First timer with A LOT of questions...any/all help is greatly appreciated

[charrismo]

hi everyone, so...where do i start....and you’ll must have figured out by the subject …I am new to body for life . A friend of mine told me bout BFL recently. I was a little skeptic...well lets say a lot, as i have always tried losing weight and then treidn some more…given up…started again…and so on.

i also does the whole alternate day weight training and cardio and it never really helped me (maybe it was because I was doing both upper body and lower body on the same day and alternating that with 60 minutes of cardio…I don’t know)
Anyways I met him recently was amazed to see how much weight he had lost....this has also motivated me to try it myself.

I have read the Body for life book. Made notes etc. but have a lot of questions I am hoping some of you’ll can help me with

1) the program includes 6 meals, 3 of which are shakes

I would like to lose weight with this program. I would like to lose fat and then repeat the program for fat loss + muscle gain. (if I gain muscle the first time hey that will work too)
so here are my question -

• How many proteins / carbs/ veggies etc do I need to consume per day – does it matter in like number of calories or what matters more is that the meals are balanced and portions are controlled?

• How do I figure out which shake ( myoplex/ myoplex lite/ AdvantEdge RTD Shakes/ Myoplex Carb Sense RTDs,/ Thermo DynamX) etc is the right one for me?

• Are 6 meals a day too much for women? Is that for men or both?

• Is the portion size same for men and women?

• Should women decrease the portion size by 30%-40% and stick with the 6 meals a day plan in stead of cutting out a meal?

2) Would it affect my results if I worked out later during the day, as is in the evening?

I can’t really get to the gym in the mornings. I am not a morning person at all. Also I know I have higher chances of sticking with the program if I do it in the evening. Will this affect my results?


3) How did you figure out what intensity level 5 is for you?

• Also - if you are jogging outdoors how do increase your intensity level from a level 5 to a 6? Do you increase your speed?
  I am asking this because if for instance you jog indoors on a treadmill you can increase the intensity by increasing the incline and/ or speed

• could I substitute jogging/ cycling with swimming?

4) Is there a way you can incorporate Pilates on the reformer machine into BFL?


I think that’s all I can think of right now….i just so want to get started but am confused and a little scared [ is that normal ? ]

Also though I am planning on starting my program on the 1st of October, I am planning on doing some weight training this week so when I do start on the 1st I hopefully wont have any sore muscles.
What do u guys think?

Also any comments suggestions are MORE than welcome

And Thanks in Advance for replying

-k

[GregCP]

Every element of the BFL program is there for a reason. It might not make sense at first, but the first step is to forget all what you think you know about diet and exercise. Next you have to tell yourself that you have faith in this program and trust its instruction.
There is a lot of information that you need to be aware of, so I recommend that you read the book or research BFL website to fully understand the basics behind the program, because not only can they explain the concept much better than any of us can, you will also know the "reason behind the why" regarding frequent feedings, HIIT training, planning, and everything else in between.

But to answer your questions,

1) The program consists of 6 meals a day. You can incoporate shakes as a meal replacement, but it isnt necessary. I take myoplex for example, right after a workout. That counts for a meal, the rest of the day, i eat regular meals.

Each meal will consist of a portion of protein and a portion of carbs. A portion is the size of your fist or palm. You will have a portion of vegies with at least 2 of your meals. The foods that you select must be "authorized foods", you can find the list of authorized foods at the BFL website. You will have 2 full glasses of water with each meal.

Dont count calories, they dont exist in this program. Everything is measured in "portions". Each meal size is individually customed to you, since it is portioned to the size of your "own" fist or palm. So you dont have to worry about if its different for men or women or cutting it down for your gender. Just measure it appropriately to your fist or palm, and that is what you should have.

6 meals a day is doable. A BFL "meal" isnt what you normally think a meal should be....its definately smaller than what youre probably used to. The secret is small frequent meals throughout the day to rev up your metabolism.

In terms of shakes, there is a lot out there you can use. I use Myoplex regular, because it offers a complete balance of nurtition...if fat loss is your main goal, i would suggest Myoplex Carb.

2)As long as you put in your workout you'll be on the right track and you will still get good results. However, best time of the day would be first thing when you wake up, on an empty stomach, so that your body is forced to use its fat stores for energy vs the food you've had during the day.

3)Your level of intensity is something that you have to decide. Try working backwards. A level 10 is "above and beyond your threashold". Level 9 - everything that you "think" you got. Level 8 - can't hold a conversation, can only focus on the task at hand. Level 7- normal pace, moderate exertion, can hold a conversation. Level 6 - steady, relaxed pace but heart rate still up, Level 5- warm up. This is my best description of "my" level intensities.

Any cardio exercise will do. I like Jogging and the use of the eliptical machine. You increase your intensity either incline or speed. Whatever makes you work harder to get into that next level.

4) Pilates can be strenuous. I dont recommend doing this "in addtion to" any of your workouts (20 min cardo/45 min weight), again the reason behind this is covered in the book- but doing more than you should will be counterproductive to your progress. However, if this is something that you desire to do, you can do this as your cardio, instead of your 20 min HIIT cardio, on cardio days. But i wouldnt recommend doing Pilates on more than 2 out of the 3 cardio days in the week.

[charrismo]

hi greg...
thanks for such a detailed reply.
i read the book but still had a few questions regarding portion size ( bigger for men smaller for women)
I guess a lot of it is also self adjustment...coz once i start i can notice how full i am and maybe then adjust the portion size accordingly.

thanks for letting me know bout myoplex carb...i was planning on getting myoplex lite but after checking out the product details i tink i will go with the carb ( myoplex lite has 24 gms of carbs as opposed to myoplex carbs which has only 5gms)

as for working out unfortunately i know the mornings wont work...in addition to not being a morning person i have to get into work early too....but i am going to stick with the evenings and do it do it do it....

regarding pilates....the reason i asked is coz i signed up for a class and pilates is so expensive...and they wont refund the money...the good thing is that its on thursdays so if i start the program with weight training on monday i can do in place of cardio on thursday....

so hopefully everything will go ok....( keeping my fingers crossed)

[winnie]

1. I like the myoplex shakes. I take them after workouts sometimes. I also sometimes eat only "real" food the whole day. Another thing I do sometimes is use whey with a handful of an approved carb. The shakes and supps aren't necessary, but they can make things easier if getting 6 meals a day in is hard for you. If you aren't using myoplex shakes, I would recommend a multivitamin. I might recommend that anyway, but myoplex shakes are pretty good about making sure you get your vitamins/minerals.

2. Bill says the best time to work out is right in the morning. Winnie says "workout when you can." I do my workouts when I have time for them. I like doing them in the morning best, because I feel more energized to start my day, but doing them in the evening works, too. I think I recall reading in one of the BFL books that some former champions did their exercises at night.

3. The only way to figure out what the intensity scale is for you is to experiment. I tend to think of it as a linear scale, therefore, if I run flat out as hard and as fast as I can possibly go, then that's a 10. A 5 is half of that. Not in speed, but in effort required to do it.

4. I don't know what that is.

[Chris]

I think these guys have all your questions answered... and I agree with them. I will add though, I think pilates is great. I was doing a "core day" for a while during my second challenge in place of cardio one day a week. I liked it a lot and I think it really helps in all other aspects of weight training. Good for you, keep it up!

[charrismo]

week 1 update.....

starting weight 155
week 1 weight: 152.6
now started week 2...i just hope it continues.....esp since i am going to india this december...and i want people to notice some change since the last time i was there....
that will be in week 9 and i will miss a few days travelling...but i plan to keep doing as much as i can while i am there...though that will be tough as i will want to eat all that i miss here in the sates ...but will try and try never the less