The Body-for-LIFE Insider

Taking it One Night at a Time: Body-for-LIFE on the Night Shift

BFL — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:37:25 GMT

Have you ever wondered how Body-for-LIFE will ever fit into your hectic 2^nd or 3^rd shift work schedule? A person who works night shifts can still be successful on the Body-for-LIFE program, and without ever having to change a single thing about the program! Although the Body-for-LIFE program focuses on working out first thing in the morning, eating balanced meals in regular intervals throughout the day, and getting enough rest during the night, the routine itself can certainly be adjusted to the time-table of the active, waking hours for a person working the night shift. Your definition of “first thing in the morning" may be 2pm, and your “night-time” rest might start at 5am; but you can still follow the program according to your own individual wake-sleep cycle!

The claim statement that "it is bad to eat after 7pm" is a myth; or, at least a statement that needs to be more carefully worded. Your body will process calories the same way during the night as it does during the day, if those are your active, waking hours. In other words, essentially your body does not know what time of day it is; it just knows whether you are awake and active or asleep and resting. During the hours which you are awake and active, your body will burn food for fuel, so it is important to consistently fuel yourself with incremental meals, just as recommended on Body-for-LIFE! So, night shift workers need not worry. You do not need to stop eating after 7pm when you still have 8-10 hours left in your day. In fact, please don’t! The statement above is better relayed as “it is bad to eat junky foods,” so that we may tie a type, rather than a time, to the food we consume in following successful nutrition guidelines.

As far as exercise is concerned, the suggestion to “work out first thing in the morning” can also be more thoughtfully worded to account for varying lifestyles and schedules, such as the night shift. However, there are people with "normal hours" who choose not to work out first thing in the morning (upon waking), and instead wait until another part of the day when it may be more convenient to them or their schedule. A workout done at another time in someone’s day is still quite effective, and a person working the night shift may also choose not to workout first thing upon waking. The choice is yours.

Finally, rest is always important, regardless of whether you are sleeping at night or during the day. It is ideal to get anywhere from 7-8 hours of sleep per 24 hour cycle, especially when participating in a regular workout regimen such as with Body-for-LIFE. Your body needs this rest to recover between workouts and continue to work towards becoming a lean mean energized machine

-The BFL Team

Lean 15™

BFL — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:28:43 GMT

Have you tried our new product EAS Lean 15?! It’s our new protein powder and it is a great and nutritious way to help manage hunger; which can assist you in reaching your lean-body goals.

The Lean 15 protein powder is packed with 15g of high quality protein. These proteins are a blend of both fast digesting whey protein and slowly digesting micellar casein to provide your muscles with a steady supply of amino acids. The product also contains 5g of dietary fiber, including 1.2g prebiotics, to promote digestive health. In addition to that, the product contains the antioxidants vitamins C and E, and selenium for immune support and B-vitamins for energy and protein metabolism. All of this in one 100 calorie serving!

The product can be incorporated into the Body-For-LIFE way of eating in several different ways. Below are some suggestions to create a Body-For-LIFE authorized meal:

Add one scoop of chocolate Lean 15 protein powder to a 6 ounce cup of strawberry yogurt for a tasty chocolate covered strawberry like dessert.
Add one scoop of vanilla Lean 15 protein powder, 2 tsp of cinnamon and 2 tsp of Splenda™ brown sugar to ½ cup of already prepared oatmeal for a vanilla- cinnamon brown sugar flavored bowl of oatmeal.
Add one scoop of vanilla Lean 15 protein powder with 1 cup of milk, 4-5 large ice cubes and ½ cup of your favorite frozen fruit for a delicious fruit smoothie.

-The BFL Team

Splenda™ is not a trademark of Abbott Laboratories.

Body-for-LIFE On A Budget

BFL — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:44:00 GMT

We all know that Body-for-LIFE is a great program for making healthy, long-term lifestyle changes, and for transforming your body composition from fat to fit! But what few people realize is that Body-for-LIFE is one of very few body transformation/weight management programs that can be worked into almost any budget. With a little creativity, it is possible to fit both the basic exercise and nutrition foundations laid out by the program, and adopt the habits for life with out draining your wallet.

The Body-for-LIFE program itself is completely free! There are not any registration or participation costs associated with it, nor are you obligated to any type of regular maintenance fees or consultation fees, unlike several other programs out there. Once you have read the original Body-for-LIFE book by Bill Philips (which is often available for free at your local library, or a reduced cost at a discount book store!); and once you have decided to tackle the Body-for-LIFE program, you are able to get additional guidance, motivation, and inspiration for free by either calling our product experts and fitness advisors at 800-297-9776 or by hopping online to the Body-for-LIFE website Community Forum!

Often times, even once people decide to make a positive change in their lifestyle habits, they end up talking themselves out of their goals to lose weight or get in shape because they are leery of pricey gym membership fees in their area. The good news is, you don’t NEED to bear the burden of monthly gym fees with Body-for-LIFE! The exercise portion of the Body-for-LIFE program is extremely adaptive, meaning the exercise portion does not require fancy equipment found in an expensive gym! Truly all you need is a weight bench (preferably an adjustable one), PowerBlocks (a.k.a one pair of adjustable weights that don’t require you to buy a full set of dumbbells), some good running shoes, and a little creativity! Many of the weight-resistance workouts from the Body-for-LIFE book or website can be mimicked using dumbbells in place of barbells or machines, and there’s nothing quite as effective for cardio as good old fashioned outdoor running!

Many people also feel they need large quantities of expensive supplements in order to be successful in reaching their goals. More good news: It is best to keep your Nutrition and Supplement product regimen simple and basic rather than complex and overwhelmed with several items. This is why EAS® keeps its product line straightforward and streamlined while still offering consumers high quality and efficiency. Although the Body-for-LIFE book references EAS® Myoplex® as the preferred post-workout nutrition source, you can absolutely be successful on the program with other options that may fit your budget better. Here are your two best options: 1) You may use a scoop of EAS(R) 100% Whey Protein + a carbohydrate source from the approved foods list to yield a very close equivalent to a Myoplex® shake. 2) You may choose any protein from the approved food list + any carbohydrate from the approved food list to yield the protein + carbohydrate combination that is already blended together in the Myoplex® shakes. Given that Myoplex® shakes are fortified with several vitamins and minerals, you might want to incorporate a multivitamin supplement if you choose not to use them; but that is certainly optional. You will already get a quality array of vitamins and minerals from choosing a variety of foods from the approved food list, and following the nutrition plan of Body-for-LIFE to a tee.

The BFL Team

Yes You CAN

BFL — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:35:00 GMT

The two major challenges of eating healthy are typically time and money. If everyone could afford the freshest, high quality ingredients, and had the time to cook and prepare them everyday, we would all do it! How can you benefit from more healthful, unprocessed fresh produce and meat, and also save time and money? One great way to do this is canning!

Fresh produce and meat are recommended by the Body-for-LIFE program, but also cost more than packaged, processed foods. Unfortunately, fresh produce and meat also expire and spoil more quickly, and many times we end up throwing food away. This is where canning comes in! Canning preserves these foods in glass jars for a longer period of time, allowing you to avoid throwing away your hard earned money. Canning allows you to stock up on foods when they go on sale, and consume them at a later date. Or by canning your favorite fruit while it’s in season, you can purchase more, and not worry about consuming all the fruit before it becomes rotten.

As summer is on the horizon, consider gardening and canning as two goals that can help lead you towards a healthier diet. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables from your own garden can be incredibly rewarding. Canning from your own garden not only saves you money, but also saves nutrients. Fruits and vegetables that are canned promptly after being harvested retain more nutrition!

There are two common methods of home canning, which include a boiling-water canner and a pressure canner. In a boiling-water canner, jars of food are submerged in boiling water for a specified period of time. Foods with higher acidity can be canned with the boiling-water canner. This is because their natural acidity can block the growth of bacteria, or destroy the bacteria more rapidly when heated in the water bath. Some examples of high acid foods are citrus fruits, berries, apples and most tomato varieties. Pressure canners use pressure and hot steam to cook jars of food at a higher temperature than is possible with a boiling-water canner. Foods with lower acidity must be canned with the pressure canner. Some examples of low acid foods are asparagus, carrots and meat. If you prefer to keep it simple and just use one method, your pressure canner can be used for both low acid and high acid foods.

Don’t be overwhelmed by this information! The USDA has an easy-to-follow guide, which you can find online by searching “USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning,” or you can even purchase a hard copy. We do not recommend pursuing home canning without being properly informed of how to be safe first!

We hope home canning not only helps you save time and money, but also enriches your Body-for-LIFE experience. If you spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon canning, you could have multiple dishes already prepared and saved for those nights on Body-for-LIFE when you don’t feel like cooking and shouldn’t grab fast food!

Body-for-LIFE Champions Weekend Recap

BFL — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:52:00 GMT

When I was asked to help with Champions Weekend this year, I jumped at the chance. It’s always a treat to spend time with the people who have truly been touched by the program, and I knew that meeting our 2011 Body-for-LIFE Champions would be a very special experience. These are the people who bring Body-for-LIFE to life, literally. I have had so many opportunities to meet Champions over the years, and it is really what makes this job worthwhile.

As we have done in past years, we planned Champions Weekend at the same time that the Arnold Fitness Expo is in Columbus, OH (also EAS’ headquarters). This just adds another element of excitement and inspiration to the entire event. Another important part of the weekend is to give our 2011 Champions the opportunity to share their stories on camera, get to know each other as a group, and celebrate each other’s transformations. At the beginning, we told our 2011 Champions that this weekend is all about them. They’ve already proven that they are living the BFL lifestyle, and after all their hard work, they deserve a chance to blow off steam and have a great time. While we had plenty of Myoplex bars and shakes on hand at all times, they were free to indulge in any of their favorite “free” day foods if they choose to. No matter how much cheesecake was consumed, I knew the workout the EAS trainer Rob (a.k.a. Dr. Evil) was planning on taking them through on Saturday morning was sure to make up for that and then some (more on that workout later!).

We kicked off Champions Weekend on Friday, March 2 with one-on-one camera interviews. This was each Champ’s chance to share his/her Body-for-LIFE story, and answer a variety of questions all about his/her transformations, workouts, favorite foods, what motivated him/her, plus current and future goals and more. Once we made it through these interviews, our camera team followed the Champs through the rest of the weekend for a lot of fun and unscripted footage. Call it the “The Champions of Body-for-LIFE Reality Show”, if you will. Once this is all edited, the interviews and recap of the entire weekend will be posted to www.bodyforlife.com.

Even though I’ve been involved with EAS and BFL for almost 15 years, I always learn something new and inspiring each time I interview a Champ. I come home with new workout tips, new recipes and even more motivation than ever before. What was very interesting this time, is that, the majority of the Champs I interviewed had discovered Body-for-LIFE previously (some even as far back as 1999). Some had competed in previous Challenges and done quite well. For various reasons, life can get in the way sometimes, but Body-for-LIFE was a program that worked well for them, and once they did Body-for-LIFE, it was always a program they returned to (versus trying a different diet) because they knew they would see results. The key to their winning transformations in 2011 was that they had more desire and motivation than they ever had before. And it paid off!

After a full day of one-on-one interviews, it was time to give our 2011 Champions a chance to get to know each other over a laidback dinner. They bonded immediately! It was an early night, since we had a full day planned for them on Saturday. Everyone met first thing Saturday morning to head over to the EAS headquarters for a group workout with EAS trainer Rob Williams. Rob took each Champ through a weight-lifting exercise, while explaining proper form for the camera. Soon it was time for the group workout. Rob started the Champs out with some stretches, and then he took them through a series of plyometric, core strength and weight moves with kettlebells. Within minutes, the Champs were working as hard as they could to complete the series, with Rob cheering them on. At one point, Rob decided that Bryant Scott deserved a bit more of a challenge, and switched his 55-pound kettlebells out for 70-pounds ones. Bryant powered through, even with the heavier weight. Everyone was sweating and close to exhaustion, but determined to prove to Rob that they could handle anything he could throw at them. It may have been at this point that Rob earned the nickname Dr. Evil. By the end of the workout, the Champs were lying on the floor, trying to catch their breath but smiling and joking with Rob. Soon they were gathered around him, asking him more questions about various exercises and other workouts and requesting his contact information so that they could keep in touch with him. For many Champs, this workout was one of the highlights of the weekend.

After the workout, the Champs were given some time to recover, shower and eat a little lunch before we all headed to the Arnold Fitness Expo. The EAS booth always draws a crowd with its monstrous LED screens, pumping music, sports-themed games, product giveaways and plenty of action. The Champs took the stage and were officially introduced to the crowd. They answered a variety of questions from the audience about Body-for-LIFE while their life-sized before and after pictures were flashed on the huge screens above the booth. At that point, they were free to explore the Arnold Fitness Expo, but not before the chance to mingle with EAS athlete and Arizona Cardinal Larry Fitzgerald as he waited to take the stage and wow the crowd at the EAS booth. After a couple hours of exploring the Arnold Fitness Expo, the Champs gathered back at the EAS booth. It was a full (and fun) day that culminated in a special celebratory dinner that evening. Everyone enjoyed steaks and cheesecake… they had certainly earned the right to indulge after that morning’s workout! We toasted to the Champs and their accomplishments, and although they had all just met each other the day before, it was clear that lasting friendships were formed. As a group, they were excited to support each other in all their future goals, plus they were motivated to reach out to the Body-for-LIFE community and help others with their transformations. Our 2011 Body-for-LIFE Champions might have started this weekend as individuals but they left this weekend as a team. As always, it was an honor to get to know these newest Champions, and we look forward to seeing them again in the future.

Get Up! Get Moving!

BFL — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:33:00 GMT

Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling great and ready to start a day of healthy eating and exercising with the best of intentions? Then unfortunately as the day goes on life happens and those good intentions go out the window? Then you are like most of us who have encountered this at one time or another. It can be a serious struggle at times.

What you need to do is put some firm habits in action. Start yourself on a regular routine of getting up just a little bit earlier each day and working out first thing in the morning. It’s the perfect time of day to complete your workout before anything else can get in the way of your good intentions. Meetings can run late, your kids need picked up from school, the ironing is calling you, your neighbor drops by for a long chat. Whatever it is, it’s probably legitimate, but your workout just keeps getting pushed aside. If you have already done your workout first thing in the morning it doesn’t matter as much when these things pop up because you have already done what you need to for yourself for the day.

Getting up early to workout is one of the best ways to begin your day. Exercise gives you an energy boost, and those feel-good endorphins will leave you in a happy state of mind. If you are not normally a morning person, start with just trying to do your 20 minute aerobics solution in the morning, and on your weight training days, do your weight training workouts later in the day. Getting up an extra 20 minutes early most likely won’t effect how you feel the rest of the day except in a positive way.

Another benefit is if you wake up and work out you are going to be less likely to eat unauthorized foods the rest of the day. You will feel good because you’ve already done something positive for your body, before most people are out of bed. So you will not want to ‘wreck’ your progress by eating junk food later in the day. When you get to the end of the day, you’ve made healthy choices, and you feel positive about what you’ve done (rather than feeling ‘bad’ all day). That’s fantastic for your self-confidence and belief in your ability to complete your 12 week program. This could potentially boost your confidence and your belief in your ability to complete the 12 week program.

Beat the Winter Blues with BFL

BFL — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:58:00 GMT

That time of year has begun when most of us are having difficulty finding the motivation to exercise. It is cold and wet outside, and dark by the time you leave work! Not only does that make it harder to get to the gym, but it also makes us crave those warm, fattening comfort foods.

Instead of letting yourself spiral out of control this winter, only to feel more hopeless in the spring, pull yourself out of hibernation and get started on your Body-for-LIFE 12 week program! Exercising and eating 6 small meals helps you feel more energized throughout the day. When it’s cold, wet and dark outside, we need all the extra energy we can get! Wouldn’t it be great to feel more motivated and focused throughout the day, instead of tired and worn out?

Another important thing to remember is Body-for-LIFE can be just as fun in the winter. Wintertime offers some fun sports that also happen to be great workouts! How about trying down hill or cross country skiing, snowboarding or ice skating? If you’re taking the kids sledding, be sure to run back up those hills after you’ve enjoyed the ride down. Since this is Body-for-LIFE, and you get your very own free day each week, embrace the winter season and splurge with hot chocolate or one of those comfort foods you’ve been craving all week, such as macaroni and cheese.

Don’t wait to jump-start your new lifestyle! Starting your Body-for-LIFE program now will not only help you get through those dreary winter months with extra energy, but also give you a jumpstart on the next bathing suit season!

Understanding Whole Grains

BFL — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:54:18 GMT

With the public’s rising interest in fitness and nutrition, more and more carbohydrate products in the supermarket are available with a “whole grain” option. Whether it is crackers, bread, frozen waffles, cereal or pasta, it is very common to see label statements such as “Whole Wheat,” “Multi-Grain,” etc. Is this a positive thing? Absolutely! It means Americans have more and more healthy options to choose from!

If you are competing in the Body-for-LIFE® challenge, the majority of your grains should be delivered by whole grains. What do we mean when we say “whole grains?” We mean the grains have not been through a refining process that removes certain nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Statements such as “Multi-Grain” make shoppers automatically assume the product contains whole grains. “Multi-Grain” simply means the product provides grains from more than one source. However, it does not necessarily indicate whole grains.

The best way to know exactly what you are purchasing is to read the label! The next time you are at the store diligently checking the label on a loaf of bread or a box of crackers, be sure to read the Ingredients List. Look for ingredients such as whole wheat flour, whole grain oats, brown rice, whole rye, bulgur and whole grain barley, just to name a few! Yes, this could extend the time you spend in the supermarket, but it is worth the extra time to make healthy choices that help you reach your fitness goals!

Generation (I Want It) "Now" Needs to Take Time to Heal

BFL — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:49:00 GMT

Everybody gets weighed down by the occasional cold or flu bug. A lot of people are burdened by seasonal allergies, too. Some people are naturally prone to small injuries, impingement, or pain in joints, muscles, ligaments or tendons. These things are just a part of life that we don’t really like, yet have come to accept. But what if the cold or flu bug or allergy or injury hits right smack dab in the middle of our Body for LIFE Challenge?! Do you give up and throw in the towel because, “clearly”, either your current progress/results or the rest of your challenge will be ruined by your inability to go to the gym or stay on track with the program? Or do you push through the sniffles, the cough, the headache, the nausea, or the pain and keep on going full force as you have been? The answer is often: neither nor! This is when it’s time to rest and recognize that rest will not ruin anything!

Unless you have sustained an illness or injury that is diagnosed as long duration (i.e. a heart condition or a bone fracture), the interruption to your Body-for-LIFE program while in recovery will only be a temporary one! As a temporary matter to endure, when you get sick or experience a fleeting pain, it is quite manageable to maintain current results and to get right back on track once you have allowed yourself to take a brief break to fully recover. In other words, temporary interruptions to your program do NOT imply ruined results or ruined chances at achieving transformation goals! It is far more important to allow yourself the few days of recovery now, rather than to push yourself so much that you end up making yourself worse, and needing an even longer break for recovery later! It is crucial to listen to your body and to always put your health first. We understand that it is very easy to get caught up in the competition of the Body for LIFE program, and thus put workouts and meal plans at a priority over your own well-being. Trust us, though, this is the biggest mistake you can make! Although it is important to push yourself and to challenge yourself to new limits during the program in order to yield the best results possible; we don’t ever recommend ignoring an illness or injury at the risk of short term repairable condition and exacerbating into something much more serious, long term.

It is often helpful to visualize the inconsequentiality of an illness- or injury-induced disruption to your Body for LIFE program by breaking it down into numbers. The Body for LIFE program is 84 days long. In those 84 days, you will perform 18 upper body workouts, 18 lower body workouts, and 36 HIIT Cardio Sessions. In those 84 days, you will consume approximately 432 Body-for-LIFE approved meals (6 meals per day x 6 days per week (don’t count free day!) x 12 weeks). Now, let’s say you come down with a cold. Let’s say you allow yourself the proper rest and recovery to make sure the cold is completely out of your system before getting back into your workouts and regular meal plan. Hypothetically, the cold is likely to last about 4 days because you allowed yourself the proper rest, rather than pushing yourself to go to the gym while sick. Essentially, what this will mean as a WORST case scenario to your program is missing 1 upper body workout, 1 lower body workout, 2 HIIT sessions and 24 Body for LIFE approved meals. This equates to just 5% missed upper body workouts, 5% missed lower body workouts, 5% missed HIIT sessions, and 5% non-approved meal patterns. Of course, if you are able to still eat pretty much according to Body for LIFE while you are sick (or injured) the percentage will be even lower! Regardless, 5% out of 100% really is a marginal proportion, and is far from a percentage that will prevent you from progressing and reaching your program goals! Furthermore, the 5% “error” from breaking the program to recover now, is far more trivial than the potentially larger percentage of “error” you risk by needing more recovery later due to the fact that you pushed yourself further into illness or injury by not taking the proper time to rest right at the commence of the illness or injury.

Bottom line: Listen to your body, put your health at priority, and try not to worry about ruined results when life’s ways of illness or injury come knocking at your Body for LIFE door. It is much more important to allow yourself to heal right away, rather than risk a much more detrimental ailment in the future by unnecessarily placing the spirit competition at priority.

Food Can’t Hug You Back: Overcoming Using Food to Cope With Stress

BFL — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:55:00 GMT

At some point in most of our lives, there are obstacles to healthy living. They can be physical, emotional or both; temporary or permanent. It’s what we choose to do in the moment of most difficulty that steers our intentions. Different people deal with stress in different ways. When some people feel stressed they lose their appetite and can’t eat. Others however, use food to try and take their mind off the stress, which usually leads to more stress in the long run when the extra pounds start creeping on.

To prevent this extra stress, which is the last thing any of us needs in our lives, it can be helpful to take a moment and simply think about what you are really doing to your body in the long run. When your weight keeps climbing higher and higher in response to binge eating episodes, you are only going to make your self more miserable than you already were. You need to admit to yourself food can’t solve your problems. It can’t keep you company when you are lonely. It can’t give you a hug when you are sad. You need something more.

There are lots of other healthier coping strategies that are also WAY more effective. Exercising your body is one of the best ways to release frustration and tension and to release the “feel good” hormones called endorphins. Better yet, it burns off extra calories while you are doing the exercise, and your body continues to burn calories at an accelerated rate sometimes for hours after you have finished exercising - especially after you have finished doing an intense weight training session like the Body for LIFE weight training routine or the 20 minute aerobics solution.

Other healthier coping strategies include something as simple as deep breathing when you feel nervous or journaling to cope with anger and irritation. Journaling can also ensure that you are staying on track with your Body for LIFE challenge. Many find it beneficial to write down what they eat each day, the exercise they did for that day, and how this made them feel afterwards. Then if you are not seeing results as quickly as you may have thought you would you can go back and look at your journal to see what changes may need to be made.

Maybe you could try taking up a new hobby such as painting or drawing. Lots of people have great success letting their emotions out in the form of art work. This can allow you to be a child again: splash paint and let your hair down!

Some of these options may seem obvious, and yet how many times do we dismiss them in favor of a trip to the refrigerator? So when you feel stressed and are tempted to use food to “numb away” that stress, just remember food can’t hug you back, and nothing tastes as good as how finishing your 12 week program, being fit and in-shape feels.

Morning Motivation

BFL — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:27:00 GMT

Whether you’re familiar with Body-for-LIFE, or new to the program, you have probably heard that the 20 Minute Aerobic Solution is most effective when performed in the morning on an empty stomach. If you are not a “morning person,” this can be a very difficult habit to make. For participants trying to maximize results or change their routine, a morning workout might be a great option! Plus, who doesn’t love having their evenings free? And for those who work second or third shift, just consider “morning” the time you usually wake up, whatever time that happens to be. You will still receive the same benefits by waking up and working out on an empty stomach, too!

Remember the Body-for-LIFE motto, “Progress, not Perfection.” If getting up early to do cardio in the morning is about as appealing to you as a root canal, try to make a more gradual goal. For example, perform morning cardio just one day for the first week, two days for the second week, and all three days for the third week. Even if it takes all twelve weeks to exercise in the morning, congratulate yourself!

Another helpful tip, and probably most effective, is to prepare your exercise gear at night. Be sure to lay out your clothes, shoes, gym pass, music player and headphones right next to your bed. It is amazing how much easier it can be when all these items are right at your fingertips. We have even heard from people who sleep in their gym clothes!

Good luck, and be sure to reward yourself on your free day for making such a great and difficult change!

The Free Day!

BFL — Tue, 10 May 2011 20:18:00 GMT

Body-for-LIFE® requires us to be structured and disciplined for twelve weeks. During that time, we focus on planning meals, finding time to cook and exercise, grocery shopping, and whether it’s our upper body or lower body day! Among all that planning and structure, it is hard to adjust to the idea of a free day. It is not uncommon to feel guilty for taking a free day when you are working so hard to stay on track, but remember this was written into the program for a reason. The free day allows you to recover mentally and physically. It also allows you to satisfy some cravings so that you can be motivated to be healthy long term. Who would stick with a program that recommends never eating their favorite lasagna ever again?

If you are still feeling overwhelmed by the idea of a free day, we included a few examples below to give you some ideas.

Idea 1: Continue eating six small meals per day, but substitute some of the authorized proteins and carbohydrates. For example, at meal 1, you could eat chocolate chip pancakes with your egg whites. Then, at meal 3, you might choose French fries with your chicken breast instead of brown rice.
Idea 2: Eat three meals, consisting of any foods you want.
Idea 3: Continue eating six meals per day with lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, but add all those delicious, unauthorized toppings you miss during the week, such as cheese on your sandwich, butter on your baked potato, and cream in your coffee.
Idea 4: Enjoy a cookie with your lunch and a slice of pie with your dinner for dessert.
Idea 5: Treat your family, and finally cook your famous meatloaf with beef instead of turkey for once. Don’t be afraid to serve it with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Idea 6: Choose one big meal to splurge on, and eat smaller meals the rest of the day when you’re feeling hungry.
Idea 7: Relax and watch a movie with a soda and big bowl of popcorn topped with melted butter and salt.

No matter what you decide to do, remember it is your FREE day, so there is no right or wrong way to use it!

Encouraging Others To Do BFL

BFL — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:15:00 GMT

Congratulations on taking the first step to completing your 12 week Body For LIFE® program! At first, when you are starting the program, you may feel very motivated and feel there is no way you will not complete the whole 12 weeks. As time goes on though, it can become more difficult, and you may be tempted to get off track. However, if you encourage others to do the program along with you, it is more likely that you will stick with it and complete the whole 12 weeks. When others are doing the program with you, it can cause you to feel more accountable. They may ask you how you are doing with your program, you may see them in the gym everyday, and if you miss a day and they don’t see you they may ask you where you were, making you feel more accountable.

Also, encouraging others to do the program with you can help to build excitement about doing the program. Usually, when you are encouraging someone to do something you are almost "selling" them on the program; so you have to sound upbeat, excited and energetic about it. This can subconsciously make you yourself more excited, upbeat, and energetic about your own program!

If you can talk someone in your household - like your significant other - into doing the program with you, then you can cook the same healthy meals together and get all of the other un-authorized foods out of your household completely. It’s easier to avoid un-authorized foods if they are not available to you in your home. Also, you will not have to be tempted to go off the plan by coming home and seeing someone else relaxing on the couch and eating junk food, which could cause you to wish you could do the same. Instead, you could come home to someone telling you about a new healthy recipe they found that they want to try tonight for dinner.

If there is no way you could possibly talk your significant other into doing the program, or if you are single, co- workers are another great source for a partner to do the challenge with. Since you see them every day, you could ask each other how the program is going, work out together, or even share meal plans. Taking a look at someone else’s meal plan could help you realize you need to do things differently with your own meal plan, or it could even serve as a way to find new BFL authorized meals that you had not thought of yet. If you are eating the same thing day in and day out, that can become boring. When you add new meals into the mix, you are less likely to get off track due to boredom.

So, in conclusion, the main benefit of encouraging others to do Body-For-LIFE® is that it can help you to stay on track and complete your own 12 week program!

3 Key Tips To Completing Your ENTIRE 12 Week Program

BFL — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:21:00 GMT

Starting your 12 week Body-for-LIFE® program can be a very exciting time for many individuals. You are motivated and excited to start seeing some great changes in your body. For some people it is difficult to stay focused and motivated. Particularly in the 6^th and 7^th week, some of that motivation and excitement may start to dwindle. For those individuals, below are some tips to help ensure you will make it through the entire 12 weeks of your challenge:

1. When you start your program tell everyone you are starting a body transformation program.

That way they will ask you about your progress and you will feel more accountable since others will be expecting to see changes in your body. Also when others are aware you are working to make a change they may notice small differences that you don’t. This is extra motivation that can be a great catalyst to keep you going.

2. Reward yourself as you go along. Rewards do not have to be in the form of food. You could treat yourself to a stress-reducing massage or a shopping trip. Recognize and reward yourself for all accomplishments you make during your challenge, even your smaller accomplishments. For example, you may be able to run farther, lift heavier weights, have reduced stress levels and be sleeping better at night. That way, you will be more conscious of all the positive things that have occurred since you started your challenge. Focus on all the positive things you have gained from participating in this program, not all the foods you had to give up.

3. Plan a trip, event, or plan to attend a special occasion at the end of your 12 week program.

Maybe you have a class reunion, or an extended family wedding coming up and want to look your absolute best seeing people in your life that haven’t seen you in a while. Or you could plan a beach vacation. There are not many things that can motivate people more than knowing you will have to be in a bathing suit again in the near future.

Greek Week

BFL — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:47:00 GMT

If you are growing tired of egg whites in the morning, why not try a new lean protein option? Greek yogurt is a potential choice that may be new to you.

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