I don't like to focus on weight, because really, inches are what matters most to me. Still, my current weight is a rather scary number. I am good about not getting on a scale too often. But after a month at that foolish Curves, my weight was basically stable. It was pretty disappointing because I worked their system as hard as I could. I took a week off during the conference and actually gained a tad, then got serious. After a week or so working out at home, I joined the gym. It's been at least 2 1/2 weeks. I am down 6 pounds. My hubby started noticing the love handles going away at least a week ago. The difference? Weights. All that heart pumping and sweating didn't seem to do anything. When I lift, I do get my heart rate up and I do sweat, but it's not cardio, it's as heavy as I can manage.

It had been so depressing to not see much in the way of results. This really has helped motivate me.

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Naomi
SoBeBabies.com, Inc

Naomi! that is great news. Right now I am seeing a little off the scales, but my inches are not coming off. I need to find something to make that flab flab off. Are you finding the weight resistance is better, or using arm and leg weights while doing other workouts? Just curious what is working for you.. lol

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Definitely weights; as in sets and reps. I thought I was doing Body for Life. It was a pretty loose interpretation. We couldn't find our copy of the first book with the program so we just grabbed one at a 2nd hand book store and I was shocked at how much I'd gotten wrong (while still remembering a lot correctly). I just did a much more correct cardio workout and I burned more calories in a shorter period of time and am still sitting here burning calories from that workout.

I know most women are afraid of lifting weights. There is this great fear of bulking up. But most women don't have the genetics to bulk up, and also, it's not like bulking up happens over night. I once made a sort of a bet with myself that I could get my legs stronger than any man's in the gym. So I worked my way up on the leg press machine until I could not put any more of those big 45 pound plates on it. It took me probably a year to get to that point. I did have freakishly large thighs that didn't fit into shorts and it took probably 2 years for them to slim down.

Most women you see lifting seriously are either normal looking or super lean. When I was really into it, I was anywhere between a size 6 and a size 12. Mostly I was 8 or 10. The size 6 was when I went crazy into a low carb diet for a few months. And size 12 when I was really trying to bulk up with super heavy weights and lots of protein. If I just work out hard and eat a normal diet, I am going to be a size 10 and probably about 155 pounds.

Lots of women think hours of aerobics classes are going to make them slim down, but when you look around at who's slim, they are all in their 20s, or they are doing something else to be slim, probably lifting weights or distance running.

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Naomi
SoBeBabies.com, Inc

that's awesome!

Are you going to do the official BFL challenge? I think it begins in September but I haven't looked lately.

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Larissa

No, no way am I committing to a challenge! It's a total relief to not have a huge deadline for anything. We did do the challenge nearly to the letter last time but didn't officially register.

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Naomi
SoBeBabies.com, Inc

What's the 411 on Body For Life? I'm not familiar at all. I need somebody to start holding me accountable. I'm nearing my pre-pregnancy weight but am shooting for my pre-wedding weight... which would mean getting my one mongo thigh back into two separate ones!

Body-for-LIFE
It is, briefly, 6 small meals a day with specific ratios of carb/protein/veggie (I think - have not been following that too closely this time around), plus 6 workouts a week, then one free day with no workouts and you eat anything.
Workouts are like this:
Week 1
M Weights: upper
T 20 minute cardio interval training
W Weights: lower
Th 20 minute cardio interval training
F Weights: upper
Sa 20 minute cardio interval training

Week 2 swaps the lower/upper weight workouts. The weight lifting is very quick and is done a certain way. I am sure it's all to be found on their website. I'm off to do my 20 minutes interval training cardio! Brutal, but very effective. If I'm bold, I'll post my before photo, but only if I have an awesome after photo to go with it.

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Naomi
SoBeBabies.com, Inc

Cool news! My weight removal hasn't gone as quickly as I'd have liked based on what I seem to remember experiencing from past experience. I was warned by my reading that results are more hard-earned as you get older but still, I've found it quite demoralizing to not see much in the way of measurable results. I haven't hopped on the scale because it's like hearing after 30 hours of labor that you are "only" 2 cm dilated. Instead, I am using my belt as a frame of reference.

I have a sense of looking slimmer but still don't care for how parts look in the workout clothing. This morning, I noticed I was one hole smaller on the belt. That's 2 holes since I started working out in something like May. 2 inches in 5 months is not all that impressive but I did it! I proved something is actually happening. At this rate, my waist will definitely be slim within a year or two (gosh that sounds forever) which is better than keeping it how it's become! I'm keeping my eyes on the prize.

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Naomi
SoBeBabies.com, Inc