Hey, Tornado - I just found this reply to my posting from a while back and appreciate your input. FYI, I finished my BFL challenge and was somewhat disappointed with my results, and I think it had a lot to do with my diet. I lost 13 pounds in the 12 weeks but only less than 4% bf, and though I lost inches I think I was losing muscle as quickly as I was building it - I really expected better results considering how darn hard I was working.

I am now working out by doing chest and biceps on Mondays followed by 20MAS so my workout is finished in an hour, then Tuesday is back and triceps plus 20MAS, Wednesday is 45 minutes random on the bike for a cardio only day, Thursday is lower body only - no cardio but it takes me about an hour to work my lower body fully, then Friday is shoulders and abs plus 20MAS - Saturday is another cardio only day - I do a treadmill power walk program for 45 minutes. My lifting is still pyramid BFL style but I only do 4 sets - a warmup light weight 22 rep set, then heavier x 12, heavier again x 10, and heaviest x 8. I superset so I do, for example, chest set 1 - bicep set 1; chest set 2 - bicep set 2 - with no rest between but maybe a good stretch. I have adapted my diet to more of a BFL style - more carbs but less fat.

I always have my first meal of the day about 1 hour after my morning workout on an empty stomach (except for my cuppa java!). My typical daily diet is as follows:

post-workout - protein bar
mid-morning break - 2 stalks celery with natural peanut butter
lunch - apple with 2 oz cheddar cheese, plus fibre/protein bar
afternoon snack - 2 cups salad (mix of romaine & spinach) with 1 whole tomato, 1 tsp real bacon bits, cucumber and light mayo for dressing, plus low-fat fruit yogurt
dinner - chicken breast, 2-3 cups salad as above, 1-2 cups frozen veggie mix (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots)
evening snack - 1/2 cup 1%fat cottage cheese with 6 large strawberries and Splenda

Sometimes lunch includes some meat if I have it on hand, such as a can of tuna or turkey meat, or leftover dinner meat like pork chop or chicken. Often I will have another celery stalk with peanut butter in the evening.

Please, does this sound right? I want to make sure I'm providing the right fuel for my workouts. On weekends, I don't take a free day but I do allow alcohol - such as vodka with soda water and a squirt of lime, or dry red wine - I just am not ready yet to give up my booze! I probably eat less though on weekends, since I sleep in and don't have the office "breaks" to remind me to stop and eat something.

Sorry this turned into a novel, but I could really use an evaluation of my program by others...

Thanks in advance for your time!

Have a great day,
Laura

Okay, here's what I'm seeing in your post:

Ditch the protein bars entirely. They are nothing but glorified candy bars, no matter WHAT they say on the packages. These things are NOTORIOUS for containing things that are not listed. They stall a LOT of people because of this.

One hour before eating is WAY too catabolic to muscle tissue. And you need protein and fat right after AM cardio.

NEVER lift weights on an empty stomach - this is ALSO catabolic to muscle tissue. These sorts of things will leave you a skinny-fat person, not a lean person. If you MUST do your weights first thing in the AM, knock back a whey shake with some olive oil and heavy cream before you lift so you don't destroy any more of your lbm than you already have.

Low fat fruit yogurt has too many carbs and not enough protein and fat. I'd ditch that one too. Stick with the cottage cheese.

You should try to get 15-50g of protein in each of your 6 daily meals. And peanut butter isn't high enough in protein to count as a protein source - think of natty PB as a fat souce rather than a protein source. With a lower-fat plan, aim for closer to 200g protein. No lower than 150. Check at www.fitday.com if you're not sure.

Get good-quality carbs into you if you're going higher-carb. The protein bar and the yogurt (both are basically just different names for dessert) are really sub-optimal to steel-cut oats and sweet potatoes. You're still lower-carb - might as well make every carb nourish you well.

Oh, and please don't be afraid to try high-fat low carb if this way doesn't work for you. Higher carb lower fat DOES work for some, but I'm not one of them. I bulk when I go lower fat.

Good luck! I wish you every success!

- Built

Please let me start out by saying that this is my opinion. I don't want to offend anyone doing BFL. I respect Bill Philips and his BFL program. His publications were the main influence in my training and eating over the last 8 years... BUT...
I believe the main benifits of the BFL program are the workout stratigies, the high protein, and frequent feedings. Bill owns a supplement company (EAS) and he has many reasons to promote his products. (and they are good products.)
But real food has got to be the basis of any WOE. I bought into the higher carb, BFL WOE for years. I built muscle and lost fat doing this, depending on my calorie level, but I am finding it easier to get leaner and maintain muscle using a LC plan (20-40 grams/day) When I increase my calories (still LC) I gain muscle. In my OPINION low carb works better and makes me feel better. (I'm not hungry, I have consistant energy) I've recently been experimenting with NHE carbups with good results so far.

What I'm trying to say is... if you find something that works, stick with it. But if you are not satisfied with what you are doing you can take many of the BFL statigies and incorperate a LC eating plan. For me... it has been a very good change.

As Bill likes to say, "Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results."

Ok, in his book Bill said to burn fat do aerobics and weights on an empty stomach and wait at least one hour before eating. I began drinking a whey shake before lifting this week and I can't believe the difference! I increased weights on almost all exercises and had energy to do extra exercises. Needless to say, the morning pre-lift shake stays in my plan.

Now, a friend said I should drink some juice or something like that prior to aerobics. Bill said on an empty stomach. What say you? "One hour before eating is WAY too catabolic to muscle tissue. And you need protein and fat right after AM cardio." Just to make sure I'm clear...cardio on an empty stomach and then eat protein and fat right after?

I hate to be thick but while my legs and arms are toning up, I have lost NO weight and trunk of my body has lost NO inches. Nada! Zip! Zero! After 16 weeks, I'm a bit frustrated!

NEVER take in ANY carbs before aerobics - if you do, all you'll burn off is the carbs, and practically NO bodyfat.

If you must eat before aerobics, slow protein and fat only (bacon slice, single fried egg) - NO whey protein - it's too fast, it will glycolyze, and you'll be no better off then the juice.

Nobody should be drinking juice. Eat the fruit, eat the vegetable, but juice is liquid candy - no better than pop, unless it's fresh-squeezed, and then, only for part of a carbup or before lifting weights when you WANT an insulin response.

The "best" times for aerobics:

• First thing in the AM, empty or a tiny bit of slow fat and protein.Protein and fat ONLY after. No carbs

• After lifting. Protein and fat ONLY after. No carbs

• At least two hours after eating. Protein and fat ONLY after. No carbs

If you're doing HIIT, treat it like lifting - protein shake before, protein and fat after. Don't do HIIT on a lifting day.

How's that sound?

- Built

Rev. Built preaches to the congregation... Do we have to tithe 10% of our muscle mass? ... But... I'm in the choir...

I'll gladly tithe 10% of my body fat! I've gained 5 lbs this week. I'm telling myself it's all muscle.

Thanks Rev. I was doing cardio on an empty stomach but I was waiting an hour to eat. Will gladly go ahead and eat. Protein and fat, Protein and fat....hmm...could be a new chant.

From what I've read, wait an hour after HIIT to eat. Eat (or drink protein shake) immediately after lifting to feed the muscles.



Beth

boy ive been relaxing since last wed no exercise whatsoever duh

LOL im back to BFL after 4 weeks CKD - its gr8 actually but i prolly didnt do it properly cuz ive always had hell lot less energy.............

i havent figured how im gonna do BFL this time (the eating part) most probably moderate carb or on off calorie cycling we'll see (but not 20g for sure cuz i was dead when i did exactly that on lifting days).

is that okay if i eat moderate carb on lifting days and less carb on HIIT days?

thanks.

This is prudent advise on ANY plan.

thank you darling

I am jumping late on this thread.
Since I restarted BFL last week I follow the BFL diet with high protein, high carb and low fat.

When I started with BFL I tried Atkins with and without refeed, but I lost a lot of engery and had problems to adjust my carb intake. Even I do LF now, I learnt a lot doing Atkins about my eating habits. Now I avoid products with simple sugars like protein bars or sweetened yoghurt and I still use artifical sweetner for my Cappuchino e.g.

hey there would love to see how your plan goes....keep us update (if it all possible)

good luck!

dazzlin,

thank you for your interest. I'd wished I would have known this group last year when stopped BFL frustrated after 5 weeks. The encouragement is really helpful to stay on track, or like this time, when I lost my way to get back on track.

Acutally I am doing better than I expected. I already started to increase my weights and I am feeling great. I feared that I had lost most of my strength and endurance but 4 1/2 weeks without sport wasn't that bad.

I just had my muesli with protein powder, a table spoon glutamine, a multivitamine fizzy tablet and a coffee. But this thread reminded me that I need to increase veggies considerably (I don't like fruits, unfortunately ) in order to lose my last pounds. Losing (sp: or is it loosing?) 1-2 pounds a month would be ok, if would be able to build some more muscles at the same time.

BFL motivates me to care much more for my body. I work long hours in front of my PC and as soon I don't do sports I develop bad eating habits, don't care for my posture e.g.
Yesterday I went to the Sauna first time since years, did intense Stretching and even used the Solarium in my gym in order to feel and look much better and not like an intellectual geek anymore.

lol omg super i am so wanna take a peek at your journal LOL start one? or too much trouble? anyway you sound like you're feeling great thats good

just restarted BFL here need to gather as much inspiration

g'day!