Hey hey, happy Wednesday!
I’m finally back in Washington, DC! I know I said I’d have this post up on Monday, but blogging was put on the back burner while I caught up with friends and began re-acclimating to city life.
Adjusting to DC after spending three weeks in Idaho means accepting the fact that Starbucks employees greet me with a grunt instead of a cherubic, “How can I help ya today, sweetie?”
I snagged the last Christmas cup on the line. How I'll miss you, red cups!
Why is it that people are so much friendlier in small towns? In Idaho, even underpaid Walmart employees greet me with huge grins. 
Anyways…besides smiling back at happy store workers while I was home, I also caught up on sleep, visited with high school friends, discovered new foods and baked my heart out…
cookie fail!
cookie success!
Oh, and I also began a new fitness and nutrition plan.
I'll never give up chocolate chips. This bar gets major points for containing TONS of them!
Which, is what I’m going to chat about today. 
This week is my first week of Body For Life.
That means barbells are so in and LONG elliptical sessions are so out.
It also means that I’m always eating.
Morning meal #1: Kay’s Naturals Honey Almond protein cereal, almond milk, 2 T. peanut flour (blended with almond milk) drizzled on top
Without guilt.
morning meal #2: egg white omelet with goat cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions, raspberries, pan grilled asparagus
And I’m loving it.
Before I go into more details, I have to be honest: I’ve been a bit apprehensive about sharing my new plan because I don’t want it to come off as a cliche resolution. I also fear failure, which is why I’ve probably avoided resolutions my entire life.
I read somewhere that each new year, 69% of women resolve to change their bodies. Only 3% end up doing so! Eek.
But you’ll never succeed if you don’t try.
By sharing my goals here, I’ll be less likely to bail on the plan. That means if you’re still reading this, you’re now officially endowed with the responsibility of holding me accountable.
Deal? Good! 
So WHY Body For Life?
Just to clarify: I’m NOT embarking on this program because I want or need to lose weight, but because I want to gain muscle. Last fall, I started Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Trainer, but after a few weeks, my progress fizzled.
Why? Because I was no longer following the program.
I didn’t trust the premise that less cardio = more muscle growth. I “modified” the routine to fit my comfort level, and before I knew it, I was running 30+ miles/week and lifting only when I “felt” like it.
When you run lots and lift little, you can lose a lot of muscle!
It should have been easy to cut back on the cardio when I came to this realization, right? Well, it wasn’t. I was worried that I’d lose the endurance I’d built up running. It wasn’t until I realized that my muscle loss was negatively affecting my runs, that I knew I needed to make a change.
Enter: Janetha. I first learned about Body For Life while reading Janetha’s blog, Meals and Moves. She’s a BFL queen, and swears by the program’s effectivness. Check out her BFL recaps here.
The BFL Program
I’ll break it down simply here, but will go into more detail in future posts.
Fitness:
- 3-4 45-50 minute weight-lifting sessions/week (alternating upper body and lower body)
- 3 20-minute high intensity interval (HIIT) cardio sessions 3 times/week
- 1 full day of rest
Nutrition:
- 5-6 equally caloric balanced meals/day (that means eating every 3 hours!)
- 40-40-20 macronutrient ratio. On BFL you shoot for a daily total of 40% of calories from carbohydrates, 40 % from protein and 20% from fat. This is a time-tested and proven ratio that supports muscle growth. I’ll be tracking my progress on Livestrong.com’s My Plate (formerly thedailyplate.com). My Plate is a fantastic website that helps you log your meals throughout the day and provides a full nutrient summary as you go. It’s actually a lot of fun!
This was my macronutrient breakdown yesterday:
the website also tracks vitamins and minerals as well
If you don’t care to track numbers closely (this may drive me crazy after a few weeks), you can simply eyeball your portions.
For example: Protein = size of your fist; Carbs = size of your fist; Fat = several teaspoons/day or oily fish
- No “off-limits” foods. On BFL you’re given the green light to eat what you want! The program does encourage some foods over others, but I already follow these guidelines (example: limit refined flours and focus on whole grains). As long as you balance your protein and carbs, you’re good to go.
- “Cheat meal.” One day each week, I’ll be throwing all the rules out the window and enjoying whatever my heart desires!
friends forever
Sounds simple enough, right?
Well, yes and no. This program is going to require dedication, planning, resilience and FAITH. I’m both excited and nervous about letting go of my old habits.
Pros
- Simplicity. There is nothing complicated about BFL. It’s straight forward and easy to follow.
- Rest Day.
- Cheat Day.
- Lots of support. As I mentioned before, Janetha has been such a great resource! (Check out her BFL-friendly recipes here) There are also thousands of people online who participate in BFL forums, share recipes, workouts etc.
- More incentive to cook clean meals. I’ll be sharing many fun, new, healthy recipes with you! (Coming soon: Sweet Potato Protein Pie, Cheesy Frittata Muffins, and Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes).
Cons
- Rest Day. Yep, you read right—this is a pro too. However, because I have a really hard time taking a day off, it’s also a con. My legs twitch and/or I feel slightly guilty on days I don’t go to the gym. Trusting the program is key. I know that resting is important, and I have to have faith that this program works for a reason.
- 5-6 meals = lots of planning. I’m not home all day every day, so I’ll have to do lots of prep at the beginning of the week to ensure that I have easy meal options that can be grabbed quickly and eaten on the go.
- No grazing. I like to “pick” at food all day long because cravings for “flavor of the moment” are constantly changing.
However, while a bite of this and a bite of that is a fun way to eat, I often can’t remember what I ate 20 minutes later! I’m sure I’ll miss chasing Hershey’s kisses with bites of Cool Whip and spoonfuls of ice cream, but I look forward to nourishing my body with more energy sustainable foods.
Sure, I’ll still continue to enjoy cookies and frozen yogurt, but I suspect my strong cravings for these foods will subside as I incorporate more healthy carbohydrates —like sweet potatoes, brown rice and quinoa—into my diet. I’ve been skimping on these foods and I’m excited to make them a main fixture in my meals.
***Important Notes***
I refuse to be overly obsessive about this plan! If I really want a cupcake, I’m not going to deprive myself.
If I fall of ship for a few days, I’m not giving up.
But ultimately, whether I gain 20 lbs of muscle or none at all, that’s not what really matters.
Life is an adventure. It’s a an experiment filled with endless opportunities to take chances and see what comes of them.
However, we’re not defined by the outcome, rather the fact we took the chance.
Are you a snacker or a “square meal” person?
Cardio or weights?
Have you ever taken on a fitness or nutrition plan? Which was it? What was your experience?
What’s your favorite protein powder and/or bar?
As you may have guessed from the picture in this post, I’m loving EAS Mypolex Lite bars right now. They won Protein Bar of The Year in 2005, which clearly means they’re faaaabuloous.
