give me your email address (you can post it or email it to me at 22gnomes@ gmail.com) and I will send you an invitation to the group. Please be sure to give me the address that is associated with your Facebook account.

Random things I've learned in the last 3 years:

I need to wear my HRM like a man - above the nipples instead of below. When I wore it below the girls, the band of my bra would fold around it weird. I don't lose my signal from my chest strap if I wear it higher.

I make way too many excuses and try to justify all my negative behaviors.

I am never going to be a perfect dieter, so I am never going to have super low body fat. I cannot be that strict. Call it lack of desire, call it lack of will power, whatever. I'm not even going to attempt to drop to super low body fat, even as a challenge. I'll never win a fitness competition, and that is okay with me.

I really don't like junk food. It makes me feel ill. And yet, I can't not eat it. I'm just not there yet.

After years of resistance, Weight Watchers has saved my sanity. For years, I've been looking for a simple method for how to eat. It's easy to say, "Eat as naturally as possible, limit the junk" but not so hard to "limit" the bad stuff. Using the Simply Filling Technique, I have that guidance. Of course, I still binge, but my binges are not related in any way to the nutritional lifestyle I follow. And as I've mentioned before, I 100% support low carb programs like Atkins and South Beach (as long as they are properly followed), but Atkins especially is not for me. I eat a larger variety of foods now than I ever did. I don't believe carbs (such as rice, beans, potatoes, other grains) are bad for me. Those I can moderate. It's the sugar and such that I cannot. But finally, the way I want to eat is packaged in a way I can understand and implement with SFT. Eat as naturally as possible, limit the junk.

I don't like high-volume work. With the exception of Turbo Jam, I like to get my workouts done quickly. So I definitely see myself kicking up the intensity and shortening the workouts. Work smarter & harder, not longer.

I LOVE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS AND OFFER GUIDANCE. Yes, I'm shouting, because I really love to do it. Of course, I have no credentials, but I don't offer unhealthy advice. I know I am biased toward strength training and high intensity cardio, and at times it is difficult to remember that not everyone likes that stuff. Still, it makes me crazy to see so many people dropping calories super low, aiming for Biggest Loser rate weight loss, and doing cardio (or light weights) for an hour or two. Why not be efficient? Go hard & heavy, get it over with. Do you want to spend the rest of your life exercising for 2 hours a day and living on 1200 calories? I sure as hell don't.

So what's in store for the next 3 years? A friend asked me the other day if my food struggles are related to something else I am going through. Without getting into to much detail, I have been trying to find myself as a person and I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere with that. It never occurred to me that the two things would be related until she brought it up. So hopefully my food issues will work themselves out as I resolve that other issue.

I still want to add some muscle. If I ever get to a comfortable weight and gain confidence in my eating, I will train & eat for muscle growth. I know that fat gain will likely come with it, but if I can control my binges and gain by eating the right foods, I don't anticipate a problem cutting after the bulk.

I am going to get more involved in nutrition and fitness education. I would love to get certified somehow, and work with kids to help them develop and maintain healthy habits. Of course, this starts at home. My big goal for the summer is to introduce good nutrition to my son. He sees how I eat and exercise now, but he still asks for junk way too often, and I have to be a hard ass about it. I have no problem at all with treats for him - just not multiple times a day. I'd like to move more toward healthy things without the arguments and tears.

I want to earn my Platinum Award in the President's Challenge. I started April 14, 2007, just logging my daily activity. By June 2008, I earned my Bronze Award. I got my Silver in December, 2007 and my Gold in May 2008. I am 54% of the way to my Platinum. It is taking forever to get to Platinum because I don't spend as much time working out as I used to because of the whole, work smarter & harder not longer thing I've learned. Also, it just takes longer. You need need a bazillion points to get the Platinum. You have to purchase the awards (which I don't do) but the log is there with everything I've done since I started. It's cool to see. And when I get that last award, I will be proud of myself. Not that I'm not already...

I will, of course, continue this blog. It has saved me so many times. I like being able to reference things I've posted so others can read them. I like having a record of what I've eaten and what I've done in terms of exercise. I want to remember all of it, the good and the bad. Someday, I want to be able to look back and say, "Wow, look how far I've come!"

NOW FOR THE DVD GIVEAWAY.

This giveway is for Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, 50 minutes of cardio drills, circuit style. It's really the only Jillian dvd I love. With the exception of an ab segment, it reminds me a lot of Plyo X from P90X. So if you're interested in owning this workout, leave a comment on this post, telling me what you have learned in your own weight loss/fitness/health journey. I will draw one commenter (from all my blogs, names just all thrown in a hat) at random on June 28, so have your comments in before 8 AM (Eastern) on that day. I'll post reminders with all my blog entries until then.

P90X - Week 13 - Sunday - FINAL MEASUREMENTS

So here is the moment of truth. The day I've been dreading since the halfway point of the program when most of my measurements were up. Today, I am comparing only my before and after measurements.

Neck: -0.25 inches
Bust: -1.25 inches
Rib/Bra band: -1.5 inches
Waist (across the belly button): +1 inch
Lower abdomen (where all my fat is): +0.5 inches
Hips: +0.5 inches
Thighs: (right) no change (left) +0.25 inches
Calves: (right & left) -0.25 inches
Biceps (flexed): no change
Triceps: (right) +0.25 inches (left) -0.25 inches
Forearms: (right) no change (left) -0.25 inches
Wrists: (right) no change (left) -0.25 inches
Weight: no change
BMI: no change

Remember back before I started, the post I made about body fat measurements? I did the same thing this time around and got various measurements. On the web sites that rely on tape measure data, the body fat percentages were higher - 24% and 26%. The average of those is 25%, which is what I get using my 1-site test with the Accu-Measure calipers. The 3-point and 7-point tests from rustyiron.net gave me a body fat of 19%. I wish I'd kept my caliper measurements from my start date because then, my body fat was around 31%! I am for sure keeping this set of measurements to compare. The other two spreadsheets I used to calculate body fat gave me 24% and 32% today. I honestly don't know what to call it. Last time, I just averaged everything. The average of my start date body fat was 29%. Today's average is 24.3%.

I think the problem is how my husband measures with the calipers. When I do them, I get bigger numbers, closer to what the other methods are giving me. I think he's measuring wrong, not pinching enough. I really, really need to have a professional show him how to use these things. However...the measurements were done the same way both times. I did my tape measure stuff and my husband did the calipers. So I think it's fair to say there is a downward trend, at the very least, which is what we want.

Oh, the U.S. Navy Circumference Method (which also uses the tape measure) gives me a body fat percentage of 32. I did not use that in my start date set, so I didn't include it in the average above.

The latest set of pictures is available, at the end of the page. There are the before pictures, the half-way pictures, and the after pictures. I don't see much difference. I don't feel much difference. But I think the good stuff was in my Fit Test, and I can live with that. I have to get my diet under control. The exercise program doesn't matter. It's the food.

P90X - Week 13 - Saturday - FIT TEST RESULTS

Well, Judgment Day has arrived. Today I did my Fit Test. I must make note of two things before I get to it. First, the instructions on the Fit Test say to use a wide, overhand grip for the pull ups. When I took my first test, I did not use a very wide grip because of the way the grips on my bar are positioned and the (lack of length) of my arms. I can't even reach the grips very well - if I had just a straight bar, I could have picked a more in-between distance. Alas, the pull ups on the Fit Tests are based on the same grip, just not the exact one specified. Second, the instructions for the bicep curls say not to go more than one second between reps. My husband told me that means I needed to do each rep within a second. NO. It means I can't pause longer than 1 second between reps. I can go as slow or as fast as I want. I could have done quite a few more reps in my initial test if I'd done it the right way. So the improvements in bicep curls may be skewed.

Here's how the Fit Test works. First, take your resting heart rate. With a heart rate monitor, just turn it on and lie still for 2 minutes. Record your heart rate. I left mine on for 3 minutes and took the average. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, rest for 2-3 minutes, then take your pulse from wrist or neck, counting beats for 30 seconds and multiplying by 2 for beats per minute.

Then, my resting heart rate was 58 bpm. Today, my resting heart rate was 58 bpm. So, no change there.

Pull ups: Warm up for 10 minutes with light cardio, until you build up a light sweat, then stretch lightly. Using wide grip & palms facing away, pull from hanging position until chin is above bar. Lower back to full hang. Repeat to failure.

Then, I was able to do 3/4 of a pull up. Today, I did 1, and really got some height to it! I did go for a second, but only made it about a quarter of the way up. Still, 1 is good for that particular grip.

Vertical Leap: Rest for 1 minute. Stand sideways with shoulder against the wall and raise arm straight overhead against wall. Record height. Then lower the arm and take one step back and jump straight up, trying to touch the highest point on the wall. Record height. Subtract second number from first number.

Then, my vertical leap was 10 inches. Today, my vertical leap was 11.75 inches.

Push ups: Rest for 4 minutes. Put pillow on floor to make contact with chest with each rep. Do normal or knee push ups to failure.

Then, I did 23 push ups on my toes. Today, I did 37 push ups on my toes.

Toe touch: Rest for 4 minutes. Sit on the floor with legs extended directly in front of you. Bend forward at the waist and extend arms over legs toward toes. Don't bend knees. See how close you can get fingertips to toes. If not able to reach, measure the distance between your fingertips and your toes (-). If able to reach beyond toes, measure how much further fingers reach beyond toes (+). Do not strain or force.

Then, my distance was +2.5 inches. Today, it was +5.0 inches.

Wall squat (the worst bitch of them all): Place back flat against wall and lower into seated chair position (knees over toes at 90 degrees). Start timer as soon as you are in this position. Stay in position until failure. Do not place hands on wall or "scoot" with shoulders. You can slide down but once butt touches floor, you're done.

Then, I was able to hold the squat for 79 seconds. Today, I held it for 129 seconds.

Bicep Curls: Rest for 4 minutes. Use 20 lbs minimum (male) or 8 lbs minimum (female). Extend arms straight down in front of body. Be sure that arms are fully extended in between each curl. Using both arms at the same time, perform as many curls as you can until failure. Don't rock or cheat and don't take longer than 1 second between reps.

Then, I did 13 reps at 15 pounds. Today, I did 23 reps at 15 pounds.

In & Outs: Rest for 3 minutes. Starting position: seated with hands on the floor at your sides, knees bent with feet on the floor. Raise feet off the ground and bring knees toward chest. Straighten legs back out and repeat the movement without touching the floor.

Then, I did 35 in & outs. Today, I did 70.

Heart rate maximizer: Rest for 4 minutes. Perform jumping jacks nonstop for 2 minutes at a quick and steady pace. During the final 30 seconds, go as fast as you can to maximize your heart rate. When you finish, be prepared to measure your heart rate over a span of 4 minutes.

This is where things got weird. Here are the (then) and [now] values for the four minutes:
immediately after jacks (161) [161]
after 1 minute (116) [115]
after 2 minutes (88) [90]
after 3 minutes (82) [80]
after 4 minutes (72) [81]

My heart rate actually went up as time went on today. I think it was because I was watching the numbers like a hawk and really anxious! So this is the ONLY area I did not show improvements. My heart rate normally drops pretty rapidly after a workout, so yeah, I'm going to blame it on nerves. For tomorrow, I'll have my final stats and pictures (which are already done), and hopefully the bonus fun numbers.

P90X - Week 7 - Wednesday

I woke up at 4 freaking AM and couldn't get back to sleep. I sure as hell wasn't getting up at that time to exercise, so I snuggled under the blankets until 4:45. Then I got up and did my warm up for Back & Biceps, did ARX, then proceeded with the weights. I improved in most areas. My chin ups went from 1 unassisted and 11 assisted last week to 3 unassisted and 6 assisted today. I'm not sure if that's improvement or not. Oh, and my towel pull ups sucked because toward the end, my chair slipped off the mat (that keeps it from sliding - go figure) and I couldn't get as many as I wanted in. Anyway, I earned 2 Activity Points from Back & Biceps, and 2 more from Cardio X (208 calories burned). I would really rather do a different cardio on my Doubles days. I get a better burn from Turbo Jam.

At the halfway point, I've lost 0 pounds. That's fine, I didn't expect to. I did my measurements and lost 3/4 of an inch around my chest. Everything else, including body fat, either stayed the same or went up. I gained 1 3/4 inches around my waist AND my abdomen, and 1 1/2 inches around my hips. I don't know what to think. My eating has not been so horrible to warrant such a gain. Most days, I eat pretty well, and I know my body well enough to know that the days I didn't eat so great, shouldn't have had this much of a gain in inches. I'm pretty pissed and upset. On the one hand, I know I need to be patient and see where things stand at the end. I know my food choices could be better, but I am freaking starving all the time and I really don't think I'm eating enough - I think that's why I end up grabbing crap on occasion. I don't know what to do. I can't go back to obsessing about calories, so I do plan to stick with the WW points. This is where I desperately try to fight the urge to cut calories. I am absolutely NOT going to eat less. I'm barely functioning as it is.

I know I can't have it all. I can't enjoy treats and really expect to lose weight. But at the same time, I can't cut them out, eat super clean, then binge. I just can't. I have to make a sacrifice somewhere. I just don't know what I want to give up. I don't have a lot to lose - I am in my healthy weight range. My fitness level is pretty darn good. I'm certainly no athlete but I have made some very good progress across the board, and I'm happy about that. But some visual results would be nice. "They" say that most of the progress comes in the second half, especially for women. We'll see. Days like this, though, they make me want to throw away all my hard work.

The only explanation I can think of that is even remotely possible is that, since I'm doing real ab/core work for the first time (ever), I may have built up some muscle underneath all the fat, none of which has burned off. Still, the numbers are pretty high and I wouldn't have built that much muscle. And 45 days into the routine, my muscles shouldn't still be retaining lots of water to make them all puffy like they do when you first start. I don't know. I am very confident in my measurements. Ugh, this is just so frustrating.

I did take pictures, and I'll have them online some time tomorrow. I'll post the link with tomorrow's blog entry. I'm too tired to fight my crappy computer to get them ready.

I will say that I am super proud of myself for going to the store with every intention of buying junk food, then not buying it.

apple & cottage cheese [3 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa; light English muffin w/ jelly [5 pts]

venison tenderloin w/ raw broccoli & cauliflower, baby carrots & green pepper slices [4 pts]

yogurt [2 pts]

baked tilapia on homemade bread w/ romaine lettuce, tomato & pepper jack cheese [8 pts]; Even after eating this, I'm still very hungry. I can't possibly stuff more vegetables down my throat. I'm still gagging over lunch's veggies. I'm already over my daily points, and I estimate that I may have hit 1300 calories - and that's being generous. No way in hell is that enough. No way.

almonds & mandarin oranges [5 pts]; I felt a little better after eating these.

strawberry mini wheats & mozzarella string cheese [5 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

33 points today. 17 weekly and 12 activity points remaining.

New Year's Stats

Today was measurement day. I'm not going to compare it to the last set of numbers from September 8, because I'm too lazy. Plus, I am never comfortable with the accuracy.


Neck         14
Bust         40
Rib Circ     37  
Waist        37 
Belly        41.25 
Hips         39.75  
Thighs
     R         23.75 
     L         23.75
Calves
     R         14.25 
     L          14.5
Biceps (flexed)
     R        12 
     L         12.25
Triceps
     R          13.25
     L          13.5
Forearms
     R          10.5
     L          10.25
Wrists
     R          5.75
     L          5.75
Weight       154.5
Body Fat    37%
LBM           97.3
BMI           28.2

NROL - Week 16 - Sunday

Turbo Jam Cardio Party Mix 2 today. It was so much fun. I love Turbo Jam. I'm glad I've found some cardio I can really enjoy.

I got P90X from a friend. I'm going to review that today, to see if it's something I want to do after I finish NROL this summer. A lot will depend on how much progress I've made with my weight loss and ability to do chin ups. Oh, and having somewhere to actually do chin ups. I've been looking at one of those doorway dealies.

Today was measurement day. Compared to the last set, taken on September 8, 2008, in inches:

**********THEN-------------------------NOW**********

Neck            14.25-------------------------13.75
Bust            41-------------------------40
Rib Circ        37-------------------------35
Waist          37.75-------------------------36.25
Belly            42.25-------------------------40.75
Hips            40-------------------------38.75
Thighs
     R           23.5-------------------------23.25
     L           23.5-------------------------23.5
Calves
     R           14.5-------------------------14.5
     L           14.5-------------------------14.5
Biceps (flexed)
     R          12.25-------------------------12

     L          12.5-------------------------12
Triceps
     R          13.5-------------------------13

     L          13.5-------------------------13
Forearms
     R          10.2.5-------------------------10.25

     L          10.2-------------------------10.25
Wrists
     R          5.75-------------------------6

     L          6-------------------------6
Weight       152-------------------------148.5
Body Fat    37%-------------------------35%
LBM           95.8-------------------------96.5 (looks like I gained muscle????)
BMI           27.8-------------------------27.1

I don't know how much I trust these numbers (except the weight) because it's so hard to take my own measurements. But overall, I'm pleased.

9:20 AM - orange & cottage cheese, cheddar cheese

10:15 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

11:45 AM - turkey bacon, toast, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, cheddar cheese, taco sauce

3:10 PM - chicken breast w/ broccoli, cauliflower & carrots

5:00 PM - tea w/ skim milk & Splenda

9:00 PM - carrots & celery, tuna w/ mayo on tortilla

Calories - 1444
Carbs - 106 (24 fiber)
Protein - 134
Fat - 53
C/P/F Ratio - 29.5/37.4/33.1

NROL - Week 6 - Monday

Back on the exercise wagon today. It was nice to have a week off, but really, it made me all funky. Today, I did the Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout and it felt great! I followed that up with my first ever complete Tabata!! I did a Turbo Jam move and by Round 6, I wanted to puke my guts out. By the end of Round 8, I felt pretty freaking good! I was proud of myself for actually doing it, and I am going to aim for twice a week. I was really running out of steam though, because I didn't eat breakfast before working out. The only bad thing is, I've had a headache ever since, and I don't know if it's related to the workout or not because I've had a headache pretty much since my son started school almost two weeks ago.

Continuing the avoidance theme from yesterday, I pulled up the spreadsheet I keep my measurements in. I haven't taken any since March 31 of this year. Here and now, I make a commitment to stop avoiding measurements, and take them between each NROL program. Since I just came off the Break In and start Fat Loss I this week, I sucked it up, and it isn't pretty.

Neck: 14.25 inches (+0.5)
Bust: 41 inches (+0.5)
Rib Circumference: 37 inches (+1.5)
Waist: 37.75 inches (+1.25)
Belly: 42.25 inches (+2.75) [motherfrakker]
Hips: 40 inches (+1)
Thighs: R=23.5 inches (+1) L=23.5 inches (+0.75)
Calves: R=14.5 inches (+0.5) L=14.5 inches (+0.5)
Biceps [flexed]: R=12.25 inches (+0.25) L=12.5 inches (+0.5)
Triceps: R=13.5 inches (+0.5) L=13.5 inches (+0.25)
Forearms: R=10.25 inches (no change) L=10.25 inches (+0.25)
Wrists: R=5.75 inches (no change) L=6 inches (+0.25)
Weight: 152 pounds (+7.5)
Body Fat: 37% (+4) [of course, I'm using a Tanita scale and probably not consistent conditions from the last measurement]
Lean Body Mass: 95.8 pounds (-1.2) [negative is not a good thing in this case]
BMI: 27.8 (+1.3)

So, as you can see, spring and summer were not good to me. I am really pissed right now, at myself, for falling into bad habits. Whether this will serve as motivation or trigger a binge is uncertain at this point. I certainly feel motivated to turn this anger into something good.

And while I'm good and pissy, can I get a rant in here? I often read of people complaining that after a week or two of exercising, they have gained a few pounds, and people chime in with,"Oh you're just gaining muscle!"

NO YOU ARE NOT!!!!!!!!!! It's most likely water retention from the exercise or normal weight fluctuations. Yes, newbies to WEIGHT LIFTING can gain muscle but not that much in that short a period of time, and certainly not from lifting the pink 3 pound dumbbells in a quest to "tone" up! Of course, you can't tell them that! It's great that they are exercising, yes, but muscle gain does not happen over night, especially if you're not loading those muscles up well!

9:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eaten in kitchen

12:00 PM - chicken breast, avocado, onion & cheese on low carb/fat tortilla; eaten at dining table while reading a book; very filling meal

4:50 PM - yogurt; eaten at desk; I was getting hungry and still hadn't decided what to have for dinner; I really wanted to eat my son's double cinnamon French toast sticks

5:50 PM - sweet potato muffin; I was just shocked how good these turned out; I was hoping they'd taste like crap so I wouldn't want more, but that was not to be; I did manage to limit it to 1 muffin; I think they will go great in the mornings with a protein shake

I didn't get to eat dinner. My son was a pain in the butt to put to sleep and my husband couldn't be bothered to help me. Asshole. Now I'm going to be angry and resentful until morning.

Calories - 1159
Carbs - 104 (15 fiber)
Protein - 89
Fat - 45
C/P/F Ratio - 35.3/30.3/34.4

Pre-BGB Stats

From Monday, March 31:

Neck - 13.75
Chest - 40.5
Rib Circumference - 35.5
Waist - 36.5
Belly - 39.5
Hips - 39
Thighs - 22.5 (R), 22.75 (L)
Calves - 14.25 (R&L)
Biceps (flexed) - 12 (R), 12 (L)
Triceps (gotta measure those batwings!!) - 13 (R), 13.25 (L)
Forearm - 10.25 (R), 10 (L)
Wrists - 5.75 (R&L)
Weight - 144.5 lbs
Body Fat (from Tanita scale) - 33%
Lean Body Mass - 97 lbs
BMI - 26.5

I did take pictures, but as usual, they aren't pretty. And some of my measurements are up from my early March set. I really need a more accurate method. Or at least consistent. I can't do it very well by myself.

Oh look - updated stats!!!

I haven't taken measurements or pictures since November 26, 2007. I did both this weekend!

Neck - 13.5 (1 inch lost)
Bust - 39.5 (2 inches lost)
Rib Circumference - 35.5 (0.75 inch lost)
Waist - 36 (2 inches lost)
Belly - 40.5 (2.25 inches lost)
Hips - 38.25 (1.5 inches lost)
Thighs - 22.25 R&L (1.5 inches lost)
Calves - 14.25 R&L (0.75 inch lost)
Biceps (flexed) - 11.75 R&L (0.25 inch lost R, 0.5 inch lost L)
Triceps - 13 R&L (1 inch lost)
Forearms - 10 R&L (0.5 inch lost)
Wrists - 5.75 R, 6 L (0.25 inch lost)
Body Fat - 35% , probably inaccurate, using a Tanita scale (2% lost)
Lean Body Mass - 95 pounds
BMI - 26.8 (down 2.1)
Weight - 146 (12.5 pounds lost)

I do have the pics, but I haven't looked at them yet. I'm not sure I'd post them anyway. I'm still a tub and don't look like I've lost a damn thing.

My biggest improvements have been in the weight lifting. Since January 21:

goblet squats from 15 pounds to 32.5 pounds
Romanian dead lifts from 27 pounds to 68 pounds
lat pull down from 20 pounds to 68 pounds
Arnold presses from 10 pounds to 25 pounds
one arm dumbbell rows from 15 pounds to 30 pounds
low incline dumbbell presses from 10 pounds to 25 pounds

Challenge 2 Day 21

I was really disappointed to see no loss on the scale this morning. I though I had a fantastic week, too. Oh well. I beat myself up and ate a piece of pizza. I should be able to stay within acceptable ranges though. I know I won't hit maintenance levels, so there's that!

I tried a new whole wheat pumpkin muffin today. It wasn't sweet enough. I like the carrot pumpkin muffins I made last week better. It's just a pain shredding the carrots.

cottage cheese
hard boiled egg
coffee w/ cream

pizza

carrots

cauliflower
kielbasa

yogurt
pumpkin muffin

"Big Mac" salad (just everything that's on a Big Mac, except for the bun - and I used ground chicken!)

Calories - 1745
Carbs - 116 (13)
Protein - 109
Fat -97
C/P/F Ratio - 26.2/24.5/49.3

After Stats

I really think I messed up my initial measurements, and probably some along the way. Next time, I'll have my husband do the measuring, twice each time we do it.

Neck - 14.5 -------------- 14
Bust - 43.25 -------------- 42.5
Rib Circ - 36.5 -------------- 36
Waist - 39.25 -------------- 37.5
Belly - 43.75 -------------- 41.25
Hips - 43 -------------- 39.25
Thighs - (R) 24 -------------- 23.75 (L) 23.75 -------------- 23.5
Calves - (R) 14.75 -------------- 14.5 (L) 14.75 -------------- 14.5
(Flexed) Biceps - (R) 12.5 -------------- 12 (L) 12.75 -------------- 12.5
Batwings - (R) 14 -------------- 13.5 (L) 14 -------------- 14
Forearms - (R) 11 -------------- 10.5 (L) 11 -------------- 10.25
Wrists - (R) 6.25 -------------- 6 (L) 6.25 -------------- 6.25
Weight - 165.5 lbs -------------- 154.5 lbs
Body Fat - 39% -------------- 36%
Lean Body Mass - 101 lbs -------------- 98.9 (Yikes! A loss of LBM )
BMI - 30.2 -------------- 28.1

Week 12

It's Free Day. We all know what that means - binge. I finally found my way to my son's Halloween bucket.

I don't really have much to say about the conclusion of my BFL challenge. I need to redo my measurements in the morning because I was in a hurry today and I think (hope) I measured wrong. I did take my pictures and fill out all my paperwork. If I follow through (which I think I will), I will mail out my entry packet tomorrow. I haven't decided whether I'm going to post my pictures. They certainly aren't pretty. Fully clothed with a bag over my head, I don't look too bad. Unfortunately, one must be half naked for the contest pics. I suppose wearing shorts rather than a bikini was a blessing for viewers' eyes, should I ever post the pictures.

I lost 11 pounds, officially, during the 12 week challenge. Tomorrow, I'm going back to BFFM and different exercise routine. But watch this space for my final stats, my contest essay, and many other things. I'll be blogging regularly as I continue 12 week blocks of sweaty fun.

Now, I'm going to make spaghetti.

Updated Strength Training Routine

Upper Body Workout

lying dumbbell row - 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 15
bent over barbell row - 20

barbell bench press – 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 22.5
dumbbell fly - 10

dumbbell shrug- 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 12.5
front raise - 7.5

barbell curl - 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 17.5
hammer curl – 7.5

lying triceps extension - 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 12.5
triceps kickback – 7.5

Lower Body Workout

leg extension – 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, 27.5
swiss ball squat

lying leg curl – 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 20
straight leg dead lift - 20

standing calf raise - 0, 10, 15, 20, 15
reverse calf raise

crunch on ball - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
reverse crunch

Week 10

Lost that half a pound I was up last week. Yay, I guess.

I had every intention of not being so free on my free day. Then I got to the Psychic Fair where my paranormal group was presenting (for the first time ever!). They had brownies and chips and cookies and a fantastic hummus dip. So, it's been a carb fest. I swear, next Sunday I will be on my very, very super best eating behavior! Even if I stay at 154 until the end of the challenge, I can live with that.

Week 9

Up half a pound.

We went Christmas shopping in Virginia and didn't eat a home made meal once during the day. We went to a breakfast buffet, a seafood joint, and Taco Bell. It was definitely a free day. I didn't stuff myself, but I ate. Breakfast was the worst. I had some eggs and sausage, which was fine, but the pancakes and french toast with syrup made me want to vomit. That's a good thing - it means I don't like that stuff anymore.

Week 8 was good to me!

I lost everything I gained a couple weeks ago, plus 1.5 more! I did measure, and I'm down in most areas. Since Week 4, I've lost:

Weight - 4 pounds
Neck - 0.5 inches
Chest - 1 inch
Rib Circumference - 1 inch (but since I was up 1 inch last time...)
Waist - 1.5 inches
Belly - 1.75 inces
Hips - 2 inches
Thighs - 0 inches (R), gained 0.5 inches (L)
Calves - 0 inches (R), 0.5 inches (L)
Biceps (flexed) - 0.25 inches(R), 0.25 inches (L)
Triceps (gotta measure those batwings!!) - 0 inches (R), 0.25 inches (L)
Forearm - 0 inches (R), 0.25 inches (L)
Wrists - 0.25 inches (R), gained 0.25 inches (L)



I reread Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle and I have decided that I'm definitely not doing another BFL challenge. I'm going back to BFFM because it's more flexible, but since the programs are very similar, I'll still be eating things from Eating For Life. I'm also going to take a different strength training approach (fewer reps, heavier weights) and do true high intensity interval training. I'm really looking forward to it, and I'll still do things in 12-week blocks. Nothing will change here, as far as blogging.

Goodbye, Week 7

No loss this week, and I'm fairly certain part of the problem is the sliced turkey. There is a lot of sodium in that crap, so no more. From now on, I will stick to fresh meat, and my husband is even going to make a run to Virginia to buy 100 pounds of chicken from the butcher. No more paying beach prices.

I'm really not happy with the lack of progress lately, but it really is my fault for over-indulging on things I shouldn't have. And things I can have, in some cases. I know I keep saying I'm going to refocus and do things differently, but as usual my planning sucks. Fortunately, I'm out of lunch meat, English muffins and bagels (even though these bread were whole wheat/multigrain). I do have eggs, egg substitute, apples, fresh and frozen vegetables, cheese, beans, and brown rice. Oh, and cottage cheese and chicken/turkey and lean beef. I should stick to that. My grocery store had winter squash on sale, so I have six squashes - spaghetti (YUM!!!), acorn, and butternut.

Regarding exercise, I'm a bit frustrated. I love my strength training, but I really wonder if I'm doing it properly. I'm confident that my form is good, but I sometimes feel I'm not pushing myself hard enough, even though I feel like my limbs are going to separate from my body by the time I finish. I always wonder if I could do just one more rep. Since I have been adding weight to my strength training exercises every few weeks, I an disturbed that I may not actually be getting stronger, but just not working up to my potential to begin with. But like everything else in this challenge, it's practice for the next one.

Public Service Announcement: If you don't have a digital food scale, get one!! I got one a few weeks ago and it's so much better than the crappy analog scale I was using. Much more accurate and it helps me track better.

Week 6 is history (THANK GOODNESS!!!!!!!)

It's been a horrible week. I couldn't control my eating, my workouts were half-hearted at best, and I've been incredibly unmotivated. At the halfway point, I'm down 7.5 pounds, since I was up 2.5 pounds at this morning's weigh in. And I think my math was wrong last week, saying I was down 8 pounds in 5 weeks. I was actually down 10 pounds in 5 weeks, but that's down the drain. So, officially: 7.5 pounds lost in 6 weeks. Still, not bad, but shame on my for knowing better and dismissing that knowledge in favor of 3 seconds of chocolaty heaven.

Today, I ate crap - candy, bagels and cream cheese by the boatload, and cereal. Sure, I feel guilty, but I don't freaking care. I'll care tomorrow, because tomorrow I'm starting the second half of this challenge. I have a new cardio machine so I don't have to dread the elliptical any more. I gave the treadmill a test run today, and it's going to kick my butt, I just know it. Good. I need a butt kicking.

I've also decided to alter my nutrition plan a bit. The number of carbs I've been eating cause cravings. So, I'm going to do an even split among carbs, protein, and fat. I have fewer cravings on lower carb, so I'm going to slowly work myself back. The new ranges:

1560-1860 calories
130-155 carbs
130-155 protein
57-68 fat

Per meal (at 5 meals per day):

312-372 calories
26-31 carbs
26-31 protein
11-13 fat

I feel like my math is wrong somewhere, but I'm too tired to go back and recalculate. I should probably just forget about numbers altogether and just use common sense. But I feel out of control if I can't quantify everything. Not that I'm in any kind of control now, as this week's binges show.

A big "thank you" must go out to someone who posted on my SparkPeople blog. She posted a number of suggestions for dealing with the cravings. She was absolutely right in that I need to have things prepared for situations like those, including "legal" snacks and physical distractions.

As mad as I am at myself, I'm also motivated to do better on this leg of the journey. There are only 6 weeks left in the challenge, and I've already made it through 6 weeks. I'll start sticking to my free meal on Sundays, I'll work out with every ounce of oomph I have, and I will see results. I have a new exercise routine (including different exercises and higher weights), a new playlist, and a new desire to transform. And a request from my husband to buy some thongs.

Week 5

Week 5 was good to me. I lost 2.5 pounds, so I'm down a total of 8 pounds for this challenge, 35.5 for the year. I was a good girl and stayed off the scale all week. In fact, I barely thought about the scale. Around Saturday, I noticed that I look smaller and my clothes fit looser. In fact, I threw away all my fat girl underwear and started wearing my chubby chick underwear!! I also tried on some size 12 pants and they fit on the hips. They also button in the front, and while it's not completely comfortable, they are wearable!! Not that I have anywhere to go in nice khaki pants...

Free day was ok. I had real pancakes for breakfast and some decent foods the rest of the day. We walked on the beach for a while and bought the kids ice cream. I did not have any, go me!! I made a great spaghetti dinner then blew it on dessert. I didn't binge, but I had quite a few chocolate and peanut butter cookies. I insisted that my husband take them with him to work today, so all is back to normal.

One thing I am noticing - I have more confidence. While I'm certainly not slim and fit yet, I feel fantastic and almost sexy. I'll take almost for now!

Week 4 & Stats

Though I had planned on measuring at the end of Week 4, I was really unmotivated to do so and almost pushed it to the end of Week 6. At the last minute, I changed my mind. For the most part, there are losses.

Weight - 8 pounds
Neck - 0 inches
Chest - 1.75 inches
Rib Circumference - I actually gained an inch here, so I must have messed up my first measurement somehow.
Waist - 0.5 inches
Belly - 0.25 inces
Hips - 2 inches
Thighs - 0.5 inches (R), 1 inch (L)
Calves - gained 0.25 (R), 0 inches (L)
Biceps (flexed) - 0 inches(R), 0.5 inches (L)
Triceps (gotta measure those batwings!!) - 0.5 inches (R&L)
Forearm - 0.25 inches (R), 0.5 inches (L)
Wrists - 0 inches (R), 0.25 inches (L)

I'm not sure how I feel about my progress. On the one hand, I'm disappointed that it's not more. On the other hand, I know that 1-2 pounds per week is what is considered healthy loss. So, I'm right there in the healthy loss category. I think some of my frustration goes back to when I was (improperly) low carbing and I'd have bigger losses each week. I was a scale-a-holic, weighing in daily, severely restricting calories if I showed any gains. I don't do that anymore, and I should be proud of my progress thus far.

I didn't do it last week (or the week before, I think) but I meant to review my goals at the end of each week.

1. Strive for consistency, not perfection! So far, I've definitely not been perfect! I think I have been fairly consistent. There were a few days when I couldn't eat on schedule, and a couple where I ate things that aren't quite BFL friendly, but no apparent harm came of it.

2. Make BFL a part of my life. Body For Life is certainly providing a foundation for whatever is next. Whether I'll do another challenge remains to be seen. I am positive, at this point, that I won't start my second challenge until January 2008. During the 5 or 6 weeks between this challenge and the new year, I'm going to try a different approach. If I don't like it, I will go back to BFL.

3. Weigh no more than once a week. Er, yeah. Week 3 was bad for this. I was on the scale every day. However, during Week 4, I only weighed on my weigh in day. I like it that way.

4. Learn to like oatmeal. I have not started this yet. I will.

5. Make exciting meals. It's not boring, usually. I ordered Eating For Life and I'm dying for it to get here.

Free day was very free. I didn't gorge on anything, but I did have things I haven't had in a while. I didn't track or measure anything, and it felt good. I ate when I was hungry and that was it.