General Diet Plans and Questions - Body for Life #32

A new thread! We're quite a prolific bunch!!!
Keep it up!!!

Good Morning Everybody :wave:
I just got a chance to read the last thread (got busy and got behind) and it looks like you all are doing great.

Susan~How's the challenge going? How was the first week back on BFL? Are ya sore yet?

Hendricks~I think that I'll try adding the splenda to my water at times. I always add lemon wedges. Usually I will slice up a lemon and then cut each slice into 4 wedges, put them in a container in the fridge (or freeze them) and then squeeze a piece into my bottle of water and drop the slice in. Anything to get all the water down, right?

My hubby just bought me an early anniversary/Valentines day present. An exercise rack to add to our home gym downstairs :cool: . We still have our old bench but the new one will be mine so I don't have to move his bench press bar when I want to use it :D

Also, now I can do cable pushdowns, lat pulldowns, leg curls/extensions, etc. When I'm at home he can spot me on the bench press . We have a huge array of dumbbells and bars, but this comes with olympic weights, curl bar, squat bar,etc.

The next thing to get will either be a leg press or Smith Machine.
Eventually I want to have a complete gym at home. Alittle bit at a time and it will get done.

Have a great day,all.
~~~Sil

i'm starting bfl AGAIN on monday i've tried it before and had great results but always seem to lose motivation to complete 12 weeks. i know this time will be different.

We're averaging like, a new thread every week! Woo hoo!

Is that my fault for being so verbose?? :?: Let me know if you want me to keep it short 'n' sweet in my posts and I'll try but it's hard to keep a big mouth like me quiet. :devil:

Sheila - WELCOME to our thread!!! Motivation is the name of the game here...also most (or all) of us hang out at www.leanandstrong.com as well. Between BFL/3FC and L&S, you have the ULTIMATE in support, motivation, and education!

I'd also advise you to read the book once again over the weekend - especially the chapter on "Crossing the Abyss" VERY IMPORTANT...also go through our past threads (pretty easy to do - go to the "Diet Plans" main forum here, and select all threads from the past year and feel free to browse) for lots of great info. I posted an interesting article from Dr. Hussman on the previous thread about how fat comes off your body...most people (including me!) tend to look at the 'fattest' body parts for progress (on me, that's the tummy pooch/thigh/hip area) when they should be looking at the leanest areas on the body (shoulders, chest, joints) for the fastest progress.

Well, you guys, I still have 4 days left in my Free Week and I am already ready to go back in the gym...I'm still trying to work out a program though. The guy who runs www.thetrainerszone.com sent me a demo disc but I can't load it for some reason - and the website is kind of messed up - the question is there but the answer isn't...so I'll have to get around to sending him an email. Looks like an awesome program if I can get the darn thing to work - I'll probably have to empty out my C drive a bit. Jim has about a kajillion digital pix stored - I'll have to get some CDs I guess...

Of course, it HAS been nice to sleep in every day! Especially since it has been so chilly lately. Kitty has been snuggling under the quilt between us every night this week (usually he sleeps at our feet). Oh well, back to work...more later...

Welcome Sheila!! Hang with us and you'll get through 12 weeks.

I fell on Tuesday morning (I have these new Sauconys. I usually love Sauconys because I am prone to shin splints and have flat wide feet and they work so well but these new ones have the worst laces. They come undone ALL THE TIME.) On Tuesday I was trying some 40 second sprints with 40 seconds of walking and the lace came undone and I fell down. yow. :eek:

My knee is still sore. :(

I did upper body yesterday and this morning I walked trying to walk out the knee. No sprinting for a while. :mad:

Week 2, going strong. I did a tougher UBWO yesterday despite finding new aches from skiing, and felt great afterward, but very sore today. Pushed tru today's cardio, but I'm dreading tomorrow's LBWO- still aching calf muscles and quads slightly sore from skiing. Oh well, comes with the territory.

mel

Hey y'all. I'm new here and wanted to ask you guys a few questions. I have been thinking about buying the Body for Life Book and was wondering if anyone could tell me what the gist of the plan was before I spend the money. It's not a high-protien pushing plan is it? THat's the only part I'm concerned with. I've also read online that a product called "Myoplex" is pushed heavily. Any thoughts or comments on this product?
I've tried Atkins, McDougal, pills, all of them.
I'm just fed up with quick fixes and am willing to work this fat off with good old hard work. Someone recommended this program because it goes in depth on exercise as well as food and I wanted a little info before I pick the book up.
Thanks in advance and hopefully I will soon be in here posting my losses. :D

Nice to see you here!

Have you checked your local library to see if they have the book? (It's been a bestseller for quite awhile now...). I checked the book out at the library first before buying it at Barnes & Noble for around $15.

You REALLY need to read the book to get the full flavor of how this program works. And believe me it DOES work (and I've tried everything). I know I have finally found something that I can do FOR LIFE, not just for 12 weeks!

Myoplex is mentioned in the book...of course since Bill Phillips is the developer of the product and founder of EAS (he's since sold the company). I don't think it's pushed all that much in the book - maybe 1 1/2 pages. Meal replacement shakes (MRPs) are just a convenience - if you want to do all six meals with real food, no problem - many people at www.leanandstrong.com do that. I myself use Myoplex Lite simply because I really love it (esp the Cappuchino Ice flavor!) Most women looking to lose bodyfat should use the "Lite" version instead of the regular Myoplex.

A guy on L&S named George said this awhile back and it's worth repeating:
Nobody was a bigger skeptic than I. The first time I logged onto the BFL site and saw the transformations, I said out loud, "There's no way those people did that in 12 weeks!"

What you come to realize is that those are the champions out of thousands of entries. After 8 months, I still don't look like a transformation champion, but I have transformed myself for the better, and I continue to push forward, and that's what the program's really about.

There's no denying that the book serves as an incredible marketing vehicle for EAS. But there's also no denying that it's still a very good book. Don't make the mistake of confusing all the sales bull with the validity of the program.

By the way, I don't use any EAS products as a rule, but the ones I've tried (primarily the Myoplex shakes and various bars) I thought were pretty good. In fact, I think there are a lot of good products on the market by various companies.

Is this the right program for you? I'm convinced anyone--anyone--could get great results with it.

Nuff said...read the book...and decide for yourself. Meanwhile feel free to drop in anytime - here or at L&S :D

Hi all, Im starting the BFL program, wish me luck, trust me I will be here for support!! I will post my stats tomorrow, Im taking them then.











http://worldcrossing.com/WebX?1@@.eeffe3b

You really need to buy the book to understand but I have a synopsis of the plan on my website. If you want to look at it (link is at the end of my posts).

BFL is too much work to be a FAD!!! You work hard 6 days a week (3 days cardio, 3 days weight training but each session is less than an hour) and eat 6 meals a day of good proteins and good (low glycemic) carbs in very easy to remember portions (fist/palm) and your body is transformed.

On the 7th day, you rest (NO exercise) and eat what you want.

It's almost that simple. Not quite, but almost.

Myoplex helps with the six meal requirement but is not required and any good meal replacement drink will do (NOT SLIMFAST or anything high in sugar).

Myoplex is not required for Body for Life, you CAN do it without MRPs but most of us find that difficult. I'm actually doing it right now since I don't have any right now. It's not that tough but it is easier with MRPs.

Susan

Happy Friday :cool:

It's great to see more new people here. Welcome Parakeet ,Sheila and Spin!!!

Spin~~~I hope that you do decide to give BFL a try. You will be a healthier person and feel great. :spin:

Parakeet & Sheila~~~Good luck on starting the program. You will find lots of support and friendship here and at www.leanandstrong.com (L&S). :)

As far as the Myoplex issue goes, I love their products but as MrsJim said, you don't have to use them. They are a convience though. I still have an occassional bar or shake (I prefer the shakes in the Summer :cool: )

I make homemade protein cookies that taste great and use real food. They have oatmeal, ff cottage cheese, eggbeaters, soy protein powder,cinnamom,splenda and vanilla. This week I added some diced apple to the mix and it was great. I'll post the recipe in the recipe section if anyone is interested. They are filling and nutritious.

Susanj~~~I hope that your knee feels better soon.

MrsJ~~~Enjoy that free week while you can, girl. If I know you, you will be kicking some a*s in the gym next week.
WOW! Down to a size 4 and 16% BF. Thats great.

Mel~~~Keep up those workouts. You're doing great! :D

This is W3D1 for me.
Everybody have a great day and don't forget to drink your water.
~~~Sil

Sil,

Can you send me the recipe in email?

Thanks
Susan

it sounds like a nice alternative to packaged products, and no questions about the contents!

Susanje where will you be next summer? I'm sure it will be the other end of the state but Connecticut is a very small state! Also, I'm still interested in those MRPs.

Welcome to all the new kids.

C1,W6,D6

Whew! Friday of Free Week!

Can't wait to get back into the gym on Monday. Although Kitty has really been enjoying snuggling between Jim and I until 5:15 every morning (it has been SO COLD here - 31 degrees last night which is FREEZING for the Bay Area) I am really missing the gym. Jim has been tucking Kitty into his afghan every night - he rolls him up like a little burrito and he just purrs and goes to sleep, all snuggled up between us nice and warm!

I've been looking for a personal trainer and I have an appointment for a consultation with one this afternoon. I don't want to work out with her every day - can't afford it - Pam told me she worked with a PT once a week. I have no idea how much this person charges BUT she's ACE certified and within walking distance of my house, so I'll let you know the outcome! If she starts dissing BFL (from what I've read on L&S, a lot of trainers do) I'm outta there big time.

Didja all notice that i changed my avatar to the new Size 4 pic? Get out your microscopes! :lol:

This next challenge for me (C4!!!!) is actually going to be a 15 week challenge since the contest I'm shooting for is on 4 May. It wouldn't make much sense to take a free week so close to the contest, ya think? I'll schedule my next FW for the week after the contest...

Sil, DEFINITELY post the recipe in the cooking library if you haven't already! Sounds yummy! Something else I gotta try is Steve L's apples and cottage cheese concoction. He heats up apple chunks with a bit of cinnamon and Spenda in the microwave and pours the mixture over cottage cheese. Sounds sooooo good! :p

Welcome to all the newbies - and keep training hard and eating clean!! Later gals!

mix the cottage cheese with vanilla extract and splenda. I use Watkins Vanilla Nut but regular is fine. Then mix in a chopped apple and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Fix the cottage cheese the same way and spoon over a baked apple, skin and all.

Apples are one of the few fruits that are reliably good in New England in the winter. I buy them from my food co-op.

Did the dreaded LBWO this am and found I wasn't sore at all, except neck muscles which must be whiplash from my one spectacular ski wipeout. I still am not hitting anywhere near 10's on my home equiptment (except for leg extensions and curls). Just can't pick up enough and get a bar on my shoulders to feel anything in my quads. I have an appt. tomorrow with a trainer at the gym I just joined who is a competing Body builder and has worked with a few BFL'er (didn't diss it, MrsJim).
He's 54 and hunky as all get out! Can only afford him infrequently, but if he can help me set up a challenging LBWO and check out what I'm doing UB wise I'll be happy for now. Will let you all know how it goes.

mel

I posted my homemade protein cookie recipe under the section called "Food". I also put it in the Cooking Library at L&S awhile ago and it's still there.
MrsJ~~~I added the apples lately because I got the idea from Steve's suggestion about the cottage cheese.

Susan~~I don't have your email address anymore, so I just posted it.
~~~Sil

Hi all....

I was inspired by susanje, when I stumbled across her website.......I had heard about BFL.........from my brother......but never gave it much thought...........until I saw the amazing results..........in susanje's pics...........then she was kind enough to send me an addy for another sight.............where I saw Mrs.Jim's pic.............wow...........you ladies look fabulous........soooooo I went out and bought the book......and read it cover to cover in 3 days............is he motivating or what.........I tell ya.......I was sooooo pumped once I read the book and saw the successes......so now it is my turn........I am going to do the 12 week challenge.........


So I would like to say hi to you all......VBS.......

And I am good to go......

Thanks for the welcome everyone. my biggest challenge is gonna be avoiding pop. i am a mountain dew junkie. But already cutting back ALOT getting set to go without for atleast 12 weeks.

So kewl! :)

You gals are gonna love BFL. Read the book...do your homework...commit to be fit...and you'll be there!

I am so excited about my new weekly personal training. Yup, I went today and spoke to the owners, Dan and Theresa. They're both ACE certified, and while they have never trained a customer for a contest, Dan has had personal experience as a contestant. That's good enough for me! If you wanna check it out just for fun, their site is at http://www.bodystudioforfitness.com/ . Because I have to pay my riding instructor too, I can only pay per session rather than a package. Oh well...I'll be seeing them once a week, and we're going to work on my form and they'll be keeping track of my progress and help me out with my training.

Sheila - I know how tuff it is to give up pop. Heck my dad was in the business for over 30 years, so of course the garage was LOADED with it. I am now down to maybe one diet coke a week (I used to drink about a dozen sodas at least per week). Just get in the habit of drinking lots of H20. That reminds me of something Pam Brown said awhile back - this might encourage you to drink more water: WATER
I drink LOTS of water! I drink between 1 and 2 gallons per day. I know that it is important to transport all of the fat waste out of my body. Here's an analogy: Let's say that you wanted to clean your floors. You spent all this time sweeping and sweeping up all of the dirt and grime and put it in a pile. Then you realized you didn't have a dust pan to get it into the trash and out of your house. The pile of dirt just sat there and eventually dispersed itself on your floor again. I think of fat in the same way, you do all of this exercise to get rid of it and you dislodge it from the cells of your body, but it keeps circulating until it has a "dust pan" to take it out of your body. That dust pan is the water you drink.

I have to remember this too - I aim to drink at least a gallon a day and it's not always easy. I do treat myself to one Diet Snapple (Ruby Red or Cranberry Raspberry) a day. They are sooo good!

See y'all later! time for Seinfeld!

I agree with the soda thing. I need to give it up. I feel soooo much better when I don't drink it but it's hard.

I looked over all the before/after pics at personal BFL sites and at leanandstrong. All I can say is wow! If BFL can make me look that good I'll do it for as long and as many challenges as it takes.
Good job you guys!

I'm starting the program on Sunday, because shame on me I was invited to a fondue party on Saturday.(This is all gonna change folks, or I'm telling my friends to have their parties on my free days, lol.)

I guess I'll kind of introduce myself and post my stats(even though it is still a bit embarrassing)

I'm 20 years old and live in Northern California.
I've been fat since I was a little girl and now that I'm out of school I don't have any excuse to not get this weight off now!
I don't want to wait until I'm older. I want to get a great bod and enjoy it for as long as possible. :cool:

My stats: Weight: 202 lbs
Height: 5'6"

Goal Weight for first Challenge: 185 lbs or lower
(Eventually I want to get down to 130 lbs)
Measurements: Chest: 43 in.
Waist: 36.5 in.
Hips: 46 in.
Calf: 17 in.

BFL, here I come.

Hi Lisa,

I will be in Stamford and it is on the other side of the state. I don't know if I told you this but from living back east, I know Willamantic. When I first moved to RI from NY we used to go up 84 before it was completed and then we had to get off 44 (I think the road number changed) and travel up to RI that way.

Also, when I lived in Boston hubby and I used to ride our motorcycles from Boston to DC every memorial day for Rolling Thunder (hubby is a vietnam vet). I don't like to just take the highways (what is the point when you're on a motorcycle???). I liked to take the backroads and meander and really see things. We used to go through Willamantic. It's really pretty.

I will see what my boys left me and send you an email. I put the remaining MRPs away but the boys came for Christmas and devoured a bunch of them. I keep meaning to do that and will do it this weekend!!! I promise!!!

Susan

Hi Kelster!!! Glad you could join us!!! Thank you for your intro.

I forgot to say welcome to Parakeet, Sheila and Spin!!!!!!! I'm very very glad you are all with us!!! Parakeet, there are at least a couple of us in Northern CA! One suggestion would be to ignore the weight (THROW THE SCALE AWAY). Take very good measurements (3 x) and pictures because sometimes you just will not see that scale move (muscle weighs more than fat) and yet you are getting smaller.

Mrs. Jim: I cannot tell you how excited I am for you that you are going to train for a contest!!! Remember last year when it was you and me on here chit chating about BFL? Who'd thunk it? BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!!! You go girl.

My brown rice is ready. gotta go throw some chicken and broccoli on it!!!!

later,
Susan

Especially with all the newbies...one of the toughest things to do for most of us in the beginning is trashing the scale. That's right, stop weighing yourself. Along with Pam B, I have vowed that henceforth the only time I voluntarily step on a scale is in the doctor's office or weighing in for a contest! Susanje is also RIGHT ON about taking those photos and measurements right at the beginning. If you don't want to look at the pix, you don't hafta...leave the film undeveloped or don't download your digital for a few weeks...believe me you'll regret it if you don't take those pix and those tape measurements!!!

ANYway, just saw this up at L&S, didn't want you guys to miss it. It's an article called "The Scale Lies":We've been told over an over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can't resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can't bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence its readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale. Water makes up about 60% of total body mass.
Normal fluctuations in the body's water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don't understand what's happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less
water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto its water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of
water.

Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard.
Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers.
However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half-cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That's why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on
canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners. Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation.
This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Drinking plenty of water, maintaining an
exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum can minimize pre-menstrual water-weight gain.

Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a
pound and it's packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase
in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it's associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you're
prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.

Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything you've had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.

Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat; you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely; in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it's likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it's only
possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and
muscle.

This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you've lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you're just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.

Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several
other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves
exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current. If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are
the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. It's a matter of mind over scale.

Well Ladies I am well on my way......

I found a store not far from my house that sells Myoplex......and thought I would give that a try........I have a very busy job.....spend most of the time working.......at the office and from home......so this will make life a little easier.......I am hoping

I have been doing weights for a while........just not how they were described in the book.....as for the aerobic part........I find what is said to make perfect sense........and hey I am willing to try......

Mrs.Jim........thank you for the info on the scale.........I threw it out this evening......

Now........I am trying to up my water intake.....and I have recently given up caffiene.......both coffee and pop.......

thanks for listening......

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!.....

Great to hear it Kelster!!! Is shipping to Canada prohibitively expensive? Because most of us buy our myo and other MRPs from the internet, netrition.com et al have the lowest prices. I think there must be places in Canada that have mail order prices....but I've heard that it's high to ship from here to there.

Hi EVERYONE!!!

Well, I'm going to do freeday light tomorrow because I don't feel that week 1 was as intense as I would have liked it to be with the knee and all (it is feeling almost back to normal). I am sore and have been walking every morning on top of the exercise so I feel good. I just didn't want to overdo it and risk really injuring the knee so I babied it on cardio and LBW. So I'm going to walk in the morning tomorrow and eat some cereal afterwards (my big free day splurge) but I already have my chicken and rice cooked for tomorrow night....so I'm going to do free day lite.

School starts again on Tuesday. eyuk. I might also work a part time job on top of it all....so I plan to be super busy. :dizzy:

I'll start a new thread tomorrow!! Free day is usually lighter traffic.

checking in,
Susan

Susan......well I didn't know about the internet thing......but I belong to this health food store......I have a membership.....which gives me a 20% discount on all purchases.......soooo actually I fair well and I don't pay shipping......which I am sure is incorporated in the price.........but it is convient because the store is right across from the grocery store......


I hope your knee gets back as good as new.....soon!!!


I wanted to add not only are the shipping costs costly from the States to Canada......but we also have to pay that dreaded GST when it passes over the boarder.......and not to mention the whole........dollar value....*American to Canadian*......soooo actually I think I am fairing pretty well......buying at this store.....and saaaawwwww nutrition bars *myoplex*.....anyone tried those in placement of the shake??

And if anyone could answer this........I am a little confused on the six meals........I know 3 are your regular meals and three snacks.......but are they all of equal value protien and carb wise......or are the main meals a little large......or should I say are the snacks less......does this make sense.......I hope I am getting across what I mean.......????

time to get to bed.....

Hi Kelster!

It makes sense but they are six meals, not 3 meals and 3 snacks. They should be, for the most part, all equal in protein/carb content. The idea is to keep the metabolism steady throughout the day. For a better explanation of how to calculate go to www.hussman.com or just use fist/palm method. For me, I had to weigh and measure for a few weeks to get it down. I did my lean body weight divided by six to get the number of protein/carb grams at each meal. After I figured out what that "looked" like in my palm/fist, I was able to "eyeball" it better. I was actually shorting myself on protein. I get a little more than my palm.

While I tried to keep my portions the same for all six meals, I did find that meal 5 (taken typically when dinner is taken) was a bit bigger than the others making meal 6 a little smaller.

If you're working out (weights) in the morning, this might affect your workout negatively but I always work out with weights mdmorning a couple of hours after meal one.

However, the general guideline is to try to make all six meals as equal as you can. Hope this helps!

Susan

Hi there Kelster, just wanted to say you might wanna check Lean & Strong - there are quite a few Canadians there and I know there's a place in Canada where they order from. Even with a 20% off retail card, you still might save a good sum of $$ ordering from whereever they order from...you can always post the question on the main message board!

I'd stay away from the MRB's (Meal replacement bars) as most of them (including Myoplex Lite bars) are LOADED with sugar and glycerin (which IMO is the same as sugar). I only use them in absoulte emergencies - i.e. when I'm traveling...and the ones I prefer are Worldwide Pure Protein and MetRx Protein Plus - both of these are pretty large so I would eat 1/2 along with a fruit for a carb. One of the other favorites on the L&S boards is EAS Low-Carb Cookies & Cream (however most people shun them as I do).

Incidentally, when you're buying MRP's (Meal replacement powder i.e. shakes) go for the Myoplex Lite rather than the regular Myoplex if your goal is to lose bodyfat. It's formulated for women and cheaper than regular Myoplex to boot!

I had a conference in Canada last year (actually the week before 9/11) and had to ship everything to and from California to Ontario, and YES it definintely costs the earth, between shipping and CUSTOMS :( amazing since you guys are right next door to us!

Now, the meals thing. You should get the idea of 'snacks' out of your mind right now...since all the meals are the same size. One protein, one carb and a veggie for at least two of your meals.

Bill Phillips said it well (this is from the Hussman site; BTW the address has changed: it's now http://www.hussman.org/fitness/ ): The core of the Nutrition-for-LIFE aspect of this program is to eat 6 limited, high quality meals a day. As Bill says, "A meal doesn't mean you have Mom lay out a napkin, and put a fancy plate of food out there. A meal simply means a portion of protein and a portion of carbohydrate. So a meal for me may mean a protein drink and a piece of fruit." If your goal is fat loss, remember: frequent, but limited (particularly in terms of refined carbohydrates).

Bill's advice seems to target about 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat (which is largely contained in the whole foods you eat, even "lean" meats). Since you'll be doing weight training, shoot for at least a gram of protein per pound of lean weight daily, regardless of your specific goal.

Anyway, tomorrow I start C4 which I am so excited about!!! Since the contest I'm shooting for is on the first Saturday in May (huh, it's my Kentucky Derby then :lol: ) I am planning for this Challenge to extend over 15 weeks. The first three weeks I will be taking a free day; next three weeks after that, free meal; next three weeks, free treat once a week; and no freebees until the contest...of course after the contest I can eat whatever I want! It's gonna be tough but I know I can do it!!! (Note to newbies: Stick to the book - don't tweak...I'm trying to get my bodyfat down below 10% for a competition, otherwise I'd be doing it by the book myself)

So now I have to run to the store...buy provisions for this week...hmm...oatmeal, chicken breasts...brown rice...veggies and fruits...eggs...etc. and TOMORROW is my first training session (don't know if I can actually afford to go once a week but I'm gonna P.B.E. as Jim and I call 'playing by ear' and take it a week at a time!!) Wish me luck!!!

I had my first session with the trainer yesterday- it was GREAT! I certainly had not been hitting 10's on LB before! He devised out a very intense LBWO for me, complimented my form on some things, fixed a few others, and showed me just little changes in form to hit different parts of muscles. Well worth the time and money. I meet with him on Tuesday to work on an UBWO, which he wants me to split, but I'm not sure I have that many days to be in the gym. I play tennis twice a week, and with cardio 3X, that gives me no off day. At this point playing doubles tennis is hardly a workout, but still I'm not so sure. This morning I spent what was supposed to be my free day shovelling about 20 tons of snow off our large driveway. I figure that's got to be at least an ab workout and Upper! My hubby has an uncanny knack for getting a stomache virus or being out of town every time it snows! I know he really is sick, be sheesh- I think I've shovelled every bit of snow for the last 15 years!

Hello Kelster, Parakeet, Sheila. Glad you made the decision to join us. I'm relatively new also, just finished week2, C1. I've been lifting for about 6 years, only really seriously for the last 6 months, and have been sugar clean since last July, gradually weaning myself down to BFL clean.

Kelster- Where do you live? We lived in TO before moving to Pennsylvania.

mel

will try tis again.......my keyboard table.......just fell and took my keyboard with it......and I lost all my typing.........dang.....


Susan, MRSJim........thanks for the info.........that is what I thought was meant.......6 meals......all equal.......but I thought I saw three of them listed as snacks.....but as I look back at the book and the work sheets.......I see differently now......

I know it will take some adjusting to eat six meals a day......we get programmed that 3 large meals a day is the way to go.....and old habits die hard.........but I am very determined....BS

thanks for the other website as well I do enjoy reading.....and finding out what I need to ......the more one knows the easier things become I find.....

MRSJim........okay I understand about the bars.........my daughter pointed them out.....and I personally didn't even know they existed until I saw them....

as for the myoplex........I did buy the lite......because.......I do have to lose weight as well as gain more muscle.....and I will ask the other Canadians about where they order from.......never hurts to save money does it......S

meliris......nice to meet you.......sounds like you are well on your way......that is fabulous......I too have worked out with weights for the past two years.......but not in the fashion as stated in the book.......high intensity........so this should be a real challenge.....I will begin on Monday......and start my week off right......I have everything set and ready to go......have even written out my menus for the week.......that way there will be no guessing....

Toronto is my hometown......S.......I currently live in Hamilton......which is about 45 mins west.........I am not far from Niagara Falls......


I would like to thank everyone for their help....thus far......us novice types need it......well I know I do.......S.....I KNOW I CAN DO THIS!!!

have a wonderful day ladies....


MRSJim.........GOOD LUCK tomorrow......all the best......!!!!!

And have now restored almost all lost progress during my last free week!

Hi to all the new people! My name is Carrie, and my husband and I have been doing BFL together since August (we post under TeamTigger on the Lean and Strong board). As you are probably discovering, our thread here is a great place with knowledgable and supportive people -- and BFL is a smart and healthy way to get in shape.

Haven't been posting much lately with inlaws in town from Iowa. We've been talking their ears off with BFL testimonials, and showing them around the gym, and showing them how we eat (in its most upscale version). They think we eat constantly, and yesterday night our son agreed with them that it seems like MORE than six meals a day!

Workouts are going great, especially bench presses and abs. Then I get to use these muscles in my new Tae Kwon Do class -- in two weeks I have completed six weeks worth of progress.

My big stumbling block is still free days -- yes, we can eat anything we want, but nonstop eating still slows down progress. So far today free day is going well, with moderate quantities of special treats and some healthy food too. I intend to keep it that way -- and now I have promised it to you as well as myself.

Thanks for you support, and have a great day!

Carrie

Had a nice long soak in hot tub to soothe away the snow shovelling blues.
Kelster- Hubby grew up in Welland, then we lived around Bayview and Leslie in TO for 5 years. His family is in St. Catharines. Know your area well!

It is hard thinking in the 6 meal mode. I rarely accomplish it, usually manage 5, but make sure I get in the water no matter what! I find it hard to cook a family dinner and think of it as "small feeding #5":)

Good luck starting the week, everyone.

mel