Day 8 -- Chosing the Right Meal Plan

I know that Body-for-LIFE can work. Just look at that skinny guy in the photo from my first success. But I also know that it is important to choose an eating plan to meet my transformation goals.

With my first challenge, the variety of Myoplex drinks and bars available now, did not exist. I just purchased a big variety pack of ready-mix Myoplex nutrition shakes. I cooked three meals a day and had three shakes a day, pretty simple plan, and I finished the entire challenge. I later injured my knees, stopped working out completely and put on a bunch of weight.

For my second challenge, I decided that I wanted to bulk up more. EAS now offered a variety of products, including ready-mixed drinks in a lite formula or carb control. I decided to take on the strength and power eating program, and I went for the Myoplex Deluxe drinks along with Phosphagen XP. I started bulking up and did not worry about losing any weight, because I figured it would come off at the end due to the fat burning machine I would become and by cutting calories. However, around week 5 I sustained a hernia injury and that was the end of my weight lifting regime. I had bulked up and become substantially stronger, but I ALSO HAD NOT LOST ANY WEIGHT!

I tried Atkins and South Beach diets to try and loose the weight without working out, but those plans made me feel "wigged out" all the time.

So here I go again, challenge number 3. This time I am drinking the ready-mix Myoplex lite and eating Balance protein bars. I have already lost some weight even in this first week. I am still taking the phosphagen XP because I know how important building muscle is to create my own Body-for-LIFE. I know that loosing weight is very important to my appearance and to my overall health. Once I meet my healthy weight, only then I can pursue a "bulking up" nutrition plan.

After week one, I feel I have chosen the right meal plan for me. We'll see how I feel in week 6. I also feel great under the BFL system, unlike Atkins or South Beach.

Day 4 - BFL - Energy Energy Energy

I have had sooooo much energy the last couple days. In fact, in the evening when I usually feel exhausted, I am instead looking for new things to do. I have even had trouble falling a sleep and have stayed up late working! I did not expect such a big change in the first week. If I can ever figure out how to post my training reports, you will see that my workouts have all been starting later in the morning than planned. That is because I was up late (being productive -- not just watching reruns or surfing the net) and end up sleeping a little later as a result. I have thought about changing my workouts to the evening, but I still think completing my training is good psychologically. I have also been taking the CVS brand "Daily Energy" vitamin supplement. I noticed that it has caffeine and guarana in it. So I am going to get a new vitamin supplement and see if there is a change. But I do not think that a vitamin supplement that I take at 9 am would be keeping me up at 9 pm. I THINK IT IS THE NEW LIFESTYLE! But I will report back if the change in supplement makes any difference. Go BFL! Oops, did mean to get so excited, but I HAVE SOOOO MUCH ENERGY! WaHOO!

Day 3 -- Body-for-Life -- Eating-for-LIFE at O'Faolain's

All four of my kids were gone today. My two oldest girls at camp and Jonathan and Ellie went to Aunt Stephanie's for what will no doubt be an XBox extravaganza. So tonight was Shelley-and-Marc night out. We decided to go to an Irish restaurant called O'Faolain's that was featured in Northern Virginia magazine. It was awesome! We started out with steamed mussels in a white wine sauce with garlic and chili flecks. The sauce had not been simply pour over boiled mussels. You know what I mean? Instead, you could taste that the mussels had really simmered in the sauce and were permiated with flavor. The dish was so good that I asked the waiter for the receipe. Unfortunately the chef said it was a secret. I'm glad today wasn't cheat day, or I would have selected the baked brie in a berry Guinness sauce for an appetizer, and entirely missed out on the mussels. I was tempted by many BFL non-compliant entrees, such as the chicken pot pie and the beer-battered fish & chips. The Shepard's pie might have been okay, but I played it safe and ordered the corn beef and cabbage with parsley boiled potatoes. I had a "hankering" for good corn beef for a while now and this dish had the perfect portions of protein, carbohydrates and even my second serving of vegetables. Perfect! What made the corn beef and cabbage particularly good was the selection of imported mustards from Ireland. I can't recall the names on the lables, but one was an extra sharp mustard and the other, which was seriously "to die for" good, contained whole mustard seeds in a whiskey sauce. I still have trouble sticking to my BFL schedules. My morning work out was three hours off schedule, which also caused me to miss my 10 am scheduled meal. I am proud though that I had the flexibility and commitment to reschedule and complete my exercise.