Debszies journal - BFL

[Debszie]

Week 1 Day 1 BFL

These photos make me absolutely shudder. I really should get them printed and up on the wall to help keep me motivated esp when my partner is relaxing with a nice merlot and my daughter is eating a cadbury bar

[Debszie]

Yay - we wuz wondering where u'd gone!

How were the legs the day after leg day?

Well nothing, nothing has beaten that first day of doing legs, in terms of after pain, or during pain! I'm thinking of upping the weight a little next week.

Ohh I feel very embarrassed looking at those photos I attached :oops: :oops: :oops: . Hopefully it will be worth it at the end of this 12 weeks and my 35% bf will be reduced and my muscles will be increased!

[teamfatboy]

Well done - both on graduating, and on posting.

Having the pics will really help, because now you'll have a source of comparisons as you move through BFL. When you see how far you've come, you'll not want to look back!

Rose is right about the weights and intensity - keep pushing yourself a little harder each time. Keep a journal, even if it's just in a notebook for yourself - and you'll be amazed how far you can go.

[Debszie]

Thanks guys :grin:

I think I would like/need to increase my cardio, I dont feel satisfied with doing 20mins HiiT x3 p/w, I feel I could to more on my cardio days. Today I did a bit on the bike after my 20min run on the treadmill, which was a big thing for me as im usually on the floor by then (and my heart rate hovers around 199 at max)

Food strange today, lots of family stuff happening

7.30am protein pancake, coffee

12pm chicken and vege soup

4pm protein shake

7pm tofu and vege soup, 2 little bits of french stick

and lots of picking at last nights corned beef mmmmm

Meeting my pt on Wednesday to do measurements and stuff

[teamfatboy]

It's been a while since I paid too much attention to exactly how prescriptive BFL is on cardio, so I'm not sure what the impact would be on the programme by increasing the cardio - my instinct says that, if your body feels you can do more, then certainly talk it over with your PT.

That's wicked intensity - given that the rough rule of thumb for Max HR is 220-age, you're really giving it heaps!

[marky65]

Nothing wrong with throwing a bit more cardio into the mix. I have done BFL a couple of times and the 20 mins cardio doesn't seem long enough IMO.

I ended up taking it up to 30 mins then 40 mins at intervals....Just listen to your body and do as it says. (ignore the chocolate cravings though lol)

Good on you for posting pics to.....took me a while to get mine up in here to :pfft:

[Debszie]

Ok i just want to say, because its my journal and i can say anything i want, that i feel totally and utterly blah and fucked of today about this whole BFL thing.

If im honest with myself, when i look in the mirror or do the clothes fit test, i dont feel 1 bit changed or less fat or what ever. I feel like this 3 weeks of gym 6x pw and eating boring food and not joining in the cadbury bars is not doing a single thing at all.

I know this is different, but when i did weight watchers a couple of years back, after 3 weeks of solid exercising (training for a triathlon) and eating the required points blah blah, i felt less fat in the guts and hips etc. So even by not using scales as a guide (which im not doing anymore), if im totally honest with myself, i dont feel a fucking bit different at all, and im very very pissed off about it. I dont expect to suddenly have huge muscles or anything, but i DO expect to notice some fat loss in my problem areas eg guts ass and hips.

I feel frustrated and angry and i wish i knew someone who went to my gym so they could hold up some pads for me and i could practice those taekwondo skills i learned all those years ago.

HOWEVER - a slight plan lingering away in the back of my anger is to look at taking a class on the days im meant to do cardio, like one of those taebo (or what ever its called in 2009!) classes

On that note, legs today, and the gym closes in 2 hours. If you go to Les Mills Lower Hutt im the one with the skinny arms and legs struggling away with a 17kg bench press and nearly dying while doing a 20kg deadlift (but ohh ohh im adding 2.5kg today, thats heaps for me!). Oh yes and when you see me doing an Arnold press with a 2kg dumbbell and my arms are shaking with the extreme effort of it, you'll know thats me. Come up and say hi and give me a tissue to wipe my tears of frustration, and slap me hard with the other one.

Off I go. :evil:

[teamfatboy]

Heya Debs

Man does your story sound familiar...I suspect I'm not the only one who can remember exactly where you are right now... if you were in town, I'd have said "Come to Bodyworks, you can kick seven kinds of crap out of the bags and punching pads!".

I don't know about Les Mills BodyCombat classes, but if you can get to Exodus, or a City Fitness, they do Radical Fitness' FightDo, which is a kick-ass combat class - give it a go!

But remember these things:

a. that fat didn't go on overnight, it's not going to come off overnight;

b. it's possibel that, when you did Weightwatchers you did knock off some easy gains, so easy gains aren't there this time;

c. BFL is a different kind of programme to WW - but give it time to work.

Besides, weren't you the one whose partner said he could see a difference?

Trust him - right now, because of how your body's responding to the different workloads and diet, he's likely to be more objective about it than you are.

Hang in there Debs, you'll make it, and it will be worth it.

[runveerun]

We are our own worst critic! As TFB said your husband can see a difference! Have you taken photos? I took photos every 2 weeks on BFL the same shot, pose and outfit, when I thought nothing had happened I could look at the pics and see tiny differences. I know just muscle tone in general as it happens so sllloowwwly you think nothing has happened but when you compare back something has happened! Click on my Bodyspace link on my signature below, my before and during and after photos for BFL are up on that site.

Have you got the BFL book? I found that a great source of inspiration to read, and read about others in EXACTLY the same position. There was one lady who for the first 3 weeks actually put on 5kg. But determined to keep going she did and what an amazing result. She even says in the book what if I had given up after putting on 5kg in the 3rd week? I would be 5kg heavier and even worse off!!

Keep going, this 12 week course is the way forward and to get the body you want!

[Debszie]

Ok im back from the gym, and not so angry

Im proud of myself because i added some weight to the dead lifts. I knew it was time to do it because I found I was doing it and thinking about boring things like 'did i bring in the washing?' etc. So i upped the weights on those AND the calf raises thingy.

AND a highlight was when my friend Irene the bodybuilder came up to me and told me i had good technique and patted me on the back - last week when she saw me I was crying so that is a change. A bodybuilder told me I have good technique :clap: :grin: :pfft: :nod: :wink: and every other smilie!!

Have you taken photos? I took photos every 2 weeks on BFL the same shot, pose and outfit, when I thought nothing had happened I could look at the pics and see tiny differences. I know just muscle tone in general as it happens so sllloowwwly you think nothing has happened but when you compare back something has happened!

Thanks Vee, Ive taken day 1 photos (those horrendous photos i posted the other day, maybe I will take them every 2 weeks as well to see for myself.

There was one lady who for the first 3 weeks actually put on 5kg. But determined to keep going she did and what an amazing result. She even says in the book what if I had given up after putting on 5kg in the 3rd week? I would be 5kg heavier and even worse off!!

Gee I feel like ive read the book a thousand times and dont remember her story....but im sure its true

Pooh well I smell and my lovely partner has just gently placed a protein bar next to the laptop and kindly asked me if I've had a shower yet......I get the hint

I may not be seeing or feeling any different but my body is getting stronger and I'm gonna hold on to that!

Hang in there Debs, you'll make it, and it will be worth it.

Thanks heaps You guys rock

[startinfromscratch]

Awesome advice youre getting debsie! take it..

just fyi, the first topic i ever posted on this site was exactly that - 'im doing what im supposed to, but my weights not changing?'

turned out to be a carryover effect of losing tubs and putting on beef at the same time - quite easy t do when you first start taking it seriously. the tape measure is the one to use!

heres a site i find handy, working out cals can be complicated/boring, depending on how varied your diet is, but as Rose says, it is very important to know where your at calories-wise! and keep up the good work, your doing awesome!!!! http://www.rnc.co.nz/wawcs0114085/ln-ul ... ssary.html

[Debszie]

Crap its been a busy week!

My good news for the week is that I've slowly been adding weight to the deadlifts and now ive added an extra 10kg to the bar for my last set wahoo!!! I was real proud when I added a little 1.25kg in the beginning and now I can do a whole 30kg which for me is HEAPS!

Maid of Honour at a wedding tomorrow, wearing killer heels, at least my legs look 3 weeks better! :pfft:

[teamfatboy]

Wicked results Debs...that's great to hear :clap:

Not only did the weights go up, but just as important, you learned you can push yourself harder!

And if you can see improvements in your legs, you may be surprised what others, maybe those who've not seen you for a month or more, may say!

[runveerun]

woohoo for killer heels! \:D/

Have fun at the wedding!! Well done on upping the weights, it's always a great feeling when you have upped it a notch!

[Debszie]

ok so im sitting here feeling absolutely unmotivated and just absolutely exhausted and have several reasons (excuses) why i shouldn't go do my cardio. so what i thought id do is post my piddly weights up so i can feel embarrassed (motivated) and then proud a bit later on as i see them increase......

These weights may be very small but I dont care because Im now only 4 weeks into it and they have actually gone up from when Ive first started

First up: Tanita thingy

8 May 09

Weight 64.6kg

BF 35.4%

3 June 09

Weight 63.6kg

BF 34.3%

Measurements 3 June 09

Chest 86.5 cms (please Lord let that go up....although I know it will go down....)

Hips 86.5cms

Waist 37cm

Thigh 49.5cm

Weights as at 3 June 09

Upper Body

Barbell chest press 12x12.5kg, 10x15, 8x17.5, 6x17.5, 12x15

Dumbbell arnold press 12x3 (started on 1kg for this one hahahaha), 10x4, 8x5, 6x6(can hardly do it), 12x5

Cable wide row 12x6.25, 10x8.75, 8x11.25, 6x13.75, 12x8.75

Tricep barbell extensions 12x4, 10x4, 8x5, 6x6, 12x5

Dumbell curl 12x3, 10x4, 8x5, 6x6 (can hardly do it) 12x5

Lower Body

Cable squats (urrgghh) 12x11.25, 10x13.75, 8x16.25, 6x18.75, 12x16.25

Barbell deadlifts 12x20, 10x22.5, 8x25, 6x30, 12x25

Seated calf raises 12x15, 10x17.5, 8x20, 6x22.5, 12x17.5

Abs every day (ahem - or every second day)

Eating is getting worse (as in not having 5-6 meals a day all the time)

Like today:

m1 scrambled eggs and mushrooms, coffee (post semi-hangover food)

m2 banana and protein powder smoothie

m2 chicken, spinach silverbeet and roast vege salad (pumpkin yams spuds etc)

The end.

[teamfatboy]

Hey Debs,

Nice to see the workout recorded in the journal.... and rest assured, what everyone will notice is not the weights, but the improvements. Everyone feels the same way.

Have a look at my journal, I KNOW my own weights for some exercises are woeful, but I log them, so that I can beat them, so that I can look back on them and see how far I've come, and so that I can be encouraged by the others on here when I push myself to a new Personal Best

Motivation's an issue that some people (like me) struggle with more than others....in some ways, BFL and BBing are very selfish things to do, because they take up time, and they take commitment. The good thing is, it does get easier :nod:

Something that might help is the saying that NZBB moderator Poos-n-Wees had as her signature block for a while "The only woman who can stop me, is me - and I can take her".

[Pseudonym]

Hey Debs, you planning on entering your photos in the NZBB Challenge?

:poked: :grin:

[Debszie]

Something that might help is the saying that NZBB moderator Poos-n-Wees had as her signature block for a while "The only woman who can stop me, is me - and I can take her".

Ohh thats really good, I might print that out and put it on my desk at work! Thanks!

Hey Debs, you planning on entering your photos in the NZBB Challenge?

:poked: :grin:

First Ive heard of it...but after having a squizz - sure, I'll enter! Not sure about finding 2 other poses though - is sitting at work eating my millionth can of salmon a pose?

Thanks Rose. I sometimes have to stop and remind myself that ive been lifting weights for a whole 4 weeks now (not 4 years) and so I should celebrate every small gain (or loss, as the case may be!)

Have decided to do some cardio on my arms days and to sometimes do a class instead of just a 20min run on cardio days. Time to up the anti me thinks.

[marky65]

You are going well Debszie

Sometimes the gains are great and sometimes not so great...you just have to go with the flow as far as your body goes. Not everyone will have the same gains/losses with the same workout.

You just have to find your best level.

Keep up the great work

[Debszie]

Lesson 63 - don't decide to moisturise your hands just minutes before a weights workout :doh:

Got brave and asked this big dude to help me with an abs machine - first step abs machine, next step "please sir will you spot me this 20kg barbell?"

Legs tonight, felt a lot stronger. Halfway through week 4. Posted my pics up on the NZBB before thingy. Ps I have the most supportive boyfriend a girl could ever want, who makes a mean protein pancake and bakes a mean chicken for lunch. Now just gotta teach him to massage sore hamstrings............ :wink:

[teamfatboy]

...[TFB looks in gymbag...soap - yes, towel - yes, moisturiser - nope. No worries here :grin:]

Way to go Debs - so many people posting pics, it's gonna be wicked :clap:

[Debszie]

Am in a foul mood

Trying to work out how many calories I 'should' be eating per day in order to loose fat and gain muscle. If anyone is good at this im 33 years old, 1.67cm (5"6), 64.5kg (141pound) and at the gym 6xpw

Anyway its farking confusing trying to work it out, my man did it all for me based on last 2 days of eating and im having about 1600 cals a day but the guts and the ass are still the same blah blah blah

But what really pissed me off is I had a nice piece of steak for tea (with other stuff) and it was so good that i snuck into the kitchen to have another piece...next thing i know my man is saying 'dont eat that you'll blow your limit!! (of calories) and my daughter rushes up and snatches it out of my hand and shoves it in her mouth

I went off! "Its only a piece of meat! You all have chocolate and dessert and biscuits and i have NOTHING, NOTHING but f**king veges and meat and oats and f**king protein powder so you can at LEAST let me eat a piece of goddam meat!!!!" :banging: :snap: :gunfire:

And of course now the familys in a shit with me (either that or im having a food based delusion) and i feel guilty as because they are so good to me and are only trying to help

But f*ck me dead if I don't want to shove a croissant in my mouth right now with about 5 glasses of pinot noir. But no, i wont, because apparently, even though i still have flab sticking out my jeans etc, even though i dont feel physically different (size) this is all worth it and one day i'll just suddenly notice results :smoke: (insert cute little cartoon yellow face of sarcasm

[Debszie]

On a roll here! And now hes just sauntered into the room and cracked open a Guinness and then waved it under my nose with an evil look on his face and is eating crackers and cheese. One moment while I search for the appropriate smilies:

:evil: :twisted:

:cry:

:banging: :clubbed: :clubbed: :boohoo: :boohoo: :flames:

:gunfire: :jail: :madman: :phear: :smackbottom: :smoke:

[startinfromscratch]

hhmmm debzie, not a good frame of mind!

yea i can relate - im having my first crack at restricted calories - and i dream of burgers!!

its hard not to expect huge things when its such a massive effort eating a proper calorie deficient diet! i know your pain. im less than 2 weeks in and i feel like i should have abs already cos im eating really clean and disciplined lol! but as tfb alluded to previously - the flab doesnt go on overnight, and wont come off overnight - key here is thats easy to say, but doesnt seem to help when youre in a neg mindset..

Keep the faith chick! you know youll beat urself up later if you have a weak moment and quit, but allow yourself a little leeway with decent food :nod: *awaits flaming*

[Debszie]

Thanks, I WILL keep the faith, and am in a much better frame of mind now :pfft: