FXB - Into Week 4

 So the first three weeks are over and we're into Week 4.  The first week, we were tired from getting up so early and sore from working muscles that we hadn't worked for a long time--if ever.  They kept saying, "Come on! You can do it!"  And into Week 2 and Week 3, you started feeling pretty good about yourself, thinking, "This isn't so bad.  I can do this!"   And then, on Saturday, we were warned: "Get ready for Week 4.  New band exercises!  New partner exercises!"  Uh oh...  Then Week 4 started.  The instructors said, "C'mon...you can give just a little more.  Level 10! Work it!  C'mon!"

Yesterday was Upper Body day.  Jace and I both got the bands we had worked up to.  I was using green and red--up from the yellow.  And then...BAM!  We were working our shoulders and by the end of class, I wasn't sure I'd be able to lift my arms enough to drive home.  I even notice the Fit Members (those past the 10 week program) were using the yellow bands on some of the exercises. 

Onto food...I think I've mentioned that we get one "Free Day" a week to eat whatever we want.  Both of us have been pretty good about not going overboard.  They have been reminding us that we only get ONE free day.  With Thanksgiving on Thursday, the football game on Friday and then Saturday--which is usually Free Day--it'll be tough.  Not sure what I'm going to do but hopefully I'll be able to say, "No thanks! No more!"

OK, last little bit.  We got this email earlier this week about the scale--which we are still banned from.  The article is from About.com:

When you first start a program, you may need extra encouragement to keep going, proof that what you're doing is working and the scale may not give you that. Other ways the scale can work against you:

It measures everything: The number on the scale includes everything - muscles, fat, bones, organs, fat, food and water. For that reason, your scale weight can be a deceptive number. 

 

It doesn't reflect the changes happening in your body: If you're doing cardio and strength training, you may build lean muscle tissue at the same time you're losing fat. In that case, the scale may not change even though you're getting leaner and slimmer. 

 

It doesn't reflect your health: As mentioned above, the scale can't tell the difference between fat and muscle. That means a person can have a low body weight, but still have unhealthy levels of body fat. 

 

It isn't always a positive motivator: If you step on the scale and you're unhappy with what you see, how does that make you feel? You may question everything you're doing, wondering why you even bother at all. Focusing on weight may overshadow the positive results you're getting such as fat loss, more endurance and higher energy levels.

Change How You Measure Your Success

• Even if you're not ready to stop weighing yourself entirely, using other ways to measure progress can keep you motivated and help you realize that you are making changes, no matter what the scale says.
• Go by how your clothes fit. If they fit more loosely, you know you're on the right track.
• Take your measurements to see if you're losing inches.
• Get your body fat tested.
• Set performance goals. Instead of worrying about weight loss or fat loss, focus on completing a certain number of workouts each week or competing in a race.
• If the scale is making you crazy, taking a break from weighing yourself may just open your eyes to other possibilities. Your weight isn't the only measure of your success. Put away the scale and you may just see how far you've really come.

Hope everyone has a safe and yummy Thanksgiving!  Jace and I will be going to the 6:30 am class on Thanksgiving day, missing Friday and back at it on Saturday.