General Diet Plans and Questions - Body for Life #27

Falling down on the job!!!

Sorry everyone, I'm in the middle of finals.
:dizzy:

Happy Number 27!!!

Us BFLers just fly through these threads so quickly!! :dizzy:

Susanje - I know you will do great in finals. Keep doing your workouts though - they'll help alleviate the stress. Remember to honor self-promises and you'll be :cool:

I am just feeling SO great today. Now that I'm focused on a goal event (bodybuilding contest in Summer '02) I found I had even more energy than usual this morning in my workout, which was chest and triceps BTW.

Yesterday at work we had a natural gas leak and the whole complex (three buildings) had to be evacuated for over an hour. Jim and I are both wardens of our respective floors so we were busy getting everyone on our floors out of the building and to the 'safe' area. (The gas leak occurred when the contractors who are starting the construction of building #4 were digging and hit the PG&E line). Jim told me last night that three people remarked to him about my progress and how good I'm looking! What a thrill!

I haven't even started Christmas shopping yet - but I'm going to start today (online that is). Got to buy Jim's brother a little prezzie. He just moved from Florida to Michigan so I'm going to get him something warm to wear from Lands' End or LL Bean as he is probably FREEZING - since he was raised in Southern California (mostly the desert) he is definitely out of his element although he says he really likes Michigan (living near Ann Arbor).

Hope everyone else is doing GREAT! Let's hear from y'all!

as a gift for those climatically impaired. Great news about the contest! You clearly have the mindset to succeed.

I'm glad to hear everyone is thriving. I'm feeling stressed and crazy today, all I want is sugar. So the secret weapons come out - s/f italian flavored syrups, baked apples, and Myoplex lite!

Susanje did you dispose of all your extra MRPs?

Welcome to Jenn!

Old Navy has a **great** website with terrific prices. I bought Scott some fleece sleep bottoms, warm winter socks and some winter gloves, in other words stuff he will probably really need!

Jim just kind of rolled his eyes. He warned me not to buy Scott any clothes but I reasoned that buying sox and sleepwear is a bit different that outside clothes. Besides he can return them to his local Old Navy (I'm assuming there's one in Michigan!) for store credit if he doesn't like them!

Now I'm warmed up - time to buy for my mother in law, niece and nephew (plus a kitty tree for Sparky but the one I want is very expensive $$$). Later gals!

Hi Mrs. Jim,

I couldn't help but reply to something you said previously. BTW you look great, keep it up. I work in Ann Arbor, I use to live there when I first moved to MI, from Cali, but northern cali. I live in Inkster now which is near Romulus and Dearborn. Cool

Yes there is an old Navy here in A2(Ann Arbor), they have a lot sales,and good stuff.

I use to post here often before I found BFL. That was a few years ago :)

Have a good day.

I fogot to say my name "Nichole" fellow QS'er :)

Hey Everyone!

Happy Thursday. Did my 20 minutes MAS this a.m. after a free week off
between challenges, and am almost recovered from cold. Whoo hoo!

Hope everyone is doing well.

Jenn L.

Here at work today is the big HOLIDAY BRUNCH down in the Auditorium...I went down there just to look. Thank goodness Jim was with me - those tables were LOADED with stuff. Pastries, eggs, bacon, lox, bagels, egg nog, chefs carving roast beef. Of course Jim was in heaven (he doesn't worry about eating clean - yet) but at the same time he told me "don't worry babe, it's almost Sunday - Free Day - you can eat whatever you want then!" That along with keeping my goals in clear focus helped me steer clear of grabbing a plate and chowing down with everyone else! Hooray for me! :D

Well, I've decided which contests I'm going to shoot for - already posted on the L&S Bodybuilding board but here they are for y'all:

Saturday 4 May - San Francisco (if I can get the fat off my belly, thighs and hips I'm there!);

Saturday 27 July - also in San Francisco.

Now that I have a definite goal date in mind I have even MORE motivation than ever!!! Yee Haw! BRING IT ON!!!

Jen - must have felt GREAT to have a workout day after a week off. I can totally relate to how terrific it feels to hit the gym again after that LONG week!

Nichole - Hey there! Glad to see you here! :lol:

I have a meeting so I've got to run. Later everyone!

MrsJim:

It is SO cool that you're going for the gold. Maybe I'll have to check out the July SF gig if I'm here (I'm interviewing again in NY in January). Your biceps will knock em dead!!!

Lisa: I still have MRPs!!!

Well I have 1.1 exams left (I have a take home paper that I am 99 percent done with and 1 exam [24 hour] on Monday).

whew. I'm soooooooooooooooooooooo tired. :yawn:

gnight!!!

susan

Hi everybody :wave:

MrsJ~~~WTG on making your new goal for next year! I have no doubt that you will accomplish it. You definately have the motivation and drive to compete. Good luck! I'm rooting for ya!!

Nichole~~Great pics over at L&S :) I posted over there to you.

Susan~~~ Only a few more days to go, gal. Thanks again for the MRP's.

Jenn~~~It feels great to get back to exercising, doesn't it. I'm starting C3 on Jan.4

Hendricks~~~Good choices for that sugar craving :) I have found that when I crave chocolate, that a Myoplex Lo Carb Cookies & Cream protein bar hits the spot. Whatever gets us through, right?
~~~Sil

although bars aren't a "grade A" meal substitute, I'd rather eat one than a doughnut or a Snickers! I had one yesterday while my coworkers ate cheesecake. And I make a shake with rum extract, eggbeaters, and vanilla protein powder that vaguely resembles eggnog if you grate nutmeg on the top!

SUSANJE if ever have any free time when you're in the city let me know. I'm about two hours out by train and I've been planning a visit. Let me know about the MRPs after you're through with exams. I love the Berry Blast you sent.

Have a great weekend my friends. I did a huge amount of shopping this morning and I'll be wrapping Sunday night, with carols and REAL eggnog!

what's the deal with Pam Brown and EAS? I read this thread at L&S but everyone seemed clued in. It's hard to believe that anyone who looks like her can be such a genuinely nice person : I'm feeling bad if someone hasn't taken her seriously.

Thanks.

Our internet provider has been down for most of the day, thank goodness it's finally back up!! :)

Lisa (and anyone else who's wondering) I honestly DON'T know what the deal is between Pam B and EAS. What I do know is that she officially entered the Challenge - not sure if she entered all three times. She didn't win (keep in mind though that the competition is FIERCE - there are literally thousands of entries - I believe it's the April issue of Muscle Media has all the 2000 Champions - I don't envy the judges one bit).

However I just received my Jan/Feb issue of MM last night and note that Pam's Before and After (I think it's her C3 after pic) is in the free pullout BFL calendar. Of course, when you send your entries into EAS, they have the right to use them in promotions as it is clearly stated in the rules.

I also know she is going to be featured in the next issue of Energy magazine and I'm really looking forward to that! In case you don't know how that came about, basically the editor of Energy, Gretchen, checked the L&S message board and asked opinions of the members. Pretty much everyone asked that they do a story on Pam B and Gretchen agreed! Pam seems excited to me and doesn't seem to hold a grudge against EAS in the slightest. It's more other people coming to her defense IMO. L&S is like a big family and sometimes families have disagreements too. Much of the time I feel like I'm on the fringe of everything there. In fact, if you could let me know the date and time of the start of the thread you're referring to, I'd really like to check it out. My curiosity has been whetted!

I'm dying, I just got out of work. I believe it is the "Bill Phillips and success" thread from the last few days. Worth checking out, anyway...some strong feelings.

I feel like a vampire who feeds on MRPs. "Myoplex! Myoplex! I must FEED!"...

Yeah, for some reason everyone is either "Yea, Bill!!" or "Sellout Bill". I consider myself in the first category. I'm forever grateful to him for coming up with BFL which has done so much for me! I did sign up for the official challenge at first but never sent in the packet after I finished. I guess the thought of writing an essay was too daunting (not only do I spend a lot of time here and and L&S, but I help write papers at work and also do Arabian Horse pedigree research as a hobby).

Well I just finished my Christmas shopping (almost!). Got the greatest idea for my niece and nephew (ages 10 and 6). Since they are so hard to shop for I was planning on getting them gift certificates at the mall, and was really dreading going there. I don't know if you all are aware of Visa Gift Cards! I bought a $25 gift card for each one. They are so neat - can be used in any store (including online) that accepts Visa cards. And after the card is used up, you can re-load them with more cash or save it as a collectible (there are a lot of designs to choose from including Olympic motifs). it made MY shopping tons easier!

Plus last night we bought Sparky a gift. You kitty owners out there should check out this site: www.sittingprettykitty.com - this gal makes the GREATEST kitty trees and condos! I was watching an auction on eBay on one of her cat treehouses (they are so neat - they look just like trees - check em out!) and decided not to wait til the end of the auction - I just went to the website and ordered one. They are all custom-built. My friends about died when I said that I paid almost $200 for a kitty condo, but we just dropped a bundle on new living room furniture last year and we want Sparky to have other scratching options. In addition, I wanted something that looked good and this tree is just too cute! I am so excited - Terra started building it today and she said she'd send it out within 7 days so maybe we'll get it in time for Christmas!

Well, that's it for now. Tomorrow I have shoulders/abs/calves then a riding lesson - hoping NOT to fall this time :lol:

Later gals!

Yes, I'm still alive. We finished our big trial last week and start another small one on Monday so it's been crazy busy at work lately! I have been reading the threads and trying to keep up with everyone's progress.

Mrs. Jim - a bodybuilding contest - now there's a great goal!!! I'm sure you'll be successful, with your drive and determination. And what a great way to stay focused and really push yourself to reach your goals. I really need to set some new exciting goals myself. I've been sticking with the program for Challenge 2 but some days I feel like I'm just going through the motions and not really pushing. Gotta find a way to re-ignite that fire I had during Challenge 1!

Is everyone ready for Christmas? I'm doing Christmas dinner here for my boyfriend and I, his parents, my sister-in-law and one of the guys from my boyfriend's band. (What a collection, eh?) My stepkids and stepgrandkids will come by that night for desert and presents. (My husband died in 1999 - his kids and one sister live nearby and we always spend the holidays together.) I'm getting a ham and a turkey breast from HoneyBaked and will make the side dishes, and I've asked my guests to bring deserts - and take home any leftovers!! ;)

Happy Holidays to you all -

Marci

planning for success for the holiday, have a great time!

I'll be away for the rest of the weekend. Sunday will be my four week anniversary, one-third of the way through. It's flying by.


C1, D27

Just re-read my last post, and no, I didn't ask my guests to bring deserts to dinner, but rather desserts...we're in South Florida, it's desert-like enough already, what with the heat and broiling sun and sand! :lol: (Geez, I used to know how to spell; what's happening to me?)

Howdy everyone!!! Hope you're all doing well. It's FREEZING HERE today! BRRR!

Lisa, you remind me of me in your feelings towards doing a Challenge. The weeks just seem to fly by, don't they? Except for the day before Free Day like today is for me - can't wait to have a few Sees Candies tomorrow...fortunately noone has bought us any and there hasn't been any around the office that I can see - so I'm going to walk over to the Sees store and select three or four pieces - a first for me because I usually just grab the assortments (Nuts & Chews). Naturally I wouldn't THINK of buying them for myself - but I love 'em! They are definitely a RED LIGHT food for me (quoting an old Weight Watchers phrase).

Right now I'm making chicken barley soup. I wish there were more BFL soup recipes around (actually there probably are on the BFL website - I don't go to the official one often) but generally I just start with canned chicken stock (the light version with less sodium) dilute it with water, and add some barley, chicken breasts, seasonings and whatever looks good in the fridge (in fact, I think I'll throw in that baby bok choi now that I think about it - right now I have sliced mushrooms, peas and carrots and chopped onions in there) and let it simmer. I'm not nuts about vegetables, and soup is one of my favorite ways of eating them (along with stir-frying them together with rice and eggs or chicken for a complete meal!).

I had a really great riding lesson today. BTW, have I mentioned before what a GREAT extra activity English riding is - giving the horse signals through leg aids, as well as posting the trot, two-point, etc really works the entire leg muscle group! Anyway, today I rode Butch and mostly trotted and CANTERED and just felt like I was finally getting to be a halfway decent rider - stayed on the right diagonal during the trot, kept balance at the two-point (basically that's lifting your butt about an inch or two off the saddle and leaning forward a bit in preparation to jump) and the canter was wonderful, just a lot of fun!

Not to mention a terrific shoulders/abs/calves workout early this morning! Having all those great new dumbells at 24 Hour Fitness has been so wonderful - being able to go up in 2.5 pound increments. Of course we all know they're doing it now so the weights look all shiny and new during their BIG holiday sign up period but who cares anyway??

Gotta go and do Christmas cards! Later everyone!

Out Christmas shopping and seeing relatives, I presume??? ;)

Yesterday I took a planned "Free Meal" for our department luncheon at KING FISH Restaurant. The food there is so good, I didn't want to miss out. First we ordered a seafood platter to share amongst all of us - with crab cakes, ahi tuna won tons, raw oysters, shrimp, etc. I don't care for raw fish myself so passed on the oysters.

For the main course well there were so many good entrees on the menu, but I went for...the pan roasted chicken breast with garlic mashed potatoes and mustard greens. YUM. Plus a lot of sourdough bread which I love. Altogether a very satisfying free meal and I wasn't stuffed to the gills. Plus - I have another free meal this week - probably will have it Sunday.

This week being Week 9 of C3 for me, it was time to change up my exercises. I have been SO SORE all week but it's a good soreness :lol: I started doing squats and lunges without the Smith machine for the first time, going down as far as I possibly could (so that my hamstrings were touching my calves). Of course I couldn't use as much weight as I can with the Smith but boy did I feel it the next day! In addition, I'm really adding in a lot of deadlifts. Squats, lunges and deadlifts are killers but they are really fantastic for muscle development and strength.

Today I did shoulders/abs/calves. I've discovered a new shoulder exercise while thumbing through my back issues of M&F Hers (well new to me anyway) - the "Cheerleader" which is kind of a cross between front dumbbell raises, side lat raise and overhead press. I was using 5# and 7.5# weights and REALLY felt it (usually for overheads I use between 15-30# weights).

I'm officially joining the Natural bodybuilding Association today - sending in my $50 fee. I've told so many people I'm competing that now I HAVE to do it! :lol:

Okay, let's hear from y'all! Keep the fire burining, we only have 10 days left and the holidays will be over, right??? Definitely NOT looking forward to Jan. 2nd because the gym will be PACKED with all those 'new years resolutions' people... of course most of them will be gone by Valentines' Day - there was an article about that in the new Muscle Media...check it out (also in the issue: A free pullout BFL calendar with a pic of PAM B!!!)

Take care y'all!

Yes, MrsJim, now you HAVE to compete!

I finished finals and now have 2 of my 3 boys home. The other one comes into San Jose airport tomorrow. I saved so much money bringing them through other airports (the other 2 came through Sacramento). Oakland is the most convenient but for the money I saved, I'm happy.

I am not looking forward to the gym in January. I will be doing a lot of at home workouts!

I have been doing Callenetics. Not for cardio or weights (meaning I'm not substituing, I added it). It doesn't look hard but it is and it really stretches you out!! Ilike it.

I have BIG plans too for this year Mrs. Jim. Not as ambitious as yours but I've been formulating a plan that is fairly stringent. 2002 here I come!!!

I will start another thread in a day or two....just wanted to check in! How is everyone???

Susan

You must be sooo happy to have your family altogether for the holidays!

I hope one of your big plans for '02 is to STAY TUNED RIGHT HERE because that's what I intend to do (and at L&S too of course!).

I had shoulders/abs/calves workout today and lemme tell ya, it was so nice and QUIET at 24 Hour Fitness this morning. At 5:15 am there were probably about 6 other people there working out (us diehards). We enjoyed it as much as possible 'cos its the CALM before the STORM of new members and 'resolution' people. Come Jan 2nd I'll probably be getting myself out of bed at 4 am (it's been 4:30 am lately) so I can get to the gym before the big rush at 5:00 am.

Also, after this week I am switching back to 1 Free Day a week, because having two free meals a week just isn't cutting it for me! What's great for me about having an entire Free Day is that I have a whole day of not having to keep track of my six meals, or my workouts. Having a free meal during an otherwise clean day just screws my schedule up incredibly. Once my brain goes into Free Mode, it doesn't want to get out of that mode until I hit the sack that night! :devil:

That doesn't necessarily mean that I spend all day Sunday gorging (I used to do that) or that I don't exercise (I usually do get a little light cardio in - just no weights and no hitting 10s). But I really prefer being able to start Free Day with a bowl of Corn Chex, then maybe having McDonald's or a burrito for lunch with a Diet Coke (I tend not to drink soft drinks during the week now). For Free Day dinner we might go and have Mexican food, or make some comfort food - last week I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes and that was soo good - plus Jim gets the leftovers in his lunch the next few days!

Sparky is doing great - we're just waiting for his new kitty condo to arrive - should be done and sent pretty soon! In the meantime I bought a bird feeder for our big picture window. The Sparkster can spend HOURS watching the birds and squirrels that stop by - there's one squirrel in particular who KNOWS that Sparky is watching intently - and teases him by parking himself on the window ledge about 6 inches away from kitty while he's stuffing himself with sunflower seeds. Just too funny! :lol:

Anyway, gotta go and hit the mall one last time...Merry Christmas all!