Good morning!

secretminime, Welcome. As Brick said some of us just do it for the transformation and not to send the package in. I have done several challenges and have never sent the package or officially entered. But, for some this is added motivation of signifies completion. Although pictures can be a bit difficult for some, they show things that you don't see in the mirror. The before and after tells a whole different story. The changes that you can accomplish wont be anything to be embarrassed about, if you commit to the process. I encourage you to do it and you will be so pleased, like many of us in this group have found out.

Cuervo, your meal plan sounds great to me but I am no expert. The breakdown of carbs, protein and fat looks great. As you said, start with that and if you see that you are loosing too much weight and not adding muscle, you can up it. I am also trying to balance it. I have been eating 1200-1300 calories a day with 50%P:30%C:20%F. I will up it a bit more to about 1500 calories/day and see where that leads me. Maybe others have advice on this that can help. But, I figure the best way is by trial and error since it will be different for everyone.

Cuervo, at my conference I had a lecture from a nutritionist who stated that consuming any more than 2.0 mg/kg of protein daily has no added benefit even for heavy lifters. Remember that any amount of calories you consume over what your body uses will be stored as fat - even protein... On another note, I really admire your dedication. I have done well at planning ahead for a few days. I want to do what you're doing for my next challenge and plan WAY ahead. Thanks for sharing.

Heart you,

Michelle

Regarding nutrient ratios, for C1 I was pretty strict: 40C-40P-20F most meals. I've got to go back to my BFL book to see if there's any wiggle room there if you don't see the fat loss you'd like to see. I've read some interesting things, but you can't take everything you read as gospel... unless it's in "the book!"

Hey Brick:

I think if you stick to the above ratio for the first 3 meals of the day, and then limit the others to protein, veggies and/or fruit, and make your last meal protein with very little carbs, you will see more fat loss.  Those starchy carbs are crucial for muscle building and energy, but I think they should be consumed earlier in the day.  I think it made a difference for me to do it that way.  I am sure you will have to play with it a little bit and see what works best for you.

I gotta get to bed soon, and still have to pack lunches.

Have a great evening.

I just checked this thread and it didn't show any posts for yesterday at all! So I typed a great message about how we may be past the official round dates for 2010, but there's no bad time to take control of your health... Then I saw some posts. ????

Goodness, I am finding myself in a big funk and can't wait to get back in the gym.

Maybe everyone is wating for Monday, and then there will be a flurry of activity!!!!  Hopefully.....

I'm in!

Welcome aboard, Mari! You'll love this group! Those of us who are in our second (or subsequent) challenges met in the "August 16" start group and more than 25% of us finished! We're a very upbeat, motivating group and you're bound to succeed with us! Glad to meet you!

Yay!  I'm glad I found this group.  With yesterday being my first day on this forum, I have to say I already am feeling more motivated than before I read any of this.  I was first dreading having to eat healthy again since it does take work, thought, time, and energy...but I am now feeling excited!  So thank you to all who are helping with this and I hope to become a help to others as well.

Some questions...

1)  Is it okay to add to the BFL workouts?  Such as doing cardio and weight lifting in one day and do it all 6 days?  Or will I not get the same results?

2) The first time I did the BFL challenge was in the summer of 2007.  I never counted calories, I just used the fist for healthy carbs, palm for proteins, and add veggies to at least a couple of meals.  Do you think this will be okay to do or do I have to count calories?

3)  If for some reason I want to....is it okay to change my workouts completely just for variety?

Thanks :)

Thanks! I'm looking forward to doing this with you all. I know i'll need all the support i can get. I don't know if i should count this as my 2nd challenge or 1st. I quit the first time after week 9, but this time im planning to go all the way. I'm scared, and excited at the same time.

@mama4fitness: I've seen the veterans advise against cardio and strength in the same day. BFL is hard work and there's no way you can devote yourself fully to reaching a 10 in cardio if you're trying to reach your 10s in strength, and vice versa. You don't want to risk injury, either. Also, too much of a calorie deficit will stall your weight loss.

No need to count calories if you stick to the BFL-authorized food list in the book. Many use the palm/fist method since it conforms to individual body size/nutrition needs. The general guideline is roughly 20g of carbs and 20g of protein 6xper day for us gals.

I would say it's a great idea to change your workouts as often as you can, so long as you are hitting all the muscle groups for that workout (UBWO/LBWO) and leaving it all on the gym floor!

@Mari - C1, C2, doesn't matter. What matters is you're here NOW and you are going to do just great! I checked out your bb-dot-com profile and you are well on your way! The way we pull one another through in this group - I've never seen anything like it. We talk each other through our workout ideas, food ideas, and get each other genuinely STOKED about the program!

I'm so antsy in AR - it's almost like I need the structure of going to the gym and knowing what to expect each night. My husband has been faithfully going to the gym every night and is doing great. He's not doing BFL, but he's wanted to start working out again for a long time. He's my biggest cheerleader and it's great going to the gym with him.

mama - I really staed with the BFL workouts.  I stayed with their # of sets and # of reps and the muscles they worked.  But you can do whichever exercises for those muscle groups that you want.  It is recommended that you change up the exercises every 3 weeks or so because your body becomes used to things and the benefits aren't as great when that occurs.  

I've always done some cardio on my weight training days, but not too much, just 10-15 minutes, but not at the same intensity as my cardio days.  

I never counted calories on BFL.  It's not necessary.  It sounds like you have the right idea for portion sizes.  

Welcome to the group.

I just wanted to thank those of you that have shared your percentages/calories/portion cntrl/strategies.  I will try to make my later meals-protein, veggies, or fruit. Looking for less booty. I hope there are lots of pics for motivation!

Thank  you WannaBeABrickhouse and damage724!!

Okay, more questions...

1) If I keep my weight training and cardio on seperate days...then is it okay to up my cardio from the 20 min. HIIT to longer cardio?  I get so pumped and excited when I'm in the gym that some days I don't want it to end.

2)  So, I keep hearing you all speak about AR.  What does AR involve?  Does this mean NO workingout at all?  And if so, do you eat less?

Thanks again!