Happy August! 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!

Good morning all.

Jennifer 3fc, I hope you don't mind - I started a thread for August and lifted your introduction from July because you said it all so well.

I just wanted to check in and get back to posting as the last week or so I have been MIA. I hit a blip in my motivation, not unusual for me I'm afraid. If I could control that I would rule the world!

I am starting to see people I haven't seen since early May the last few days. I have gotten some comments on my weight loss accomplishment over the summer. I am pretty pleased that I have toned and lost inches. I am slooooow though. I have been at it for 2 years now and still have so far to go. My answer when someone comments is, "well, slowly but surely." And that is so true, I would say I am very very good 85 to 90% of the time. I guess it all boils down to being a hedonist, I enjoy the pleasures of food, not something I could realistically be spartan about without imploding. This past week has been such a lesson in that, skipping a free day backfired on me. I felt so deprived that I have had a 2 day eating spree! So, back to what works for me.

Thought I'd post my food and workouts for a couple days to help me get my focus back. Anyway Sat. is on the calendar for free day. I won't try to "make-up" for mistakes by not having it and the thought of it will make the days between now and then easier.

M1: 1/2 c. CC, 1/2 oatmeal, 1 scoop PP, 2 oz. blueberries
M2: 1 C CC and 1 C pineapple
M3: 4 oz. turkey breast, 2 C watermelon
M4: EFL muffin
M5: Turkey meatloaf, broccoli, new potatoes
M6: Oatmeal/PP

Shoulders/Abs, 20 min. treadmill

Hey to everyone and I hope to hear from you all soon.

Hi everyone!!

Ledom thanks for starting up the August thread!! And im glad to see your getting back on track we all do that from time to time and we just have to accept that and get back on track so keep up the good work

Just a quick update for me...
I have had to postpone my BFL/EFL until probably sometime next week due to my grandfather being admitted to CCU sunday evening. Its just been nonstop going back and forth from the hospital and lack of sleep i just havent had the time to prepare anything and im basically at the house long enough to shower and sleep right now so i have made a plan to get back on asap as soon as he is home. Its gonna be an adjustment thats for sure for my grandmother cause she has to alter the way she cooks and what she allows him to eat. He is doing better and starts his dialisis or however you spell it today so things are looking up and you can tell he already feels better. I probably wont be around to much the rest of the week but i hope everyone is starting their August off better than i am lol. Hope to talk with you all soon.

Brittnye

Britt,

I as so sorry to hear about your Grandfather. I understand how it can put a halt on your plans as well. You'll come back even stronger for the break.

Yesterday went well, I stuck to my food plan but didn't get my workout in. But, this morning I did so I feel totally back on track.

I have been wondering about your Donna. Are you back from your trip yet?

Jacklyn you sound great and I am so pleased for you and your success so far.

Jennifer, how you feeling sweetheart? I hope you are regaining your strength and that you'll check in soon.


Cindy, I miss hearing from you. Hope all is well in your life.

Hey guys - I'm still hanging in here - food and workouts are not too bad, but there is definitely room for improvement.

Things in my life are a bit stressful and hectic right now which is why I've been laying low. I'll write more when I get a chance.

Hope everyone is doing well.
Cindy

I am so sorry for 'disappearing'! My life has tumbled upside down and it is just now getting back to normal. Everything sorta fell on me at once. Long story! Anyway, I am back on BFL officially since Monday. It's good to be back!

I took a long time on weights Monday and today. I want to try and split it up differently. I have such a jam-packed life these days I am afraid I will let it fall by the wayside if I don't make a more reasonable schedule. I want to do cardio every day, I think I need it for my ultra-sluggish metabolism. Does anybody else here split up their routine into shorter workouts on a daily basis?

uh-huh, I do. I split my workouts like this.

Chest/Tris
Back/Bis
Legs
Shoulders/Abs

and I am trying for 20 min. cardio a day. I have even just done one body part every day. Oh and on the split I described above, I do it every other day mostly but sometimes I don't skip a day between.

Glad you're back Jennifer.

Thanks for the well wishes that means a lot. My grandfather isnt doing as well today he developed a touch of phnemonia and they are treating that now too. He is still confused and aggitated also but they are saying this is normal and im hoping this will pass soon.

Eating wise and exercise wise well lets just say its a good thing i have postponed BFL/EFL for now. But i look forward to getting back to it hopefully next week. Im glad to see that everyone is doing ok and i hope you continue to do so. Talk to everyone soon!

Brittnye

Ledom, how much time do you spend on average on your workouts when they are split?

Brittnye, I'm sorry about your Dad.

Jennifer - You know I don't time them but I will sart posting them. Yesterday I kayaked for the better part of the day so that was my workout and today I have a 1 1/2 hr. yoga class. On Thursday when I did chest/tris I estimate that I spent 40 to 45 minutes on weights and then I did 20 on the tread. Once I go back to work the extra cardio may have to go, at least on some days. I put a small TV in my workout room and I try to watch the morning shows (Today) while I work out, that gets me going but I find myself waiting until 7 even if I am up earlier. That will have to change when I have to get around earlier. I expect a big adjustment in routine when I go back to work.

One other thing on my strength training. I do the BFL recommended 5 sets and I do two to three excercises for each muscle group. I do 12/10/8/6/12 reps just as described in BFL, but then I move on to another exercise to target the same muscle and do 5 sets of that exercise. For example chest gets 3 exercises. For tris, I did one set of exercises and then the second exercise I didn't do sets but just worked the exercise to exhaustion and called it a day because I wanted to move on to the tread. I am becoming more intuitive w/ my workouts as I become more experienced.

How much time do you have to spend on your workouts? I would encourage you to make what you do work for you in your life. I can spend more time in the summer when I am on break from school. I start back to work the 20th of this month and things will drastically change then. But, as I said, I will try to keep a running record of what I do and post it.

I am single and my child is grown (though she's home now), and that makes a tremendous difference in what I can do as well. Individual circumstance must be considered.

Ah, one more last hurrah before going back to said work. I'll be traveling Thurs - Mon of the coming week. I am just trying to hang on to my losses until I can get back into a regular at-home routine.

Hi there am I in the right place...I am trying here I have started BFL after reading both that and Abs Power (funny book) ..anyway I am convinced this is the best way to go for me...I have been eating 6 times a day for the past two weeks drinking plenty of water the first week worked out the second week my schedule changed (of course) and I lost the beat ...was so sedentary ...argh...anyway I am going to keep plugging away I need to get some muscle behind my fat here I have always felt this was the most important way to acheive a fit body....any tips would be appreciated? I have a variable job one day/week I could be sitting all day (that is NOT condusive to motivation) when I do I feel so much mroe fatigued and lazy!!!....then the next I run all day....and then I am pumped and motivated feel good and even when I am tired have time for weights ect...Just goes to show you that sedentary jobs are very unhealthy....If you sit most of the day how do you motivate yourself??? also please tell me how you keep the one free meal day at one and not have it snowball into a bunch of eat anything meals.....I have tried to save mine for Sunday to avoid the weekend slips but Friday nights I am so relieved that the week is over that I want something totally out of line for dinner...then there are leftovers Sat then Sunday is always dinner with my husband, brother and the kids where we have the huge family dinner with all the trimmings....I need some changes here....can you help? thanks

Hi everyone! Brittnye, I hope your grandfather is doing better

Just a quick update! I am finishing week 4 today! Tomorrow is my free day. As of this morning I have lost 9 pounds and 6 1/2 inches! My hubby has lost 8 pounds in the last 2 weeks! It's so nice to have progress!

KidzRN~ about the free day...I have been enjoying it to the fullest! A couple of times I just had a free meal, but other days I grazed throughout the day. I figure as long as I keep losing, I'll keep enjoying it! I like to average about a pound to a pound and a half a week, so if I quit losing that I may try to restrict myself more, but we'll see. This is my first challenge so I plan to keep all of the free days there. When I start the second I may cut out one free day a month just to see if that changes anything. I know right now that I really need them though....I start getting cravings around Thursday and Friday. There's something about knowing that I just have to wait until Sunday and then I can eat whatever I want. That alone has helped me to stay on plan. Hope that helps!

Welcome Kidz and WOW Jacklyn - YOU are doing great!

I am w/ Jacklyn on free day. For me it is necessary, when I start fooling w/ eliminating it I get into trouble. What works for Cindy, and maybe she'll chime in here, is three free meals a week to accomodate special occasions.

There was a period of about 6 weeks when I was doing BodyRx that I forwent free day, and did ok, but I really had to get my head right about that. I don't forsee doing it again.

I will keep the free day and do it on Sundays...I have not problems M-F really but Friday PM is when I want the beer or wine and a huge dinner...but I am putting it off ...that is my first goal for the upcoming week...thanks I appreciate it..

Hi everybody!

KidzRN~you sound like me! There's nothing I love better than getting off work on Friday and enjoying some beer or wine with the hubby (we dont have kids, so it's much easier to enjoy the adult beverage at anytime...unfortunately for my waist line ). But honestly, I have been saving it for my free day and have still lost weight....I am down another 1/2 pound this morning, making it 9 1/2 pounds in 4 weeks! If you can keep your free day to just one day a week, I KNOW you will see results! Be patient though...I lost 6 pounds the first week and then nothing for 2 more weeks. Then all of a sudden my 4th week I dropped 3 1/2 more pounds. I just keep telling myself..this is a lifestyle change..not a diet. It WILL come off eventually! Take care and good luck!