How about lentils? Trader Joes has AMAZING frozen packets of brown rice that are SO delicious and they also have their own steamed lentils..if you have a TJ near you, try them! I LOVE THEM. I use fitday and I am up to JUST 1000 calories for the day INCLUDING snacks and thats just not enough...not with a 700 calorie burned workout this morning...I think its counterproductive but SO wish if I hold out that it will work....I dunno.... I also use the Slim Fast Optima on the two days that I had to be out while on program...when home I use Designer Whey Protein powder...

If it starts out at 800 calories, it's too extreme for anyone who plans on getting out of bed!

I just finished day 1 of EFS also. I had intended to do FS, but the store only had EFS, so there you have it. Not too hungry, going well so far, but it certainly is weird. I wouldn't call this regular food, but I am hoping I can manage to do this for at least 1 week. I deal with week 2 when I get there, I guess.

Gotta agree that day 1 seems more than a little light on the food/calories, and for those of you who are training for marathons, I would think you MUST have more protein.

My eating habits have been so bad that a little boot camp might just be exactly what I need. Once when I did Atkins successfully for a while, I was amazed at how my cravings for sweets disappeared. After a few weeks of no carbs, and then low carbs, fruit seemed like an extreme treat..... I am guessing that EFS is trying to retrain your tastes/ system.

I am having mucho difficulty with the 65 min of cardio. Being fat and having all the assorted fitness woes of the deconditioned, it was all I could do to ride my bike for 20 minutes (I thought it was at least an hour) and my body is still pulsing.

How do any of you handle the exercise requirement?

I hit my gym every morning or at least 6 days per week. I tried to do the 1/2 hr in the morning, 1/2hr at night but with three little ones and their schools and activities, its not likely I could keep that up..I go for 1.5-2hrs per day. Might explain why the scale shows LITTLE loss in 2 weeks...but my waist and hips are down an inch each.

Wow, Kelli, I am impressed-- how do you manage that much time with little ones? I might have to break it up as i don't have much attention span for exercise as yet. I do hit the gym about 4 times/ week for water aerobics, and am trying to ride my bike at night.

you know how most people exercise to lose weight? I am trying to lose weight in order to be able to exercise.....if that makes sense.

+1
Trader Joe's frozen brown rice and steamed lentils are *delicious* and a life saver for me. I love Designer Whey (Vanilla) protein powder.

We seem very much alike! I'm also a little unsure about the Extreme plan, but after bashing it for a few weeks and re-reading the book, I think I'm ready to give it a shot.

Today is Day 1. Here I go!

Rachel :-)

My gym has babysitting and I go during school or when my husband is home

Good luck, you definitely will not be hungry after the second day, its a great feeling to eat so clean...I havent lost much weight, I attribute it to the intense workouts and low calories...I follow the gamma version for problem dieters, people who already lose slowly and for us, there is even less food, so my daily calories are 1100-1200 at BEST if I eat the snacks. Sometimes I force myself to cos otherwise we're talking 900 calories- YIKES!

Cycle 1, Day 2.

Well, I made it through Day 1! I wasn't hungry until after my 56min treadmill workout last night. I'm not used to going to bed hungry. And then I woke up this morning and went to the gym for 35 mins of cardio on the elliptical. It's not uncommon for me to exercise on an "empty stomach" in the morning, but today it felt different. I think because it is truly empty. I barely ate 800 calories yesterday and then did a 500-600 calorie workout before bed. Work up today and had a small snack and worked out again. I feel a bit ill, but will have breakfast and hopefully feel a bit better.

Day 2 appears to have more food, so I'm sure it will be fine.

Good luck to everyone...

Which one are you starting tommorow? I'm starting tommorow also but in a dilema which one to use. I did fs from January thru middle of April with several cheats and lost some weight. I have attempted EFS three times and cave by the 4th day. I need to lose 20 pounds and really want to lose it by the end of June due to a big family reunion the first week of July. I do better with the regular FS but I feel I will have a better chance of losing 20 by the end of June if I do the EFS. I'm just so confused on what to do.

Today Is Day One Of Efs..i Want To Lose 15 Lbs By June 1. If Anyone Else Is Starting...please Speak Up..maybe We Can Have A May 6- May 13 Support Team...good Luck To All!

MrsLewis and I are going to be buddies and possibly BebeRN (I think she's still debating between EFS and FS). Any other takers?

It should be promising!

Hope you are all having a great Sunday! Will message about how day 1 went!

Seagreenwater, so you are going to be doing EFS? If you are doing EFS, when are you starting?

Ohh Goshh.......45 Minutes Into Day One And I Have Already Gave In To The Sweet Temptation Of Turkey Bacon And Cheese Grits. I Knew Starting On A Sunday Would Be To Hard. Im So Disappointed In Myself.

If At First You Don't Succeed Pick Yourself Up And Try Again!