Body for Life by Bill Phillips

 

Pro Review

The mega-bestseller weight loss and exercise program that focuses on weight training, nutrition and exercise. It is a 12-week program with time-sensitive goals. Bill Phillips offers dietary supplements and nutritional shakes.

Pro:

OVERVIEW
Body For Life is a 12-week fitness plan. You eat a high protein diet and exercise regularly. It is not a very low calorie diet, so you do not feel deprived and you have plenty of energy. Overweight individuals can expect a gradual weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week. You will lose bodyfat and gain muscle on this program.

THE DIET
This diet is not a temporary change in your eating habits. It is intended to be a lifestyle change. The calories are low enough for overweight individuals to lose weight, but high enough for an average adult to maintain a reasonable weight. When you reach your desired weight you simply maintain your new eating habits.

Portions are emphasized, not counting calories. You eat six meals a day. A meal consists of one portion of protein and one portion of carbohydrates. In addition, you add a vegetable to two of the meals. Once a week, you are allowed a cheat day to splurge on your favorite foods.

Each meal is small and low in calories, but you eat so often that you do not get hungry. You are given lists of appropriate foods, and sample meal plans.

Considerations
1. Strict vegetarians will probably have a hard time fulfilling the protein requirements without eating too many carbs. Milk and egg products can provide protein; other than that you may need to use protein supplements.
2. The diet is low in vegetables, and possibly fruits. You may need to add a multivitamin.

THE EXERCISE PROGRAM
You must be willing to exercise regularly in order to use the Body For Life plan. When people diet without exercising, their bodies burn muscle in addition to fat. This results in a lower metabolism, which is exactly what you want to avoid if you are having difficulty with your weight.

You perform vigorous cardio exercises three times a week, for twenty minutes each session. This increases your aerobic fitness and burns calories. You also lift weights three days a week (for about 45 minutes per session). Building muscle causes your metabolism to increase, in addition to giving you a leaner harder physique.

The workouts are suitable for people who want to exercise at home. Adjustable dumbbells, a bench, and a place to do cardio are all you need.

Considerations
1. Based on the pictures in the book and websites, you may think you would get a bodybuilder-type physique from this regimen. That's unlikely, you would need a more sophisticated program to achieve those results.

MOTIVATION AND SUPPORT
Success stories designed to motivate and encourage people can be found in the book and in their interactive website. In addition, they offer a toll-free phone number to talk to people who have successfully completed the program.

WASN'T THE PLAN WRITTEN BY A SUPPLEMENT COMPANY?
The author does own the EAS supplement company. Before I read the book, I thought that it may have been written to push their supplements. As it turns out there are only a few references to supplementation (mainly Myoplex shakes as a source of protein). You are not required to use any supplements on this plan, and it does not even mention several common supplements like creatine or ECA stacks. If I had to breakdown the book, I would say it’s 50% information, 49% motivation, and only 1% devoted to pushing EAS products.

CONCLUSION
I think that Body For life is an excellent program for people who want to lose weight, or people who are already at their ideal weight but want to lead a healthier lifestyle. The diet is remarkably sensible compared to most other diets on the market today. The workouts are effective and do not take excessive amounts of time.

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