Body For Life Dead?

jahnlaw
jahnlaw Posts: 95 Member
edited July 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
Restarted again recently and have 6 waist inches to lose now. I had great success with Body For Life in the past, but few people seem to be using it these days. Has BFL been forgotten or replaced with something better?

Replies

  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    It's been a while since I read the book (I used to own it), but if I recall, the diet was nothing I could sustain long term. Too restrictive. Pasta with a squeeze of lemon on it stands out as one of the recipes. That ain't no life I wanna live.
  • BillMcKay1
    BillMcKay1 Posts: 315 Member
    jahnlaw wrote: »
    Restarted again recently and have 6 waist inches to lose now. I had great success with Body For Life in the past, but few people seem to be using it these days. Has BFL been forgotten or replaced with something better?

    I had success with it in the past as well. I still use 5-6 small meals as that works works well for me. Keeps the hangrys at bay. I don't follow the exercise program anymore. Not a real cardio guy and I found I didn't really get any stronger with BFL. It's more of a hypertrophy training program. I switched to doing minimal cardio and powerlifting instead. Still losing weight steadily but at the same time feel much stronger.

    BFL in essence is a 3 month cut like you would see a bodybuilder or physique competitor use. Even though he specifically says you don't need to count calories, the recommended portions and foods he suggests is a pretty low calorie and it is somewhat grounded in 80's thinking with the low fat focus.

    Have to admit, I did like the "on the 7th day you shall eat" off day feed he suggested. Trying a different approach this time with more calories daily but no free day. It's all about creating that deficit.
  • melissa6771
    melissa6771 Posts: 894 Member
    @jahnlaw I love body for life, and Bill Phillips. He's had a couple programs since that one. He sold BFL and EAS some time ago. Look on bodybuilding.com Bill Phillips back to fit. I still follow him on Facebook too. So many people have success with his programs. I basically still eat that way and track my calories and macros here. I also do his lifting program from back to fit.

    @BillMcKay1 He has added a healthy fat at each meal too.

    @_dracarys_ there is no recipe where he has just pasta with lemon juice. There never was. As far as restrictive, you have a free day once a week, nothing restrictive about that.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I have decades of experience of yo yo dieting and I can say categorically that any programme I ever had "success" with and proceeded to gain weight after stopping is not a "success"

    Also that even for short term weight loss I was never able to replicate the weight loss when returning to any previous programme

    That's why this time, I threw it all away, went for the lowest common denominator and overarching premise of CICO, and never stopped, even after reaching my goal...I do what I did to lose weight but with more calories to eat and it has worked for 2 and a half years
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    From
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bill-phillips-back-to-fit-trainer-nutrition.html

    Foods: The most important nutrition decisions you'll make on a daily basis are what types of food to eat. For protein, eat eggs, chicken, salmon, lean beef, low-fat cottage cheese, and protein shakes. For carbs, eat baked potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, apples, oranges, strawberries, and vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and green beans. You can get your healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, avocados, and nuts.

    well there's nothing wrong with that paragraph, but why is it so such a limited selection? He's going lowest common denominator, trying to make rules so he gets clients. I don't understand why protein shakes are in his list and lentil, pulses etc for sources of protein are excluded, nor why his list of vegetables does not include the full range of brightly coloured veg that go to make a rounded and nutritious diet ..I gave it an OK, but not fundamental rating

    Amounts: The next key to a solid lifetime nutrition plan is to eat the right amounts of food. There's no need to count calories; instead, keep track of your portion size. A good portion of protein is about the size of your palm. A portion of healthy carbs is about equal to the size of your fist.

    If they're cooked without a lot of oil and butter, you can pretty much have as many vegetables as you want. To measure the amount of healthy fats you eat, use your thumb as a guide.


    also true, but weighing can help you fix appropriate portion sizes in your head, if estimating isn't working for you. Nice to see he's amending one part of his food list here to incorporate all veg, shame he hasn't done the same for proteins


    I COMBINE A PORTION OF PROTEIN, HEALTHY CARBS, AND FAT IN EACH MEAL.
    Combinations: I combine a portion of protein, healthy carbs, and fat in each meal. For breakfast, try having 2-3 scrambled eggs, 1/4 of an avocado, and some oatmeal. It's important that each meal has a balance of each macronutrient. The trouble comes when you eat carbs and fat by themselves.

    totally unnecessary ...love to see what he's basing this on...it's the overall diet that matters not the constituents of any one meal

    Times: I've had great success eating about six meals each day. So, every 3 hours or so, I eat a meal. Usually, this works out to three full meals and three snacks. Eating often helps manage your appetite and ensure that your body has a constant supply of healthy nutrients. Eating frequently will also aid your digestion and increase your energy.

    this is someone who has found a way of eating that works for him. But there is no reason that would work for everyone. Important to find your own way to eat to get to sustainability

    Overall it's not awful, there's some information there that can help the totally naive or unaware start on the right path, but there's quite a bit of superfluous too. That's what always is needed when 'selling' a programme
  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »


    I COMBINE A PORTION OF PROTEIN, HEALTHY CARBS, AND FAT IN EACH MEAL.
    Combinations: I combine a portion of protein, healthy carbs, and fat in each meal. For breakfast, try having 2-3 scrambled eggs, 1/4 of an avocado, and some oatmeal. It's important that each meal has a balance of each macronutrient. The trouble comes when you eat carbs and fat by themselves.

    totally unnecessary ...love to see what he's basing this on...it's the overall diet that matters not the constituents of any one meal


    Just to pick up on this bit: I'm not at all science-y (I know science works, but have no clue/interest why!), but this style of eating is exactly what my dietician recommended to lower my blood glucose. It worked, and took me out of the pre-diabetic range. I'd agree that it doesn't matter for weight loss, but the non-science-y bit of me wonders if combinations work as a preventative measure for healthy people as well as it does as a remedial measure for non-healthy people.

    P.S It is so lovely to see you posting again, I missed your sensible posts!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    CurlyCockney wrote: »
    Sued0nim wrote: »


    I COMBINE A PORTION OF PROTEIN, HEALTHY CARBS, AND FAT IN EACH MEAL.
    Combinations: I combine a portion of protein, healthy carbs, and fat in each meal. For breakfast, try having 2-3 scrambled eggs, 1/4 of an avocado, and some oatmeal. It's important that each meal has a balance of each macronutrient. The trouble comes when you eat carbs and fat by themselves.

    totally unnecessary ...love to see what he's basing this on...it's the overall diet that matters not the constituents of any one meal


    Just to pick up on this bit: I'm not at all science-y (I know science works, but have no clue/interest why!), but this style of eating is exactly what my dietician recommended to lower my blood glucose. It worked, and took me out of the pre-diabetic range. I'd agree that it doesn't matter for weight loss, but the non-science-y bit of me wonders if combinations work as a preventative measure for healthy people as well as it does as a remedial measure for non-healthy people.

    P.S It is so lovely to see you posting again, I missed your sensible posts!

    Aww thanks :)

    I think that's fair enough, because you're talking about a medical concern...carbohydrates affect blood glucose the most, so does size of meals and even solidity (eg liquid carbs will affect blood glucose quicker), a meal that is a balanced between macros will have a smaller carb constituent by its very nature, and possibly be more satiating for some.

    That said if there is a medical condition then meal timing also would be appropriate in terms of keeping a balance of insulin-glucogan interplay and blood glucose

    But purely for weight loss, and absent any medical concerns, I would postulate that neither is particularly relevant
  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
    Yep, for weight loss it doesn't matter - I was just musing about an ounce of prevention being better than a pound of cure. I didn't lower my carbs...there's just something about adding protein and fats to them that slows down the glucose release. This is probably off topic for purely weight-loss reasons though, and more related to potential health problems rather than established ones. I'm just thinking/typing out loud.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    melissa6771 wrote: »
    @jahnlaw I love body for life, and Bill Phillips. He's had a couple programs since that one. He sold BFL and EAS some time ago. Look on bodybuilding.com Bill Phillips back to fit. I still follow him on Facebook too. So many people have success with his programs. I basically still eat that way and track my calories and macros here. I also do his lifting program from back to fit.

    @BillMcKay1 He has added a healthy fat at each meal too.

    @_dracarys_ there is no recipe where he has just pasta with lemon juice. There never was. As far as restrictive, you have a free day once a week, nothing restrictive about that.

    Meh, i said it had been a while since I read it. Anyway, to clarify, it was too restrictive FOR ME. I don't want to starve all week just to go hog wild one day. I figured out what works for me (basic calorie deficit), you do you.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    From
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bill-phillips-back-to-fit-trainer-nutrition.html

    Foods: The most important nutrition decisions you'll make on a daily basis are what types of food to eat. For protein, eat eggs, chicken, salmon, lean beef, low-fat cottage cheese, and protein shakes. For carbs, eat baked potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, apples, oranges, strawberries, and vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and green beans. You can get your healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, avocados, and nuts.

    well there's nothing wrong with that paragraph, but why is it so such a limited selection? He's going lowest common denominator, trying to make rules so he gets clients. I don't understand why protein shakes are in his list and lentil, pulses etc for sources of protein are excluded, nor why his list of vegetables does not include the full range of brightly coloured veg that go to make a rounded and nutritious diet ..I gave it an OK, but not fundamental rating

    Amounts: The next key to a solid lifetime nutrition plan is to eat the right amounts of food. There's no need to count calories; instead, keep track of your portion size. A good portion of protein is about the size of your palm. A portion of healthy carbs is about equal to the size of your fist.

    If they're cooked without a lot of oil and butter, you can pretty much have as many vegetables as you want. To measure the amount of healthy fats you eat, use your thumb as a guide.


    also true, but weighing can help you fix appropriate portion sizes in your head, if estimating isn't working for you. Nice to see he's amending one part of his food list here to incorporate all veg, shame he hasn't done the same for proteins


    I COMBINE A PORTION OF PROTEIN, HEALTHY CARBS, AND FAT IN EACH MEAL.
    Combinations: I combine a portion of protein, healthy carbs, and fat in each meal. For breakfast, try having 2-3 scrambled eggs, 1/4 of an avocado, and some oatmeal. It's important that each meal has a balance of each macronutrient. The trouble comes when you eat carbs and fat by themselves.

    totally unnecessary ...love to see what he's basing this on...it's the overall diet that matters not the constituents of any one meal

    Times: I've had great success eating about six meals each day. So, every 3 hours or so, I eat a meal. Usually, this works out to three full meals and three snacks. Eating often helps manage your appetite and ensure that your body has a constant supply of healthy nutrients. Eating frequently will also aid your digestion and increase your energy.

    this is someone who has found a way of eating that works for him. But there is no reason that would work for everyone. Important to find your own way to eat to get to sustainability

    Overall it's not awful, there's some information there that can help the totally naive or unaware start on the right path, but there's quite a bit of superfluous too. That's what always is needed when 'selling' a programme

    7
  • duckforceone
    duckforceone Posts: 121 Member
    Loved body for life, and the motivation they put out back then.. even have the video lying around.

    The idea is still sound, and you don't have to employ it fully, you can just do the parts that works for you.
  • BillMcKay1
    BillMcKay1 Posts: 315 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    From
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bill-phillips-back-to-fit-trainer-nutrition.html

    Foods: The most important nutrition decisions you'll make on a daily basis are what types of food to eat. For protein, eat eggs, chicken, salmon, lean beef, low-fat cottage cheese, and protein shakes. For carbs, eat baked potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, apples, oranges, strawberries, and vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and green beans. You can get your healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, avocados, and nuts.

    well there's nothing wrong with that paragraph, but why is it so such a limited selection? He's going lowest common denominator, trying to make rules so he gets clients. I don't understand why protein shakes are in his list and lentil, pulses etc for sources of protein are excluded, nor why his list of vegetables does not include the full range of brightly coloured veg that go to make a rounded and nutritious diet ..I gave it an OK, but not fundamental rating

    Amounts: The next key to a solid lifetime nutrition plan is to eat the right amounts of food. There's no need to count calories; instead, keep track of your portion size. A good portion of protein is about the size of your palm. A portion of healthy carbs is about equal to the size of your fist.

    If they're cooked without a lot of oil and butter, you can pretty much have as many vegetables as you want. To measure the amount of healthy fats you eat, use your thumb as a guide.


    also true, but weighing can help you fix appropriate portion sizes in your head, if estimating isn't working for you. Nice to see he's amending one part of his food list here to incorporate all veg, shame he hasn't done the same for proteins


    I COMBINE A PORTION OF PROTEIN, HEALTHY CARBS, AND FAT IN EACH MEAL.
    Combinations: I combine a portion of protein, healthy carbs, and fat in each meal. For breakfast, try having 2-3 scrambled eggs, 1/4 of an avocado, and some oatmeal. It's important that each meal has a balance of each macronutrient. The trouble comes when you eat carbs and fat by themselves.

    totally unnecessary ...love to see what he's basing this on...it's the overall diet that matters not the constituents of any one meal

    Times: I've had great success eating about six meals each day. So, every 3 hours or so, I eat a meal. Usually, this works out to three full meals and three snacks. Eating often helps manage your appetite and ensure that your body has a constant supply of healthy nutrients. Eating frequently will also aid your digestion and increase your energy.

    this is someone who has found a way of eating that works for him. But there is no reason that would work for everyone. Important to find your own way to eat to get to sustainability

    Overall it's not awful, there's some information there that can help the totally naive or unaware start on the right path, but there's quite a bit of superfluous too. That's what always is needed when 'selling' a programme

    To be fair though, Bill Phillips' programs have always been about body recomp more so than pure weight loss. The foods he laid out were to achieve macro balance as well as reduce overall calories. While for weight loss energy equation is king, having the energy for resistance training to achieve recomp needs proper nutrition as well. Sure you can lose weight on the "twinkie diet" but try working out 6x a week for between 30-65mins per session on 11 twinkies a day!

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