Began BFL on Sunday. Started with 20 min. aerobics -- walk/run on treadmill. Decided on Sunday - Friday for scheduled exercise and Saturday as day off, and to begin with the aerobics because it will fit in better with our schedules. If we go camping this summer, I can do weight training Friday a.m., take Saturday as day off, and do walk/run at campgrounds on Sunday a.m. to begin weekly cycle again -- too difficult to take weights camping (camper too small, no room to use them).

Am thinking about doing PP eating plan with about 60 carbs. I'll have to see how it works and tweak it after a few days -- might still be too many carbs. Also am using Myoplex for 1 meal each day -- I'll see how that goes. It is day 2, and I'm having a hard time eating that 4th afternoon 'meal' -- might need to revise 'lunch' to smaller portions, but I haven't been eating as much as he recommends now, so maybe PP will work better. Also noticed my pants were tight this morning -- 'carb bloat'? Had about 3 times more carbs than I am accustomed to yesterday, and weekends are more difficult to get the water in, so I probably did not have enough water. I'll post my first BFL weight workout tomorrow.

Menu went o.k., but am really having a difficult time getting in 6 'meals' per day. The morning goes o.k., but by evening, I'm just not hungry. Last night, could not eat the last 'meal' (not even a protein shake) -- not sure what to do about it. Only ate a small dinner, so that's not it -- I just don't get hungry in the evening. I waited for 1 hour after the weight session before eating, and I still had a hard time forcing the food down.

Had a small salad of mixed greens with Balsamic Vinegarette dressing, 1/4 cup sweet potatoes, small portion of roasted chicken breast, water.

Did upper body last night and a.m. cardio this morning and I hurt all over! Not a bad hurt, just some sore muscles, which I think, is supposed to be a good thing. I'm beginning to understand the logic of circuit training -- doubt I could do upper body again tomorrow!
Here's what I did:
Bench press
12 x 5
10 x 10
8 x 10
6 x 15
12 x 10

Flys
12 x 10

Seated Dumbell press
12 x 5
10 x 10
8 x 10
6 x 10
12 x 10

Side raises
12 x 5

Dumbell row
12 x 5
10 x 10
8 x 15
6 x 15
12 10

Wide lat pulldown
12 x 20
12 x 40

Lying dumbell extensions
12 x 2.5
10 x 5
8 x 5
6 x 10
12 x 10
12 x 10

Seated dumbell curls
12 x 5
10 x 10
8 x 10
6 x 15
12 x 10

Standing dumbell curls
12 x 10

This morining:

20 minutes on treadmill -- had a difficult time this morning; did not reach 10 -- felt a bit dizzy and nauseated, and I don't know why; at times had to hang onto side rails and close my eyes to focus. Was not especially happy with workout, so plan to do Tai Bo when I get home.

Planned menu for today:

Had 1/2 cup Eggbeaters omelet
1 slice ww toast

1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 orange

Rest of today's meals will be:
Roasted chicken breast
1/4 cup sweet potatoes
1/2 cup green beans

Myoplex shake

Baked cod
Zuchinni patties (from lc cookbook)
Broccoli

Carb solutions shake

Peg, I know the eating can be tough, but in a few weeks you'll actually be hungry and looking for it. It is ok to have that last meal right before you go to bed on this program. You may have to change the frequency of your meals; instead of making it 3 hours between them aim for 2.5 at the start.

As for hitting your 10's; it can take some practice. I wouldn't do any extra cardio though - more is NOT better (it leads to muscle loss, exactly what you do not want).

Hang in there and WTG on two days
Nat

Thanks for the encouragement, Nat! I took your advice and skipped the extra cardio. I understand from reading BFL that you might not always reach the 10, but because I felt so dizzy yesterday during the cardio, I felt I did not even come close. But you are right about not overdoing it and losing muscle, so I just chalked it up to one bad day and I'll go on from there.

For today: cannot do weight training until ~9:00 p.m. It's Accounting's year end and I'm working so many extra hours! Came in at 6:30 a.m., work until 5:00 p.m., then go straight to my daughter's house to babysit my 5 month old grandaughter until about 8:30. Will do weights when I get home.

Planned lower body training:
Dumbell squats

12 - 5
10 - 10
8 - 15
6 - 15
12 - 10
Leg extensions: 12 x 50

Dumbell Lunges
12 -10
10 - 10
8 - 10
6 - 15
12 - 10
Straight-leg deadlifts: 12 x 10

1-leg calf raises:
12 - 10
10 - 10
8 - 15
6 - 15
12 - 10
Angled Calf Raise: 12 x 10

Floor crunches:
12, 10, 8, 6, 12
Bent knee raises: 12

Upper body muscles still sore, but a little better -- I now have hope that they will be o.k. by Friday when I do upper body again.

Meals for today:

2 egg omelet
1 slice ww toast

1/2 cup cottage cheese
blueberry yogurt (without sugar)

3 oz. baked cod
1 zuchinni patti (zuchinni, egg, Atkins bake mix, fried in olive oil)
1/2 cup cauliflower

Myoplex shake

Roast chicken breast
1/2 cup sweet potato
1/2 cup cauliflower

Protein shake (Carb Solutions)

Made it through my first lower body workout last night! Couldn't get to it until 9:00 p.m., but I did it! Had a hard time walking up those stairs afterward -- muscles felt like rubber, so it must have done something. I am having a hard time with some of the exercises because my sense of balance is so bad -- I tend to tip over. It's probably because of winter allergies -- my ears are plugged all winter from them.

Getting up at 4:30 a.m. to do the cardio was a little tough -- I wasn't sure how my legs would handle the walk/jog/sprint on the treadmill with so little rest after the lower body workout, but it went well -- actually better than Tuesday's because I did hit the '10'. I must have miscounted somewhere along the line because I was at minute 20 when I hit the 10 and did one extra minute for the '5' cooldown.

Tomorrow is the second upper body workout. My muscles are still sore from the last one, but are getting better. I will take Nat's advice and get some glutamine this weekend. Looking forward to having Saturday 'off'! Menu for today:

Myoplex shake

Veggies (broccoli, snap peas, celery, carrots)
Cottage Cheese

Chicken salad with Balsamic Vineagarette dressing

Swiss cheese with Wasa crackers
Pear

T-Bone steak
Salad
Corn

Carb Solutions Protein Shake

Congrats on your first LBWO Peg! Just wanted to let you know that I have been reading your gym log and I think you're doing GREAT!!!!

Keep up the good work!
Linda

Peg, the glutamine will make a world of difference - and you don't even notice it if you use a large enough water bottle.

Nat

Nat,

Thanks again for the advice -- I bought some gluatime last night. It was the powdered from Twin Labs (Walgreens had it on clearance for 1/2 price!). The directions on the bottle said to take 1 teaspoon. I took it last night, then again this morning. Is that how much you take, just the 1 teaspoon per day? I hope it helps because I am worse today -- my leg muscles are so sore that I'm using the handicaped stall in the ladies room -- walking, getting up and down, bending, etc. is very difficult. Is this something that will happen every time I do the lower body workout, or will it get better as I gain muscle? I know that I should expect some soreness, if I am understanding things correctly that you need to cause some muscle damage so it will grow, but will I reach a point when it will only be mildly annoying? If so, how long did that take?

Thanks again for your help.

*lol* Peg, Oh can I ever relate to that - I could not walk down the stairs after that first LBWO, going up wasnt bad.... but down? forget it.

Glutamine is taken based on the forumla .3g per lb of LBM - divide the dose into 3 and take it during the day (have one before bed and be sure to have one after working out) I throw mine into my shakes as well.

It will help big time - and no you wont feel like this after every workout (you'll feel it more though when you change your exercises every 4 weeks) Yes, the soreness is a sign that you've caused microtears in your muscles and they are now repairing - most of this happens while you're sleeping (so those 8 hours are critical) If the pain is unmanageable, Peg, take an advil or tylenol - you don't have to suffer!

I feel my workouts now - but nothing like that first few days. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Nat

Friday:

Planned upper body workout same as Monday:

Bench press:
12 x 5
10 x 10
8 x 10
6 x 15
12 x 10

Flys: 12 x 10

Seated DB Press:
12 x 5
10 x 10
8 x 10
6 x 10
12 x 10

Side raises: 12 x 5

DB Row:
12 x 5
10 x 10
8 x 15
6 x 15
12 x 10

Pullover: 12 x 10

Lying DB extension:
12 x 5
10 x 10
8 x 10
6 x 15
12 x 10
12 x 10

Seated DB curls:
12 x 10
10 x 10
8 x 10
6 x 10
12 x 10

Standing DB curls: 12 x 10


As for the food, I really need to reduce my portions. I did eat the planned T-Bone last night, but only a few bites -- I was just too full!

Today's menu:

Omelete (1/2 cup Eggbeaters)
1/2 grapefruit

Myoplex

Chef salad (mixed greens and leftover T-Bone) w/Ranch dressing

1/2 cup cottage cheese
Raw veggies (broccoli, carrots, snow peas)

Turkey tender (from Sam's Club -- turkey wrapped in bacon, looks like a filet mignon)
Mixed veggies

Carb Solutions protein shake

Will take weight and measurements tomorrow a.m. It's my 'free' day, and as Nat said, I believe my favorite part will be not having to eat so many meals! It's my son-in-law's graduation party tomorrow and I'm babysitting my 5 month old grandaughter -- she's staying overnight. I'll probably need to go in to work Sunday afternoon to try to get caught up. Will do 20 min. cardio Sunday a.m. -- if Ally wakes up before I'm done, my husband will take care of her.

Made it through my first week! Took my measurements on Saturday a.m., and lost 3 inches!!!!!!!! I can hardly believe it -- is that possible????? (I did not lose any weight -- just the inches). Wow -- that really makes it worthwhile. I doubt I will get the same results each week, but that's very encouraging.

Nat is right about the free day -- the best part about it is not having to eat! Never in my life did I ever think I would be ready to beg someone 'Please, don't make me eat any more!!!' I did not eat breakfast, and had my one indiscretion -- a slice of pizza for lunch (and I even ate the crust). Supper was at my son-in-law's graduation party -- turkey cold cuts, cheese, veggies and dip, and -- oh, yes -- I even drank a beer!

Sunday was cardio:

20 minutes on the new cycle my husband bought. I did have a problem with it, though, and I'll stick to the treadmill from now on. The hamstring in my right leg has been bothering me ever since I used it. A year ago Thanksgiving I fell on the ice and ripped my hamstring so badly that I lost over a unit of blood from the tear -- couldn't even drive a car for 2 weeks -- and it took months to heal. It did not bother me at all until I rode that bike.

Planned lower body and abs workout for today when I get home from work (same as last Wednesday). My husband started back to work today, so I am back to taking my grandson to before school daycare. He leaves for work at 5:00 a.m., so I have to get Bobby up, get his breakfast, pack his snack, and get him to the daycare -- makes mornings more hectic again.

Food for Monday:

Egg beaters omelet
1/2 cup mixed fruit (frozen, thawed -- melon and peaches)

Myoplex

Roast beef, turnips, carrots

Roast beef, raw veggies (broccoli, snow peas, celery)

Roast chicken, salad w/blue cheese dressing, mixed veggies

CS protein shake

Well, I definitely injured that hamstring. It is very tender, and I could not do the lunges yesterday during my LBW yesterday, and had problems with the sprints on the treadmill this morning. It is even irritating it just sitting on my chair (when I first tore it, I could not sit in a chair unless I had a footrest for my right foot so the back of my thigh did not touch the chair). I don't believe it is torn again, probably just a bit strained. Hope it heals fast, though. I'll give it a couple of days, then try some easy stretches and see how it goes. In the meantime, I'll just work around it -- do the upper body, the lower body exercises that don't irritate it, the cardio, and the abs.

Planned workout for tonight: Upper Body (same as last). Hamstring is still tender -- started taking Ibuprophen to get swelling down. Won't need to worry about it until Friday -- I'll see how it goes.

Am changing the timing of the Myoplex from afternoon to morning. I don't know if anyone else has tried these and had the same reaction, but I noticed that about an hour after I have one, I feel very hungry -- maybe they give me an insulin reaction?

Menu:

1/2 cup cottage cheese w/4 strawberries

Myoplex shake

Chef salad w/mixed greens, broiled chicken breast, ranch dressing

1/2 cup cottage cheese w/raw veggies (broccoli, snow peas, celery)

Grilled pork chop, 1/2 cup canned corn, 1 cup green beans

CS protein shake

I noticed this, Peg. I found if I had my shake for breakfast #2 it caused me problems, so I started having it for #1 with some fat (bacon or an egg) and then having some 'real' food for #2.

It's all part of the tweaking.

Sorry to hear about the hamstring. Hopefully the combination of glutamine and ibuprophen will help.

Nat

Been very bad about posting updates on weekends. The hamstring (thank God) is much better! Did a complete LBWO on Friday including the lunges with no problem. It really was a very good workout!

Was a very busy weekend: went with my oldest daughter and her husband to look at a house. They put in an offer -- hope it's accepted because they really want the house! Came in to work on the weekend -- it's been so busy!

Did the cardio yesterday on the exercycle (lowered the seat and thought it would be okay on the hamstring -- my husband thought that the seat was too high and that is what caused the problem). I was alright for 14 minutes, then it started to bother me, so I had to stop before I hurt it again. Which means, unfortunately, I did not reach my 10. The only reason I tried the bike again is I've read that you should 'mix up' your cardio and not do the same thing each time, and it's my only alternative to the treadmill. Guess for now though, I'll just stick with the treadmill.

Menu for today:

2 egg omelet and 1 strip bacon

Myoplex shake (I'm doing fine with it as my second meal)

Shrimp with cocktail sauce; veggies and dip

Cottage cheese and veggies

Grilled pork chop, salad, corn

CS protein shake