Happy July! For those of you not familiar with these programs, here's some general info:


Helpful links:
Chat with Bill Philips on WebMD about the EFL plan
Eating for Life official site which includes sample recipes and program basics. Make sure you read the Q&A.

EFL Basics:
You eat 6 times a day. This is generally small balanced meals including breakfast, lunch, dinner, two snacks (which usually are a meal replacement bar or shake, or a nutrition shake from book recipes) and a healthy dessert. You can enjoy fruits, breads, etc, and it can be adapted to fit a vegetarian lifestyle. You follow the plan 6 days a week, and then you enjoy a free day.

The recipes in the book look heavenly, including Santa Fe Chicken Soup, Balsamic Salmon Salad, Turkey Bacon Quiche, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and many more. If you already have Body for Life, you'll notice that Eating for Life includes more food choices. These are easy to follow recipes with easy to find ingredients.

Exercise is recommended, as it should be included in ANY weight loss plan. However, you don't have to follow the weight lifting routine recommended in Body for Life, unless that is your goal. The EFL plan is meant to enhance Body For Life, so please do consider it.

It isn't a hard plan to follow. Carbs and Protein are 40% and fats are 20% of the meal. In general, if you have a palm sized protein, a fist sized carb and cook in a low fat style, that's the plan. It's easy once you try. You also need to add vegetables to at least 2 meals a day.


If you have any questions, please ask. We'd love to answer your questions! Most importantly, read the books - the key to success on any program!

Yum! This is very similar to one I used to make regularly, but I used cocoa and Splenda instead of SF hot cocoa mix. This sounds really good!

~~Frozen Mocha Shake~~
Makes 1 serving

1 c. skim milk
2 tsp. Taster's Choice instant coffee
2 packets of Splenda [or 4 tsp.]
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 envelope of Swiss Miss Fat Free Hot Chocolate Mix
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder [16g. of protein]
1 1/2 c. crushed ice

Blend all together in a blender until smooth and thick. The nutritional
stats are;
Cals:219
Proteins:26g.
Carbs:26g.
Fats:1.5g.

Jennifer, back to the deviled egg recipe. I make these by mixing half of the yolks with cottage cheese, as well as a wide mix of other tasty ingredients such as those mentioned in your recipe. I don't use mayonaise at all. If I use mayo in anything, it's one of the "light" flavored ones like the Wasabi Gourmayo.

As far as a protein to combine with friut, I sometimes make a thin very light eggbeater pancake (like a blintz) and eat it topped with fruit and sweetened cream cheese. It is also good w/o the cc.

Interesting about the blintzes! Do you have a hard time getting the protein balanced? Have you tried whirling cottage cheese for a filling, or using ricotta cheese? That sounds REALLY good (your blintz idea) and I think I will have to try it this weekend.

Thanks!

Oh, I got my menopause Diet Mini Meal Cookbook today in the mail. It looks like quite a few of them are Turkish or Indian. Does anybody know of an acceptable replacement for curry? I don't like it. (We need a smiley with crossed eyes and a tongue sticking out)

Happy Holiday Weekend!

Another nice creme frache idea is splenda mixed with fat free sour cream. I am serving that and blueberries on top of the EFL Cheesecake this week.

I got out my original BFL book today and decided to go back to that lifting sequence w/ one change, I'll work each muscle group only once a week. It felt so good to do back and tris differently, my muscles were bored and I was bored! I haven't been practicing yoga as much as I'd like, my class time was switched and I haven't been taking the time at home. I'm losing some agility and centeredness - I am going to work on getting that back.

I get to go back on plan!!! I start tomorrow, after I have suitable groceries! Who am I kidding - I'll wind up eating yogurt and cheesesticks and eggs half the day regardless of what new stuff I bought. I really will make an EFFORT to try new recipes and not eat the same old easy stuff. I can walk on the treadmill, but no weights. Next week I'll ask again about the weights. Eventually she's probably going to stitch my mouth shut!

Great news Jennifer!!!

I just made the EFL Singapore Shrimp and I highly recommend it.

Ok, shame on me. I waited to start back all the way today so I could get prepared, and I did exactly what I laughed about - I'm eating plain old stuff!

M1 - 1 egg, 3 whites, and yogurt
M2 - Myoplex Bar
M3 - Yogurt and a cheesestick
M4 - Nothing - I made a protein shake, spilled it, got mad and took a nap instead.
M5 - Jerk chicken, corn and green beans
M6 - Will get something when fireworks are over!

Happy day after the 4th, though I hope everyone has the day off today as well.

I had a miserable week last week, it just went downhill from last Sunday and try as I might my fire was gone. The result, just feeling like s#!t - I can't be a slug anymore.

So, this morning I am concentrating on reinvigorating my fire for the quest. I planned my meals for today on fitday and did a killer leg workout. I chased it w/ glutamine because I added lunges back into my workout and I know I am going to be sore from it.

I guess I still have issues because hitting a new low weight often has the result of sending me into a tailspin! You'd think it would be motivating - I don't know if it is because I feel I can relax a bit or if it is fear of being thin. Anyway, my goal is not to let one bad week turn into two.

PS - Skwigg's latest blog post reviews an intereting article from Hers magazine http://skwigg.tripod.com/blog/ I am going to try to find it to read for myself.

I'm sorry you had a bad week! Today is a new day and you can start over. I totally understand about being stuck at a new low. I've been thinking the same thing lately - that I've become comfortable with myself and allow myself to not work as hard. Actually when I was on BFL I never felt like that. I only allowed my self to feel comfortable on free day and that was it. I've never stuck to a plan so beautifully! It is so nice to be back on the eating plan. Don't let your guard down! You can be comfy and relaxed on free day. You can do it! Make this a perfect week.

Ah! I read (oh I'm hungry, I wrote ATE) Skwigg's journal entry and this was eye opening:

The frequent meals part reinforces what I'm doing, that makes me comfy.
Now the follow up to the second half:

Ok! In order to know if I am over exercising I will have to do a lot of number crunching, and I hate number crunching! That is what I love about BFL. Palms and fists. Now I'll have to find one of the calorie counters, enter weight, exercises, get my BMR, calculate it and figure out the daily totals, plus the 'session' totals. I don't HAVE to, but now that I know there is a more efficient fat burning way, I will have to test it for myself or it will drive me nuts.

Good article!

Thanks for the encouragement Jennifer, you are so right and I do feel renewed this morning. I am so glad you are back on the eating plan and I look forward to you getting back to your workouts as well. I know what you mean about being able to stick to this plan - sometimes I falter but all in all, it's the only WOE I can imagine doing successfully. Have a great day!

Hi Jennifer and Ledom,

I've been reading your posts on BFL & EFL. I am intersested. As a 10 yr type II diabetic who is close to becoming insulin dependent(and I am not taking my meds as I should. I lose better off them...bad me ) I need to find a lifestyle change thats doable. Dr Phil, can't even get thru the book. He has some good advise, but it's just not doing it for me. I bought Bob Greenes "Get with the Program" By the time you get to Phase III you'll be trying to fit so much exercise into your life that you would have to lose weight. But I know I can't possibly put so much time into exercise. I'll be stressed just trying to fit it into my day and just quit again. I'm so sick of failure. I've tried so many diet books without much long term success. Sugar Busters, So Beach, The Zone(to much measuring) Bob Greene, Dr Phil, I just want a good reference and guide. I went to the website and it seemed pretty interesting. I want to by the books but don't feel I am worth investing even more money on when I don't follow thru. I was a little confused with the EFL/BFL. Which one should be done first? Should both be bought together? Do you need to buy both? I'm going to go back to the site again. But you both seemed happy with the program and I've been told everyone, especially diabetics, that 6 small meals is advisable. That's what drew me to the program. I also have been exercising and plan to increase as I'm ready and EFL doesn't seem to push a specific regamin. Any help would be appreciated.

Donna- EFL is simply a cookbook to go along with the BFL program. EFL recipes are BFL friendly, at least for most people.

Jennifer- I wouldn't worry about the measuring, calculating, etc, if you are going back to BFL. I did 2 challenges before I ever started measuring foods and calculating ratios, or counting calories. The only change I made to doing it by the book is that after the first week, I never did a weight workout on an empty stomach. I usually did my workouts in the afternoon, so it was just impossible. Even early morning workouts, I still eat first, since for me no food is the quickest way to major injury in the gym. Don't sweat the small stuff!

Mel