The Body For Life Challenge

On March 3, 2003, Gabby and I signed up for the Bill Phillips' 12-week "Body For Life" Challenge.  For a story on how we got roped into this mess and a look at our final results, check out the Body For Life Pictures page.  Anyhow, we've recently completed this heavy-duty diet and exercise program with a big group of friends and family.  The journal entries below are a sampling of the back-and-forth banter between the dozen or so people we entered the program with.  We supported each other, laughed at each other, and got healthy together.  

The program is a proven "health building" regimen, but tries to sell you all of these protein shakes and protein bars to help you get the most out of the program.  The perk is this... if we are one of the winners of the challenge, Bill reimburses us for all of his products that we bought!  Woo hoo!  I think he also shows up to our house to personally inject us with steroids, too... but I'm not sure.  Anyhow..

On the program, you have to eat SIX TIMES PER DAY!  This sounded very appealing to me until I realized that all six meals had to be healthy.  One fistful of carbs and one fistful of protein at each meal (about a 1/2 cup each).  you can also eat veggies twice per day.  The REAL kicker is that you have to drink 10 glasses of water per day... MORE if you sweat a lot.  So... I'm drinking about 120 ounces of water every day (we're not allowed to drink anything else) and stopping by every restroom in Central Texas to take a leak. 

The workouts are scheduled SIX TIMES PER WEEK, first thing in the morning.  They're very regimented, but they last 45 minutes or less.  Essentially, you grunt your way through a fast-paced weight workout 3 times per week, and do a "go till you puke" cardio workout the other three days.  Sunday's are our "free day," and we can eat whatever we want.  No workouts, and no restrictions.  It's a gluttonous gorge-fest!

Since the start of the whole thing, we have been writing to each other to bitch and moan about how much it stinks to give up sugar, fat, and taste for 12 weeks.  We also get in plenty of complaining about the early morning workouts six days a week.  The e-mail chain allows you to follow our progression.  All in all, it worked, and we're actually enjoying the healthy eating, but it wasn't always that way:

DAY 1:  Gabby's Entry

Hello fellow BFL-ers!  How was the morning workout? Breakfast and snack#1? My synopsis is this.

Owch! Workout was great and challenging. As far as the food? Plain yogurt sucks. The protein bars are huge and full of sugar and it's almost time for lunch and I'm not hungry.

DAY 1:  Scott's Entry

DAY 1:  Owen's Entry

Can't comment on the workout since we haven't yet. Tonight we do the arms and then get on track for am workouts before Kerri has to be showered and leave by 6:30am. Yes you read that correctly.

The breakfast was good and I was hungry right on queue at 10:30. Unfortunately I was in a meeting and only just now ate my banana and cottage cheese and found it satisfying. Of course there is some stupid free food shindig here today with BBQ etc downstairs. My supportive co workers have promised they won't shove it all in their faces down there. They assure me they will bring more upstairs and parade it past me as they cram it into over stuffed pie holes. Not wasting my day off for that crud.

DAY 3:  Gabby's Entry

Ah.. Day 3! We have half conquered you already by finishing that leg workout. Not looking forward to days 4 and 5 when I won't be able to sit to pee OR lift my pencil. On a positive note, however, Scott and I did great this AM. His non-worked-out legs were cramping after two sets while I was about to pass out or vomit from working so hard to hit that 10 intensity level. I was SO HAPPY when it was over. I'm really digging the cottage cheese and fruit combo. I would recommend bananas to those of you (including me) that have not been working out lately.. It will help with cramping (potassium).

We also are exhausted. I had to nap between meal 5 and 6 and was in bed by 8:05pm.. Of course I talked on the phone til 9:30 but I was SO TIRED. I have to believe we will have more energy as soon as our bodies adjust to the new schedule. Oh, yeah.. And Scott and I took our couples before and after last night and redid some of our "befores". It was hilarious! We both did one where we tried to look good and decided that we don't even NEED to be on this program.. The improvement from our intentionally bad to our positive poses was all we need. Okay.. Not really. More photos to come. We also did our body fat at the gym and weighed... Oh the trauma. We'll have to share that another day.

DAY 3:  Scott's Entry

DAY 4:  Owen's Entry

Just got back from an unplanned business lunch. Ate an oriental salad and had to leave 2/3 on the plate. Glad I wasn't buying. In some sort of one sided lover's tryst Kerri came in at about the two minute mark and cranked the stepper up from a leisurely 5 to a gruesome 8.

Suddenly the nightly business report on TV faded and I found myself doing the visualization trick mentioned in the book. I could see myself lean and mean, strolling out to the beach at Port A. Swimming out for my day 86 cardio just because I want to. That faded as the incessant beeping from the stepper nagged me to step up.

DAY 5:  Scott's Entry

Day 7:  Owen's Entry

This will probably be my only dispatch for the next couple of days since I have got some significant project milestones to clear at work. I was going to say pass however that may still be too sensitive a word for most of us. I think I now understand why he says you can eat whatever you want on Sunday.

I met my sister at the livestock show and felt pretty good about the fact that I had eaten decently in spite of having free reign. It was sort of like double portion day. Then I spied it. The highest hand in bad food. Food that no sane person would consider ingesting. Food I would not have ever considered eating except for it's value as the trashiest trash I could possible have hoped to have found and eaten (ok tried to eat) on a Sunday.

Those still fragile from Sunday should just look away now or close this email. I found a stand that sells fried twinkies. We saw this and all thought "how disgusting". Then I realized that it was in fact the highest hand. I had found the royal flush of day off foods. This could not be any further in the opposite direction. I bought it and choked down a few bites. It wasn't bad until I got to the part where the white cream filling used to reside. I am glad to report that the stuff does melt under extreme temperatures. It left this moistened cake in it's wake. That was it. I was done. Had to go buy a roasted corn to offset that crud. Of course since then I have learned that Royal Flush could take a completely different meaning.

DAY 8:  Gabby's Entry

DAY 8:  Scott's Entry

DAY 21:  Owen's Entry

Well last week consisted of some good and not so good choices and a few scattered workouts. Abby the swim coach kicked my but Thursday with multiple laps of various torture in my dad's pool. Still today I am not sore at all anymore and I miss it. I am actually looking forward to the gym tonight.  Not sure what quitting consists of. I guess one week of half assed effort isn't quitting but it sure isn't giving the program the full chance either. I will have to add another week at the end and kick some but between now and Pork Aransas.

Kerri and I left for work with only a Slimfast (I know I know, where is that on the plan?!?). It was better than nothing. Nothing is exactly what I had with me for the day. I ran over to HEB and came back in the office with two bags of groceries. People look at you weird when you bring groceries into an office building. The celery really gave me away. So anyway I just had my 10:30 meal at 11am. It consisted of a banana with Laura Scudder all natural peanut butter knifed on it. (Editorial note:  Gabby says this tastes like someone just chewed up some peanuts and spit it out on bread.)  Not sure of exact portion control but it seemed like about 2 tablespoons at max. I think that meets the carb and protein requirement. And of course the obligatory quart of water. Someone please advise if this is bad information.

I discovered beef jerky last week when Abby (noticing a pattern here?) kept asking me when I was going to eat again since I am still on BFL, right? You only had some of your water bottle. You still have a big fat belly Daddy.

On and on. Aahhhhhh. These moments are what make raising children so worth it.

DAY 28:  Owen's Entry

First of all welcome Felica Walker to the list. She works with me at
Nisource and locally for Columbia Gulf. Felica has actually been through
BFL a few years back with great results.

When I mentioned our quasi support group she was immediately interested.
Hopefully she realizes what she is in for.  Right up front Felica I don't know these Dannemillers and have no family
ties to them at all. If Scott claims otherwise it is the BFL talking.

I found a program last week called Palm BFL that tracks all the particulars
of BFL. As I have spent a bit more time with it I am impressed. The desktop
client would suffice for those who don't us a palm device or (poor Kerri)
would rather not be seen with the geek logging his workouts into his palm
at the gym.

Here is the URL http://www.cellica.com/ The guy to the right of all the
pda's is me.

A quick run down of the features I like:

Enter meal and workout plans, measurements, body fat content, etc. Then as
you move forward in time enter the actual workouts, meals, measurements,
etc.

This chunk of data then allows you to view progress and plan vs actual
reports and graphs. Are my workouts trailing off in intensity? Am I eating
enough protein?

Some cool stuff -  BLAH BLAH BLAH

DAY 28:  Scott's Reply

Dear Owen,

I was going to buy this little program, as well as a palm.  however, I read
the warning sticker that comes on the box, and it worried me a bit.  The
label reads:

"WARNING:  USE OF THIS OR ANY OTHER DORK-LIKE DEVICE AT A MUSCLE-HEAD GYM
MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH.  IN A RANDOM STUDY, SIX NERDS WERE SENT
INTO 24-HOUR FITNESS AND MADE TO HANG OUT NEAR THE SQUAT RACK TALKING ABOUT
RAM, MEGABYTES, DATABASES, AND USING PC CLIENTS FOR LOGGING WORKOUTS.  TWO
WERE FOUND LODGED IN LOCKERS, ONE HAD TO HAVE WATER EXTRACTED FROM HIS EARS
DUE TO A VIOLENT SWIRLIE, AND THREE WERE GIVEN ATOMIC WEDGIES AND HUNG FROM
THE PULL UP BAR BY THEIR WAISTBANDS.  NONE WERE FOUND WITH LUNCH MONEY ON
THEIR PERSON.  USE AT YOUR OWN RISK."

In other news, Gab and I are making progress.  We were weighed and had body
fat analysis done this AM for our four week checkup.  Definite improvements
all the way around. The most exciting part was when the female fitness
trainer asked me to remove my shirt.  I started thinkin' that I "had it
goin' on" until I realized she was only asking me so she could clamp down on
the chub between my shoulder and chest to get her caliper reading.  I guess
the Chippendale's audition will have to wait for another two months.

DAY 28:  Larry's Entry

I have been back from Training for a week now. I finally went to work on Tues. I walked in and at every meeting of people who have not seen me for 3 weeks I got the following "Did they work you hard? You lost a lot of weight" So people can see the difference. So I think you have to hide yourself for 3 weeks then pop back in, that way people will notice.

I have tried new bars, picked them up in Missouri, and they are good. They are called DETOUR bars. They contain 30g of proteien. Josie and Owen have tried them. I think they are great. I will wait to see what they have to say about these wonderful bars. The bars are advertised as SNICKERS ON STEROIDS.

Well Josie has finally taken the plunge and joined a gym (I think she was tired of me telling her to lift more while I sat and watched, because I would work out in the AM and her in the PM). She likes going to the gym, she likes the machines as opposed to the free weights. The cardio machines did her in, I was called at work to come an pick her up, they found her in the corner in a fetal position and mumbling BFL, BFL, BFL... I think she will recover.

We have decided to take our free day this Saturday. Our kids school is having their annual school carnival. This means fajita tacos, snowcones, cotton candy, Kerri's brownies, and all of the other good stuff. So that means the following week is going to be quiet long.

DAY 38:  Scott's Entry

DAY 39:  Jim's Entry

As Laurie said, we took our free day Saturday also. I can still smell those famous fajitas from the school carnival. To make things even better, we all worked in the "Sweet Shop" booth selling any and every kind of brownie and cookies known to mankind. Customers would ask what was good and our answer was always "everything". Little did they know that those of us working were drooling like babies at the sight of this food and this was our only day to gorge ourselves! Cardboard would have tasted great as long as it was topped with all the icing and chocolate that was there.  Now we're back to reality, although this thing is beginning to grow on me.  (maybe I bumped my head???) Feels good to be able to reach in the back of the closet and wear clothes that haven't fit for a long time.  I will have to reach deep this week for the strength to keep on track as I sit in a hotel room for the next 4 nights. I think that President Bush should add LaQuinta Inns and Suites to his "axis of evil" list for their do-it-yourself waffle iron in the lobby and for piping the aroma into all the rooms in the morning. I guess I'll take my whole wheat bread down with me and use their toaster and try not to look at the flashing neon sign over the waffle counter. 

For any of the guys who are interested, Epilspray is an easy way to remove hair from your chest and abs and might help prevent nipping yourself with scissors. (I was told this by a friend of course, and Laurie is sworn to silence!) As far as Nads is concerned, the Coalition Forces found this product in one of Sadam's torture cells in Iraq this week. (The same friend told me this as well).

DAY 40:  Owen's Entry

I am not sure how BFL has turned to confessions from the battle against body hair but here we go.

I had to get an emergency manicure before a meeting last week. While there the lady says "What about you eyebrows?". Me, being a guy, said "what about my eyebrows?". Kerri, two tables away says "You're une brow is racing to catch up with your receding hairline" or something to that effect. Next thing I know I am being whisked off to a back room. It's never a good idea to have any personal grooming that involves going behind a closed door away from the other customers. I lay down and just as I was about to ask about the soundproofing egg crates stapled all over the walls she rips the first hunk of my flesh from the bone of my forehead. As I began to regain consciousness she ripped more. It hurt. ALOT. I began to consider the type of personal strength it must take to get a bikini wax. How do women do this? This is insane. Then she reapplied the wax and began ripping what must have been those last few bits of tendon and muscle that were still clinging to my skull bone. Just when I thought I was going to have wrestle her to the ground and mop the floor with her she said "Ok all done". Those words must be what it is like when women hear the cry of their newborn child. Now I see women with those eyebrows that have a permanent look of surprise I want to high five them. Yea baby, you are one bad ass chick! What, you only have a single row of eyebrow hair arching way out there and the rest of the eye is painted blue? You rock!

I will spare you guys the full story of turning Kerri loose with the #2 buzzer to cut my hair. I finally got up and ran after she had buzzed my head, neck, back, chest, arms, and stomach. The bathroom floor looked like Chewbakka got a haircut.

DAY 41:  Larry's Entry

Today was my lower body workout. I am working hard so that I can enjoy this Easter Sunday. I saw the chocolates that Josie bought!!! I can't wait. We are going to have FRIED FISH AND SHRIMP (my favorite) as our Easter Meal (meal made by Josie's side of the family). I still need to talk to my Mom and see what she will be making for lunch...YMMM, she makes great BIG homemade Tortillas...Fresh with butter...MMMMM...fasf;akaka;jkla,,..Sorry I was drooling on the keyboard and had to wipe it off.

Today at work somebody brought in this cake, chocolate with nuts and marshmallows, and to top it off it was homemade my somebodies grandma... So you know it had to be good. Well I held out and did not have any at all. Yes, I have the will power of a statue and nerves of steel, isthat how I overcame my weakness for chocolate cake? Hell, no I quickly left the office and was gone all day...

DAY 42:  Scott's Entry

Last night, Gabby was talking with Kerri on the phone. They normally get so engrossed in conversation that I could parade a naked Matthew McConaughey through my living room and Gab wouldn't notice. So, I figured that this would be a good time to flex for myself and check out the progress. As Ilifted my shirt and scoured the terrain for any sign of a six-pack, I contorted my body and face into gruesome positions... trying to flex every muscle in my body. Before the horrendous cramping could set in I hear my loving wife,

I look up to see her watching my every move. Then, on the phone she said, "Scott is fondling himself, trying to see his abs." I can hear Kerri laughing all the way from Houston. Knowing I had been caught, I just bit the bullet and continued my search for rippling abs. No sign of them anywhere, though I did see a rib poking out. This could be bad. Anyhow... due to this travesty... at my house, we will be instituting a schedule, giving new meaning to the term "flex time." We will have a posted sign up sheet on the bathroom door. Anyone in the household is allowed to reserve time in front of the mirror in 15 minutes increments for private, uninterrupted, "flex 'till you fart" quality time (since Gabby says my "practice pose" for our BFL after shots looks like I might just soil my skivvies). Kegs of body oil and EpilSpray provided at additional cost.

DAY 47:  Kerri's Entry

Okay I think today was my all time best Sunday ever!  Not only was it Easter but we ate enormous amounts of food!  I got up early and made sweet rolls with icing for a morning snack, I walk into the kitchen to find Scott in his PJ's snacking on a chocolate covered strawberry still half asleep (church wasat 730am this morning). Then it was off to the first church service.  We arrived at my new church to work the info booth I had to stop by the donut table and grab one.  After church I had to grab one more for the road.  had to!  The it was a dry spell for a bit, just snacking on candy, gold fish crackers and making of the greenbean cassarole with cheese.  Then it was off to an Easter egg hunt with some whoppers for a snack.  Then we went to a friends house for lunch.  This is what we brought to the lunch. Homemade chocolate cake with icing, chocolate pudding pie, rhodes rolls, cole slaw, cheesy green bean cassarole, oh cheesecake strawberry dip with graham crackers, strawberries, and then at the lunch there was grilled chicken breast, veggie pizza, broccoli salad, sodas, and fruit, apple pie, pecan pie and candy. then it was back home to have more family over and eat lasanga,
rolls, more cassarole, cole slaw, chocolate pudding pie and chocolate cake. UGH. i think i just gained back any weight I had previously lost. I am defiantly going to go back to strick BFL diet my body is mad at me very
angry for all of the food i have consumed today. bill phillips is probably laughing. hope everyone else's sunday was as eventful as mine.  waiting for all of the emails to follow.

DAY 47:  Larry and Josie's Entry

Saturday came and we headed off to Port Lavaca, after a morning Cardio workout. We ate our "Bars" on the way. When we got to PL we had our 3:00 meal, a Beef Brisket taco (just 1 apiece) with some salad and two glasses of water. I quickly was sent to the store to purchase the stuff for Laurie's Famous Sinful Peanut Butter Brownies. Josie stayed at her mom's and started to make her Famous potato Salad (it is so good). I promptly returned with needed items. She started to make the brownies (ah, what a beautiful aroma, I said to myself) I was reading the local paper which takes 3 minutes. As that heavenly aroma overtook the house I found myself opening up the fridge and was going for the milk when I stopped myself. That was close. We then drove to my parents house and Josie and I reaffirmed that we would be good and stick to our guns and EAT NOTHING BAD. When we go to my parents house we all went out to eat at a Mexican food place. Josie had chicken fajitas, salad and only ate one tortilla (God I love that woman). I had the Fajita Salad no sour cream, no cheese it was good.

DAY 47:  Miranda's Entry

Kerri -
I think you got off "light"... no worries.  Bill doesn't say anything about restricting the free day (maybe he thinks we just have more common sense!!).  My day was beautiful... I made real eggs, real bacon, and these "morning rolls" with orange butter (sugar, butter, and some orange zest).  
I then ate two cookies for the  drive to my mother-in-laws.  At her house, I was still too full to eat, but did try a rib (it was pretty small).  Then we went to my mom's where I had a piece and a half of fresh, homemade lemon meringue? pie (YUM!!).
For dinner, I made chicken enchiladas verdes which consist of cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and all the bad stuff.  Then for desert I had a 1/2 piece of that birthday cake that had tortured me all week.  And a bit of cherry cobbler.  Oh yeah, and a handful of robin's eggs.... geez.

OH MY!!  I'm so full that I think I'll have massive indigestion or nightmares, or both.  One thing I have come to realize, is that the free day not only lets you get your cravings in for the week, it also reminds you that eating that way doesn't really feel so good all the time.  I am honestly looking forward to getting back to BFL meals tomorrow!!!  

But I agree, I think just as I was starting to suspect I had lost a few pounds, they are going to be back!!  But I'm going into this next week with zeal.  I hope that next Sunday I can keep some sanity :)

Happy Easter!!!

DAY 52:  Scott's Entry

DAY 64:  Scott's Entry

DAY 68:  Gabby's Entry

In response to Kerri's cry for emotional BFL support::::

Dear Ms. Discouraged,
I know you've already gotten a great amount of encouragement from your fellow BFL'ers but I thought I'd pass along some words of wisdom from your Mom.  Remember, she always told us never to give up, finish what you start, to eat all our vegetables (and this applies here), and to love your neighbor as yourself (and you won't be lovin me if you have to wear your before pic around).  So go out there into that big mean world and show 'em that school and work and parenting and studying and house-fixing-up will NOT keep you down!  OH NO!  Cuz you're a KUBO missy and with that comes responsibility to do things twice as good and always with a smile!  Remember the paper route?  When Mom dragged us out of bed in the summers at 2am to throw papers to make ends meet when we were in high school?  Did we puke in the backseat like our older cousin Neal as Aunt Chris wheeled around corners and mom threw papers to and fro?  NO!   Did Mom complain when it was raining and the papers had to be in plastic bags instead of just tied with string?  NO!  And why Soldier?  Because Gayle was a KUBO, that's why!  She worked that paper route all year even when we were snuggled into bed on school nights.  Did we ever know how poor we must have been to force her to do that?  NO! 

So, today, you started out as a BFL'er and a KUBO and you only have 2 more weeks of the agreed upon 12!  YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

And don't forget.. Mom's watching!  We gotta make her proud! :)

PS - Happy Mother's Day to all your BFL Moms out there!  My hat goes off to you.  I don't know if I'd have the mustard to do this with a kiddo - even if he had a head the size of Canada and teeth like Bugs Bunny and could sing like a bird and organize like the

DAY 78:  Scott's Entry

DAY 85:  Scott's Entry

Woo hoo! Body for Life Week 12 is OVER! We're soooo excited! Like you, Gabby and I will be continuing the program, though in a slightly modified form. For starters, we have added peanut butter to the approved foods list. The Saturday workouts will be optional. And, if you have special occasion to eat out during the week, you don't have to irritate the waiter with questions and comments like, "Do you add butter to your vegetables? Is the bun WHOLE WHEAT? What type of oil do you use for frying? Or... I'd like the chicken fried steak without the chicken... or the fried... or the steak... just bring me a plate of air." Whatever the case, Gabby and i are happy that we have found a healthy way to live, and have found that we actually enjoy some healthy foods. Not bad. For those of you still working through the program, DON'T GIVE UP! It's TOTALLY worth it!