Pic posted and an update

[Guest guest]

I just posted a new photo. I haven't posted much in the past

several months, but I thought some of you might like an update on my

experience.

Overall from the beginning of BFL to the present I've:

lost 3.5 inches off my waist

lost 20.3 pounds of fat

gained 14.1 pounds of lean mass

I had lost about 25 pounds through portion control and walking

before I ever found out about BFL and started the program in May

2004. My greatest weight loss therefore occurred between Feb 2004

and May 2004. I sure wish I had taken a picture BEFORE I started

BFL or lost the 1st 25 pounds. All I have is the pic from the 12-

week mark. I don't think there is much of a difference in the pics

from 2 years ago, but I can tell you that I've made progress in

strength and bodyfat percentage. According to the BFL website, my

BF% was 17.6% in August 2004 (I think that might be high) and it was

7.5% (I think that might be low) according to the caliper

measurements taken by my wife.

I would also like to proclaim how wonderfully the BFL pyramid cardio

works to build stamina. I was NEVER a runner in my life. I still

don't consider myself a runner but..... consider this:

Two years ago I toyed with the idea of running in a 5K race, just to

see if I could actually run that far. So, having never run that far

in my life before I signed up for a local charity 5K. I finished in

a time of 37+ minutes. I was very happy.

Last year I set a goal of 33 minutes, and having made a total of

zero actual road running preparation runs, I got down to 33 min 47

sec. My only training was the interval type training on a treadmill

for 20-23 minutes at a time.

This year I decided I'd try to get down to 30 minutes. I did go out

and run 3+ miles 3 times in the month before the race and I thought

I could do it(do better than 30 min). But my main training

continued to be treadmill BFL-style cardio workouts in a range of

speeds from 4-10mph. Well, the race day came on September 2 and I

ran 28:58 for the 5K. I had knocked nearly 5 minutes off my time!

I was ecstatic. All this with only a modest amount of 'running'

training. BFL is AMAZING! The race organizers (and the runners who

know these things) said the course was actually closer to 5.3km.

I took second place in my age group (I'm 56) and only 2 people older

than me beat my time. I was 32nd place overall out of 90 people. I

could never even have imagined being able to do this before I

incorporated BFL into my life. The power is amazing. The help of

this group during much of the past 2+ years is a big part of that

success. The goal-orientation, the camaraderie, the social rewards,

the personal accountability: all are part of the success I have

felt.

I hope this hasn't been too long, but I thought it might be helpful

for many aspiring BFLers.

Bruce