I need to shake up my routine, try something new, so on June 6 I started the 12-week Body For Life challenge based on Pamela Peek's new book. I'm really going to give this my all and if anyone out there wants to join me that'd be great--we can inspire each other!

I'm going into this with the attitude that Dr. Peeke likely has a pretty good idea about all this so I'm going to follow her advice as closely as possible. But we all know that life happens and I'll tweak it here and there!

Here I go....!

Coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2
2 soy 'sausages'***cheddar stick***3 triscuits
cherries

2 ww toast w/ soy 'turkey', fat-free cheese. lettuce, carrots, onion, tahini dressing
baked sweet potato wedges
peach

veg-bean soup
steamed brocolli w/ cheddar
3 triscuits w/ 1 wedge lite laughing cow
1 cup raspberries
coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2

calories:1450
fruits/vegs: 9 servings
water: 11 glasses
Exercise: 30 min. step video
30 min. bellydance video

First day of the challenge. My first thought this morning was "I don't want to do this"---no enthusiasm at all. My second thought was "You have to do it". I feel like I've been flatlining with my program for a while, just barely hanging on and eating more than usual and in the process I've gained 5 pounds so That means I'm 5 pounds above goal and that's my limit! I swore I wouldn't let it get above 5 pounds without taking action so here I am, doing what I do, what we all do I guess: fine-tuning, trying new things, and always learning. Since I've been reading the book and experimenting with the workouts I realize that I've kind of been sleep-walking thru my workouts. Now I'm committed to really putting myself out there and when I did the videos today I worked up a fine sweat because I was really concentrating on what I was doing instead of just phoning it in.

coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2
veg. quiche w/ oat. crust

1 cup cherries

2 ww w/ soy 'turkey', spinach, ff cheese, mustard
tom-veg. soup
strawberries***coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2

Salad [lettuce, steamed sweet potatoes and brocolli, avocado, cheddar, Legere's dressing]
blueberry fruit bar

Calories: 1685
water: 12 glasses
fruit/vegs: 10 servings
exercise: 30 min. step video
55 min. upper body weights
35 min. weeding

What a difference a day can make---if we let it. I woke up this morning full of energy and at 5:50 this AM I was out in my garden weeding!!! Hadn't intended to be out there long, but spent 35 minutes out there. Don't think it qualifies as strenuous exercise, but the other stuff I did today counts for sure.
I'm really enjoying my food and the fact that I'm effortlessly eating tons of vegetables. And by the way, the salad I had tonight may seem like a strange mix of ingredients but it was divine!

Thanks Amarantha! Yes, please--stop by anytime.

Hey, is it possible to lose 2 pounds in 2 days? I stepped on the scales this morning just for fun and it appears that I have. I've been taking in fewer calories and drinking lots of water [a habit I'd gotten away from] and maybe that's all it takes. I haven't had the extra weight for long and maybe my body remembers and wants to get back there.

Looking forward to Day 3!

Hi Eydie!


YOU are an inspiration!...

Are you limiting your fruit intake??? That was one t hing that suprised me w hen I read the book ( just last week, karma?) .....
and was really suprised about bananas but then again......

YOU ARE THE WOMAN!

Thanks, Kaylets! Still in the honeymoon phase---time will tell and all that, but right now I'm digging it!

I'm not really limiting my fruit intake--not with all the luscious stuff that's out there now, just kind of staying aware of it and trying to eat a bit lower on the glycemic index for the mose part. I'll have a hard time limiting it to 2 servings a day, same with the whole grain things, so I'm not going to worry if I have an extra serving here and there.
I must've missed something--what did she say about bananas?

coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2
veg quiche

Salad [lettuce, sweet potato, brocolli, soy 'turkey', onion, cheese, Legere's dressing]
tomato-veg. soup

coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2, 1 tbsp. fruit-sweet. choc. sauce

ww bagel w/ low-fat cheddar and cream cheeses, spinach, carrot, onion
clementine**peach

Calories: 1600
water: 13 glasses
fruit/veg.: 8 servings

EXERCISE: 30 min. tae bo video
30 min. bellydance video
20 min. mat Pilates

Got up before 6 again today full of energy. I love that! Just had a few things to do at work so I was home by 1:00. I'd only intended to do the tae bo video but when it was over I was so hot and sweaty that I decided to do an extra 30 min. bellydance video. Let me tell you, the shower after felt great!
There's a chart in the book that gives you the workout schedule for the entire 12 weeks and on the cardio days it says "AT LEAST 30 minutes". I didn't let that sink in till today, the 'at least' part! So I'm going to attempt to do a little extra most days.
In the middle of the day I made myself a mocha drink using the fruit-sweet fudge sauce--that was a great treat for me. I'll do that again.
By the way, this is Day 263 of my no-sugar plan!

Eydie, I haven't found the book yet but what K says is interesting. If it's a low glycemic plan, I'm in! BTW, ripe bananas (green ok) are verboten on Sugar Busters and I think South Beach because they are extremely high glycemic.

Added later: There's a sample week of BFL meal plans on their website and it DOES include a banana (maybe more, I didn't read the whole week). So that answers that! Awesome plan, though.

Really slept in this morning--didn't get up until 6 :45 .
Thanks for the info about bananas, Empress. I don't eat bananas every day but sometimes they're a good substitute for dessert. They've got that sweet and creamy thing, and I usually add a few chunx to smoothies.
Pam Peeke doesn't really talk much about the glycemic index but in the food chart she describes some vegetables such as sweet potatoes, corn and peas as "starchy" and to limit those. It's a very simplified food plan and in a a way that's good but I wish there was more.

My big challenge today is going out for lunch with my co-workers. We're going out to a really nice place [a local winery] with all kinds of really succulent desserts, so it'll be interesting to see what happens. I have no idea what's on the menu so wish me luck.

Went out for lunch today with the gang and had cactus for the first time! It was good but I won't seek it out. Everyone else had killer desserts and I asked for fresh fruit. The waiter tried his best to talk me into having it with sorbet or grand marnier and I said, 'no, just fruit'. And when he brought it it was beautiful. Pears and berries and grapes arranged in a sexy goblet! Overdid it on bread today btw.

coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2
2 ww w/ tofu. ff cheese, spinach, carrot, onion, tahini sauce
apple

roll w/ cheese, mayo, cactus, portabello, onion, tomato
taro chips
pear slices, strawberry, grapes
coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2

lentil soup
2 clementines

Calories: ? [never know when you eat out, so i don't do it often]
water: 11 glasses

exercise: 30 min. bellydance video****40 min. lower body stuff

coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2
smoothie [rice milk, strawberries, whey protein]

banana

refried beans w/ cheese, salsa, guacamole
steamed brocolli
1 serv. tortilla chips

lentil soup
romaine leaves w/ vegs, tofu, goddess dressing
strawberries and whipped cream

calories:1465
fruit/vegs: 9 serv.

exercise: 4 1/2 mile walk