[sportmom]

Welcome to BFL Week 1! Whether you're starting today or Monday, welcome to the program. No measurements need to be posted yet, but here are some things you might want to spend the day doing:

• Take your before pictures
• Take your measurements, weight and bodyfat if you have a scale or omron handheld that will do so. Consider measuring your....
  • Neck
  • Chest
  • Natural waistline (sucked in)
  • Waistline at your navel (sucked in)
  • Hips at widest point
  • Thighs at widest point
  • Calves at widest point
  • Bicep (flexed)
• Prep your food. Marinate/grill those chicken breasts! Cook up that vat of oatmeal and split into single portions. Put your fruit into daily portions (works for things like grapes and nectarine slices, etc., but not so much for apples or fruits that dry out)
• Preplan the rest of your week's meals
• Preplan which lifting exercises you will do for the rest of the week
• Start a journal!

So share with the group what you're doing today to be successful this week. My hint for the week is that when marinating your chicken, save yourself the space tupperware takes in the fridge and use a ziplock bag. It takes up less space, plus allows you to play with your food and redistribute the marination every few hours (when you'll be at the fridge anyway ) by massaging the bag a bit. Goodness knows we'll be needing all those extra tupperwares the rest of the week anyway!

Oh, and if you don't have a Foreman grill yet (or other indoor grill), scout the stores today for one. It will make your life so much easier!

And while you're at Target, they have all their fitness stuff on sale this week. Hey, they knew, they're in with US! (p6-7)

[midwife]

Well, I still can't find my tape measure. I'll see if I can get some measurements.

But my starting weight is 152.5.

I think I'll call my trainer tomorrow and see if I can swing by to get a starting BF%. It's been awhile.

I've got a stocked kitchen though!

[Lydia227]

Checking In. I'm off to measure myself. Starting weight this morning was 134. Up a pound from yesterday. I think it has something to do with the workout from yesterday. (I'm pretty sore) And last nights final meal. (Don't ask, don't tell)

DH broke the glass jar to my blender so I'm ordering a new one. I've got the grill, plenty of baggies. No luck with the omron yet so I'll have to order one of those too.

Goal for today. WATER. WATER. WATER.
I was going to take today as a cardio rest day. But now that I'm up and moving, I think I will hit the the bike in the basement before I shower and eat breakfast. I've been motivated. Thanks.

Have a great morning everyone.

[4rabbit]

Hi guys,

I'm in, but I think it will be BFL-lite.
My plans are:
-stick to 3 meals & 3 snacks with the protein/carbs components
-protein/carbs as stated by midwife
- I usually fail at journalling, but I did manage to journal exercise & food in the NDS game, so I'll use that
- and I'll do 3 x cardio and 3x lifting per week.

So far I have not done food prep, but I did make a plan for food & bought stuff for various healthy dinners

And I have day 1 under my belt:
did cardio and am now chewing gum to get over the evening munchies.

Now to dig up that nintendo game and weigh myself.

Have a great day all,
rabbit

[jamsk8r]

I'm in. My plan is not BFL, but it's new to me and seems to be working well since the day after Xmas, so here it is:

The Food: Cals 1800 lifting days, 1600 other days, mostly lean protein/veggies/fruit, a protein shake on my lifting days, 40/40/20.

The Water: 64 oz minimum, usually more, depending how much I scarf down during a workout.

The Lifting: 4 days, upper/lower split, Mon/Thurs LB, Tue/Fri UB, currently doing 4 sets of each exercise in the 8-12 rep range with one heavy weight for all sets, because I'm working out at home with one set of DB bars...it's just a pain to change weight every single set of every exercise. Might change that when I get back to the gym.

The Cardio/etc: Daily, except I will take a rest day if I feel the need...usually, I just do a shorter or easier SS day if I'm not feeling up to a butt-kicking cardio session..every little bit seems to help these days. Skating, Crossfit, running, bike (haven't actually done this last one, but I'm working through my list of excuses one by one, lol). Again, this list might expand or change when I can get to the gym again.

Starting weight this morning: 180.8
Will take measurements and pics today.

This will be fun!

[WaterRat]

I'm starting tomorrow, and short on time today. But, I'm stocked up on food, making my plan, and will be ready to go Monday morning. We're still in carpeting mode, but I think I know where my camera is - the tape measure I'm not so sure.

[michelle127]

I'm in and I think I'm starving to death....

What do you marinate your chicken in - what sauce? What are some of the dinners you like to make during the week?

I weighed in at 258 - yep. I haven't measured yet - I'll do that in the morning. My workout was intense, but it's done so woo hoo.

I think I did well with the eating. Do you eat protein bars? I have some Zone Bars that seem to fit the plan. What are your thoughts?

Thanks for the tips Sportsmom. I was going to go and buy some plasticware - your idea rocks!

Onward to day 2!

[Lydia227]

Okay. So measurements have been taken and the photos have been shot. I'm really hoping that I'm going to see some visible improvement in these numbers and photos in twelve weeks.

Michelle, I felt like I was starving to death today too. I know that I'm not. But wow, that last hour before a meal is tough. I found myself "empty" consistently that last hour and watching the clock. Also feeling a little sluggish during that time too. About half an hour after I've eaten I suddenly get my second wind and ready to take on projects again.

Oh, the protein bars. I eat them but only when it's difficult to get real food or if I'm in danger of making a poor food choice. I keep them in the car because that is usually where I get stranded. The one's I chose are the Pure Protein bars

http://www.pureprotein.net/pages/pro...aspx?PID=13803

These are about 190 cal, 4.5g fat, 17g carb, 20g protein. I would love to find something that is a little lower in carbs. But I don't use these often in my snack rotation. It's a just in case type of thing.

Currently I'm kicking around the idea of getting rid of all the things that are "packaged" like the protein bars and the little crystal light water mixers. I'm wondering if eliminating these things will help change my taste/craving for sweets and make this challenge a little bit easier in the long run.

Hoping to see that one pound up from yesterday back down again tomorrow morning.

[sportmom]

Hi all, well, got dd to take some real before pix. I usually take them in the mirror at my reflection, and let me just go on record as saying - those images are not accurate - like they're 2 times removed from reality or something. I started with that, then she offered, and there's no comparison. Mirror photos are practically photoshopped compared to the real ones that show every lump and bump. It became apparent after that little exercise that I may be doing TWO back to back challenges.

So I finished reading those 60 pages of google finds on BFL and have about 20 websites that I can go back and visit during the 12 weeks when I'm looking for motivation. Planned my workouts and my meals.

Quickly became obvious that the workouts will be no brainer for me, and that's an improvement from where I came from 2-3 years ago. But the food! aye yi yi! That is going to be my supreme challenge. I'm like - if I can just get thru 6 days, everything can repeat!! It's my own fault for not liking to cook, or liking seafood and many other things. But man, I'm going to have to choke down that cottage cheese with my nose pinched if necessary, cuz it's here on a daily basis.

I think a meals thread would be helpful just to give everyone some new ideas. OK, me some new ideas. No one will come away from my posts inspired!

I marinate my chicken in Kraft bbq sauce. I saw some at the store yesterday that is "light" with 1/3 less sugar, so I'll be trying that. I've had really good luck in buying the quantity bags from costco that are flash frozen and marinating those frozen. As they defrost they add moisture to the bag and they are just delish that way. I used to buy fresh Perdue, which was good too, but frozen is better somehow. I guess ultimately fresher since they are frozen almost immediately. I'm also going to try marinating them in my basalmic vinaigrette dressing.

OK, off to start a food thread.

[4rabbit]

Hi BFLL
(body for life ladies)
I'm on day 2. Did lifting today when just out of bed, even before putting my contacts in, while DD and DS showered. they are both in awe that mom started sports again. Food is a challenge and probabley will be for the next weeks.

Sportsmom-great idea to put up a food thread. The food is where I am seriously challenged. No good ideas and a picky eater.

Have a great day all,
Rabbit

[dixied]

Day 2! So far my biggest challenge is the 6 meals. Yesterday I got up late, and by the time I worked out, I could only squeeze in 5 meals. This morning, Meal 2 was reduced by half, I'm just not hungry. I have another 2 hours to go until Meal 3, maybe by then I'll be hungry enough to eat Meal 3 and finish off the rest of Meal 2.

I tried something new, the frozen bags of brown rice that you throw in the microwave and steam, from Birdseye. Not impressed. The rice is chewy.

[midwife]

Woohoo! Look at us go!!

Michelle, can you post what you ate? Maybe we could come up with a strategy to help you feel full longer. Although what do I know? I was SUPER hungry all last week too even though I ate and ate plenty of healthy foods with healthy fats. I felt like I was hitting a growth spurt or something!

Like Lydia, I am finding myself avoiding packaged foods more and more. I would probably not eat a zone bar, just cause of all the chemicals and stuff I can't identify or understand. Although I am probably a bit of a hypocrit, since there may be stuff in my protein shakes I can't identify or understand. I think in a pinch it is probably better than other stuff. How many carbs does it have? I protect my carbs jealously since I get just a few servings a day, and whole grain breads and potatoes make me much happier than something that is torn out of a small package. If some of my philosophies seem inconsistent, they probably are, but they make sense in my feverish brain!

Go Dixie! Thanks for the feedback on the rice. I'm not a huge rice eater but I have seen those bags and might have tried them. Sounds like I'm not missing much!

Rabbit, I am so impressed with you lifting first thing in the morning!! Remind me where you live? The Netherlands? Or am I confused?

Food is always the big challenge for me too, Fran. And it is, as you know, the most important piece for a fabulous body! I tell myself "abs are made in the kitchen" a few times a day. I can't remember if you've tried protein pancakes? I make mine with about a third cup oatmeal, a third cup cottage cheese, and 2 eggs (1 egg + 2 egg whites on the days I am not lazy). Blend it up and cook like pancakes. They are yummy and not cottage cheesy in the slightest.

I'm going to get my bf % measured today, so that will be one way to track my progress. But I thought of another way. I am currently in between scrub sizes at the hospital. Mediums are baggy and smalls are too snug. So I am going to stick with mediums for 12 weeks and at the end of the challenge, try on some smalls. Tada!! Here's hoping they'll fit just right!

[kittycat40]

got measurements! did'em on myself, just now with tape measure at work. I'm dressed but my clothes are fairly thin today.

[midwife]

Well, now I'm jealous, Kitty. No way could I get a fundal height paper tape measure around my body! Or do you have real ones? I tried with the paper ones and wound up laughing at myself. Ummm....didn't work at all. Guess my waist is more than 44 cm!

[kittycat40]

Originally Posted by midwife

Well, now I'm jealous, Kitty. No way could I get a fundal height paper tape measure around my body! Or do you have real ones? I tried with the paper ones and wound up laughing at myself. Ummm....didn't work at all. Guess my waist is more than 44 cm!

hahaha, no, I found a real one stuck in my drawer!

can you help me with internet stuff?? read other post!