BFL - Day 23

Beginning Date - April 2, 2007
Ending Date - June 23, 2007

Day 23 -

I got the Body for Life for Women book out of the library last night. While briefly glancing over it, I decided that its crap. Perhaps if I read it a little more thoroughly I will change my mind or find at least something to take out of it, but as of now, I really have no desire to even read it more thoroughly. This author is not as clear about what the actual plan is, the list of acceptable foods is pretty grim and the diet portion is much more confusing and complicated. From the little bit that I skimmed, she basically wants women to workout about 2 hours a day - its seems that way, anyway. Thirty minutes of cardio 3-5 times a week, 45 minutes of weight lifting 3 times a week and add in some yoga and/or pilates during the week. Combine the excessive exercise with the complicated diet and I'm saying no thanks.

I don't want to be hungry all the time and I think that is what would happen on her version of the diet. I think I do need to cut my portions down - I've read a few comments on the message board at the website that lead me to believe that I should cut down. 1) The EFL cookbook was written for men and 2) the EFL cookbook portions are meant for maintaining. I don't know where either of these people got their information, but it seems to make sense. So after this week I'm going to try cutting my mid-morning snack in half, eating another snack for lunch and substituting my normal lunch (a lunch meal out of the book) with a shake. Hopefully that will help, but again - I don't want to be hungry all day, so I'll have to be conscious of it. I also read on the message board that a lot of people don't see major progress until week 8... we just started week 4. I'm going to work hard at doing the workouts and really fatiguing my muscles during my weight lifting sessions and hope that this is the case with me. I don't expect to be where I want to be after 12 weeks - In fact, I expect to start another 12 week challenge after that - but I would like to be able to see SOME improvement, somehow.

I went shopping last night for some capris. I'm so sick of shopping for jeans. I don't want to ever have to do it again. 30 pairs of pants is probably a gross underestimation of how many I brought into the dressing room with me - and I walked out with 2 pairs that fit *okay* - not good, just okay, like live-able okay. I have a small, small waist, but I have big thighs, butt and hips. So in order to find pants to fit my legs I need to wear 10/12, but then there is such a huge gap at the waist that it looks ridiculous when I wear a belt (all bunched up and folded). It is so incredibly frustrating and I have first hand knowledge that it doesn't change when I'm 15 lbs lighter - same issues, just smaller sized pants. I'm so tired of the problem.

Did my leg workout this morning. I need to increase my weights on quads and calves. I'm having a really hard time getting the right weight set for my calves. Every session I increase by 2 lbs and hope that it will be the magic set. I have to increase again next time. Quads were doing well, but now I feel I should increase. Hamstrings were good today - I increased them since the last session.