General Diet Plans and Questions - Body for Life #29!!!

Hi all,

Welcome to the new posters and hi to the regulars!

Please reread BFL number 28 for some great insights from MrsJim!!! It's a new year and we're all going to do so well!!!

I start my new official c1 retread on 1/14. When I plugged in my digital camera to download Christmas pix, my folder is set to my BFL contest photos from last year (I didn't enter the contest but planned to). I am actually a lot more impressed now than I was then (was expecting more progress at the time). The experience of seeing those pictures has motivated me to do a pure C1 challenge again. This time I won't have so many questions and my schedule is less hectic this spring so I hope to do well. We shall see.

Rereading the book and getting ready to go another round with BP. See you all in a week!!!

Susan

This is great! A new year and a new thread! Thanks Susan. :)

Well, today I start my challenge. My main goals are to keep it BFL, 100% clean: no missed workouts and no food cheats.

I had slacked off lately and am ready to give it my all. I really want to see some results. I will also be keeping my Fitday public journal up to date: helps me to be accountable.

Susan, we can do this,gal !!!
~~~Sil

and hope to be back on track Monday. I'll be extending my first Challenge to end 3/10/02, due to the health issues I've had. Then I'll start C2 3/25. Believe it or not, I already scouted out the Wilmington N.C. area where I'll be from 3/16-3/22 for a motel room with a microwave and a refrigerator AND located a gym that will let me join for a week!

Mrs.Jim I'm not sure I'll EVER be as successful as you but you'll always be my inspiration! I already have a custom-made two piece suit picked out if the time comes when it might be flattering.

Susanje I remember that you got really sick the last time you flew cross-country. I hope it doesn't happen again.

Thanks for the scale response. I guess on Monday I dive in for the 12 weeks and see where I end up!

Sil - I'm a fitday fan too. I find it really helps me to see how I'm doing.

I couldn't find the workout shoes I wanted in 3 stores, so I ordered them online. I love Online! Should have did that in first place they'd be here on Monday by now. New Start New Shoes!

I even bought stars for my journal. I went through answering all the questions in the book. Now I'm just fine tuning how I want to use the journal on a daily basis and set up some reward system for myself. I'm so psyched to start. Had a good cardio this morning and feel quite loose right now.

Well I'll chat at you all later. Take care.

I MUST be getting old! It seems like we just started #28...wait a sec...it's already 2 pages long...maybe I'm getting a bit too wordy on you guys?? :lol:

Anyway! I agree with you...new year...new thread.

I can't believe that next week is the last week of my third Challenge - time flies when you're having fun, right?

ThinBytes - you must have smaller feet than I do - or easier ones to fit. I buy lots of stuff online but SHOES I simply *must* try on in person! In fact I should buy myself a new pair of workout shoes soon - I'll put that on my to-do list for Free Week. I have a $50 gift certificate to use at Stanford Shopping Center so Bloomingdale's here I come!

Well, tried on the bikini I bought at www.ujena.com which is a medium - the bottoms fit perfectly - but I'll have to take the top back because even though I'm a 34C I still have big boobs (Jim: "so what's wrong with that?") and they kind of overflow around the sides. Fortunately Ujena is located in Los Altos which is about 20 minutes down the 280 from me, so I'm going to go pay them a visit this weekend!

Y'know, I've been reading your posts on starting over whenever you slip up (for whatever reason). Believe me, I haven't been perfect...but I just pick myself up and keep going. Tom Walsh (The running guy) had a terrific post on that today at L&S:
Don't do it.

Never Ever start over. Renew your goals, refocus, re-energize, re-dedicate, but never stop and start over. Finish your 12 weeks come **** come high water. So you took 3 weeks off, continue on schedule. After your 12 weeks, you can say "that sucked, but I finished." Then you can learn from it and figure out how to not miss all those days and how to fall off the wagon fewer times. It will never be perfect. You don't want to know how many days I missed during my first 12 weeks in 2000 (including 5 in a row in week 11!!!!).

Why start over? Are you concerned that your contest entry will not be any good? Big deal. There's a next round after that. If you're motivated by the money primarily, then there are high odds against you of truly transforming. If your motivation is anything other than the money, as long as it's personal, odds are you will transform.

Who here has not screwed up? We have all blown it at some point, whether it's a meal, a day, or a month.

Let's say you're swimming across a lake and you get tired at the halfway mark. Do you swim back? Or do you move forward. Swimming back is defeating and you'll probably drown or minimally never try again. Swimming forward is the challenge and although the same distance, you are less likely to drown.

When you find yourself wanting to start over, don't choose to drown. Don't choose failure. You think it's hard now? Try convincing yourself to achieve after letting yourself down.

Continue. Finish. Complete. It doesn't matter how small your progress, it's still progress. Even if there's no physical change, at least you have the satisfaction of sticking to a plan and the opportunity to improve the execution of that plan the next time.

Many just started and this weekend is the first weekend and the first test. Don't panic. Others will be starting monday. Keep this in mind. You have your whole life to chase perfection. Don't throw in the towel and call for a "do over." This is not kick ball.


Kinda makes ya think...plus another post from Pam B today - LOVE this one...Changes truly come from the inside out. I had made up my mind that "this was it" when I started Body for Life. It was "do or die" time for me. You see I realized that IIII was the only one who could change my life... I realized I was to blame for the condition my body was in... I realized that no amount of crying or feeling sorry for myself was going to make me a better person... I realized that if I did nothing I would end up remaining a fat and unhappy person for the rest of my life. Did I want to be unhappy for the rest of my life? Of course not. The decision is yours. It's either get up off your duff each and every day, stay true to yourself and be a better person, OR do the same thing you have always done and never achieve your potential.

Who would have thought that an unhappy, lazy, mentally weak, fat and out of shape person tipping the scales at 244 pounds would be preparing for a bodybuilding contest a little over a year later?? Who would have thought that the Denver news would want to do a story on me??? Who would have thought that my mind would become so strong as to change jobs and do something that I am more into?? Who would have thought that I could have become so strong both mentally and physically? I never dreamed that I could accomplish all of this, lose 95 pounds of fat, gain 15 pounds of muscle and be in the best shape of my life!!

I guess my point in writing this is to let you all know that ANYTHING can happen! You CAN make your dreams come true! Do it and do it now!! There is no time to waste! If someone told you that they would give you one million dollars if you worked out for 84 days, would you do it? Would you delay the 84 days or would you want to start enjoying your money as soon as possible? Well, start enjoying the new energetic, fit you as soon as possible... don't delay!!!

I saw my reflection in the mirror the other day and wondered who the fit blonde was. It was me. My brain still has some catching up to do sometimes. It's a great feeling!!

Keep up the journey, it's worth every workout, every skipped ice cream cone, every moment of planning.

Do it and do it now!!!

Gals - if I'm being repetitious with quoting let me know. The L&S board moves so quickly it can be very easy to miss valuable stuff. And I know Susanje for one probably doesn't have a lot of spare time to browse through the 100's of postings each day!

Take care y'all!

Mrs.Jim I bought my shoes on line but a bathing suit top will be another matter! I actually have a worse time now finding bras that fit because I'm an unusual size.

Hi - I bought the book yesterday, and am mostly thru it, but will have to go back and redo it carefully. I'll be joining you all, but am a little leary of working outLESS ! Currently do 35 minutes intense cardio 6X week, and lift heavy (all muscle groups) 3X week, plus fun walks and short runs w/ dog, and play tennis. So I'm sure I'll have losts of questions come next week!
I'm going to keep Sugarbusters legal- don't really see a contradiction there, I just know how much better I've felt without the sugar or no-no carbs (white potato).

mel

I had to laugh about buying a swimsuit online! There is NO way I could do that. These tatas require some major fitting LOL.

I've worn the same size shoes for years 6.5 B Standard. If the shoe is made right it'll fit.

Hey I don't mind the posts from L&S, some of it I catch but like Mrs. Jim says that site moves........ Geez you miss one day there is no catching up with everything or everyone.

Its true though about the starting over. I was one... I intend to break that miserable spell this challenge. Wish me luck.

Welcome Mel :wave:

Hi ladies! I've been trying to read through your posts (you gals are so inspirational!) and trying to get a handle on the BFL plan QUICKLY because I want to start Monday with a friend of mine. I've checked MANY different web sites and read as much as the book as I could in between working (enough to get an idea what foods and exercises I'll be needing), but I am getting conflicting information from different people. Can you all shed a little light to help me get started right?

First off, I know I can't make 6 meals. I know Myoplex is an option, but I've also been told EAS AdvantEdge is okay too (but no Slimfast). Is that right?

As far as bars go, I know there's Myoplex and Myoplex Lite and I've been told once again, EAS AdvantEdge bars are good, a bar called Doctor's and also Adkins bars? Any input on that?

I'm so excited about doing this, but I want to do it right! Any help you all could give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Chynna
P.S. Saw Mrs. Jim's website and all I can say is WOW.

Love your pen name :cool:

and thanks for the compliment on my website. I really need to update it soon (haven't updated since mid-C2).

First off, BEFORE you start, do try and read as much of the book as possible. Don't skip the chapter on "Crossing the Abyss"! Sit down with a pen and paper and do the exercises. Believe me they really help keep your motivation up, which is one of the keys to succeeding at BFL (heck, to succeed at anything really): motivation, PLANNING, and persistance. (at least IMO).

If you've hit a bunch of BFL websites, I'm sure you've gone to Lean & Strong. If not, check it out!!! This is absolutely the BEST BFL site around! Another good site is www.hussman.com/eas - Dr. Hussman has a ton of info there and really gets into the science behind BFL (which Bill P doesn't get into in the book). One caveat, tho' - Dr. H. does have some 'tips' for 'tweaking' the program. For your first challenge (12 weeks) go BY THE BOOK. Most people (like me) are tempted to do stuff like add cardio (yep, Mel, I see your post about that - it was a problem with me too). For my fellow cardio bunnies out there, what you need to do is focus on INTENSITY rather than QUANITITY (time spent). When you hit that last 'level 10' during the 20 MAS, by the end of that 60 second sprint you should feel like you can't run another step! And of course you can still do 'leisure cardio' such as walks, bike rides, etc. or even a favorite aerobic class on the side - just make the 20 MAS a priority along with the LBWOs and UBWOs.

Okay, about the meal thing. I had a tuff time doing 6 meals as well - #4 was my problem. For awhile I used Meal Replacement Bars (MRBs) at work (I prefer Worldwide Pure Protein - the Myoplex Lite bars taste TERRIBLE). Since they are low in carbs, I would eat like 1/2 a bar along with a carb such as a small apple. If you have a Palm Pilot or PDA, what you can do is set the timer to go off every 2-3 hours letting you know it's time to eat! Once you get used to doing 6 meals it becomes second nature, I promise! Another good thing to do is having stuff prepared in advance. Boil a carton of eggs; have cottage cheese, veggies, apples, oranges, etc. on hand; etc. Try to wean yourself off the MRBs as soon as possible - not only are they muy expensive but most are loaded with sugar and GLYCERIN, which you don't want. Now, the MRPs (Meal replacement powders - shakes) like Myoplex Lite have hardly any sugar (just the stuff that occurs naturally through the dairy in the ingredients). And I'd stay away from the Ready-to-Drink shakes - WAY too much sugar and they taste like crap to put it bluntly!

You can also use a protein shake mix such as Simply Protein - just make sure you add a carb (fruit or something like that) to the shake - remember each meal must have a protein and a carb.

There are a lot of MRPs on the market - check the nutritional info and make sure it corresponds to Myoplex Lite as much as possible, which has 190 calories; 1.5g fat; 18g carbs; 25g protein. And DEFINITELY stay away from SlimFast. Quoting Dr. Hussman: "SlimFast is sugar water". I don't know enough about the other brands such as Atkins except that they're really pricey!

Supplements is another question that comes up frequently. As long as you're eating clean (i.e. sticking to the authorized list) drinking your water (I aim for 1 gallon/day) and hitting your 10's you don't really need supplements other than a multivitamin (generic from the supermarket will do just fine). Personally I use glutamine powder (Labrada Glutamine 1000g - helps keep soreness down during recovery) and generic creatine powder (whatever happens to be cheapest - helps build muscle) as well as Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend (an EFA that I dump in my Myo Lite twice a day). If you want to save $$ DON'T buy Betagen or Cytovol, which is basically watered-down, more expensive mixtures of creatine and glutamine.

Whew! I have a riding lesson in an hour so gotta go! OH yeah, one more thing, you can check all our past threads by going to the "Diet Plans" forum, scroll down to 'View" and select "View All Topics" and you should be able to find the previous 28 threads. TONS of info. And again, check out L&S! Take care!

Mrs. Jim,

Oh, thank you so much for taking the time to write such an informative message for me! I feel much better now. I had seen both the sites you mentioned, so I guess my bloodhound nose must be on the right track :lol:

I jotted down all the things you suggested and I'll go that route. I also made a list of "authorized foods." Wonder if I can make myself like cottage cheese :eek: I love carbs, so finding those won't be hard.

I guess I'll check out GNC or something and see if I can find the bars and shake you spoke of. I'm on a mission!

Oh, and don't worry, I WILL read the book! I just wanted to make sure I had enough info to start this challenge Monday. Wish me luck. I'm excited, but I wondering if I can stick to it...

Chynna

Hi Chynna, I'm just starting this too, so am not much of an expert, but have been doing sugarbusters for 5 months and my own brand of exercise for life for the last 25 years. One thing I've discovered about those bars (Carb Solutions in particular) is if they are not full of sugar, they are full of sugar alcohols like malodextrin, which gives some people (ME) terrible upset stomachs. I was using them as a low carb- high protein alternative on the days I couldn't get a real food meal between running from work to tennis. Now I roll up some turkey breast, a napkin, and an apple and put it in a bag with a freezy-pak if the weather's warm. My stomach is a lot happier! Good luck,

mel

Mel,

Wow, turkey and an apple! I can do that!!! Thanks!

You know the one thing I'm having a hard time figuring out is how can I lose weight when I'm eating SIX meals a day!!! I barely eat three now! :dizzy:

Chynna

Just got back from my riding lesson and saw your messages...

I'm on my way out to run a few errands but wanted to say to Chynna - if you want to save a ton of $$ - DON'T buy stuff at GNC. Very expensive!!!!

There are a lot of great places on the Web that have incredibly fast shipping and much cheaper prices than GNC.

I buy a lot of stuff from Netrition. If you go to Lean & Strong and click where it says "Buy Supplements" on the left side frame, you will be taken to the Netrition site. Great prices and L&S gets a little kickback from your purchase to keep their site going (that is if you enter Netrition from L&S). I usually get my Netrition orders within 2-3 business days of ordering so they are FAST. This is where I order glutamine, creatine and Udos.

I get my Myoplex Lite from www.vitaglo.com - their shipping takes longer but you get FREE shipping within the US from them. This site has the BEST prices I've seen on Myo Lite - $48 for the 42-serving Neopolitan Variety Pack (chocolate/vanilla/strawberry flavors).

OH YES you can lose weight by eating six small meals a day...and wait til you get a load of Free Day. During my first two Challenges my Free Day was INVALUABLE, heck it still is. Anytime I was craving something not authorized, I could tell myself for example "it's Thursday, I just have to wait three more days and I CAN have this treat!" SOOO much better than my past where when I was on a 'diet' (I don't consider BFL a diet but a way of eating I can do for LIFE) and would just get all resentful because everyone else seemed to be eating what I couldn't have! Anyway, re-read the Hussman site for more info on the way the six small meals works...

Hope that helps out! I'm off to the mall before it starts raining again!

Once again, Mrs. Jim, your help is so appreciated. I'll check out those places on the net that you mentioned. Boy, those savings will sure help!

Hope you had fun at the mall! We're off to a hockey game tonight. To be honest, I'd rather stay home and read <g>. Oh, well...

And, yup, I can SURE see how that free day is gonna make life easier! :s:

Chynna

I just did my first cardio today a la BFL- tried to follow the intensities to the letter, and hit 10 at the end. It's now 5 hours later and my quads are still burning!. I sweated for 20 minutes after I got off my trusty stationary bike. What a difference! And I thought I was doing a grueling w/o before, doing 35 minutes of intervals!

Question for long timers: A physical trainer once told me that the only muscle groups you could work every day are abs and calves- any reason not to? any reason to do it?

thanks,

mel

Chynna - no problem - I love to save $$ too (so I have enough to take my riding lessons as they are expensive!).

Mel - GREAT! I love killer 20 MAS's!! As I've said before, cutting back my cardio workouts from 1 + hours to a mere 20 minutes was tough for me. For this challenge, do exactly what the book says, no tweaking - trust me, you will see results! That goes for abs and calves. Bill Phillips didn't just toss these workouts out of his head - he KNOWS what he's doing - just stick to the program as written. After your first Challenge or two, if you want to, go ahead and tweak!

For a terrific insite from Pam B., go to our BFL #28 thread here at 3FC and check out my entry for 12/31/01. I quoted Pam B's "Get Excited!" article there - I think you'll find it very interesting!

BTW, if you're having trouble configuring your LBWO's and UBWO's, EAS has a free training zone with BFL training programs at http://www.eas.com/sportsspecific/ Check it out - really helped me in my first Challenge. Also, if you go to the www.bodyforlife.com site, they have free downloads of the training and nutrition Progress Reports that you can make a ton of copies of. I find that it really helps to plan my meals the night before - those Nutrition-for-life Progress Reports are really quite handy for that purpose!

Really, it's the QUALITY of your workouts that will create results, not the QUANTITY. Have you heard the quote "Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym" ? SO true. If you don't feel you're working your abs enough, do what I did in C1: Have the book open to the instructions for crunches while doing them on the floor. Don't just do them mindlessly - follow the instructions exactly (you can also access videos for each exercise in the book at the EAS website mentioned above). You will be amazed at how much you really feel it! As Bill says in the video: "This exercise works...as long as you follow the proper form".

Whew! Just looked at the time and realized I have to be at my sister's in a half-hour, so I'm gonna have a meal and get outta here! Later everyone!

Mel,

Good job! I'm not starting till Monday, so I'm anticipating the burn!

I've heard that you can work ab muscles daily because they don't need the recovery time the rest of the muscles need.

Judy

Oh, gotta quick question... I know he says portion sizes are your palm and fist. Does that mean that each meal should be that size? I'm just not sure of how much to eat at 6 meals.

Thanks.

I start this tomorrow. Wish me luck! I'm PUMPED!:)

What do you all use as weights for upper and lower body. In the book he starts with 40 and goes up. I sure don't think that's where I should start...:lol:

So what do I start with? And say I have 3, 5, 8, 10 lbs for one part of the upper body, should I keep that for all the exercises or go heavier (if possible) on others?

I promise not to keep bugging you gals with all my questions.

Chynna

Chynna: It's hard to say until you get started what weights should be used. PLay with it the first day, and see what feels right. Make sure that on your last set, you really FEEL it, but at the same time, you're able to get though it (but you want to feel like you couldn't possibly do another whole set of the same exercise with the same weight afterwards). Additionally, the amount of weight you use will also vary depending on whether your'e using free weights or machines or your exercises. And no, you won't necessarily use the same weight for each muscle group. I don't know if that is all helpful to you, but at any rate: Good luck with your first week!

Chynna: In response to you palm/fist question: Yes, each mel should includ afist-sized portion of cards and a palm-size portion of protein. Personally, I have a difficult time using that method. For me, a portion of protein is approxiately 25 g/protein, and such is the case with carbs. Of course, when you're dealing with whole foods, you don't have handy little nutritional information labels to work with, so you estimate. A lot of this I kinda picked up along the way. For instance, I realized about a week in that my serving of oatmeal was a bit much, as I felt *really* full when it came time for my next meal. I cut back a little on that amount, and now things go smoothly. It takes a while to get to the point where you feel totally confident in what you're doing. Also, be ure to chek out the L&S bard i you haven't already. There is a wealth of information and inspiration there!

I agree with Colleen - the first workout is the one where YOU find out how much you can lift. Expect your weakest muscles to be the upper body - my triceps are pretty weak in comparison to my biceps! When I did my first challenge, I started with the lightest dumbbells at the gym - 5, 7.5, and 10 pound weights, then worked my way up. Really concentrate on form and timing more than weight in the beginning. You don't have to say out loud "I am building my body for life" like Bill P says but if you say it in your mind as you are lowering the weight you will really feel the burn.

After you've been doing this for awhile you will be amazed at how many people in the gym are not using proper form or rushing through their lifting. Proper form is KEY.

Now, about portion sizes - yes, for each meal you should use palm/fist to size portions. As I've stated before, your palm is your hand MINUS the fingers (my first Challenge I had a bad habit of measuring a chicken breast against my ENTIRE hand!) :lol: The exceptions to that measurement are MRPs (of course) and 'fluffy' things like cottage cheese and eggs. For cottage cheese I believe the equivalent portion would be about 2/3-3/4 cup; while for eggs, I use one whole egg and then enough Egg Beaters to make 2/3 cup including that whole egg (hope I'm explaining this right).

An easy way to determine your 'fist' portion is to do a water displacement test. Get a large (more than 2 cup) measuring cup and stick your clenched fist in it, then add water until you get to the 2-cup measurement. Take your fist out of the cup, and note where the water level is now. The difference between the 2 cup measurement and where the water is after you remove your fist is your 'carb' portion. I hope I explained that correctly!

Later gals!

Thank you very much for your answers to my questions. You both explained everything very well and I appreciate it! I feel much better knowing I was on the right track.

I did finish reading the book, so at least I've got that under my belt.

Gee, I was planning on having Egg Beaters and toast from breakfast after my workout this morn. I didn't plan on adding a whole egg to it. (Didn't even buy 'em) Hope it still tastes okay :lol:

One of the mid meals is covered because we went to Olive Garden last night and I brought home leftovers. I'll be able to make at least four meals from it. It's just pasta with olive oil and chunks of tomato. Guess I just need to throw some protein in there and I'll be set.

Well, I guess by what everyone says, the first week sounds like trial and error both with the food and exercise. I'm ready.

Oh, and yes, I've been looking over at the L&S board. I also checked out two Yahoo Groups. One is pretty tame; the other seems to have some major attitudes. Think I'll just lurk and stay outta there :^:

Official day 1! Did my first UBWO, and it needs some tweaking. Some body parts I think I hit 10's on the 3rd set, including having to ditch the weights at one point to avoid dropping them on my face, others I don't think I pushed past a 7! This needs some working on....I can't believe I've been lifted for about 6 years now and couldn't even figure out how much to lift to achieve the goals. How silly. Luckily, I work out a home so no one could see how surprised I looked!:o Gotta say that waiting 1 minute gets REALLY long! I used to go straight to another set for a different muscle group so I was constantly moving. Also not working all groups at once feels odd. My shoulders can feel it, but my legs want to go for a run still.

Question: (one of many to come, I'm sure!) I read the thread on L&S about how bad extra cardio is- MrsJim, you were cited as an example in your early days- I play tennis 2-3 times a week, doubles, so its not really taxing but...? What do you think? My goal is to lower my BF, not win any body building competitions! BTW, ordered calipers yesterday so I'll have some idea where I'm starting!

Qestion 2: Any women over 40 do this? I keep seeing pictures and stories from twenty and thirty somethings. I'm 47 and the skin just don't act the same! Love to hear experiences from (I hate to say it) more "mature" ladies.

Ok- thanks for everyone's patience. Can't wait to try my LBWO on Wednesday!

mel

and ready to start my new challenge. I was lurking during the week, but didn't post -- figured nobody wanted to hear about sleeping in or wine tasting!

Meliris -- welcome! I am in my 40's, and started challenge 1 in August at 42.5% BF. I'm now down to 30%, and have some loose skin under my chin and at my stomach pooch (along with lots of remaining fat). I think I will get more loose skin there when the fat finally leaves, and I don't expect it to tighten up nicely as did Pam B's on Lean and Strong. Also, NOTHING is going to make my breasts "perkier". I figure it's a small price to pay, though, for losing the fat!

About playing doubles tennis -- I think that moderate recreational cardio is part of a healthy active lifestyle, and is fine to add to BFL. I do bike rides, swimming and tap dancing, and am getting ready to start Tae Kwon Do.

It's great to be back from free week!

Carrie

Mel,

Hey, we're in the same boat! I just started my official day 1 with UBWO. I too had a problem figuring out the weights, but it'll get better next time. You're right, a minute is a long time, it seems, to wait between sets. I was SO surprised when I actually did it in 46 minutes!

I had Egg Beaters and a piece of bread for breakfast. Yum. And now I'm having left-over pasta and turkey. Not a bad "diet" :)

Now let's see if I can fit four more meals of some sort in :dizzy:

Chynna

I'm 47, and in week 4 of my first challenge.

I'm not sure Olive Garden pasta with olive oil fits the BFL meal plan. It's probably not awful but I would think the fat would be high...I'd try submitting menus to TallJen at the Lean and Strong board for awhile.

Welcome to all the newcomers. This is a great program!

>>I'm not sure Olive Garden pasta with olive oil fits the BFL meal plan

Oops, sorry about that...it wasn't olive oil, it was balsamic vinegar.

Chynna

I just turned 45.

Chynna - when I first started lifting weights I thought I was doing great starting my routine with 3lbs weights for the UB. And was proud of me. Its not about the poundage that your lifting but about what you can do and still keep your form. Believe me eventually you'll toss the lighter weights aside and it won't even take that long.

I measured myself this morning I was happy (somewhat) that my bodyfat was at 36.5, I know that may seem outrageous to some but for me I was quite happy as I was at 39%. This morning was cardio for me, I'm looking forward to my UB tomorrow. I have my journal with me and vitamins have been taken... and she's off!!

W1D1

Thanks for the encouragement, ThinBytes! (Neat name!)

Okay, how are you gals measuring body fat anyway? I don't belong to a gym...

Chynna

Meliris: Check out Carol B's photo in the transformation gallery over at L&S. She's 61, and looks GREAT! They were posted in September (you'll have to scroll down a ways) to get to it.

Yesterday being Free Day I definitely overdid it and am still feeling the effects (this happens to me once in awhile). I did go out and take a walk downtown but the weather is still so yukky! Can't wait until the days get longer and warmer.

Right now I'm just tossing back the H20...been feeling so dehydrated today! (another effect of overdoing it on Free Day).

Today marks the beginning of C3, W12 for me...I was feeling kind of blah when I woke up this morning but psyched myself into hitting my 10s today...in fact I find that many of my *BEST* workouts are on Mondays after Free Day.

Chynna, I usually stay away from pasta except on Free Day - not only is it highly processed but a 'fist' sized serving of pasta is pretty tiny compared to the Olive Garden-sized servings. I could probably make at least five BFL meals out of one Olive Garden meal (adding a protein and veggies of course). During the week I stick to the unprocessed carbs such as fruit, pumpkin, brown rice, barley, potatoes (white and sweet), etc.

For me, C1 was the 'learning period' - not only learning the workouts but the food as well. For some reason I thought that low-fat granola was on the authorized list (don't ask me where I got that - thought I read it in the book!) so I was munching on Go Lean Crunch during the first four weeks. That along with doing way too much cardio impeded my progress. After the first four weeks I did the following:

* Cut cardio down to the 20 MAS and increased intensity
* Cut out processed carbs (bread, pasta, cereal, etc)
* Used the Progress Reports to write down everything I ate (I was already using them for my LBWOs and UBWOs)
* Did more personal journaling (i.e. looking within myself)

If you look at my C1 progress photos you can see that between W4 and W8 I made much more progress than between baseline and W4.

I agree with Lisa on submitting menus to TJ - she is really a great resource...also checking all the other menus and comments is incredibly helpful as well!

Gotta sign off and get to work - oh this weekend I finally saw "Shrek" on DVD...GREAT film! Definitely a keeper IMO :D

There are so many different ways.

I basically go by tape measurements (there is a body fat calculator at the L&S site that I use for tape measurements) and I also use the Accu-Measure calipers (got 'em at Netrition for free with a big order!) and go by the sacra...whatever...just above the hip bone. The Hussman site (www.hussman.com/eas) has a Java BF calculator and also some tips on how to get a good 'pinch'.

The best way of measuring bodyfat is through the Pants-o-meter!

The WORST way is by using a scale - even the Tanita 'bodyfat' scale which is not at all accurate and is universally hated by most of the L&S members (I wish it DID work as I own one myself - it's been relegated to a box in the garage and is pulled out every 84 days).

Well, gee, I guess the pasta wasn't good, 'eh? Although, I REALLY only did have a fist size of it and gave the rest to hubby :)
I do feel better, though, Mrs. Jim, after hearing you too made a mistake eating the wrong thing. I'll head over to L&S and check out the recipes.

Oh, and Mrs. Jim, you said you cut out the bread? That makes sense. Although I saw in the book he was having eggs and toast.

Thanks for the input on the BF calculators. I did download one but when I tried to open it, all I got was strange codes and letters. I'll try one of the others. I like the "pant-o-meter" method
:lol:

I tell ya, the best motivation for me is hearing what all of you say and looking at some of those pictures out there! Amazing!!!

Chynna
*Who WILL figure this stuff out*

Now, my copy of BFL is still out on loan (I was going to buy another copy but wouldn't you know it, Barnes & Noble is sold out!). So I'll have to quote Bill P from memory.

Besides I've posted this a number of times at L&S and 3FC but it definitely bears repeating!

ANYWAY, if you read what Bill P wrote in the book about bread, he writes that he is "RELUCTANT" to authorize bread - and is only authorizing 'whole-grain' bread (watch some of those so-called 'whole-wheat' kinds - many of them are just colored to look like whole grain bread - Dateline did a segment on that just last night in fact) so he could include one of his favorite meals - a grilled chicken breast sandwich - in the BFL menu.

So to me, what he's saying here is "you can have bread once in awhile with no ill effects, but don't make it your main carb choice". In my mind, I lump all flour products (including pasta) in the 'bread' category. In addition, to me a 'fist' portion of bread would only be one slice or less. And if I'm gonna have a sandwich I want a WHOLE sandwich. (Sorry, those 'low-cal'/'light' breads don't cut it IMO - I don't think they're whole grain!).

Anyway, that's my two cents on bread/flour products/etc. Except one thing - a portion of brown rice or potatoes will keep you filled up longer than a slice of bread as there is more fiber!

Thanks for weighing in the bread issue. Gotcha.

Boy, I feel like I'm really screwing up this first day with the eating thing. I know the Egg Beaters were okay, but that's about it. I'll yank the bread and the pasta. Hmmm...maybe next meal will be an apple and a slice of turkey or something. I know...I'll get it...sigh.

Chynna

I'm using really small servings of pasta and bread (both whole-wheat) a few times a week during my first challenge. I also use tortillas from the Tortilla Factory that are made with soy flour. But days go by when I don't use any of them. I may cut them out for Challenge 2. And I always have REAL italian bread on Free Day!

I think for many folks it's hard to limit these foods, and that's the main reason they aren't considered optimal. For me the problem is sugar, not starch, and fortunately sugar IS forbidden!

>>For me the problem is sugar, not starch, and fortunately sugar IS forbidden

Good thing fruit isn't... that's some sweet stuff without the forbidden sugar.

That's my problem with bread - I cannot just eat one piece!!

Especially here in the Bay Area, with our famous San Francisco Sourdough bread. There's a reason that San Francisco is voted the best 'restaurant city' in the US. The food here is just too good in this area!

Like you, I save the bread for Free Day, makes it easier for me (BTW, I don't think of foods as 'forbidden' - I like to think of them as "authorized" and "Free Day only" foods - really if you think about it, there's NOTHING you can't have on BFL - it's just a timing thing!)

Those low-carb, high protein La Tortilla tortillas are a great choice though. I love their taste - they have a kind of 'nutty' hearty taste to them. I actually did use them in C1 but still had the 'betcha can't eat just one' problem with them too! I'm just a bread addict I guess :lol:

Boy, I'm with you Mrs Jim. Bread and pasta and popcorn are what got me into so much trouble in the first place and why sugarbusters has worked so well for me. I limit to 2 starchy carbs or less per day, and only use SGWW pastas, brown rice, or whole grain breads, usually the dark German whole kernal rye that comes in thin small slices anyway.
The other bready stuff I've found that is great are Lavash SGWW flatbread. Can make yummy roll-ups with vegies, chick peas, and tuna!
My other starchy carb favorite is Uncle Sams cereal- please tell me that's OK?

Thanks from the 40+'s, glad to know I'm not alone here. Isn't that stomach skin stuff aweful???

Also, great to know I can still play tennis and walk the dog:D The dog says thank you, too.

mel

Mel,

What is SGWW?

Chynna

Jeez, I feel like quite the youngster here at 39. I know Susanje is a little older (and wiser) than I.

There are quite a few 'over 40s' at L&S as well, the most prominent being Steve L. who looks FAB at 58 or so. I love reading his posts - so well written and so insightful.

Even tho I'm not 40 I still have the stomach skin stuff going on that you mentioned (and I haven't had kids so it's not from that - it's from being 265 pounds). Pam B's before and after pix gives me hope that I WON'T have to think about going 'under the knife' to get a tummy tuck! (not that I was thinking about it seriously).

I'm VERY familiar with Uncle Sam Cereal but I haven't eaten it since pre-BFL. You might want to ask about it at L&S. (Too funny - remembering when Jim was having a midnight munchy attack and the only cereal left was the Uncle Sams - he poured himself a bowl and popped a GIANT spoonful in his mouth - GAAK! :lol: Those flaxseeds take some getting used to - he thought there were BUGS in the cereal!)

Anyway, again my 'most used' carbs are currently brown rice, barley, apples, FF/SF yogurt (I use Dannon Light N Fit), blackberries, raspberries, garbanzo beans (chickpeas).

Chynna- Stone Ground Whole Wheat. Much lower Glycemic value than the white stuff or the "enrich" whole wheat flours. If it's enriched, it's because everything good was taken out of it in the processing!

Definitely need to fix the UBWO I did this AM- I played 2 hours of tennis this afternoon after work and was expecting to be sore or tired, but wasn't. Need to work harder!

LMAO about Jim and the Uncle Sam's! That must have been a shock. Hope he didn't eat too much, the next day could have been pretty unpleasant too if he wasn't used to all that flax!:dizzy:

mel

Thanks, Mel, for clearing that up. Takes a bit to get all the lingo.

Chynna