Re: Please give some feedback on results

[Guest guest]

Hi! I was feeling the same way at about the same point in the

challenge that you are. I started to see results the last couple of

weeks. So I don't think you are wasting your time. It just takes a

while for the result to become apparent for some. Hang in there. It

WILL happen.

> HI All

> I am a bit concerned regarding my results. I am in the 7th week of my

> first challenge and honestly I can't see much of a change. I can feel

> the muscle that I have gained in my legs and arms but it still seems

> to be covered by the same amount of fat and looks terrible. I tried

> to add extra cardio to lose the fat faster but was so tired that I

> could not do my weights properly. I am getting really depressed!

> Everytime I stand in front of a mirror at the gym I want to cry as a

> feel all the hard work was for nothing. I have reviewed my diet and

> it seems to be fine. Can any of you please give me feedback as to

> whether you have had a simirlar experience or when you started to see

> results. I am concerned that if the next 6 weeks have the same

> results as the first 6 weeks that I am wasting my time.

> Thanks

[Guest guest]

How are you measuring your results? Are you going by a tape measure and body fat

readings or just the mirror and scale? The mirror tends to do a funhouse thing.

Most of us can't see our improvements clearly because we're too busy freaking

out over whatever area still needs work. And we all know the scale's full of it.

:-)

Why don't you post a couple days of your menus. Maybe something will stand out

that we can help you with. Also, how are your free days? It's not an easy thing

to do, but it is possible to wipe out your calorie deficit for the week in one

day.

You're not wasting time, you're developing all kinds of healthy new habits that

will keep you lean for the rest of your life. We all come to BFL with different

body types and diet histories. Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to

make everything click perfectly. Hang in there, we'll figure it out!

You've read this, right?

We Really Do Change From the Inside Out

http://hussman.org/fitness/index.htm#inside

Please give some feedback on results

HI All

I am a bit concerned regarding my results. I am in the 7th week of my

first challenge and honestly I can't see much of a change. I can feel

the muscle that I have gained in my legs and arms but it still seems

to be covered by the same amount of fat and looks terrible. I tried

to add extra cardio to lose the fat faster but was so tired that I

could not do my weights properly. I am getting really depressed!

Everytime I stand in front of a mirror at the gym I want to cry as a

feel all the hard work was for nothing. I have reviewed my diet and

it seems to be fine. Can any of you please give me feedback as to

whether you have had a simirlar experience or when you started to see

results. I am concerned that if the next 6 weeks have the same

results as the first 6 weeks that I am wasting my time.

Thanks

[Guest guest]

Thanks, I have posted my daily menu before and the only comment was

that myoplex lite is very high in sugar so I have swapped to the

Myoplex low carb bars. I eat 3 meals a day of 80-150gr protein

(chicken, turket, tuna) with salad (lettuce, peppers, onions)and a

fruit (apple, orange, banana) I add a tablespoon olive oil in the

evenings, I also eat 3 snacks of half a myoplex low carb bar and half

an orange. I take 2 capsules CLA with each meal(3 times daily) as

well as 2 Betalean twice daily. My free days are getting better and

better and I actually enjoy not having to eat all the time. I

probably eat between 2000 and 3000 calories on my free day.

I have purchased one of those electronic body fat measures but I

don't seem to be able to get an accurate reading. My weight has

hardly changed on the scale and my clothes are not fitting any

looser. My goal was to lose 25pds over the 12 weeks and I think it is

very unlikely now as I only have 6 weeks left. I have also been

incredibly tired in the last 2 weeks and increasingly hungry. Any

ideas why? The problem is that I am starting to hate my body more and

more because it is not doing what it is supposed to which does not

help much either.

What I would really like to know is whether anybody has had good

results with a similar experience?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

> How are you measuring your results? Are you going by a tape measure

and body fat

> readings or just the mirror and scale? The mirror tends to do a

funhouse thing.

> Most of us can't see our improvements clearly because we're too

busy freaking

> out over whatever area still needs work. And we all know the

scale's full of it.

> :-)

>

> Why don't you post a couple days of your menus. Maybe something

will stand out

> that we can help you with. Also, how are your free days? It's not

an easy thing

> to do, but it is possible to wipe out your calorie deficit for the

week in one

> day.

>

> You're not wasting time, you're developing all kinds of healthy new

habits that

> will keep you lean for the rest of your life. We all come to BFL

with different

> body types and diet histories. Sometimes it takes a little trial

and error to

> make everything click perfectly. Hang in there, we'll figure it out!

>

> You've read this, right?

>

> We Really Do Change From the Inside Out

> http://hussman.org/fitness/index.htm#inside

>

>

>

>

> Please give some feedback on

results

>

>

> HI All

> I am a bit concerned regarding my results. I am in the 7th week of

my

> first challenge and honestly I can't see much of a change. I can

feel

> the muscle that I have gained in my legs and arms but it still seems

> to be covered by the same amount of fat and looks terrible. I tried

> to add extra cardio to lose the fat faster but was so tired that I

> could not do my weights properly. I am getting really depressed!

> Everytime I stand in front of a mirror at the gym I want to cry as a

> feel all the hard work was for nothing. I have reviewed my diet and

> it seems to be fine. Can any of you please give me feedback as to

> whether you have had a simirlar experience or when you started to

see

> results. I am concerned that if the next 6 weeks have the same

> results as the first 6 weeks that I am wasting my time.

> Thanks

[Guest guest]

First of all, don't you hate it when people answer questions with more

questions?? LOL You guessed it, I have more questions. I'm not trying to be

annoying, I'm just trying to get a clearer picture.

How tall are you?

How much do you weigh?

What do your flaky body fat readings say?

Without having any idea of your size, it's hard to know if you're eating too

much or too little. The main thing that jumps out at me right now is that you're

having meals and snacks instead of 6 meals that are equal in calories. That

might be why you're hungry and tired. Half a bar and half an orange isn't much

food, especially compared to the palm and fist portions suggested in the book.

It's possible that your meals are too big and your snacks are too small. It's

possible that there's just way too much sugar (fake and otherwise) for you in

the fruit and bars. It's definitely possible that your body has gotten totally

and completely used to what you're eating every day and just stopped responding.

Do you ever eat things like oats, beans, yams, lentils, brown rice, whole wheat

pasta? They have less sugar and a lot more protein and fiber than a piece of

fruit. They would probably go a long way toward alleviating the tired and hungry

sensation.

I can't tell you much about calories (not knowing your body size). But think

about making your meals equal in size and adding more variety. Also, (depending

what you put on your salads) your diet appears to be very, very low in fat. That

could also contribute to the hunger and fatigue.

So, there are some thoughts off the top of my head.

Please give some feedback on

results

>

>

> HI All

> I am a bit concerned regarding my results. I am in the 7th week of

my

> first challenge and honestly I can't see much of a change. I can

feel

> the muscle that I have gained in my legs and arms but it still seems

> to be covered by the same amount of fat and looks terrible. I tried

> to add extra cardio to lose the fat faster but was so tired that I

> could not do my weights properly. I am getting really depressed!

> Everytime I stand in front of a mirror at the gym I want to cry as a

> feel all the hard work was for nothing. I have reviewed my diet and

> it seems to be fine. Can any of you please give me feedback as to

> whether you have had a simirlar experience or when you started to

see

> results. I am concerned that if the next 6 weeks have the same

> results as the first 6 weeks that I am wasting my time.

> Thanks

[Guest guest]

Hi, Thanks for the reply, at the moment I need all the advice I can

get as I am pulling my hair out.

I am 5ft 6 " tall and weigh 150 pds and my body fat readings come out

between 25-30% so its difficult to determine whether I am going down

or not. I am currently a tight size 36 or European 12, I am not sure

what that would be in American sizes. I used to be a loose fitting 34

(or 10)when I was at my thinnest and I weighed 120 pounds.

The reason I eat half a bar is that the low carb bars are about 290

calories. So a snack would eaqual 290/2=145 cals plus half a fruit

(40)which gives 185 or almost 200. My meals would be about 120 160

cals for the protein plus fruit (80 cals) which also gives 200 to

240 . And then I add a tablespoon olive oil in the evening which is

about 120 calories and some time 3 teasoons fat free natural yogurt

as a dressing. So for a day that gives me about 1400 calories. I

hardly ever cheat (except om my free day)although I do skip the

occasional snack and eat a whole bar as a snack when I am hungry. I

eat the same thing every day, I know its boring but I work very long

hours and this is the easiest for me to prepare. The only change is

once a week I eat three eggs as my portion of protein with a

tablespoon of tomato sauce and a banana for breakfast.

Most the bars have 2 grams of sugar in them so that about 1 gram for

a snack. I try not to eat complex carbohydrates as in my experience

they trigger carb cravings and make me sleepy. Dr Sears from " The

Zone " also recommends fruit and veg instead of complex carbs. I also

drink A LOT of water about 6 litres or 24 cups a day. I don't drink

other beverages except for my free days. I also take 2 Betalean twice

daily and 2 CLA 3 times daily.

I am very committed to this program as it makes a lot of sense but I

don't understand why I am not getting the results I was hoping for. I

can feel the muscles that I have gained but the fat just is not

shifting. I have previously seriously damaged my metabolism by

starvation diet and excessive aerobic exercise.

Do you think I should give up my free day? It could be the problem

but I so look forward to it and I am very scared that if I don't have

this once a week I may fall of the program or fall in the same trap

of starvation dieting.

I do my weight training to the best of my ability and about 6 out of

10 times I am quite stiff the next day. I run for my aerobic exersise

and really hit a 10 every time as I am always gasping for breath by

the end. A problem may also be that I work 12 hours a day and it is a

completely sedentary job, although I try to get up every hour and

walk around for a couple of minutes.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

> > How are you measuring your results? Are you going by a tape

measure

> and body fat

> > readings or just the mirror and scale? The mirror tends to do a

> funhouse thing.

> > Most of us can't see our improvements clearly because we're too

> busy freaking

> > out over whatever area still needs work. And we all know the

> scale's full of it.

> > :-)

> >

> > Why don't you post a couple days of your menus. Maybe something

> will stand out

> > that we can help you with. Also, how are your free days? It's not

> an easy thing

> > to do, but it is possible to wipe out your calorie deficit for the

> week in one

> > day.

> >

> > You're not wasting time, you're developing all kinds of healthy

new

> habits that

> > will keep you lean for the rest of your life. We all come to BFL

> with different

> > body types and diet histories. Sometimes it takes a little trial

> and error to

> > make everything click perfectly. Hang in there, we'll figure it

out!

> >

> > You've read this, right?

> >

> > We Really Do Change From the Inside Out

> > http://hussman.org/fitness/index.htm#inside

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Please give some feedback on

> results

> >

> >

> > HI All

> > I am a bit concerned regarding my results. I am in the 7th week of

> my

> > first challenge and honestly I can't see much of a change. I can

> feel

> > the muscle that I have gained in my legs and arms but it still

seems

> > to be covered by the same amount of fat and looks terrible. I

tried

> > to add extra cardio to lose the fat faster but was so tired that I

> > could not do my weights properly. I am getting really depressed!

> > Everytime I stand in front of a mirror at the gym I want to cry

as a

> > feel all the hard work was for nothing. I have reviewed my diet

and

> > it seems to be fine. Can any of you please give me feedback as to

> > whether you have had a simirlar experience or when you started to

> see

> > results. I am concerned that if the next 6 weeks have the same

> > results as the first 6 weeks that I am wasting my time.

> > Thanks

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

It sounds like you're doing a lot of things right. Part of it may be patience.

You're not very overweight for your height, nor are you at an unhealthy level of

body fat. If the electronic doowhacky is telling you your body fat is in the mid

to upper 20s, that means it's probably really in the lower 20s right now.

Bioelectric impedance devices are notoriously several percentage points high.

Getting your body fat readings to drop into the teens can be slow going. Your

body isn't going to go there on a whim, especially if you've starved yourself in

the past. It will take time, patience and dedication to do it the right way this

time. Please don't give up. This will work.

Most people gain muscle early in a challenge. A lot of times the fat doesn't

really start coming off until the second half. Have you read Hussman's site

already? He has a lot of suggestions for people who feel they're not seeing

results. http://www.hussman.org/fitness/

A couple of his suggestions that might apply to you:

- don't equate protein with meat, be sure to also use whey protein, cottage

cheese, egg protein, etc.

- to create a bigger deficit you need to both decrease your calories slightly

and increase your activity.

I think with your totally sedentary job, you almost definitely need more daily

activity. I watch television for a living. Literally, I sit on my butt in a

chair in front of a television for 8-12 hours a day. Then I come home and get

online! LOL I have to make a very deliberate effort to boost my activity level.

I do 20 minutes of intense intervals three times a week, but I also do 30-60

minutes of moderate activity most days. Nothing major - walking the dog, a Tae

Bo video, skating, riding a bike. I also twitch, fidget, dance, run the stairs

at work, and do cartwheels in the halls. Workplace tumbling might not be an

option for you, but definitely find a way to move more throughout the day.

I still think the sugar alcohol in the bars could be doing a number on you. Even

though it shouldn't have any impact on blood sugar and insulin levels, some

low-carb dieters swear that it does. And all of the " ols " (glycerol, malitol)

are still empty calories. They may have less than half the caloric impact of

sugar, but they're still there. That's why the FDA recently forced supplement

companies to label the carb content more accurately. Bars that claimed to have 2

grams of carbs suddenly jumped to 22 grams. The bars might not be a problem.

However, you would probably be much better off having a whey protein shake, or

cottage cheese, or even hard boiled eggs (mostly whites) as your protein source

for those three meals. Try it for a week and see what happens. If it jumpstarts

your progress it's worth investigating.

Don't eliminate free day. That would probably lead to cheating like crazy and

eventually quitting altogether. I think you can reach your goals just by

boosting your daily activity level, adding some variety to your diet, and being

patient.

So, whew! I hope that maybe something there will be helpful.

Please give some feedback on

> results

> >

> >

> > HI All

> > I am a bit concerned regarding my results. I am in the 7th week of

> my

> > first challenge and honestly I can't see much of a change. I can

> feel

> > the muscle that I have gained in my legs and arms but it still

seems

> > to be covered by the same amount of fat and looks terrible. I

tried

> > to add extra cardio to lose the fat faster but was so tired that I

> > could not do my weights properly. I am getting really depressed!

> > Everytime I stand in front of a mirror at the gym I want to cry

as a

> > feel all the hard work was for nothing. I have reviewed my diet

and

> > it seems to be fine. Can any of you please give me feedback as to

> > whether you have had a simirlar experience or when you started to

> see

> > results. I am concerned that if the next 6 weeks have the same

> > results as the first 6 weeks that I am wasting my time.

> > Thanks

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi .

Thanks for the advice. I am on holiday next week but decided not to

go away so that I could stick to the program so it will be the ideal

time to implement your suggestions as I'll have more time available.

I'll definitely keep you updated as to my progress.

Most of all I would like to thank you for your positivity (i don't

know if thats an actual word). You have given me the boost to re-

evaluate everything again so this weekend I am going to go through

all my records start afresh next week with renewed motivation.

Thanks

Bernice

> > > How are you measuring your results? Are you going by a tape

> measure

> > and body fat

> > > readings or just the mirror and scale? The mirror tends to do a

> > funhouse thing.

> > > Most of us can't see our improvements clearly because we're too

> > busy freaking

> > > out over whatever area still needs work. And we all know the

> > scale's full of it.

> > > :-)

> > >

> > > Why don't you post a couple days of your menus. Maybe something

> > will stand out

> > > that we can help you with. Also, how are your free days? It's

not

> > an easy thing

> > > to do, but it is possible to wipe out your calorie deficit for

the

> > week in one

> > > day.

> > >

> > > You're not wasting time, you're developing all kinds of healthy

> new

> > habits that

> > > will keep you lean for the rest of your life. We all come to BFL

> > with different

> > > body types and diet histories. Sometimes it takes a little trial

> > and error to

> > > make everything click perfectly. Hang in there, we'll figure it

> out!

> > >

> > > You've read this, right?

> > >

> > > We Really Do Change From the Inside Out

> > > http://hussman.org/fitness/index.htm#inside

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Please give some feedback

on

> > results

> > >

> > >

> > > HI All

> > > I am a bit concerned regarding my results. I am in the 7th week

of

> > my

> > > first challenge and honestly I can't see much of a change. I can

> > feel

> > > the muscle that I have gained in my legs and arms but it still

> seems

> > > to be covered by the same amount of fat and looks terrible. I

> tried

> > > to add extra cardio to lose the fat faster but was so tired

that I

> > > could not do my weights properly. I am getting really depressed!

> > > Everytime I stand in front of a mirror at the gym I want to cry

> as a

> > > feel all the hard work was for nothing. I have reviewed my diet

> and

> > > it seems to be fine. Can any of you please give me feedback as

to

> > > whether you have had a simirlar experience or when you started

to

> > see

> > > results. I am concerned that if the next 6 weeks have the same

> > > results as the first 6 weeks that I am wasting my time.

> > > Thanks

> >

> >

> >