Week Eight

I was looking pretty forward to my photos and measurements today but I knew as soon as I looked in the mirror that things weren't going to be quite as good as I wanted them to be. I was right. The photos show very little progress and the changes are hard to see, even for me. I did my measurements this afternoon and they too are very similar to what I saw week 4. I did lose an inch and a half off my hips and a half an inch off my belly which are both good, I guess. To say that I'm discouraged would be an understatement.

I'm trying to dig deep and find the positive encouragement I need to keep pressing on. I know I still have 4 weeks left and from what everyone says, the best is yet to come. I hope so. I feel like I am working harder and getting stronger. I just hope it translates into something I can be proud of in the next few weeks.

Week Seven

I started this week off on fire, ready to kick the burnout and get myself motivated and back to my prior 110% commitment. I sat down with my books and my notebook, planned my meals and my workouts and thought I was ready to run with it.

I didn't do all that bad. I need to be less harsh on myself. And I really need to write in that journal. I need to be accountable for my actions. The workouts are getting easier, which I think means I'm getting stronger (a good thing) but I'm not pushing myself as hard (a bad thing). I feel good but I'm still frustrated with my scale weight and how uncontrolled I act on free day. I guess my mind is getting out of the game and I need to refocus.

Eating was a big challenge this week. I didn't get my normal grocery shopping done early in the week which meant I had to be creative to come up with meals that sounded good and were balanced and nutritious. That was hard. Lesson learned is that I need to plan, shop, prepare and stick to the plan. Simple as that.

I've also learned that I'm an "all or nothing" kind of person when it comes to free day. I can do really well with my eating so long as I don't give a bad food choice even a thought. As soon as I tell myself that a few crackers won't hurt, half the box is gone. I did so well with this weakness in the beginning but I've let myself slip. I am going to do better this week. I know I can be perfect with my nutrition and that it is 80% of my success so I'm going to make it my #1 priority from here on out.

I guess my biggest fear is that I won't see the results I'm hoping for and that I'll look back and say that all this hard work was for nothing. I look at my week 4 photos and progress and can't help but think that I've digressed since then. I haven't got out a tape measure, mostly because I'm scared I'll be disappointed in the numbers. I do weigh myself frequently (perhaps too often) and know that my scale weight is not only not going down any longer, but is starting to creep up. This is extremely frustrating. I know it is not all about the scale and the my body is changing regardless of the numbers I see; still, I would really like to see those numbers go down. And not just go down but significantly change so that in the end I can say that all the hard work is worth it. It is scary thinking that I won't believe it.

I also have to keep telling myself that I still have 5 weeks left of the challenge and then the rest of my life after that. Five weeks is a lot of time to still see great improvement. And if I don't get to the "perfect" transformation after these first 12 weeks, I will definitely be on my way and I'll keep at it and I will feel good and the changes will come. Eventually they will come. I just need to be consistent and most importantly, I need to be patient.

I ran 7 miles yesterday with a friend. I'm trying to decided whether or not to run a half marathon at the end of March, about a week after my challenge is over. I want to make sure that this transformation remains my top priority. It was shocking to me that I didn't really enjoy running, something that I used to really love. Long runs used to be my therapy, my "me" time. I really have grown to love my new BFL workouts and the energy and strength I feel from completing a hard workout. Change is good and I know my body and my mind are benefiting from this new lifestyle. Now I just need to remember that.

Gosh I sound like a broken record. Why can't I just keep it in my head how great this feels and how badly I want it?? I'm resolving to hold myself more accountable. I'm doing really well. So I have had a few slip-ups. It's nothing major and certainly not reason to give up and call it quits at this point.

I have measurements and photos next Sunday for my 8 week progress check. I'm extremely motivated to make a big change this week, kick everything up a notch and hopefully have some really great photos and results to post and share. I could really use some positive feedback at this point!

Week Six

I can see what people mean when they say they experience "week six burnout." I think this happened for me this week. I don't know why it has been so hard, but I'm feeling tired and lacking motivation big time. By the time Thursday hit this week I was really struggling and decided to do a free day, thinking it would lift my spirits to eat some junk. Why did I not just hit the treadmill?? I felt horrible and needless to say, the food didn't help. It just goes to show that this is a constant challenge and that I still need to take every day and make the best of it. I'm trying hard not to get down on myself and not to give up. I posted on the BFL forums and try to find support there. It is good to know that I'm not the only one who has struggled at this point. I'm trying to hold on to my success so far and trust that great things are about to happen for me. I need this. I want this. I'm going to do this.

Week Five

This week was a tough one but a good one. I'm starting to really feel stronger and more confident in my workouts and feel like I've conquered the nutrition aspect of my new lifestyle. That alone is major progress in my books because it was my biggest struggle pre- Body For Life. I have got to admit that I am getting a little lazy when it comes to planning out my workouts and meals as a result though. I feel like I know what to do and can trust myself to do it so I don't sit down and physically plan it out every day. I know it can make a big difference and so I'm resolving to do better this coming week.

Most past challenge participants say that many women experience a 6-8 week miracle where fat just seems to melt off! I know that has to be thanks to commitment and hard work more than anything else. I keep telling myself that other people won't see a difference in my body until 8 weeks so I have a while to go before the comments (and hopefully compliments) start. I really want the change to be noticeable and significant, and that fuels me during every workout and meal choice.

I read someone's nutrition tip about balancing protein and carbs during a meal. They suggested that they try to eat 20 g of protein and the same of carbs at each meal. I don't know why but I never thought of it that easily before. I am going to work harder at composing my meals "correctly" rather than just assuming that what I pick up or plan is sufficient. There are so many tools out there to help us succeed. Why not start using them?

Here's to a great week 6 and to getting myself halfway there! I am so excited about how far I've come in so little time and can't wait to see what is in store for me just around the corner!