I did AMRAPs.

Lifted a little over 30 minutes. I do not rest in between sets. For instance, I'll work on biceps , squats, skull crushers, and leg extension. Repeat. Repeat. and Repeat . Only rest I get is walking from one little spot to the other. Of course, I did more exercises than these. I just don't know what to call them.

So stinking bloated ! I managed to suck what I could in and measure. Not much difference. I lost quarter inch off my butt and natural waist. nothing off saddlebags , abdomen, or belly button. I was a gluttonous heifer last month . :sad:

I've been busy with homeschooling and chores. I didn't workout today. I had to clean all the house floors. It was pretty bad.

food choices have been pretty decent today.

Hi, everyone! So much going on here.
First of all, my sincerest admiration to those who homeschool -- and all moms. You ladies are incredibly dedicated.
Jewel, congratulations on your wedding and honeymoon. Sounds like you enjoyed it.
PearlMullet, thanks for your input on calories. I'm finding that if I don't eat out or drink (and sometimes even if I do drink), I still have trouble reaching my goal (the book's fat loss number minus 200 cal), which is what I've been aiming for. So for now I'm eating clean and eating when hungry. I'm sure the clean part helps -- having a huge salad for lunch keeps me full so I'm not starving by dinner. It's honestly a foreign feeling!

About the mug cake, I eyeballed some of the ingredients, but it was essentially this:
1 scoop (30g) chocolate plantfusion
1 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
sprinkle (1/8 tsp maybe) baking powder
1 tsp egg replacer or half a "flax egg" (you can use a little pumpkin puree or applesauce here, but Ener-G brand egg replacer is my go-to)
sprinkle of stevia
3 or 4 tbsp of soy or almond milk
pb2

I gave a quick spray of pam to the inside of a mug, and then I poured in all the dry ingredients except the pb2. Then you add in the milk and stir until it has a batter-like consistency. Pop the mug in the microwave for 3 minutes. (I burned my hand on the handle, so be careful! Ceramic really retains heat.) While it bakes, mix the pb2 with a tbsp or two of soy milk so that it is a little syrupy, and when the cake part is done, pour it on top. Eat some sweet, gooey goodness for breakfast or a snack and don't think twice about it because it nutritinally kicks butt.

If you haven't tried PlantFusion, I can't recommend it enough. I've only had the chocolate but I absolutely love it. It's like drinking a milkshake. I stay away from dairy now but I remember in the past that whey powders were really gritty. This one has a nice, smooth texture, mixes easily, and tastes like a dessert. I'm gonna try baking and cooking other recipes with it. It's not easy to find and it's not terribly cheap but it's very good quality nutrition so I buy it online.

Pumped out Stage 2B2 today and felt good. I hit 60# on the wide-grip deadlift from box, which is a new record for me. It was really hard, even though I think of 60 pounds as not a ton. I mean, I deadlift and squat nearly twice that, so why is this so hard? Trying not to overthink.

Pearl, a 55# overhead press is awesome. I'm inspired to try to catch up to you ;-)

Beeps & Sam, I hope you find a way to catch up on sleep. Sounds rough.

Going to the gym has serious upsides to it. Namely the fact that it's relatively empty and I don't have to awkwardly wait around for others to finish up with the equipment I want. Also the fact that the tiny handful of other women I see in the weight room tend to come late (probably for that reason). But bedtime arrives and I'm still wired! It's a nice feeling now but I'll pay for it in the morning.

Beeps - no, just three. I try to do HIIT either the day I lift or the off-days.

panthur, I'm probably not the one to give encouragement because I switched to Beautiful Badass. It's got both DLs and Squats in the first 2 phases! :devil:

Beeps, I've moved to lifting 4x / wk now, and spin 2x unless I forget to set my alarm, like I did yesterday! :grumble: I will do chest and shoulders tomorrow morning. Not sure if Saturday will work, we're talking about a trip to Wildwood for Roar to the Shore which would cancel my gym time. Next week is a deload week, the following week, I'll do something not sure whatexactly. Then I go on vacation for 2 weeks, so I'll start fresh again in October.

Panthur, sorry but DLs and back squats disappear - I didn't like Stage 2 much at all, but it really did get better to me! Loved 3 did better on 4 loved 5 and really loved the last 2 Stages.

Not much happening here. Beeps when is your 2nd surgery?

KAthleen what do you hate about the step ups?

1. They make me tachycardic. LOL
2. I feel like I am limited more by my grip strength and by just overall getting tired than by the muscles they are designed to work.

Having said that- I think this is the main benefit of programs like this where we are working more than one muscle group. I think the two areas in which I have improved most during this program are grip strength and core strength.

Oh and CONGRATULATIONS RUNZ on your AMRAPS!!!

Thanks ladies. I just get like this in those two awful days in my cycle. The exhaustion kicks my butt every time. I'll be high energy next week and you'll think I;m manic or something.

Beeps, glad it was a little easier this time

I'm WAY high carb today! But I'm off to the gym to lift.

Oh good grief, Sam!! You MUST take better care!! I'm also hypoglycemic and actually got that shaky feeling when I haven't had enough to eat, so I grabbed a handful of peanuts (LOVE Costco's GIANT peanuts) - that did the trick. Get a bucket and keep a sandwich or freezer bag full in your bag!!

...and wow that's some awesome lifting you got goin' on! Congrats!

Beeps, can't tell you how relieved I am to hear your surgery went well and that you're feeling better faster this time!! I'm glad you're planning to take the required time to recover! Sending continued good thoughts for complete recovery so you can get back to doing what you love most!!

I have 2 new PRs! Yesterday was bench day and I pressed 95x4! Today was squats and worked with my trainer. 95#x 5 and good form (that's more important to me than the weights).

My butt is really sore, my trainer burned out my hams & glutes today and had me doing walking lunges followed by sprints.

On our way to a b'day party this evening. Have fun everyone!