Weight and Resistance Training - BFL/BB #84 - week of 6 Jan 2003

Goooooood morning everyone! :)

we are having some gorgeous days here in the Bay Area after all those yukky storms. It looks like July outside (of course it's still cold - but the afternoons have been in the 60s lately). On the kitty front, they are getting along better but no snuggling - YET.

JC - are you doing the Lean Legs for Women workout from Brother Iron Sister Steel? I have just started that myself. Squats three times a week - ouchies!!! Since it's a Monday/Weds/Fri split, I'm adding in an upper body workout on Tuesday and cardio on Tues/Thurs/Sat (with optional cardio on Sunday). You get Dr. Phil in Oz as well? His show is very popular here, we've watched it a couple of times (however Jim usually turns on music videos after Seinfeld).

And as far as your sister not noticing your transformation...well...she probably DID notice but just didn't say anything (there's a lot of people like that!) I don't know if it's jealousy or just not thinking...I am so jealous that you all are having beach weather right now - can't wait for Miami in about 3 weeks...fun and sun!!!

I read BodyRX myself earlier last year and just decided that it really wasn't what I wanted to do - but still have the book in case I change my mind :)

Lana - great photo! you look so cute!

Sweetchick - whaddya mean ONLY 25-30 pounds? Jeez - I probably didn't lose more than 15 scale-weight pounds since April 2001 - but went down from a size 10 to a size 4. I've said it before - concentrate on the Pants-O-Meter and get rid of the scale (or at least don't rely on it).

Carrie - Mel is right on - patience and persistence are the keys on BFL (along with planning that is). This isn't a quick weight loss fad diet thingy - just keep at it and commit to the 12 weeks and you will be soooo happy!

OH and at L&S - Tall Jen is back with her daily menu thread. Newbies - I really recommend that you check it out - feel free to post your menu for critique and helpful tips. Looking at other folks' menus is also a great way to get some new menu ideas!

Gotta get to work - more later everyone!

hello,
ood mornin, I am on day 1 of BFl, and I am hurting, I went into the weiht trainin upper body thinkin that I could still bench 70 pounds, I had to drop it down to 40, then to 20, it hurt I went slow as the book states, I am however satisfied with the meals, so I am doing well, however my husband is starving, I may need to ive him a little more food, or slihtly bigger portions. My before pictures are hideous, they are awful, I look disgusting, I took polaroids, and 35 mm, My hubby is skinny, he weighs 173, I never cook, and I weigh 195, eating too much junk. Oh well he is in for it, when he comes home from work, I am gonna get him to workout, he will see how hard it is. Oh well. thanks for listening.

We are having cold but sunny weather here too. Sorry for all you snowbound folks, though a good snow would be welcome here for "short duration only!"

JC, thanks for asking about free week. I don't think I handled it great, but the good thing is that as soon as it was over I got right back on the program. I am noticing on free day as well that I have not worked out my eating issues. Thankfully the structure of BFL seems to hold whatever that elusive demon is in check. I have been doing some serious thinking about all this and think that I will "plan" my free day this coming week. I will have treats, but not a free roaming free day. Maybe this will help.

Differences I am feeling? Hmmm, I do feel different. My body composition has changed. My upperbody feels hard even when I am not holding a flex. Clothes fit much better. My body just looks different, it is starting to show in my face a bit. I weigh about the same as at the end of challenge 1, maybe up a lb. or two but I have quickly lost what I gained during those 10 days off. I am not hopping on the scale quite as often. I think it will take me a couple weeks into this challenge to be geared for serious losing again.

Welcome to all the newbies, there are so many questions right at first. These gals are great sources of information. I found the first workouts, the first week of menus the hardest. Then I started to fall into a routine as I gained more knowledge. I still go to and learn something new every day at L&S. Figuring out what to eat, even though I knew the requirements helped a lot. Embracing cottage cheese came after about the first month and it remains a favorite staple. I had to get my workout equipment all lined out and buy a couple of cooking utensils to enable me to get my meals just right. After a while it becomes second nature though.

Karen, I can tell you are a persistent kitty mama. You'll have those 2 lined out in no time!

I really can't believe that this is the last week of my first challenge....amazing...i can't believe i have made it. This is the first time i have really started dieting seriously....and its working...which is soooooooo wonderful.

Thanks Lanaii, Jennelle, Ledom, and Mrs. Jim and everyone else who has encouraged me over the 12 weeks. its so great. I really feel so good, lighter, smaller and best of all STRONGER!!!

I can't wait to go to my field hockey team and play tennis this spring and summer and be sooooo much stronger...

well...i guess if i have made it this far i can make it through the next 5 days!!

take care everyone!!

one_sweetchick

Karen: Yes I am doing Lean legs with a little modification. I took out the upper body work and just do the lower work with abs if I feel like it. I do that on Monday and thursday, with tuesday and friday split with the rest of the upper body (back, bis & abs on Tues and shoulder, chest & tris on Friday) Then after the Tuesday upper I do 20MAS and then on Friday I do a set of 7-8 sprints (60 secs sprint then 60 secs walk). I play soccer on Wednesday so no workout and then the weekends are totally free! I have to admit I love the extra soreness in my legs and those Sumo squats are killers! As for diet, well I made a major change there after reading a book but I wanted to test it out for 6 weeks before I divulged any info. :o :o :o

I get Dr Phil but it is to early for me to watch normally. Occassionally I see it at the gym in the afternoon but since I swapped to morning workouts I haven't seen it. :cool:

wanttobebuff: If your hubby is starving and skinny then feed that boy!! He will need to eat more than you ESPECIALLY if he wants to build muscle. I have the opposite problem - it's hard to get my hubby to eat enough and he is lean and has a super fast metabolism. I always nag him about eating too little and that he needs to beef up more! :s:

Ledom: You aren't meant to handle free week well that's why they call it free. don't beat yourself up about it sweety. As for planning free day - maybe you could try eating what you want but in smaller portions throughout the day??

OSC: Congratulations for coming this far! You must let us know your results as soon as you finish - feel free to BRAG!! :dizzy:

As for me well everything is going very well at the moment. I had a great workout this morning and hubby came along for the ride as well. The break has done me well because in my sprints today I sprinted faster than I ever have before. I hit 9 MPH for my sprints and it didn't kill me! Food is going great although my skin is breaking out again from the shift in diet which isn't pleasant. I have had a few late nights so I think that I may hit the sack early tonight. As some of you are aware I am sitting on my current fat setpoint and trying to break through one **** of a plateau so I want to be extra careful about everything that I do.

I hope all is well with everyone. Mel is your daughter still around?

JC :s:

Opps sorry about the split post above!!

I wanted to post this poem that my Mum sent me. Very cool.

- Be thankful that you don't already have everything.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,
For it gives you opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you are tired and weary,
Because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

JC

Great poem JC! (MY mom always sends me Bible verses and passages from the "Mitford" books :lol: which I actually turned her on to in the first place...)

In San Francisco "Dr Phil" comes on at 8:00 pm - right after "Seinfeld" :) but we either watch music videos or a film.

OOOH now you have me all intrigued with your mysterious 6 week diet program!!! All you have to say is 'I'm keeping it a secret' and of course I'm DYING to find out now :) I thought you were planning on starting CPB again...

Did I mention that JIM is now working out?!? Yesterday (Sunday) we went to the gym here at work and I did some moderate cardio while watching Jim - who did NOT want any help - do his upper body workout. He prefers to use machines...oh well at least he's doing SOMEthing. At one point he was doing what I think were dumbbell flyes, only his arms were straight out, he was lying on the bench and he would hyperextend his arms all the way to the floor. Can you say "rotator cuff injury"? He also did 30 minutes brisk walking on the treadmill...

ANYway, on our way home I couldn't resist telling him that he was doing flyes ALL WRONG and he said "but I like to feel the stretch!" I told him, Hon, if you keep doin' flyes like that, you'll be having the CHIROPRACTOR stretching you!

Ledom - Something that has worked for me in the past - during the 'regular week', if any food item tempts you, WRITE IT DOWN. I have a note-pad on my fridge door where I would write down the foods I wanted. That way, when your Free Day rolls 'round, you have everything written down (although I betcha you won't want most of it by then).

I enjoyed hearing your tales of Jim in the gym. :dizzy:

My D is home from college and we still have this week before we both go back. Since new years she has been trying to shed her holiday lbs. She has really kept me moving because she has managed to talk me into hiking with her on top of my regular workouts most days (figure I could use it after the holiday). Anyway she is also doing a little work w/ 5 lb. dumbells from the Firm book. This a.m. she quizzed me about my training so I am going to watch one of her workouts tomorrow. Love teaching the kid new things. She is almost 19 and has such a cute shape, if she can just learn how to take care of it so it will last she'll be doing great.

It's just different to what I have been doing and radically different to BFL so I don't want to put anyone off by posting it. Plus it's still in testing on myself and I never recommend tweaks until I have tried them personally.

NO you didn't mention that - when did he start? That is so cool! I get annoyed occasionally because hubby only works out for about 30 mins MAX so when I need 45 mins he is hanging around the gym bothering me. Oh and on the flyes - tell him to stretch between sets - form is too imortant to sacrifice. Last time hubby was doing something wrong and I mentioned it he blew his stack - so I gave him a complicated technical explanation for why and he has never questioned me since! (It helps that my biceps are nearly bigger than his as well!)

Ledom: That is great that you are working out with your daughter! I would love to share those experiences with my Mother but she thinks that she is too old for the gym (she's 56) geez......

JC

We've had more snow this year than in the previous 3 and I'm sick of it. I feel like I do a workout just to get to the gym.
Dd left for school on Saturday between storms, so now I'll get a little more sleep, but lost my workout buddy.

My running career has ended abruptly- yesterday I turned my ankle on my "last" long run before the race. Stepped into a hole on the side of the road and gave it a good enough twist that I ended up in the ER thinking it was broken. Just sprained, but kinda purple and painful. Now I can add another wrap for leg day:lol: Part of me is relieved I'm not going to run at Disney- that 4:30 am line-up really bothered me. But I am disappointed and annoyed at all that training, then not doing it after all :?: I just hope I can still do a good leg day!

Ledom: Where does your daughter go to school? I love it when mine is at home and we hit the gym together. She lifts ALOT at school for lacrosse team, so is quite buff and turns a lot of heads at the gym. I feel invisible.

Karen: my husband is also workouts out a lot more now :lol: But he did ask me for help setting up workouts, and to show him how to do different exercises. He just won't eat right. Not bad, but not great. Won't give up his ice cream or Black Russians. I don't think he eats enough protein, but I have at least talked him into a post-workout balanced meal.

JC: oooh- I'm curious too! I'm still plugging away at pseudo Camp PB nutrition. Nothing seems to change much, tho. My friend Laura who posts as LLS on L&S insists I'm starving and should be eating more to see results. I may listen to her one of these days- she's had spectacular results eating around 1800-2000 calories a day and is much smaller than I am. Pam had me cycling from 900-1700 and those 900 days were dreadful. Loved the poem. My mother sends me articles about diseases.

OSC- Congratulations! You're almost there! And ONLY 25-30 pounds? Pleeese- I'd be jumping for joy (actually I'd be emaciated). Take it from one who gained weight in C1 (and didn't want to), you done great!

Wanttobebuff- Hiya! and welcome.

ok- gotta hobble in to the kitchen, make dinner, make lunches, cook for tommorrow, the try to study about strength!

mel

Oh Mel I am so sorry about your ankle! All that training?? Damn....

I was cycling low to about 1000 calories and up to about 1500 during my last weeks with Pam. Those low days are a killer. I am not sure if I could go back to doing that again.

I will fill you all in after my first 6 weeks. You know what it's like you need to try something for a while to see how it kicks in. I have cut back on the training to 5 days a week (4 weights & 3 cardio) so I can tell if it's the diet that is working not some other factor. Anyways.....

JC

Oh MEL! :( I know you were really looking forward to the Disney marathon...are you still going to go anyway?

Hmmm...I didn't tell ya *where* he ate after his workout - we went to Taco Bell so he could get a Grilled Stuft Steak Fajita Burrito - oh well, better than McDonald's I suppose (he's cutting his McD's consumption to once a week now). :lol:

I am so sorry about your ankle. Well, remember, you started the running project to get your focus back? Maybe you mission was accomplished even w/out running in the event.

My D goes to the same school where I teach, though she lives on campus. It is in central Arkansas. She takes to working out in spurts and spats. We have marvelous hiking trails in our city so we have always done that together. When she puts on a couple lbs. she works out but otherwise doesn't. I bought her an MP3 player for christmas to encourage her to check out the gym/treadmill that she has available at school free of charge. I think she will actually. Food there is the pits, she is in the dorm and w/ only a small fridge and a communal microwave it is tough. Anyway, anytime she asks for my help I am thrilled. Like so many others I have heard talk about their kids, she really wants me to succeed w/ my weight loss goals and is a great little hiking buddy.

Oh yeah, about being invisible - anytime I am with her I am invisible.

My hubby eats clean but just not enough. The good thing is that he is easy to influence so he eats what I eat when we cook together. This week dinner has been BBQ steak and salad with a bit of cheese on the side. Cooked fresh each night it's delicious!

JC

You guys are awsome,
I just made lunches for tomorrow, and i doubled my DH portion, he likes the protein powder mixed with choc FF /SF pudding, and he likes pinnneapple and cottage cheese too. Here is todays meal plan tell me if I did ok.

B-2 EW on 2 slices of wheat bread with hot sauce
S-cott. cheese with pin app
L-salad with tuna on top,orange
S-cottae chese with bannana
D-top sirloin , steamed cabbage,baked potato with salsa
S-cott cheese, with bannana , cinn, vanilla, and 1 packet of splenda.

That was todays meal, also my arms and upper body hurt bad, was not expectin that on day 1 and i took the whole 46 minutes, I went slow and squeezed. Dh was in for it, he suffered, we went slow, and he is in pain too, it was kool to see his arms shake and the veins pop out of his head, and arms. we had a great day, though he wanted me to wait for him to get home from work, I just feel that if I wait till after 4 pm, I will be less likely to do it. You guys ROCK. Too ashamed to post pictures, but my Bf is off the chart 40mm, or percent I weigh 195. SHHHHHHHHHHH, do not tell. My goal is to et back to 145 like I was when I was in the ARMY. tomorrow will make 1 week quit smoking cold turkey.
:lol:

Tanya: I see some similarities between you and I. For a start I used to be in the NAVY and I started at 217 lbs. Nice to meet you.

As for your meals not bad but be aware that it is best to reduce your dependance on processed foods for the very best results ie bread. Also in the first meal is that 2 egg whites? If so that is NOT nearly enough protein for a meal try upping it to 4 egg whites and a whole egg. Check out the ingrediants of the hot sauce and make sure that it isn't laden with sugar - you could be adding extra unnecessary calories. If it isn't too bad then just use small amounts. You eating a lot of fruit as well which is good for some and bad for others. Just watch out and if you start to get hungry then switch to more denser carbs like oats, potatoes and rice - they will fill you up better.

Are you supplementing with any healthy fats at all?

JC

I think you need a LOT more protein in meal 1. I usually eat 8 egg whites and I only weigh 132 lbs. Also, I'd suggest more vegetables of the green variety. Make sure when you have cottage cheese, you're getting enough, too.You should be getting between 170-190 grams of protein a day. If you divide that by 6, it's about 30 per meal. Check the labels on the cottage cheese- I think thats about a cup and a half. Make sure you use the low-fat or fat free.
Are you and your husband using glutamine? It really helps with the soreness.

mel

Hey all -

I just wanted to report that my free day was on Sunday, and I think I handled it pretty well. I thought I would go insane and overeat, but I didn't. I still drank all my water and ate moderately. We ordered pizza for dinner, and I only had three slices. Normally, if I thought I was getting a "treat" I'd eat a whole damn pizza by myself! :fr:

I'm proud of me. Thanks for letting me brag. :smug:

Jennelle: I'm proud of you too!

WELL DONE :D :D

JC

Greetings to all you experienced BFLers ... I posted a bit ago that I would be starting my Challenge on 1/6 and I did. I think I did pretty well for Day 1, though my upper body is a bit achey and I need to check into that supplementation.

A brief intro, if ya'll don't mind: I'm 41, married with 2 daughters (6 and 19 months). I have been overweight all my life, with a few points of being close to "normal" throughout the years (can I count when I was a baby?). I am a SAHM/WAHM (graphic artist).

I'm really psyched up for this, especially when I look at success stories on the BFL site and others. At the gym yesterday, I met a woman who just started her second challenge ... and the couple who own the gym started a challenge Sunday ... so I'm in good company!

I got my photos Sunday, weighed in at 222. I meant to get my measurements yesterday, but I guess I'll have to get them today. Plus I'll ask at the gym about how I can get my BF measured.

I'm curious to know some thoughts from some of you old-timers about how you felt when you started your journey ...

Pen

Good morning all! I am on my Day 8, and I feel good. I'm not too hungry and luckily I am not too sore. I don't really feel like I got the best LBWO that I could've, but that is my fault. I just felt bad yesterday and couldn't get the motivation to give it my all. I was pretty dang proud of myself for just doing something! Oh well, baby steps.

I realized all I had done was ask questions and I had not introduced myself. So here goes!

My name is Carrie (obviously) and I am 22. I graduated from college in June and now I am working as a financial analyst (fancy name for an accountant;) ) I am 5"7' and I weigh about 142 lbs. I don't have a lot to lose, but I would like to tone what I have! I am getting married in May, and I will be a buff bride!

Ledom: I didn't know you lived in Central AR! I live in Little Rock and just graduated from Hendrix in Conway. Where does your daughter go to school?

Mel: I am so sorry about your ankle. That is terrible that you can't be in the marathon. Take care of yourself!

Well, I am off to work.

That's amazing. Were you the one that went to the Razorback game last week? Someone mentioned that and I thought it must be another Arkansan. She goes to Henderson and I teach photography there. Small world! There is another girl from Arkansas on the other thread I post on. Hendrix is a great place. I bet we even know some of the same people as I have friends whose children go there.

Hey, you're going to be a beautiful bride. You are at a good weight for your height in my opinion. I am 5'7" too and about 145 is the best I could maintain at my low weight. Sure can't wait to see that day again when I am anywhere near that.

Anyway, good to meet you.

Pen, welcome to you too. I am not really an old timer yet as I just complete my first challenge but I remember the first month or so that it was just a steep learning curve. Figuring out what to eat, how to do the exercises, getting everything in order.

wantobebuff - I quit diet coke cold turkey when I started BFL. Somehow all this discipline seemed to boost my effort. I had a headache for a week but then I was fine. I am sure cigarettes are even move of an addiction (maybe not I was pretty addicted), anyway good for you. You are doing great things for yourself.

It's a lovely hot day here in Sydney (just to make you all jealous!!) and I have a big day at work planned. Hubby and I went to a movie last night which was good and then when we got home we started making plans to buy our next house. I also have to travel up to the last one we bought 2 mths ago to do some repairs and a bit of painting now that the tenant is moving out. I had a yummy clean breakfast of eggwhites and fruit and am all prepared with my cooler here at work with all my meals. Water is on tap and I am set!

Pen: I remember you! Nice to see you again. How did I feel when I started? A combination of depressed and lonely mixed in with little bits of excitement at what layed ahead. Also very very determined. I started at 217 lbs as well.

Carrie: By May you can have an outstanding body! You have a great bodyweight now so if I was you I would just build muscle like a madwoman! It will swap itself for fat and you will 'tone up' brilliantly! Actually I am only 5'4" and my goal weight is 145lbs. You and I are in similar fields as well. I am a financial controller for a software company and currently studying for my Masters in Accounting.

Ledom: You are an old timer to me!!

Introduction: For those newbies I thought that introductions were a great idea! My name is Jacque (pronouced Jacky) and I live in Sydney Australia but grew up in Melbourne Australia. I am 27 years young and married for 4 years to my husband who is an engineer in the Navy. I am a financial controller for a small private software company and I love my job. I started my first challenge on Oct 16th 2001 and at 217 lbs and an ugly bodyfat (it's in my signature). I completed one full BFL challenge and then started a second one but half way through switched to CPB style eating. I did that for 7 weeks and then went back to BFL for 6 weeks, then a bit of a break for a while then back to CPB again etc anyway which took me up to the start of last December. I muddled my way through the holidays did some self exploring and then researched a new plan which I started on the 30th Dec. I have 2 Beagles Bas and Ben that are my children.

JC

Hello Ladies,
Well I am on day 2, and i did my 20 minutes on the treadmil, my arms hurt worse after that, tomorrow is legs.l have a question, today is 1 week without smoking, I am in a good mood, but my DH
is downright untolerable, I am sleeping on the couch tonite, I hate him so bad, all I do is pray, because he is bein NASTY, anyway.

MELIRIS:I am glad to hear that we share some of the same story with our weight, I just really need to do this, next month I will be 32 years old, and I have no children, so I will be quite depressed if I still look like this on my B-day, I am doing this for me, my self esteem. I will up my protein as well, I did not get FF cottage cheese, but I will have my shopping list ready on Sunday my free day, and next week will be better, more planned now that I know what to eat, and that there is a lot more out there I can have.

JEC: as for glutamine, no I do not have any I will look on ebay for some since I have to order some whey protein, my arms move so I know that the pain is the cellulite and the muscle braking down.

Ledom: I am taking flax oil 2000 M a day a s well as astragulus, and chlorella, and spirulina, to cleanse myself because of the ex smoking, also drinking wheat grass with apple juice and berries with ice and creatine before I workout.

I must admit I have not been doing my workouts in the am, so I will get up earlier to exercise, the problem is that I get up with Dh because he will not do anything for himself, and make him BRKFST, so that is taking away from me. Oh well tomorrow will be better I just know it.

Tanya

:dizzy: :D :mad:

Hey Tanya,

What's the issue with hubby?

What do you mean by 'the pain is cellulite' ?

Be careful on the juice - it is loaded with carbs and fructose (sugar). As for your hubby taking up all of your time well you may want to have a word with him about it if it is interupting your schedule. Can you come to a compromise of some sort?

JC

he has a wild hair up his but or something, either it is the non smoking cravings, or the fact that he is on this WOE with me,
Can you give me a sample menu, of 6 meals and portions that I can do until next week , so that I can et the hint of what exactly I should eat or at least the portions right . I have to go shopping on Sunday, I think I will do pasta meat and veggies , and fruit, for luches and dinners, all I got left, and eggs and otameal the rest of the meals, all that I have left . Any advice, I will not give up on this week, I will just make next week better, et ff stuff and more variey. I will miss however the peanut butter on whole wheat toast with cottage cheese and bananna. mmmmmm good.

try looking on the recipe thread on this site under BFL. Then try the recipe thread on lean and strong which is lot more comprehensive. Since portion size in personal mine would equate to yours so just use the palm or fist method for measurement. Go easy on the pasta though - it is loaded with carbs. Ideas for foods are;

Protein;
FF cottage cheese
egg whites
chicken
steak
Protein powder
fish
tuna
salmon

carbs
any fruit
potatoes
rice
yogurt
ff pudding (not the best but great for sweet tooths)
Yams
Sweet potatos
Corn

oh geez help me out anyone?? Bueler??

JC

good morning everyone,

well, i finally decided to start posting here!!!

i'm starting C2 today and i'm excited about it !!

i did C1 in the last third of last year and i'm super happy with my results. i didn't take pictures nor did i take measurements, but i did weigh myself and i'm using the ol' pant-o-meter (plus all my other clothes) to asses my progress.

i got rid of 24.2 pounds of fat and dropped down 1-1/2 full clothes sizes during C1 !!! YAY !!! i'm super happy, to say the least.

a bit about myself....... i'm 43, live in israel, divorced with 5 kids. i work from home (web site developer) and am really happy with life !!!

again, i'm not taking pictures nor measurements at the beginning of C2...... which is probably still a big no-no, but i don't really care. if i do what i did in C1 i'll be just fine :-)

i eat super clean, 5 mini-meals per day and drink about one gallon of water also, sometimes more sometimes less.

this is most definitely a new life for me....... i love it all !!! the slower days, the pumped days, the days that just flowwwwww!!!

i'm looking forward to getting to know you all more and doing this togther with you all !!

have a great day.

adriana

Welcome Adriana - sounds like you had a great challenge 1

tanya - this is what I ate yesterday
1.steelcut oatmeal and apple cooked together (fist size portion)/ cottage cheese all mixed together w/ splenda and vanilla (my favorite bfl meal)
2. bfl banana bread muffin (recipe at l&s site)
3. grilled salmon, baked potato, veggies, salad (this was at Red Lobster- their lunch menu serves the perfect portion of fish)
4. sweet potato, cottage cheese all mixed together w/ splenda and vanilla
5. Page's chili from l&s site
6. cottage cheese, 1/2 c blueberries and 1/4 c fiber one cereal

I used the palm/fist method of measuring proteins and carbs. In terms of cottage cheese I eat 1/3 of a tall container per serving. When I have eggs I eat 1 whole and 6 whites.

Good morning!

I had a good cardio workout last night. I tried to push myself. Its hard for me b/c there is nowhere for me to work out in the mornings, so I have to do it after work when I am dragging! At least I am not sitting on the couch.

Confession time:
Two words---BREAKFAST POTLUCK
So, I possibly ate a little more than I should have. And I didn't make the best choices. On the up side, I didn't eat as much as I could have either.

Here is my question. What do I do? Should I keep eating my mini meals as if nothing happened? Should I try to reduce my calories for the rest of the day? Call it my free day and just go to town?

What should I do if I have a bad day. Today is my UBWO, but I think I am going to do some treadmill as well to make up for my breakfast extravaganza.

Thanks for the advice!

Hey there everyone!!

I'm going to try and finish this post - the last day or so I've started posting but then gotten sidetracked by one thing or another :lol:

Carrie - I thought potluck breakfasts were only done during the holidays! At least that's the way it is around here. I would say "fail fast" and keep going with your day as planned. As Mel has pointed out, you're only 2 1/2 hours from being back on plan, right? :) And I wouldn't do the extra cardio either. Just GET BACK ON TRACK - I'd also recommend (if you haven't already been doing so) using the Eating for Life Daily Progress reports (you can download them from the official Body for Life site) to plan your meals for the next few days. Personally, I find using those sheets when I'm stumbling works WONDERS keeping me on track eating wise!

Adriana - Welcome all the way from Israel! Do they have cottage cheese there? So glad you decided to hang with us here.

Tanya - meals are super easy once you get the hang of it. For my first challenge, I made a copy of the table on Page 83 - all ya do is pick one choice out of each column (carb and protein) then for at least two meals a day, choose a veggie. Veggies you can eat all you want at all six meals if you like! For me, pasta is JUST NOT FILLING except on Free Day - a proper portion is too teeny weeny. I much prefer barley, taters or brown rice - it sticks with me much better. I would HIGHLY suggest checking out Tall Jen's daily menu thread at Lean & Strong - it's INCREDIBLY helpful even if you don't post to it - you can get a lot of ideas.

Hopefully your DH will get a clue and decide to support you rather than give you a tough time - actually MY Jim slept on the couch again last night (because of our cat though, not because of me :) he said Sparky looked 'lonely' last night).

Speaking of the kitty front, Meg and the Sparkmeister seem to be getting along better - this morning before work I grabbed one of our many 'kitty ticklers' and played with both of them at the same time. I think Sparky is getting over his MAD phase and starting to become a bit intrigued over the pert little miss that has moved in - they talk to each other now in little mews...

Anyway here's a typical BFL menu for moi:

Meal #1 - Protein Pancake (yum!) made with eggwhites and oatmeal, served with a little sugar-free pancake syrup
Meal #2 - Myoplex Lite shake (stay away from those bars as they are not the same thing AT ALL)
Meal #3 - chicken breast with lime juice, veggies and sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon and Splenda
Meal #4 - cottage cheese and oatmeal blended together with hand blender with a little Splenda and vanilla added
Meal #5 - salmon, spinach and mushrooms, brown rice
Meal #6 - Cottage cheese and 1/2 banana blended together

Ledom - I agree with JC - once you have completed a 12 week challenge on BFL you are officially an Old Timer in my book!! :lol:

MsPen - a big BFL Welcome to you too gal!!!

Do y'all think we should have an "introduction/profile" thread here in our little forum? Let me know. :)

Well the holidays are over now...and i have successfully made it through them and eating clean...but now i am starting to slip...well not really..i am just having some serious cravings...and i want to eat late at night...i find myself going to bed early and reading just to stop from eating....and i had none of this in the first 10.5 weeks....so weird!!!

I guess i can say that i have four more days...so i can make it..but this is really weird...maybe i am stressed?? who knows.

I got a new cat for Christmas...and the two are ripping apart my house :) but are generally getting along okay..but the female is defiantely the dominant one... :)

hope everyone is doing well...i will let everyone know the shape of my post body for life challenge one - body ;)

one_sweetchick

Hi girls,

Everyone seems to be doing great! Which is good to hear...

Darn I miss 3 days of getting on the puter :( and I have to read almost a book to catch up to all of you...

But I'll try....:D

Karen -- reading about your hubby's dumbell flies made me laugh... and I thought of him this morning too when a mew guy at the gym was doing exactly the same thing...almost went up to him and asked "is your name Jim?"... Just kidding but it did make me smile seeing him.... Glad to hear that the kitties are getting along, I bet it's cute when they meow at each other.... I love it when our cat makes these "prrrt" sounds when we talk to her... I'd love to get another cat too when I hear you guys talk about yours... but I just wonder if my allergies could take it... I'm no longer allergic to our cat so maybe I could get used to another one... I would love to get an already declawed one (I know it's cruel, but I love my furniture too) maybe one will show up at the shelter... If it's meant to be I will see it in the paper....

Mel -- When I read about your mishap with your ankleI said out loud "OH NO!!" everone in the house asked: "Wassamatter,wassamatter" ... It's ok kids I'm talking to the puter....:dizzy:

one_sweetchick -- Hang in there you have only a few days to go... Go back and think of all the reasons your are doing this Challenge.... OH NO not another "cat mom", just teasing, I love cats too...

Tanya -- I strongly agree with Karen with going to www.leanandstrong.com and to Tall Jen's menu thread... I personally like going to www.fitday.com an putting all my food in for the day and calculating my carbs, fat and protein. The other day I input everything and had exactly 150g of carbs and 156g or protein... It's just fun to do IMO and helps you keep track....It's unfortunate that DH doesn't support you, but when he sees the hot babe you'regonna be he'll want you to continue...

Mz. Pen and Adriana WELCOME :wave:

Ok later all.... BTW I had an awesome UBWO this morning I don't work today so had lots of time....

Later all...

thank you all for the warm welcome !!!

i had a great chest, back and shoulders workout this morning. i split my upper body workouts into two so i can concentrate on each part more. friday i'll have triceps and biceps.

then i did the treadmill for 60 minutes. that's my usual time on the treadmill, 6 days per week. i tend to do a whole lot more than just the basic BFL, but i follow the basic principles very closely.

i hadn't been in the weight room for two entire weeks due to a bad flu and then a cold, and it felt great to be back there !!! tomorrow is a legs and abs day which i'm looking forward to !!

MrsJim you are truly a continuing inspiration to us all here !! it was great to see the BFL menu posted today !! thanks. i know that i will continue to learn quite a lot from everyone here.

by the way, we DO have cottage cheese here in israel, plus just about everything else imaginable !! lol

take care everyone. i'll see you manana !!!

adriana

Hi ladies,
Thank you all for the responses, I am not sure what is up with Dh I think it is the cigarettes that he is unable to have. Anyway, I love cottage cheese and bananna, great. Today lower body was a killer. I will try to make those pancakes tomorrow. I did manage to et up and workout on an empty stomach.;) , so that worked out great. Been cravin water lost 5 pounds probably water weight, it is not even the end of the week yet, also this WOE has made me regular, I have gone 1nce a day for the past 2 days mow, probably the oatmeal and whey protein powder mixed with berries. That is all for me. Lookin forward to Sunday but I am not craving anything.:dizzy:

Hey adriana - nice to meet you and have another NON-AMERICAN/CANADIAN here!! (just joking guys!!! I love you all)

I had an ok day yesterday but on my plan I am manipulating carbs here and there and last night I had to have a high carb meal and it threw me for a sixer. I was bloated all night and woke up this morning feeling like I had had my stomach kicked in. It was awful to say the least and reminded me of my first challenge free days. All I had was bread and pasta as well! Just a lot of it. I was thinking of journalling down what my carbs are to help me assess whether I can eat them or not. I hate bloating!

Besides that my soccer game was cancelled last night due to a storm that came through last night so that was a bummer. Because of my bloating I didn't get my workout in this morning (yes Karen and Mel I have switch to morning workouts!) so I will have to go this afternoon.

How are y'all?

JC

What?!? you don't like morning workouts? I love them!! Especially at this time of year - the gym is SO packed in the afternoon. Now if I was one of those lucky ladies who don't have to work during the day...I would probably go at 9:00 am - when I'm taking time off from work I sometimes go in the late morning/early afternoon and it is SO PEACEFUL there. :)

Thanks so much Adriana :) for the compliment! I was asking about the cottage cheese because on L&S yesterday someone posted from East Africa and said there was NO COTTAGE CHEESE available in her country :( so I just wondered about it. You can get cottage cheese just about everywhere here in the States!

Lana - Our Meg makes those prrt sounds too - but Sparky just meows and purrs. She is such a little love that I can't imagine Mr. Sparky NOT becoming best friends with her eventually!

Don't get me wrong once I am at the gym I love the mornings so peaceful and quiet. I also need it empty with the super and tri setting the Draper's workout requires which is great. It's the GETTING OUT OF BED that I have an issue with. :lol: But I am doing it by telling myself one thing when I wake up

You get what you settle for.

Ouch that hurts! Gets me out of bed!

JC

Good grief, disappear for 2 days and the population doubles!
Welcome MzPen and Adriana. This is a great place to be, lots of info, pep talks, cheering, and sympathy.
I managed a sort-of leg workout today with my ankle well wrapped. It's getting better, but I can't do squats or leg press yet. I guess it was a decent workout, just different. I'm already sore.

Lana- I got a chuckle out of you talking to me thru the computer. I do that all the time.

JC- Now I'm even more curious!!!!! So much bead and pasta you were bloated and sore? I gotta hear more about this plan. I'm sick of carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, chicken and egg whites!

Adriana- I have one suggesttion on your upper body split. Doing chest, back and shoulders all in one day works all the LARGE upper body muscle groups at once. You might get better results if you split up chest and back. Alternatives would be:
chest, tri's, front and side delts
back, bi's, rear delts
or
chest, bi's, tri's
back and shoulders
or.....I'm sure there are something like 6! combinations.

All this kitty talk- I want another kitty. Dh is just "not ready yet" he says. ( to the newcomers, our Burmese cat who was only 6 years old died suddenly in October.) I may start checking out the shelters just in case. I really want another Burmese and they ar hard to find in shelters and $$$ at breeders. I'm a little nervous that Cleo ( large standard poodle) would think that a kitten was a chew toy.

Gotta go (oh my aching calves!)

mel

Mel: I promise promise promise to let you guys know ALL about it once I have been on it for AT least 6 weeks and I have something to go on. I am 2 days away from the end of week 2 so another month or so and I will let you know. The reason I don't go into it is for 1) to avoid confusion to the newbies & 2) It's radically different to other things I have done and you sort of need to forget about all you pre-conceived ideas etc.

Anyway I hope that your ankle is feeling better.

JC

PS

Thankfully the bloating has gone away and a bit of research later and I think I know where I stuffed up. Time to write that down so I don't do it again!

JC

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the newbies! You guys will LOVE this program. It's so empowering and easy to follow and it just plain works!

Mel--I'm so sorry to hear about your running injury! When I was in college, I really got into running long distance and had an accident one day (fell over some rocks on a trail) and had some nerve damage in the nerves in between my toes. I thought my life was over when the podiatrist told me I shouldn't run for six weeks or so! That was really before I got into weightlifting so much and realized that it was a much, much more efficient way to exercise. The pain flares up every now and then depending on how much cardio I'm doing. Sorry to hear that you had to cancel, though!

JC--Carbs, bloating, radically different from what you've been doing...I think I might have a slight inkling of what you're up to. But don't worry, I won't spill the beans :)

Well, I have to say that I've been enjoying my BRx eating so far. It's weird not to have a free meal planned or a free day coming up but I find that I'm really not craving anything. I eat plenty of fruit, I had some bread this week on leg day, I eat a couple of potatoes every day, it's nice.

Well, I'm off to bed. Gotta get up early for shoulders and abs tomorrow!

Mox: Yeah?? What do you think it is?

JC

mel,

thanks for the suggestion. i've tried just about every single combination under the sun and this is what works the best for me so that i really work the arms good. besides, it's the Dave Draper classic and....... well........ he's right !!

about the bloating: i'm bloating right now because i had a bit too much salt in one of my meals yesterday. my fingers look like i suddenly gained 50 pounds!!

but !!! if you drink a whole lot of water the bloating goes away really quickly. it just flushes out the excess water in the body, thank God !!

this is going to be fun doing my C2 with you all!!

take care,

adriana

oooopppppsss!!!!

JC sorry about that !! i meant the bloating comment for you and wrote "Mel" instead. sorry.

ad

Adriana- I did Dave Draper's Classic, and the Dave Draper's "Favorite" for about 6 weeks each. For me, I found both just took too long on some days and I felt really burned out at the end of that 12 week cycle. If it works for you, go for it!
mel

Tanya - sorry for your dh being so grumpy. Mine tried to quit smoking about 6 years ago, and he was a bear. He gave up after two weeks - not through my urging, I would have continued to put up with it (think of all the money we could have saved through the years!).

I have a question: I was really dreading my LBWO yesterday, as for some reason I've not enjoyed doing the LB work (I've been lifting for about 7 months prior to BFL). It was fine, but I figured out why it is I don't like it: For some of the moves, I have knee pain, plus I injured my tailbone a while ago (having done this before, I know it will be at least a few more months before it gets better). Specifically, sitting down for the leg press puts a lot of pressure on my tailbone. I don't seem to have trouble with squats, but lunges hurt my knees (and sometimes my Achilles tendon, which I injured at the same time as my tailbone - fell down the stairs).

So I'm going to do some research on some alternatives, but I thought I'd pose the question for suggestions from ya'll ...

Pen

Hello,
Pen: and ladies, I had to take my Dh off of this eating plan, he is losin weight, he is back to normal eating, just no soda, or junk food I did my LBWO yesterday and I too felt the knee pain, it was only in one knee, but it is probably from me doing the exercises wrong, a while back, I am not sure what to tell you, on that, mine may be because my body is not used to this weight, I have a small frame covered in fat.

Today I did upper body while waking up with arm pain, well upper body pain, but I still did it, I also increased my weiht, when I did one arm dumbell rows, I went up from 10 pounds to 25 pounds:) I am doin it girlz.

Oh well I went to the grocery store to et a few things to finish my week, I found some whole wheat pasat. So tonite I will have spaghetti, with tomato sauce.

This time I bouht FF cott ch. And I bouht some FF pancake mix made with whole wheat flour, and some sugar free syrup, and some whole wheat and bran shredded wheat with some fat free milk.

and some MASECA that is spanish round corn, to make tortillas, tostadas , quesedillas, etc.....and a butter ball turkey breast, it was only 9.99 , some oranges too.
that is it for my shopping list.

My whole body is sore, today, I will do the firm tough cardio tape tomorrow.

:D

mel - i really appreciate your imput on the Draper workouts!! i like hearing what people do and how they do with different workouts. i did pretty well with the 5 weeks that i did the Draper favorite last time and i'm hoping to do 4 weeks now at full force and then change my routine.

Pen - if you're having that much pain then you really should not do the exercises that cause the pain even if that leaves only a small amount of stuff that you "can" do!! do you have access to machines in the gym, the abductor and adductor machines are also good for leg work and they probably won't cause the pain that you're experiencing now. i would look for exercises that don't cause all that strain on the knees especially!! good luck.

Tanya - that's great stuff you bought today !!! i'm still not quite into whole wheat pasta.... maybe one day though. i just don't have pasta more than once a month anyway so it's not such a big issue for me. i'm glad that you've been able to stock up on such great food!!

okay then....... i did an incredible legs workout today. Smith Machine squats, leg presses, leg extensions and leg curls were all part of the workout. then i did crunches - ouch!! i hadn't done any work on the abs in two weeks!! after that it was 60 minutes on the treadmill with intervals and inclines. i'm still not up to doing an HITT cardio workout, i'm still coming back from that flu.

tomorrow is tricpes and biceps!! i feel like i've been away two months, not two weeks - lol

hope you're all having a great day.

see you all later,

adriana

WOW! This board is active!

Hello everybody. I am back after my breakfast of sin yesterday. Mrs.Jim--you would think potlucks would only be for the holidays, but not where I work. Our Director is changing depts. so it was a "goodbye" potluck. This afternoon we are having a cake party. AND they are at lunch right now! No joke, I have gained about 7 lbs. since I started working here in July. And believe me, those 7 lbs. are net. I have gained and lost probably 15! Ugh. Its so hard. If you don't eat anything, the whole dept turns on you.

But, I will be strong in the face of cake. I don't even like cake. It tastes bad. ;)

I had a good UBWO yesterday. I planned to go for a little run (not 20 MAS) but my knee just wasn't up for it. I have the knees of a 95 year old! Tonight is my cardio, and I am really going to try to work on the intensity.

adriana --I can't believe we have someone from Israel. That is so cool. Good luck on your second challenge!

MzPen--I am in the same boat as you. I hate LBWO days b/c it puts stress on my knees. And I loathe squats and lunges (even though I know they are effective.) I try to do leg extensions and exercises where I don't have to use my body weight. I just feel more stable and less pain. Let us know what you find out!

JEC --Nice to find another accountant! Good luck with your masters. I am thinking about going back to school, but not yet. I may get my CPA someday, but I don't know if I am that ambitious!

Well, I should get back to work. Its almost time for my third meal today!

Oh! I forgot to mention the remainder of my day yesterday. Well, after I had the world's largest breakfast I felt icky for the rest of the day. Really icky. I think my body is getting used to little, healthy portions. It let me know that it was not happy. I guess that is good! I wasn't able to eat as many meals as I should have b/c my stomache was in turmoil. But, today I am back on track!

Under NORMAL circumstances you can get rid of bloating within 24 hrs but with what I am doing at the moment it is taking a bit longer. Don't worry though I am drink plenty of water between 5-6 litres a day. I drink it like a fish!

Mel: which Draper workout did you do?

JC

Did both the "favorite" from BI,SS (I think it was also listed in one of his iron on-line emails, and the "classic". Both great, but time consuming. And for me, not to be done for more than a 4 week stretch.

I keep eyeing the bagels in the kitchen wondering if I could somehow magicall eat them now.... with cream cheese.

mel

I LOVE cream cheese! I have to go and get a company lunch now so NOT impressed!!

JC

Hello Ladies:
I am sorry to say that I have not had 6 meals today, I spent too much time in the rocery store earlier reading labels, I only had
whole wheat and bran shreddded wheat
1 cup FF milk
1 FF yogourt
1 orange
2servings of wheat uncle bens rice, with top round sirloin, and mixed japanese vegetables

I would say that I need more protein, before I o to bed, maybe some cott cheese and banana with cinnamon, Tomorrow I will be on track, because I am cookin my dinner and meals for tomorrow tonite.

Tomorrow is cardio yeah, My whole body aches. Oh yeah it is my TOM, and I still have lost 6 pounds, and it is not even 1 week yet cool .

Buff - are you planning your meals? :?:

As for reading labels in the grocery store - that's great - but as long as you stick to the list on page 83 you shouldn't *have* to do that - as all those foods are 'clean'. For me shopping is actually pretty quick - because I know what I need, I know where it is, I get it and get out :)

It looks as though you need some help in that...because with the exception of the sirloin all I see are carbs! And not all good ones either. Sorry to say that milk (even skim milk) and shredded wheat are not authorized - milk is LOADED with sugar and is not an optimal carb source.

Here's what I want you to do - download the Daily Progress Reports at the BFL site http://www.bodyforlife.com/downloads.shtml <== there's the page for ya...

Read the book again - at least the Nutrition chapter including page 83 with the basic list of foods...

And WRITE DOWN what you plan to eat tomorrow on the Eating-for-Life Daily Progress Report - the left side is a 'planning' column and the right side is the 'doing' column.

Remember, it's:

6 meals
1 authorized protein and 1 authorized carb at each meal
Veggies in at least two meals

Try and keep fruit and yogurt down to 2 meals per day, and use mostly complex carbs such as oatmeal, brown rice, potatoes (white and sweet) and make sure you add protein...ya need to feed those muscles if you want them to grow and BURN THAT FAT, right? :) If you put your bod into starvation mode - your body will start burning muscle - thinking that there's a famine it will hold onto the fat and sacrifice the muscle.


I know, that if you're a veteran of the traditional 'diets' it's tough to shake that belief of "I must eat as little as possible to lose this weight". Think about it - you've been doing that all along right - and where has it gotten you? That's why you want to do BFL - because none of those 'traditional' ways have worked to your satisfaction. Keep in mind that that first 6 pounds you lost in a week is WATER WEIGHT - rather than fat weight. I strongly suggest tossing the scale for the next few weeks and relying on clothes size and progress photos...and of course hang out here and at L&S for info! I want to see you succeed!

More later everyone - gotta close up shop but I wanted to address Buff before I left work for the day...

Drat. I just bought some MetRX protein powder to mix with 1% milk to tote with me to school (in a thermos) for my midmorning meal. Oh well...live and learn.

Jennelle: Use water with the MRP and if it is really bad then add 1/4 cup of milk to make it taste better. Other than that I would stay away from MRP's entirely. I haven't had one in about 10 months.

JC

Whew! I'm home now :)

I just re-read my last post and it sounded a bit harsh :( Sorry 'bout that...I should have added that your first 12 week Challenge is what I think of as 'school'. It takes that long to learn it and for the nutrition and workouts to become second nature, you know? Of course I can breeze thru the grocery store in 20 minutes - I've been doing this for 2 years so I've had LOTS of practice! :lol:

Carrie!! When I read your post I thought of last night's (well here anyway!) Seinfeld episode - it's the one where Elaine eats the slice of 1937 wedding cake that Peterman bought for $29,000? Remember the beginning - her co-workers were doing cake celebrations every day and it was driving her nuts :lol:

When I first came on board at my current job - there was food EVERYwhere - leftover meeting food and Krispy Kremes in the kitchen - and I go offsite a bit so I eat out a lot. Luckily I was able to tell my boss right from the get-go that I do NOT do the cake thing, you know the birthday parties. I didn't want to be the one to have to run out and buy a cake and waste half my day planning things like a cake for someone's birthday 12 times a year!! AAGHH! Hm, must be almost MY TOM!

Later y'all!

hiya everyone !!!

it's almost noon already here and i just got home from a great time at the gym.

i did a biceps and triceps workout today, really taking my time to concentrate on form. i'm very happy with the way i was able to push myself through those last reps.

then i hit the treadmill for 60 minutes. life takes on another dimension upon the treadmill with the headphones on. i watched a hallmark movie about queen victoria and prince albert and i felt like i had to land back on earth at the end of the 60 minutes !! lol

then i treated myself to a bit of time in the sauna and jacuzzi...... for these aching muscles. feels super good now.

we have a bat mitzvah to go to in a few hours..... my business partner's daughter is celebrating this important day today.

i must tell you that i had my first (and most probably last) meal replacement bar today. it was okay.... nothing beyond that. it was convenient in that i didn't have to come home and get a meal together. but i think i like getting the meal together much more than those bars!! it's from a company called MET-Rx, an american company. i've never been into replacements, supplements or anything like this (only vitamins and extra iron) and i don't think i'll get into them either. i much prefer the way of food.

for those of you with the weak knees, knee problems, weak lower thigh........ have faith!! if i could build up the strength and get rid of the aches and pains then all of you can also !!! i now do spinning, which was impossible for me to do 4 months ago. keep the faith and have a whole lot of patience!!

wishing you all a great Friday. see you later.

adriana

Here is a list of the Authorized foods for our newbies....

Protein: Chicken Breast Turkey Breast Lean ground turkey Orange Roughy Swordfish Haddock Salmon Tuna Crab Lobster Shrimp Top round steak Top sirloin steak Lean ground beef Buffalo Lean Ham Egg whites or substitutes Low-fat Cottage Cheese

Carbohydrates: Baked Potato Sweet Potato Yam Squash Pumpkin Steamed Brown Rice Steamed Wild Rice Barley Whole Wheat Pasta Oatmea Corn Beans Peas MelonStrawberries Orange Apple Fat-free yogurt Whole-wheat bread

Vegetables: Broccoli Asparagus Lettuce Carrots Cauliflower
Green BeansGreen Peppers Mushrooms Spinach Tomato Artichoke Brussels Sprouts ZucchiniCabbage Celery Cucumber Onion

Choose a portion of protein and carbohydrates from each column to make a meal – have vegetables at least two meals per day..

I'll come back later and post more....

Later....

Oh and before I leave ....

Does anyone have an authorized pizza dough recipe....

Please, please if at all possible, post it ASAP, i need one for tonite because this is pizza nite... and I just don't wanna eat their pizza.... i just need the dough recipe.... i know exactly what I want on it... ground turkey breast, green and red peppers, onions... i can taste it already... yummmmy... But I need a dough recipe....


Later all....

Thanks for all of the information.
The reason I added the whole wheat cereal, is because I did a search on yahoo, and it took me to the BFL site and there I saw , the foods list and it had

hih fiber cereal, rice cake, popcorn, tortilla, whole rains, under the carb side in addition to the other stuff in the book. And in the fats part it had pumpkin seeds ,low salt nuts, cold water fish, olives and olive oil, falxseed oil, in addition.

And under the avoid section it said butter,fried food,mayonaise,sweets,and whole fat dairy products.

With this high fiber that I am having it keeps me regular, I never go on my on until I started this proram, so I am keeping the wheat pasta and cereal, I also called the support line and they confirmed.

In the book it states that there is more food that are authorized but he just listed his favorites.

I have no doubt that the 5 pounds is water weight, I am just glad that it is gone. Today I have come up with a better plan for my eating, I have different times to do it, I was trying to go strictly according to the times in the book, but I am too tired to get up that early. My husband has allowed me to quit my job to do this so I do not have to work, and I have no kids just 4 dogs, but hate gettin up at 6. But with better planning I have my 6 meals now, and on my free day when I cheat I will add exercise.

I have noticed that even though it is my TOM, I am not craving chocolate, sugar, nothing this is kool, I am howwever wanting a cigarette, that I am dreamin of me smoking them. So far still a non smoker of 2003.

When I get done with this I will cook up some protein, I have a chuck roast, and some round beef to cook up, so then I will have my protein.

I have all of you uys to look forward to keeping me straiht so how can I go wrong. BFL ROCKS>:)

Tanya - if you want the BEST results on this program - forget what the BFL website says about the foods and FOLLOW THE BOOK. Remember - Bill Phillips is no longer part of EAS - IMO, EAS is trying to make the program more 'acceptable' (kind of like Weight Watchers) to the general public, but if you read the book, it is clear that Bill would have NEVER allowed rice cakes, popcorn, or high fiber cereal - indeed, whole-grain bread is only RELUCTANTLY authorized.

Also, I'd take the 'support line' from EAS with a HUGE grain of salt - judging what I've heard their advice goes all over the place - they recommend a ton of supplements (which you don't need) they've told callers that four hours between meals is 'okay', and that whole milk is just fine and dandy. :( Remember the bottom line - 1) Bill Phillips is no longer affiliated with EAS; and 2) the ultimate goal of the 'support' line is to sell EAS products. If you want *real* help, ask here or at Lean & Strong! :)

Think of it this way - you want to feed your muscles QUALITY carbs - something they can work with. For sure, there are worse foods out there than popcorn - but it's really just empty calories - pretty devoid of nutrients. And rice cakes are REALLY high on the glycemic list - I'm going to attach an article from T-Mag here that just about sums things up - first I want to address Lanii's post of the foods list and make some additions:

Protein - I think you can pretty much add ANY seafood to the list. I can't think of a single type of fish (finfish or shellfish) that WOULDN'T be considered 'clean'.

Veggies - same here. Other than avocados and olives (which are technically fruits anyway) I can't think of a single veggie that wouldn't be authorized!

http://www.testosterone.net/nation_articles/172food2.html <== This is the article I was talking about - I'm going to post a segment of it here for your reading pleasure (this is one of my favorites BTW):

Foods That Make You Look Good Nekid
…and foods that make you look nasty even while wearin’ a parka!


We’re about to tell you the real secret to building a lean, muscular physique. This dark secret has been guarded for over one hundred years by a secret society made up of magazine publishers and supplement manufacturers. We’re risking life and limb to share this secret with you. Are you ready? Okay, here goes:

The secret is, there is no secret.

Okay, so this isn’t really a secret; it’s more like a piece of wisdom you only develop after at least ten years of hard training and proper dieting. But the fact remains, there are no quick fixes and no miracle training programs.

If there is a real "secret" out there, it’s simply this: A great body results from the consistent application of smart training and proper eating. It’s a four step process: 1) train hard, 2) eat right, 3) use supplementation when necessary, and 4) repeat for many, many years.

Of these four factors, most people screw up when it comes to eating right. So, what the heck is "proper eating?" That depends on your goals. The funny thing is, bodybuilders tend to eat the same foods every day, regardless of what particular diet they’re using. They just switch around the amounts of protein, carbs and fat, and toy with their daily caloric intakes.

This seems strange to the "normal" Taco Bell eatin’ Oprah fans out there, but there’s a logical reason for this. Mainly, most of the food choices available at your local supermarket are crap! In fact, if there were such a thing as a bodybuilder’s grocery store, you wouldn’t need that much shelf space. Come on, do you really need 234 different kinds of breakfast cereal? No! In fact, I propose you don’t need any breakfast cereal!

The more you learn about what constitutes a good diet, the more you realize that 90% of what’s in the supermarket is garbage, a pure distraction from building the body you want.

Pull up a chair and strap on a bib. Let’s dig in!


The Good Stuff

Old Fashioned Oatmeal — Make no mistake about it, oatmeal is the carb of choice for many bodybuilders. Even if you’re on a reduced carb diet, there’s nothing wrong with a serving of oatmeal (27g of carbs) to go along with your morning protein. Your body has been deprived of food all night, so some slow-acting carbs to replenish stores, plus some protein, make for a great bodybuilding breakfast.

Oatmeal has about three grams of natural unsaturated fats, five grams of protein, and two grams each of soluble and insoluble fiber. The fiber not only helps keep your pooper working properly, the soluble variety can help improve cholesterol levels, thus earning the American Heart Association’s "heart healthy" seal of approval.

Only buy oatmeal that lists "100% natural rolled oats" in the ingredients. That’s it! Oats should be the one and only ingredient. Do not purchase those individually packaged, flavored oatmeal products! (More on that in our "Bad Stuff" section.) Also, don’t screw up a good thing by adding milk and sugar. Eat your oatmeal like a man. And by the way, old fashioned oats cook up just fine in the microwave, no need to boil the water in a pot.

Oatmeal rocks. Make it a staple of your diet.

Fat Free Cottage Cheese — We hate the taste and texture of cottage cheese. Most of us also eat at least five pounds of those chunky curds a week. Our secret for making this stuff palatable? We blend it with protein powders and make puddings and thick shakes out of it. Why do we go through all that trouble? Easy, cottage cheese is a great source of casein, one of the best proteins for bodybuilders.

Casein gets props because of its slow digestion and absorption rates. A snack involving cottage cheese will provide a steady, slow paced release of amino acids into the bloodstream. Cottage cheese is also low in carbs. Combine that with its slow digesting protein and it makes an ideal bedtime snack to help prevent any possible nighttime catabolism (muscle wasting caused by an eight hour fast.)

You’ll want to stick to the fat free kind and avoid the creamed varieties because of their "bad" fat content. Sure, the fat free kind is a little bitter, but if you use it as a base for other foods like we do, then that doesn’t matter much.

Tuna and Other Fish — If oatmeal is a staple carb source for bodybuilders, then tuna is a staple protein source. It’s cheap, low in fat, carb-free, and packs 13 grams of protein into just two ounces.

You can get it in cans or those new waterless "no-drain" packages, which are even more convenient (though a little more expensive.) You can also buy it packed in water or oil, the latter being very handy for those diets that require a lot of protein plus fat meals.

We’ve heard rumors that there are other kinds of fish besides tuna, but they probably require cooking and only gay guys cook. (We’re kidding. Please stop typing those hate letters now.) Salmon is another good source and you can buy it in cans like tuna. Most of us think canned salmon is just plain nasty, but T-mag contributors John and Steve Berardi live off the stuff. That and breath mints.

Beef and Poultry — Let’s hear it for dead animal flesh, nature’s protein with feet! (Vegans love us, can’t ya tell?) This category includes beef, chicken, and turkey, although anything you can catch counts too. T-mag contributor Coach Davies even recommends large quantities of buffalo and ostrich to his athletes.

First, let’s hunker down on some juicy steak. Red meat got a bad rap back in the 80’s, but things have started to swing in the other direction. The beef proponents were usually fat-free fanatics and animal rights activists who thought that eating bagels and soybeans all day was the enlightened path to health and thinness. They were wrong.

Beef is chocked full of protein and nutrients; it’s even been dubbed "nature’s multi-vitamin" by some. Sure, it has some fat, but fat ain’t bad in the right amounts. A proper amount of fat in your diet, even some saturated fat, is necessary and healthy.

Always go for steaks that have the words "round" or "loin" in the name. These are the leanest cuts. Avoid the fatty meats with the word "rib" in the name. For us, that simply means ordering sirloin instead of prime rib. At the grocery store, choose cuts that are over 90% lean and trim any excess fat. Beef jerky is good when you’re on the run, but avoid those processed and chemical-laden deli meats, along with bologna and franks.

White meat chicken and turkey are great too. Since they’re high in protein and carb-free, chicken breasts are one of bodybuilding’s most versatile foods. Eat ‘em up!

Eggs — Before the popularity of protein powders, bodybuilders relied largely on eggs to bump up their protein intake. A large egg has seven grams of protein, 80 calories, and a great BV (biological value).

Again, you may be wondering about the fat and cholesterol, and again I can tell you that the media has over-hyped the issues. If you’re following a good diet and working out, a few whole eggs aren’t going to hurt you. Even the very conservative American Heart Association says it’s okay to have four whole eggs per week.

Still, most bodybuilders use egg whites in their meals with only one or two yolks thrown in. You can even buy pasteurized egg products with the yolks removed. Add a whole egg to a carton of egg substitute and you have a great bodybuilder omelet.

Fruits and Veggies — There are about a hundred reasons that fruit can be a healthy part of a bodybuilder’s diet. Bottom line: Fruit provides you with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, certain flavones, fiber and may even have some protein-sparing effects. Eat some fruit, but avoid most fruit juices. (More on that below.)

As for veggies, what can we say? Mom said to eat them and mom was right. There are some things out there that only nature can provide, and many of those goodies are packed into fruits and vegetables.

Protein Powders — We can hear some of the crybabies now, "Wait a minute, protein powder ain’t food! It’s a supplement!" We understand what you mean, but we consider quality protein powders and MRPs to be food. Look at the labels and you’ll see protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, and minerals. Sounds like food to us, just in a concentrated form.

Protein powders make the list because they’re nutrient rich, fast and convenient. They’ve truly revolutionized the bodybuilding industry and have allowed regular people with jobs and families to get the nutrition they need to add muscle. Try to work at least eight hours a day, train, spend time with friends and family and still fit in five or six nutritious, protein-packed meals a day. Protein powders fix that problem. Those low carb protein powders are especially good because you can use them in cutting and bulking diets.


The Okay Stuff

This category includes foods that are generally considered pretty good for the bodybuilder, but may not be perfect for everyone. Just play around with these foods and see how they work for you. We think most of these choices below lean toward the "good" side anyway.

Nuts and Natural Peanut Butter — Nuts make the "okay" list (instead of the "good" list) for one specific reason: they’re very calorically dense. For that reason, they’re often recommended to those supposed "hard gainers" out there. One ounce of peanuts (about 32 nuts to be precise) has 160 calories, eight grams of protein and five grams of carbs. Nuts are high in fat, but only a small part of that is saturated (two out of fourteen grams for peanuts.)

Now, since nuts are so calorically dense, you have to be careful. Just snacking on a can of party peanuts can quickly add a thousand calories to your daily intake. But overall, nuts make a good high fat, low carb food. (Cashews have the highest amount of carbs, about eight grams per serving, so be careful there.) They’re filling, portable and can be a healthy part of any diet.

We’re also a big fan of natural peanut butter, and yes, it has to be natural! Regular peanut butter is full of nasty stuff like corn syrup solids, hydrogenated oils, and sugar. The ingredients should read "peanuts and salt," period. And don’t be fooled by those reduced fat varieties. These are still full of unhealthy ingredients with the added benefit of soy protein! And if you’re still worried about the fat content, natural peanut butter allows you to pour off the excess oil before you stir and refrigerate it.

Rice, Pasta, Potatoes, Yams, and Whole Grain Bread — We admit it. We put all these foods into the same category because of their carb content. These are good bodybuilding eats, but you carb sensitive types have to be careful with them.

Judging these foods strictly by their glycemic index, choose sweet potatoes (yams) over white Russet potatoes; whole wheat pasta over white pasta; and long grain brown rice over short grain or white rice (the stickier the rice, the higher the GI.) As for bread, avoid the highly processed white breads and go for multigrain dark bread. If it looks like it has wood chips baked into it, it’s good to go. Others prefer flax bread.

These foods are cool, just watch those carbs if you’re sensitive and be careful with toppings, especially with pasta and potatoes. Adding a fatty topping to a "carby" food is a recipe for rapid fat gain.

Milk and Yogurt — Milk is a two-faced monster. To some, it’s a cheap source of protein and the ultimate "weight gainer" for bony teenagers. Some old-timers even recommend drinking a gallon of whole milk per day! Suffice it to say, that would leave most of us quite fat. Much of the fat in whole milk falls in the "bad" category. Saturated fat mixed with a high sugar, high-carb food does not a healthy body make.

Also, somewhere around 10 to 20 percent of the population is lactose intolerant, meaning they can’t digest milk sugar. (There are even a few studies that show that non-whites, particularly Asians and blacks, have a much higher rate of lactose intolerance.) This can be helped some by using lactose-free milk and digestive aids. On the other hand, if you have no problems with lactose, skim milk can be a good source of protein. Still, unless you’re an extremely active teenager with the metabolism of a humming bird on ephedrine, we’d limit milk intake.

Yogurt is a better option in our opinion. It has many of the benefits of milk without most of the drawbacks. One of the really cool things about yogurt is the live active cultures it contains. Yep, we’re talking about bacteria, nice friendly bacteria that keep your digestion system running properly. (That’s why yogurt can help with both constipation and diarrhea.)

Some substances actually feed bacteria and as such, may even help you absorb all that protein you’re taking in. One in particular, called GDL, reduces bloating and gas and increases nitrogen retention. That means it’s a perfect addition to protein powders.

Sauces and Spices — Sauces and spices make the "okay" list because some are good and some are bad. On the good side you have a plethora of calorie-free pepper sauces, Worcestershire sauce, and just about every herb and spice on the shelf. Many of those fancy mustards fall into this category too, but read the labels just in case. Our suggestions: Beer ‘N Brat horseradish mustard, Cajun Sunshine hot pepper sauce, **** on the Red salsa, and McCormick herb chicken seasoning.

On the bad side is anything made with high fructose corn syrup (BBQ sauce, ketchup etc.), mayo, and most creamy salad dressings. Stick to something like fat free Miracle Whip if you must use mayo and if you just have to have some barbecue sauce on your chicken breasts, measure out one serving and spread thinly.


The Bad Stuff

We all visit the Dark Side on occasion, but if you want to be muscular and ripped, you’d better stay on the side of the Force 95% of the time. Here’s a list of foods that you’d better avoid if you want to take your shirt off in public again.

High Fat/High Carb Foods — The prototypical Western diet consists of foods that are both high in bad fats and high in carbs. In America, that diet has lead to a climbing rate of obesity and obesity-related diseases.

Now, what were we talking about again? Oh yeah, fat and carb meals. John Berardi sums it up in his Massing Eating articles: "Meals with a high carbohydrate content in combination with high-fat meals can actually promote a synergistic insulin release when compared to the two alone. High fat with high-carb meals represent the worst possible case scenario. ….you’ll promote high blood levels of fats, carbs, and insulin."

What foods are the real bad boys here? Unfortunately, most of the really tasty ones! Except for a rare treat, it’s best to avoid fried foods, pizza, lasagna, pancakes, whole milk, ice cream, cookies, hamburgers, most Mexican food, most Chinese food, and a bunch of other delicious stuff. But you already knew that.

Our coveted "Most Evil Food Known to Man" award goes to the lowly glazed donut, who just barely beats out French fries and fettuccini alfredo.

Fruit Juice and Non-Diet Sodas — Repeat after us: fruit good, fruit juice bad. Cy "Mr. Big Britches" Willson sums it up best:

"Processed fruit juice is worthless in my opinion. Before I would’ve said to use it as a post-workout source of carbs, but with Biotest Surge, that isn't necessary and besides, it’s less efficient. Also, with whole fruit, you get so much more: more fiber, more phytochemicals (way more), more nutrients, etc. Plus, whole fruit is more filling.

"Fruit juice is an easy way to over-consume calories and increase body fat. Now remember, I'm talking about fruit juice concentrate. The processing is what reduces the amount of these special phytochemicals and other compounds. If you're going to consume juice, then you should make it yourself."

We also have a real problem with soft drinks, which Americans consume more of than water. Face it, Cokes are liquid candy and they’re designed especially to make you more thirsty. Add a little caffeine to get you addicted and help dehydrate you, and you have legal crack. Okay, we’re exaggerating just a bit, but we think excessive intake of soft drinks is in the same class as cigarettes when it comes to the destruction of your health and physique. Soda is the epitome of the empty calorie and void of anything your body needs. Okay, rant over.

What about diet sodas, you say? Well, we’d still rather see people drinking exactly what the body needs and wants — water — but diet sodas are okay if you don’t mind the artificial sweeteners and sodium. (And despite some of the internet rumors and media hype, both are fine if used in human quantities.)

Candy — Oh, come on! You know you’re not supposed to be eating candy, right? :lol:

Flavored Oatmeal — Go to your pantry right now and get out your oatmeal. If you took out a colorful box full of little kiddy packets of peaches ‘n cream oatmeal, do yourself a favor and kick that --- to the curb! As stated above, we think oatmeal is one the best carb sources for bodybuilders, but the flavored, prepackaged variety sucks.

Look at the ingredients, which are listed in order of quantity. Sugar is usually the second ingredient in these girly oatmeal packets. Then you have other crap like salt, hydrogenated vegetable oils, maltodextrin, and partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

To top it off, the oats used in flavored oatmeal are usually more finely ground than healthy, old fashioned oatmeal. This means the GI could be higher based on the extra processing. The list of ugly ingredients goes on and varies a little with flavoring, but the lesson is simple: don’t eat this stuff if you want to look good nekid.

White Bread, Bagels and Rice Cakes — It’s hard to believe, but back in the 80s and early 90s, diet "experts" told people to eat as much of this stuff as they wanted. Since rice cakes are fat free, you can’t get fat, right? Wrong! Now the country is full of overweight diabetics. Coincidence? I don’t think so!

One representative of the Glycemic Research Institute even stated that eating a plain rice cake stimulated fat storage like ten bowls of sugar. Bagels aren’t quite as bad but are best avoided. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re eating healthy by consuming these things.

Most Breakfast Cereals — To us, cold breakfast cereals, even many of the brands touted as "healthy," are pure physique killers. Cereal is breakfast candy, nothing more, nothing less. In fact, corn flakes have a GI rating even worse than white bread! And how about these cereals that give you "energy", like Grape Nuts? Yep, at 47 carbs per teeny tiny serving (and what bodybuilder would eat one serving anyway?), most people would be in an insulin-induced coma by lunch.

All that said, there are a couple of good cereals out there, but not many. All Bran and Fiber One make decent oatmeal replacements, just eat some protein with them. All Bran Extra Fiber only has 50 calories a serving and 13 grams of fiber, almost four times as much as oatmeal!

Some "Fat Free" Snacks — Food manufacturers discovered a great trick back in the 80’s to fool people into buying their junk food. Since all fat was dubbed evil, food makers started abusing the "fat free" label. Basically, they took out the fat, added whopping amounts of sugar and called their products "healthy." Makers of snack foods are the worst culprits, with some even trying to sell fat free cookies, chocolate syrup, and solid sugar hard candies as health food simply because they have little or no fat. News flash: Sugar is the real enemy, not fat!

Alcohol — As connoisseurs of fine beers, we hate to see this one make the bad list. But let’s face the music, alcohol has a lot of empty calories and can inhibit fat loss.

Hey, have a beer or two once a week, but if you really care about what you look like and your overall progress in the gym, don’t drink to excess.

Soy protein — We won’t even try to do a better job than TC or Cy Willson when it comes to this topic. Read these two articles: Bad Protein and The Evils of Soy.

Conclusion

Weight training and proper dieting don’t have to be as complicated as we sometimes make them. Lift, eat, rest, use supps when necessary to get you there quicker, and repeat. It’s that simple. Hopeful this article helps with the eating part.

Now go get your grub on!

That pretty much sums it up IMO!

well !! i must say that the last few posts have been incredibly informative and i wanted to thank you for taking the time to post them!!!

that's why these types of forums are so helpful..... to keep us straight on the basic stuff !!!

i'm glad that i've been on the good side of the list at least 95% of the time since i started this lifestyle back in september !!!

life is grand !!!

adriana :smug:

hi everyone

i am starting body for life again as soon as my book comes in at the library. i was on it before and i had good sucess i just couldn't stick with it. but i'm going to try again. i have recently became a vegetarian and i think that the plan will be much easier to follow now. i really like this forum there's a lot of info and tips. i hope that some of you who have been on this a while can give me some tips and ideas.

Karen: EXCELLANT post mate! That really sums up a LOT of information.

want to be a loser: be careful to get not only enough but enough of COMPLETE proteins in your diet. Over at lean and strong there are a few vegetarians so you could go there for advice. I was vegetarian for about 8 years (teenage phase) and I must say that I love meat now.

It's saturday here and I just had a yummy breakfast and a cup of coffee. I have a tonne of housework to do but I am going to try and 'be around' as much since I missed out a lot during the week at lean and strong (some interface thing with my computer at work :( )

JC

kool,
Msjim thanks for the information.

Lana

It looks like you got the recipe off L&S. How did it turn out?

JC

JEC -- I didn't do the recipe I went shopping instead when the pizza was delivered...MUCH better compromise don't you think :s:, I ate before leaving and later when I got home... and it didn't bother me one darn bit...

Karen --- Positively THE best bodybuilding in a nutshell article I've read in a long time...I think you should post it and the authorised food list, along with the foods you mentioned, in the "Sticky: Basic Body for Life Information" thread.... It would enlighten the newbies quite a bit....... :D

wanttobebuff -- Karen knows what she speaks of .... have you checked out her site?

Ledom -- Where are youooooooo?!?!?!

Free day tomorrow :dizzy: .....hee haw!!! We're going skiing, I's gots new boots, I'm set.... :cb:

Welcome Want to be a loser.... :wave:

Adriane -- I agree : "life is grand"

I feel great I've had 9 squeeky clean days in a row along with great workouts.... What more could I ask for, I'm very pleased with myself... :D

Hope everyone has a great weekend....take care....

Much better option!!! Enjoy the skiing....... (I so hate you.....)

JC

JEC -- you're such a .... :joker: ...

ME ----> :dance:.... :dancer: ......

YOU ----> :cry:

:lol:

just wanted to wish you a fantastic time this weekend skiing!!!

be careful on the slopes :dizzy:

also, that's sooooooo fantastic about the 9 days of clean!!! great!!! doesn't it feel sooooooo good to do that for yourself???

have fun :D

adriana

thanks for asking. I'm still here, lurking everyday. I have been spending so much time on the internet lately reading about bfl, but not posting much. I know I spend way too much time in front of this computer! Hey, have fun on the slopes!

This past week was really warm so I got out in the kayak a couple of days, no sking in Arkansas! The lake has just been gorgeous though.

Spent a goodly amount of time in a dressing room trying on clothes yesterday afternoon. That is one time when I really kind of get a read on my shape and how it is changing. Found some good sales. I am straddling size 18 and 20. I bought one thing in an 18 and one thing in a 20. The 20 is really loose, but I really wanted that particular thing to fit loose. The 18 in that outfit did fit, hope I made the right decision there.

One thing I didn't talk about after my trip at Christmas but that was some interesting feedback and made me think of my weight history. I spent my late 30's and early 40's in grad school. During that time I really put on a lot of weight. Commuting, raising a kid, working, you know the story - no time for me. Since the mid 90's I have lost about 50 lbs. BUT, this has been a slow loss w/ a few regains interspersed. It has been so gradual that I really had lost track at how much I have changed. Apparently a lot, my cousins who had not seen me in a few years, to a one commented on how much weight I'd lost. It really took me by surprise. So there has been progress. I also wondered at my 16 1/2 lb. loss in my first challenge. Nothing to sneeze at and I am happy w/ it though hearing about those 25 lb. losses that some of you have had made me start to second guess how well I was understanding the diet. Now I think it is, in part, because I have been at it a while - therefore not losing as fast. So there are my thoughts on where I am now.

I started challenge 2 on a weird day, a Tues. so I am almost through week 2 of challenge 2. I still take Sat. as a freeday. The schedule isn't quite as "symmetrical" as when my week ended on a Friday but I am doing well and have been able to get right back into the swing of things and am making progress, be it still losing the few lbs. I picked up over free week and a half. I know I'll do a better free week next time!

WOW! It's so hard to keep up with you guys. Sheesh, take a day off from reading and I'm buried! :yikes:

I wanted to say that Karen you are spot on with that article! Great read. I also have a question for ya. Now, I know the palm/fist method of BFL. But the other school of thought is (and correct me if I'm wrong here) 1g of protein per # of body weight. Is that the method you use? I know you're not doing BFL right now. So, I guess it depends on your goals (fat loss/muscle gain) I want/need to lose fat & gain muscle, therefore am doing BFL. He just needs to gain muscle. Are ya waitng for my question! :chin: I guess it's "What's the difference?" Is one method better for muscle gain vs fat loss? Is that clear as mud?

Also, my husband joined my gym yesterday so he could workout with me. Now, big stinkin' deal you might think! HA! Well, he hates gyms, and would rather WO at home. "If it's more than 4 min from the house, forget it!" But, he has 2 reasons. 1 is my health (newly diagnosed w/ Type II ) and 2, he has gained 10 # in the last few months and it's freakin him out! He's always been the star athlete and Mr. 6% BF without doing anything but breathing to achieve it! :rolleyes: We're going when he gets off duty!

I hope you all are doing well!

Hey everyone


I can't believe.....today was my last work out for my first Challenge....OMG!!! very exciting....i can't believe it!

I am pretty excited to be done...honestly...the last 2 weeks has been super tough for me...tons of stress......but i still did it...

one_sweetchick

:high: OSC - waaaaay to go!!! You had a great challenge and you stuck it out through thick and thin. Doesn't it feel great?!?!?!?!

OSC: WELL DONE Gurlie!! We are so proud of you for sticking with it. Have you thought about your new plans and goals yet? Are you taking a week off? :D

Niffer: A lot of people progress from palm/fist to one gram of protein per bodyweight. Often people aren't far off eating that when they do the change. For some reason the way I have done it is to increase my protein portions as I got lower in weight which seems weird when I write it like that.

ie say you weigh 160 lbs. Divide that by 6 meals comes to 26 grams per meal. A lot of people's portions would be around that amount. I guess that it is in the extreme cases (either low or high weights) that the 2 methods would differ.

HTH

JC :D

Oh by the way it's Sunday here and my new sleeping pattern is working out well (so are my new pillows). I had a free night last night and ate so much! Chocolate cake, gnocchi pasta, cheesecake, chips & ice cream. Can you say YUM.

OSC- CONGRATULATIONS! Finish is indeed a big thing. Pat yourself on the back for me.

Ledom- I agree, sometimes you've got to look at the big picture of where you are, and not focus on daily imperfections. I've made zilch progress for the last 2 months, but I haven't slipped backwards, either. Sometimes when I've had a few less than stellar days or am feeling down because I'll never look like a fitness competitor, I take out my jeans that I couldn't zip the day I knew I'd hit bottom and try them on. They promptly fall down to my ankles, buttoned and zipped. It's a cheap thrill, but it works.

Niffer: Palm/fist just plain didn't work for me. I either was delusional about portions, or have very big hands. (I'm 5'3 and wear and x-large glove.) I was getting fatter. Like JC, I increased my protein to about 1.25 grams per pound of body weight, and cut starchy carbs by about 1/2. I know everyone screams about that on L&S, but if you look at the actually carb content of vegetables, you get a lot. I eat brocolli by the ton, as well as zuccini, mushroom, tomatoes, and moderate amounts of carrots. I save the big wallop of oatmeal and sweet potatos for heavy lifting days- leg day, chest and back. It works for me, and I've built plent of muscle this way. If you have a lot of weight to lose and are losing, I'd say stick with BFL by the book, tho.

Karen- Thanks for posting the nutrition article. I printed a copy and put it on Jon's weight bench. He works out so well, then eats less than ideally :lol: At least this morning after his lifting he added 3 eggwhites to his oatmeal cooked in MILK with raisins. Sheesh- 3 eggshites is 1/3 of what I had this morning. He's slowly learning.

JC-MMMMmmm freeday! What's that?

Adriana- Where in Israel do you live? My son is doing a geography project on Israel and keeps pulling out maps from outdated atlases and I've been trying to explain to him the history of the last 60 some years there.

Lana- Hope you are having fun on the slopes and it's not as cold as the last time I skiied in Ontario. Brrrr- somewhere up on the Georgian Bay- WAY too cold for me.

Hi to all the new ladies!

I did cardio this morning for the first time in a week. My ankle is getting that pretty green-purple tone to it. I still can't run, but the recumbent bike was doable. Boring, but doable.

mel

Mel: glad to hear that your ankle is getting better. Easy on it sweetheart.....

Freeday: well technically it's not a free day it's a scheduled carb load but I was just a little easy on what carbs I ate. I gave myself a break since what I am doing seems to be working so far. I am going to milk that initial shock phase as much as possible and will clean it up once things plateau (if they plateau) and stick to complex carbs for the carb load. I also had a banana sandwich on thick fresh bread.... it was so yummy....

JC

Here it is....the end...of my challenge


-.5in neck
-.5in Shoulders
-1.5 " in biceps
-2.5 " in chest
-5.5in hips
-6.5in thighs
-2in waist
-.75in calves
down 25lbs!!!

I think that challenge one was a success!!!!! my hips and thighs were the area that i noticed the most while doing the challenge..i am pretty excited...i still have a long way to go...still about 40-45lbs left to lose.

btw thanks everyone for being so great through the whole thing...its been wonderful. I am taking a week off and then starting again. a friend of mine is going to start with me.....

take care everyone...

one_sweetchick

Okay, JC, now I have NO idea what you're doing!! Sounds exciting, though--scheduled carb loads? Banana sandwiches? YUM. I'm excited to see how it works for you :)

OSC: Congratulations on finishing C1!! GREAT job for sticking it out those last two weeks, that's how you know that you've changed your habits--when you start to rely on the workouts and the food when the going gets tough.

Mel--glad to hear that your ankle is getting better. Take it easy on it and find a good book to occupy your time on the bike!

Lanaii--Congrats on 9 days of clean eating! That's awesome--all about sticking those days together is when the real changes take place. Keep it up! And have fun skiing too.

The Steelers just lost, so everybody is moping around right now. And it's COLD COLD here...the highs are supposed to be in the teens all week. I'm ready for summer!

Have a great night everyone :)

Mox: :lol:

Hey I was scanning some photos and I thought that I would post this one. It's when hubby got back fromthe gulf in July 2002. It's a really sweet photo.

JC

this is another from that day.....

JC

CONGRATULATION !! those are just awesome results for ANY challenge, first or not !! :strong: :bravo:

way to go !!!

have a good week off. hope you'll be around here throughout this week also.

keep up the greatness.

adriana :smug: CONGRATULATIONS

i hope everyone had a great saturday.

well... it's sunday, the beginning of a new week for us here in israel. we have friday and saturday as a weekend.

we had a great day yesterday. went out for a drive around here and discovered a great forest right across the highway. well... we knew that the forest was there, but we had just never been there. now we'll be going hiking in the forest on nice saturday mornings !!

we also went out to eat and i was able to stick to a very good meal of grilled chicken liver, grilled cornish hen breast and a baked potato. plus various israeli salads. i'm happy with the way it all fit into my eating plan.

i have a UBWO today, haven't done one in a long time. this new Draper favorite schedule is very good for me and i'm happy with it!! i'll let you know later how it went.

MEL - we live in a new city called Modiin, it's half way between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. it's only about 6 years old but it's the fastest growing area in the country. we love it here. we've been here since august 1998.

LANA -- hope the skiing was great !!! can't wait to hear about it.

about the fist/measuring issues...... i still can't figure out what's best for me on this one !! i've done both and i get results from both methods but obviously one is quicker and easier than the other. i do have a small problem with it all since i'm really concerned about not making a big mistake and end up with a gain that was entirely of my making because i ate too much. i guess i'll keep going back and forth till i just decide one day what's "best" !!

take care and i'll see you all later.

adriana

Adriana: go with the easier method.

JC

Somebody stop me!!!!!! All I want to do is eat! AAAAhhhhhh!!!!!
I have totally screwed up this Challenge, well not totally, I am down14 lbs, big deal! I have been goofing up big style. I have officially two weeks left to this Challenge. Should I continue through to the end of this Challenge, say, "c'est la vie", and start anew in three weeks, or should I start brand new tomorrow. A new clean challenge! Give me you opinions please.
Virginia

i would call what you've been doing really good, no matter what has happened along the way !! 14 pounds is wonderful !! learing on this challenge is wonderful.

don't be so hard on yourself. two weeks to go is not much at all.

i would do this: sit down today and plan out your week, workouts and food, as much as possible.

tomorrow is a new day and you can just go on with your challenge tomorrow. i wouldn't start a new challenge, but just pick up tomorrow as if the "problems" just didn't even exist.

we're all humana and those things happen.

i would try to figure out also why you're wanting to eat all the time. are you sure you're getting a good balance of protein/carbs/fat? maybe you need to re-adjust your eating to your needs.

don't give up. you're very close to completing a whole challenge and you have made GREAT strides and have gotten wonderful results !!! :D

dig in now and don't let the other "stuff" get you down anymore.

take care,
adriana

I think you should finish this challenge. Just 2 more weeks, and I believe completeing it - honoring your self-promise - will make you stronger and happier in the long run. What is the problem? Are you keeping good food prepared and in the fridge so that you don't have to think about what to eat? Plan out your meals and your workouts - you'll feel so much better about yourself if you stick it out.

hi,

my UBWO today was wonderful. it was a bit strange for me doing an entire upper body in one workout since i have been doing splits for months now. but i'm following the Draper favorite as much as i can and that's what's planned :smug:

after that i finally got in an HITT on the treadmill. it had been a while since i was able to hit that intensity level and it felt soooo good to be there again. 35 minutes doing those fun intervals was pure heaven.

we're hoping to get in a nice 6k walk around town this evening..... me and my little girls. should be nice since the weather is so fantastic.

hope you're all having a great sunday!!

see you all later,

adriana

Thanks! I think I will finish, for the satisfaction if nothing else. I have two children and a hubby who are not OP, so we have lots of Bad foods in the house, and every once in a while I revert back to my old eating style. Than I get mad at myself! But I will do this. I will plan out my meals and WO's for this week and next and finish this challenge with my head held high, take a week off and than back at it by -the-book. I will not sway from the eating plan or the WO's. Thanks for your support!
Virginia

OSC: Great Job! :bravo:

JEC: My DH was in the American Navy for 20 years. He retired in August of 2001. We were together for 14 of his 20 years. Because of the type of job he did, he didn't go to sea much and we were blessed with two overseas tours (one in Italy, one in Spain).

Everyone Else: I am beginning Week 3 (today's my free day :D ) and am starting to notice a change using the pants-o-meter. You know how when your pants are a little tighter than they should be, the button starts to dig into your gut by the end of the day? Well, on Friday afternoon I realized I wasn't constantly adjusting the button on my pants to keep from getting a permanent dent. :lol: Yay for me!

I'm sick with a pretty hairy head cold (my nose is running away! catch it!), and I went to bed at 7:30 Friday night. Got my legs and cardio in yesterday, though. What do you ladies do for cardio? I don't belong to a gym (I have a weight bench at home), so I usually just walk. Tapes bore the you-know-what out of me! I'd like to start running again, but I want to wait until the end of this challenge to get back into it. My goal is to run a 5K this August (small, I know....but BIG for me!)

ONE SWEET CHICK! YA DID IT!!!! I knew you could! :cb: :strong:

Well I didn't get to ride yesterday :( because of the rain - BUT we do get to ride today :) which is great! Jim had gigs Friday and Sat so I've not seen much of him. He's asleep now - didn't get home until 2:00. Since he wasn't home I babysat (which I probably would've done anyway) both nights. My little nephew is SO into Spongebob Squarepants. That is one of the most bizzare yet hilarious cartoons I have ever watched in my life!! :lol: I also had to get hoppin' and do a total clean up job on the house since our landlord is doing an inspection on Tuesday...so have been busy busy busy!

Virginia - DO NOT STOP NOW! Believe me I have had so many moments like yours. It's toughest when Jim is out - like the last couple of nights. I still have that compulsion to open the fridge and see what the Goody Fairy has left (hmm...veggies...cottage cheese...eggs...chicken...Pellegrino...) that's why I can't buy stuff like whole wheat tortillas or bread - why make things tough? I remember Mel said once you're only 2 1/2 hours from being back on program. I've suggested journaling so often - I want to suggest it again. The pen is mightier than the sword, you know? Actually I went through this just last night. While walking home from sister's house, it was around 10:00 and for some reason the idea of McDonald's popped into my head and just would not leave voluntarily. I started giving myself the talk - that McDonald's is not as good as it used to be by a long shot - and it really isn't. THEN after I got the McD's out of my head I started thinking about TACO BELL!! AACK. Finally I told myself "you're tired - almost ready for bed - and you want to go to TACO BELL?!? You won't even enjoy the food! Besides tomorrow is Sunday anyway!" So after I got home, I immediately got into my robe, fed the kitties (who are doing better and better each day!) and had some cottage cheese and an apple (speaking of cottage cheese - it's one of my favorite proteins now - and on sale at Safeway - so what I do is blend down a couple of containers at a time, adding Splenda and vanilla and now a bit of Knox (unflavored gelatin) to give it more of a cheesecake texture - then I'm all set - I can blend it with hot apples, pudding mix or whatever!). Ya see, the hunger is all in your MIND. And I know how tough it is to change your mindset - sometimes I think my mind is a little brat, because it wants everything NOW - gimme gimme gimme!! But you must be FIRM and soon enough things will change. :)

Oh and one more word of advice - something that helps me a lot - cut out ALL sugar if possible. When eating fruit - stick to stuff like apples and blueberries (i.e. fruit that isn't too sweet). I truly believe that (like Pam says and I've put in the Basic Info sticky) eating sugar (or simple carbs) creates cravings for more sugar. When eating a meal, start with your protein first (unless you make something blended). I find now, that if I eat a carb without protein, I don't become satisfied - in fact, I want more and more. When I was on McDougall, which is a VERY LOW PROTEIN diet - I think my protein intake was about 8-10% of calories per day - I would eat a potful of brown rice or oatmeal and STILL not be satisfied (McDougall does not allow ANY animal products, soy products, or fats/oils of any kind - basically you can eat veggies, whole grains, potatoes and two fruits a day). Subsequently not only was I constantly hungry from all those carbs (even though they were healthy carbs) and no protein, but I was constantly itching from dry skin, my hair was thin, and my energy was pretty low. I am SO GLAD to have heard about BFL on this site!!!

JC I LOVE THOSE PICS! You and Mr. JC make such a cute couple!!! He is a real looker - hubba hubba (as us old folks say). This reminds me of something Jen (my sister) told me yesterday - on Friday she was at lunch with some friends and ran into some gals from high school (I graduated in '81, Jen and Amy in '83 from the same HS) and they asked about me - they remembered me as the fat introverted nerd. Jen proceeded to BRAG ON ME big time - how I was working out, got to travel in my job and had a husband who 'looks like Christopher Reeve' :lol: (I usually hear that Jim favors Steve Young from the SF 49ers) and BEST OF ALL I babysit for her every weekend (that made them pretty envious).

I talk about my sister a lot - here's a link to a photo of her at her business: http://store2.yimg.com/I/floralfurnishings_1702_2282489 It must be wonderful to do something you LOVE for a living - I'm quite proud of her artistic ability and success!

Adriana - I concur with JC - go with whatever is easiest for you. What you might try doing is count grams with protein - I always go with 1gram per pound of bodyweight, divided by 6 meals a day - then as far as carbs go - eat as clean as possible and use fist measurements. With BFL, if you're mixing up your carbs you will get a NATURAL zig-zag effect calorically. I've seen too many people try to stick to a certain calorie level each day - say 1200 calories a day - or eat the same thing each day - and they end up getting stuck, which causes them to get discouraged and (eventually) binge eat. IMO you keep the protein level constant day after day and vary the carbs... JC - is that what you're doing now? I need to read that book too - our library system doesn't carry it though so I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and order it from Draper's site!

Lana - good on you for those 9 days - that's the key as Funky Diva would say - string those clean days together and this gets easier and easier - one day at a time, one meal at a time!

Well, Mr. Jim just got up - so I probably have to let him have some PC time now - more later (I have some 'new' recipes to post on our lonely little recipe thread anyway - and I am going to put that T-mag article link in the sticky as well as at the L&S Links page).

Hey Karen: Not quite varying carbs from day to day as you would normally think it but in a way yes. Carbs I believe are the 'variable' most people ignore. Protein is so important that I wouldn't vary it below a certain level (say 1 gm per pound of body weight). The diet I am doing is based on carb manipulation.

Thanks for the complement about hubby. He is adorable isn't he? I am such a lucky chickie. Whenever people say that I am lucky to have him though I say no I am not I deserve it!! In a way he is lucky as well to have a wife that puts up with him going away so much of the year. :D :D :lol:

JC

JEC: What a nice couple you make.... That picture belongs on one of those romantic calendars, that's the first thing that popped in my head when I saw it...

OSC: Don't you feel on top o' the world? Congrats on the success....and many more of course...

Jenelle: Good for you on the pant-o-meter... and a SMALL goal of 5K?... That ain't no small goal girl!!..

Mel: Glad to hear that your ankle is getting better.... A few years ago I fell rollerblading and really hurt myself... I was navy blue from my ankle to my knee so I well remember that greenish colour... At the time there was a kinisiologist (sp?) at our gym and he said to use ice and warm compresses for a FEW weeks... He had said that the blood would flow faster through the muscles and would heal faster because the more the blood flows the better with less scar tissue.... and within 3 weeks I was doing aerobics again....and it had healed surprisingly fast too, I was surprised.

Karen: Thanks for the great omelette recipe...I will definitely try it....I too am on a cottage cheese kick these days...my new fav is: 2c. CC , 1c frozen blueberries, 1 packet raspberry lite jello dilluted in 1/4c boiling water, blended all together then refrigerated....yummy yummy yummy.... that's what I'm gonna have in about 15 minutes.....:dizzy: ... I think I will post it in the recipe section....

Virginia: Don't despair girl! This is only one day in how many 90? Don't be so hard on yourself and just get up and dust yourself off and keep going with finishing this Challenge .... As for the junk in the house keep it in a far away place... Our junk is in the basement in an old fridge....I don't even think they eat as much junk since it's all the way down there... Out of sight , out of mind.... My downfall used to be cookies, So one Christmas I made a resolution for everyone, (without them even knowing, :lol:) and I haven't bought a bag of cookie in 5 years... No one really noticed for a few months... I thought that was pretty funny.... Now I don't even buy as many crackers or any refined carbs....So I guess the trick is to ween THEM off it gradually too... It will do them NO harm....

Skiing was good yesterday, I say only "good" because it was so so so cold.... D and I did only 5 runs, but it was fun anyways... We always stop at a pizza joint on the way back so I finally had some PIZZA and a beer and enjoyed it immensely....Oh and today I bought a long jean skirt that was a size 11 and was only a little snug but still quite wearable... I was pleased with that :D

:wave: Hi Ledom, Adriane, Moxie....

Gotta go.....BTW thanks for all your support....

Actually it made the papers - page 2 of the national paper attached to the story of the ship coming home. I just had the A4 version of it framed at home. You can't HALF tell that I am glad to see him huh???

I made that cc with jello mixture for ages when I first tried it. It was so yummy I was hooked on it for months. I love the taste of lemon so I used to make lemon cheesecake . YUM :chef:

Well at least you got pizza instead of the great skiing so it's not so bad a day. Bugger on only getting 5 runs though....

Congrats on the skirt!!

JC :s:

sounds like everyone had a great sunday. good for us !!

Lana - i'm sooo glad you had a good time skiing. cold or not it's still nice to get out there and do something you like to do. btw i hate snow !! lol too cold for me.

Karen - thank you so much for all the fantastic posts these past few days!! thanks for the tips on the carbs. that's pretty much what i do anyway. and...... there's no way that i keep my calories below 1800 per day. i vary them from 1800 - 2200 throughout the week. i've been loosing pretty steady with that, an average of one pound per week.... so i'm happy. right now i'm holding a whole lot of water in my body because of that bat mitzvah blow out on friday. i don't eat food that i don't make and having all that other food, with salt, etc., really made a bad impact on my body. i'll go away though.

we had a great sunday. in the evening my two little girls and i went for a 6k walk. we hadn't done that in over one month.... the weather was so nice it was impossible to just stay at home. they were a bit worn out by the last kilometer, but that's okay. they love those walks.

today (monday for us already) is a legs day for me at the gym. i like working on my legs :smug: i do them hard and intense. i'm planning a nice swim after that. haven't been in the pool in a few weeks already.

wishing you all a good night and i'll see you later.

adriana