Hi!

I know how you feel I'm from Canada. I'm on my 5th week but I'm also a Personal Trainer. I just joined the site 2 days ago and i can help you with your nutrition if you need. Good for you for taking the challenge with a Personal Trainer you must be getting great results. I've had a PT at times too and I've never had better results. My name is Pamela and hope to hear from you soon!

Hi there

I too am from Melbourne and am nearing the end of my 7th week. I am also training with a PT which makes the exercise component a lot easier. My gym is running a BFL competition with a $2000 prize, so that has also been great motivation! What sorts of meals are you eating?  Are you using any supplements?

Look forward to hearing from you! Lisa

Hi Pamela, any advice you can give on nutrition would be excellent!!

I've been told by my PT that she used the Eating for Life recipes. Would you guys say that the book is a good way to keep eating correctly? I do love the food in there! I think the other issue I have is that I eat too much, and don't keep to portion sizes :(

Lisa, which gym are you at? It would be excellent if my gym - Genesis - would actually support my PT and have prizes like that! But it seems it might be the first time my particular gym has had BFL.

I am having supplements, I have the GNC shake powder (at the moment yummy Cookies and Cream) and I have Slim Secrets protein bars occasionally.

Thanks for the replies girls! How are you both going? Are you loving the results?

What kind of advice do you want about nutrition?

As for supplements I think a good protein powder has about 120 cals and aprox 30g protein, no sugar no carbs. Supplements I also love are Glutamine , Udo's oil, and creatine. Thats what I've personally tried. I also take a thermogenic called a stack with 25mg effedrine, 200mg caffine, and a coated asprine. I take that twice a day for energy and decreased appetite. I've tried about 15 differnet thermogenics from Hydroxi cut to iodine, but thats what I've found works best. when i have any meat I eat 4 onces, unless i have 250ml egg whites  or a can of tuna. I eat veggies with every meal for added fiber and that satisfed full feeling. (Don't hesitate to eat low calorie dip or dressings cause veggies are so boring.) Try to eat your weight in pounds equivant to grams of protein. Example 140 pounds 140 grams of protein a day over 6 meals. I also have a bad sweet tooth so I love protein panckes (with no calorie, no sugar suryp), protein pudding, oatmeal and protein powder (no calorie sweetners to taste), and protein and fruit milkshakes (no calorie sweetners to taste). Are you male or female? What are your goals build muscle? weight loss? endurance? Let me know what other questions you have?

p.s. a good place for inspiration is oxygen magazine,I love there recipes, plus I used to compete in fitness so I understand the determination it takes. BFL is the closest thing I've seen to a competition diet, plus the strenght, mentally and phycisally involved are powerful.

pocket_rocket I am also at Genesis! In Berwick. Which one are you at? I have been really happy with the physical results- was measured yesterday and I've lost around 50cm all over BUT I am still a little discouraged by the scales- around 7.5kg lost so far.

The last 2 or 3 days, I have been STARVING! I am hoping that means my metabolism is fired up and running properly again! This may also be due to doing extra cardio this week?

Hazel eyes- sounds like you've done this before. Did you add extra cardio? Did you find the 8 week miracle to be true for you?

I'm at Genesis Knox... would your PT happen to be called Paul? Maybe not, but yeh my gym is so slack!

50cm! that's fantastic... I feel sorta slack now. I had a measurement which was only about 16 cm lost, and only about 3kg lost. My PT had to be tough with me and told me it has to do with the way I'm eating. I'm training well, especially with her pushing me... It has to be the nutrition and I really want to get good results with this :(

What sorts of food are you eating, Lisa?

I do know Paul but he isn't my PT.

I have been quite strict with my food- I have certainly been enjoying my free day though! A usual day for me is as follows:

Meal 1:     1 poached whole egg and 1 poached egg white on wholegrain English muffin

Meal 2:      Protein Bar (Horley's Carbless)

Meal 3:      1/2 cup brown rice with peas, tuna and soy sauce

Meal 4:      Protein shake (Horley's Sculpt) with skim milk

Meal 5:      1/2 grilled chicken *** with steamed veg and sweet potato

Meal 6:       Yoplait Forme yoghurt

I think free day has been my let down. I really have been eating whatever I want. For this last month I will try and cut out free day.

I have been taking green tea extract tablets also.

What are your goals for the program? Are you losing weight or toning up?

My aim with this first challenge is to lose weight. I put on a lot when I had my sons (around 30kg!)  and want to be back in shape before my 30th birthday in January.

If you find the whole grilled meat/brown rice thing too bland, I have also tried the Old El Paso Extra Lite tortillas. I cooked up a big batch of chicken with the fajita sauce (its just like a salsa) on the Sunday and made enough tortillas for the week. I just added some onion, red capsicum and a tiny bit of low fat mozzarella. It's a tasty and healthy meal that's quick and easy to heat up.

Another week I made chille con carne- just with lean beef mince, tinned tomatoes, kidney beans, herbs etc. Just add some brown rice for your carb or put some in a tortilla or ontop of a small baked potato. Again, made a huge pot on the Sunday and it lasted me all week.

Thanks for posting that, Lisa! I will give some of your ideas a try, since it really seems to be working with you! Besides the last few days, do you often have to fight cravings and sometimes cave? Or feel hungry? My PT said that whenever I feel hungry when I shouldn't be - to have a few almonds, or drink some water... maybe you could try that?

I think my problem is that I never really cooked until I actually started BFL! I live at home. It's only now I've started cooking, and so have been relying on that Eating for Life book.

My meals vary a bit sometimes and I usually only have about 5 meals per day as I'm not a big dessert person:

Meal 1: Wholemeal English muffin with the Sanitarium Peanut Butter or Oats with skim milk and protein shake powder

Meal 2: Yoghurt with cottage cheese or sometimes wholemeal rice crackers with Sanitarium Peanut Butter

Meal 3: Wholemeal bread with tuna and lettuce or sometimes tuna salad with 99% fat free mayo (is that allowed?)

Meal 4: Protein Bar

Meal 5: generally varies

My PT told me (and I found out here on the site) that you soon discover that it's best to have only ONE meal as your free meal on your free day. Otherwise it does throw you off. Unfortunately again I haven't been so good with this. I often eat freely every meal on Sunday, and sometimes have some bad days - like last night I had a couple of glasses of red wine when out at dinner with friends =/ very bad. Thankfully I don't often drink, but last night was something over dinner.

I really need to buckle down and start planning my meals better and eating better. I always knew it would be the food that would be my biggest let down. Having a PT definitely pushes me during workouts 6 days per week. I just have to make a commitment with my food :(

Hi all

i am starting my second challenge soon...(gained back what i lost on the first one)...and i am in melbourne and go to Genisis too (Prahran)! i am surprised that some PTs actually know about this program - no one i speak to has ever heard of it.

I am getting really pumped for this challenge so i look forward to hearing how you guys go and getting some tips about what we can supplement for all those american products (butterbuds??).

PS you guys sound like you are doing really well! don't forget that most of the changes happen inside and don't necessarily show on the outside until the last few weeks.

:)

Iisac

Yeah I do extra cario, but the best cardio is interval training. I do 30mins every day. Its kinda over training but I get bored and I have a treadmil at home so i just jump on. I notice changes all the time. I weigh my self every day which isn't the best idea because I get discouraged when I don't see reults. Losing weight is just burning more calories than your putting in. When I do cardio I always monitor my heart rate and like to stay in the aerobic zone because you burn the most calories during and after your workout. I used to compete in fitness and I'm a PT.

Sydney-sider. Just finished week 9.

well im an aussie living in the USA do i count, beginning week 9 tomorrow

Hi all

For those who have done BFL before, do you have any tips on how to maximise the results and fat loss in the last 4 weeks? I want to end on a high note!