I'm on Atkins and started BFL yesterday. I'm having trouble with several areas----because of my schedule. I'm also confused about eating after workouts---the book said wait an hour after working out.

Issue 1: I don't know HOW I'm going to fit in the aerobic challenge because I have dance practice 5 days a week, 3hrs a day (COULD do 2, but no less), plus I teach dance 3 days a week (sometimes 4 if I have private lessons with students). Will this hinder my results??

Issue 1b: By not doing the aerobic challenge, and since my practices are so long-----do you think my results will be far different than the average person?

Issue 2: My schedule is so insane that I can't seem to fit in 3 meals a day most times... much less 6.

Issue 3: It's recommended that you take a couple of meals or so a day with shakes or bars (EAS, myoplex)... but how can I fit those into the Atkins program?

Issue 4: Sunday is a "free day." How do do that on Atkins?

Issue 5: Exercising in the morning is near impossible. Most days I get to the gym when my schedule permits it. I'll still see results without doing this in the morning, wont I?

Sorry this is so long... I just started yesterday, so I want to do things right.

Thank you so much in advance for your help and patience.

Hi, everyone! I'm learning so much from this site!!!

I've read Nat's post to another question about why carbs are important prior to workout and what cortisol does...VERY interesting! But my quesion is.... why does the book say to work out on an empty stomach?

I want to do this correctly, but I'm real confused about a lot of the details....as you can see.

I'm doing Atkins, and i've already posted a new thread on details concerning my WOE and current (unavoidable) workout with dance..... etc., but could someone clarify this for me??....

...carbs before workout, yes or no? Any special kind of carbs---starchy, green, fruit???

Also.. fruit: I can't find any berries, not even strawberries in my area... I mean NO ONE has them! What else can I have (I'm on Atkins as well, so scared to add illegal fruits).

Thanks so much for your help all!!!!

Jalilah I've merged both of your posts together so that all of your replies will be in one place.

The extra cardio will hinder results if you do not eat enough. That kind of exercise demands fuel - all three macronutrients, but your most important factor will be protein. You may have to track calories at first to ensure you're getting enough (1g per lb of current body weight minimum).

I am of the opinion that what matters most is nutrition. You've heard the saying "abs are made in the kitchen"? 70% of any exercise plan will be what you put (or don't put) into your mouth. That being said, if you skip the HIIT (20 MAS) and just do your dance you'll run less of a risk of wasting muscle mass, assuming the dance is less intense than High Intensity Interval Training (which is anaerobic and can eat into muscle gains).

This could be a problem. Eating 6 times a day provides your body with the fuel it needs when it needs it. If it does not receive what it is looking for it will scavange elsewhere (your muscles) for the fuel (amino acids) it requires.

Many of us use LC protein shakes to supplement our meals. I’d avoid the bars at all costs – a LC bar does not exist.

Free day for Lcers on BFL tends to be a non accountability day – You eat what you want that is LC when you want it. No tracking of food, no protein requirements, no 6 meals a day. There are a number of posts in this forum on how to deal with Free Day – a few quite recent.

Exercising in the a.m. is suggested for two reasons. 1) people who do a.m. exercise tend to stick to their plan, statistically speaking. It’s done and it’s out of the way. 2) A.M. cardio tends to burn more fat and rev up the metabolism for the day. Lifting first thing in the morning is a matter of personal preference. You’ll find arguments for and against it. Pro: you get it out of the way. Con: You’re catabolic and no where near as strong as you would be later on in the day. Bottom line comes down to this: Do what works for you.

Actually, Jalilah, it’s post workout carbs that are important. That is when you are dealing with cortisol, free radicals and fatigue. Carbs after a workout will give you a controlled insulin spike that will help shuttle amino acids into the muscle and neutralize cortisol. As for working out on an empty stomach, see answer to Issue 5.

Fruit is only illegal on Induction. Fruits are legal on Atkins. You want something carby post workout – it doesn’t have to be fruit. Steel cut oats, sweet potatoes, a higher carb protein shake – all these will do the trick. I just had a half a pack of Skittles

HTH
Nat

>>>Many of us use LC protein shakes to supplement our meals. I’d avoid the bars at all costs – a LC bar does not exist.<<<

Boy----I just finished an Atkins Advantage bar, too. I've been having a horrible time trying to schedule time to eat, and tonight it was either skip a meal completely and eat nothing...or find something FAST...it was an Atkins bar. I saw the EAS bars, but they were 32g or 35g of carbohydrate, so I didn't get those. Even if I used the total carb count on the Atkins bars, I *might* have hit 35g-40g.

I know not eating is bad.... I'm out of ketosis again because of it. Three days in a row now. I just don't know how or where to get it all in, you know? It gets very stressful, as you can tell.

I really want to do this right, so I'm pretty bummed right now because I'm having so much trouble just finding the time to make it work.

Do you have a specific LC shake you would recommend? I'm willing to try anything at this point. Also, I'm not far along enough on OWL to eat grains, but I guess I could work them in anyway, huh? I bought Atkins muffins today because they're higher in carbs than a spinach salad with other veggies... I would have to eat barrels of salad to get in all my carbs.

I really appreciate your help with this. You're such an expert at this!!!!!

THANK YOU! I'm hoping I'll figure all this out.

...if only I had a normal schedule...

Jalilah, I think the best thing you can do for yourself right now is to do the best you can and not stress over what you 'should' be doing. Stress is evil - it results in cortisol coursing through the body and muscle being wasted and fat not being burned. And it's totally un necessary.

Is eating an Atkins bar the best choice? No. Is it better than a Krispy Kreme? You better believe it is! The secret to success of something like BFL or a CKD or any program is: Plan, Plan, PLAN. Plan out what you can have, what you need to have and how you can work it in. Do this one day a week for the whole week and then forget about it. Use fitday to plan ahead. Pre cook and pre package snacks and foods and take the 'thinking' out of the equation. Life becomes a lot more manageable when you don't have to worry about 'what's for lunch #2'

The second best thing you can do is put away your ketostix. It's next to impossible to to get positive results with them exercising at the intensity you will be/are. Even during heavy ketosis only 7-8% of energy comes from ketone metabolism - that's a piddly amount to try to test for. I have never registered above 'trace' and when doing BFL I never got past 'negative' - I haven't bothered testing since last year sometime, but I can assure you I've burned and lost fat since that time

We all customise the plan to make it work for us. No one does BFL 'by the book' - not even the people who are doing BFL "by the book"

Nat

Atkins makes a protein shake - actually it is one of the best tasting shakes i have ever had.

TwinLab makes one called Diet Fuel. 9 carbs per serving though. So it might not be the best during induction, but afterwards it should be ok.

Hey there,

I had to add my 2 cents worth and ditto what Nat told you. Plan ahead the best you can to fit in your meals and your workouts.

I am a firm believer in that old addage "where there's a will there's a way." And actually, I am proof of that, myself. I wasn't sure how I was going to incorporate BFL into my life w/o any money and no weights, time, protein shakes/bars, etc. But I am like a dog with a bone when I want to do something badly enough and now I am gearing up to do my 3rd BFL challenge.

So like Nat said, do your best (which is infinitely better than not doing anything at all) and don't stress too much about it.

Oh, and by the way, I am an ardent Egyptian BD fan myself. Started taking lessons this past January and am absolutely hooked. After a summer break I am impatiently waiting for my instructor to get back from holidays so our next classes can begin. I've already checked out your website . . . How great that you get to do it everyday, being an instructor an' all. I haven't been this "obsessed" by something in a long time. I feel really free and beautiful when I am (attempting) to dance

Anyway, good luck with your challenge!

Look for the EAS Myoplex Low Carb bars or the EAS AdvantEdge Low Carb bars. They really are good.

Also, EAS makes a low carb shake both in powdered mix form and ready to drink. I've found the ready to drink at Walmart at a good price.

yeah i forgot about the EAS low carb shakes, the chocoalate flavor is pretty good.

Homegirl----hey, a sister in dance!!! whoo-hoooo!!! And I SO hear you on the money thing. Gosh, we went today to our local supplement store...(not hf store as much as supplements... Vitamin Warehouse), and I was so disappointed at the prices. I just couldn't do it.

We were runing behind so I knew I'd miss a meal if I didn't do something quick..and I mean quick as in while driving, so we got one of those EAS LC bars (very good!). I figured...better than skipping again. I'm going to get some of the Atkins shake mix and use that for the other 2-3 meals (in between the regular whole food meals).

BW----thanks for the heads up with the EAS LC bars!

BIG DOG----same with the Atkins shakes (going to get some tonight on the way home from class!).

Natrushka (last, but not least!): You're right. I remember in Anatomy & Physiology II learning about cortisol. I try not to stress too much, and planning is a good idea, but having the time to plan snacks and meals is tough....my day is broken into a hundred pieces, unfortunately....so I eat clean and simple, and totally the KISS method!

So... my plan now is to get some of the Atkins shake mix and have that between meals... You don't think I'll gain weight drinking those 2-3 times a day???? And do I need to cut the fat back if I'm raising my carbs considerably like this???

You think that 40g-50g of real carbs combined with the grams in the shakes will be enough carbs to sustain me, but allow me to lose weight still?

((considering giving the ketostix a burial at sea! LOL))

Thanks guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi!

I just wanted to chime in on the Low Carb stuff. I used the Myoplex Low Carb Ready-to-Drink Dark Chocolate (yummy!) shakes twice a day, everyday except Sunday (free day), during Challenge 1. And I had a NitroTech Low Carb bar (by MuscleTech) each afternoon (excluding free days), all Challenge long. It was the only way that I was going to be able to work, take meetings, run errands and get in 6 meals per day, and a gram of protein per pound.

It also helped to keep the ready-to-drink shakes in my purse for baseball games, picnics, and even at night clubs. I'd just get a cup of ice and have a shake and not "cheat."

Sure, there are hidden carbs. I used the "Hidden Carb Counter" and kept track of them. I used these products all during the Challenge and I went from 47% bodyfat to 41%. So, it worked out fine.

Just my $.02. Good luck!

Trilbe

Jalilah, you do need the carbs to sustain the exercise and the lifting. The amount you're planning on eating, while it may seem substantial to you, is really not that much. It takes some time getting used to the idea - just as it did when we started eating all the fat, remember?

Burial at sea for the ketostix is a great idea send your scales with them. It is entirely possible that you'll see an increase in body weight on the scale - it's far more important that you track measurements when you incorporate resistance work into your regime. Muscle is dense and tightly packed, but volume wise it weighs more than fat does. Increased lean mass with no change in scale weight will be evident by a change in measurements.

Increasing carbs, sufficient protein and enough fat to keep you satiated will take some tweaking - but you'll find the right proportions. I would not suggest cutting fat back too much (been there, tried that was awfully hungry and cranky and moody). If you'd like, have a look through afew of the following journals for some menu ideas: Lisaf (she's doing another challenge as of this week), Homegirl, Marlaine and mine (BFL menus began in my journal around page 24).

Cheers,
Nat

Thanks Nat!

I'm not worried about the ketostix anymore, but.... I had to rely on the bars yesterday to get in enough food. And would you believe I STILL didn't get in 3 meals? I'm totally floored sometimes by the realization that my schedule/life is down right looney!

Anyway, I noticed a mistake I'd been doing with the BFL workout.. darn it! Aparently I misread something, and my printer's been out of ink. I printed off a few planning pages so I can make my schedule the night before. Well, I noticed something... I only did five sets of the weights yesterday instead of the 6!!! I'm really, really sore, so I must've done something right, but it still bugs me. I guess I've learned a valuable lesson about having those schedules!!!!!

Also.... I'm having some trouble getting past the idea that I'm only doing abs on leg days (2-3 times a week, depending on how it falls). This is enough to get nice firm, flat abs?? I know what "I" was doing for abs was just 5 sets of 2 diff. exercises---one for upper and middle abs, one for lower, at about 15-18 reps REAL SLOOOOWW. MAN, was I sore the next day!!! And I thought I had strong abs before..lol. This is okay??

Thanks again for all your support. Oh.. and one more thing...

Shakes: I'm sick of the bars (too much like candy!---never thought I'd say that..lol). So Atkins shakes will be okay??? They don't have NEAR the protein that the EAS LC shakes do, but they're far less expensive.

I really appreciate the help.

Abs are like any muscle group - they need time to recover from a workout. They do tend to recover faster than other muscle groups, though. You should never work them, even if you're scheduled to, if they are sore (this applies to all muscle groups). The once or twice a week (depending on the week) method works. Training more than twice a week works as well. It's a matter of personal preference. With your busy schedule and the amount of other exercise you do sticking with the program as written might be in your best interest - in order to minimize the amount of time you spend working out.

One of the first posts in this forum is about a program designed for BFL called "Ab Bootcamp" - it's a killer and you can give it a whirl if you'd like. Many do this for the last four weeks of the challenge to give their abs that extra 'boost'

Re the shakes - I don't know the protein count on the Atkins shakes, but I understand it's lower than sports/protein shakes. You may need to use 1 1/2 the serving size to get your protein bang. If you're aiming for 150g of protein a day, divided into 6 meals you'd want a minimum 25g per meal - adjust the shake accordingly

Nat

Great! Thanks, Nat.

Now... as far as sore muscles: Don't they tend to be sore "naturally" from starting something new? I know Mr. Phillips mentioned the sore muscles, how you know you've hit it right when you notice the soreness at first.... did I misunderstand that? I feel like if I wait too long... like skipping tomorrow's lower body workout...because of, say, sore calves or something that it will only make me sore again next time...?? My abs aren't sore anymore, but they were a day to a day and a half after though! LOL.

Thanks again.