Happy Monday!

Are there any current Body for Life-ers on the board? I'm just starting Week 2. I'm actually having a really good time. I feel really in control for the first time in a long time and it would be great to talk to someone else doing it too.

Hi Kylie,

I have finished two rounds of BFL and I agree that the best thing about it is the sense of accomplishment and being in control. There is nothing that makes you feel better than setting a tough goal and making it. In the part where you are supposed to write down why you are doing it, I wrote "Because if I can do this, I can do ANYTHING!!"

I have since modified my own program based on BFL and BFFM (Burn the Fat, Feet the Muscle). However, my weight loss has slowed, and I am thinking about going back to a strict BFL routine. Now that I have lost 45 pounds, the pictures after 90 days might actually have some muscles showing.

Remember that you always feel best after those workouts that your mind was giving you 20 reasons to skip that day (not enough sleep, don't feel all that good, traveling, it's cold outside, gym will be crowded, etc., etc., etc....). Those are the days you can actually feel the victory.

Good luck and have fun.

Are you guys doing the standard BFL or the Women's version by Dr. Peeke? A few of us are around here doing BFL either exercise and modified diet, or pure. BFLCat is around, and SusanB are some of our common posters. I do Dr. Peeke's and started in September. I don't do 12 week cycles except to track my measurement progress and stuff like that. But for me, it's just one big continous party until I reach what I think is my goal. Welcome! Post your photos if you like and we'll ooo and aah appropriately!

Hi, guys!
I'm doing the Body for Life exercise program. In terms of diet, I'm trying to keep in the spirit of the Eating for Life without going exactly by the book. I'm a big fan of Cooking Light magazine, which I think will give me a better long-term approach to healthy eating. The main thing that I'm definitely keeping, though, is the afternoon shake. It really helps the "munchies" that kill me between 2:30 and 4:00 every afternoon.

I have "before" pictures, but at this point they are under lock and key until I start showing real progress! HA.

I was out sick for a while, but I'm re-starting the Women's BFL regimen by Dr. Peeke. Day 1 today......kind of mixing and matching on the food side.

spanky

Hey Kylie - congratulations on finding Body for Life!

I am a long-time BFL'er - I did 6 back-to-back Challenges in 2003-2004. That's how much I loved it and how easy I found it. In hindsight, for me, it was perhaps one or two too many - I should have changed my training routine once I got to a certain fitness level to shake things up more, but for the first year, it was great!

I can tell you that I LOVED doing BFL. Bill Phillips was the best thing that happened to me back then - I had been out of shape and overweight for years and his book showed me a sure-fire way to change that.

It's a tough program, which is why they call it a "Challenge", but definitely worth the effort.

I HIGHLY recommend that if you haven't already, take front, back and side-view photos of yourself. Often the scale doesn't move much, as you'll be building muscle while losing fat, and they cancel each other out. So other measurements, like body measurements, % fat measurements, photos and clothing sizes will give you a better idea of the progress you are making. You should take photos every 4 weeks to keep your motivation up.

If I think back to my first Challenge, I do recall that it took at least 8 weeks before I really felt like I saw big changes, but then over those next 4 weeks, things moved quickly.

I also remember that it was hard to eat so much at first, and to get enough protein in, but the heavier I lifted, the hungrier I was and soon I was up to 100+ grams of protein a day. Typically you'll need to use some sort of protein powder, added to smoothies, oatmeal, ... to get all that protein in.

I will tell you that the food can be 75% of the program, so you may want to try to stick to Bill's original plan as much as you can. Just try to keep meals as balanced with carbs and protein as possible, and you'll do well. I love Cooking Light mag as well, and would always look for recipes with balance grams of carbs and protein to make. Or, I'd add more protein to those who weren't as balanced. I can share some of my past favorites with you if you like.

Good luck and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Cindy

Thanks so much for your note. I have taken my before photos (EEK!) and bought a reliable scale. I did one challenge about four years ago and as weird as it sounds I really enjoyed it, started to look really good, and...then proceeded to sabotage myself. I hadn't had much success with diets until then and I think I wasn't sure how to handle the success. I find that when I'm actively lifting weights, the lure of junk food and all that isn't as strong.

I'd love to share Cooking Light favs. I found one about two years ago for red lentils that is fabulous! It's better than our local Indian restaurants and very low fat, high protein.

I do have a question for you. Before I work out I have a protein shake with milk. It sits really well and I can workout pretty hard and feel good. Then, on the drive home I have a blood sugar drop. I can tell because by the time I get home and actually have breakfast I feel fine. Do you drink or eat anything immediately after lifting hard?

Thanks for your note!!

When I did BFL I would have something like an apple right after I worked out. Nothing to heavy but enough to keep me o.k. until i got home to eat.

Typically, I like to have a glass of skim milk with instant coffee stirred into it before I leave the house in the morning. Amazingly that's enough to get me through my lifting workout, and then I have my protein shake after my workout (about 1/2 hour later).
Cindy

PS - I'd love to have your red lentil recipe. I'll come up with a list of my favorites to share as well. One I can think of, off the top of my head, is Sante Fe Chicken - chicken with tomatoes, beans and southwest seasonings, served over brown rice.

I tried some fruit after my workout and that seemed to help. Thanks, SFJ! It's funny that it doesn't bother me on aerobic days. HA!

BFL_Cat, the lentil recipe is really easy. I'm still trying to dig up the recipe, but generally it involves boiling 1 cup of red lentils in 4 cups of chicken broth for about 20 minutes until they are soft, then taking half of the lentils adding some fat free sour cream and blending it. Add it back to the lentils, which makes it very creamy, then adding typical Indian spices, such as curry powder, etc. and garnishing with red paper, raisins, etc. Super easy and really good!

BTW: Thanks for the tip about focusing on Body Fat rather than the scale. It helped this week as the scale went up (WHA??), but the body fat measurements went down.