Guest guest Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Welcome Freddy, I want you know I sincerly do welcome you here. BFL is an incredible way of life. You learn to eat in a hearty and healthy way, excercise to build strong lean muscle mass, and learn to motivate yourself to make healthy choices for yourself. I hesitate to say, but you are here so I assume you won't mind. I think you are way to focused on the scale. Your weight is at an alarming low for your heighth. It sounds like you have zero muscle mass so you are probably at what most would concider as nearly fat free mass. That is great in terms of your BF% but now you will need to feed your muscles and gain that sleak, sexy muscle that you see in the BFL book. This will be an adjustment for you for sure but I think with some committment on your part you will be thrilled with the results you can achieve. Again welcome. Machelle > > Hello to all. I would like to thank the moderator for approving my > request. > > Kind of a long intro but wanted to share my experinces with the > members to let them know were I came from and where I hope to go. > > I am 5'8.5 " and a 45 years old male. Twenty one months ago I weighed > 203 pounds. I suffered from heartburn 5 to 7 days a week, had a sore > knee, and had borderline high blood pressure. > > I had been wanting to go on a diet to lose weight but never got > around to it. A co-worker had told me about the Master Cleanse diet > (some call it a fast) he had done for 9 days. The diet consists of 6- > 12 glasses a day of a lemonade drink (lemon juice, maple syrup, > cayenne pepper, and water) and nothing else except water and a > saltwater flush (32 oz of water and 2 teaspoons of salt) or laxative > tea, in the morning. > > At first I blew it off and figured it was something I could never > do. I did some reading about it and it's benefits (ie increased > energy, clear mind, loss of body pains, weight loss) and the more I > thought about it, the more I wanted to try it. I set my goal for and > planned on doing the standard 10 day cleanse. > > Well to make a long story short, (you can read it on the > mastercleanse Yahoo group) I stayed on it for 50 days and lost 43 > pounds. I did nothing but the cleanse, no food, free days, or > cheating of any type. I had a clear mind, energy, and sometimes > slept only 2 hours a night because that is all I needed. > > On day 50 I couldn't keep the drink or saltwater down so broke the > fast by drinking orange juice. I decided to continue with orange > juice and V8 juice, gradually increasing the amount weekly in order > to build my metabolism back up. I continued with just orange juice > and V8 juice for an additional 78 days. > > At the end, after 128 days I lost 75 pounds and weighed 128 lbs. > This was done with no exercise other than the walking I do at work > and walking the dogs on the weekend. I haven't had ANY heatburn > since, my knee has not hurt since, and my blood pressure has gone > down to 112/72. > > It has been 17 months since and I have kept the weight off. > > My weight currently stays between 130 and 135 lbs and my Body Fat is > 10%. After the diet, I did some experimenting with eating different > foods and fasting for a day or two during the week to see what > effect it would have on my weight. I weigh myself daily and track a > 10 day moving average trend. At no time did I allow myself to go > above 139 pounds in one day or go above a 10 day moving average of > 136.8 lbs. I even went down to 118 pounds but quickly gained the > weight back on the order of 10 pounds in a couple days when eating > normally. I realize that is mostly water but when I go very low like > that, the water tends to be retained more after I eat a big meal > than when my weight is higher. I have been able to maintain 125 lbs > for a couple months at a time but it requires really watching what I > eat or the weight gradually starts creeping up. > > What I eventually found is that if I eat light to moderately and > include 1 to 3 days of fasting in a week, I stay between 130-135 > lbs. However, if I eat light to moderately all week and even indulge > a little bit on weekends, I still stay between 130-135 lbs. It > probably has to do with metabolism staying high when I eat everyday > and my body going into starvation mode when I really reduce my > calorie intake or fast. I am no expert in weight loss or nutrition > so don't know for sure but it appears that my body perhaps has > adjusted to a new set point of 130-135 lbs. > > The biggest change I have made in my eating habits since losing the > weight is to eat a lot more fruits and vegtables (but mostly fruit). > I rarely eat fast food and haven't had a french fry since. I eat > whole grain pastas and salads and try to stay away from sweets but > do ocassionally have some on the weekends. > > At my current weight people say I am as skinny as a rail and one > person even described me as a walking skeleton. I have good muscle > definition but the muscles are small. The veins are showing (which I > don't care about, but from what I read, some people try to achieve > this). I don't really care what people think as I feel a lot better > now and have achieved all the benefits of losing the weight, > including self confidence. > > Sure I could use some muscle mass, I thought, but I am not the type > who likes to exercise. I figured with my weight loss, I had > accomplished all I had wanted to. Besides, who wants to spend 3-4 > hours a day, 6 days a week in a gym exercising?. Not me! I figured > that's what it took. > > Fast forward to the present. > > Recently I came across the book Eating for Life while surfing the > internet and got it from the library. The book referred to the Body > for Life book so, out of curiousity, I picked that up too. When I > saw the results people were achieving in twelve weeks (results I > thought took years) I was amazed. I have no desire to become a World > Champion body builder but I sure could use some muscle mass and > being able to accomplish that in twelve weeks seemed very appealing > to me. > > I am not going to kid myself. The program seems very intense and I > am not sure this is something I would be able to follow through > with. > > Some of you may be thinking " well you don't sound very motivated, > perhaps the program is not for you " . > > The truth is I have been thinking about BFL almost non-stop for over > two weeks. When I make a commitment I do tend to stay focused. > However, before making that commitment, I try to learn all I can, > try to come up with solutions to potential problems, and then decide > if I really want it. Otherwise, I end up quitting and become > disgusted with myself. > > Weren't the benefits of just losing weight enough? Would I be able > to follow through for 12 weeks? Would I be able to follow through > for the long term or for life? Is increased muscle mass and other > benefits worth the effort? Would it be too much work? These are all > questions I have to look deep inside myself to answer. > > To that end, I have joined this group in hopes of getting answers to > my questions and look forward to learning about the experiences of > others who have done it. > > We now return you to your regularily scheduled programming. :-) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Welcome Freddie! I think that this will be work, and an effort, but you will find a place for all of that energy with the BFL program. When is your start date? Of course weightloss isn't enough. I lost 93 lbs following weight watchers but it didn't give me the body I've always wanted. Will you be able to follow thru with the 12 weeks? Yes, progress, not perfection. You will make mistakes, dust off and keep going. You'll have to answer the other questions yourself. What are you goals? Jami (ending week 12 of my first full challenge, getting ready to start Challenge #2!) > > Hello to all. I would like to thank the moderator for approving my > request. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Welcome Freddie! I think that this will be work, and an effort, but you will find a place for all of that energy with the BFL program. When is your start date? Of course weightloss isn't enough. I lost 93 lbs following weight watchers but it didn't give me the body I've always wanted. Will you be able to follow thru with the 12 weeks? Yes, progress, not perfection. You will make mistakes, dust off and keep going. You'll have to answer the other questions yourself. What are you goals? Jami (ending week 12 of my first full challenge, getting ready to start Challenge #2!) > > Hello to all. I would like to thank the moderator for approving my > request. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Welcome Freddie! I think that this will be work, and an effort, but you will find a place for all of that energy with the BFL program. When is your start date? Of course weightloss isn't enough. I lost 93 lbs following weight watchers but it didn't give me the body I've always wanted. Will you be able to follow thru with the 12 weeks? Yes, progress, not perfection. You will make mistakes, dust off and keep going. You'll have to answer the other questions yourself. What are you goals? Jami (ending week 12 of my first full challenge, getting ready to start Challenge #2!) > > Hello to all. I would like to thank the moderator for approving my > request. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2006 Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 Thank you for the welcome Jami. Congratulations on your 93 lb loss and completion of your first challenge! I don't have a start date yet. I am still trying to learn and figure out a plan. Not sure if it is better to go to the gym or work out at home. I have no idea what weights I would need. If I only need a barbell and some dumbbells I'd prefer to work out at home but when I see some messages here with people using hundreds of pounds of weights and 70 lb dumbells, I see that can get quite costly especially knowing I'd have to buy and start out at very low weights. I don't have any idea how much I would progress or how quickly. I also realize I would need more weight for doing squats and less for doing bicep curls so might need a pretty broad range. If I bought dumbells and then had to keep buying incrementally higher poundages as I progressed the cost could really add up. What if I buy 2.5, 5, and 10 lbs dumbells only to find they are too light and I should have bought 15, 20, and 30 lbs or vice versa. On the other hand, going to a gym might be better and less costly but I worry about distractions and not being able to get the equipment I need. I can imagine doing my last set of 12 reps of the first exercise and then going to do the 12 reps of the second exercise immediately afterwards and finding the equipment I need being used by someone else. As for goals, I am still trying to figure them out because I don't know what is realistic. I see the pictures in the BFL book on on the website are extraordinary and not typical results. Do I set a goal of wanting to increase the size of my arms 3 inches in 12 weeks only to find out that is impossible and 1/8 inch in 12 weeks is more likely? I can understand setting a goal and sticking with it until you reach it. For example, you might have had a goal to lose 93 lbs on Weight Watchers and stick with it until you reach that goal. However could you have said your goal was to lose 93 lbs in a month and reached it? Of course not. No matter what you did or how disciplined you were, you could not lose 93 lbs in a month. I can't set goals to occur within a certain time frame without knowing if they are obtainable and without having the ability and control to reach them. Sure I can make a goal like I will walk 1/8 additional mile, or add an extra 15 seconds of cardio, each week because I have total control over that. If it doesn't happen it's totally my fault because I was lazy or made up excuses like being to busy. However, I can't make a goal to have a broken arm heal in 2 days because that would be out of my control. The only goals I am thinking of now are to make it through each week or through the 12 weeks. Although the BFL book might say those aren't specific enough, to me the sense of satisfaction and drive to simply reach a time frame I have set as a goal would motivate me. > > > > Hello to all. I would like to thank the moderator for approving my > > request. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2006 Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 Thank you for the welcome Jami. Congratulations on your 93 lb loss and completion of your first challenge! I don't have a start date yet. I am still trying to learn and figure out a plan. Not sure if it is better to go to the gym or work out at home. I have no idea what weights I would need. If I only need a barbell and some dumbbells I'd prefer to work out at home but when I see some messages here with people using hundreds of pounds of weights and 70 lb dumbells, I see that can get quite costly especially knowing I'd have to buy and start out at very low weights. I don't have any idea how much I would progress or how quickly. I also realize I would need more weight for doing squats and less for doing bicep curls so might need a pretty broad range. If I bought dumbells and then had to keep buying incrementally higher poundages as I progressed the cost could really add up. What if I buy 2.5, 5, and 10 lbs dumbells only to find they are too light and I should have bought 15, 20, and 30 lbs or vice versa. On the other hand, going to a gym might be better and less costly but I worry about distractions and not being able to get the equipment I need. I can imagine doing my last set of 12 reps of the first exercise and then going to do the 12 reps of the second exercise immediately afterwards and finding the equipment I need being used by someone else. As for goals, I am still trying to figure them out because I don't know what is realistic. I see the pictures in the BFL book on on the website are extraordinary and not typical results. Do I set a goal of wanting to increase the size of my arms 3 inches in 12 weeks only to find out that is impossible and 1/8 inch in 12 weeks is more likely? I can understand setting a goal and sticking with it until you reach it. For example, you might have had a goal to lose 93 lbs on Weight Watchers and stick with it until you reach that goal. However could you have said your goal was to lose 93 lbs in a month and reached it? Of course not. No matter what you did or how disciplined you were, you could not lose 93 lbs in a month. I can't set goals to occur within a certain time frame without knowing if they are obtainable and without having the ability and control to reach them. Sure I can make a goal like I will walk 1/8 additional mile, or add an extra 15 seconds of cardio, each week because I have total control over that. If it doesn't happen it's totally my fault because I was lazy or made up excuses like being to busy. However, I can't make a goal to have a broken arm heal in 2 days because that would be out of my control. The only goals I am thinking of now are to make it through each week or through the 12 weeks. Although the BFL book might say those aren't specific enough, to me the sense of satisfaction and drive to simply reach a time frame I have set as a goal would motivate me. > > > > Hello to all. I would like to thank the moderator for approving my > > request. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2006 Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 Thank you for the welcome Jami. Congratulations on your 93 lb loss and completion of your first challenge! I don't have a start date yet. I am still trying to learn and figure out a plan. Not sure if it is better to go to the gym or work out at home. I have no idea what weights I would need. If I only need a barbell and some dumbbells I'd prefer to work out at home but when I see some messages here with people using hundreds of pounds of weights and 70 lb dumbells, I see that can get quite costly especially knowing I'd have to buy and start out at very low weights. I don't have any idea how much I would progress or how quickly. I also realize I would need more weight for doing squats and less for doing bicep curls so might need a pretty broad range. If I bought dumbells and then had to keep buying incrementally higher poundages as I progressed the cost could really add up. What if I buy 2.5, 5, and 10 lbs dumbells only to find they are too light and I should have bought 15, 20, and 30 lbs or vice versa. On the other hand, going to a gym might be better and less costly but I worry about distractions and not being able to get the equipment I need. I can imagine doing my last set of 12 reps of the first exercise and then going to do the 12 reps of the second exercise immediately afterwards and finding the equipment I need being used by someone else. As for goals, I am still trying to figure them out because I don't know what is realistic. I see the pictures in the BFL book on on the website are extraordinary and not typical results. Do I set a goal of wanting to increase the size of my arms 3 inches in 12 weeks only to find out that is impossible and 1/8 inch in 12 weeks is more likely? I can understand setting a goal and sticking with it until you reach it. For example, you might have had a goal to lose 93 lbs on Weight Watchers and stick with it until you reach that goal. However could you have said your goal was to lose 93 lbs in a month and reached it? Of course not. No matter what you did or how disciplined you were, you could not lose 93 lbs in a month. I can't set goals to occur within a certain time frame without knowing if they are obtainable and without having the ability and control to reach them. Sure I can make a goal like I will walk 1/8 additional mile, or add an extra 15 seconds of cardio, each week because I have total control over that. If it doesn't happen it's totally my fault because I was lazy or made up excuses like being to busy. However, I can't make a goal to have a broken arm heal in 2 days because that would be out of my control. The only goals I am thinking of now are to make it through each week or through the 12 weeks. Although the BFL book might say those aren't specific enough, to me the sense of satisfaction and drive to simply reach a time frame I have set as a goal would motivate me. > > > > Hello to all. I would like to thank the moderator for approving my > > request. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2006 Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 Freddie, I am currently using 10 to 30lb dumbells for my workouts in addition to 210 pounds of weight plates. I am about to need additional plates (Only so I can transition seamlessly to my secondary excercise) and my DB are just fine prolly for the duration of my 12 week Challenge. If I really needed to I could go to a barbell press to prolonge the time till I would need heavier DBs. When I first got going I also used a set of 5lb DB. I am in Week 8 and up my weights somewhere every week so maybe that will give you a little idea of what you may need. I personally don't play well with others so it is best for me to workout at home. Did you say you had read the BFL book? If not be sure to do that before you start. BFL Tracker is a web site with alot of profiles to scan through to see what others with comparable compositions have done. It seems to me that many are not fully comitting to the program but you will find some who do and can get a vague idea of what type of results you might expect. Keeping in mind it will all depend on your effort and committment to the program of course. Also be careful on that site, there are alot of yahoos spouting out lot of just ridiculas info over there, but you seem smart enough to take that for what it is worth. Good Luck to you! Hope this will help a little. Machelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2006 Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 Freddie, I am currently using 10 to 30lb dumbells for my workouts in addition to 210 pounds of weight plates. I am about to need additional plates (Only so I can transition seamlessly to my secondary excercise) and my DB are just fine prolly for the duration of my 12 week Challenge. If I really needed to I could go to a barbell press to prolonge the time till I would need heavier DBs. When I first got going I also used a set of 5lb DB. I am in Week 8 and up my weights somewhere every week so maybe that will give you a little idea of what you may need. I personally don't play well with others so it is best for me to workout at home. Did you say you had read the BFL book? If not be sure to do that before you start. BFL Tracker is a web site with alot of profiles to scan through to see what others with comparable compositions have done. It seems to me that many are not fully comitting to the program but you will find some who do and can get a vague idea of what type of results you might expect. Keeping in mind it will all depend on your effort and committment to the program of course. Also be careful on that site, there are alot of yahoos spouting out lot of just ridiculas info over there, but you seem smart enough to take that for what it is worth. Good Luck to you! Hope this will help a little. Machelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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