Let's start with the standard info and I'll add some links as well...
Quote:
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 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).
How is everyone today? I'm really good, I just came back from an awesome lower body workout, then I went out and biked 11k this is about 7 miles, at a good clip. This isn't really far but I made it count... I really like the change that this work out has made, I actually got my calves pumped this morning and last week my biceps too...I leg pressed 320 lb this week too...
Haven't lost any weight this week, but I feel good...
MrsJim thank you for the links to those sites, they are great and I have now added them to my bookmarks....
I think Jim and I are going to Half Moon Bay today to visit some friends of ours. We have been busy this weekend with the horses, my training, etc.
How many of you read the muscle mags and try out exercises from them? In the new issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers, on page 62, they showed the "Overhead Squat". I incorporated it into my legs workout and I'm telling ya, it's GREAT. When I'm doing a movement for the first time, I go very light, so I started with the 20 pound fixed straight barbell. Here's how ya do it:
1) Assume a squat stance with your feet shoulder-width apart, abs tight, slight low back arch, and a stick resting across your upper traps. Your grip should be much wider than your normal squat grip (about twice the width of your shoulders).
2) Raise the bar directly overhead and squeeze your shoulder blades together tightly to keep the bar in place.
3) Squat down while keeping the bar directly overhead and your arms in line with your ears.
4) While keeping your chest and head up, drive quickly out of the bottom position. Repeat for 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
I did this as a warm-up, supersetting with stationary lunges holding 10-lb dumbbells, following up with:
Supersets: Back Squat in Squat Rack/DB Lunges
Straight-Leg Barbell deadlifts/Leg press
Leg extensions/Seated Leg Curls.
I've been reading but not posting here lately -- it's been sort of BFL-routine with me. My husband Brian and I are starting the last week of challenge 4 or so (one was a short 6-week sprint before last New Year). I'm starting to get a little tired of the gym and the eating, but still plan to start up another 12 weeks after free week. By then I'll probably be ready to get back at it!
Like some of the other folks around here and at Lean and Strong, I'd been considering something like the Get Lean program -- but I'm not quite at the point yet where it's just the finishing touches. I saw that one of the new posters here has been on a very strict program for a long time -- that's really impressive! Don't think I'm that motivated right now, though.
Next challenge I will get the most I can out of plain BFL by just not undoing a good chunk of my weekly progress with my darn free day overeating! After today's free day, like most of the others, I feel rotten. And I'm even getting migraines after free days, when I know that chocolate seems to be an exacerbating factor. During free week I will try to be a model of moderation.
Have a terrific week everyone! I'll talk to you all soon with something other than a post-free-day rant (but feel free to let me know if any of you have similar problems!)
Well, yesterday I did a half-free-day for the first time in awhile...Jim and I rode our bikes to McD's and I had a #2 - cheeseburger & fries. BIG MISTAKE. Today I've just felt like crap! Drinking water right now, trying to get that out of my system, which is apparently unused to anything that isn't 'clean'.
For those of you wanting to find out about Get Lean...check this out...Labrada just started "Get Lean Houston" and there's a 33-page document you can print out at http://labrada.com/glh/ to find out more about it... check it out!!!
I have read the book and been inspired by the pictures and stories, in the book as well as on 3FC. My biggest stumbling block: I am having a tough time with the food! I try to follow the list of approved/recommended food, but I don't know what I can add.
For example, yesterday (my first day), I started off with nonfat soy milk and frozen fruit (blended into a smoothie). I thought, "Great. The milk is protein and fruit is carb." Then I read that milk is not a great choice. I didn't see it on the list but I thought milk would be fine.
Then I read that if you do have milk, you should count it as a carb. (Coming from a Weight Watchers background, I just assumed it would be a protein. Of course, that's moot cause I'm now steering clear of milk!)
Now, how do I know what food is okay? (For example, what about lowfat cheese? Are all veggies considered approved?) And how do I determine if a food is considered a carb or a protein? Are there are set rules or numbers to go by? I have read and re-read the "Eating for Life" chapter and I just can't seem to get the hang of this. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I know I'm bound to make mistakes here and there, but I really want to give this my full effort!
Andrea
Last edited by cheddarella; 06-26-2002 at 02:13 AM.
Welcome Chedderalla (love the name). It's really not that hard to get the food part. Get your book out and leave it in the kitchen, with the page of authorized foods and their categories (protein, carb, vegie) marked. IMHO, when you are starting, just eat what's on the list. Note that while some of the recipes in the book say "a sprinkle of low fat cheese", except for lowfat cottage cheese, it is not authorized. Also note that bread is "reluctantly" authorized.
Another good source of information are the recipe files on www.leanandstrong.com, and there is a thread there everyday by Tall Jen (TJ) where you can post your day's menu, or yesterday's if you're not a very good planner, and she will critique it and help you tweak it for maximum results. Be prepared for this, tho- she is a nutrition purist and WILL critique. From my experience, the cleaner you eat, the better your results. I don't eat a lot of the authorized foods because I know that they will slow down my progress (such as white rice, white potatoes, bananas, bread). If you have a lot of weight to lose, or are just starting to clean up your eating, you should be fine with the authorized foods.
Also make sure you eat enough! If you are a life long dieter, you are probably scared to death of the carbs and the six meals. Don't be. It really does work!
Feel free to ask questions here, or post a few menus. I "drop by" usually everyday and everyone else here I'm sure would also help you.
I'm new here. I noticed by your posts that you're here in California. I live close to San Jose and it's nice to know that there is someone near by that is doing the BFL program and is working it for all it's worth.
I received my book on Monday, but haven't had the chance to really sit down and read it. I have small children, ages 3 1/2, 15 1/2 months & 3 1/2 months. Boy can they where a person out. especially an overweight person like myself. But I am committed to losing weight and being the best me possible, So next week, I have the entire week off from work, and I plan to sit down and get to reading. I have just barely skimmed the pages.
After reading some of the post here and seeing websites w/ body transformation, I thought if they can do it, I can do it. However I am very concerned about the 6 meals a day. Once I start eating, I want to eat non-stop. But, at this point I'm willing to do whatever it is I have to, to get to where I want to be!
Sorry I haven't been posting as much lately - running yet another meeting and last night I had to take them out to dinner, which isn't as bad as it sounds - I pick the restaurants - it's just the staying up late part - didn't get to bed til almost 10 pm which is muy late for me!
Dyan - welcome! There are actually a few of us that live in the Bay Area who hang out here and at www.leanandstrong.com (a second home for many of us 3FC BFLers). You're doing the right thing - taking time to read the book carefully. Actually it's a pretty easy read. If you can find it, I'd recommend viewing the video "Body of Work" as well. Actually you can get it from EAS for, I believe, $2.95 if memory serves (they just charge for the shipping). VERY inspirational - especially when Bill talks about bringing the benefits of bodybuilding to the general public. You can see the seed of what became BFL when you watch the video - which documents the first Transformation Challenge.
Don't be scared about the 6 meals. I've found that one of the main keys to this is PLANNING. I'd suggest that each evening, you take a few minutes to write down all your meals and workout for the next day - what you're going to eat at each meal and what time, for example. Those Progress Report sheets in the book are terrific planning tools - use 'em! (you can download them from the www.bodyforlife.com website for free as well).
YOU CAN DO THIS!!! And we're here to help ya get strong and fit!
Cheddarella - welcome to you as well. Mel has given you some GREAT advice - esp regarding TJ's daily menu thread. TJ is a good email bud of mine (I'm going to meet her and a bunch of other L&Sers in the flesh next week at Lift for the Cure - YIPPEE!!!) and she has helped SO many folks with their menus...I encourage both you and Dyan to post to her menu thread until you get the hang of this Eating-for-LIFE thing - once ya know how, it quickly becomes second nature.
I'd say that most - if not all - veggies are 'authorized'. However, there are some you should watch a bit. One that comes to mind immediately is CARROTS - I know a lot of folks at work who snack on baby carrots (yuk) all day long...as far as veggies are concerned I like to concentrate on the leafy green ones and add stuff like water chestnuts, julienned carrots, pea-pods, bamboo shoots, etc on the side.
The reason I said a big YUK to 'baby carrots' is because I find them quite tasteless. Actually they aren't REAL baby carrots at all - but pieces of regular carrots that have been processed within an inch of their lives. Even our horses will have nothing to do with them - they just spit them out. I've had real baby carrots and they are quite tasty - I'd stay away from those fake ones.
The difference between a protein and a carb? Just look at the nutrition label - basically, if there are more carb grams than protein grams, BFL considers it a carb. I pretty much stay away from dairy products as they cause me to bloat. Pretty much all the carbs in milk are sugar carbs (lactose) so they aren't the best for you. Personally I prefer carbs that are more satisfying - fat-free, no-sugar added yogurt is an authorized carb in the book, but I avoid it since it just doesn't stay with me long enough. Give me a yam (sweet potato) or brown rice anytime!
In the menus, Bill does use low-fat cheese, but just a sprinkle - more like a condiment. He suggests melting the cheese and skimming the fat off - personally I'd just use the fat-free stuff, if I was going to use it at all.
I feel really guilty doing this, I`m at work with not much to do and the head secretary is on break, all the other bosses are gone... so the CAT must play... as they say....
I`m on my 3rd week of BFL, and I will tell you I LOVE...I mean love the six meal plan... I am never raging hungry like I used to be... I even get my chocolate fix every day with a chocolate MYOPLEX bar and a large bottle of water every afternoon AND evening when I'm watching TV.... Ya just gots to luv THAT!!!!
The workouts I find easier and more to the point so to speak than what I was doing before and it`s really showing in my triceps and calves for some reason....
Just a small question about l-glutamine and creatine.... Is it worth the expense of buying? What exactly does it do? Is anyone here taking it regularly?
As for the milk I eat or should I say drink soy milk everymorning...
My breakfast is this: 1/2 C. soy milk, 4T pure soy protein powder, 1/4 c. bran buds, 1T ground flax, 1 packet of sweetner, sometimes I add a little piece of banana, or vanilla... add some very cold water, 1C or more depending...I use my Braun mixer to mix this much...and kind of drink, crunch on the Bran Buds.... I figured out the other day what the pro/carb ratio was, it was a little high , but it seems to work for me.... I don`t have it here at the moment....(I`m at work `member....)
Well I have to go, before the secretary comes back from her break... so every have a great day....
Thanks for all the info! I hope to start posting my menus on Tall Jen's threads, I'm sure I can pick up lots of info that way.
Just a couple more questions, please. When you mention eating "clean," do you mean only eating authorized foods? This authorized food list doesn't seem to be too encompassing. I keep thinking that there must be foods that are authorized but just didn't make the list. (By the way, Mel, I actually typed out the entire authorized food list from the book and have two copies posted on my fridge -- I take one with me when I go grocery shopping!) What about condiments and spices? What about coating and sauces and gravys? Should all of the above be okay in moderation -- a sprinkle or teaspoonful as opposed to drowning in the stuff?
Sometimes I think I'm making this much harder than it is. Going from A to B via Z, if you know what I mean. I so want to do this right!
I don't find it difficult to eat six meals a day although I do admit the meat/protein with every meal takes some getting used to. I do find I sometimes get hungry before my next meal. I can't figure out if the quantity is enough (though I stare at my hand and/or fist and compare it to my food every time!) or whether I'm just used to eating big, heavy meals and being overstuffed. I suspect it may be the latter.
I second Lana's question about the necessity of glutamine and creatine. And the myoplex shakes and bars -- are they found at stores or only purchased online?
More questions from me! Thanks for your help.
Cheddarella - The "authorized list" is just a guideline.
Here's my list (right off the top of my head) of clean foods...
Veggies: Any veggie except for high-fat ones: avocados and olives come to mind. Stick to fresh or frozen - canned doesn't cut it!
Carbs:
Pretty much any fruit (but try to keep fruit to a max of 1-2 per day) although when I eat fruit I usually stick to low-glycemic ones like apples, oranges, berries, etc. Like veggies - stick to fresh or frozen - the canned ones are loaded with sugar (yes, even the ones 'packed in their own juice' which have concentrated juice i.e. extra sugar)
Brown rice
Barley
Cream of wheat/rice
Grits
Oatmeal (old fashioned, Irish or steel cut)
Whole grains (try 'em you just might like 'em!)
Yams/Sweet potatoes
Winter squashes like pumpkins, butternut, etc (summer squashes like zucchini are considered veggies)
White potatoes (Mel stays away from 'em but I love 'em!)
Whole grain bread - use sparingly and make sure it's REALLY whole grain, not just brown colored white bread! The best thing you can do is save bread for Free Day IMO
Fat-Free, no-sugar-added yogurt (not the best choice but it IS on the list in the book - I'd opt for a more filling complex carb).
Protein:
ANY KIND OF FISH!!! Yep, that includes salmon - those Omega-3's are really good for ya I keep tuna pouches in my desk at work in case of an emergency!
Chicken breast
Turkey breast
Lean beef - like top round (stay away from that "extra lean" ground beef though - almost 1/2 the calories are from FAT)
Buffalo
Venison
Egg Whites or Egg Beaters (my eggwhite omelette in the morning is a staple for me now - love it!)
Cottage Cheese (fat free or 1%)
Protein powder - your best bet for muscle growth/fat burning is a whey/casein blend such as MetRx Protein Plus - keep soy protein to a minimum - not a complete protein (check www.leanandstrong.com for more info on that).
Etc - MRPS such as Myoplex Lite (try the Cappuchino Ice)
Condiments:
Lemon & lime juices
calorie-free pepper sauces
Salsa (check the label for added sugar)
Worchestershire sauce
Just about any herb and spice on the shelf
Mustards
Butter Buds or Molly McButter
Sugar substitutes such as Splenda, Equal or Sweet N Low
THE BAD STUFF: (in other words, save for Free Day)
High fat/high carb foods
Fruit juice and non-diet sodas - pure sugar
Candy - oh come on, you know you're not supposed to be eating candy, right?
Flavored and/or instant oatmeal - Look at the ingredients, which are listed in order of quantity. SUGAR is usually the second ingredient. Then you have other crap like salt, hydrogenated vegetable oils, etc. Not to mention the oats are usually more finely ground than old-fashioned oats, which makes the GI higher!
Slim Fast (or as I call it, SlimFat) - Sugar and vitamins.
White bread, bagels and rice cakes - okay, okay, I know everyone thinks rice cakes are harmless...but a rep of the Glycemic Research Institute stated that eating a plain rice cake stimulated fat storage like ten bowls of sugar! Don't fool yourself into thinking you're eating healthy by consuming these things.
Most breakfast cereals - cold breakfast cereal, even most of the brands called "healthy" are just breakfast candy, nothing more, nothing less. There ARE a couple of good cereals out there - All Bran and Fiber One - just eat some protein with them.
"Fat Free" snacks such as Snackwells, Baked Lays, Fat-Free Fig Newtons, etc - Yep, I got caught up in all that Susan Powter fat-free stuff in the 90's too. These are NOT health foods.
Alcohol (of course!)
****
I have to add here, in deference to Lana's post, that most meal replacement bars (yes, even the Myoplex ones) are LOADED with sugar, and to top it off, the protein in them isn't all that great. You'd be better off using the Myoplex Lite shakes instead. Try the Power Pudding sometime. The only time I use bars is in an emergency - and then I wouldn't use the Myoplex bars - they have more sugar than almost any other bar out there. For example, if I'm going on a long plane trip, I'll get a MetRx Protein Plus bar or Worldwide Pure Protein bar to carry along in my purse. But don't rely on 'em everyday. BTW, just because EAS makes a product or it has the name "Myoplex" doesn't mean it's going to help you attain your goals...in fact the EAS AdvantEdge line (in supermarkets and WalMarts) has a TON of sugar and very little protein in it!
When I first started BFL, I bought a TON of EAS stuff. Now all I buy from them is Myo Lite. Vitamins I get at Trader Joe's, and I just pick up generic creatine and glutamine (MUCH cheaper than CytoVol or Betagen) and mix it with a little Kool-Aid in the morning. Voila! Cheap Betagen!
Are Creatine and Glutamine necessary? Nope. Check the first post in this thread for BFL info. Ya don't really need ANY supps - but a women's multivitamin would be good. Glutamine is helpful for muscle soreness.
Shakes and Bars - available in stores or just online? For goodness' sake DON'T limit yourself just to EAS. In fact, as I stated previously, they don't necessarily have the best products. And if you ARE going to buy them DON'T get 'em from the EAS site. They charge full retail!!! And GNC is WAY expensive. I was just at GNC the other day and they quoted me $45 for a 20-serving box of Myo Lite $$$ why pay that when I could get it online for around $30 for 20 or (to save more money) get the 42-pack Variety Pack for $48 (in other words, more than twice as much for $3 more than the GNC price for 20 servings).
Read again what I said about the bars and READ THE LABELS. Don't take EAS (or any other supplement company, for that matter) at their word. Just FYI - Bill Phillips hasn't owned the company for years - after he sold it the new owners started putting out a mass of products, most of which you DON'T need. Actually, eating clean and working out with intensity are the best supplements!
Lean & Strong has a link to Netrition - they ship very quickly and have great prices - plus they have other good stuff!
I do not take creatine or glutamine, tho I may try glutamine when I get back from vacation in the middle of July. I build muscle very easily and just don't need or see much use for creatine unless you are trying to compete. Just 1 opinion. I do take buckets of vitamins, but have taken them for years to help with symptoms of medical conditions that have nothing to do with weightlifting.
For portion sizes, if you are staring at your fist alot wondering how much rice or whatever to eat, plunge your fist into a large measuring cup of water and see how much water is displaced. That's how much you should eat. My fist is about 3/4c.
Once you start eating this way, you'll find that the food list and what you can do with it is actually quite extensive and tasty.
Wow, I certainly feel like I have a much better grasp on things.
I have printed out this entire thread for future reference. I'll let you know how it goes!
Body for Life / Bodybuilding #59
Hey girls!
Happy Sunday morning!
questions, i have questions
and fit!
as they say....
I so want to do this right! 
