Body for Life Success Journal

Could have been a great use- cept it was totally written in

Let me first start by saying that I did this program about 2 years back, and had *very* minimal results. I tried to follow everything Phillips advocated, but lost only a few pounds, and quit about 8 weeks into the program. I dismissed it as another sham. About 1 year ago my brother-in-law tried this program and said that it worked for him--he had a supposed 6-pack, etc. But since we were on different coasts, I never saw the results, and still remained skeptical. However, my cousin tried this same program 8 months ago--and he lives in proximity to me--and this is when I became a believer. He first entered the program at 187 lbs. and a 38" waist, 24 years old. At the end of week 6, I asked him how it was going and he said, "I hardly see any results..." After that, at the end of week 12--he had made dramatic strides, but still no 6-pack, etc. So he made some modifications and added another 4 weeks to the program--this is where the gravy is. End result== 177 lbs., 31" waist, and a 4-pack. Some of the modifications were, he cut carbs from meal #5 , didn't eat 3 shakes/bars every day, but 2---the third "snack/meal replacement" was a hamburger/turkey burger. Now, in my particular case, I am 30 years old, 5'8" (same as cousin),(was) 194 lbs., 38.5" waist, 220 cholesterol. I felt extremely tired in the shoulders (and no, not due to stress)--Felt miserable all the time. My feet were always sore from the weight, etc. So I began the program 5 weeks ago. Results so far: 176 lbs., waist 36.75", chol. = 177. I feel a lot stronger, a lot lighter--much of the weight has come off of my face so far. A couple of tips: it's very hard to run for 20 minutes in the beginning, and I simply could not finish the workout--heck, I still can't--I'm at the point where I can do 3 cycles (15 minutes)--and I walk the other 5 minutes. Make sure you make your food tasty (within reason) or you won't survive--sure for the 12 weeks you may, but good luck after that. In fact, my cousin, after completing the program, stopped for 2 months--but only gained 4 pounds. Here is a sample of what I do:7 am-- workout for approx. 1 hour (dont eat for 1 hour after workout)9 am-- bfast-- 5 eggs scrambled (4 whites + 1 whole) + v. little palm oil; 1 slice of fat-free cheese mixed in10:30 -- bar12 -- 1 can tuna w/ mustard, greens, 1 cup pasta w/ 1 tbsp. sauce2:30 - shake or bar5:30 - 1/4 lb. hamburger w/ 1 slice cheese + ketchup (no bread at all)8:00 shake(make sure you drink water all day--approx. 1 gallon)If you are worried about the amount of sat. fat in the bars, take Lecithin to off-set it, or get guggle (goggle?) to raise HDL. It worked for me.Good luck all; I *don't* think you need a journal, just chart your weekly progress so you know how far you've come! If you can't or don't want to pay for the bars/shakes, replace with a hamburger or turkey burger. Make sure you make it large enough or you will lose muscle. I will post my end results in another review in about 2 mo

My fiance did one challenge of BFL while I was away at basic training, and since I've gotten back we've started on challenge number 2. He lost 40 pounds of fat in the first challenge and gained quite a bit of muscle mass (drool!). This journal helps you keep track of what you're doing exercise-wise each day, which in turn helps you keep to the program and meet your goals.My only complaint about the whole BFL program is the constant pressure by the journal and book to recruit your friends in to it. It has a "daily goal" of encouraging your friends to do BFL, or encouraging them while they're on it. I guess it's a marketing ploy to get more people to buy the books and journals. I do recommend the program to my friends, but I don't fill out that part of the journal every day. There are also some other parts of the journal that are tedious. I concentrate on filling out the parts dealing with exercise and food/water - and leave the other parts blank.

I started my first Body-for-Life challenge on 1/6 and finished 3/29. This book was very important because I was able to keep track of my meals and workouts while reading the encouraging words of Bill Phillips as well as a successful transformation daily.The daily progress reports are VERY important for your success. The meals help you keep track of what you have ate so far (as well as planning), and you can review your previous workouts to better plan your next workout. Not to mention you can look back at how far you've come! BFL provides these sheets in the original book and their website, but having this all organized in this journal right in front of you with inspirational words from Bill makes it easier than printing out the pages everyday.I read half of the Transformations before I even started! They go into alot more detail than just looking around on the web...you can see how different beginning stats work for different people...and how many 12-week Challenges it may have taken *some* of them to get there.Plus, if you actually read his words, he offers you a little deal if you're unhappy ;) There will ALWAYS be anti-BFL people out there. All you have to do is look for the personal pages on the internet. Everyone knows the secret to losing weight: Exercise & Eating Right. Bill Phillips did not invent anything new, nor does he try to fool you into thinking so. He offers a structured program and mental encouragement towards realistic goals. If you actually read his book, follow his program, and track your hard work (like in this journal), you will look great in 12 weeks. I did, and I'm now in Challenge 2.

I am new to BFL and find the journal immensely helpful. After reading the book, I knew it was a straight-forward program and simple enough for anyone to follow, but it does take discipline..something I'm not very good at. The journal is an awesome tool that helps me keep the focus and discipline I need to get the full benefit from the program. It adds accountability...something I really need. I enjoy sitting down each evening and thinking about what I did to succeed that day, or what I failed at and can improve on tomorrow. And when I get down, I can look at the transformation pictures and strories and realize that those people had hard days, too, and they picked themselves up and made it to the finish line, and I can too!I really recommend it for newbies like myself to help keep on track. I'm sure that it is helping me succeed!