Body for Life PSers--Come on down!

[Kasey3]

Hi Blackpaw

I bought the brand that Haven linked for me in the old thread. The price that comes up is for 5lbs, the 2lb was around 35. I put one banana in it and 8oz of water, then I blended it. The first time I made it I put 3 ice cubes in the blender but it wasn''t cold enough, so the next time I just put the ice cubes in my cup after blending, then i let it sit for a few minutes and it was great! I hope you find one that you like.

 

[Kasey3]

Hi Haven

Thanks so much for the recipes. The pancakes sound good-and your dinner even better. I love mashed potatoes too. I am definately going to try both of your recipes. Quick question for you-how many potatoes did you use and how much is 1 serving?

I hope you enjoyed your nap-you must have been tired! I never thought of taking the weights outside for a workout-you are very smart!!

I have recently been using a hi/lo aerobics dvd by Christi Taylor, I like it took me a couple of tries to get some of the moves, but now I have the routine almost down. I ordered 2 more, one is part step part floor. I really want to learn how to step so I ordered a beginners dvd. I used to do Taebo a long time ago-it was fun and very hard work!! Maybe I will order that DVD too.

Thanks again for taking the time to help us all with recipes and motivation!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Hey guys! I am SO sorry I haven't been keeping up on here. Work has been really busy, and I get home from work and have to immediately head to the gym, then FI and I have had to go suit shopping for him for a wedding we're going to, which is a chore all in itself. So I haven't been on PS at all since the weekend. Anyway, forget the excuses...

It took forever but I finally found my stats from March, which was the last time I took them...
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 145.2lb
Body fat: 31.7%

I also took measurements then...
Calf: 15"
Thigh: 23"
Hip: 39"
Waist: 29.5"
Bust: 35"
Bicep: 10.5"

Yuck... I hate seeing all that written down. Comparing that to my stats from 2008 and 2007, I've consistently gained, which is kind of disheartening. I was around 142lb in 2008, and 140lb in 2007. And even that isn't that great, because my body fat % was still in the upper 20s.

I weighed myself last week in the gym, which is a different scale then I used for the measurements above, but I was 150lb. I also know just visually that I've gained, especially in my arms and midsection. I haven't re-measured, but I'm just using my stats above, because even then, I was trying to get below that. Some of those stats are embarrassing, namely the body fat %. So the way I see it, I'll be doing good if I can get in under those, regardless of where I currently am.

This week has been really hard. FI and I tend to do the gym together whenever possible, and I do the cooking at night. He's been really stressed at work, and on top of that is trying to stick really hard to his exercising and eating regimen. He's been working really hard in the gym, but work seems to be defeating him mentally. And we rub off on each other, because sometimes he needs a better meal than the small one he typically eats at home, which sends us out to find something different. We go somewhere like Chick Fil A, which you don't think of being that bad, but honestly, they are not even that good for you. Even the grilled chicken sandwich is LOOOOOADED with sodium, which I found out yesterday.

So anyway, it's been a struggle lately to try to be supportive of him and decrease his stress as much as possible outside work, but at the same time stay focused on what I'm trying to do. I've been doing pretty well at the gym - interval training on the stationary bike, which has turned out to be the best cardio by far for my leg joints. And by doing abs consistently, I'm now able to do WAY more than I have ever been able to do - I'm up to 30 waist lifts and 60 bicycle crunches every time I work my abs, which is stupendous compared to the pain I used to feel just when barely working my abs. So at least I can tell a difference there.

Besides that, the only other issue I've having is coming up with some good mini-meal snacks for during the day. And my suppers aren't exciting me that much either, so I'm thinking about getting that recipe book, and maybe doing some good research online for good recipes as well. My biggest issue is trying to have a supper that only takes ~15 minutes preparation time, because I have to do the gym after work. So by the time I'm done with that and my shower, I do NOT feel like standing in the kitchen for an hour to cook. I do need to work on that, and planning my meals in the weekend ahead of time, so there's no debating time.

Glad to see you guys are doing well so far!!!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

I just wanted to respond to a few things I''ve read through the threads so far...

Blackpaw - I cook a thin-sliced chicken breast at night on the George Foreman grill, which takes all of ~3 minutes, and I lightly season each side with this cajun seasoning stuff I have - it''s basically a mix of seasoning salt, pepper, and a few other things. Gives some nice flavor to an otherwise very bland piece of chicken. I don''t think a little seasoning here and there hurts anything. Just be aware that they''re usually high in sodium, which causes you to retain water.

Blackpaw - regarding finding the shakes, my FI orders all his stuff on http://www.bulknutrition.com/ - they have significant savings compared to buying a lot of stuff in local stores.

Blackpaw - for breakfast, if you like oatmeal every morning, maybe some fat-free yogurt along with it would offer some protein? Or like Haven said, maybe just a pure whey protein shake along with the oatmeal. I eat 1/2 cup Fiber One cereal with 1/2 cup skim milk every morning (along with my 3 egg whites) - but just the cereal and milk alone would give you 6.5 grams of protein and 27 grams of carbs, which isn''t bad at all.

Also... I didn''t address my goals schedule in the post above. I don''t have specific dates, but my cousin''s wedding that I''m in is October 10, so that''s an intermediate goal of mine. I''ve been working out for 2-3 weeks now, so I''m hoping to maintain the little progress I''m sort of seeing and put a big dent in those stats. My ultimate goal in the back of my mind is the beginning of December, which is hopefully when I''ll have engagement photos, since my wedding is in January. So, we''ll see.

 

[Blackpaw]

Haven - awesome recipes!! I cant tell you how excited i am to know i CAN have mash

Luvthem thanks for the advice! the chicken sounds great...im going to stock up on seasonings!

Well im feeling a little disheartened and i havent even started yet. Yesterday I went to meet SO at our friend''s work...she''s a PT, former gym manager, and formerly played for Australia in her chosen sport...and straight away i was told how it wasnt an easy diet etc. Luvthem, my SO is in the same defeated state over his job as yours is. He''s looking for a new one, but doesnt want to start a prescriptive diet when he''s not working 9 to 5.

I think he''s still on board with the exercise part though, so im just going to do the best i can without him...the more eating options i get the better i feel about the whole thing

 

[Haven]

Good morning, everyone!

Kasey--Bill Phillips says one portion of protein is roughly equal to the size of the palm of your hand, one portion of carbs is roughly equal to the size of your clenched fist, and one portion of vegetables is what you might imagine you can hold in the cupped palm of your hand. (Eating for Life, p. 39.)

I made about four portions worth of potatoes, just so you can see the ratio of the other ingredients to the potatoes. Sorry for leaving that out!

I used to *love* doing exercise videos, especially when I was younger and couldn''t join a gym! I had all of the Jane Fonda tapes lined up in my bedroom like such a nerd! I''ve never tried Christi Taylor, I''ll check it out.

luvthem--I''m glad your back. I totally understand how life gets in the way of these things, so it''s really good to "see" you around again!

Good for your for posting your stats, for some reason posting them made me feel more motivated to do something about them, I hope it has the same effect on you! Don''t be embarrassed about it, be proud that you''re taking steps to get yourself back to your optimum health.

I''m sorry about your FI''s stress, I definitely understand how work stress can bleed into and take over one''s entire life, I was there myself not too long ago.

That''s great that you''re seeing improvements in your ab strength already! I''ve always dreaded doing abs, but now that I''ve been doing them regularly I don''t hate them as much anymore. Now I really just want some definition in that area!

Definitely look into buying the recipe book if you''re serious about doing BFL. I''m telling you, my first time around was such a struggle because I wasn''t very creative when it came to putting together clean meals, and I ended up quitting after seven weeks because the food seemed really hard to manage, and I was sick of chicken breasts and rice and broccoli. Now that I have the recipe book it is an entirely new ball game, it really just feels like regular cooking, just from a book instead of from my favorite recipe site, allrecipes. There are a ton of great snack ideas in there, too, so I think it would really help you. AND, the recipes are all really easy. The shrimp scampi I made the other night took all of 15 minutes, and I''ve never made shrimp before so I was shocked and pleasantly surprised. Cooking the pasta was the longest part of the entire thing, it was so easy.

I think the key to doing well with BFL is planning ahead. It may seem like a chore at first, but knowing what you plan to eat ahead of time makes everything SO much easier, and it really does make you more likely to succeed.

Blackpaw--Aww, I''m bummed that your friend was discouraging about the meal plan. Seriously, it is *not that difficult* to follow if you do it right, I promise! I don''t feel at all deprived on it, in fact I feel much better. And the dinners are much easier to cook than the things I''m used to making for dinner. I''m sorry that disheartened you, but think of it this way: millions of people have done the BFL challenge, I think it''s been around since 1997! The consistent advice that the "champions" seem to offer in the books is to plan ahead.

I''m sorry to hear about your FI''s job frustration, too. I know how much that can affect the rest of your life, so I hope it gets better soon.

My husband is doing the exercise part but not the diet part. Well, he eats the meals I cook, he just eats twice as much *plus* some of my homemade chocolate chip cookies after. It is definitely tempting (hence why I ate one cookie this week) to have that food around, but I''m eating clean for the most part.

Definitely the more eating options the better. The BFL website has a ton of great recipes, and I''ll keep posting ones from the book after I try them.

Have a great day, everyone! I just came in from my walk with the pup, so now I''m off for cardio. My left foot is hurting me from running on Tuesday, so I''m not sure how my run will go, I may have to switch to the elliptical. I have bunions and my left navicular bone sticks out at an odd angle because I broke my ankle a few times growing up, and that hurts too. (Before I met DH it was so stiff that I had to manually move my left foot around every morning before I could walk. I was only 23!) Anyway, DH was so tired yesterday after work that I didn''t want to ask him to work on me, so I''m hoping I''ll be able to do a full run on the treadmill today. The walk this morning was okay, we went about two miles, so I''m hoping that''s a good sign.

I''ll check in later with food details!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Thanks for the support guys - it is really tough when I''m already trying my best to keep myself motivated after a long day at work to come home and convince myself to not sit down and go straight to the gym, and then on top of that to try to make sure FI knows I care and want to help but try not to get in his way at the same time (or worse, get pulled down with him). His job *stinks* right now, and it''s not going to get any better. We both work for the state, and you all know how state governments are suffering everywhere due to the economy. So while we still both thankfully have jobs, his is getting a lot worse because they''ve got way too much work for way too little manpower, and he''s got probably 300% of the work his job can handle. It''s insane. So of course, he gets stressed because it''s problem after problem and he doesn''t get a minute to himself. He of course wants a different job, but this is just is definitely not the time, economically, to purposefully get out in the job market. I just haven''t figured out the best way yet to help him. Maybe it''s just getting out of the way and letting him totally do his own thing, but I feel like he''s having a hard enough time as it is, and that would make me feel like I''m basically saying I don''t care to help him any.

Haven - yeah the measurements are right there, on paper! I don''t even want to know what I''m at right now, but I''m going to check them in about 4 weeks. I''m like you with the abs - I always used to put them off because I hated them so much. But now that I''m past that initial getting started part, I actually don''t mind them so much. I can''t believe I''m doing that many at one time!!

I also think I''m going to get that book, especially after your recommendations on it - they sound fairly simple. And it will be nice to have some variation. Besides the ease of a quick dinner, my other stipulation is not having to spend tons of money on lots of different products and types of food for a different dinner every night. So I''m hoping I can sit down with the book and plan my meals so I can make 2 or 3 dinners at one time and save them for other nights, and maybe on the weekends while shopping only have to buy the types of food for maybe 2 or 3 different meal ideas throughout the week. Do you think that would work?

 

[Haven]

Hi, luvthem! I definitely think you can make a few dinners ahead of time and freeze them until you''re ready to eat them. I did that a lot last school year during the winter, it makes it so easy to come home and throw them in the microwave for dinner.

I''ve been reusing extras from the Eating for Life recipes in other recipes. I had a lot of leftover carrots and potatoes from the pot roast so I used them in a stew. My DH loves ziti with meat sauce, so I made a healthy sauce and used the leftover pasta for the shrimp scampi we ate the other night.

I''m so sorry to hear about your FI''s unhappiness at work. I think everyone needs something different from their SO when they''re upset, and it sounds like your FI wants to be left alone, maybe? It''s hard to walk on eggshells around your SO, especially when you want to make him feel better and can''t. I''m so sorry!

I''m going to try the lettuce wraps from the EFL book tonight. Here''s the recipe, I''ll come back later to let you know if it was any good.

Lettuce Wraps
Servings: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
- 1 bag (12 oz) soybeans with pods (edamame) (*Trader Joe''s has this for super cheap, around $1.50 a bag)
- 4 fresh shitake mushrooms
- 7 stalks napa cabbage
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp lite soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp five-spice powder (*This is called "Chinese five spice powder" near me, it took forever for me to find this since they''re alphabetized)
- 1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 12 large leaves iceberg lettuce

Directions
1. Prep soybeans according to package directions.
2. Remove and discard stems from shitake mushrooms. Then chop the mushrooms caps. Chop napa cabbage keeping leaves and stems separate.
3. Lightly coat a wok or skillet with cooking spray and place over med-high heat. Add turkey and then stir-fry until no longer pink, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove turkey from the wok and set aside.
4. Lightly recoat the wok or skillet with cooking spray. Add chopped cabbage stem and onion; stir-fry until tender, about 2 mins.
5. Stir in hoisin sauce, soy sauce and five-spice powder. Add cabbage leaves, mushrooms and water chestnuts; stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add cooked turkey back into the skillet and stir-fry until well combined and heated through, about 2 more mins.
6. Place 3 lettuce leaves and a fourth of the soybeans on each of 4 plates. Divide stir-fry mixture into 4 portions. Then divide each portion into thirds and spoon into the lettuce leaves. Serve and enjoy!

 

[Haven]

Here''s a picture of the lettuce wraps:

 

[Haven]

Now that I''m picture happy, here''s a picture of the *delicious* whole wheat bread I made for this week. I altered a recipe from Allrecipes.com, it''s basically whole wheat flour, dry active yeast, a pinch of salt, honey, water, and a little bit of butter. This batch turned out really moist, I''m excited.

 

[Haven]

I''m having trouble attaching pictures all of a sudden. I''ll try again later.

 

[Haven]

The lettuce wraps were very good! Definitely worth a try.

The five-spice gives them a very interesting flavor, make sure you like it before you use it. Mmmm.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Thanks for the encouragement Haven. I actually talked to him about it all yesterday, and he assured me I''m helping more than I know. I don''t know how, but that''s always good to hear.

He does hate his job though, and he even said last night that it basically makes life stink except for the few hours he has at home. I''m hoping and praying something will happen soon for him.

Those lettuce wraps look reeeeally good! I''m going to try to look for the recipe book this weekend.

 

[Haven]

Luvthem--That's good to hear about your FI, I'm sure just knowing that you are there for him is a huge comfort to him. I really hope that he finds some relief with the job situation one way or another soon. I can't tell you how much I understand the difficulty of working in a stressful environment, I had one rough year last year because of it.

Definitely try the lettuce wraps. I will say that the recipe makes more than four servings, though, so you might want to cut it back if you won't eat all those leftovers. DH eats more than a typical serving, too, and we have a lot of food left.

So, I'm on day 26 of my Body-for-LIFE challenge and I am feeling so good! I did my lower body workout at home today because I felt like being outside, and DH put me through another tough workout. I did not realize how hard lunges and step-ups could be! It's good, though, and I'm excited to take another weekly photo tomorrow morning to see if I can see any improvement.

I also forgot to share that I *finally* hit two miles during my cardio yesterday. I did the elliptical machine and hit the 2 mile mark at 19:28, so that felt really good. I'm going to run again tomorrow, so my goal is to beat my last distance from my last treadmill run.

The weight is not coming off as quickly as I had hoped, but I've lost 3.8 lbs as of this morning, which is better than nothing. I keep reading that women see a lot of improvement after the seventh week, so here's hoping!

Here's my progress, thus far:
8/10/09: 168.8 lbs, 29.5% body fat
9/4/09: 165 lbs, DH will take body fat measurements tomorrow (eek!)

We're eating leftovers tonight, and I'm going to have my cheat meal tomorrow night because we're going out with friends to this great place that has delicious American comfort foods, I can't wait! They also have friend macaroni balls, which are very tempting, but I don't want to make myself sick again. We'll see . . .

I always feel good on Friday nights because all I have left for the week is cardio on Saturday, and then I get to rest on Sunday and eat a cheat meal. I don't know why but it's always a relief.

Have a great Friday night everyone! DH and I are going to our usual Friday night movie, we're planning on seeing Inglorious Basterds. I don't always love Tarantino's movies, but this one looks worth a viewing.

 

[Blackpaw]

Congrats on your weight loss Haven, and the two mile mark

that''s fantastic

And luvthem ill send dust your way that something good happens for your SO

Im starting tomorrow! Will get groceries tonight, gym pass in the morning when SO and i rock up for our first lot of weight training...

Im excited but nervous too

 

[Haven]

Thanks, Blackpaw!

Congrats on starting the challenge tomorrow! I have to say that taking those before pictures was a difficult thing to do, but I got into that bikini and hubby took the pictures, and now I look at them whenever I need motivation to stay with it.
I hope you have a great first day! Don''t be nervous, I always find that once I''m *in* the gym, the rest is easy. It''s just getting there that''s tough for me, once you''re working out it feels great.

Are there Bally gyms near you? If so, and if you know anyone with a current membership, the Bally gyms near us are running a friend add-on special for $20 a month per person. I''m not sure if they''re all doing it, but it''s worth checking out.

I had a great run today on the treadmill, I went 1.72 miles so it''s a bit more than my last run. I think I''m going to start running for every cardio if I''m not too sore because I think I get a much better workout from it.

Have a great weekend, everyone! I''m using today for my cheat day, I already had a delicious Walker Bros. breakfast, and I stashed a little box of Botan Rice Candy for later. Yum!

 

[Blackpaw]

Well its 11:25am on my first day and already ive ballsed it up

so SO and i trotted off to the gym, ready for weight training, then found out when we got there that there was no-one around to show us how to use anything. Now id prolly have had a crack (and strained something) but SO is more sensible....and so we did cardio instead.

And 16minutes in i had to run to the bathroom and throw up

I dont know if i overdid it or what? and i did it on an empty stomach too. Anyhoo i went back and did an extra five minutes. But now im all confused. Should i just continue the program in this order, so upper weights tomorrow, cardio the day after, or should i try to get back on track, do upper tomorrow, lower the day after, then back to cardio? im confused....

In other sad news ive put on 2lbs since i posted my stats. Im 151lbs - but that''s motivation at least...id like to get down to 130lbs if thats possible

oh and im having my first meal of the day (a myoplex shake...it tastes....interesting) and i dont know how long i should have waited to eat it after working out. BfL says wait an hour for burning fat, but then the shake box says to drink it within an hour of your workout to build lean muscle.

SO also wonders...can we eat grain bread instead of wholewheat. So wholegrain i guess? Wholewheat here tastes awful!

Im excited to be doing this finally

 

[Kasey3]

Date: 9/6/2009 1:35:31 PM
Author: Blackpaw
Well its 11:25am on my first day and already ive ballsed it up

so SO and i trotted off to the gym, ready for weight training, then found out when we got there that there was no-one around to show us how to use anything. Now id prolly have had a crack (and strained something) but SO is more sensible....and so we did cardio instead.

And 16minutes in i had to run to the bathroom and throw up

I dont know if i overdid it or what? and i did it on an empty stomach too. Anyhoo i went back and did an extra five minutes. But now im all confused. Should i just continue the program in this order, so upper weights tomorrow, cardio the day after, or should i try to get back on track, do upper tomorrow, lower the day after, then back to cardio? im confused....

In other sad news ive put on 2lbs since i posted my stats. Im 151lbs - but that''s motivation at least...id like to get down to 130lbs if thats possible

oh and im having my first meal of the day (a myoplex shake...it tastes....interesting) and i dont know how long i should have waited to eat it after working out. BfL says wait an hour for burning fat, but then the shake box says to drink it within an hour of your workout to build lean muscle.

SO also wonders...can we eat grain bread instead of wholewheat. So wholegrain i guess? Wholewheat here tastes awful!

Im excited to be doing this finally

Hi Blackpaw

I am sorry that you had a bumpy first day, I can''t answer all of your questions because I don''t have the book, but I read a lot of info from the website. I found this: Weight train intensely, three times per week on alternating days with aerobic exercise three times per week-so I think it''s fine if you make the workouts fit your schedule. As far as the protein shakes go, I read that you should have one within 30 minutes of your workout.

With respect to the bread if the wholewheat tastes awful, and you like the wholegrain-why not? It''s still better than whitebread! The way I try to view this diet is that I will try my best to follow it, I may have to make a slight change to fit my lifestyle. Maybe I won''t be perfect but the changes I am making to my diet and overall health are definately for the better and perhaps these slight variations will allow me to continue on a better eating and exercise program for a longer period of time! Just do the best that you can!

 

[Blackpaw]

Thanks for your advice Kasey, i guess ill just go in backwards order to the book and it wont be any harm.

In very good news ive just discovered i do like cottage cheese, which a great relief

i would have been hard pressed to find something to replace it!

Its a long weekend here and i think its doing my head in slightly. All i keep thinking about is what to eat etc. I started late this morning (first meal at 11a) so i felt like i had to catch up on the other meals and now i have and im just waiting to start cooking dinner it would seem! I feel a bit silly really

 

[CaliCushion]

Haven, I''m sorry it''s taken so long to reply back, I''ve been out of town.

I''ve been training for about 10 months. I wasn''t able to sprint very fast when I started, and I was never a runner. I think it took me something like 10 minutes to run the mile in gym class. Honestly, you WILL get faster.

What helps me:
Focusing on breathing and my form while running.
Listening to fast music while sprinting and trying to run to the beat of the song.
Also, when I KNOW I''m only going to sprint for 45 seconds and then get a recovery, it seems manageable.

In terms of results, I''m very muscular and strong. My husband doesn''t really want me to bulk up anymore. I''m at a point where I need to use smaller weights and do more increments instead of using heavier weights.

Your food plan does seem very similar to mine (6 small meals a day with a mix of complex carbs, fat and lean protein). I''m wierd and need to eat a lot of volume to feel full, so I try to eat foods at every meal/snack that contain a lot of water/aren''t very caloric. I can''t get myself to eat bars or shakes AT ALL, because they don''t fill me up. I''m sure part of it is just psychological. Your recipes you posted looked good, I''ll try to find some of mine to post that follow your food plan.

 

[Kasey3]

Date: 9/6/2009 7:22:22 PM
Author: Blackpaw
Thanks for your advice Kasey, i guess ill just go in backwards order to the book and it wont be any harm.

In very good news ive just discovered i do like cottage cheese, which a great relief

i would have been hard pressed to find something to replace it!

Its a long weekend here and i think its doing my head in slightly. All i keep thinking about is what to eat etc. I started late this morning (first meal at 11a) so i felt like i had to catch up on the other meals and now i have and im just waiting to start cooking dinner it would seem! I feel a bit silly really

I am glad to hear that you like cottage cheese-I like it too. I buy the pre-packed half cup servings. i know they are more expensive but it offers great portion control and it makes my life easier!

Don''t feel silly at all!

 

[Kasey3]

Date: 9/4/2009 7:43:24 PM
Author: Haven
Luvthem--That''s good to hear about your FI, I''m sure just knowing that you are there for him is a huge comfort to him. I really hope that he finds some relief with the job situation one way or another soon. I can''t tell you how much I understand the difficulty of working in a stressful environment, I had one rough year last year because of it.

Definitely try the lettuce wraps. I will say that the recipe makes more than four servings, though, so you might want to cut it back if you won''t eat all those leftovers. DH eats more than a typical serving, too, and we have a lot of food left.

So, I''m on day 26 of my Body-for-LIFE challenge and I am feeling so good! I did my lower body workout at home today because I felt like being outside, and DH put me through another tough workout. I did not realize how hard lunges and step-ups could be! It''s good, though, and I''m excited to take another weekly photo tomorrow morning to see if I can see any improvement.

I also forgot to share that I *finally* hit two miles during my cardio yesterday. I did the elliptical machine and hit the 2 mile mark at 19:28, so that felt really good. I''m going to run again tomorrow, so my goal is to beat my last distance from my last treadmill run.

The weight is not coming off as quickly as I had hoped, but I''ve lost 3.8 lbs as of this morning, which is better than nothing. I keep reading that women see a lot of improvement after the seventh week, so here''s hoping!

Here''s my progress, thus far:
8/10/09: 168.8 lbs, 29.5% body fat
9/4/09: 165 lbs, DH will take body fat measurements tomorrow (eek!)

We''re eating leftovers tonight, and I''m going to have my cheat meal tomorrow night because we''re going out with friends to this great place that has delicious American comfort foods, I can''t wait! They also have friend macaroni balls, which are very tempting, but I don''t want to make myself sick again. We''ll see . . .

I always feel good on Friday nights because all I have left for the week is cardio on Saturday, and then I get to rest on Sunday and eat a cheat meal. I don''t know why but it''s always a relief.

Have a great Friday night everyone! DH and I are going to our usual Friday night movie, we''re planning on seeing Inglorious Basterds. I don''t always love Tarantino''s movies, but this one looks worth a viewing.

Congrats Haven!

I hope you enjoyed your free day.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Hey guys! I appreciate all the encouragement about FI's job. It's our first day back at work after the long weekend, and he had a great weekend. He was relaxed and completely himself. So I'm hoping that's all a change for the better and that work doesn't get to him too much.

Bad news is that this weekend, I was really pressed by my family to go see them at the beach for holiday cookouts and all. (Read that through my eyes as just a way to have to put off all the things I need to do at home, and eat a bunch of junk I don't need to be eating.) But I went, because family's important. I ate a bunch of junk, and my digestion is proving it, haha. But I'm glad I went.

Anyway, I also went and got the recipe book this weekend. I sat down yesterday before grocery shopping and planned out my meals for the week. I am going to try to stick to the BfL eating plan generally. I'm going to quit counting calories and everything for a while, and just plain write down what I eat, like he shows in the book. Just watch my portions and make smart choices about the meats/sauces/etc that I use when I cook.

I also got to talk to my brother a bit this week (he played baseball and lifted a lot before he hurt his back), and I now have a new outlook on how I'm going to eat and, more importantly, how I'm going to exercise. He reminded me of the importance of muscle confusion and how easy it is to plateau. I've been eating this way for so long, and I have such a routine in the gym, that it had completely surpassed me that I've probably been in a plateau for quite a while now, which is why I've stayed exactly where I'm at for so long, despite minor nutrition changes or diligence in the gym.

So, I'm going to kick things up a notch. Brand new food plan. I weighed myself this morning and now have current stats: 147.2 lb, 31.3% body fat. I'm considering today my start date. I'm going to take pictures when I get home and use them as starting material. I'm not going to stick to the BfL exercise plan word for word, just because my schedule won't allow me to (example: I can't work out in the mornings, just due to time). But I'm going to use the general idea and throw some of my own stuff in there. But the goals and ideals are the same as BfL.

I made the meatloaf last night, but the grocery store was out of turkey, so I used extra lean ground beef and adjusted to use 1 pound meat instead of 1.5 pounds. I tasted it last night, and I'm excited to have it for lunch today. I went ahead and made a whole loaf so it would be enough for all my lunches this week, since it's a shorter work week. I'm going to try to get FI to share the meals with me, so we can both have more variety, and so it's easier to make meals like this that yield 4+ servings. Also, Haven like you had mentioned before, this made a lot more than just 4 servings as well - I think I ended up with 6 meatloaf servings, so hopefully FI will be enticed to have a few for his lunches, haha.

I forgot to take a picture of the meatloaf before I cut it up, but it was quite pretty! Here's one of my lunches (meat loaf, brown rice, and green beans)... haha it looks a bit like dog food to me in this cell phone pic, but I promise it's really good!

 

[Haven]

Hi, everyone! This weekend was so long, and it was definitely tempting to cheat for more than just one day! I ended up eating a lot of plain grilled chicken breasts at all of the family barbecues we went to, and you know what? It wasn''t that bad.

DH worked out with me yesterday, we did upper body and it was TOUGH because DH always pushes me really hard. I wish we could always lift together, but I really do better when I work out first thing in the morning and he can''t always do that.

I can actually see more definition in my arms, and just this weekend I noticed that my pants are a bit loose.

Blackpaw--I bet wholegrain bread is fine! I have a great whole wheat bread recipe, if you want it let me know. I make two loaves at a time and freeze one.
Don''t beat yourself up about a slip-up, just chalk it up to life getting in the way and move on! You probably threw up because you were overdoing it, I hope it goes better next time.
And it''s awesome that you like cottage cheese, you''ll be eating a lot of it!

Kasey--How are you doing? How are your workouts? I hope you''re feeling stronger already!

Cali--I seriously hope I get faster, I can''t believe how slow I''ve become! I used to run in college, I''m actually really surprise that I''ve gotten so much worse over the last seven years. Thank you for the encouragement!
I probably should listen to my own music, I''m going to work on a new playlist for my iPod for running.
And, I can''t wait to say I''m muscular again! I used to be in such great shape when I was on a kickboxing team, and it''s all turned to mush! My arms are looking shapely again, so that''s encouraging. My quads always bulk up really quickly, and I think it''s from when I played field hockey because I had HUGE legs then, but DH says I''m just naturally prone to building certain muscles. I used to hate my super muscular legs, but I''ll take them over my current ones now!

Luvthem--I''m glad you guys had a relaxing weekend! Don''t beat yourself up about the junk food, just move on and do better this week!
I''ve never heard of muscle confusion, I can''t wait to ask DH about it when he gets home from work. I bet a change in routine is exactly what you need to move past your plateau.
I can''t wait to hear how your meatloaf tasted, DH loves meatloaf so I used to make it a lot but my recipe isn''t clean enough for BFL, of course.

Have a great week, everyone! I''m making the baked chicken parmesan tonight, I''ll let you know how it goes.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Haven - The meatloaf is actually really good! I used the BfL dinner recipe for the Turkey Meatloaf. I planned on using the 99% ground turkey breast our grocery store offers, but they were out of it, so I used the 96% ground beef. Still not bad at all. The only change I made was to use a packet of McCormick's meatloaf seasoning instead of the packet of vegetable soup seasoning the recipe called for. But I think it tastes awesome - I'm even able to eat it over brown rice with no gravy or anything on the rice (I usually like something on my rice to liven it up a bit). I think the salsa in the recipe adds a lot to it. And I really like using the oats. I put less than typical rice in my meal just b/c the meatloaf already has some oats and other stuff in it. The meatloaf (recipe adjusted to used 1 pound of meat instead of 1.5 pounds) made way more than what can be considered to be 4 servings. I ended up with at least 6 servings - haha FI gets to eat some meatloaf!

I'm curious what your DH had to say about muscle confusion, being a trainer himself. My brother likes it because it's basically different ways to work the same muscle, so your body never knows what to expect. He said that if you do the same exercise every time, moving the muscle the exact same way with the exact same weight, the muscle will learn to do that movement and will stop breaking down, becoming resistant to that specific movement and therefore stopping growth. But if you vary the exercises, you're throwing something new at the muscle every time and keeping it guessing, so it has to break down and build back up since it wasn't prepared for it. Also, since muslces are made up of all those strands, doing different exercises on the same muscle uses different strands of that same major muscle, which is what body builders do. That's why you can see the striations in all their muslces, because they literally work out all of those strands. So, in short, he just told me to make sure I'm always doing something different. Work against gravity one day, then with gravity next time. Pushups vs. benchpress. Do leg presses today, and lunges next time. For my abs, I'm going to mix in Pilates with ab machines and ab bench training in the gym. For cardio, run some, bike some, do the elliptical, do some kickboxing if I end up joining that. I've got a lot of ideas, I just need to organize them... or according to my brother, just go in the gym not so much with a plan, but just choose something different to do than you did last time. I think that makes it easier anyway for me, since sometimes I can't get on the machines I need at the time, or the meatheads are crowding the freeweight section of the gym.

And good news - FI is going to do the 84 days with me.

It works out well since our pics will probably be around the time this is done. He's already been halfway diligent, like me, but now we're both going to crack down and get to work. Yesterday was my Day 1 - I had a terrible headache all afternoon, so I super-hydrated for a while and finally took some meds, which helped. I was able to do my Pilates video when I got home. Today is my Day 2, so I'm going to the gym, planning to do cardio I think.

We also took pictures last night, and let me tell you - THAT was interesting. Especially to see myself from the back.

I'm planning on making the Zesty Italian Chicken tonight - yum!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Do any of you know a good substitute for cottage cheese? I had my first serving of it today. I''ve tried it before and didn''t like it too much, but I know it''s good for me and wanted to brave through it. I ate all but a few spoonfulls of it (a 4oz cup). It''s just strange to me. I''ll keep eating it if I have to, but I''d love to know if there''s anything equal or close to it out there.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Also Haven - I''m glad you''re starting to notice subtle differences in the clothes and arms! That''s always exciting!

I was ont he BfL website yesterday and read one of the champion''s stories where she said she did 3 seconds of video every day. I thought that was really interesting, because at the end, she''d be able to watch the entire thing in progression - how neat! So I''m considering doing maybe weekly pictures or something - that''d be fun to put into a slideshow, one right after the other, and watch the subtle changes (hopefully, haha!) - so I might try that.

Blackpaw - I''m so sorry you got sick. But trust me, that''s nothing huge. I played volleyball in highschool, was active every single day, very strong and in fairly good shape cardio-wise. And daily our coach would run us so hard that I''d feel like throwing up. I can still get myself to that point sometimes today - I''ll get very lightheaded and have to catch my breath for about 5 minutes. Don''t worry, it''s just pushing ourselves too hard. Your heart rate gets too high. When you start to get that light-headed feeling, just pull back a bit in the intensity. Remember to push yourself a little, but never too much. You have to work up to everything you do, whether it be time or intensity in cardio, or weight lifting, or crunches, or whatever. I know this is a few days late from when you wrote, but just keep up with everything. Don''t push too hard, and always remember to listen to your body. Everyone''s got a limit. I wouldn''t necessarily worry about the specific days you''re doing things on. Just keep with the pattern.

Also Blackpaw - for the wheat bread - if you have this in the grocery store, look for a brand called Nature''s Own. They make a whole wheat bread that I think is reeeeally tasty, and it''s got double the fiber of normal wheat bread, which is great. Check it out: LINK And don''t feel silly about everything - just take it in stride. Definitely don''t stress yourself out or go crazy trying to keep up with everything - believe me, I know it can seem daunting. Just take it step by step, meal by meal, workout by workout. Baby steps.

That''s how I do most things.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Sorry about going post-crazy, but I thought of 2 other questions...

1) For those of you following the daily exercise plan of cardio every other day and alternating upper and lower body workouts... do you find that you''re working tired muscles on the lower body days and then the cardio days that follow? In my mind, you''re not giving your body time to build those muscles back up from the lower body workout if you go get on a bike/elliptical/treadmill the next day and work your legs all over again. Do you find any issues with this?

2) Do you physically feel any benefit to working out in the morning vs. later in the day? My schedule physically won''t allow me to work out in the morning right now. I''d love to do it, as I loved it in college and it always made my day a lot better. AND I didn''t have to come home in the afternoon, tired and mentally drained, and force myself to work out. But that''s what I have to do right now. Just curious if it really would be messing up the program if I have all this food already in my system for the day then go work out - according to BfL, I''m then using that food as fuel instead of burning fat for fuel.

 

[Haven]

Hi, Luvthem! I'm definitely going to try the meatloaf recipe, I bet my husband will love it. I made the rosemary chicken with some pasta and baby spinach (because I had those left over from yesterday's dinner!) and it was very good. For as much as I cook, I have never made chicken in a pan on the stove, and it was so easy! DH loved it.

I'm so happy that your FI is going to do BFL with you! I think it makes a big difference when you have a partner.

As for the muscle confusion, DH said that it isn't really that the muscles are confused, per se, but that you are requiring your muscles to bear different loads in different ways and that is what challenges them. I can't say that I understand everything he told me, because he's actually a muscle specialist and a former OT (who was a trainer a decade ago, so he still keeps it up and has some oooold clients) so he uses lingo I've never even heard of before. But the bottom line was that the concept of doing different exercises is a good one, so do it! So, that's what I'm doing now!

I'm proud of you for taking the pictures--I know exactly how hard it was to look at myself in a bikini from behind, but just think of how awesome it will feel to see your after picture in 12 weeks!

I was going to make the zesty chicken tonight but opted for the rosemary at the last minute--how was it?

Have a GREAT first week!

ETA: I just realized that you had more posts!

Have you tried Greek yogurt, like Fage? I'm pretty sure you could eat the fage in place of cottage cheese for your protein. It is soooo good, if you haven't tried it yet. Do a search on here for "fage" and you'll find some threads with great add-in ideas.

And, DH and I were just talking about the issue with doing cardio the day after a lower body workout. I really noticed that when I started running instead of using the elliptical because the running was so hard on my legs. Now I do the elliptical on cardio days right after lower body, and I run on cardio days right after upper body. I definitely feel like I get a better total workout when I run, but I'm still totally gassed after doing the elliptical so it's still a good cardio workout. That's a good point, though.

 

[Haven]

Luvthem--I''ve been buying Chobani brand Greek yogurt instead of Fage because it''s less expensive. I actually opened up one of each at the same time and did a little taste test with DH, we couldn''t tell the difference.
Fage can be pricey around here, I think it''s the cheapest at Trader Joe''s, though.
I just compared the nutrition facts and the Chobani has more protein and less carbs per serving that cottage cheese--sounds like a good substitute to me!