FXB-week 5 assessments

chest -3/4"
waist -5.5"
arm +1/4"
thigh +1"
hips -3.5"
weight -9 pounds
push-ups +13 (as many as we could do in a minute)
sit-ups +8 (as many as we could do in a minute)
sit & reach +1" (should have stretched out first!)
half mile walk -1.01 minutes

The proof is in the pudding, folks!  Mmm...pudding.  Haven't had that in a long time.  Banana pudding is my favorite!

Anyway, I'm very proud of my results thus far and am looking forward to seeing what the next five weeks will bring.  I've already paid for another year after this session is up because I love it so much!

FXB-end of week 4

I cannot believe we're one week away from the halfway mark!  Things have been going really well and I'm getting stronger and stronger.  I can do more reps than last week and no one can say I'm not giving it all I have every single class.  A few people have commented that I look smaller, that I'm kicking harder and that I'm doing great in class.  Honestly, every single comment makes me want to do even better!  It's so gratifying to me to be told that I did a great job, even if I'm a puddle on the gym floor and soaked through with sweat!  This is the most amazing thing that could have ever happened to me and, boy, am I glad it did!!!

I don't really have any other updates today, but check back next weekend.  I'll be posting my 5 week numbers and comparing them to my initial numbers.  I'm really psyched about it!

Until then...

FXB-end of week 3

We're 1/3 of the way through our ten week program.  I feel stronger by the day and am using mostly blue (second hardest) and red (middle of the pack) bands at the start of drop sets.  That's a big improvement from using green and yellow, second easiest and easiest, respectively.  I've mastered my protein shake preparation.  I've found that making the shakes well in advance of drinking them makes the awful "chocolate" powder mellow out enough to be tolerable.  I always make my next shake after I drink the current one.  Ideally, I'd be able to eat the ratios of protein, carbohydrates, and good fats that I'm supposed to consume each meal, but that's entirely too much food!  Never thought I'd say those words, but I was eating too much of the wrong things and that got me to where I am today.

I'm noticing inches gone in the way my clothes fit.  The scale isn't showing much change (plus, we're not supposed to be checking), so I'm not relying on the number.  The pants I used to wear to work that were snug, I now wear to kickboxing with yoga pants on underneath.  I can see my stomach is visibly smaller and my bat wings are getting smaller.  My brother remarked yesterday that he saw a difference.  The thing that matters is that I'm feeling better.  My overall nutrition is better than it has been in years and I'm getting much more sleep than I can remember ever getting.  It helps that I'm not currently working!

Sidenote:  WTF Broncos?!?!?!!!!!!!  You're physically at the Super Bowl, but where are you mentally?????

I guess that's all for now.  I can't believe we're fast approaching the half way mark.  We'll repeat all the starting tests and I cannot wait to see my numbers!  I hope my dietary need numbers drop as well!

FXB-end of week 2

Since I've been sick for two days now and won't be going anywhere for a couple more, this marks the end of week 2.  Class is going great and I feel stronger than ever!  I have asked Dan and Shelby for constructive criticism, and they both said I'm doing great, giving it my all in class.  Dan had me using a blue (second hardest) band on lower body workouts Tuesday.

I'm still struggling with the nutrition as my numbers are SO HIGH because of my weight.  I'm supposed to eat 54 grams of protein, 54 grams of carbohydrates and 12 grams of good fats per meal--SIX meals per day!  That's a whole lotta food!!!  I bought some protein powder to use for three of the six meals daily.  The flavor touted by our instructor was sold out, so I opted for the flavor recommended by the guy at the store because it is his favorite.  IT IS DISGUSTING!!!  I don't know how I can mask the flavor, but I can't not use it; it was expensive and I simply cannot eat that much food in one day.  I'll figure it out...

Anyway, there's my update.  I can't wait to get rid of this crud so I can get back to class!

FXB-end of week 1

This week was tamer than the three weeks free I'd done, namely because I just jumped into what everyone else was doing those weeks and did it to the best of my ability.  This week's classes contain true newbies, so we are taking things a bit slower and making sure our form is correct.  Still, I was sweating every single day!

Today, we were encouraged to attend a nutrition class at the gym.  I knew most of what Dan was talking about, but also learned some things.  Read the labels, write down what you eat, plan ahead, pack easy snacks, etc.  Nevertheless, I'm glad I attended.  He's going to send us some food logs and we are to be honest in filling them out and bring them to him to help us fine-tune our eating.  He's really cool, but don't push him.  I can imagine he could let you have it if prodded.  He's there to help us be the best we can be in the ten weeks we've committed to and I'm looking forward to it.  I do hope we won't have to write down what we eat on our free days, though...

I'm getting stronger everyday.  I can actually hold plank for about 30 seconds.  That's 29 seconds more than I could when I started!  I'm moving up in bands, and that's a good sign.  Dan wanted me to try red for an exercise today, but I could barely get through green!  Soon enough, I'll be chewing up the purple (hardest) bands and spitting them out (just kidding).

That wraps up week 1.  Stay tuned for week 2.