"It is, really.
What other species even questions what to eat or how much?
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* * * C H A L L E N G E * * *
August is looming on the horizon. That means summer is coming to a close.
In a few weeks, all vacations are over, we're all back to our regular routines -
kids in school and other activities, we're back at the office or other work place,
meetings and gatherings are starting again, and let's face it ...
Summer, albeit with lots of fun activities, has a way of getting in the way of
our fitness lifestyle somehow. Looser clothing means we don't immediately
notice a few extra pounds, the picnics and barbecues don't necessarily have
the most healthy food items, beer and other cooling alcoholic drinks seem to
be more often than "just for once" and ice cream ...
In short, if we want to get back into our fitted pencil skirts, our 3-piece business
suits, even our normal work and/or leisure jeans come September, most of us
need to tighten up, straighten out our act, and get back to ...EODD/7MB ... a.s.a.p.
Your dear and trusted (we hope) coaches and mentors, know how the summer
acts on people. Heck, don't think we're immune to it either! There are some
summer-pounds to shed in our department as well.
Hence this friendly, (unofficial?) but competitive challenge dreamed up by your
JBF Mentor Meredith and fully backed up by your JBF Coaches Julia and Sarah:
We want you - yes, that means you! - to post your starting numbers as well as
your goals right here in this thread. Don't worry how bad these numbers look, we're
not here to compare starting numbers nor to judge them. Frankly, in case some of
you don't know it, we have been in bad, overweight, unhealthy shape ourselves
and know how that is, how hard it can be to get out of a rut.
Then once a week, we will all post our past week's activities and results - yes,
the coaches and mentors as well: we will show you that we do walk the talk :)
No need for details, it can be simply "did 5 workouts of 7MB and followed SNAPP
Primer Plan all week, dropped 1 pound and 0.4% fat" something like that. You can
add your overall moods, energy levels, thoughts, clothes' fit, etc if you like.
Prize to be announced, however:
Your health and improved fitness levels are priceless prizes in themselves, even if you're not the "top winner"; keep that in mind as you join us in this :)
Thanks guys, hope to see many of you (what am I saying? ALL of you!) join in here:
Your JBF Coach/mentor team
Views: 342
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on -
All right people, since I opened my big mouth :) I'll start. It's only fair (although the idea initially came from JBF Mentor Meredith, thanks Meredith, I think we needed that little kick in the glutes).
First of all - from my 205 lbs (5'5") 7 years ago, I burned off 65 lbs in the space of about 6 months (give or take a week). Simple, though not easy I suppose, but I did it using "tunnel vision". I allowed myself no other view than the end of that fatty tunnel, all I could see was the slim me from my 20s. This, coupled with a solid nutrition and training plan, got serious results. For 3 months I "just" ate right and did resistance training. I then added 40-minute brisk morning walks (as in before breakfast, though it meant getting up at 5 a.m.) - 30 minutes at first, at a pace I now call slow :) but it got better fast, as the fat dropped away. Oh, and my 20mg/day cholesterol meds? 10mg after 3 months, and 0 after 6 months - never needed them since either :)
Second consideration - in the 6-7 years since, I have stayed pretty much at the weight result (and body fat %) from that initial improvement to health and looks. using EODD. First the "old" version, then SNAPP after that version came out. Sometimes I switch between the two, especially if I know there will be a "food day" where eating nuts and apples will look "anal" ... using the old HOME edition doesn't raise eyebrows (read: old family members, especially aunts!)
Third point - I have managed to reach a "low" 138 lbs and 17% fat. True, these are great numbers; however I've found that each time I get to that point, I get "complacent" and rapidly find myself back around 145-150 lbs and a fat% closer to 19-20% :(
So ... final point: Meredith's idea of a challenge came at a time when I needed that extra kick in the rear end (glutes, short for gluteus maximus = my butt! lol). I have a mere 2 months to get to 138 lbs or preferably even 135 lbs, 16% fat max (would like to see 15%, just to have done it; I'm happy to remain at 16-17% after that).
2 months, though this challenge is for August only, because October 7th I have to fit into a certain long, white dress that fit almost perfectly when I bought it - at 138 lbs! By getting to 135 lbs I know the last inch of the zipper will go all the way up :) and I have it from a good source that I can get to "the low 130s" which I agree is possible. 132.4 lbs = 60 Kg, and that's a good weight for 1m65 (5'5") - of course, depending on fat/muscle ratio, but yes, it's a goal.
(swallow hard and plunge in at this point): Starting stats -
155 lbs
19.85% fat
39" - 29" - 40" "main" measurements.
Goal at end of August/challenge:
135 lbs
16% fat
37 - 28 - 38 (roughly, I was at the "ideal" 36-26-36 in my 20s, and would love to see those numbers again, but probably not till I get to 132 lbs and 15% fat - goal for the end of September!)
OK folks, now that I've got my feet wet, who else is jumping in? The water's really good once you're in, promise ;-)
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Permalink Reply by JBF Mentor Meredith on -
I'll go ahead too - a few lbs have crept on with all my travelling this spring & summer. I am ready to get rid of them as all my clothes are not fitting as well as they did last summer. Between being pretty sick for a week and then gone for another, I had 2 straight weeks of no exercise at all at the end of June/ beg of July. Have gotten back into my run/ resistance pattern the past few weeks - boy was it hard to get my cardio and lung capacity back, finally feeling good about that this week. Here's my stats:
Current: 120 lb (I am 5'2") 18% BF
Goal: 115 lb, under 15% BF - By Sept 1
Going to take a lot of hard work the next 4 weeks but the weather is finally getting warmer & nicer here in Seattle so more outdoor activities in addition to my regular workouts. Will need to limit alcoholic beverages to once a week, 2 drinks at most - this has been a downfall of mine, socializing too often lately.
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Permalink Reply by Ess Three on -
This is just what I need - a challenge - numbers and a goal.
I've been flagging a bit lately and was actually considering an RFLB to give me a boost.
I'll post my stats on Monday. . . as I'm away this weekend (walking in the Peak District).
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Permalink Reply by JBF Mentor Meredith on
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Yeah, S3!! Good to hear from you!
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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Julia on -
Okay here we go! Exercise has been good especially cause my husband had hip surgery so I am covering his kickboxing classes as well as my own.
Nutrition is another matter, with all the bar-b-q's and graduation parties I haven't been eating as well I should and been drinking more than I should as well. So my body fat isn't where I would like it. I am about 16-17% right now and would like to get to around 14-15%. I am 5'4" and 128 pounds and would like to be 124 but even when I've go really lean around 12% I only lost 2 pounds. Guess I am able to maintain by muscle while reducing body fat.
Good luck to all!
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Permalink Reply by JBF Mentor Tom Mortensen on -
Well talking about big mouths...
I'm 6'2 and plan on staying there :-)
Stats 4 years ago: 260lbs 32% body fat
Stats 2 years ago: 210lbs 17% body fat
Stats 1 year ago : 187lbs 10-11% body fat (right after a round of RFLB)
Stats now : 210lbs 13-14% body fat
Goal end sept. : 200lbs 11-12% body fat
Goal end oct. : 190lbs 9,99% body fat
A few comments must be made: My stats 4 years ago, was after years of neglect and doing nothing to maintain my body. Stats 2 years ago was having discovered EODD and 7MM, and using both extensively. Stats 1 year ago was a kind of experiment to see where RFLB could get me. But it was an impossible state for me to remain in, and my muscle mass was not impressive. So I decided, that if I was ever to go lower in body fat, it would have to be with more added muscle. Forward to present stats, I have now added 10-15lbs of muscle since last year, which puts me in an ideal position to start leaning down. This again was possible due to my focus on getting enough calories to allow muscle growth.
As for working out I use a combination of Vince Del Monte's "Maximize Your Muscle" program (sorry Jon, but I haven't forgot 7MM!), which has me covered till the end of this year, and kettle bell/crossfit training. After a short experiment, skipping cardio altogether, which cost about 5-7lbs of fat, I am now re-introducing HIIT or just plain HIT cardio in the shape of cycling, running or swimming. I am fortunate enough to have all these tools available.
Nutrition is going prettee well, still using EODD combined with Dave Ruel's "Anabolic Cooking" to make up for Jon's slightly bland approach to cooking and recipes (sorry again Jon!). I think I'm on about 80% adherence, so this is one area where I can definitely improve.
So all in all a great initiative, which funny enough quite a few of us seem to have been waiting for. That little extra kick in the derrierre!
I will try and post weekly stats.
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Permalink Reply by Julie on
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Okay, I'm in too. Albeit the fattest one around! Eek. Oh well. As you said, Sarah, I'm sure there are others who have been there before me!
My history: I'm 65 years old, 5'5¼" (down over 1" from my younger years). I have a document from March 1988 from a water-dunk test which shows me at 205.1 lb, 34.2% fat, l34.96 lb of lean body weight. I've never been able to get water-dunked again, but by 1999 I weighed 248 and my Tanita scale showed me around 48% fat (LBM ~129 lb).
I followed a strict plan and three years later I weighed 168. My fat percentage continued to show in the 40% range, but caliper testing usually showed it lower, like 35%. I maintained that weight more or less for about 10 years.
Then I went back up to about 185, down to 145, and now I'm back around 170. I now have a Taylor scale, and the day I started using it I registered almost 8% lower FP than on my old Tanita scale. Based on a Futrex electronic tester, I think that's probably more accurate. Today's reading was: weight 171.0, fat 33.3%, water 50.4 lb, muscle mass 50.2 pounds, minerals 5.7. Under the old measurements, that weight and fat % would leave me with an LBM of 114.0 lb.
Unfortunately, yesterday that same scale showed me at weight 172.0, fat 36.5%, water 46.3, muscle 42.9, and minerals 6.3 (LBM 109.22). I don't believe those changes (gained 8 pounds of muscle overnight? I don't think so; clothes still fit the same). But I guess trends over time will still be useful.
Anyway, I exercise in the mornings 6 days a week. I do two days of aerobic rebound exercise, two days of strength training a la RFLB, and two days of interval training where I took Sarah's suggestion of stair climbing. I have one flight of stairs in the house, 14 steps. I do 1 minute of running up and down them 4 times (I can only run up for the first two times, then I walk and then I trudge, LOL--but at least on the next rep I can always run the first two again), then 3 minutes of gentle rebounding. I repeat that 5 times, for a total of 280 steps up and down. Some evenings I also take a 30-minute walk.
I follow EODD primer plan, so I have three feed meals a week. My calories average 1000-1200 on burn days, 1400-1600 on feed days. On the 7th day I have only green drink (blended greens with some fruit) all day, about 500 calories. Maybe the boost of this challenge will help me decide to cut back down to two feed days, but in the past that's backfired, so this more measured approach seems to be best for me right now. I'll see how it goes over time.
Goals: I have a vacation trip coming up in late October and I'd like to fit into some clothes I wore when I was near my lowest weight. That will probably mean being under 150--unless, I suppose, I gain a lot of muscle while losing a lot of fat. I'd love to get a FP under 30%, but it's never happened before. (Even on RFLB my FP didn't change.) But most of all, I want the changes to happen slowly and get fully integrated into my body and my psyche. I can easily maintain 168, it seems. I'd like to just as easily maintain 148. So I'm hoping for a drop of 1-2 pounds a week and probably 2 sizes.
Thanks for doing this, Sarah - I'll make Saturday my measuring day and post my stats too!
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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on
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I am glad to see you have the same experience with the Taylor/Tanita that I had! Actually, comparing the Taylor to a caliper test, I never found more than 1-2% higher reading on the scale, whereas the Tanita always showed around 7-10% higher than the calipers. At work, we have/use the hand-held Omron and that's even worse, with a good 14% higher reading than the calipers.
Thank Meredith :) she had the idea in the first place!
It's funny how a challenge seems to get a fire built up under a lot of people :) and by the looks of things, we have enough surplus fat to keep that fire going for a month or two!
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Permalink Reply by JBF Mentor Tom Mortensen on
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Yes, the Tanita scale is notoriously unreliable in providing an absolute fat percentage figure.
Having used one for over 2 years, I know all the variations and pitfalls when using the Tanita. One the most annoying faults is it's reliance on body water contents. One day when your water content is high, it shows body fat 14%, next day when you are well and truly de-hydrated from exercising the figure jumps to 16-17%. Not very useful, but once you know this, you can kind of compensate for this in the readings, but still not very convincing. But at the moment I don't think there are more reliable alternatives out there, so we're stuck with it so far. Except of course calipers, which may ultimately turn out to be the most consistents tool.
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Permalink Reply by Markku Niilo-Rämä on -
I will post my stats and goals shortly but.. I would think that using a tape measure would give you a pretty and especially very consistent result. Measure your waist and neck and you are ready to estimate your bf%. There are many sites in the Internet that have calculators..
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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on
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Whichever method you use - keep using the same one.
Unless you're aiming for a competition on stage, the actual number isn't that important.
What is important, is to see progress.
Real progress can only be seen if the method of measuring is the same each week.
So pick your favourite - or only available - method, and stick with it.
For the more adventurous, or for the sake of finding the optimal measuring method, one can climb on the scales, hold the Omron, do the navy-method with the tape, and use the calipers; see which is more accurate (of course it'll be the one with the lowest number, rofl) and stick to that; or be "anal" and do all methods, calculating the average and possibly be at a more correct number.
The calipers do take a little getting used to, so for a beginner the numbers will almost always be a little "all over the place". You need to take 3 measurements at each site and do an average of those. I only do a single-site pinch (illiac crest) and have found that this is pretty accurate when I sporadically do a multi-site pinch test.
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Permalink Reply by Ess Three on
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I've gone way backwards in the last 6 months or so (I was at 145 in January. It's been a horrible year). . . so it's time to redress this:
Starting stats:
weight: 155
22% body fat
36-30-38
Goal for September 1st? I've always struggled with goal-setting. . . which is probably why I lose my way sometimes. I'm going to turn the clock body back to January.
Goal:
weight: 145
20% body fat
Exercise: I'm going to be on 7MM (5 days a week). . . with some extra cardio sessions 2-3 times a week.
Diet: Not sure yet. Probably my own hybrid of SNAPP and Extreme (that worked really well for me last year).
Sarah, what exercise and diet plan will you be on to drop 20?
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