Speaking of challenges, Kyra at Pinkdumbbells.com is hosting another one-month fitness/nutrition challenge for anyone who is interested in dropping a few pounds of fat, gaining some muscle, or just generally having a bit of support from a group of motivated chicas who know what it’s like to eat chicken breast six times a day and carry around a huge water bottle and insulated lunch bag or cooler wherever you go.

I’m doing the PDB July Challenge using my own Cheapass plan this time around. You don’t have to follow a specific program like BFL, but you DO need to come up with nutrition and workout guidelines that will get you to your goal, whatever it may be.

There’s still time to sign up, so read more about the challenge here:

Weight: 137.2 lbs

Caliper Readings

• Suprailiac: 11.5 mm
• Tricep: 9.5 mm
• Thigh: 13.5 mm

Rustyiron.net BF% using above caliper readings: 15.5%

Omron BF%: 19.4%

Average BF%: 17.45%

Height: Still 5′6″, dammit. When is all this exercising and healthy eating going to make me taller?

Latest (week 1) progress photos have been posted to my Cheapass Challenge photo album.

Here’s a side shot from this morning’s photos. I’m seeing a bit more in the ab area and from the side I can tell that I’m losing some of the fat from the front of my lower abdomen. My quads feel harder now, too, but I expect that it will be another 5 lbs or so before they start popping out again. As for my back and hammies…those will be in hiding until I reach sub-130 lb territory.

I’ve posted starting photos for this challenge in my photo album.  These were taken last week on 6/21/06, and I feel ultra FLUFF-AY in these starting photos due to 45 days of workout laziness and lackadaisical eating at work (mmm….take out dinners during late nights…many, many late nights) and PMS bloat.

I highly recommend the combination of a Smokey Bones cheat meal and good TOM timing for the most dramatic Before/After shots possible.

Click on the pic below to get to the side and back shots as well.