Jennie, I have the same problem when I travel to the kids home. I was hoping I could talk my son into going to the gym with me on Saturday but no such luck, and worse, he's got nearly a full weight set at home and has put them all away, with no easy access. So I didn't get any work done after Monday last week. I didn't do too well on the food either, especially on Thanksgiving Day, there was just too many tempting treats and I couldn't resist them all. But I'm back and in the groove again. Congrats on those squats and wow 130 deadlift! I'm envious!

Went to the gym this morning. Upped weights on the step ups and static lunge, did better on the pushups, and yippee, I lasted the full 60 seconds on both plank reps!! First time I haven't collapsed halfway through the 2nd rep! Does anyone else have weak ankles and thus real problems with the DB 1PR? They are my downfall. My balance is just awful. I have switched from regular walking shoes to converse - more flat, less squish, and it helps some but I think I am going to wear ankle braces the next workout and see if that helps.

Liv, I agree with Beeps, I'm using 5 risers on my step ups and lunges.- and I'm moving to the next level up on Saturday. It makes a huge difference!

Jess, I wish I could carry some of your stress, but I think you did the right thing. Just doing what's on your plate seems more than enough to me. I'm sure we'll have many more challenges ahead of us! Beeps likes to motivate us!!

Cowgirl, so happy you've found the gym! I honestly never thought it would make such a difference but wow, does it ever. PF was just not a good fit for me, ever-the difference between it and this new gym I joined is night and day! Hope you continue loving the place!!

Beeps, you are my hero! Thanks for starting and keeping this challenge going, and wow, I love how the IF is working for you!

gadenni - I don't workout fasted b/c I have to work 7-330, but I'm finding the more I do this, the more I like it. I break my fast at noon and have my last snack by around 9:30pm. I'm such a late eater, and I didn't realize how much I used to eat late. But now that I'm cutting myself off by 10, I realize I'm also cutting myself off from wine if I was drinking it and going to bed! I would stay up late before for another snack or finishing a glass of wine. Now, at 10pm, I'm done and in bed! LOL So it's healthier for me all around.

Pretty much what I do except for the fasted *training*. I take my daughter to school by 12:30, so I eat right before we leave, but on Mon/Wed I typically drop her off then hit the Y so for me I just make a whey shake and drink about half before I hit the gym then the other half when I leave and then go home and eat. I was a little worried about lifting while mostly fasted but honestly i was able to up all my weights on Monday by 5-10 pounds so it worked just fine.

Sue-- Great job on the planks!


Two tests down. Still have lots of work left to do, but just another two weeks until I can rest for a few weeks! And by rest I mean start work out regularly. :-)

liv, I think you did great! Are you starting Stage 3 on Wednesday like I am? I'm waiting until after 3 to take a rest week. If I take it then. Stage 1 was just so long that I was ready for a change and ready for a rest week. I was so bored with it by the end of those 8 weeks. But I like that the stages are shorter now. It makes me less inclined to want to take a week of rest! I may just take a few days rather than a full week. I don't know yet. I'm apparently in a rambling mood though....LOL

Thanks for the compliment, cowgirl!

April I was looking for this post! Yup started Stage 3 today. How did you find it. What a killer! That one arm over head squat thingy - blimey. I totally failed to finish the body weight matrix at the end. My legs were total jelly. I think I am really going to be feeling it tomorrow. Nice to feel like I'm pushing it a bit more tho.

That's fantastic! Good for you! Do your legs retain a lot of fluid after lifting? Mine do. the next day (since I work out in the evenings). More than any other part of my body. It's annoying. LOL

I do 3/A tonight, so I'll let you know how it goes. I'm super excited!

I love New Rules. Just bought New Rules for Abs and am going to start reading through it. That may be next. Or if I get the Cathe videos for Christmas. Just to mix it up a bit. Or...maybe even the lifting videos of P90X. I love having options, and I'm always planning ahead. LOL. That's me - Type A planner. Drives my husband nuts!

I've been off the radar, but I'm finally settling back into a routine and I'm so happy about it!

My husband bought me one-on-one boxing sessions for my birthday—tried it last night and had a blast! I was so nervous to do something new. I think it's good to face that feeling head on every once in a while. I'll be doing that one night a week in addition to NROL 3x

Anyway, back to NROL this week. I'm really slogging through stage 3.

Just a reminder, that the Facebook group "Fierce. Fit. Fearless" is so great. A bunch of women who IF and lift heavy. They're hardcore and it motivates me to visit the page.

I did enjoy moving to NROL4Abs following NROL4Women.

Jessica - you must be looking forward to your "break".

It's funny how so many of us "lucked" into (or were "tricked" into....) IF at nearly the same time. For me, this is the *opposite* of a diet - it TRULY is a "lifestyle change". I'm heading into month 3 of trying it - and, I'll weigh myself today, but I figure I've lost ~12 lbs at this point.

It is funny, isn't it? I know I haven't lost (though I've only been on IF for a little over a week), but I don't really expect to. I'm a recovered anorexic/bulimic, so...I gained weight when I started lifting and eating better. I'm still having a VERY hard time getting used to my new body. But I'm having more good days than bad. I like IF because it...I need rules. That's part Type A, part ED. But I like having a set time to start eating and a set time to stop.

Plus, as I've mentioned, it really works with my life anyway. Including my family .My husband doesn't eat except one big meal at the end of the day. for the most part. Just because of his job. So it works even on weekends.

I just finished my last workout of stage one and I cannot wait to post my results. so excited...but I am meeting my husband at the shooting range here soon so I have to run again. just a little preview...squats went from 39lbs to 100lbs. oh my hell...I was so happy when I saw that. Back soon!

and yeah on the NSV...I too have many pants that are now too long, it took me a bit to realize that is because of inches lost.

and I LOVE to flex my legs now...the quad muscle on my thigh is so pretty. lol

*drumroll* just kidding...I know I am not the first one to ever finish stage one and there are probably some better stats out there but I am excited that I completed stage one and also thrilled with my ending weights in most of the categories.

workout A
Squats- starting 39--ending 100
Pushups-knees for all sets--toes for all sets
seated row-starting 55--ending 85
Step-ups-starting 20lbs/4 risers--ending 40 on bench
prone jackknife-starting barely struggling through the 8--ending with pretty decent 15

workout B
Deadlift- starting 45(just the oly bar)--ending 95
dumbbell shoulder press- starting 20--ending 36
wide grip lat pulldown- starting 55- ending 80
lunge- starting 16--ending 36
swiss ball crunch- starting body weight--ending 12lb ball

I can say that when I began stage one I HATED lunges with a passion and my legs would burn and feel like jelly but today I lost count and found myself easily doing more than the set called for. I still have to do my AMRAPS on Friday. I will weigh in then and will measure either then and take some pictures too. the prone jackknifes are still not a fave of mine BUT I finally figured out that doing them with a smaller ball helps so they got a little easier by the end of this stage. Now to read up on stage two and get myself acquainted with those exercises.

Awesome, Gadenni, you did FABULOUS!!!! That's amazing!

Beeps - my thighs had always been big until I stopped eating. Well, duh. Then they were so thin for so long that now that I'm building muscle again (they were big as a kid from ballet), I just can't get used to them. Plus, the whole water retention thing in them most days irritates me.

Did Stage 3/A today and LOVED it!!!