And most importantly, my bfp dropped another 1%, so down 2.88% from where I started at the beginning of March.

Superb progress supermel. Hurrah for the tape measure!!

Julie, how exciting re the fostering!!

Beeps, keep up the good work

so, encouraged by the fact that the new dress I bought for the ball on Friday was comfortably roomy (a uk 10, so very pleased with that, and a "column" style so no way of hiding!), and a couple of "you've lost weight" comments I have had over the weekend, I took my measurements. All locations show a reduction in cms, including my arms and thighs, which I am most pleased with.

And the dreaded scales showed a decent loss today. My food habits have really taken a turn for the better over the last month or so, and along with the exercise and additional walking, it is all coming together nicely.

With Brexit, however, I am already tired and starting the working week off on the back foot, so to speak. These are the sort of weeks where my eating and exercise can easily go to pot, so I do need to focus not only on markets and my clients, but on myself too. Otherwise I shall get cross with myself and that won't help anyone or anything!!

Gym news = yesterday I squat 5/5/3/4/3 @75kgs - my best yet, and more than my bodyweight, so I am very pleased with that. My DL was 85kgs, another best. If only I could have similar improvements with my OHP!!!!!

Rest day today. Happy Monday everyone - have a good week.

Aigre - both situations are not great! But if Donald Trump does get elected at least he will have advisors that are pretty much running the country - he's not going to be able to do whatever he wants. Brexit will calm down too, just chaos right now.

I totally get the OCD on the miles thing, that would have annoyed me too.

To all those with decrese in measurements/weight - awesome work. I haven't actually weighed or measured in ages, I probably should do, but in general I'm pretty happy that I'm looking different so don't want to dereail my enthusiasm if nothing has actually changed numbers wise!

Julie - that is a wonderful thing to be foster parent - are you looking to adopt, or foster until adoptive parents are found? I don't know how it works at all.

Gym today:

Squats: 5x5 @ 52.5kg - kimi I do not know how you are squatting so much, you are CRAZY!

Bench: 5x5 @ 37.5kg

Row: 5x5 @ 37.5kg

I'm pleased with how everything is going at the gym. My squats are hard, and I fight knee cave pretty much the entire time, but I feel them working "properly" now (i.e. actually feel something in my glutes, and get a bounce out of the hole). I'm definitely getting close to a weight that I need to stay at for more than one session.

Kim-you're doing framing fabulous!! Roomy size 10 column dress? We weighed around the same and I'm no where near that thin! And your squat is amazing!! Wow!! Be rogue, you've worked hard and are reaping what you've sown!! Wtg!!

Mel-woohoo on the inches!! Amazing! Wtg!!

Stephie-we're open to adopting, but I'm 47, so not sure I'm up for adopting an infant? AZ is big on reunification, but some situations are irreconcilable so it happens often. We plan to take it one placement at a time and see what God has planned for us
You're doing great too!

Aigre-I got confused a lot with NR, but keep going and it'll fall into place. You're doing great!!

Tchr-good for you working out on vacation!! Impressive!

I seem to only be lifting once a week , need to work on that! I'm down to the 150's again, weight wise, finally! Re losing after the trip has been rough! And I leave Friday for a staycation by a pool for a week. Hope to work out a few times too. I'll refind my zeal, but want to lose a few more lbs. my lifting is junk on low cals .

I am a little behind. Haven't spent much time online with work at main job and doing a secondary to get a little extra income going. Saturday before work I had bench press day. Thursday was squat day. And yesterday evening, I did deadlifts. Though I keep forgetting my phone, which makes it hard to follow the app recommendations, but yesterday I had written down the main lift numbers in my notebook ahead of time, and that helped. It went okay but everything is a bit in the air right now so we'll see how everything falls in the end.

Unfortunately, part of the stand still right now is waiting for bad news. My step-grandmother (stepdad's mother) has been suffering from Alzheimer's and the last few years have been rough. Now, she can't even get out of bed so it's waiting, which could be any day. If we have to, me and my sister are going to drive to get there but until then, on hold.

I haven't been eating the best, in that I've been not eating enough. I was going for around 1300 for this part of the cut but I've been just over 1000 on a few days. Not quite what I want to also facilitate lifting heavy. I'm between 128-130 on the scales right now. Working on food but budget is rough right now trying to make the rent for the new place. August will be easier, but July is going to be a very tight month.


Bench Press Day
1x8 @ 45, 1x8 @ 50, 1x8 @ 60, 1x3 @ 70, 1x3 @ 85, 1x6 @ 95

chin up 3x3 bw
bicep cable curl 3x8 @ 35
facepull 3x8 @ 35


Deadlift Day
low bar squat (for warm up) 2x8 @ 45, 1x8 @ 95, 1x5 @ 135, 3x3 @ 155 with belt

Deadlift 1x6 @ 95, 1x6 @ 135, 1x3 @ 160, 1x3 @ 185, 1x6 @ 205


There, now caught up for now.

Stephie - if you find a good stretching workout, let me know too! I have always been flexible in some areas (ankles, quads) but super tight in others (hamstrings, hip flexors). I would like more balance.

Dawn - moving is the worst! We moved about a year ago and I still don't feel completely settled. Sorry to hear about your grandmother, that sounds very stressful. Glad you've gotten to the gym though.

Beeps - So glad you are feeling better! Take it easy though! Your strength will come back in no time but make sure you don't injure your surgery getting back too quickly.

Kimi - you are a squatting machine!

Julie - good job on the weight loss!

Legs were a little sore this morning after a long run on Sunday and squats yesterday. So I did a slow 2 mile run. It was also 70 degrees and 93% humidity at 5 am, so I was drenched and heart rate was up despite a slow pace. I know it's nothing compared to the actual south, but geez.

Lift again tomorrow, trying to push through some workouts this week since I'll be away for the weekend for a "deload/refeed" (i.e. sit around a lot and eat lots of cheese and wine).

Good news on the exercise beeps. Hope you're not too sore from it today. I've had a c-section before so understand the restrictions and frustrations!!

Leg day for me yesterday.... 10x10 squats and 10x10 kettlebell lunges. With only a minute rest between sets, it certainly works me hard! I was going to do arms instead, but the squat rack was free and there was no way I was passing up that opportunity!!

Stephie - do let me know! Your numbers are really coming along.

Kim - I'm telling you, you are a beast!

Beeps - good for you getting back to it so soon! Hope you continue to feel well!

Tchrmom - I roughly go by MFP and Fitbit. To lose a pound a week, MFP sets me at 1210 cals/day, but that's way too low for me. I wear a Fitbit and it adds back exercise calories, depending on if I've run or whatnot. Most days, I'll end up eating somewhere between 1500-1700 calories though, and if I am consistent there I'll average about a pound a week. So if I were maintaining I think I would eat around 2000. I have lost a little over 20 lbs since January, but haven't really gained much if any muscle. I don't know if that because I am in too much of a calorie deficit or if I am just not genetically primed for muscle gain or a combination. I've been toying with the idea of less of a deficit once I hit under 140 lbs (I'm 5'5"), which will hopefully be in another month or so. But I have a pretty small frame, and not a lot of existing muscle mass, so I could really get pretty light before I got very lean, where I could turn around and actually try to put on muscle by eating a surplus. So I don't know, we'll see!

Anyway, I did Strong, Stage 7, Workout B, #1 today
Suspended pike - WTH, couldn't do these, went back to the jackknives.
Press - decided to try OHP. Did 6x5@ a variety of weights in between 33-40 lbs, used my fractional plates to gradually increase. Probably did meet the RPE8 suggested cause I could have done a little bit more.
Reverse lunges - 2x10@60 lbs
Chin ups - 2x8 with 100 lbs assist
Squats - 2x10@55 lbs just really trying to dial in form
Dead stop row - 2x10@30 lbs
No more intervals in Stage 7, sort of miss them, but do think it is better for recovery.

Happy hump day everyone!