Main quest goal smashed! BF% drop!

[Stonie]

My main quest when I started this mission was to drop from 21% body fat to 15% body fat... Well I measured myself this morning and I SMASHED that goal!! 13.9% body fat.

 

Just to illustrate, here is what I looked like on the first day I joined the Rebellion;

(I've no idea what my BF% was, and I'm not putting it all back on just to check!)

 

 

I hated myself pretty much. I wanted to change everything about my body; be someone else. I was the "skinny-fat" type of unfit and despite family and friends telling me I looked fine I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. Yet I was too lazy to get up off my arse and do something about it. Then I stumbled on NF and dragged myself up by the scruff of my neck. I'd just missed the challenge start so I started learning the ropes of the forums and blundering my way through my first workouts; hurt my ankles trying to go for a run, learnt to eat properly, and realized that how my body was feeling, wasn't right. I started to enjoy lifting weights and the burn and the racing heart that comes with exercise, and the feeling of being full and not bloated and sick when I ate a proper meal and cut back on dairy, gluten and grains. 

 

Start of the current 6-week challenge (I'd been preparing!) And I looked like this;

(21% BF)

 

 

Which was good, but I wanted to see my ab muscles. I also knew I had a long way to go lifting wise, and I wanted to gain a level here on the forums! So I gave myself a number to work for (15% down down from 21% BF) And went for it. I had a plan, I had a character, I had a quest. Something about it being like real-life WOW, and having to admit my faults when I logged on helped spur me on to continue doing good for myself. Then one week I gained weight (it ended up being hormonal mischief running amok through my body) and decided I should finally get a pair of calipers if I was going to keep seeing any results that wouldn't shut me down on the spot. Also the scales were starting to give me a shifty look.

 

Day one of Week 5 and Weigh in Day has led to this!

(now 14% BF!)

 

 

Still no abs. Turns out THATS where all my fat has been sitting this whole time. But there is shape under that fat (that isn't "round") , my arms aren't pudgy and jiggly, and none of my clothes fit! (that's a good thing.) I feel like I have a body that I can go out and DO STUFF with instead of declining things like playing tennis or going out because I'm worried I'll look stupid or hurt myself. Now I look for any excuse to get into my bathers or take my shirt off or show off my arms and legs because I'm so pleased with how all the effort I've put in has paid off! I also keep getting sunburnt because I wear a lot less clothing then I used to and forget to put sunscreen on my lilly white skin. Whoops! If I wasn't standing in my own bedroom I would have a hard time believing that body is mine!

[Fenshire]

Wooooow!!  You look AH-MAZE-ING!!!  Really great job, Teagarden!

[Basement Cat]

Woo-wow-wee-hoo!

 

That's an awesome achievement, Tea! Congratulations!

[rocky555]

Wow that is IMPRESSIVE!

 

You really were "skinny fat", so it is understandable why people told you that you looked fine, because you did look good fully clothed.

 

Just be careful if planning to drop your fat any more, you could disrupt your menstrual cycle. I know female fitness trainer who is making an effort to keep her fat over 15%. Most of the time she is at 17-18%.

 

Probably here at NF there are few girls with first hand experiences at low fat levels who should be able to tell you more...

[Stonie]

I'd read up on that beforehand rocky, so I'm not planning on dropping any more weight, which means I can eat more! xD 

When I chose to go for 15% I didn't really think I'd get that far. I assumed I would get close, and that 15% would be the maximum that was probably achievable from where I started. 

 

I set a goal I didn't think I could make and then KICKED IT'S ASS!

[rocky555]

Now you are in a good position. Judging from the photo you have a great base to work on.

You can add some strenght workouts, also be in slight caloric sufficit with protein rich quality foods and you will gain weight very slowly, but hopefully it will be mostly muscle.

And then you will have stronger body and faster matabolism.

 

P.S. If you did not already, then read this article which was posted on NF recently, interesting stuff:

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1268956

[Stonie]

I hadn't read it, but I like what it's saying!

 

At the very least I'm going to up my calorie intake so I don't get dangerously skinny or lose muscle mass, because I'm definitely going to keep exercising!

But with nice food

[Fenshire]

So, what's the next goal you're going to destroy? 

[Stonie]

Oh my god I hadn't thought of that!  Short term? Win my challenge! I've been kept pretty busy with all the different bits and pieces of my life I'm trying to win points for. I'll have to have a think about that a bit I think. 

[The Beard]

Hey congrats on meeting your goal!!! That's awesome!

[IronGlider]

Holy smokes you didn't just smash your goal, you ANNIHILATED IT! Well done, you look fab and it's really motivating to see the big leap in progress.

[Stonie]

Holy smokes you didn't just smash your goal, you ANNIHILATED IT! Well done, you look fab and it's really motivating to see the big leap in progress.

 

Thanks! I definitely surprised myself; the whole of my subconscious was screaming at me to give up because I'd never get there and I'd be sad when I failed, but I stopped listening to that sad old loser.

[.strike]

That's an incredible change - well done!

[br!t3r]

you look AMAZING! Success's like yours inspires me, hopefully one day I have a story like this to tell! Congrats again!