Weight and Resistance Training - BFL/BB #87 - Week of 27 Jan 2003

Hey everyone - comin' at cha LIVE from Sunny Miami...well not exactly the BEST weather, but we'll take it I guess...

Just came back from a cardio workout at the hotel gym. I thought I could avoid joining the gym down the street but...well...without a SQUAT RACK and all the other equipment I'm accustomed to (the hotel gym has a good selection of dumbbells and some weight machines but...you know...) I will probably stroll over to the other place and get a few days' membership if I have the opportunty.

I MISS MY KITTIES!! But at least Jim is here with me :) I know my sister is taking good care of them.

I don't have to be in the office for a bit, so I'm going to have a Myo Lite, go on a walk to Avant Fitness (the gym down the street - hopefully they're still there) and get some work done.

Later y'all! Let's hear from you...

Heya :)

This is C1D8 for me! Im off to the gym to get my 20MAS in and then its back home to study *sigh*

My goals for this week are to eat clean, and try to hit my 10's (esp. in UBWO). Its mental, but Im already telling myself "ok you're almost done week 2!" lol. Looks like Im getting ahead of myself again ;)

I sure wish the weather here was more like where you are Mrs. Jim LOL Its cold and rainy and totally unpleasent *sigh* but thats northern coastal climate for you hehe

Whats everyone else up to this week?

Tidey

Hello, all. I wanted you to know I have NOT given up. However, I am just now getting over a horrible, horrible case of strep throat, and I haven't been able to work out for an entire week. I tried at the beginning, but finally gave up because I was so sick ... my throat swelled up so bad I could hardly swallow.

Anyway, I'm finally on the mend and I guess I'll try for a light workout today. I don't want to push too hard as I don't want to get sick again. It was pure ****.

Shall I just proceed as usual? Do I count this as part of my 12 weeks?

Pen

it's great starting a new week with you all here on the board.

Karen - please remind me why it is that you're in Miami. i can't for the life of me remember. i'm really sorry about that. blame my old age :dizzy:

hi Tidey - that's great that you're progressing so well ! i like the idea of looking forward like that - there's nothing wrong with thinking that week 2 is almost done :smug:

Pen - i'm really sorry to hear that you've been so incredibly sick! i'm sending you good vibes and some prayers for a quick recovery from today on ! just take care and make sure you're body is up to it before going back full force to the program. i've heard from many people that it's not good to do weights before you feel at least 80% well again. some moderate cardio is suppose to be good for the circulation - but that's *moderate*.

i was sick for a few days last week, well, not sick, but lack of sleep made me weak. what i did was just erase those few days and start my week 3 all over again yesterday. i imagine that everyone has their own thoughts about this, but i think that when it's a scratch for more than say two days, there's nothing wrong with starting a week all over again.

well..... two days of great workouts are now under my belt. like s told Pen above, i re-started week 3 of C2 and i'm really glad i did !! i feel so strong and solid now after finally getting some great sleep.

yesterday was chest, back and shoulders, followed by 30 minutes on that pesky stationary bike. i did some hills and it was tough!! i finished off my morning session with 20 laps in the pool. then i did the spinning class in the evening. boy did it feel good:cool: i LOVE spinning.

today was legs. yeah ! i threw out the squats today because my right knee felt a bit strange, but the workout was intense nonetheless. i then did some a moderate elliptical session, just to keep myself busy till it was time to go pick up my daughter.

other than working out i've been working like crazy on my web site. i'm re-designing parts of the site so it's been a challenge. it's a local community web site, kind of an online newspaper. it's loads of fun to do too.

hope you all had a good weekend. thank God we are spared super bowl fever here. it's bad enough with our soccer championships, etc.

have a great day,

adriana

Well, I have completed Challenge one! I am not overly happy with it, as I know I could have and should have done much better. However, it was not all bad. I lost 17 lbs and a total of 11 inches. I am feeling stronger and looking forward to much greater results from Challenge 2 which I have started today.I really do not see much difference at all, so I am not sure if I will even post my pics for this Challenge, but I will the next one.
Hope everyone has a great week.:wave: :barbell:

Wanttolosealot!!!

that's FANTASTIC !! what are you not happy with? are you nuts? that is just great !!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERYONE would be more than thrilled to pieces to lose 17 pounds and 11 inches from their body !! WOW !!!

i can't even begin to tell you how proud of you i am too !

good for you for starting your second challenge too!

way to go !!

take care,

adriana

Wanttolose - Think of Challenge 1 as a learning experience. I know that I stalled in the middle of my challenge because I tried things that just didn't work with my body.

It sounds like you know where your trouble spots are and you are motivated to work on them. WOW! If half the people out there trying to get healthy would do that - we would be a much better off society.

I always have to remind myself: Work the problem, don't let the problem work you.

Adriana - you asked WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING HERE IN MIAMI (maybe not quite that way but...) Part of my job is organizing meetings - most of them are at our headquarters, but several times a year I have to travel to an offsite meeting. The last one I traveled for was in London, this time it's Miami - this is actually my third trip to Miami on business...usually it's warm and sunny but today it's FREEZING - i.e. it's more like the Bay Area. Not exactly beach weather but you know, the people in my meeting who live here are loving this cold break!

Fortunately Jim came along for this trip. London was simply awful without him around. Now all I miss are my kitties. :) Actually the reason we adopted Meg last month was so Sparky wouldn't be alone when we were out of town. We're hoping that by the time we get home, they'll be fast friends. The two of them have been getting along better - in the mornings they chase each other down the hall. I think Sparky, since he hasn't been around other cats since he was a tiny kitten, had forgotten how to play with another cat, but Meg is reminding him!

Losealot - congrats on finishing!! Sounds like you had fabulous results - I would be thrilled with a 17-pound loss in 12 weeks! You don't have to post your pix, but I do recommend that you take 'after' pix and compare them with your before pix - side-by-side - and notice the differences...

Pen - hope you feel better soon - I wouldn't work out if you're feeling like ca-ca - your body needs to concentrate on getting that bug out of your system.

Whew - got another paper to edit so back to work I go :)

I am new to bfl, just starting week 2. So far, I really like it. I'm the type of person who has tried so many things. But I'm not the type of person who keeps losing just to gain it back. My problem is that I can never lose it to begin with. I am basically healthy... low blood pressure, low sugar count, low cholesterol (150). I've already been eating healthy for years and exercising, I hope this is the extra push my body needs.

Hey guys!

just popping in to say hi after my long weekend (Australia Day) - wow you have all been busy. For those who asked I haven't checked out the new gym yet I think I will do it tonight.

I went to a lovely wedding on Sunday and they had a 7 course meal! It was totally delicious. Anyway I have a million things to do at work I will catch up later.

JC

Hello Girls....:wave:

Wantoloosealot --- come here so I can slap so sense into you!!! :lol: I am NOT being mean, I am totally kidding, when you get to know me you'll know I'm a kidder like that.... Really CONGRATS TO YA!! Those are awesome results.... my first Challenge was FOUR count 'em FOUR pounds and 2 inches off my hips..... but the best knowledge I came away with was a new outlook on "lifestyle" and "good living"

Adrianna -- I like your idea of starting week 3 over.... I think I'll do the same.... because I was sick last week i had a difficult time with food and exercise....BUT I will only do that this one time for this challenge.... because I feel I could give myself excuses every week if I did that more than once....

Mrs. J.!!! you don't know what cold is!! This morning it was soooooooooo cold at 5am that the snow would crack under your feet and the soles of your boots get stiff from walking on the snow and you start slipping and slidding away, like walking ice on ice sort of thing......:lol: At the moment it's colder than a freezer if I leave my water bottle in the van it freezes in less than half an hour.... Just a question Karen have you ever been near snow? or have you travelled only nearer to warm climes.... You ain't missin' nothin' here that's for sure....

Hey I think the Glutamine is working, because I am not sore at all from my workout yesterday with my tough partner!! Cool eh?

Anyways gotta go....

Later all...

OOPPS... Welcome -- Magic....

wanttoloose - You need to give yourself more credit that that!:nono: You should be THRILLED with 17 lbs and 11 inches....you are 17 lbs. lighter and 11 inches smaller that you were 12 weeks ago.

You go girl! :bravo:

wantolosealot: They are all right you should be proud - my first challenge I lost 9 lbs. I think that problem is that we often get down on ourselves for not being perfect at the end of our first challenge. It may take a few challenges to get to your ideal so give yourself a break!

JC

Wanttolose- You did GREAT! I gained 4 pounds on my first challenge, which was NOT my goal! Good job, keep saying it.You put on some muscle too, so you have to mentally subtract that if you want an accurate idea of what you actually "lost".

Lana - the snow is squeaky here too. I hate that sound, its like chalk on a blackboard to me.

Karen- Oh come on, Miami can't be that cold! Hope your meetings are going well.

Adriana and Pen- Glad you are getting better. Trying to workout sick and tired is the pits. I only slept about 4 1/2 hours last night and today was the uninspired. I think the problem is that I actually took a freeday- haven't in the last 4 months- and ice cream and deep fried foods just don't agree with me anymore. The brain still thinks they might be good, but the stomach knows better.

But I'm finally back in the gym!:) Did a really odd chest and tricep workout today- I can only do flyes of all sorts for chest, no pressing. It was kind of a bizarre workout. Shoulders tomorrow will be a major challenge to think up anything useful I can do.....I'm sure I'll think of something.

See ya later,
mel

wantolosealot. You are going to take a rest week aren't you? Give your muscles a chance to recoup?

Same old, same old here. The challenge this week will just be getting through it. LOTS going on at my job. I have a cabin rented for part of the weekend out on the lake and I am just holding that thought as I plow through the week.

You girls up north have my sympathy. The cold and snow must be getting old.

Okay you guys I'm a SPOILED BRAT! Last year Miami was simply lovely - nice and tropically warm. Snow? I've heard of it. Isn't it cold and white? :lol: Actually the last time I saw snow was, hm, let's see, about 6 years ago in Yosemite next to the falls, melting. Right now it's like San Francisco here! Brr. San Diego would've been nice, better yet Palm Springs :D But it's supposed to be warming up by the end of the week!

It's about 10 pm here and we're getting ready to turn in...planning on going to Avanti Heath & Fitness tomorrow for squats, even though it's gonna cost me $15 just to use their facilities. Ya know, in spite of all the bad mouthing 24 Hour Fitness gets, I really love my local gym and miss it desperately!

boy you guys are busy as i sleep away :D !!

Lana - i'm glad that you're feeling much better. i also plan on using the "starting over" routine in extreem circumstances. i won't use it "just because". i'm really interested to know how you do with glutamine in the following weeks. i'm pretty sore after yesterdays legs session, but it should dissapate as the new day wears on (at least that's what i'm hoping). geez, at least i know that the soreness if from something good, and not like before when i would be sore from doing nothing :lol:

Karen - i'm with you!! forget the cold, snow and give me the warmer, dry weather every time :cool: it's a bit strange picturing Miami cold though !! hope you are getting lots done. oh and by the way..... "there's no place like home" :smug:

Mel - that's so great that you're back in the gym! 4-1/2 hours of sleep :dizzy: oh man, do i know how you feel. i thought i was going to die last week when i didn't sleep. there was no way i could have worked out too. i haven't had the insomnia so bad in ages, but thank God it's over for this month! hope you get some rest today, tonight, and that tomorrow you feel rested and strong!

Ledom - you'll make it through this week with flying colors :) ! a cabin for the weekend, huh? that sounds positively heavenly!

JC - sure is good to have you back! i was thinking about you before i came online today, wondering where you've been.

MzPen - how are you feeling today?

TKMajic - good to see you here on the board :) ! with all the good lifestyle that you've been living for a some years the nutritional part of bfl should be a breeze for you! i'm glad that you've taken this step, you won't regret it EVER ! hope to see you around quite a lot; let us know how you're doing.

============

we have our national elections today so it's a day off for the entire country. thank God the gym is open and i can still workout. i'll be going a bit later than usual today because i need to wait till one of my older girls wakes up to watch the little girls. i don't like leaving the little ones on their own for more than one hour at a time.

i'll be working hard on my UBWO and then some moderate cardio. no spinning tonight because the gym closes early :(

other than that we're just hanging out on this "holiday".

take care everyone,

adriana

Hi everyone,

I finished my first day on BFL and it felt great. I didn't get all of my meals in as I worked midnights Sunday night so my day was short on Monday since I slept. I did get my 20MAS in as soon as I got up and I felt better than I usually do after my 4 day stretch.

Thanks so much to MrsJim, Niffer, and Tideypoo for answering alot of my questions on my initial thread. I've got plenty more for you!!

I did try the cottage cheese blended with some sf jello and sf pudding mix. It wasn't half bad!! My 3 year old loved it!! Does this count as a protein and a carb or do you add a carb to it to balance it?

I think I'm going to try a protein shake tomorrow. I've seen in other posts that Myoplex lite and MetRx are both good. Any suggestions or preferences on this? Which ones taste the best? The shakes do count as a protien and a carb both don't they?

I've seen some recipes that call for protein powder to be added. Is this the same stuff as the shakes or is it the whey protein powder I've seen mentioned?

I'm going to do upper body tomorrow and will probably have a ton of questions after that.

Tideypoo,
I saw on the leanandstrong forum that you mentioned your trainer set you up on an interval of 1,2, and 3 minutes. Is this walking then running? Please explain in detail as I'm trying to get this intense cardio thing down and I'm not sure I did it correctly today.

I also saw on the leanandstrong forum that the pictures in the BFL book weren't exactly BFL results. What's the deal there? Are any of them actually 12week challenge results?

Thanks for all the support and patience with my endless questions. Please feel free to send me a private email at my email address. It's melissawalter@alltel.net.


Thanks again!!
Melissa

Thanks, guys, I do feel better and am starting to get back into the swing of things, slowly but surely.

Hi everyone.

I started BFL yesterday and have a question about portion sizes. You see, I am terrible at guessing portions - I always underestimate the size of a portion - so I like to measure and weigh. Comparing palms and fists doesn't work for me. Besides, is that the fat fist I have now or the fit one I want ;)

I understand the selection of the protein, carb and vegetables, but I can't find specific portions anywhere.

The following is what I am guessing right now kind of based off some of the recipes in the book. Too little, too much? I just want to start out doing it right and not find out in 12 weeks that I've been eating too much.

Any advice is greatly appreciated:

eggs: 3
meats: 3 oz.
cottage cheese: 1/2 cup
fruit: 1 medium fruit or 1 cup
rice: 1/2 cup
yogurt: 1/2 cup
whole bread: 2 slices (p.s. found sugar-free whole-grain bread yesterday!)
veggies: 1/2 cup cooked, 1 cup raw

thanks,

-- Valerie

Morning everyone!

This might take awhile since I'm working and posting simultaneously! :lol: Oh well, my boss always says that multitasking is one of my skills!

ALLLLL riiiighty then.

Valerie - you first...Now, your fist might be fat :) but the fact is, the bigger you are, the MORE food you need to eat if you're doing BFL-style workouts. If you don't want to go by palm/fist, then I'd suggest sticking to the list in the book and using gram measurements. As long as you stick to the BOOK LIST (not the "official" BFL site list - can't imagine why popcorn, cereal and rice cakes are on that list!!) then you can't go wrong. Now what I mean by 'gram' measurements is figure one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. In other words, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be getting 150 grams of protein per day, or 25 grams of protein per meal. So...since we don't know how much you weigh it's tough to say how much of what food you need. But let's just say you weigh 150 pounds:

Eggs - try and do mostly eggwhites as the fat in eggs is in the yolk. Eggwhites have around 3.5 g protein apiece; whole eggs have 7 grams. So with that, I'd say 4 eggwhites + one whole egg is what most women have as a serving.

Meats - depends on the meat - 3.5-4 oz. Stick to LEAN cuts, like skinless chicken breast, fish, top round steak, etc. (check the Articles thread for a great article titled "Foods that make you look great nekkid" - that'll give you a basic idea of what is GOOD STUFF).

Cottage cheese - 1/2 cup has 13 grams of protein - so you will need a hair under one cup.

Fruit - depends on the fruit - apples and berries are lower on the GI list and calorie content than, say, bananas. When you eat your carbs - make sure you mix them up - by that I mean don't have fruit at every single meal or oatmeal at every single meal. Fruit is great, but it tends to not 'stick' with you like, say, oatmeal can (oh as far as oatmeal, I generally go with 1/2 cup dry measurement). So vary those carbs.

Yogurt - not something I eat very often due to the very high sugar count (there's no such thing as sugar-free yogurt unfortunately). I would count 1 container of Dannon Light & Fit or Yoplait Light as one serving though.

Whole Grain bread - AAH the B Word! :D Note in the book that Bill Phillips RELUCTANTLY authorizes bread. Relying on bread (or anything processed - and all bread is processed, as well as tortillas, etc.) will really slow down your process. I don't think there's really such a thing as 'sugar free bread' - after all, yeast needs to 'eat' sugar to grow and make bread, doesn't it? Sugar comes from many sources, and manufacturers have a trick of using a lot of different names for it - corn syrup, fructose, apple juice concentrate, honey, lactose, and Lord only knows how many other names - it's all sugar though. Check the label - under carbs - and see if there's grams of sugar listed.

Veggies - Eat as many as you want at your meals. I never measure veggies - I just dump 'em in (I'm not a veggie lover so I have to 'mix' mine with the rest of my meal).

It's amazing - I know most of us here have been members of the Diet Club most of our lives and are SCARED to eat a lot. It takes awhile for that Diet Mindset to leave. Unfortunately if you underfeed yourself on BFL, you will not make much progress - your body goes into starvation mode and will start feeding off muscle.

*******************************

Holyfield - cottage cheese with Jello mixed in is a protein. If you want to make it a *complete* meal try mixing in some blueberries, or a bit of dry oatmeal. Something I like to do (along with many others at L&S) is make 'hot apples' - chunk up a crisp Granny Smith or Fuji apple, mix it with Splenda, lemon or lime juice and a bit of cinnamon, then nuke for about 2 minutes. Meanwhile have your cottage cheese ready - blended smooth with a bit of vanilla and Splenda or Equal added. When the apples are ready (I like 'em nice and hot and gooey!) let them cool for a minute or two, then pour the cold cottage cheese/Splenda/Vanilla mixture on top. It's like apple pie a la mode! YUMMY! You can do the same thing with blueberries or peaches as well!

Now - about the photos in the BFL book - of course they weren't BFL results as the book had not been written yet. There's a video about the first challenge (not called the Body for Life Challenge at that point) called "Body of Work" starring Bill Phillips and the first Champions, such as Porter Freeman, Anthony Ellis and others (I believe that EAS still has it available for free - all you pay is shipping and handling). It gives a bit of insight on how Bill came up with the idea of the Challenge - and bringing the benefits of bodybuilding to the general public. After that first Challenge, he took the ideas from the first winners, along with some of his own and from other bodybuilders, and wrote BFL (the book). So there you have it :)

Whey Protein Powder and cooking - unfortunately if you use whey for cooking, it loses its nutritional value (becomes denatured). I would recommend if you are going to use a protein powder, to use a blend or one that is mostly casein or egg-based. My favorite is still the MetRx Protein Plus Blend (I get it at Trader Joes). As far as MRPs (Meal Replacement Powders) I've tried quite a few (including GROW! which is the current favorite at L&S) and my favorite is STILL Myoplex Lite Cappuchino Ice flavor. Dunno, I just didn't care for the taste of GROW! at all.

Interval Training - I think I'm repeating myself here (wouldn't be the first time!) but I generally switch between the MAS pattern shown in the book and a pattern of 2 minutes moderate, 1 minute all-out for 8-10 reps (which is about 24-30 minutes).

The weather's getting a bit warmer here - supposed to be close to 80 by Friday. Yay! Jim's driving up to Palm Beach today to see where all the ritzy folk live. He is having such a great time!

Thanks for the reply Mrs. Jim. That was some really helpful information.

Let's just put it this way. Using the gram method I'd need more than 50 grams of protein per meal :o Yesterday I was stuffed with just 150 grams protein total.

I did Atkins during January just to get over my sugar/bad carb habit, but I was exhausted the entire time. Even since starting BFL yesterday I feel so much better and have a ton more energy. Yeah!!

As for the bread, I did pay attention to the warning in the book and am especially wary of sugar and carbs since doing Atkins. It is from Nature's Own and lists no sugar in the label. There are 11 carbs per slice, 2 fiber, 0 sugar and 1 sugar alcohol. I don't plan on eating it daily, but it's nice to have for the occassional scrambled egg sandwich (my favorite).

Melissa - I tried the Myoplex Lite premade for one meal yesterday. Chocolate flavor - it was great!

-- Valerie

Valerie - I just noticed your location - ya know you live right near Erik/Quadzilla (the webmaster of L&S!!). There are actually several L&Sers who live in the Raleigh area - that's where the Lift for the Cure is each year. I believe one of the L&S Regional boards is devoted to the NC/Raleigh area as well, but don't quote me on that!

OH one more thing - Tall Jen, who does the Daily Menu Thread at L&S just moved to NC as well - not sure where though :) So you have a LOT of potential BFL buddies in your neck of the woods - and as you probably know, support is a key factor to success!

Sheesh, you guys! Did you all take the Mavis Beacon Mach V Typing Class! :dizzy:

Well, Hello to all Newbies. Welcome Welcome Welcome! You'll love it here. I promise. Keep asking those questions and the answers will keep flowin'!

Leesee, my week so far? Workouts - GOOD! Work, stinks. For both Mike and for me. He works for the Big Guy here in CO, and we are going through major state budget cuts. So, he'll be back on the road, soon. I guess I could clarify. Mike is a State Trooper assigned to the Guv. He was when I met him, actually THAT's HOW we met. I never wanted to marry a cop (my friends did, but not me), but Mike wasn't out there 'on the road' so to speak, stopping bad guys. He had a pretty nice gig. But now, the whole unit is being sent back to the road and my stomach is turning. So, we have that added stress. Not to mention, he could get deployed too!

Work for me isn't so good, either. Completely my own fault. I aligned myself with a few other realtors in my office a few months ago and BLAMMO! my business went down the tubes. It took so much of my time doing all their meetings and crap, I lost touch with my OWN business. So, now I have nothing closing and nothing in the hopper either. I guess I should start practicing my "Would you like to SuperSize that, sir?" speech! :lol: CRAP! I just need to get off my arse and do something about it! I was smokin during the summer. I'll just have to do it again.

Update on blood sugar (case you were a wundrin') all normal since going to the 'Carb Lovin Nutritionist'!! :lol: I am SO gonna prove her wrong doing this high protein diet ! I talked w/ Pam Brown about it. She said she was heading in that direction in Jan of 2000 (diabetes) but everything turned for her, when, TA DAAAAAA she started BFL! :smug: Lots of people at L&S have turned it around too! Not to mention, some of us here. ;) AHEM! JC, you got anything you wanna tell us?

Karen, hope you don't get popsicle toes there in FLA! I know how cold it can be down there! :s:

Have a great day! Susie

Niffer -- I LOLed when I read your first line.... it's so true....

Mrs. J...-- My gosh you are a wealth of info.... I always reread what you write and always learn something new.... Thanks BTW for the tip on adding some pudding to my protein shake, it was delicious I just had one... I have yet to find one that is to my liking, and I like to have some on hand for a change or just in case I have no clean food around...

Valerie -- :wave: Welcome... I'm not positive on this but I still think you should eat a little more protein if you are going to do the BFL workouts because you will need the energy....

Melissa -- :wave: and Welcome to you too....

Hi Ledom -- lucky you a camp in the woods on the weekend... Something to look forward to ....

Mel and MzPen -- happy you are both feeling better

Adrianna -- I'm not sure if it's all in my head but I'm finding a mega difference in using the glutamine I'm really not that sore.....

===============

Tomorrow, (since I can't do much about the snow):( , I'm going yo enjoy it by going skiing with my D's school... Mont St-Sauveur in the Laurentian Mtns.... It's a pretty decent hill about 2 hours away... we are leaving at around 7AM so I won't be able to go to the gym but I think a day of skiing should do the trick for a good workout....... Food wise had been pretty good too...

Later all...

Melissa,

For the interval training this is what I was recommended. Keep in mind Im not super fit, and am at least 50lbs overweight :)

walk briskly 3 mins
jog 3 mins
walk briskly 2 mins
jog 2 mins
walk briskly 1 min
all out jog/run 1 min.

repeat :) and if you're not working up a sweat then just increase the 2 min interval for jogging to 3 mins. Thats what I am going to do as I get more conditioned :)

Hope this helps! This is NOT a BFL workout tho. I have a personal goal of being fit enough to run 15mins by june :)

Tidey

geez guys slow down!! :lol: I can barely keep up! I will do some reading and catch up soon - boss is back from overseas so work is soooo busy right now.

JC

This board is burning up!
Niffer- You are hilarious! Your posts always make me smile, even tho you were talking about serious matters. I'm sure your business will pick up again- Colorado is a hopping place for real-estate, from what I saw. BTW, my son is going to a YMCA camp there "camp of the Rockies" next summer. I sure hope Mike is not deployed- the guv must need to keep a few of his troopers around! Good for you on the blood sugars.

Lana- Stay warm!!! I couldn't even think about skiing in this weather. My pockets aren't big enough for all the tissues I'd have to carry.

Did a really wimpy shoulder workout this morning, but kicked butt on cardio and abs. Mostly did the rotator cuff exercises and lifted green vinyl dumbells. Didn't even bother going to the gym for that. I would have been laughed out of there. Despite clean eating, these lack of killer workouts are getting me around the waistline :( Well, tomorrow's leg day. Ain't nothing wrong with my legs, so WATCH OUT squat rack, here I come!

Ok- gotta go fold laundry then hit the grocery store. having a job really gets in the way of my life....

mel

Wow,
I dont think I hazve ever seen this board quite so busy. Its great! Thank you all for your kind wishes and after thinking about it , I realize that I did do quite well, all things considered for my first challenge. I have decided to take this week off for more reasons than one. My car is in the garage for repairs, and not able to get around as much as before. I also think my body needs a rest, and I need time to regroup for next week and the start of a new challenge, which I plan to kick butt in. My butt!
Anyway, thanks again!
Virginia

Mrs. Jim...am I looking at a different BFL website than you? I printed out a list of authorized foods from the BFL website, and it doesn't include popcorn, rice cakes or cereal. Or maybe they finally bowed to the pressure?

Hi guys,

I finished my second day of BFL and I really do feel great!!I had a great upper body workout today. I even felt like I hit some 10's on my first upper body work out.

I still didn't get 6 meals in though. I did get 4 balanced meals in and felt full all day. I'm still converting my body from the midnight schedule so I slept late today with my 3 year old.

I have an appt with a friend for the gym tomorrow at 9am so I'll get started earlier tomorrow. It's a cardio day and I'm going to work on getting this interval intensity down.

I really loved lifting the weights today. It gave me spaghetti arms but it felt great.

Keep up the great posts. I get so much info and inspiration from them.

How do you access profiles on leanandstrong? and where is the TallJen's menu post?

Hope everyone else is having a great week!

Melissa

i love a scheduled rest day when i'm feeling tired. makes me feel that i'm 100% on program but don't have to push for an entire 24 hours - clever, aren't i?

Valerie -- good for you getting into the program like this !! i would still stick with the palm/fist method of portions, you can always hold your hand up next to your food and see it it's somewhere in the same vicinity of size. unless you have a little kitchen scale, and a whole lot of patience and time, then it's much, much easier sticking with the trusted palm/fist. i wouldn't be afraid at all to up the protein here and there.

Karen -- KAREN !!! thank you so much for that wonderful post to Valerie !!! as always, you are a treasure of information and very generous with your time and knowledge. i keep learning so much from you !! thanks :D

Niffer - you show that nutty nutritionist who knows what !! i'll keep Mike and his whole job situation in my prayers for the best outcome possible for you guys. that's a tough place to be right now. well....... about your job...... something very similar happened to me in 2001 and it took hard hard work in 2002 to reverse the effects of the damage.... but we did it and i can say that all the hard work has been totally worth it !! stick with it and stand firm in the belief that you can and will get your business going again :smug:

Virginia - i'm glad that you're resting this week. rest is just as important as working out and eating good.

Mel - are you now on the road to re-building your shoulder strength or do you still have to take it real easy with the weights? that's such a bummer (for lack of a better word) :( well....... you can work the legs extra hard and get the endorphines going like that too !!

Melissa - i'm soooooo glad that you're enjoying yourself and working hard too ! it sure is fun, isn't it? try as much as possible to get in the 5th meal. you'll see that soon your body will be on it's own timetable and you won't even have to look at a clock to know that it's been 3 hours since your last meal.

Lana - i read over at L&S a few posts about people starting on the glutamine this past week too and they also feel the same effects that you do. it's not in your head :dizzy: i'm going to get me some as soon as i find it around here ! we live in a very small city and i doubt that it'll be easy to find.

===============

wow ! sure is great seeing everyone here every morning like this.

yesterday was biceps and triceps. i'm working hard on them even though progress has been a bit slow. it's my weakest area and i'm really concentrating on good form when i lift those weights ! needless to say, my upper arms are sore today, along with my legs still from the workout on monday. i'm most definitely going to check into the glutamine, especially since i've heard only great things about it for a few days now.

gotta go and make some money now :lol: at least make like i'm "working"........ i love being self-employed because i have only myself to answer to .

take care and have a great day.

adriana

Another quick question--Went to check out the Myoplex stuff and noticed there are 3 different versions:Lite, Regular, and Deluxe. The main difference I saw was the calories. Are there any other differences that I need to consider? I'm going to buy some to try out and both my husband and I will be using them. He outweighs me by about 30-40 pounds. Can we drink the same version or should I use the Lite and he use the Reg or Deluxe? or could I use only half of a packet of the Deluxe per meal since it would be almost comparable to the Lite calorie wise?

I'm sure one of you all will have an answer for me!!

Thanks again!

Melissa

Hi again!!

I posted late before I went to bed and now I'm back at it this morning!

Just finished my 20MAS and it was a great WO. Met my friend at the Y and I think I got my intesity intervals down much better today than on Monday. Worked up a good sweat and hit at least a 8-9 for the WO. I can't believe how good I feel! Will try to hit the 10 on Friday's cardio.

Now I just need to get the meals in today and no cheating in between. Hope you all have a great day and great workouts.

Melissa

Good work Melissa! Those 10s are a great challenge.

Speaking of morning, one thing I've noticed in just my third day of BFL is a change in my sleeping patterns. I sleep almost 8 hours exactly and wake up feeling rested and ready to go - without an alarm clock!

I did lower body WO early this morning. That is going to be sore tomorrow. I'm actually looking forward to the delivery of my Body Solid home gym on Monday (Yeah!). I think it's going to help my weightlifting form a great deal and hopefully keep me from injuring myself by flailing around my free weights.

Time for meal 2...

-- Valerie

Jeez...wish I could say I got 8 hours sleep last night! Think I did about 4 hours, and since I have to take my group out to dinner tonight (we're having stone crab - yummers!), I will not be going to bed until AT LEAST 10:00 pm. These meetings always make me lose sleep - I worry about every single thing that could possibly go wrong, and it keeps me awake. Judging from the snoring on the other side of the bed, Jim didn't have the same problem last night :)

One more day and we're done - can't wait to move to South Beach!

Melissa - I know a lot of people do the 1/2 packet thing. I haven't myself, but if it comes out the same then why not :) The only issue I would have is the taste - apparently Myoplex, Myo Lite and Myo Deluxe have different tastes for some reason (don't ask me - never tried the regular or deluxe versions). As far as the meals - I have a suggestion for you, that is if you work at a computer during the day. This really worked for me early on - for the next few weeks, set your Outlook alarm to go off at your mealtimes during the day. With me it was meal #4 (at 3:30 - 4:00 pm) that was the sticking point, as I would be working on something and lose track of time. My Outlook Kitty would mew and remind me that it was time to get up and get my cottage cheese and fruit or whatever. Try it - really works!

Adriana - no problem whatsoever. I am always happy to help others!

Well gotta get back to work!! Later y'all!

Yep the outlook alarm is the BEST! I totally lose track of time at work and that alarm always reminds me where my priorities are!

MrsJim: I am glad that Jim is getting some decent zzzz's. He deserves it.

Valerie: I wish that I could wake up refreshed. I get between 8-9 hrs a night and rarely feel refreshed. I am not sure what it is but it makes morning workouts hard!

Melissa: To access the profiles at L&S just click on the person's name and it goes into their profile. TJ post her menu check on the main board. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Well I am exhausted at the moment and I am not sure why. Work is busy and I played soccer last night. We won but by the skin of our teeth! It's very hot here at the moment and we are due to hit 40 degrees C today (which is over 100F there). The humidity is really bad as well so I left the dogs inside at home to keep them out of the heat. I hope that the airconditioning survives here at work! We are really worried about the bushfires as well - they should all flare up again today. A nursing home burnt down last night and 6 people died. SOO glad that I don't live in the bush......

JC

I did my first leg workout in 2 weeks- boy have I lost strength! Won't know how bad my legs hurt til tomorrow, but I've been ready to go to sleep since 4 pm. If I can just stay awake long enought to eat my last meal, then it's off to bed. I lost 90 lbs. off my squat max! Must be mental- I didn't think that kind of atrophy was possible with only 1 week off.

I'm changing my eating to BodyRx nutrition and the amount of food is really scaring me. I'm soooo stuffed. If I start getting even fatter, I don't know what I'll do- nothing seems to work at this point. I must be the only person in the world who actually gained weight doing BFL while doing it for fat loss. :?:

While I was at the gym today, there was a TOTAL power outage. Very exciting for the cardio fanatics on the treadmills. I was doing deadlifts, so it didn't affect me a bit. Luckily no one got hurt, but there were some dazed looking joggers. I just kept doing my workout, it was so nice and quiet except for me banging metal! The place was like tomb anyway, since it's been snowing all day.

Hello to everyone. Glad to see so may new chickies here!

mel

Mel: No way that kind of atrophy can happen - it's probably mental. You will get back into the swing of things soon.

Can I ask what size you are?

JC

Jennelle: this is what Karen is talking about;

http://www.bodyforlife.com/nutrition.shtml

JC

JC- Sizes here are different that Aussie or European so I don't know if this will make much sense. It don't make much sense to me either. Every brand of clothing seems to run different, so the only thing that seems to be a constant is that I wear a size 7 1/2 shoe :lol: But I know that's not what you meant.

on top- I'm usually about a size 6-8 but I have really broad shoulders and a big back, so it depends how fitted the top is.

pants- After doing CPB, I could actually squeeze myself into size 2 in a few brands, which gradually crept back to a size 4, and am now finding those tight.

The really baffling thing is, I'm not cheating AT ALL but I'm getting fatter. I think that marathon training really messed me up. I don't know how long it's going to take to undo that, but I sure don't want to have to run for 4-6 hours a week! I hate it!

mel

Ugh. Not a great day. I forgot my food on the kitchen counter (the dogs found it, as I knew they would), so I planned to go to the grocery store in the tiny little town where I teach during my planning period to at least buy something for lunch. Of course, the assistant principal called a meeting and I got sidetracked with a student who needed to make up a test. I never got out. I ended up buying cafeteria food. :(

I am proud of the fact that I made the best choice I could, though. I ate three small chicken drumsticks, some canned pears, and about a half-cup each of turnip greens and green beans. (Both seasoned with butter, unfortunately.) I passed on the cornbread and passed on dessert and drank water instead of chocolate milk.

I will never forget my lunch again!

Hey guys,

Another question (go figure!)---There are lots of recipes on the BFL official site that are "Authorized BFL Recipes". Are these OK or are some of them not in keeping with BFL (kinda like the authorized list that includes rice cakes, popcorn,etc.)? I'm sure MrsJim or someone will have a quick answer for me.

Thanks and once again you all are an inspiration. Tomorrow is my first LBWO so hope I hit some 10's.

Melissa

welcome. You've made a great choice for yourself.

After being so healthy while doing C1, I have hit a snag. I have been having flu like symtoms for a couple of days. On the other hand it might be exhaustion. I have been working heavy duty for about 5 days w/ little rest and it just caught up w/ me. Anyway, I finally had to call a halt. I have shut down, will not be going into work Th. or Fri. I didn't lift yesterday and probably won't until I stop feeling so achy, lightheaded and nauseated! Despite everything I have been able to maintain the diet. Until today that is when everything I even thought about eating made me feel sick. Sigh...I am not good at feeling puny.

Just a quickie- gott a get my car inspected before work.

Melissa- I think most of us would say "NO"- if the recipes contain food not authorized in the book, it's NOT BFL friendly. Remember, EAS runs the site and has nothing to do with Bill Phillip's original program anymore. It's been watered down (or sugared up) considerable so it doesn't seems so "hard" and will sell more EAS products. In the end tho- you have to make the decision, what's it worth to you!

Jenelle- You did the best you could. Hope the dogs enjoyed your lunch!

Ledom- Sorry to hear you are sick. I agree. Don't workout if your a re dizzy, lightheaded, naseous and can't eat. Sometime I end a workout that way, but I'd never start one under those conditions.

JC- Reading back on my sizes post, I probably sound psychotic complaining that my size 2 and 4 jeans don't fit me! But believe me, I don't look tiny. I have a fat roll around my middle that only seems to know how to get bigger. When I do my bf%, If I leave out my abdomen (haha) I measure out at about 10%. With that, it's more like 19% now, up from 15 in November. It just hurts to have it reappear when Im still woring so hard. I could understand it if I was skipping workouts or not eating clean.

ok- gotta run run run!

mel

Ledom -- on man ! i'm sooo sorry to hear that you're feel so blah! just rest as much as you can for a few days and then take it from there. be well :)

it felt good to take the day off yesterday. i went back into the gym pumped today :D for an upper body workout and then a 30 minute swim. tonight is spinning :D

i have sooo much work to do it's making me dizzy just thinking about it :dizzy: housework, design work, graphics, html, writing, etc. i'll have to really buckle down and get these things done in the next few weeks (well, the housework in the next couple of days :lol: )

i do have one small question to you all: if corn is a grain why is popcorn not allowed on the program? doesn't really make sense to me. not that i want it or barely even have pop corn during the year, but it just doesn't make sense to be.


oh Melllllllllllll !!! can i please slap you ?? :lol: just kidding . i KNOW how hard you've worked for that size 4 or 2. you'll be there again real soon.

i gotta rush off today. hope to catch you all later this evening.

have a great day,

adriana

Okay, this is bad.

I did my lower-body WO yesterday and it was very sore last night. But this morning I can barely sit and stand (it's the bending transition that's excruciating). Seriously, I think I overdid it on the dumbbell squats and lunges and I didn't even use any weights :lol:

I'll live, but today cardio is on the schedule and I don't wanna hurt myself. Building muscle - good. Injury - bad.

What is my best decision here? Should I a) take today as my free day for exercise and continue tomorrow with cardio on schedule, b) go ahead and do a really low intensity cardio or c) do a regular intensity upper body workout scheduled for tomorrow?

You're advice and recommendations are greatly appreciated.

thanks,

-- Valerie

Valerie--

I haven't been doing the program long enough to give you advice, but I will totally sympathize on the leg pain. Let me tell you now: Chances are that today won't be the only day you hurt!!! It took me from Wednesday (the day I did my 1st LBWO) to Sunday to be able to sit and stand w/o making these funny little noises. On the up side, everyone around me was amused :) Luckily, the LBWOs get much better! I had a wonderful one last night! Hurt like the dickens after I did it, but this morning there is very little pain at all!

Good Luck to you!

Cheryl

Oh! For what it's worth--I went ahead and did the cardio, even in pain :):):)

I'm going to see if my muscles get a little less tense through the morning. I might do my recumbent bike for cardio so that my legs don't buckle and make me fall.

I just have this habit of doing really stupid things just because I'm feeling good and overconfident the day I do them.

Like once I decided it would be a good idea to do back extensions at the gym. Not a good idea for someone who's main back exercise has been supporting their butt in a chair! :) I think I was in bed for about 2 or 3 days after that one.

Thanks!

-- Valerie

Don't skip your cardio. Just do it to the intensity you can. Stay on track, truly it's very important! ;)

Now, I would suggest you try taking L-Glutamine. It works WONDERS! Will help recovery and the like.

Maybe others can fill her in on all the bennys! I gotta run!

I don't have much time but here goes....

Val -- don't skip your cardio... but stretch, stretch, stretch, very carefully before and after.... and try the Glutamine.... I have always been leary about these kinds of things... but I have been taking it for less that a week and CANNOT believe the difference in my soreness....

Ledom.... take it easy and get well soon....

Mel... Yeah I wanna slap ya too...:lol:... but I know exactly what you mean... when you're one size that's good for you you absolutely want to stay there....

Adriana -- you my girls always sound like you are doing great!! and that is a good thang!!

================

Skiing was totally totally awesome yesterday.... I must of done 20 runs.... the sun was out.... got a burn on my face and was sweatin' bullets from skiing so hard.... I was very sore this morning and super tired so stayed in bed... took some GLUTAMINE ....

Have a great day everyone...

Later ... gotta run...

STRETCH, STRETCH, STRETCH !!!

warm up for 5 minutes at the beginning of any and ALL sessions, weights AND cardio. after the 5 minute warm-up (doing absolutely anything, walking, jogging, elliptical, jump rope, whatever) after the warm-up gently stretch the muscles that you are about to use. if you're lifting weights spend 10 minutes on those muscles. if your doing cardio spend 10 minutes on those muscles.

AFTER each and every single workout re-stretch the muscles again. another 10 minute session. you'll begin to love it and really depend on it. it works wonders.

another good one for getting rid of the lactic acid after a hard workout is either the sauna or jacuzzi (or both). the heat helps in the elimiation of lactic acid from your muscles. i try to sit in the jacuzzi at least one a week ( i can't stand the sauna).

i've heard wonders about the gluatime and i'm on the verge of buying it. i might wait a bit more though, why? i have no idea.

do these things and you'll thank yourself for the extra pampering. it's okay to be sore, it's good to be sore, but it's also good to give the muscles a little help wherever possible.

good luck,

adriana

Thanks everyone for your input!!

I did it. It wasn't pretty and I didn't hit any 10s, but I did it. Upper body tomorrow won't be a problem, then I have Saturday cardio and Sunday rest. All in all it'll have been an excellent week.

I've decided to go ahead and get the Glutamine today. I'm a weenie when it comes to soreness.

-- Valerie

hiya all :)

i've been lurking for months here. i started lifting weights in november and only the past couple weeks have been getting stricter with my diet, following the body for life model. before it was mostly whole foods and increased protein, no sweets but less strict than i've decided to become.

i have a question now......about squats.
i've used the smith machine for a while and though i do like it i really want to learn to do them the right way.
unfortunately i lost my job recently and can't afford to get a trainer for even one session right now.....but the thing is, i think i'm just scared or something.
did anyone else have this problem? i'll probably keep practicing with only a bar before every lbwo but its kind of frustrating because its not like i don't know what to do. lol i don't even have anyone that can spot me and that is all i need to get rid of the feeling that i'm going to topple over.....i guess i'll have to overcome my shyness and ask one of the guys at the gym for a hand...
just tell i'm not alone lol :lol: anyone else have this problem?

hi ebe,

good to see you here !

i sent you a personal message with a link to a site that has great info on how to do free weight squats. i don't want to step on any toes here by posting the link.

good luck,

adriana

Real quick here - busy day and just wrapping everything up. I am SOOO tired.

Adriana - was this the link? ==> http://www.stumptuous.com/badsquat.html

This is the "Dork to Diva" squat how-to page at Mistress Krista's website. Great stuff!

She also has a great article called "learning the squat" posted at:

http://www.stumptuous.com/learnsquat.html

hi everyone!

Finished Day 10 hooray! and now on day 11! I did really well with the exercises...but have to remind myself to warm up and stretch too, especially before lifting. I am still learning to lift correctly. Cardio is going great...i hit a 10 today...i think...i got up my running speed to 10 minute mile for the last minute! i was super tired but its done!!

Adrianna...how come you do so much cardio? just curious to see if i should do more too.

The eating is difficult. i only get in 5 meals a day because i love to sleep and i just finished my last meal about an hour before bed. i have been cheating a little too...shhh. i sometime substitute bad carbs for good carbs. I finally tried the smooth CC stuff...its not half bad...i like it.

nonetheless, after 10 days, i can tell you that my pants are feeling a little looser. I dont have to wear the same 5 set of clothes to work anymore. i am really happy with my progress.

oh, and where can i get your chicken breat recipe, mrs. jim?

thanks for being here,
Jilly

Hi guys,

Did a pretty good LBWO today, but as it was my first it wasn't a 10 of course. Tomorrow is cardio and I'm actually looking forward to it. (Can't believe I just said that!!)

Can I do more cardio if I want or will that hurt me? I noticed as did jilly that adriana does alot of cardio. Is that cool with building muscle and toning up? What have your results been adriana--better with more cardio or less?

Are you all sure I need to be eating this much food? I still have not gotten 6 meals in. 5 is the most I've done.

Y'all are great!

Melissa

OK- here goes again. I posted this early last week, but there have been quite a few questions about it again.

From last week's post:
Physioloigy lesson here:

Unless you are compensating with large amounts of clean food, it is impossible not to burn muscle doing cardio session of over 30 minutes. That's just how the biology works. Since staring to lift INTENSELY 2 years ago, the only times I have experienced muscle (and strength ) loss, has been doing Camp Pam Brown, which adds a lot of cardio, and training for the 1/2 marathon. I was lifting with max intensity during both those periods, but steadily losing muscle due to the horrific cardio loads.

When actually doing cardio, you burn no fat- once the glucose and glycogen stored in your liver are depleted, your body turns to muscle for it's fuel. That is why BFL is based on a 20 minute cardio session: during those 20 minutes, you are using glucose and glycogen for energy- it's called a glycolitic process- beyond that, it is a "catabolic" process (muscle burning). After long aerobic exercise, your muscles will eventually repair themselves if they have sufficient amino acid pools (food and stored fat) from which to pull nutrients.

Overweight beginning weighlifters can get away with excess cardio, tho it's not going to help you, unless it just plain makes you feel better. For about the first 4-5 months you have a golden window for developing muscle, despite too much cardio. However, your muscle gains would be greater if you keep your cardio in the less than 1/2 hour range. This only applies to intense cardio- HIIT or all-out sessions. Taking a walk- even a 5-7 km one or a bike ride, is healthy entertainment.

As your body fat get lower, unless you are doing real exact nutritional analysis and eating buckets of the right foods (like Robb or Rich at L&S), you'll finding it increasingly difficult to build muscle mass or even maintain it if you do excess cardio. Also, metabolisms adjust to a level of exertion, and the more cardio you do, the more you need to add to maintain or lose.

There is one other aspect to consider, tho. That's what do you want to look like? Not everyone (in fact a lot of my friends have pronounced her comp pictures "disgusting") don't want to look like Pam Brown. Given that the long, lean look is genetically impossible for me, I'm going for the muscular.

Well enough of that. This is all based on clinical studies which I can point you to if anyone is interested, and my own recent experience.

end of last week's post.

From my own personal experience, I did a lot more cardio on my 3rd challenge, which was mostly Camp Pam Brown. A LOT of cardio. Yes, I lost weight after having been on a plateau for about 3 months. I then trained for a 1/2 marathon which I ended up not running because of a sprained ankle 4 days before the race. The net result of all this is that my body weight went down slightly, but my body fat% went up. What does this mean? I burned muscle. My metablosim adjusted to all that extra cardio, and now I'm still gaining fat even tho I'm lifting super heavy and eating super clean.

If you haven't done 1 or 2 challenges and are still making progress, don't tweak. Especially with extra cardio.

mel ( who did exactly 28 minutes if HIIT today)

thanks for the links :)
i've actually read that site, i think i saw it posted somewhere before....i love kristas site, super duper amazing......i just still have trouble with squats even after reading all that.....hmm this weekend i'll practice some more :)

about the cardio ;)

there are various reasons that i do the extra cardio. for one, i have quite a lot of weight to loose (about 70 pounds more, after a 28 pound loss). burning calories is burining calories any way you look at it. i've been doing it like this since sept 1st, 2002, all the way through C1 and now through the 3rd week of C2.

second, i love the different activities.

third, i do eat tons of clean food. i average about 2100 calories of squeaky clean food per day.

fourth, from all the reading and research that i've done there is still a great controversy about this whole issue. some great bodybuilders also do a whole lot of cardio...... so it's more of a personal decision.

in conclusion (remember writing in college?) i do the extra cardio for all of the above reasons combined and i've still built an incredible amount of muscle and lost a good amount of fat :D. if i find that i have to change this one day then that's fine with me, but i'm sticking with it, with great pleasure.

hope that answers the question.

adriana

MEL, geez, size 2 size 4? PAAAALLEEEESE!

I take it the foot's doing better? Stop over and say hello to those you've forgotten!!!;)

Good morning and TGIF!!

Just finished my 20MAS and I feel awesome. I wish I'd been doing this for the last 3 years since my baby was born. I've never felt better. I can definitely see why this is called Body for Life. I can't see myself quitting this if I continue to feel this good.

Week 1 of my first challenge is almost complete and I'm so glad I found this site and this message board to prompt me to buy the BFL book. Thanks to all for your immediate acceptance of me into the discussions and for all your info and support.

Melissa

Was not such a great morning for me :(

felt so sluggish today. but still managed to drag my butt out of bed (half and hour late) and went to the gym to do my LBWO. it was okay, nothing great to say about it. hopefully, i will feel better tomorrow.

adrianna- good for you! I love dont various cardio exercises too. i love to run (well, not really...no one really loves to run), so do my HIIT twice a week on the treadmill, and one HIIT on the bike or elipical, and then i go for a long run (3-6 miles) with a friend on sunday. i used to do spinning too but still dont think i am fit enough to drag my butt in there. but i will in a few weeks for a change of pace.

Mrs. Jim, was reading one of the articles that you posted. what is being carb sensitive? I have heard of it before but dont know what it really means.

mel-does that cardio include warm up and cool down? I usually walk at a level 5 for five minutes as a warm up and five after. thanks for the info.

two more days till free day! hooray!!

i'm a bit bummed with my lower back giving me trouble all day long :( i slept on my stomach by mistake last night and i woke up in lots of pain. it'll go away in a day or two. needless to say no workout today (especially since it was legs!!). i'll see how i wake up tomorrow.

it's so great to hear the enthusiam in everyone's posts these past few days !!! good for all of us :D !!

i had spinning last night and did an awesome job on the hills. i'm so proud of my growing strength and endurance :) !!

not much else going on around here but lots of cooking for the coming days. not my own food, but food for the kids. i like to cook lots on friday and not think about it again till monday or tuesday. i have enough of my own stuff to fix on a daily basis :dizzy:

the biggest excitement for me today was buying some L-Glutamine. i sure do hope it lives up to it's recommendations !

hope you all have a great weekend. i'll be around here, but i'm sure most of you will be busy, busy, busy.

take care,

adriana

Hey there folks...just wanted to stop by and say hi, & that I missed you all...I have been on "haitus" from the net..I think it has been about 7 months? Well, keep in mind that I'm down here in the Caribbean, and so we depend on satalite for our connection...DH connects at work, but we have canceled our connection at the house. I do email but since it costs me to go to the internet cafes, i haven't done too much surfing.

I am still hard at work with body building though...I finished C2 last summer, and though I let things slide a bit on my training, between Sept and Dec., I have managed to stay within the same clothing size. (A scary thing I have noticed though is that my muscle weight is VERY important in keeping the fat off, and when I neglect the "heavy metal" I can gain as much as 10 pounds in a month...!) I was told this has to do with a specific insulin response in my body, -as well as a love of BREAD-the dreaded B word, and of course JOLLY RANCHER CANDY! and it got me hussling back to the weight pile once again! As for cardio, I have changed a bit since last summer in that I have taken to running before the sun comes up...say about 4:30 am since I have to be ready to go to work by 7am.

I am glad to see the new format on the site, and to see that you all have your own forum now! I will try and check in when I can and do more that just lurk about. Also, I want to say to all those who are doing this without a GYM, "carry-on!" I too work out with a minimum weight stack, a set of dumbells and my trusty old tennis shoes...I sometimes wish I had a gym though, (my mom works out at Dave Draper's World Gym in Santa Cruz, CA and during my visit last year I kinda got used to the nice machines and mirrors...but I am not sure that I would trade in my temperate weather for central California winters too soon.) ---sorry Mrs. Jim!---:) That aside, I think doing your workouts at the house can be more challanging since you don't have others to spot you, etc.

Well, till next time ladies....
caio-meow
=^..^=

Here's a recipe question. I made the CC/yogurt deal and it was really good (esp. since I don't like CC at all). I'm going to post what I put in it and you all give me feedback on if I did it "clean".

1 cup CC-26 g protein
1 8oz container FF/lite yogurt-22 g carbs
1 pkg of strawberry/bannana SF jello in a cup of water
2 pkg splenda
3 real strawberries

Blended it smooth and it tasted great!! Do the strawberries make it too many carbs? It made about half a blender full of stuff. Do I eat all that as one meal or break in into two meals?

Thanks alot,

Melissa

Hi Girls.....:wave:

Melissa -- That CC concoction sounds delicious... I went to fitday.com and looked up a medium strawberry of about 1-1/4" in diameter and there is only 1 g of carb/ med strawberry so that is a perfect meal, and it sounds yummy..... and yes it's only ONE meal... pretty filling eh?? This is why I love BFL.... And congrats on your first week of BFL... See was that so hard?? :lol:

Hello MeowMew.... Cold in CA?? What is that???? It cracks me up when I hear you gals talk about cold....:lol: I'm in Eastern Ontario Meow and last week it was -12F here.... I'm just teasing you, it's nice to meet you...:wave:

Adriana -- I sure do hope the Glutamine works for you, because I sure do find a difference.... I'm taking it a couple of times/day lately because of the skiing, as I was telling you after a full day of skiing I felt like I had done some major squats and UBWOs.... But I love it, specially when it was as beautiful as today and Wednesday... We're taking the kids out tomorrow so I've gone out 3 times this week, gotta love that....

Today it was 30F and we were skiing and picniking in the snow!! Honestly and we only had a sweater on, no jacket when we would stop.... when you're on the slope you work up a sweat on days like today so much so that you need to take your coat off when you stop.... I got a wind burn on my face....

Mel -- Thanks for posting that cardio info once again, I will cut and paste it in to a document for future reference....

Jilly -- Well at least you got out of bed and went to the gym... and that sure counts as something....

Well later all.... take care....

Just checkin' in right quick. I have a very slow internet connection through my work laptop here in our room at the South Beach Marriott in Miami...it is extremely slow (and I'm spoiled by my cable internet at home too!).

Just want to say that KEY WEST RULES!!!

I was so exhausted after my meeting, that as soon as we checked in here (the meeting was at the downtown JW Marriott - a really lovely hotel but downtown Miami just isn't happening) I went right to bed. I might have a cold - haven't been sick in eons - but I think it's mostly due to a ton of second-hand smoke - in California smoking is strictly prohibited in public buildings, restaurants, hotels, etc. but here EVERYONE smokes it seems. By the last day, it was really getting to me...because there were three other meetings going on there and everytime they took a break, the attendees would all seem to congregate in front of my office and smoke. Ugh.

So anyway I slept for like 10 hours, then Jim and I decided to drive down to Key West. Gotta tell ya - you see on L&S Steve L and everyone raving about Key West. IT'S ALL TRUE!!! WHAT A FABULOUS PLACE!! We stayed for the sunset but man, do I ever wish we were staying there overnight. Next time we have a Miami meeting, Jim and I have already planned to spend two nights in Key West. Just a great, fun place. Not that South Beach isn't happening...but Key West feels like a Jimmy Buffett song come to life!

The fitness room here at the South Beach Marriott is pretty small but they do have some good cardio machines and two pro sets of Power Blocks. I'm going to get in a good workout tomorrow and get the last dregs of that tobacco smoke out of my body - then Jim and I are going to spend the day walking down Ocean Drive, enjoying the beach and doing a bit of shopping! We fly back on Sunday...I can't wait to see Sparky and Meg again.

Time to hit the hay...later everyone!

:wave:


Karen -- How lucky are you to have a job that takes you places like that.... I've only been to Florida once... I loved it... the Disney tour with the kids we had such a great time....

How is everyone?? My body is really tired from 2 days of skiing... I need a good bath and some rest because tomorrow I meet my Sunday partner for a leg workout!! Can't wait...

Food wise hasn't been all that great I ate chips and some gummie bears.... I that was my 4 meal!! but the other meals were super clean... I'll get back on track tomorrow...

Later all... gonna take a hot bath and read .... The book I'm reading lately is by Nora Roberts kinda like reading a Harlequin but hubby bought for me for X-mas so I kinda feel obliged to read it.... It's ok tho you kinda get lost in the romance parts of it...

Lanai- I don't know how you can do a leg workout after 2 days of skiing! You must be the quad queen! Last time I skiied I couldn't walk for 2 days LOL- worse than leg day.

Just taking a break in the middle of watching"A Beautiful Mind"- back to the movie, no popcorn.

mel

Hi Mel and girls...:wave:

Yes I do have quads!! But my sorest parts today are not my legs, they are fine, even after the major leg workout we had this morning, leg pressed 370 :strong: ... but my shoulders and triceps! from the poling when I ski, I guess....

The rest of the day will be catching up on some major laundry.... I hate laundry, we only do it once a week, so we have like 10 loads, then we're done for the week.... I used to do a bit a day, but felt like I was a slave to my wash.... so we've been doing it this way for years and it works for us...

Other than that not much...

OH YES .....

LEDOM WHERE ARE YA?????

Just back from spa day with my girlfriends. We rented a cabin on the lake with our own private beach, a fireplace. I lay on the couch in front of the fire, walked a little, took two hot scented baths, watched the birds. It was lovely. I am still a little puny but feel myself making a comeback.

Sounds like a wonderful relaxing w/e....

Ooh, spa day - sounds nice!

We just got in the door like 30 minutes ago...I need to go to the store right quick. It's 11:30 here but I'm still on Miami time I'm afraid...kitties are being lovey dovey right now! They really missed us. :)

On the flight back we saw the film "White Oleander" - GREAT movie. Usually I go for comedies but what the heck. Yep Lana, it's nice traveling and all - only when Jim comes with me though. I'm WIPED OUT BIG TIME RIGHT NOW. What I thought was a reaction to excess cigarette smoke appears to be laryngitis. Ick. And I have to go hit Safeway right quick. Can't wait to hit the gym tomorrow morning! I love my routine and totally missed my gym!!! Later y'all!

it's just a bit past midnight and i got home from tel aviv not too long ago. i spent some time with my ex-husband :) (how he's called boyfriend, i think) -- it's nice to get away from the kids a bit.

i didn't workout today because i still felt a some pain in my lower back. and boy am i glad i took an extra day off !! i'm completely pain free now and i feel like a million :D tomorrow is back to hitting the weights and CARDIO !!!

hope you all had a good weekend, in spite of the horrible tragedy. our country was soooo sad today, as i'm sure america was too. i feel so bad for all the families and friends of the crew.

i'm wiped out now and headed to bed after having a wayyyy too late meal #5. i wasn't hungry at all this evening, actually was a bit queazy, so i didn't push myself with food. we have some bug making the rounds here at home again and i think i might be next on the list with a sore throat and sniffles too :?: hopefully some good sleep will help a lot.

but other than this last meal being a bit late, i've had wonderful success in cleaning up my nutrition even more. i've been reading a lot these past few days on various aspects of correct portions, timing with relation to workouts, calorie cycling, etc. and i've started to put some things into practice. i can't wait to get back to the gym to really put it all together :) . it's a new level of committment for me and i'm jazzed.

Lana -- you are a girl after my own heart :lol: !! i do the laundry on two days per week (5 kids tends to make for piles of dirty clothes). i also hated the "endless" futility of doing a bit each day. this way it's all done in two days (about 25 loads) and then i'm free for the rest of the week!

Karen -- i'm glad to hear that you got back home safe and sound. hope you're able to rest a bit before going back to work this week.

Ledom -- you've been missed but i'm glad you had such a great time !! hope to see you here now that you're back home.

Mel -- glad to hear that things are good with you too !!

JC -- where are you? hope everything is good with you !

take care everyone.

adriana

Hey guys!

yeah yeah yeah I am ok just soooo busy at work and back at Uni again as well. My boss came back from holiday so I have loads of work to do. Sorry that I can't be around much at the moment!

Glad to hear that everyone is doing well. I am fine but tired and stressed - nothing I can't handle though..... I want to go to a DAY SPA as well :lol:

Hey Lana I LOVE your new signiture!!

For everyone: I am with Mel on the cardio. I don't want to argue with anyone about it and I am the first person to admit that different things work for different people but from MY EXPERIENCE excess cardio is more destructive than productive. I suggest that when there are different opinions on a topic listen to what people say, research it yourself and then FORM your own opinion. Another good way is to test it out on yourself as well.

I built a lot of muscle when I started BFL and then when I went on CPB I lost some of it through excess cardio and now I am building it back up again albeit slowly. I found that when the fat started coming off me I had great muscles then I went 'too hard' on CPB and lost it so now I don't look as 'cut' as I could have if I had kept the muscle. I was also worrying more about my bodyweight than what I looked like and thus sacrificed muscle unnecessarily. NOW I find myself in the position of less fat and muscle so I need to build the muscle again to look better once again. It's a pain in the butt position to be in and to be perfectly honest I will never do loads of cardio again because it is too much of a short term solution for me PERSONALLY. I want long term results!

Anyway my 2 cents.. :D :D :D

I think it's great that we can discuss these issues without biting at each other! ;)

JC

PS I play soccer so the only reason I do cardio AT ALL is for my endurance and running speed.

Hi girls, I have way to much time on my hands today... I've been on the puter for hours... and come back here to post every once in a while...

It would be sooo much fun if we could all meet at a spa for a weekend...Too cool to think of .... somewhere central... Here I go with too much time and dreaming in colour...:lol:

Later...

Hey guys,

I finished week 1 and I feel great! Tomorrow is a cardio day for me and I've already got it scheduled with a friend. My free day was a nice break from all the cooking although I tried not to go overboard. I got back to BFL eating today(Sunday) and did an UBWO.

I tried the Myoplex Deluxe Vanilla since it was the approp amt of protein/carbs for my husband and I used only half of a pkg. I've got to say that it was GROSS even though I added half a banana and a couple of strawberries to balance the carbs. Maybe I just blended it too long or not enough or something, but I didn't like it much at all. Any suggestions? I'd love to find something I like for my 12 hour midnight shifts.

Looking forward to keeping up with you all this week. Have a great one!

Melissa

Hey Melissa,

I have very bland tastes so I stay away from MRPs because they often seem to sweet. If you try and get a plain protein powder and just add the fruit to it you may get something a bit better. I am a real food person to be honest so I don't really rely on MRPs these days.

Sorry I couldn't help more.

JC

Hey JC !!!

good to hear your voice !! it's good to be busy and active. i completely understand the *good* stress.

i agree with you 100% about each person finding what works for them. especially on something that's controversial and filled with mixed opinions. i'm also doing what i think is the best for me right now and i certainly don't think that it's what everybody needs. and i do thank everyone for their honest and knowledgable viewpoints.

it IS good to be able to discuss these things in an open and mature manner. that's why i like being here with you ladies !!

here's to a great term for you at university ! oh....... to be back in that sceen again.

take good care of yourself.

adriana

Hey Ladies,
I am back! Starting Challenge 2 today! I am just having a CC/yogurt smoothie. I have never tried it before , but really like it. Not sure I should have taken the week off. I tend to overdo it on my off time. I think I will only take a free meal on Sundays this Challenge, however, I will take it off from the gym, to give my body the rest it needs.
Hope you all are doing well. Take care
Virginia

Hi I hope that I have just popped in your thread. I just started today. I have some questions for anyone. When you are done your weights are you sweating. I know that may sound like a differnt question but I have been doing the firm tapes till this point and I am usually in a big sweat. I know that I was going to slow today. It took me 50 minutes to get done. I also have to go heavier on my chest but I think I hit it right on the rest.
How many cals wold you be taking. I know that you don't usually count them but I don't won't to go to far over or under . I am know to go under.
I when to pick up some protein powders the first one that I had tried was gross. I picked up a new one and mixed the 2 I hope that will be better.
Well on to day 2. My cardio day i am going to find it different for me I am use to going for an hour. I am just going to push harder that I would for the hour. I am sure that will help.
Tanya