ArmyWife's ~Body For Life~ personal challenge.

[ArmyWife04]

I'm crossing over, from general/Adkins LC to BFL. I found the book at the library this weekend, am half way thru it now and I like what I am reading and what I am seeing as far as the featured transformations.

I feel like since my dh came home from the sand that I have been on a spiral downward at increasing speed. The stress of his no job situtation and all that goes with it left my resolve to control my WOE last place on the priority list.

He's employed (albeit thru a temp to hire situation) and I have gained 27 pounds over the last 3 months.

This week is what I am calling my "prep week", I'm reading the book, planning my meals, exercise, and working on some goals. By next week being the real week number 1 of 12, I figure I will finish this challange the week of July 4th. A goal of mine anyway.

My goals so far:
1-Lose 30 pounds of fat
2-Comfortably wear a size 16
3-Have more energy
4-Feel stronger and less apt to guard my movements for fear of injury
5-Significantly lessen daily pain

I need to:
Follow the eating plan consistently-NO tweaking!
Exercise according to schedule, even if means doing it at night sometimes
Let the eating/exercise plan have time to work before I give up on it

I love the workout schedule! And the simplicity of the eating program. Switching over from 2-3 huge meals to 5-6 smaller ones will be a great big challenge for myself, but it makes sense. And I like the fact that as I follow the program my kids will have a better, more balanced example. Very important to me since my daughter is now refusing to eat fresh fruit becasue of the 'sugar'-not good IMO.

[Amelyah]

Hi Kris

Best luck on your challenge! I did one several years ago and enjoyed it. I loved the transformations too, they are so inspiring! What I found really helpful was to do the journal every day. This helped me keep track of my food and workouts. I bought the journal book, but there are journal pages at the BFL website you can download and make your own book. I don't know if you are already doing this, but there is a portion of this bulliten board (Muscle Matters) where you can get help if you need any for you challenge. Many of the peeps there have experience with BFL.

Again - Good luck! I'm hoping to try out another challenge in a few months.

Amelyah

[ArmyWife04]

Thanks Amelyah!

I am psyched for this learnign experience that is for sure. A totally different approach then I am used to!

[ArmyWife04]

Yesterday my food was almost on track, the 6 meals a day is a real challenge. I may have to break my rule a bit about not tweaking. The problem is that with homeschooling, we get busy during the day and it's one thing for me to interrupt lessons to grab a snack, but I found that yesterday we did less school and I was preparing snacks for all of us 3 times and we aren't eating the same snacks.

So I think I will incorparate snack time in our schedule, but to off set that have a bowl of fresh fruit on the table and they can eat when they are hungry. I intend to get my 6 and 6, but when I hit a groove with my 7th and K, I need to stick to it. But it's a learning experience and I am ready for it!

[tiggy_oz]

Sounds like you're getting it all figured out. I found that for eating all the bfl meals i premade mini meals in gladware thingys and just grabbed one when i needed to eat something.

I know you said no tweaking, but just dont get dissapointed if you dont lose weight super fast. I found that i had to change my food intake a bit carb wise. Ive cut out rice and pasta 100%, and only allow high gi carbs either earlier in the day or after a workout as part of the recovery meal. finding a lot more success with it.

Your goals look great and attainable. Good luck!

(im on week 5 or something and still going strong)

[ArmyWife04]

Thanks Tiggy! Good luck with the rest of your challenge.

My prep week is almost complete. I'll take my 'free day' on Easter Sunday and then come monday it's all BFL.

I think I have figured out the Aerobic 20 min thing on my treadmill, by adjusting the speed and incline I think I have it. It does go fast and while I'm not sweating, I feel warm. My lower body WO just about killed me yesterday, I must really be pulling on my neck when I do abs because my neck is really hurting, can't do that, I spend too much $$ at the chiro to misalign everything exercising, so I will have to lower the intensity/reps on my ab work while I get stronger. But what I love about what I am reading so far is he says 'your high point is your high point', so I feellike I have license to do what is right for my body right now, I'll get stronger and changes will need to be made as I go along....

On the food front, I can't tweak by switching over to a whole new plan, but I can adjust where I need to for me. It's not feasible to have all these snacks, everyday, but I have cleared out a shelf in my kitchen for 'moms grab and go', right now it's protein bars and EAS shakes, but I intend to get the fridge organized the same way, with fruit, small portions of cottage cheese. I know Bill Phillips says no counting calories, but he also mentions that you need to know how you got to where you are ( obvioulsy not an exact quote), so I am keeping an eye on my calories thru fitday, I'm still getting used to the fist portion control idea, and soon I'll equate my fist sized portion of mixed vegs as 30 cals, and so on. I think with Atkins for the last year, even though I hate being a slave to numbers I have to count something to be accountable to myself. And I agree that I need to also limit my grains/starches, my carbs should come from fruit and yogurt, maybe a grain in the am, and maybe at lunch occasionly. I still do believe that I am carb sensitive and borderline pre-diabetic, so I need to be aware of what different kinds of carbs do to my body.