How's it going guys?
 

Is anyone else struggling like me to keep their spirits up? I love the excercise. Am really enjoying the workouts, but baffled by the results I seem to be getting (or not getting).

Scale doesn't want to move, so I went on induction again, after two days it is down a little, but still 4 pounds above what it was on the 4th of this month.

I really intend to stick to this and see it through, but I would never have believed that my body could be this resistant to weight loss.

I'm eating right again, at least back to low carb. I may need to increase calories some. All I can figure is that my whoosh fairy refuses to come until TOM has come and left.

How are the rest of you BFL people doing?

C1W2D4
 

The BFL program is going well for me so far. I am down 1.5 pounds on the scale and I can already see a little definition in my muscles. I don't plan to measure again until next Monday, so I am not sure where I have lost, BF%, etc...

I also found a 0 carb protein shake at my GNC, so that helps with the extra fuel! :)

C2/W3/D3
 

Hi, Sherry!

Challenge 2 is going well for me! I loved :rheart: Challenge 1 and I'm having even more fun now...
:D
I know that, probably, a million people are going to tell you this but I think you just need to calm down and give yourself some time. Keep giving your workouts 100%. Stick to your nutrition plan--whichever you choose. And then PATIENTLY watch what happens...

It takes TIME. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. Controlling my carbs has helped me burn fat more efficiently, but it still doesn't change the fact that to lose a pound I have to (somehow) shed 3500 calories.

Neither BFL nor LC is a magical solution to transform your body overnight. I think that's why BFL is a 12-week program, to give you enough time to achieve a meaningful transformation. According to an earlier post, you are only on Week 2, I think. (Forgive me if I'm wrong, please!) If that is correct, well, that's, frankly, too soon to know anything.

My thighs GREW (I kid you not!) during the first 3 weeks of Challenge 1! But, in the end, I lost 4 inches from EACH thigh! I'm currently on Week 3 of Challenge 2, my thighs have grown a half inch. My waist is up an inch, too! Am I freaked out or worried about it? Nope. Why should I be? It's only Week 3 of a 12-week program. The measurements at Week 12 will tell the story...

Some SUPER LUCKY people, like our very own HulaGirl, have miraculous transformations in 4 weeks. You just have to accept that those people have something lucky going for them that most of us don't have... You are an individual and you simply can't compare yourself to anybody else... And, I don't know if you are or are not, but most of us here are, I assume, metabolically challenged. And that's why we've chosen LC. I know that I sure am!
;)
So, I was very happy with my Challenge 1 results. For me, it was like a MIRACLE to actually--FOR ONCE--lose pounds and inches. But I didn't have "impressive" results. I lost 18.5 pounds in 12 weeks. That isn't a championship amount. But I have a SLOW metabolism. I know this. I accept this. The pounds and inches I lost WERE Championship caliber--FOR ME!

I know that I worked as hard as I could and was faithful to my nutrition plan everyday at every meal, so I know that the results I achieved were the BEST possible results I was capable of. Even though they were not as impressive as some (if not most) other people's results... But so what? I did my best, and darn it, I'm proud of that!
:D
So, Sherry, just be true to your plan and be patient. If you give it your best effort you will achieve your best results--whatever they may be... But unless you have patience, and stick to your guns, you won't be able to find out what's possible. And that would be a shame, wouldn't it?

JUST KEEP AT IT, SISTER! DON'T LET A LITTLE ANXIETY MESS WITH YOUR HEAD! YOU'LL DO GREAT IF YOU JUST GIVE YOURSELF A CHANCE!
:thup:

Trilbe

Thanks
 

Trilbe, I guess I needed to hear that. I've found that I've "grown" in all my measurements and my weight is higher as well, that is what has been worrying me.

I'm in week 3 and I didn't expect to see a lot of results yet, but I didn't expect to see NEGATIVE results, that was what had me worried. No one works this hard to get fatter and weigh more! At least no one I know.

I fully intend to stick to it, but I'd sure like to see some good results soon, but I can be patient if I feel convinced that it is GOING to work.

Keep going!
 

Hey, Sherry!

The only way you'll know if BFL is going to work is to do your best and give it some time. There are going to be ups and downs, I think, no matter what you do... Less than a month really isn't enough time. Your body will have natural ups and downs over the course of a month anyway--especially when you start a whole new regimen...

I'm not saying you should bang your head against the wall, plugging away at something that's just wrong for you... Believe me, I know how that feels. I was a dismal failure at Weight Watchers. I have cousins and coworkers who've lost weight on Weight Watchers. But I honestly did that program RELIGIOUSLY for almost a year and GOT NOWHERE. My parents were convinced I was cheating. My doctor was convinced I was cheating. And I wasn't!

So, I just wanted to say that I don't know if BFL will work for you or not. It actually might not. I know firsthand that one of the most respected programs in the world didn't work for me... But you'll never know how successful you MIGHT be if you don't give it a fighting chance. Wouldn't it be a shame if you put in a couple of weeks of work, laid the groundwork, primed your body to lose, and then quit right before you started to reap the gains?

Good luck!
:wave:
Trilbe

Hang in there, Sherry.... I'm right there with ya, girl!

My birthday's tomorrow and the last two weeks have been really depressing---literally, so I gave myself permission to move my carb up to today and had cake and ice-cream. :) I don't feel bad about it because I made a conscious decision to do it. No regrets. It wasn't a "correct" carb up for CKD, but It was my choice. I hadn't had cake and ice-cream for my birthday for years. And yes, I did it a day early (my birthday's actually the 26th) so I could celebrate with my fiance, etc.

But over all, I'm a bit bummed about my results, too, so far. I've worked really hard and have tried to be VERY careful with everything. But....the first week was good (weight went up), second week was pretty good, but now I'm just bloated all the time (not TOM, that's ended), not losing (not inches either), and things feel "mushy."

I don't mean to whine. Just wanted to say you're not alone.

C1WK6D39

It seems that we are all experiencing the same thing. I am glad that I am not alone here.

I too am wondering if this is right for me as well. I love the weight lifting, it makes me feel strong and my body is getting muscle definition but I am not sure that the WOE for BFL is right for me. I will have to start tweaking it a bit.

I know that all good things come in time and 6 weeks is really not enough to see massive changes. I am not a quitter! I can do this!! My goal is to be leaner and stronger and by golly I will do it!
Shame on me for giving in to it so early!!

I have vowed not to even get close to the scale or tape measure until the end of my challenge which is on Nov. 11.

Now that I actually checked the calender to see just how far off that goal date is I still have plenty of time to see the results.

Let's all stay focused!! :thup: Have a great day ladies!!

Sherry, Tribe, Jalilah and all.

There is a great website www.leanandstrong.com for BFlers

You will find that everyone is doing BFL. There are great transformation pictures to encourage you and you will find that there are and were a lot of folks that are going thru exactly the same thing that we are experiencing right now.

Hope this site helps you as much as it has helped me!!

Thanks so much herbnurse!!!

I actually felt really down this morning----this is what brought me to my all-time highest weight (190lbs) to begin with (I'm a stress eater). So, I had cake and ice-cream again.

It's going in the garbage, and I do fine as long as this junk isn't in my house to begin with.

I'm not doing the BFL eating plan because I just don't like the whole low fat/low cal thing, but I think I've been doing LC for too long without a break. I've been reading so much about the depression that goes with it that I'm considering a "re-feed" for a week. We'll see. I'll probably start off with re-induction for a week first, though, to try and thwart any fat gain from the cake and ice-cream days. :)

Wish me luck.

Oh...my lame excuse for having it again to day is that today is my "official" birthday! What a reason to use for slow self-destruction!!

No more! It's file-13 for that garbage!

Thanks for sharing, and for the support everyone. As long as we can keep doing this for each other----I believe we'll all be okay.

:wave:

Doing great!
 

Hey! I'm doing great!

I'm measuring myself and weighing every two weeks, just as I did during Challenge 1. And I'm excited to see what Week 12 will bring... BUT I do not AT ALL worry about the day-to-day or the week-to-week even.

I weigh and measure, just to keep me on track. I do it for the same reason that I keep a workout log and food journal... It's like Bill Phillips said in BFL, if you don't have a map of how you got there, then you're still lost... That's why I'm keeping such a detailed record.

I have absolutely NO complaints, HerbNurse! Some of my measurements were up at the end of Week 2, but I really don't care. There are just natural fluctuations that will occur over the course of ANY 12 week period...

I enjoy checking out Lean and Strong, and BodyChangers--especially BodyChangers. I've gotten some great tips from some of the people there. But I do NOT compare myself to ANYONE ELSE. That, to me, would be a recipe for disaster... All I can do is stick to my program and wait and see what 12 weeks is going to bring.

I have a slow metabolism. I need to watch my carbs, watch my fat, watch my calories, and make every workout. I've learned this about myself through painful trial and effort. So, I stuck to my program like glue throughout Challenge 1. And I had some ups and downs, but at the end I'd lost major inches and 18.5 pounds of fat. I may, or may not, do as well by the end of Challenge 2, but as long as I give 100% effort I will KNOW at the end that the results I receive will be the BEST POSSIBLE RESULTS for me....

Good luck to you!
:wave:
Trilbe

Well
 

I got up this morning did my aerobics, and then tried on a pair of jeans that I have worn before. I couldn't fasten them, got discouraged, and got dressed with my stretchy jeans.

Went to work and got a nice compliment from a lady at work about how I'm "losing weight". Well I'm not, I've gained 5 pounds since the beginning of the month, but I liked hearing that anyway.

While looking at my profile I DID think I looked like I had lost fat, when I took my fat caliper readings they had gone down 10 to 12 millimeters from when I took them at the beginning of the month. This translates to between 5 and 6% body fat.

So I just don't KNOW if I'm making any progress or not. I think I am. But it is really hard to tell and harder yet to believe the evidence (perhaps because it is such conflicting evidence).

I guess I just need to wait out the 12 weeks and see if there is real evidence then.

<b>Sherry</b>

I know exactly how you are feeling! It is terrible to feel this way it can be so self-destructive.

After my aerobics my jeans are always tighter but I attribute that to the water retention in my muscles. I have experimented with this and have weighed before and after aerobics and even weight training and have found that my weight can go up as high as five pounds after any activities but this is a natural thing.

I sometimes visually don't think I am making progress. Those at www.leanandstrong.com tell me that the most dramatic changes happen at the last 2-3 weeks of the challenge. I will hang in there, you too.

For instance Tribe is an example, look at the progess she made in her first challenge. That was amazing can't wait to see her results after Challenge 2.

<b>Tribe</b>

Thanks for the heads up on Body Changers I will definitely check it out, I need all the help I can get.

I agree with what you have said, we are all unique and are different metobollically. And also age plays a big roll in how fast one can lose too, hormones (or gradly decreasing ones) can make it harder for some of us to lose the fat but gosh darn it I will not give up! I agree, as long as we are giving it 100% effort then that is all we can do.

<b>Jalilah</b>

I guess we all have to experiment with our diets because what works for one, even on BFL doesn't always work for others. I am trying to cut back on my carbs too. My in between meals are Myoplex Lite Shakes and after I went to the official BFL website and found out that one of the challenge winners (she looked awesome) used only 1/2 the shake at a time I decided just yesterday to cut my shakes in half, thus reducing my carb intake. I want to build muscle and become leaner so I have to watch out that I don't cut it back too much. I will find out this morning when I do LBWO if reducing carb intake has made me weak.

I need to read your information about the BFL WOE, I haven't seen anything about the depression that goes along with it.
Now if you are referring to just low fat/low cal WOE I did that and lost 76lbs. and never was depressed one day. It's all a state of one's mind.

I started out over 220 and at 5"4 I was ecstatic with any losses that occurred and never had time to be depressed.

Don't be too hard on yourself, we all fall of the wagon, just pick yourself up and go on. :thup:

Thanks so much, HerbNurse. I really needed a lift today.

From what I've read the depression seems to set in MOST with LC diets...well, for those who've been doing it for a long time. Not so much info on low cal/low fat. I lost 60lbs doing LF/LCal and never once felt depressed either. I think low carbing will do this over time, though, because it's pretty drastic on the body----even if there are studies proving it to be healthful, beneficial, etc., etc.

In some cases, IMO, fatigue can mimick depression, and eating too LC for too long can cause a bit of fatigue in many (me included). I'm also thinking that the candida flair up I'm experiencing due to the last couple of weeks sugary carb ups on CKD have done me in totally. Depression seems to go with candida, as well as major water retention (both of which I've been dealing with). So my plan of attack now is to go BACK on the candida diet (just omitting mold foods like cheese, and fermented foods...and NO SUGAR. Not even Splenda, which is made from sugar).

I think once I get the candida under control AGAIN I'll be okay. My mood will be better, the uncomfortable bloat will be gone, etc.

(((sigh)))

WHY did I use the sugary stuff on CKD when I knew better! Candida is NO FUN. :(

HerbNurse, again...thank you for the encouraging words.

PS.... question: that web site you listed, is it for low carbers, too?

:daizy:

Jalilah

I believe that most if not all are doing BFL, however there are links for Body RX.

What I like the most about it is the transformation pictures of those doing not just one challenge but several. I am amazed how a plan like BFL or even your plan for that matter can make such a dramatic change in ones body composition.

I for one am out to reduce below my waist. My waist is 30.5",my hips are 41", thighs are 24.5".

My upper body is thin and finally getting a little muscular but my hardest work is below my waist line. Being big boned I would look funny with no meat on my legs (which I have plenty of) but I need to get rid of the fat and tone my butt and thighs.

So for now I am doing BFL. I started to change up in midstream but thought how will I ever know which plan is working if I keep changing it so I have decided to stick with BFL and see how my results are after week 12.

Do you take an acidophilus product such as PB8 to help prevent candida? It does help normalize the flora in the vagina so as to not get yeast infections.

I know from my pharmacy days that anyone taking an antibiotic (male or female) we recommended a good acidophilus product to prevent candida and diarrhea caused by the break down of good bacteria. Just a thought!

I'm taking acidophilus Plus, which has bifidum, etc. in it. I was almost out, so I've not taken it in about a month! I know----I know. :rolleyes:

I RARELY get vaginal yeast infections (maybe once every other year IF that), but I do get the other candida symptoms....everything from constipation to itchy skin rashes. It's SO irritating! After my cake and ice-cream excursion I ended up with a rash-like "something" on the roof of my mouth, and it's VERY painful. I can't see the affected area to see if it's thrush or not...but it's very painful, and it was almost immediate after eating the bad stuff. :(

The last time it flaired up REALLY bad I ended up with a bladder infection AND a yeast infection.... The fair up that time was due to antibiotics for an "alleged" dental infection that wasn't an infection at all. In other words, I didn't need the antibiotics. Like THAT helped my situation! LOL.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the BFL workout, but I just can't do the low fat thing again. My skin got so dry, and my face----it looked like I was aging as I was losing weight, and I hated that badly. That and I was hungry all the time.

I had a weird workout at the gym today, too...... I was VERY tired, and my muscles began burning out long before they should have.

I don't know if I'm getting anywhere with this or not. :confused: