Hi everyone!!!!

I thought it was time to start a new thread for all of us that have started a new challenge this month... whether it's a personal challenge, or if you're like me, and competing in the official EAS million dollar BFL 2003 Challenge. I thought we needed a collective place to be able to go to and ask questions, encourage others, compare and contrast our plans and generally check in on each other.

I hope your challenges have all started off well. I know mine has! I'm on day 3, and already feel so much better after the holiday binges! Its funny how easily you can forget how good working out feels when you stray from it for a couple of weeks (bad me... bad).

I thought maybe we could take a page or two from Bill and work on his questions... maybe help the official competetors out with our questionairres come March. So, on that note, I was hoping everyone would list 2 or 3 of their goals for the next 12 weeks.

A couple of mine are:
---> To bring my BF% down below 25% (I'm at 31 now)
---> To be able to jog/run >1 mile without having to stop to walk any of it (I really want to be able to run outside in the early am once all of the snow melts... if it ever does! It's been non-stop snow up here this winter)
---> To establish healthy eating HABITS, as opposed to constantly going on diets, to enable me to continue my efforts to become and then stay, a healthy fit individual.

I hope this will all help us to motivate ourselves, and each other, and keep us on track.

Let's go kick some BFL Butt!!!!!


Kate

I am so impressed you are doing the EAS Challenge! Mine is a personal challenge, and I can use all the support I can get. Some of my goals:

1. To complete the BFL challenge -- with perseverence & progress, without expecting perfection

Honestly, it has been such a long time since I have delivered against any fitness/nutrition goals I have set myself, that just proving to myself I can do it will be a major accomplishment.

2. I really, really want to lose 25 pounds of body fat this challenge.

I go back & forth as to whether this is a good goal because it is results-based, not really something I can control. I don't know if you watch Dr. Phil (I don't always, but coness to watching last night ), he had a show on keeping your new year's resolutions and it helped me. He said you should do the following:

1. Identify a specific goal (ie, complete BFL challenge)
2. Identify a measurable outcome of that goal (ie, # of pounds lost)
3. Identify a timeline for meeting that goal (12 weeks)
4. Set a goal you can control (ie, work out & eat well, vs. lose X pounds)
5. Program your strategy to meet your goal (ie, PLAN PLAN PLAN!)
6. Identify the small daily steps you can take to meet your goal (ie, clear cupboards of binge foods, buy single servings of reward foods on free days, etc)
7. Create accountability for your goal (ie, define negative consequences etc)
8. Reward yourself along the way (ie, free days, monthly reward, midpoint reward, end of challenge reward)

Based on the above, I have come up w/ a couple of other goals:

3. Change my lifestyle one day at a time, taking the small steps I need to succeed.

4. Manage myself by reminding myeself of the consequences for my failure to take the steps I need to succeed.

These may be too vague... I am still working on them.

Anyway, hope that is some food for thought! Keep your focus and let us know how you are doing!

babs

I'm doing a Pre-Mexico Keep Motivated Mini 3 Week Challenge.

Only real goal is to maintain the inches and lbs lost over the holidays (yes, I'm a freak who lost lbs this festive time of year ) and to get 4 workouts a week in (a big thing considering my office is falling apart around me - literally - and the workload is oppressive).

I'll be doing something 'bigger' when I return - after a little holiday from my holiday I think!

Go, Challengers, Go!!!
Nat

I'm here too, day 3 of 84. Like you Kate, I feel great and can't believe how easily that was forgotten for a couple of weeks during the holidays.

Did ya'll get your before pics done?

Hi folks. Glad to see some fellow competitors out there! This will be my 1st challenge. Day 3 like the rest of you. So far so good. I lost 60 lbs last year on Atkins. I need to update my stats, but I am currently at 140. My goal is to lose 20 lbs body fat, and gain 5 lbs lean muscle in the next 12 weeks. I lost an average of 5 lbs a month last year, so hoping that trend will follow me through the challenge. I am at that point where the flab is like bread dough, and it has just got to go! I too am hoping to increase my endurance, and hoping my energy level will increase. This is REALLY exciting. Just think how much we are all going to progress in the next 12 weeks. I am not going to wish any of you luck, but wish you all perserverance! See you at the other end

I am here doing Week #9 of my BFL Challenge 1.

After CH 1 ends, I am going into 3 weeks before Hawaii (swimsuit) work-out mode. I am going to run some new exercises & plan out my BFL CH 2 which I will start on 3/3.
I will take my week break in Hawaii.

Keep up the great work BFL'ers!
Aloha!

Kate - Great idea for a thread!

I've also entered the official challenge. Thought it would be a good test of my commitment and determination and the $250 credit towards their products will be nice too.

Here are some of my goals:

1. Lose at least 15 lbs. of fat, gain muscle and drop body fat by at least 3%
2. Be comfortable in sz 8 jeans (sz 6 would be even better )
3. Improve overall health and self confidence and learn to love who I am how I am
4. Learn to set a good example for my children by being positive, not obsessing about my weight, etc.

Oh yeah - it'd be awesome to be able to wear and be comfortable in a swimsuit for the first time in like 8 years, but I think that'd take a miracle .

I'm with you Kate - let's all do some serious BFL butt kickin'!

Robin

Hey Robin!

How's it goin chickie?!! Congrats on signing up for the challenge! I'm very excited about it, even if I'm a cranky wench today... I'm in one of those, now now NOW phases today - don't want to wait for the results... I want week 12 to be here yesterday! LOL I'll get over it and be normal again soon... hopefully tomorrow.

Size 8... *sighing longingly* I can't even imagine it. My thinnest EVER I was a size 12 (and looked GOOD). We'll see where I stand at the end of this challenge, maybe I will be able to try to set a goal for that at some point.... I'm just so muscular that I wonder sometimes.

Off to be cranky by myself and try not to bother anyone (or, better yet, let them bother ME)

Have a great day!!
Kate

Hope you all had a great weekend! How have your workouts been going? Do any of you do the "free day" and, if so, what do you typically eat?

Kate - Besides being sick at the end of last week, things have been going great. How are things going with you? I was glad to see you back on the forums. Don't feel bad about having a cranky wench day - I'm in the middle of one right now! And I totally know what you mean about wanting week 12 to be here yesterday. Patience and delayed gratification SUCK!! At least we know we WILL get there eventually - that in itself is comforting.

Leslie - You are going to look awesome in that swimsuit!! I'm so jealous that you are going to Hawaii - I'm lucky just to get out of Texas every once in a while.

Cardalee - Congratulations on your 60 lb. loss. That is amazing!! You are right - it will be neat to see how we all progress over the next twelve weeks.

Pam - How are things going for you? Yes - I did before pics and let me just say they are a great source of motivation to me (I honestly felt sick when I saw them)! How about you - did you do before pics?

Nat - I love your new picture! Sexy Mama!! Where in Mexico will you be going?

Babs - I've been reading your journal and you are doing so great. I have no doubt you'll make it the full twelve weeks and reach your goals.

Take care everyone - hope you have a great BFL week!!

Robin

Robin, I do the 'free day' now, at C5 and 6, but during the first 4 I did them as "general LC days" w/o any accountability for protein requirements being met and eating on a schedule. I wasn't interested in carbs or in the possible 'bloat' that they would result in. Free meals for me now tend to be isocaloric, 33/33/34 and the goal is to have a day with higher calories as my BFL regular days tend to be lower than I'd like.

We're heading to the Mayan Riviera - in 13 days! There are pictures of the resort in the link on the left hand margin of my web page

Cheers, Toots
Nat

Hi Everyone!

Yeay! I'm so excited to see new people joining this thread!!
I just finished Week 2 Day 2, and gotta say, I had my best cardio workout yet! Woo hoo! I probably wont be able to sleep tonight, but it was worth it (I got to the gym at 6:30pm)!!! In fact this is day 2 in a row that I actually don't hate myself in my gym clothes. I consider this to be a great feat in and of itself. Now if only I can not hate the way I look in a tank top.... LOL

Nat, I FINALLY remembered to check out your website from home so that I could see your pics (webshots is blocked at work). Can I just say OH MY GOD!!!! Holy Crap Batman! I had never seen your before shots, and although I had some idea of the amount of change that you had made, seeing is truly believing. You are a whole new woman and I am more inspired than ever! Wow. I don't know if I'll ever get over it! LOL AND, another new pic!! LOVE IT!

Robin, My free day this week was a total fluke. I didn't even put everything into fitday and I was still over 3000 calories! UGH. It was Eric's b-day, AND the bowling banquet (majorly big shingdig with all kinds of scrumptious hand made italian foods). Needless to say overindulged doesn't even begin to describe it!!! Going to try to make up the calories a little at a time.... I usually just have one good meal and not care about my eating times or protein grams....

See all you BFL babes later!
Keep up the good work!

Kate

Kate, one piece of clothing at at time! It will come, take my word on it. I never in a billion years thought there would be a day I'd be going sleeveless in public. It can happen!!!

Nat

Good to see you posting again RobinTX. It's a challenge in and of itself. My free day was Sunday. I ate at the Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was very good. Good timing too since TOM is this week. I just feel like eating non-stop but I got back on track Monday. Also had beef straganoff for dinner. Didn't have very much. I probably stayed between 2000-2500 calories. I'm not sure. Didn't eat much besides those 2 meals.

I think I'm going to tweak my free day down to a free meal or treat depending on what I want that week. A whole day is a little much for me.

I'm very excited about this challenge. I have to agree it seems like it's going really slow. Last night's cardio was especially challenging. Could barely get through the 20 minutes. Hanging in there though. I think I'll go to be extra early tonight.

Hi Everyone!
First time poster - long time reader! Nat - I enjoy reading your info so much! I am a personal trainer. For years doing the low fat thing. 2 years ago swithched to Atkins. Lost tons of weight!
I love to run and weight train. I used to run a minimum of 10 miles a day but due to cold weather in the North am running indoors. Began to incorporate BFL workouts and am trying to get used to the idea of less cardio time. Scary but I will give it a try! NEVER have I done any thing on an empty stomach but with all of your writings I have done cardio these past 2 days empty! I am still breathing so it can't be that bad! I must admit I was ravenous today after waiting the hour before eating! My weight training sessions are excellent! I have a partner and we push to failure.
Goals are to eat clean, drink water and workout. Marathon training is now a thing of the past.
Good luck to all!

JKMOM, welcome to the forum and to the thread! Great to have you join us, you're a true convert and we like nothing better

Looking forward to hearing lots more,
Nat