General Diet Plans and Questions - Body For Life #35

Good Morning All :wave:

I thought that I would start a new thread for a new day, as we were on the 3rd page again.

Claire~~~Welcome back . I'm so glad that you have not given in to the cruelness of some people. I applaud you for making an effort to be healthier. Never give in to others, always do it for yourself because you are worth it :) I hope to see you around here daily ;)

~~~Sil

Hi everyone!

Made it to the gym this morning for the cardio!

This is eventful for me, because I'm such a night owl. I work 7 am to 4 pm and usually hit the gym after work. Then I'd eat something and veg on the couch. Not a very productive evening for me.

When I committed to this challenge, I promised myself I would do my best to work out early as Bill suggests. So I got up at 4:15 am and drove an hour to my office (we have a very small gym on premesis) and got in my cardio. Took a shower, dressed and walked across the parking lot to my office. Feel terrific!

Because the gym at work is so small (no leg equipment at all) is that I guess I'll go to the gym at home (for which I pay $40 a month anyway -- the place where the snickers are free) and do my weight routines there. Also decided that the snickerers are just making me stronger and more determined. :devil:

MrsJim, I am thoroughly enjoying reading your fitday journal, especially your weights and reps. You'll be ready for that competition in May, for sure!! I've been posting on Lean and Strong, too.

And all you wonderful women -- thanks for the warm welcome back! I feel like I've wandered into "The Land of the Strong, Proud Women!"

Have a great day!

Hey all!

It has been a totally busy day at work.

How's everyone doing?

Waterbabe, I'm so glad you've joined us again! Keep on posting both here and at L&S...for me, the online support system of the two sites combined is SUCH a critical part of my success on BFL. I have learned so much!

Thanks for your comments on Fitday. Now if I can only figure out how to get it to keep my paragraphing - I don't usually write in one looong paragraph but that's how it's coming out on the public journal.

This morning I got to the gym just before 5 am and for some reason it was already busy...I had shoulders/abs/calves this morning. If you read my FitDay journal you'll know that Theresa had me include calves last night - but my calves can take a lot of punishment.

One thing I wish I had the room for in our little place is a Swiss/Stability ball, actually a couple of 'em - Theresa is showing me a lot of great exercises using the ball. Like squats, holding two DBs and leaning against the ball which is against the wall...that is so much fun and really works the quads. I highly recommend a personal trainer if you can find a good one and afford it - she is really helping me with my form, esp on squats (I tend to arch my back too much) and deadlifts. I don't know how long I'll actually be able to AFFORD going to her but I'll just PBE at this point!

Whew! back to work. I'll try to write more later...

I second that advice about the trainer....all those years of lifting by my lonesome at home have created some pretty bad habits. I had a session today with the PT, quads, hams and calves, and barely had the energy to do a half hearted quicky abs when I was done with him. Since it was a weirdly warm day here (70 degrees in Pa. in January is just not right!) he had me outside, doing 100 yard lunges with an 18 pound body bar across my shoulders. I thought my quads were going to explode around the 80 yard line. But I finished!!! I'm not sure I could make myself do that on my own.:?: By the end it was more my balance that was shot, tho the legs were burning too. Certainly mad the rest of the workout more of a challenge.

Claire- Welcome back, tho I'm new here since you left. Great attitude. Don't let the ^&*s get you down!

gotta go start dinner, son is whinig for Chinese. Not possible til next weekend!

mel

Yesterday I was having a hard time not being hungery........and well I cheated a bit.........POUT........got sooooo mad at myself......nothing major..........I had about 5 ritz crackers.........damn!!!.........:nono: tsk tsk on me

But today.......I started out fresh......and said I wouldn't let that little indiscretion get to me........so I have done very well today......I am just going to keep on going....

I have learned.......from going to L&S......that I am not eating enough.......man......and here I thought I was eating too much......the things you learn...........I knew going into my first challenge........alot of it would be trial and error.........since this is new to me.........soooooooo I am keeping it up......all this clean eating and exercising.......makes me feel soooooooo good......

meliris.......I think I would have passed out with those sprints.....

Mrs.Jim........sounds like you are doing very well.....as for the swiss ball I love it.........I do those squats..........I have been reading another book.......where the philosophy.......is much like Bill Phillips........and in their book they use the Swiss ball.........and I just happened to have one......

The book I am referring to is Body Change by Montel Williams and Wini Linguvic *she is a PT*......it has some good reading........they to believe that attitude plays a very key role in your lifestyle change......


Waterbaby........wow.......4:15 am.......don't know if I could get up that early .......GOOD FOR YOU!!!....BS.....

Well ladies..........have a wonderful evening....

if it's not too much trouble, could you explain that? It's hard for me to picture squats with two dumbbells and a swiss ball. I've been using one for my abs - it makes great pain a distinct possibility!

But I've been posting a lot at L&S. Short and sweet posts, mostly (for me) I tend to get a bit more verbose here at 3FC (if you haven't noticed!).

Anyway...let me see if I can word this correctly for ya, Lisa...ball squats. So you get a Swiss ball (the smaller one not the huge blue one) and you lean against it with the ball against the wall and your back against the ball...you have a dumbbell in each hand with your arm down, the same way you would hold the DB's if you were doing lunges - at your sides (or in front of you depending on how you're going to squat - sumo or feet close together). Then you slowly squat down while leaning against the ball, which should kind of roll along with you. The ball never loses contact with the wall. Stay at the down position for a count of 3, then up, and repeat...

Hey Kel, I've noticed a lot of gals first starting on BFL tend to UNDER estimate their portions. I was on another board just hanging out, and people were posting their menus...I was just lurking but the menus were SO off base that I decided to do them a favor and play TJ and do a bit of critiquing...some of the meals were just really off base...like one meal was 1/4 cup cottage cheese and a 1/4 cup of yogurt...that's it. Or another meal was 1/2 a PowerBar Protein Plus bar (I looked the nutritional info up and one bar has 24g of protein and 23g of sugar!!! not good). Anyway, I offered them some constructive tips and a couple of gals got offended. (I had also advised them to go to L&S for menu help).

I posted back that I was only trying to help them do the program correctly and I wouldn't be posting there again in the future...sheesh :?: I told them that I was here and at L&S if they had any questions...if they happen to be reading this please do not take offense...I think BFL is a WONDERFUL program and I want to make sure everyone who is doing it is doing it RIGHT.

Anyway! Whew! As planned I was able to get out of bed before 4 am and hit the gym by 4:30. What a diff that made - it's been getting more crowded earlier (this will probably stop around Valentine's Day though - it usually does). Had an awesome chest/tri workout - I'll post it on Fitday later today when I have a moment.

I have to prepare for yet another meeting so hope to hear from you gals soon! Let's hear how y'all are doing!

Mrs.Jim........well I am learning quickly over at L&S just how much one can eat.......and tomorrow I will post my menu on Tall Jen's post.......see if I am getting it right......I JUST FEEL LIKE I AM PIGGIN OUT..........OINK OINK.......laffin.......but have already noticed looseness in me pants.........GRIN.........I LOVE IT!!!

As for your advice giving.....sometimes.......people just don't wanna hear it........why I don't know...but some do eventually come around.......I love criticizim.......makes me think ya know..........cause one thing I do know......I am far from perfect...........I love any and all help......but you can only do what you can do right??

Well I did my UBWO yesterday and my shoulders have been talkin to me today I tell yeah........I was happy to do my cardio......had to do it this evening....for my mom is visiting....and she was sleeping in the same room my equipment is in.....laff.........

all I can say is that I feel absolutely WONDERFUL........

have a great evening ladies.....

Hey gals!

Did my LBWO today and my ankles are still wobbly!

TallJen helped me with my menus from yesterday and I think I have the hang of it. MrsJim, some people get offended at anything, even when they are being helped. Sometimes my enthusiasm and passion for something is misconstrued by others as being overbearing. oh, well.

I appreciate the fact that you help me!

It is nice to go to LeanandStrong and see posts from familiar people!

Have a great evening!

Hi I am going to try to post here regularly now, for some accountability.

I have been doing a lot better this time doing BFL on the nutrition, but I am falling into a pattern of a lack of planning.

Ex: Yesterday, I planned to go to lunch with a friend and her little girl. I did great!! I had a grilled Chick breast with a green salad, water, and a half a slice of whole wheat toast, instead of the home made rolls that come with. I was drinking water all day - no prob.

Well, after that I spent the afternoon hanging out with them, playing, etc. Suddenly I realized, "Hey, I haven't eaten! ANd I have all these errands to run, etc. I was having so much fun playing, the hours slipped away, and although I didn't notice being hungry, I started to develop a headache, a sure sign that I had gone too long w/o food.

Some days (not often), when I am out running around, this happens to me. THE "OLD" Beth, would have stopped to grab a coke and anything else handy at a quick mart .

I could not allow myself to do this, which is a good thing, however, I fall into this pattern of not eating enough. i am so trained to not eat unless I'm REALLY hungry. I also had already eated one meal out, and I did not want to have to eat restaraunt food 2x in one day!

In the end because of my poor timing/planning, I only had 4 meals the whole day!! And probably not enough in my last meal.

I KNOW I JUST HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN! However, I HATE :mad: HATE , feeling like a slave to my food, that it controls everything I do !! The feeling of being overwhelmed with having to plan ALL the time has caused me to get mad and quit every "diet" I have ever tried.

I realize that if I plan correctly, I will feel more in control. But sometimes, I just want to LIVE, and NOT have to be so much in control of EVERYTHING! The "lunch date" was a spontaneous
decision. I only had an hour to get showered and meet her, and I had no idea how long I would be gone. I did not anticipate the need to pre- prepare a meal.

Just a vent!! I feel better now~ :dizzy: I have come a long way in terms of developing discipline. I did not do anything dumb like have a "grease fest" of fries and a burger, that is progress~ For me the struggle is...
How can one be disciplined, yet spontaneous when you have to eat every 3 hours like a newborn baby? My option of not eating is not a good one, I know.


Finally, I know this is all about the journey, not the destination. I will figure this out, and I will have to "overplan" (yuck) and be prepared for anything.

Thanks for listening. This was really a long rambling mess~

Beth

well, i've been lurking again. I just wanted to pop on and say that some people don't want to know when there doing something wrong (especially if they've been doing it for a while), so don't let it bother you.

I've actually been doing this BFL thing for over a year now but I always lose focus and fall into my old habits, but I'm still trying. The one thing I do know is every time I get back on track I seem to pick up more info. that helps me stick to it longer. The last time I made it 10 weeks (that's major for me). this time I plan on sticking with it for the duration. (not just 12 weeks).:dizzy:

Thanks Mrs.Jim I understand perfectly (about the squat.)

I lost 55 pounds on WW and was always amazed at the folks who clearly hadn't read their program material or done any "self study" to educate themselves. Then when I would try to explain some part of the program they weren't getting, great indignation would follow.

I always included protein with every meal and snack, which probably explains why I lost fat and not muscle on that program. Somebody else would say "oh, I had three ice cream sandwiches for lunch and I lost five pounds this week!"

Anyway, have a great day, everyone.

Hey everyone!

It's great to see new (and returning) people posting!

I actually for the first time hit a 10 today. During cardio, no less. Since I'm so heavy, it's hard for me to walk very far anywhere without getting out of breath.

The best I've been able to do up to now was a 3.1 on the treadmill. Made me sweat and huff and puff. Well today I decided what the heck? and cranked 'er up to 3.3. The difference was amazing. I kept my eyes glued to the timer, waiting for the minute to be up, knowing I couldn't go much past 60 seconds at that pace.

I made it though! It has finally sunk into my rock-hard head the importance of making small goals. I'll work toward making that 3.3 into a level 9, then an 8, etc.

Biv -- I understand how you feel. I have to plan, too, otherwise I will grab whatever is handy -- usually candy or fast food.

Sheila, this is my fourth attempt to complete a 12-week challenge and the difference this time for me is commitment. So glad you're here! You can do it!

Kelster, glad you are feeling sooo good!

Mel, with that lunge routine, I'd have keeled over! Or fallen down trying to wobble away from the trainer! :lol:

How's everyone else? I'll try not to blab every time I post... :D

Can I ask a question? I have been lurking in this forum a bit, in fact i am very interested in teh BFL program, only I live on an island off the coast of South america,, where everything imorted is expensive, and my understanding of the porgram comes from the internet. (i am a US citizen living abroad. And actulaly I am from Santa Cruz California. Yes, MrsJim, the DH and I moved justbefore the costs went sky high, and are kicking ourselves for not buying a house there before hand just so we could rent it out now! OUr old apartment which went for 875 a month now costs 1500+ crazy!)

I am currently undergoing a fantastic weight loss due to excersize, stregnth training and healthy eating, but i would love to know more about BFL. I adore stregnth training, my mother actually inspired me on this. I wonder if you all could share a bit with me about what BFL really entails, so i could judge if it is somthing i could do down here. I have access to a home gym. (barbells & dumbbells, and bench only) and run about three miles 5 times a week. I cook all my own foods, though meat is expensive, fish is not so. A gym in terms of one that had weight machines really isn't something I have access to. Is it possible to do this down here? I tried searching for a BFL/EAS representative here and no luck. Anyway, what are your thoughts?

=^..^=

Just what we need....another CAT person ;) Maybe we should be the BFL Kitty Group! :cool: or the Kool Kats.

Meow - actually rents are coming down a bit around here. Jim and I were able to negotiate $150 off the rent with our landlord a few months ago. (We have a pretty cool landlord!) There are vacancies all over the place here - but Santa Cruz might be different. You missed the big snow storm earlier this week though!

Basically, you need to read the book "Body for Life" by Bill Phillips to get a full understanding of the program. It's an easy read - and don't skip the chapter "Crossing the Abyss" VERY important! If you have a home gym with barbells and dumbbells, you should be fine - many BFLers here and at www.leanandstrong.com (most of us hang out there as well!) work out at home! Not me though - my place is way too tiny! Actually free weights are WAY better than machines so you don't have to worry about having fancy-schmancy Nautilus machines or anything like that.

The book does suggest using Myoplex but meal replacement shakes are just for convienence's sake. As far as supplements, other than a multivitamin you really don't need any. I believe most of us do take glutamine for muscle soreness and an EFA such as Udo's Choice or flaxseed oil for the healthy fats our body needs.

The book is easily available on the Internet - or maybe your local library if you have one? - and I would really recommend reading it before beginning the program - last year some magazines had 'condensed' the book in articles (i.e. Woman's World) as kind of the 'diet of the week'. Had a lot of people try it without reading the book - and they gave up after the first week or so.

Feel free to post any questions you might have!

Last time I checked L&S was down for server maintenance. Never fear though - I emailed Erik (Quadzilla) and he'll have it up ASAP - just needs to do a bit of work!

Aack...just checked my finances... how depressing! I will probably have to give up Theresa every week, instead I'm going to try every other week. I've paid up front for four weeks and I'll go for the next two, then after that I'll have to play by ear. Like I said when I started, if I have to choose between personal training and my riding lessons, the PT is going to be what goes - learning to ride has been a childhood dream of mine...

Biv - Claire is so right - planning is a VERY important (maybe the most important) key to success on BFL. If you have a mo', do go to Lean & Strong (hopefully their server will be up and running very soon!) and browse through the Training Library for Pam B's training/nutrition/motivation document. A really good read! Pam has my vote for most motivating woman in the US! If you haven't seen her transformation photos you are in for a treat!

Lisa - OMG, I got that too...in fact on that board I was on, someone said "well, I have an extra carb or two at a lot of my meals and have already lost 7 pounds on BFL". Who cares about pounds per week - sooner or later those extra carb portions and nibbles here and there catch up with ya...like I said, I've given up the scale for good (and I do mean good ) since it has never made my life any better in obssessing over that number...I'll just use the Pants-o-meter from now on, with occasional bodyfat testing and progress pix, thank ya very much!

Thanks for the info...i am going to see if I can get the book shipped to me down here!!!! I will let you all know what happens when it happens.

=^..^=

Howdy all! I've had a really mixed up day, actually week. Because I worked with the trainer on a day I usually do cardio (he's so booked, I take him when I can get him!) and was so wiped out from his leg torture routine, that I don't know what to do each day now. Ended up doing cardio and biceps yesterday, shoulders, tri and back today and tennis, I guess tomorrow's cardio, but it should be LBWO:?: I'm really confused. To make it even more mixed up, I have a session scheduled with the torture man on Saturday and I really sant to do back and abs with him since I haven't covered that yet with him. Arghhhh...one screwy week can't hurt too much can it?

Meow- Welcome. I was just about to try to answer some of your questions, but when I scrolled down to see them, I saw MrsJim had just posted and she is FAR more knowledgeable than me!

Biv- Planning is my bugaboo, too. I'm famished right now because I forgot to pack mid-morning meal and was stuck at work with no food. Usually I'm better at it than that, but woke up all fuzzy headed for some reason. Forgetting food was the least of my mistakes today.

MrsJim- I know what you mean about trying to help people and having it backfire. Pre BFL, I did Sugarbusters and a lot of working out and lifting, very sucessfully. I would read boards where there would be endless discussions of how to make candy, cookies, gooey desserts sugar-free, thus "legal", but gosh they were having problems actually losing weight. I posted a couple of times that that wasn't the point, it was to eat healthier and start to exercise and no one wanted to hear that! So eventually I just shut up. They didn't want to hear about really changing they way they ate, and they certainly didn't want to hear about exercising. Tho the SB board here at 3FC is full of truly dedicated and wonderful women.

I just booked air tickets to visit my brother and his family in FT. Lauderdale at the end of March, so now I have even more incentive to hit those 10's and eat clean. I need a bathing suit!

mel

Actually i just checked at L&S, and on the 'Superbowl' thread I started this morning, one of the gals at the other thread posted a question to me. Just general stuff so I'll probably repost it on a new thread there and have everyone add their two centavos.

There was also a really great article about 'trans fats' in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle. I posted the link at L&S but stuff tends to get buried very quickly there so I'll repost the link here. It does a pretty good job of explaining why all those people on Sugarbusters were taking the sugar out but still not losing weight...and how foods people think are 'healthy' actually are not - such as 'light' microwave popcorn...pretzels...energy bars...cereal... etc.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/30/FD40307.DTL
The article begins as follows:Phantom fat is hiding in your cereal bowl. It's the bad boy in your bag of microwave popcorn. It lurks in those low-fat cookies and even in that energy bar.

The stuff is called trans fat, created when ordinary vegetable oil is processed into partially hydrogenated oil. It's why Crisco stays solid at room temperature and what makes cakes moist, cookies fresh and crackers crisp. Partially hydrogenated oil is in about 40 percent of the food at the grocery store, including some products most consumers regard as healthy.

A generation ago, when cardiologists waved Americans off saturated fats like butter and beef tallow, partially hydrogenated oils became a preferred alternative. Now, in an about-face, researchers have determined that trans fat can grease the way to a heart attack faster than a cup of lard.

Some of the nation's leading medical researchers, including many in the Bay Area, also believe that the trans fat that marbles the modern American diet may be why kids are so fat, diabetes is at record levels and why some people develop cancer. They say trans fat is a big player in Syndrome X, a cluster of health problems characterized by a beer belly, high blood pressure and out-of-whack blood fats and sugars.

"There should be a warning on food made with this stuff like there is on nicotine products. It's that bad for you," says Dr. Jeffrey Aron, a University of California at San Francisco professor of medicine and one of the nation's leading experts on fatty acids and their effects on the body.

But there is no warning label. Trans fat amounts aren't regulated at all, so manufacturers and fast food operators don't have to list it on nutrition labels. That means there's no easy way to know how much you're eating.

And chances are, it's a lot more than you think.

Virtually every fast-food or family restaurant french fry is cooked in trans fat-filled grease. Almost half of all cereals, both cold and hot, contain it, according to the Food and Drug Administration. So do 70 percent of cake mixes, 75 percent of chips and other salty snacks, 80 percent of frozen breakfast foods like waffles, and 95 percent of cookies.

Even products people buy when they want to eat healthier -- granola, power bars and low-fat cookies and crackers -- are made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. During a recent informal survey of 140 varieties of crackers on a typical supermarket shelf, only three brands had no partially hydrogenated oil.

Because trans fat flies under the radar, food labeled "low in saturated fat," "cholesterol-free" or "made with 100 percent vegetable oil" can have so much trans fat that consumers focused on heart-healthy food wouldn't touch many of these products -- if they knew.

The FDA, which could decide by September whether to require trans fat on food labels, estimates that listing it could prevent as many as 5,600 heart disease deaths a year -- not only because people would be able to choose healthier foods but also because manufacturers would choose to reduce the amount of trans fat rather than put it on the label.

"The labels on food say how much fat but not what kinds of fat," Aron explains. "It's insidious and we're nowhere near the level of awareness we need to be."
Click on the link and check out the rest of this article - DEFINITELY worth a read!

I didn't mean to knock Sugarbusters, just the way some people "follow" it. It's like the people who say they are doing BFL but eating however they want. The diet (which is a highly discouraged word- Way of Eating is poper) is healthy, filling, and not real different from BFL in philosophy, just not aimed at people trying to build muscle. I used to refer to it as the hunter-gatherer diet- NO PROCESSED FOODS! If you do it right....

mel

don't know much about it myself - it was more of a comment towards people who think they're eating 'healthy' when they're not. That article pinpoints all that. Actually I used to be one of 'em - I was a real Fat Free Fig Newton fan...and eating cereals...as long as they were fatfree we could eat all we wanted right?

Remember that Orville Redenbacher ad for their light microwave popcorn:

Eat and eat and eat and eat
Eat and eat and eat and eat
Eat and eat and eat and eat
Eat and eat and eat and eat
Eat and eat and eat and eat
And not feel the least bit guilty...

As Michael Fumento so aptly stated, they aren't saying it won't make you fat, they're just saying not to feel guilty eating it!

MrsJim - I've been reading your posts here since early in your first challenge. I've also read everything at L&S since November. In that time, I've started three challenges - the first two I quit somewhere along the way and this one, my third, I'm on week 10! I'm very excited about coming this far and this has really become a way of life for me. I never feel like I'm on a diet (which I'm not) and I never feel deprived. I've always loved working out too, so that was easy. I love working out with such intensity, it just feels so much more rewarding.

The point of this whole post is to say, one: that I really admire you. You're a true inspiration and you are so kind and helpful. I wonder if you know how many people you've touched and helped. You're really amazing.

Two: that I am in week 10 and I'm rather disappointed with my results thus far. I posted this at L&S the other day and everyone was real positive about my progress, but I can't help but feel disappointed. I've only lost two pounds and this just blows my mind. I know I've put on muscle, but still I'm 179 lbs. and 5' 6". I should be losing some weight! My other disappointment is my body fat. I went from 34.9% to 33.6% - geesh! My only comfort in this is that I was measured with one of those hand-held bioimpedence devices and I know they aren't very accurate. I have gone down one size - from a 14 to a 12 though. My measurements are down a good bit, but still not much for 9 weeks progress. I'm down 1/2" in my right arm; 3 1/2" in my bust; 2 1/4" in my waist; 3/4" in my abdomen; 2 1/4" on my hips and 3/4" on my right thigh, for a total of 10" lost.

I'm trying hard not to be discouraged, and I'll certainly continue this way of life, but do you have any suggestions?

Thanks for your help,
Roseanne

Hi Roseanne. I'm not MrsJim but I want to tell you that you should not feel discouraged. Look at what you DID accomplish in a 10 week period;
~down a whole dress size :)
~lost numerous inches overall :)
~well on your way to completing a challenge :)

Don't place a whole lot of weight (no pun intended :D ) in the scale or body fat numbers. They dodn't show the whole picture and they vary too much.

Good for you for doing sooooo well!
~~~Sil

Hi Roseanne, WELCOME!!!

yes, mrsjim is the inspiration!!! She's great!

I think you have made good progress in measurements and size and are definitely on the right track. Have you read the hussman site? Sometimes our bodies are trying to hold on to the fat...just keep plugging away! It will come. Also, you might want to post a few menus here or on L&S to make sure the food is clean. Also, throw that scale away!!! Welcome to our group. :wave:

Hi Everyone!! I'm exhausted. I've been having 12-16 hour law school days. Just beat to ****. My workouts have been lighter than usual because I have next to no strength :( I'm simply exhausted and there is no end in sight for weeks. However, due to this nutty schedule and almost constant running around, I'm losing weight I can feel it...it feels like old fashioned weight loss to me (though I haven't checked the scale) not BFL put on muscle, take off fat loss. It's odd that I'm ambivalent about it because I know that I'm probably burning muscle as well. Funny how you start to really CARE about that. A year ago I just would have been happy simply losing weight. Now I'm thinking "Hmmm....this is coming off so fast...I bet I'm losing muscle too."

Off to the races,
Susan

I'm cooking some barley in low sod. chicken broth and portabello mushrooms and I had to go turn the heat down. It smells so good~YUM.

Claire~~~ Congratulations for keeping with it and for reaching that 10. Good for you :cool:

Meow and CC~~~Welcome! We're glad to have you here as we all learn from each other. Hope to see you here often.

Mel and MrsJim~~~It looks like your PTers are working you hard. You guys are doing awesome :)

~~Sil

Pam B would start her day with a dozen egg whites for her protein portion alone! Please please please don't be afraid to feed your body!

Nice place you guys have here, by the way! :D

What a wonderful surprise! Do drop in whenever you want - that goes for the rest of the L&S gang too (actually I believe most - if not all - of us here hang out there as well).

Sorry all - been so busy after work these days...went mattress shopping a couple nights ago, then hooked up DSL which is great except it seems to take a little longer for the home pages to come up (the customer support person on the phone said it would be like that in the beginning, tho'). I gotta tell ya, once it gets rolling, it is FAST. Well worth the $50 a month (I hope!).

Hey Sil - that's how I usually cook barley and rice - in low-sodium fat-free chicken broth - what I really like to do is cook it the day before, put it in the fridge, then the next day I get my stir-fry pan or skillet, spray it with some Pam, toss in some chopped onions, sliced mushrooms, peas & carrots, baby spinach, spices, a bit of lemon juice, maybe some soy - then put the cold rice or barley in (I read somewhere that the 'secret' of good Chinese fried rice was to use cold cooked rice). Then I put the whole mess in a Tupperware or portion it out into baggies. Sometimes I'll have a portion with some chicken breast meat, other times I'll just scramble some Egg Beaters and mix the scrambled egg with the rice - one day I need to do a half-and-half of both egg and chicken for that REAL fried-rice feeling.

I've been waking up earlier, and Sparky wakes up with me too. It's still really chilly here but I've found out how to get him to be quiet (he's a talker!) - turn the heater on and put his little fake-fur rug next to it (today I added a pinch of catnip to it) and he's a happy cat - he just stretches out and enjoys the heat. As long as Jim doesn't freak out when the PG&E bill arrives, then we're okay! I don't think he'll make too much of a big deal - because he likes waking up to a toasty apartment instead of an igloo - makes it easier to get out of the covers. :cool:

Today at the gym, I was **approached** by one of the regular gals who had seen me do pelvic tilts using the smaller Swiss ball and asked me to show her how, which of course I did. She gave me a great compliment when I told her I was seeing a PT - she said I should think of being a trainer myself! Well...don't know if I'd ever have time to do that...I really like my job...but it's a thought!

Roseanne - welcome and thanks ever so much for your sweet compliments. Don't be discouraged - it actually sounds like you're doing okay. Susanje didn't start seeing results until week 11! Remember, it's a 12-week challenge to change your life. It's a good idea to keep records of your workouts and nutrition - along with many people, I use Fitday.com to keep track of my eating (I ignore the calories for the most part - if you're sticking to the authorized food list except on Free Day, the calories will take care of themselves). I've said this before, but you are really better off staying off the scale (which has now been banished from my house - I would have given it away to Goodwill but Jim [Mr. eBay} likes having it around for weighing packages...) as much as possible. Scale addiction is a tough nut to crack but you can do it!

Just want to close with something that happened at the gym yesterday - I was using the leg extension machine - my trainer said to go realllly sloowww and not to let the plates go all the way down, that way the muscle keeps working during the entire set - and I hold for a count of 3-5 at the top. Right next to me, at the other leg ext machine, this older gentleman whom I recognized as a regular sat down, put the weight at like 180#, and went like gangbusters - he did like five reps in the time it took me to complete one! He was just using momentum to lift the weight (actually it was more like 'throwing' the weight up). I was soooo wanting to advise him on that...but advice is not always taken in a positive light. Funny thing is - he was wearing a knee brace...so throwing a heavy weight up on a leg ext machine isn't doing his poor knee any good! Oh well...more later folks!

I need an opinion. Did the meal plan you got from Jeremy work out for you? I'm looking ahead to C2.

WHAT a surprise to see QUADZILLA here!

Welcome, everyone new. I tried SB for six weeks after a trip to New Orleans, loved the plan but never lost an ounce. I think it was because I'd already altered my WOE so much on WW123.

I'm now a member of two gyms, extravagant but the only way I can guarantee getting there everyday. For C2 I'm reverting to strength training six times a week.

Hey ladies!

I can't believe the end of my second week is almost approaching.
I'm excited and I can tell that this is *the* plan already. I haven't weighed or measured anything(and probably won't until 4 weeks), but my mood has improved so much and I have so much more energy.

Sunday is my second free day and I'm using it this time. I've also told my roomates that last week was not going to happen again. They bought candy and pizza during the week, but on Sunday no one went out and most of my faves were not in the house. And then lo and behold, comes monday and they buy Cinnabons. :mad: Saturday evening I'm pulling out the crave list and going mini-shopping. :lol:


Welcome to all the new folks.

I wouldn't be surprised if after the challenges some people did become personal trainers. Form & intensity are everything on this program. I've learned a lot about excercise that I never knew before and I'm only a few weeks in.

Hope everything is going good for y'all.

Hi all! :wave:

Wow this is really "Kitty City!" I have three myself -- Whoopi, Rusty and BooBoo. I love animals; I keep winding up with cats, though...

Been posting my menus at LeanandStrong for TallJen to look at. It's really helped. Also ordered my Udo's today.

And MrsJim -- while you are always quoting Pam B., I am always quoting you. You have a wealth of knowledge that is invaluable to all of us. With you, Sil, Susanje, and other "veterans" I feel as though I can get most any question answered and keep being inspired. Thank you all.

I'm not even through my first week yet and my hip flexors (probably my best body part) have loosened up so that I can actually put on socks and tie my shoes without having to do a yoga routine in the process. :lol:

Did my UBWO today. My medial deltoids are so wimpy...I could hardly manage the seated DB presses with the 5 pound dumbbells using strict form. (my gym doesn't have smaller weights) I'll keep at it. If I had a nickel for everyone I see wandering around the gym because you know they don't have a program, or throwing weight around without a hint of proper form, I'd own a Smith machine by now... :D

Parakeet, good for you for standing your ground about the food! You're a week ahead of me. Keep up the good work!

Quadzilla, I've been reading your posts over on LeanandStrong. Glad to have you!

the barley and rice combo sounds really good. I'll have to try it. Well, our temp has dropped from a balmy 70 to 40 degrees. I guess the cold front is here.

Have a great afternoon, gals.

just a quick note, I checked into some more about BFL on teh EAS website, wow, this really seems like something i could do! The only drawback is trying to fit enough protein into my diet. I have a hard time with that, though I guess i could do the whole fish thing. NOw I know I want to have my mother send me the BFL book so I can get clear on the actual plan. (I understand the excersize and weigh plan, as well as the meal thing now that i read up on eas.com.) My guess is that there are some things that i will need to get out of the book. Plus, I think perhaps an official challange would be a fun thing for me and my mother to do "together." I say that in quotes 'cause she lives in California and I am down here in the Caribbean. Anyway, she is 60, but works out at a World gym with the body builders and has this amazing stregnth that inspires me always. IF only i had been blessed with her genes and not grandma's...... I will tell you what happens

Thanks for the welcome, gang!! :D :D

Wow.........where do I begin.......I miss one day of posting.........*dang work has been hectic*.........and I am reading forever.......Laffs......I love that this thread has constant posters.........I love to read..........and feel very inspired by everyones journey......


I did my LBWO today........can you say.......burn baby burn....laffs.....but I just feel soooooo energized for that day......I love that feeling......

I am coming to the end of my second week.......and I will tell you.....this is just incredible........I don't know how else to explain it.......I have never been so disciplined in an eating regime before.........but this is sooooo different..........because there isn't the hunger from starving yourself........like I said in a previous post.........I feel like I am pigging out.........and I haven't really had any cravings........until yesterday.........I was at the mall with my daughter.........and I could smell the cinnamon buns waffing through the air........I turned to my daughter and said......lets get outta here.......

Quad......I am learning that more and more everyday.......I recently saw Pam 's before and afters.........OMG.......she looks absolutely fabulous.......I will tell you......I am understanding more and more everyday.........and WELCOME!!! to our little nook... :)

MMMMMMMMm........the barley and rice sounds sooooooo good........I have to try that......

Parakeet .........I know what you mean........I feel the same way about this plan myself.....

MRS.Jim ........I have cable........and once you get use to the speed from your DSL you will never want to go back to a dial up connection again......

Waterbaby ........sounds like you are moving along nicely.......I am sooooooo happy for you...... :cool: .....keep it up....

Well my din din is just about ready........I am hungery.......chat at you all later....