Re: Take your time, this is one long sad note about myself

May 11, 2002

Awww Kathy! (hi btw my name's and I don't post here all that

much...) I'm sorry you're feeling so blah and down and confused and

frustrated too. Not a fun place to be at all. Consider yourself

hugged OK?

I think the best thing to do is empty your mind of all the

conflicting info that's bouncing around in there, pretend you're

completely new to BFL, and go totally by the book. Do not worry

about eating fruit. If it's on the list that Bill has in the book,

then it's OK to eat as a carb! And veggies...lots of green veggies

are perfectly fine too. Don't worry about timing, when to eat this

or when not to eat that. Just get your 5-6 clean meals in each day

and you will be fine.

Remember (this is one I tell myself all the time too): it took longer

than 6 or 8 or 12 weeks to put the weight back on. At least give it

that long before you expect to *see* results. You are already

experiencing results that you cannot see. The worst thing to do is

give up now.

I read Dr. Hussman's website at least twice a week - it's like a

bible to me. If you haven't read it yet, please do...you will feel

SO much better. http://www.hussman.org/fitness. There is a link

near the top for updates too - don't forget to read those. This guy

has done so much research and helped so many people. He really keeps

me inspired to keep going no matter what.

Hang in there and please don't be so hard on yourself...you wouldn't

treat a friend that way so don't do it to yourself. :-)

> > Ok, all you e-mail peeps have to go check out the

> > home page. Maggie rules! :-)

> >

> /

> >

>

> __________________________________________________

>

May 11, 2002

Kathi,

Cheer up you!!! That's an order.

I hear you loud and clear. I remember when I first started BFL, it was all nice

and simple. I did great. Lost like 30lbs and was all happy and proud of

myself. Last summer when I did it, there was never any calorie counting. Now

every newbie is counting calories. The REAL simplicity is gone and everything

is hard. People who really have nothing to back themselves up are telling

people to START the insanity. Okay...that was my little rant.

What's the best advice that I can give? Keep it simple. As simple as you need

it to be to succeed. Not everybody is cut out to count calories for the rest of

their lives. Listen to your body. If you try the only fruit thing and find

that it's not working, dont waste your time with it. We *should* be feeling

happy. I mean, if you're losing weight, but you feel horrible and are

miserable, what you're doing isn't really working. Maybe you just need some

time to stop and re-evaluate how things are going. Look at what you've done.

Do the pros and cons. You probably could make your own plan. Take the things

that worked for you and put it all together and make yourself a " Kathi Plan " .

What new workouts have you tried??? Are you still doing the BFL workouts???

Maybe you just need a change from that to get you going. Like a whole new

set/rep pattern. The ONE thing that I'll give LL is that when I did the

workouts for a month, I was REALLY feeling it. It was hard and it got me going.

Foodwise, I like to keep it simple. There are days when I'll portion like BFL

and days when I'll portion like Peak Physiques. I can't recommend any

particular program for you. You just have to see what works for you. It's

really all about trial and error. You DO have it in you to succeed. You just

have to tap that little box that says " Kathi can do it " and get rolling.

Was that any help or did I just ramble on for like 3 paragraphs??? If I

rambled, let me know and I'll try to make some sense of what I just said.

Miche

May 11, 2002

Hey Kathi,

I know how you feel. Gaining weight back that you worked so hard to

lose is the worse. I know what it's like to feel like an utter

failure, and to get frustrated and beat up on yourself. I'm going

through that right now, so you're not alone.

I agree with MIche's advice: Keep it simple. Find what works for

you. You cannot count every calorie that goes in your mouth for the

rest of your life. Well, you can, but you'll go crazy, and life

won't be much fun. Aim for your small meals throughout the day,

making sure to have some protein and carb each time. I was

considering cutting out fruit, too, but now I think that's insane,

because I love it, and I don't want to live without ever being able

to eat fruit again.

You lost the weight once, and you can do it again. I tell myself

this every day, and I'm telling you. Discouragement is a self-

fulfilling prophecy, I think. Believe in yourself!

Dani

May 12, 2002

Hi Kathi ... Don't be so hard on yourself - many of us have been in your place

so we can feel your pain. I've done the same thing myself - unfortunately too

many times (I was a true yo yo dieter) but I really hope now that I've found BFL

that will change.

My suggestion to you would be to stop listening to everyone's different

suggestions. Stick to what BP says in the book - it worked for you before and

it will work again - although probably not as quickly since you don't have as

much to lose this time. The only thing I have learned is that perhaps more

control is needed on Free Day ... sometimes we do so much damage on that day

that it is irreparable. Perhaps change the exercises you are doing ... that

might give your body a jolt. I have difficulty in weighing and counting

calories too - that's why I love BFL. I know the portions I can eat and that's

the easiest for me.

And come back and post here and let us know how you are doing. We are always

here to give a {{{HUG}}} ...

Rita+

Take your time, this is one long sad

note about myself

Haven't posted in a while, here I am again.

Who is maggie? She looks great! Maggie if your out

there are you tweaking the program? I wish I was

small. I am getting so frustrated and am sick of

people telling me how good I looked in my bodychangers

picture, because they are saying it past tense! I just

want to cry because I am so sick of hearing all this

conflicting info. don't eat fruit, don't eat whole

wheat bread, blah blah blah. and I just let myself get

so dang confused even though I have been at this for 2

years. Ever since I got down to size 10 last summer

and then gained weight slowly back over the whole

summer, things have been really hard for me. I was

always hearing at the gym how great I looked. It

really motivates me, now that hardly ever happens.

People keep telling me to look where I started at 280

lbs, but I still get depressed because I promise

myself I would never gain weight back, and last summer

I gained 20 back. I weighed 150 and was at 24 percent

body fat, now the stupid scale stays at 190, 190. 190.

and body fat is probably about 27 to 30 percent. When

I had it done it said 24 but I don't believe it when I

weigh so much and am only 5ft 3. I get so confused

because I just want to follow BFL, it is a simple

effective program. I like doing the easy hand thing

and I just grab an apple and some tuna and it is so

easy. But then I hear about all the these other

fitness programs like Peak physiques or LL and I

think, maybe I need that. But measuring is so

confusing to me and BFL is so easy. If I want quick

results I need to do a bodybuilder no fruit whatever

diet. I wish I could do that but it sets me up for

failure to be so strict. I just hate my stomach that

still hangs down like a smile cuz of my c section. I

hate it and it is so slow in going away. I work so

hard. But I know, I just have to keep going, it will

come off eventually right? That is what everyone says.

People write to me looking for advice from the

bodychangers website, but how can I give advice when I

feel so bad about myself. I know you should not look

at scales but I should not weigh 190! I work so hard.

I even tried adding extra cardio but that can only be

done for so long then I just get super exhausted cause

of all the weight I am pushing. I just started taking

CLA because I know we neeed it, and I heard it attacks

abdominal fat! My progress is just so slow this time

around. I just want to be comfortable with myself, I

just want my size 10 on again! I wear 14 and have now

for a month or more. I think they are getting a tiny

bit loose, but see my very first challenge, things

happened so fast for me. I changed so much in 12

weeks, and this time around, it is not happening. I

know about changing the routine and I do that all the

time, but maybe I need to change my eating. I just

have a protein and a carb. like egg beaters and

oatmeal, then protein drink and an apple, then tuna

and a pear w veggies, then cottage chesse and

yougurt(sugfree and ffofcourse), then chicken, veggies

, you get the point. I have been trying to use fruit

like apples and pears, and berries for my carb mostly

because I just thought if I stick to nature I should

be okay. But then I hear this stuff about fruit with

too much sugar, but it is assimilated slower because

it is fructose, blah blah blah, So what is right? Then

I hear not to eat carbs at night, but then I hear to

eat cottage cheese and an apple before I go to bed! I

think I know what works, but I listen to others info,

and think I need to do that. How do you know if you

are carb sensitive and gain weight with carbs? I lost

80 lbs eating mostly bread, fruits,yougurt, and

veggies before I started bfl a year and a half ago.

But ofcourse I did not have the muscle tone I do now,

at least on my upper body. Past my belly button to my

knees I could just cut it off!! I feel so

disproportioned. I have a upper body I like and calves

that are really lean, but in between is not good!

Okay, I am just having such a hard time and I am such

a vetran of BFL I should not be crying. I don't want

to change how I eat because I know BFL is the proper

way to eat, with balance. I know from experiance you

cannot cut out food groups. so is my answer to just be

patient? I tried going to a freee meal but I always

end up cheating the whole weekend, but I look so

forward to free day. Even after all this time on BFL

lifestyle, and 100 pounds lost, I just can't give it

up. Deep down that love of cheesy creamy food is still

there. I am so sorry this is so long. I saw the

poster girl pic, and I think I got jealous and wished

that was me. If anyone has suggestions for me, but I

don't want to be confused. I just love BFL and it

needs to work for me. Besides changing my workouts

time and again which I am good at, what about the food

part? Thanks so much for listening to me rant. Maybe

noone will read this I won't be so embarassed for

spilling my guts to people who most likely have there

own problems to deal with. But it felt good to type

this whole dang thing. I always complain about myself,

I hate that.

Thanks so much

Kathi Felix

--- Skwigg <skwigg@...> wrote:

> Ok, all you e-mail peeps have to go check out the

> home page. Maggie rules! :-)

>

/

>

__________________________________________________

May 12, 2002

> Who is maggie? She looks great! Maggie if your out

> there are you tweaking the program?

Kathi--

Thanks : ) I stuck to tried and true BFL for C1 and half of C2. The

only difference I made was halfway through C2 I started working out

with a trainer who convinced me to *try* working my legs differently.

We started with lighter weight and higher reps to stop my already

massive quads from getting any larger. Definitely seems to have

worked if you check out my C2W6 pics in my briefcase. As for

nutrition, tried and true BFL all the way, including wheat bread

pretty much once a day, fruit for carbs, eating 3 hours apart, even

before bedtime. As of right now, I'm done with " challenges " persay,

I'm going to start zigzagging my calories and doing a new sets/reps

pattern.

I know where you are, though. A year ago I was just slightly heavier

than I am now. I worked a stressful summer job at a camp for disabled

people and quickly packed on 30lbs in 90 days. That's like 1/3 of a

pound gain every single day. I shudder when I think of it. I started

C1 at the end of October after already dropping 10 or so lbs on my

own. And six months later (nine months total), the weight is FINALLY

gone.

I think all the advice you've gotten so far is great. All I'm going

to add is that YOU know what works so just DO it. It's as simple as

eating clean and working out, every single day. YOU can do it, so

what are you waiting for?

Take care and hang in there : )

Maggie

May 12, 2002

Kathy,

don't go by what people say, they are not living your life and you are not doing

this for them but for you. Take some time for yourself, give your body a

break, you are worth it and you deserve it! Calm down and sit down with pen and

paper and write... write about how you feel, about the way you felt when you

were at your ideal weight, focus on the positive make that your goal to feel

like that again. Write down what it is that is stopping you and analize it as

if it wasn't you. Write your goals, don't make them big goals, little goals sum

up to bigger goals. YOU can do it. You did it in the past, there is nothing

that stops you to do it again, except yourself. If you know that BFL worked for

you, then do it again... forget about LL and PP and any other double letter

programs out there, stick to BFL. You are in the best support group there is

for BFLer's. Have fun with this and rejoice in the small things, focus but

don't lose the big picture. I know you are going to do great. YOU are a big

inspiration to me to know that you were once 280 and now you're at 190. I

started at 215 and although I have dropped a lot, sometimes it makes me nervous

to think I won't be able to reach my goal. Keep looking up and you'll be able

to see the sun shine just for you!

Ena.

May 12, 2002

I'm behind in reading yesterday's posts. Everyone has given such

excellent advice for your dilemma. I don't have much new to add

except never give up! Even if it takes a year to reach your new goal

you're going to look back this time next year and say gosh that was

short! I promise. So just dig in and persevere. I think part of the

problem is you feel overwhelmed by the weight gain. Set small goals

that aren't overwhelming and advance from there. Stay here for

support.

Stasia

May 12, 2002

Miche wrote:

> Kathi,

>

> Cheer up you!!! That's an order.

>

> I hear you loud and clear. I remember when I first started BFL, it was all

nice and simple. I did great. Lost like 30lbs and was all happy and proud of

myself. Last summer when I did it, there was never any calorie counting. Now

every newbie is counting calories. The REAL simplicity is gone and everything

is hard. People who really have nothing to back themselves up are telling

people to START the insanity. Okay...that was my little rant.

>

> What's the best advice that I can give? Keep it simple. As simple as you

need it to be to succeed. Not everybody is cut out to count calories for the

rest of their lives. Listen to your body. If you try the only fruit thing and

find that it's not working, dont waste your time with it. We *should* be

feeling happy. I mean, if you're losing weight, but you feel horrible and are

miserable, what you're doing isn't really working. Maybe you just need some

time to stop and re-evaluate how things are going. Look at what you've done.

Do the pros and cons. You probably could make your own plan. Take the things

that worked for you and put it all together and make yourself a " Kathi Plan " .

>

> What new workouts have you tried??? Are you still doing the BFL workouts???