Thoughts: My second BFL challenge is almost over. I only have another week and a half to go, and if I’m going to be candid, I have to admit that I haven’t been doing strict BFL since week 6. That was when I started to add in extra cardio haphazardly because of the eDiets Life’s Odyssey challenge. In week 8 I kicked into full cutting mode and on the advice of Dave Greenwalt (author of The Leanness Lifestyle and coach at Club Lifestyle), started doing 50-60 minutes of cardio six days a week. On BFL cardio days, I just add 30 minutes of steady state cardio, but on weight training days I add a full 50 minutes of mixed steady-state cardio for a total of 300-375 minutes of cardio a week and 150-180 minutes of resistance training.

So I guess this challenge is really 6 weeks of BFL, 2 weeks of transition time, and 4 weeks of Leanness Lifestyle. I’ll be posting stats, program details, and photos from each phase after the end of the challenge for the purpose of comparison. I hate to say it, but I suspect that the LL stats and photos will probably be blowing BFL out of the water judging by my 10 week photos taken just 2 weeks into the LL program.

After I finish this challenge, I will be going into unofficial mode–no more EAS challenge packets. I really don’t care about the contest anymore. This has gone beyond an unattainable prize for me now–I didn’t start out with enough excess fat to win anyway!–and is now a personal quest to be in the best shape of my life when I turn 30 in January. November 22-Jan 18 will be a continuation of the LL program until I hit my goal body fat of 12% at around 120-122 lbs. Once I’m there, I’ll go into maintenance, cut back on the cardio, and push for muscle gains. A final maintenance ballpark range of 125-130 lbs with more muscle would be lovely.

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Nutrition (1200-1400 calorie low day with carb tapering)
1: 3×1 omelette with oatmeal and flax seeds
2: Oatmeal tuna salad with apple
3: Strawberry raisin bar
4: Cottage cheese and strawberries
5: Healthy take-out option at work
6: Cottage cheese and apple

Supplements:
Multivitamin with iron
Calcium 500 + D
1 T. flax seed oil

Calories eaten and deficit for yesterday = 1871 / -913 (target -700)
Water: 15 cups
Ratios: 47% carb / 35% protein / 18% fat

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Workout:
7:30 am Tai chi class (60 minutes)
8:30 am HIIT - Elliptical trainer (Level 5 / speeds 6, 7, 8, 9, 12)
3:00 pm 1 mile walk - 4 mph / 15 minutes
9:30 pm steady-state cardio - treadmill run (6 mph / 20 minutes)

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The Awful Truth:
1. 1/4 c. raisins and a slice of WW bread with low-sugar strawberry preserves.

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Brownie Points:
1. 100% workout attendance!
2. Tai chi was great.
3. Only played Everquest for 1 hour last night.

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Short-term Goals:
1. Pick up eggs and low carb cereal at the grocery store.
2. Make a new batch of BFL snacks–bars, cheesecakes, or chocolate cake.
3. Get at least 6.5 hours of sleep tonight.