Week 8 comes to a close

Two thirds of the way done with the challenge. Here are my results for the past four weeks.
Lost 4 inches (1 inch off of each measuring point)
Lost 5 pounds.

I really thought that I'd have lost more inches, but heck, I'll take the four! I feel great and my mind is clear.

Starting week 8

Okay...at the end of this week, measurements will be taken again. I am happy to see the scale moving down and hope that the tape measure shows some good results.

As far as updates go, I am now eating far less at each sitting, but continue to eat frequently. Stopping once I feel full has been the key to making the scale move. Or maybe it's just the timing of it all. I had to go out and purchase some heavier free weights today. Darn, but those things are pricey! I've gone from using 3 pound weights to now needing 10 pound weights.

This all seems to be very easy at this point. Oh, and I did some light jogging today...got my heart pumping out on the streets with the dogs!

Noticing changes

Hey wow! Wrapping up week seven and I am finally noticing some changes to my body when I look in the mirror. Even better, friends at work are noticing too! I'm not quite sure why it takes so long to see it though. I mean, if I go on a regular old diet, usually you can tell after about 4 weeks. I'm working twice as hard to have to wait twice as long!!! I'm not good at waiting, however, I've done good with this project. I still have a long way to go and I guess that is why they call it Body for LIFE. L. I. F. E. That right there is a loooOOoooong time, so I might as well take my time and get it done right.

The one thing that I've noticed internally is that my blood sugar seems to be a little low by the end of the day. Last night, I went through about 500 calories trying to get myself feeling right. All I was feeling was "full"...not "right". So I quit eating, took a Tylenol and called it a night. I'll pay close attention to how I'm feeling over the next couple of days.

That's it for now!

Wrapping up week 6

Is that right? Am I almost halfway through this thing? I weigh in tomorrow, but am not expecting a big loss. It seems that the pounds want to remain on my arse and I'm just dealing with it. Freaking out is pointless and giving up is not an option.

I found out my "key" to overeating at a meal. Sometimes I get full after three bites of something, but because I'm worried that I'm not getting enough and might perhaps become deprived for five minutes, I continue to eat. I am guilty of eating when the full feeling hits. So my revelation this week was that I WILL be eating again in two hours. It may seem incredibly simple, but for me, this has been really effective. I'm so programmed for "last suppers" and "ohhh...it's so good, I'll never have anything this good again", that I end up gorging myself. And guess what? I've learned quickly that there ARE indeed things that taste better than whatever it is that is in front me.

Workouts are strong, though my shoulder exercises are still the most difficult for me. I had no idea just how weak my shoulders were. Apparently, my biceps have been taking the brunt of the load. Legs feel good, but are still a far cry from Barbie...Barbie never had Man-Calves. Wretched doll.

Life is good for this body!

I'm back Baby!

A rock solid day. Let it be known that my new motto is "You only get out, what you put in." I woke up this morning thinking those very words.

Then I put them into action.

Then I forgot what the motto was.

Then I stressed about getting early onset Alzheimer's.

Then it came back to me and I wrote it down :) The absolute best tool for getting older is the Post-It Note. I've freaking got them all over the place.

I feel really good going into this sixth week and look forward to what is yet to come!

Kicking off week 6...WTF?

Some how, I managed to get off track at the end of week 5. Only with the food...exercise is still solid.

I had extra food during the week because of some real hunger. That was acceptable to me. Unfortunately, it spiraled into a cycle of "what the heck...why not..." Not acceptable! Sunday is supposed to be the "free day", however, I've not gone hog wild since my first "free day" when I puked on the freeway from eating too much. *hanging head in shame* Well, it was Mother's Day and I tossed all my past memories and lessons out the window. There were lots of white carbs, which cause me to want more. And more. And more.

I woke today with the right attitude. Start week 6 properly! I was rock solid until the afternoon when I busted open an extra protein bar. Then it was some trail mix (God help me) and then it was whatever I could put my hands on.

So that is where I was, not where I am. Tomorrow is day 2 of week 6 and I fully intend on making it a success. No excuses from me.

Off to bed to be rid of this day!

Mmmm...food

First, let me tell ya...I'm cracking up right now. I just logged on to do a post and the "google ad" that was flashing in my face was "I HATE MY BELLY FAT!"

Whoa! Are ya readin' my mind Mr. Google??? Actually, I find that if I lay on my back and suck in my gut, I look pretty good. I can't breathe, but for those 5 minutes, let me tell ya, nothin' but sheer pride. Dizzy kicks in after that, but I'm laying down, so no harm.

Point of my post. I have discovered that food is the most delicious, no matter WHAT it is, when I'm famished. My morning routine was thrown off due to an appointment. I was smart and PLANNED for this by packing a Myoplex bar in my purse. When I was in my car, I snarfed it down in record time and then went on to get a few errands run. Once I get going, it's hard to stop me and the next thing you know I'm at a gas station with my car emptied out so that I can use their cannister vac. 8 quarters later and two hours since my bar, I was ready to head home. It was 1pm and I was on empty.

I tossed together the most random mix. Heated up a pan with a little grapeseed oil...added some leftover sliced grilled chicken, some mushrooms, onions, a little brown rice, spices and then, when it was good and heated, I cracked an egg over the mess...then melted some lite Mexican cheese over the top. Holy crapper was it ugly. But holy crapper did it ever taste good! I'm sure that if I wasn't half as hungry as I was, it would have tasted awful. Instead, it was the best dish of "stuff" I've had in a long time.

The carbs need to get burned, so I'm going to finish cleaning the inside of my car. Lots of doggie nose prints in there!

New Month, More Reps, Increased Weight

Today was my first weight lifting session of week 5. I figured that after a month of the same weight and same reps, it was time to make an increase. The three pound dumb bells have been retired. My routine is now:

1st set: 5 lbs, 15 reps (was 3 lbs, 12 reps)
2nd set: 5 lbs, 12 reps (was 5 lbs, 10 reps)
3rd set: 8 lbs, 10 reps (was 8 lbs, 8 reps)

A very small adjustment and I can feel the burn. Amazing how our bodies adapt to a routine. I now completely understand that I need to change things up on a regular basis. It also took me an extra 10 minutes to do my workout...more adjusting. So, I do 10 minutes on the treadmill and 40 minutes lifting. When I started the program, I just did 30 minutes of lifting.

My cardio is now 40 minutes with increased speed and incline. I'm buring about 100 more calories than I was originally.

Progress!

Planning is the key to success

"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up." A.A. Milne (the creator of Winnie the Pooh!)

“When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people.” Chinese Proverb

“He who fails to plan, plans to fail” Some smart kid...

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All three of these quotes are applicable to me! First of all, A.A. Milne is just rockin' with that all mixed up business. "Oh bother!" was a famous Pooh expletive. Pooh never seemed to have a good plan. I think that the second quote hits home, because the more I teach others what I'm doing, the more I reinforce my own habits. Finally, the smart kid that came up with the final one...well, that was me today.

You see, I had decided to change my food for the week. After four weeks of basically the same meal plan, I felt that I was due for a change up. I had lunch figured out, but somehow, forgot about my breakfast and mid-morning snack. I literally was standing in front of the fridge this morning shaking my head with confusion. Do I want an egg? No. Protein shake? No. Lowfat cheese? No. It was really stupid. All because I hadn't thought it through. In order to make it to work on time (could you imagine...yeah, I'm going to be late because I don't know what to eat...)I grabbed my regular bread/nut butter and then brought a protein bar just in case. In case of what? Still shaking my head. Long story short, I ended up eating more than I have had in the past month since I didn't know what to have.

Did I mention that this is totally stupid?

New plan is in place. Tomorrow will be a success. Teaching you all about my mistakes. Getting organized.

Oh bother!

Results!

It is the end of my 4th week. I'm a third of the way complete and can't believe just how fast it has all gone by...and how many changes I've made to my daily life without much issue. I mean, seriously...I thought that giving up coffee would be the end of the world. Not so much. I thought that waking up at 3:50 in the morning to get my workout done before eating would be the death of me. Not so much.

Okay, okay...so the results. Here they are! After four weeks on B4L...
Inches lost
Chest: 2.5
Waist: 3.5
Hips: 2
Thigh: .5
Total inches lost are 8.5
Total weight lost 10.5 pounds
Four weeks ago, my mood was: Flat, tired, no energy
Today my mood is: Happy, excited and lots of energy

I'm pleased!