I need some cheerleading or something - or maybe if someone could call me in a pizza that would help, lol. Okay, I am kidding, well, sort of. I was great the first 2 days this week but I am DYING today! I have been starving all day and I am really cranky and irritable. Any suggestions on getting through this hump? I am committed to this and I am not cheating, but I WANT TO!!!

Help!

Dont really know the BFL program, but if your starving its prob means your undereating? Is that possible do you think?..

Look at your goals and remind yourself what you are doing and why you are doing it. Then drink a big glass of water, and have some vegetables or a piece of fruit to curb off the munchies until your next meal. It is hard when you are trying to eat clean and some days, you just aren't as excited as others. Push through it and know that tomorrow will probably be better and that there is a free day in sight! Try and do something else to keep your mind off of food. Seriously though, if you feel like you are hungry, eat something. make it something like cucumbers or fresh mushrooms, or green peppers. Things that you can eat a lot of and fill up on with out much consequence. Like one mushroom has only 6 calories!!!
HTH

I don't think I am undereating - I am averaging about 1400-1500 calories daily and I've done nothing different today than the last 2 days this week. I am still close to the 40/40/20 ratio too. When I went back and looked at what my calories are today, they are actually a little on the high side, so I am so confused!

I just drank more water and am hoping once my last daycare kid leaves and I can go work out I will feel better.

Dont really know the BFL program, but if your starving its prob means your undereating? Is that possible do you think?..

Thank you for the suggestions! I ate a few cherry tomatoes and it really helped me get through the afternoon. And lots and lots of water!!! I think just posting what a hard time I was having helped! It made me really stop and think about it and helped me to regain some perspective.


Look at your goals and remind yourself what you are doing and why you are doing it. Then drink a big glass of water, and have some vegetables or a piece of fruit to curb off the munchies until your next meal. It is hard when you are trying to eat clean and some days, you just aren't as excited as others. Push through it and know that tomorrow will probably be better and that there is a free day in sight! Try and do something else to keep your mind off of food. Seriously though, if you feel like you are hungry, eat something. make it something like cucumbers or fresh mushrooms, or green peppers. Things that you can eat a lot of and fill up on with out much consequence. Like one mushroom has only 6 calories!!!
HTH

Is this your first two days into the program or just the first two days of the week?

Keep at it!
-Allen

It's my first 2 days of official BFL. I've been doing the 40/40/20 for about 2 weeks now,but not really charting my times for meals before this week. It has been tougher and I am much harder on myself with carbs now where I wasn't so much before, i.e, not being able to work a pizza in, lol. I am feeling much better this evening and am proud of myself for sticking to it when all I wanted was a piece of bread!

Is this your first two days into the program or just the first two days of the week?

Keep at it!
-Allen

About how many calories are you allowing yourself each day? What do you weigh (if you don't mind my asking)...I was just wondering because you said you're averaging 1500kcals and you're hungry.

I weigh 156 and I'm 5'8". I am following pretty closely to BFL, but I am still checking against Fitday everyday my whole menu and my ratios are good. I don't know what happened today - I am feeling good this evening so I am happy about that. Today was a rough one though!

I should be hungry somewhat, right? I mean, if I am decreasing my intakes my body will need some time to adjust. I wasn't really pigging out before, but I did take in a lot more carbs up until 2 weeks ago or so when I really started re-evaluating my diet. I've always exercised and watched what I ate to a point, but it was more of a high carb, low fat diet. Not really balancing the carbs out with protein. I am thinking it's just my body adjusting.

Here's what I ate today:

7:10 am Kashi Go Lean with 1/2 c skim milk and hot tea with splenda
9:45 am Worldwide protein bar with water
12:30 pm 3 slices low fat turkey slices on ww bread with lettuce and tomatoes, Green beans
3:00 pm Worldwide protein bar (this isn't my norm so far, just a lot of running around after kids this afternoon, so it was easier to grab a bar)
5:45 pm Eggbeaters with turkey bacon on ww toast with pineapples.
8:30 pm Low carb bagel with tuna

Mid afternoon I had a few cherry tomatoes to hold me over as well.

Anything I could be changing, let me know. I am trying to keep it all balanced.



About how many calories are you allowing yourself each day? What do you weigh (if you don't mind my asking)...I was just wondering because you said you're averaging 1500kcals and you're hungry.

Here's what I ate today:

7:10 am Kashi Go Lean with 1/2 c skim milk and hot tea with splenda
9:45 am Worldwide protein bar with water
12:30 pm 3 slices low fat turkey slices on ww bread with lettuce and tomatoes, Green beans
3:00 pm Worldwide protein bar (this isn't my norm so far, just a lot of running around after kids this afternoon, so it was easier to grab a bar)
5:45 pm Eggbeaters with turkey bacon on ww toast with pineapples.
8:30 pm Low carb bagel with tuna

Mid afternoon I had a few cherry tomatoes to hold me over as well.

Anything I could be changing, let me know. I am trying to keep it all balanced.

Something that helped me a lot when I was using BFL to cut was to choose foods with more bulk to them but low calories. Bars and some of the other meal options just didn't have enough volume to keep me from feeling hungry. I'm a big fan of the oversized chicken or tuna salad for lunch or even as a "mid-meal" snack on my hungry days.

On my "hungry days", I'd have something like this:

1: 4 egg white/1 whole egg omelette with 1 c. spinach, 1/2 tomato, 1 green onion; 1/3 c. (dry) oatmeal with cinnamon and Splenda
2: 3-4 cups spinach and Romaine salad with 3 oz. grilled chicken, Thai peanut butter dressing, 1/4 c. water chestnuts, and an apple
3: 3/4 c. blueberries with 3/4 c. FF cottage cheese and 1 packet Splenda (or a Microwave Muffin (http://maggiewang.com/index.php?p=146) --these are huge and much more satisfying than a bar)
4: 3 chocolate peanut butter mini protein cheesecakes (http://maggiewang.com/index.php?p=86)
5: Chicken WW pita pizza
6: BBQ Ranch Chopped Chicken Salad (http://maggiewang.com/index.php?p=186) (probably 4 cups altogether)

Total damage for the day: 1400-1500 calories, but I felt like I was completely stuffing myself

Thanks - those are some great recipes! This morning I had an eggbeater with a few mushrooms thrown in and had about 1/4 cup of grape nuts heated up so it's like oatmeal sort of and I feel full. What a nice feeling!

I have planned my menu today to allow me more of those types of meals and think I will feel better. I was just running from place to place and didn't have a chance to really think about what I was eating more than a quick label look. I didn't spend a lot of time planning that morning. That won't happen again!

Something that helped me a lot when I was using BFL to cut was to choose foods with more bulk to them but low calories. Bars and some of the other meal options just didn't have enough volume to keep me from feeling hungry. I'm a big fan of the oversized chicken or tuna salad for lunch or even as a "mid-meal" snack on my hungry days.

On my "hungry days", I'd have something like this:

1: 4 egg white/1 whole egg omelette with 1 c. spinach, 1/2 tomato, 1 green onion; 1/3 c. (dry) oatmeal with cinnamon and Splenda
2: 3-4 cups spinach and Romaine salad with 3 oz. grilled chicken, Thai peanut butter dressing, 1/4 c. water chestnuts, and an apple
3: 3/4 c. blueberries with 3/4 c. FF cottage cheese and 1 packet Splenda (or a Microwave Muffin (http://maggiewang.com/index.php?p=146) --these are huge and much more satisfying than a bar)
4: 3 chocolate peanut butter mini protein cheesecakes (http://maggiewang.com/index.php?p=86)
5: Chicken WW pita pizza
6: BBQ Ranch Chopped Chicken Salad (http://maggiewang.com/index.php?p=186) (probably 4 cups altogether)

Total damage for the day: 1400-1500 calories, but I felt like I was completely stuffing myself

BFL requires two things conscientuously: 1.) get to the gym regularly every day, and 2.) eat a portion of protein and a portion of carbs every three hours. The fat works its way in there naturally, but stays relatively low as long as you make good food choices. Portion equals "the size of your balled up fist".

There isn't much science to this program; that's the beauty of the BFL system. You don't have to consider macronutrient ratios, calorie counting, nothing - just eat every three hours and exercise.

No, it's not optimal nor perfect. But it's pretty simple if you're conscientuous in the effort. I survived 15 weeks on BFL, losing 37-lbs over that time eating a very steady diet of chicken, turkey, plain baked potatoes, apples, oranges, and dark green veges. I was never hungry as long as I ate every three hours. Going past that three hour limit was disaster, so be sure you're adhering to that time frame.

I've heard too many people say that BFL doesn't work; when questioned further, I've found that those folks were not conscientuous in applying the principles.

If you're feeling hungry, drink water. I do remember being somewhat hungry that first week on the plan. However... I was 187-lbs. when I set out, and I was well on my way to eating myself into obesity. Going from eating anything and everything I wanted to into a well balanced, structured plan was shocking to my body. Keep that in mind as well since you're just setting out.

Good luck with it - the program works! Above all, be sure you're having fun as you do things.

-Roger

Thanks for the input! I am trying hard to adjust down from a very carb intensive diet and I'm sure that's where some of it is coming from. And I am trying to be as patient with myself as I can be. I know that BFL will work for me and I am committed. That's part of why I posted on here about how hard it was yesterday - I knew that was holding myself accountable to all of you that are such an inspiration and I knew I wouldn't give in. And I didn't.

I have been working out faithfully for awhile, so BFL is just a change in what I'm doing. I really miss some of my workouts because they were much more "fun" than this, lol, but I'm adjusting slowly.

I really appreciate yours and others responses - it helped so much!
BFL requires two things conscientuously: 1.) get to the gym regularly every day, and 2.) eat a portion of protein and a portion of carbs every three hours. The fat works its way in there naturally, but stays relatively low as long as you make good food choices. Portion equals "the size of your balled up fist".

There isn't much science to this program; that's the beauty of the BFL system. You don't have to consider macronutrient ratios, calorie counting, nothing - just eat every three hours and exercise.

No, it's not optimal nor perfect. But it's pretty simple if you're conscientuous in the effort. I survived 15 weeks on BFL, losing 37-lbs over that time eating a very steady diet of chicken, turkey, plain baked potatoes, apples, oranges, and dark green veges. I was never hungry as long as I ate every three hours. Going past that three hour limit was disaster, so be sure you're adhering to that time frame.

I've heard too many people say that BFL doesn't work; when questioned further, I've found that those folks were not conscientuous in applying the principles.

If you're feeling hungry, drink water. I do remember being somewhat hungry that first week on the plan. However... I was 187-lbs. when I set out, and I was well on my way to eating myself into obesity. Going from eating anything and everything I wanted to into a well balanced, structured plan was shocking to my body. Keep that in mind as well since you're just setting out.

Good luck with it - the program works! Above all, be sure you're having fun as you do things.

-Roger