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 Lite by EAS and Met Rx not anything like Slimfast [or SlimFat which is all sugar!]) or use Protein Powder and add carbs such as fruit. If you shop at www.netrition.com the page for each product will list carbs/proteins/fats/sugars. check the labels carefully! If you like to add carbs, go for a low carb but keep your protein/carb grams in mind. Some of the protein shakes have protein grams as high as 42 and this is usually too much for one BFL meal for any woman so split these in 2 and add carbs.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Useful links:
www.leanandstrong.com - check out the Transformation Gallery - and tons of useful info & support!
www.hussman.org/fitness - the famous Hussman site (but if you're doing BFL for the first time I strongly recommend following the book without tweaking).
Hotty - It's ROASTING here too. I don't know anyone around here who has air conditioning in their home - actually most of the time it's not necessary as temps very seldom reach the level they've been at since Saturday. Today is supposed to be the hottest day and then our "natural air conditioning" (i.e. the San Francisco morning fog) will click in...
As far as Get Lean - I think it's a great program. There is a book - but I've heard it's being updated. Right now Lee Labrada and Keith Klein (the developers of Get Lean) are helping the city of Houston get fit (I believe they were voted the most out-of-shape city in America). You can find a really good outline of the program and download a 33-page document here at http://labrada.com/glh/ - the book (which costs $60 from the Labrada site) is geared more towards competitors.
The question about when I started noticing my arms getting lean rather than bigger - actually this seems to be the modus operandi for most folks doing BFL or bodybuilding - FIRST you build the muscle, THEN the muscle starts burning the fat. In fact, the first 4-6 weeks can be pretty discouraging (as many of us experienced BFLers/bodybuilders can tell you!) especially if you're in the habit of frequent weighing - the scale won't move much - it might even go up (the main reason I recommend STAYING OFF THE SCALE) - and your clothes might not fit (early on my legs started getting huge). Frankly this is when many women give up. DON'T - if you're eating clean and working out with intensity, GOOD things are happening! Soon that newly built muscle will start chewing away at your fat...actually I started FEELING better inside before the changes became apparent on the outside - that's what kept me going - along with the support here and at www.leanandstrong.com!
Actually I like having big, muscular arms and legs - they could both stand some leaning out though. When I was seeing a personal trainer earlier this year, her opinion on my legs was a lot of the hangy stuff actually was loose skin, but I think it's tightening up gradually. I love this pic of Marla Duncan - not her boobs but her arms and legs are what I'm striving for -http://www.naturalmuscle.net/nm1100/duncan4.JPG
I have this week off from work - so the big challenge for me is eating CLEAN while I'm off my regular work schedule. This morning I went to the gym at 5:30 and did some cardio...then went for a walk in the lovely cool morning. I'm expecting a visit from the plumber this morning and am going to do a bit of housecleaning - after he leaves I'm heading back to the gym to do a leg workout.
If my car was running I'd definitely go to Portola Farms and pay the horses a visit or take an extra lesson this week.
It's hard to believe that in less than 4 days I'll be flying out to Raleigh and the LFTC! I can't wait to meet everyone - wish y'all were going to be there too!
Thanks, I did notice my waist got smaller, then bigger and then smaller, so maybe my arms are just now going through that cycle, but they feel huge. I'll take that as a good sign for more fat loss in the future.
It's been a difficult 4 days trying to eat clean... With the Canada Day long weekend, 2 BBQs, it hasn't been easy... Yesterday I actually ate potatoe salad ladden with mayo...ewwww... just the thought yuck!! Today hasn't been too bad, but not enough water... Hubby has been on vacation so it has been a bit out of wack... But the workouts have been always persistant and intense, so I'm hoping that will make up for it...AND because of not drinking my water I am retaining water and PMSing....arrrghhh!!! But I'll be4 ok in a few days, as soon as I start eatin cleaner...
My take on bigger arms and legs, and I have big arms and thighs too, and they get bigger when I intesify my workouts, is this: Better to be bigger than average, but NOT jiggly, I know right away when I don't work out enough, my butt jiggles on the way up the stairs... and that is not a good thing...
I like Marla's arms too Mrs. Jim... Lucky you going to Raleigh NC, that should be a great time, how long are you going for? With DH or the girls?
Either way it'll be exciting...Thanks MrsJim for the info about the soy, I will look into it on that site.....
Well I do have to go, it's getting late and 5AM arrives way too quickly when I go to bed later than 10PM
Later all...
Lana.....
Last edited by 3fcuser1058250; 07-02-2002 at 10:12 PM.
I am SO excited, gals...tomorrow night I catch the redeye to Raleigh and the big LIFT FOR THE CURE. I wish you all could be there...
I have to count up my donations - Jim came home last night with another $150 in checks - great, no? Especially now since the big charity event at work is the AIDS Walk coming up in a couple of weeks.
I'm going solo - wish Jim could come but SOMEONE has to watch the kitty! Besides he has a gig on the Fourth of July in Tiburon.
I'll be leaving on an 11:00 pm flight from SF, landing in Raleigh around 10:30 am on Friday...QZ has posted the events and OH Pam and Jim Brown are already there - check out the photos here: http://www.leanandstrong.com/cgi-bin/events.pl?read=120
I'm catching a 6 am flight back to SFO on Sunday...
Hotty - has it cooled down where you are? Temps were down to 77 degrees yesterday. Much more bearable IMO.
Lana - I have the same problem you do - when I'm not on my regular work schedule (like now) it's easy to slip out of clean eating mode. Fortunately as I stated previously, there's no cereal in the house - Jim keeps it at work now. No milk either. I'm just keeping SUPER BUSY!!!
Here's today's schedule:
3:55 am - Woke up by kitty - fed him and went back to bed until 5:20 am (hey, it's my vacation - I can sleep in!)
5:45 - 6:30 - went to gym for cardio.
6:45 am - logged into computer (I'm multitasking - have my PC and work laptop going right now)
7:30 am - Meal #1 - eggwhite omelette and Irish oatmeal
9:30 am - Weights - shoulders/abs/calves
10:30 am - Meal #2 - Myo Lite Cappuchino Ice YUM.
10:45 am - catching the bus to the mall - need to get a few last-minute items for LFTC and just GET OUT OF THE HOUSE for awhile...
1:00 pm - Meal 3 - if I'm still at the mall, I'll probably get a chicken breast, baked potato and salad...
And so on, so forth...the key is to stay busy busy busy!
Lana,
I'll join the big arms and thighs club. The arms are definitely firmer with just a little bit of jiggle left underneath. thighs have always been big, but now are getting very strong.
Mrs Jim, YES it is much cooler now. Have a great weekend.
This is my first week doing the 100reps with low weights.
So far so good, I sweat a lot so I feel like I am burning lots of fat.
Like the article in M&FHers said, the first 40-50 reps don't feel like anything, but the last 10 or so are killers. And I am seeing some definition in my massive upper arms!
(probably) my last post before leaving for the Lift for the Cure...
Hope y'all are having a great Fourth - gonna be low-key for me, though Jim and I just went cycling with our precious nephew. He LOVES riding his bike with us! We are both so proud of him - he's six years old and already riding a 'big boy's bike' - with handbrakes and Grip Shift (it's a Specialized Hot Rock - if you're looking for a kid's bike I HIGHLY recommend this one - a bit pricey but RUGGED and high quality - he'll be riding it for the next two years).
I was thinking about bringing my laptop but want to keep myself limited to a backpack as far as packing...but I'll post as soon as I return to the Bay Area on Sunday morning! In addition, I believe that QZ is going to be posting photos from LFTC at the Lean & Strong Events Gallery as soon as he is able to!
3 days of good workouts, still doing the 100 reps with low weights per the M&F Hers workout. Supposed to burn fat big time.
I think I'll be glad to go back to 3 sets of 20 reps, but this is interesting and it is good to mix things up.
MrsJim---Well??? How was the contest? Details please.
Sorry it took me so long to post...jet-lag and hanging out on L&S has taken up most of my time...but here goes.
I'm going to try and recreate the past weekend - starting with my sister driving me to SFO (Jim had a gig on July 4th). She obviously thought I was NUTS to go all the way across the US, just for some weightlifting thing. I actually didn't start getting nervous until I boarded the connecting flight from Dulles (DC) to Raleigh. Then panic started setting in!
Jana picked me up at RDU and we immediately started talking. I haven't been to North Carolina since I was a little girl and forgot how beautiful it is...my father was born and raised in NC...We stopped at the Marriott TownSuites (where most of us were staying) to check in and drop off my stuff, and then we were off to QuadZilla's lair to meet everyone!
WOW! It was so cool meeting Pam B and her hubby Jim (who is JUST as amazing as Pam), Steve L, Erik (QZ), Lori, Robb, Little Chyna, and everyone else. I felt INCREDIBLY shy...I'm a lot less eloquent with the spoken word than I am with the written word for sure...
That night we went to Jillian's for dinner and awards...and got to know everyone. I wore the green dress that I'm wearing in my Vegas shot...
The lift itself was SO much fun! We lifted for two hours in the morning, then a break for lunch - then Pam and Mya (two of our competitors from L&S) spoke to the group - Pam did her routine - then we all lifted until 3:30 pm - showered and took off for an early dinner at the Golden Corral (a buffet place). Of course Southern cooking is WAY too good. I kind of overdid the blackeyed peas so I've been a bit bloated since Saturday night Just about everyone had a free meal except for our competitors, who brought their own Tupperware containers with their clean food.
Afterwards, we just hung out - some folks were staying at Erik's house, those of us at the TownSuites watched Tom Walsh's posing routine and then a bunch of us hung out at the pool and had a camp singalong.
I called it a night around 9:30 since I had a 6 am flight to catch. Would you believe - I couldn't sleep more than two hours?
All told, it was a blast and I'm already looking forward to next year (definitely bringing Jim along next time!)
... and I brought 20lbs along with me! Well it's been 2 months + I think, and you can just see what I've been doing. I've been in lurker mode for quite a while now (gone for 2 weeks vacation in there too) and after reading all the posts from LFTC I finally had enough courage to step on the scale today. I know, I know - but I just had to see how much damage I did. Much to my dismay I am 20lbs heavier than the start of C1!! Given I only lost 1.5 lbs in C1, I didn't have much to gain back - even still!!! Can anyone say OUT OF CONTROL!!! I finally had to suck it up and face the music before I did major damage. For the new people (and newly returned) I had lost 80lbs prior to BFL. I really lost control trying to cope with the loss of my father in law - reverted back to old habits - and for that I am angry at myself because I really thought that I had it licked.
Today was a day of eating clean and already I'm feeling much better - hadn't been pushing the water and I think that makes a big difference too! I love the BFL way of eating and I am going to continue with that but I want to change my workouts. I've been referred to the Krista Smash site before (MrsJim??) so I went there to try a new split routine. My question is - am I considered a beginner because I have been off for 2 months or can I try an intermediate routine? Specifically Intermediate 3 day split? I work out at home and I don't relish the thought of starting another BFL routine with all of the plate changes. I'm also still having knee and shoulder problems despite the layoff - so I want to ease into it. I also don't have much faith in myself for another BFL routine given my results of C1 (and I did work my butt off and finished! - but I won't go there) Would appreciate any comments.
There - I took the plunge and I'm back online - hoping that will help. I'll try to contribute where I can - but as you can see I'm not one to talk just yet - Progress not Perfection . Might reintroduce myself at L&S this week if all goes well. Carps you still around? Susanje? Mel? Anyone? I know good ole faithful MrsJim is here somewhere!
Like you said...progress not perfection...I really wish you could have heard Pam speak on Saturday. She is even more motivating in person - especially with her hubby Jim present. HE is soooooooooooooooooooo amazing...what he's gone through and where he is today. Actually QuadZilla (Erik) videotaped Pam's and Mya's presentations - stay tuned at L&S - I'm hoping he's able to make the videos downloadable or otherwise accessible. If so DO make a point to see them - guaranteed motivation!
Right now both Susanje and Mel are on vacation - I know Mel is in Europe and Susan is back East and without internet access
DO post at L&S - believe me, everyone there will understand...time to climb back on the wagon and take care of yourself...
Suz - Yup, that be me on the far right! It was such a blast!!
Hi everybody! I'm sort of new here; I used to frequent this site when I first saw a write-up in Fitness or Shape magazine a long, long time ago. I was in lurker status until now, and am mostly in lurker status over at L&S, but come out to play only once in a blue moon.
MrsJim--I've read a quite a bit about LFTC over at L&S, looked at the pictures (everyone looks wiped out!), but you all looked like you had a blast. How much did you lift? Did you do any of the contests? I can't wait to see more of the pictures, and maybe next year I can be in a position to join in all the fun.
BTW, it seems like I've been doing BFL forever, and I started losing weight about four years ago when I was 188 pounds. I gained 40 pounds while pregnant, lost 30 of it, and am now working on the last 10. I'm doing a split routine and eating pretty much BFL style, but I'm going to try Get Lean as soon as it's off backorder.
Oh, Mrs.Jim you looked pretty good in that pic sitting down too.... good calves... I can understand about being shy in a situation where you know no one really personally...I'm quite outgoing too, but some situations I clam right up...
Looks like fun was had by all tho...
Well I'm finally finished PMSing, gained a few pounds in a week,just by not eating clean for a few days... geez it doesn't take much!!.. But today and yesterday were really good...
Today though I could have eaten every hour... I was hungry all the time... maybe I didn't keep busy enough... Both kids have earaches and don't feel like doing much, so neither do I... I could have done housework but guess what? I didn't!!...
Well it's been a few hot days... I love it... Tomorrow at 5:30am it's upper body workout...and a bike ride too...
Sparky is right next to the fan all sprawled out, and I'm a-guzzlin' water and Diet Cokes...
Jim's already committed to the next L&S gettogether. Sounds like QZ's planning it for May - much cooler...hopefully I'll be able to make it (depends on my work schedule).
Funny but I'm having to FORCE myself to eat with this heat. I mostly want to chug liquids.
OHHHHH JC... I mean JEC...I saw your post in the main Diet Plans thread...I know you're a busy gal but come on by sometime! We miss your bubbly personality! Has hubby returned from the Mideast yet?
Tracy - it's funny but I didn't lift as much as I usually do - until AFTER I turned in my sheet. BDGFN (Jana's Jim), Get Lean David and I got into a calf machine workout...not really a contest - just to see how much we could lift. I was able to do 10 reps at 630 pounds! Next time I'll know NOT TO TURN IN MY SHEET until after I'm completely done with lifting, and to lift my max!
Whew - going to log off now - to relax by the fan with Sparky (we don't have air conditioning - 360 days of the year it's not necessary in these parts...and our home office is in our kitchen which is the hottest room in the house! Later everyone!
Body for Life / Bodybuilding #60!!
Soon that newly built muscle will start chewing away at your fat...actually I started FEELING better inside before the changes became apparent on the outside - that's what kept me going - along with the support here and at 
Just about everyone had a free meal except for our competitors, who brought their own Tupperware containers with their clean food.
because I really thought that I had it licked.
- hadn't been pushing the water and I think that makes a big difference too! I love the BFL way of eating and I am going to continue with that but I want to change my workouts. I've been referred to the Krista Smash site before (MrsJim??) so I went there to try a new split routine. My question is - am I considered a beginner because I have been off for 2 months or can I try an intermediate routine? Specifically Intermediate 3 day split? I work out at home and I don't relish the thought of starting another BFL routine with all of the plate changes. I'm also still having knee and shoulder problems despite the layoff - so I want to ease into it. I also don't have much faith in myself for another BFL routine given my results of C1 (and I did work my butt off and finished! - but I won't go there) Would appreciate any comments. 
Progress not Perfection 
I'm almost new.
