Welcome to NUMBER FIFTY!!! Wowee. since we started here about a year ago, that averages about a thread a week but some weeks less (in the beginning) and lately a lot more! Thank you all for being here!!!

Basic Body for Life Information

Must Have: Body for Life book by Bill Phillips

BFL eating program in a nutshell (see book for more details): six meals a day 2-3 hours apart consisting of balanced (or close to balanced) protein/carb using fist (carbs) palm (protein) method of measurement. 2 meals a day add green veggies. 8-10 glasses of water per day.

Because of the six meal requirement, some people find it convenient to have Meal Replacement Drinks on hand. This is not a requirement but a convenience.

Meal Replacement Shakes. Look for good ratios of protein to carb and low sugar (Myoplex by EAS and Met Rx not anything like Slimfast) or use Protein Powder and add carbs such as fruit.

Vitamins: suggest multivitamin

Supplements: l-glutamine for faster muscle recovery and immune system (this is not required but almost standard fare on BFL)

Essential Oils: Recommended. Udos is the most recommended.

Workout schedule (see book for more details): 45-60 minutes intense weight trainining 3 times a week working lower and upper body on different days. 20 minutes intense cardio 3 x a week (see the BFL book)

Free Day: One day a week no workout and eat any thing you please, as much as you please.

Rest: 12 weeks of program with one day of rest each week and then one week of rest between each 12 weeks.

Mental requirements: commitment and dedication

Results: AMAZING!!!

Short quick post: I was reading Shape magazine - May 2002 and in one of the success stories, the woman's goal was to lose 80 pounds. Well, after 50 lbs it seemed like nothing she did would budge any more weight off. she was very frustrated that she couldn't lose anymore and a friend suggested eating 5-6 small meals a day. She writes, "Once I started eating more often, my weight loss restarted."



I am so used to eating 5-6 meals a day I go crazy when it's late afternoon and I've only eaten 2-3 times!

Susan - WHAT?? YOU read Shape?

You must have been at your doctor's office or something!

As far as magazines, I really like Energy. I know a lot of folks at L&S put down Muscle Media but occasionally there's good stuff in there too...and I started picking up Oxygen (once you get past the 'special articles' for Hydroxycut there's some good stuff there - and they do gear towards competition which I find interesting). M&F Hers is okay too!

Ever since Miami, I've been into that 'surf look' big time. I just got the cutest pair of wahini surf shorts today that I had ordered from a surf shop in Hawaii - amazing - I am in the smallest size now...when ALL the fat finally leaves my butt these will be very loose on me! Right now they are comfy - I love wearing surf shorts to the gym...it's a nice splash of color especially compared to what everyone else is wearing!

Jim and I are going to have to go on a 'shopping trip' to Santa Cruz real soon I think...tonight his band is playing a gig at a restaurant/bar near Pacific Bell Park called The Curve. They started early - at 6 pm - to get all those baseball fans after the game. Wish I could have gone but I hate to be up past 9:00. Looks like they'll be getting some afternoon gigs during the summer though and they're talking Reno and Vegas as well.

Well, Sparky is asking for attention and I'm starving - gotta make my dinner - it's a low-carb day so I just get chicken and veggies...I would LOVE a sweet potato! Oh well, in a day or two I guess...let's hear from the rest of y'all!

I did really work my butt off on hitting those tens....and it seemed to have worked......I am looking forward to starting my next challenge.....but I may have to modify it.........it seems my upper back....well I am experiencing pain......not really hurtful...more of a nuisance pain......so getting it checked out because I don't want it to turn into something worse......

I have been going way back to catch up on posts.........everyone is doing soooooo well.....I am happy to see that.......cause we are all in this together.......

I won't be able to get on this thing as much as I use to......my job is changing......I was busy before.......but my territory has changed now I will have to start travelling as well.......no rest for the wicked I guess......

I will pop in every chance I get......though


Mel no pictures....I know I know......but......I have to work up the gumtion......you see I did not take a before photo.......I do have one taken at Christmas......by my daughter.......fully clothed......but.........unless it is a sneak attack I have a really hard time letting people take pictures of me......so I am going to have to work on that.......allowing someone to take my picture......soon as I do........you guys will be the first to see......

well I am off to bed....night all

When I started BFL last year I subscribed to everything. I do like Muscle and Fitness for Her (Joe Weider publications) and they have a lot of hydroxy cut ads as well. I like some of the illustrations of exercises in Shape and I always like a good success story. This month they have inner thigh exercises and they illustrate a raised hip adductor press. I saw a woman who was in great shape doing this in the gym about a month ago and I thought she was a tad crazy (except her killer muscular legs caused me to pause before deciding that). I had NO idea what she was doing until I saw it in Shape. They also have these little cards that I typically pull out and paste in a book that I keep with different exercises (all the magazines seem to have something different). Anyway, I like to read everything I can get my hands on. Keep what I like and trash the rest.

Question: what does the rowing machine do? I haven't been on one in years but I was wondering if this would be easier than an elliptical the day after a LBWO. Maybe not. just wondering.

Kelster: would love to see pix!!!

Today's Workout

I had my morning walk. Came back and waited about a half hour before having my pregym MRP. then off to the gym.

Today I did my killer leg routine but in the middle I did my ABS (45 reps of 3 different exercises...regular crunch, reverse crunch, side crunch) and 4 minutes of HIIT before going back to killer leg press to finish off the day. In the past year I read twice, once in a scientific approach to body building book (I think that is the actal name of it) and once in a muscle head magazine, that if you do some HIIT (they don't call it that. they call it intense interval cardio training) for 4-7 minutes you send oxygen to your muscles and burn off lactic acid to get more strength for the last part of the exercise. Well I've done HIIT now and again after weight training (no more than 6 minutes but typically 4-5) but today I did 5 minutes (30 mins of rest for one minute of all out effort) after 3/4 of my leg routine and all my ab routine was completed. I think it did help with the leg press. I definitely lifted more weight and went longer than I did on Sunday with the same routine only without the HIIT. I don't know. maybe it's all in my head.

Anyhoo, I think that I am ready to move up in weights in all of my leg routine except calves. I do standing calf raises and also do the calf bar on the leg press. They are the only thing that REALLY hurts now though I ache everywhere else.

time for studying!
Susan

Sounds like you are doing GREAT!!

The magazines I like are Energy (of course ), Muscle and Fitness Hers, Oxygen, and Muscle and Fitness. Occasionally I will get a few others.

Keep on pressing on towards those goals! With a support team like this, you can't lose!

Hugs,

Pam

Wow! I love it when L&S folks visit our little place here at 3FC (although that sounds a bit redundant since most if not all of us hang out at both places). Especially Pam! (BTW, Pam - I'm doing great - back on track now after my Miami 'free week' - starting on Monday I'm going to start at the beginning of the menus and do another 8 weeks of Camp Pam B eating!!!)

Susan - Hope I didn't sound too, well, you know...about Shape Magazine. I actually subscribed to it for years, but aside from the success stories (that was my favorite part too!) I wasn't getting much out of it. Besides, I promised Jim a couple years back that I would cut down on the magazines. I was getting a ton of 'em and my problem is I don't throw them away for eons. Last summer I was cleaning out the garage and found a box with some Cosmopolitan magazines dating back from 1978! (I think there was a good story or something in there I was saving).

I think all the mags except for Energy have those Hydroxycut ads - the diff with Oxygen is that they don't CALL them ads (the others all have disclaimers) since Oxygen is owned by the same company...but I'm starting to really enjoy Oxygen more because of the focus on competing. Of course Energy is my favorite not only because of Pam being in it but I appreciated that Gretchen asked us at L&S for input on making it a better read!

I'll need to pick up Muscle & Fitness at Safeway one of these days...

Today I was soooo thrilled - I hit a high point on my leg press squats - 540 pounds! Before that I was able to do 12 back squats at 150 plus the bar!! I love being strong and getting stronger!!! (I generally don't do cardio on leg day).

Gotta go meet hubby for lunch - see ya later!

hey everyone! Guess what? Today I noticed, in the mirror of my supermarket where I was buying chicken and fresh veggies (and yams after hearing MrsJim talk about them a couple of days ago), that I look LEANER. Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!! I felt so good I almost took a Free Day

Only half kidding. As I've been saying, I only do a Free Meal this challenge and sometimes it's not very off-program.

I have been DYING for an icecream cone the past few days and also started to eye the bread in the supermarket (okay I'm not gonna start a bread thread but it's starting to look good ) but some part of me is feeling some deprivation so I think BP is right that we need to do our Free Thing to stay lean and strong so I think I might have to plan a half Free Day or something. Poor me.


Thanks for listening,
Susan

Susan - I know EXACTLY how you feel...I am so accustomed to looking forward to and taking my Free Day that cutting back or moving to another day or having two free meals a week just doesn't cut it for me. There was a post on L&S today that summed it all up http://216.97.116.55/cgi-bin/BBS/lea...=277978#277978 as far as I'm concerned anyway. Anytime I take a 'free meal' or 'two free meals on different days' week, I screw up totally by eating too much anyway. So I've settled for a "Free Half Day" rather than a "Free Day" at this point. Usually it turns out being a meal and a snack - some weeks I might have a burrito with chicken, whole beans, rice and salsa on a whole wheat or spinach tortilla. A couple of weeks ago, I had a salad I made at the Draeger's Salad bar and fresh sourdough bread - so yummy! I don't know if you figured this out but processed or not, I am a bread addict - that's why I don't include it in my diet during the week...

Pretty soon I'm going to have to cut out all the free stuff before the competition. AACK! That is gonna be tough - this is why I've decided to go see for myself how the whole thing works. There are two contests coming up within a week of each other here in my area - May 4th in San Francisco and May 11th in Hayward. Both not exactly convenient to me unless I can get Jim to drive me - my 21-year-old BMW is no longer freeway worthy unless I have some major engine work done...I'll probably end up selling it to our neighbor eventually if he's still interested. He wants to fix it for his girlfriend to use - we just want to wait until the truck's paid off before we take on another loan!

So here's what's on the schedule in my area for the foreseeable future, contest-wise..

June 8 - Vacaville (a LONG drive for me...but doable if planned in advance...)

July 27 - Santa Rosa (see above)

September 14 - San Francisco (better for me due to location and gives me more time to prepare)

I'm aiming for Vacaville as the first scheduled contest...I'll know for sure by June whether I'll be ready. I'm still trying to decide if I want to go Figure or Bodybuilding...definitely not Fitness - I'm NOT a dancer!

I'm going to go play with Sparky and get ready to feed him so he'll sleep. Maybe this weekend we can FINALLY start looking for a girlfriend for him - another kitty he can play with and snuggle with (I hope). I'm being told by co-workers that they should be used to each other after four days - another told me two weeks. The shorter the better - I say! Our place is itty bitty. I'm hoping our new kitty will be just like Sparky in not really being interesting in going outside - and I also hope she's not vocal like Sparky is! Later y'all!

If you do the Sept 14th in San Francisco, do you mind if I attend? My pre-finals weekends are booked and I'll be away all summer so I can't go to the other ones, but I would LOVE to be there to cheer you on in September!!!!

Susan!!! Of COURSE you can be there!!! I'll keep you - and everyone else - posted here and at L&S.

Well, I have to clean up our cat hair-filled apartment. With all the cathair floating around I'm surprised Sparky isn't BALD. Right now I have the front door open with the screen door shut and he's watching the action at the bird feeder...of course when the vacumn cleaner (eater of noisy kitties) comes out he'll be bailing!

This morning was GRAND, simply GRAND. Did some HIIT cardio and back/biceps early this morning. I had a terrific riding lesson today - after months of threats, Dee Dee finally had us ride without stirrups - walk, posting trot, and seated trot. It was SO wonderful!!! Two of the others in my class were in pain within two minutes but it really felt good to me...using those inner thigh and calf muscles that I've been working. I was SO GLAD that I've been emphasizing squats, lunges, and deadlifts because I could feel all those muscles come into play. Since it is HOT outside I was wearing my white riding tights and a blue crop top - yes that means my midriff was showing!!! Which meant that I had to make sure my tummy was pulled in. Dee Dee said I did great (her nickname for me now is "Muscles" - wonder why??). And I gotta admit I felt really cute!

Anyway, off I go to clean house (ugh). Jim needs to get some exercise so I'm kicking him out with his bike...I know, I know, he should be helping me clean but I get a lot done when he's not in the way! Later all!

First week of challenge 3.5 (or whatever) almost complete. Eventually I'll probably just count by years!

This week my husband Brian and I tried something that we heard Steve L. on Lean & Strong does -- a free dinner through the following lunch (we did 6:30 Friday night through around 2 on Saturday). I really liked it -- satisfying but somehow easier to control than a whole free day.

Sounds like all of you are doing great. Mrs. Jim -- if you end up doing the Vacaville competition, I'd love to come cheer you on.

Have a great week everyone!

Carrie

Mornin everyone - hope everyone is doing well.

MrsJim - I think I know what the Bodybuilding and the Fitness categories are in competition - but what is Figure? Just curious. I also saw your thread on L&S about gloves. I haven't worn any since I started and that may explain how my hands look. I just never thought of it. What are the benefits of wearing them besides preventing callouses? Would they help me to grip the weights that tear off my shoulders for angled calf raises?

I would love to be able to see a competition. One poster mentioned how motivated and pumped it made her feel to be around all those fit people. Maybe I'll look around up here and see if they hold any in the great white north!

I know what you mean about your muscles being transferred for other uses. I felt exactly that at my Tai Chi class this past week. It's amazing how much lower and higher I can perform my moves. I can really feel those abs and quads kicking in to help out. It felt great!

Yesterday it was 83 degrees here...and probably the same today so we're supposed to be going to Half Moon Bay today (depending on traffic - the rest of San Mateo usually wants to do the same thing and it can get really backed up). Oh well, if it is we can always go on the levee bike path!

Carrie - I actually think that Steve does his Free stuff this way - a free dinner on Friday night, then a free breakfast the next day. I could be wrong though. Personally I like doing it in a regular day rather than spreading it out - otherwise I end up eating WAY too much...but that's just me.

TH - I do believe that gloves not only prevent callouses but also help with gripping the weight. I like the wrist-wrap type because I feel I get a bit more stability. I will probably end up getting the same ones as before, even though they lasted me only like 5 months. But hey, I've been really workin' it, right?

The difference between 'bodybuilding' and 'figure' competitions - well, first off let's get 'fitness' out of the way. Fitness comps are the ones they always seem to show on ESPN and Fox Sports - with the dance competitions. There is JUST NO WAY I can do those aerobics type moves! A dancer I ain't. The NPC guidelines for figure comps read as follows: When I check out the May contest (whichever one I end up going to - the 4th May or the 11th May contest) I am going to look VERY carefully at the contestants. After eight more weeks of CPB eating (with NO free days ) I might very well be more of the bodybuilding physique...but we'll see...

Anyway! Time to get in the shower and eat some eggwhites...later gals!

Free Day

I noticed yesterday that I ate some bread (like MrsJim I'm a bread addict so I NEVER eat bread on clean days) and that I felt that nothing was satisfying me and I felt hungry. Definitely a sign that I need FREE DAY. I also read Body Building books and magazines about burning out and one sign is feeling lethargic and hungry even though you're eating. I think that is why Bill P builds Free Day into BFL. I do find the whole day a bit much but I've taken hardly any. It's not going to help if I go backwards. So today is a clean day but I am definitely thinking free day tomorrow.

Other Uses for Muscles

Definitely helps on a bike!!! My motorcycle is lowered about as far as a bike could be lowered. I'm 5'2 and Harley Davidson put short shocks on the back, lowered the forks in the front, put on a different seat and there is next to no suspension on my bike (YOW). I can put my feet on the ground and to some it might look like a small bike but STILL it's a big, heavy bike to me. When I have to quickly manuveur it, it is very very helpful to muscle the thing around. I doubt I'll ever be able to pick it up should I drop it but thankfully I've never dropped this bike (knock on chrome) and past experience tells me that if a woman rider goes down, there are always a dozen people who stop immediately (in the east I hit sand a few times in the spring and once on a long trip I was fatigued and just lost my footing). Last year I had to practically lift the front end off the ground to avoid an oncoming car that was illegally passing another car while I was in a turn. Scary but my BFL muscles did the trick.

Good to have.
susan