Bill Chat on Web MD

[Guest guest]

I transcribed the entire chat on Web MD today since they said they

wouldn't have it up until later this week. I didn't want to wait for

it. I think that a lot of what Bill said should clear up a

lot of confusion with BFL and EFL, and lots of other stuff for this

group. Here it is. I'll upload this to the files as well.

Andy

Question 1:

Bill, there are many ingredients in Eating for Life that most

everyone doing BFL considers to be authorized foods for BFL. Can I

really follow EFL, while doing a BFL challenge? If so, will this

impact my results?

Bill says:

That¡¦s a good question! EFL takes BFL to a new, more open, and

satisfying level. I have discovered that foods that were authorized

in BFL are only the beginning, not the ending. More important than

limiting your options, are expanding them. EFL helps you do that.

It helps this become a lifestyle. Believe me when I say I am eating

all the foods you see in EFL and my body fat is 6.5%. Lighten up¡Kand

you just might ļ

Question 2:

Is EFL for first time BFLers?

Bill says:

Absolutely! And second time, and third time, and like me, twentieth

time!

Question 3:

Bill, I know you owned EAS for a few years and believe in supplements

yet I noticed you rarely endorse them in your articles and talks.

Why is that?

Bill says:

For me, supplementation is a very basic and simple part of my

nutrition program. Through my nutrition shakes, I¡¦m getting the

vitamins and minerals, the protein, the nutrients that I know my body

needs. There was a time when I had a greater interest in supplements

because I was trying to build more muscle. However, now I am

building a body that is leaner, and I think looks better for my age

(going on 40).

Question 4:

I¡¦m not that crazy about veggies. Can I take fiber and vitamin

supplements instead?

Bill says:

I think with EFL, I encourage people to open their minds and try

things that they may not be crazy about and so please consider that.

Fiber supplements and vitamin supplements are part of good

nutrition. However, we don¡¦t really know all the nutrients which

vegetables, and fruits in particular, contain. So open your mind,

open your mouth, and eat some things which you might not be crazy

about.

Question 5:

Bill, how much weight is typical to lose in 12 weeks?

Bill says:

Of course that varies from person to person. If you visit

eatingforlife.com, you¡¦ll see an in depth answer to that question.

Question 6:

I¡¦m the opposite, I¡¦m a vegetarian and cottage cheese is about the

only thing that I like. I force myself to eat chicken, but do you

have any suggestions for veg-people?

Bill says:

Vegetarians have done very well with the BFL approach. It¡¦s simply a

matter of choosing how you feed yourself with a ¡§right recipe¡¨

ingredients¡Kthe right foods, the right amounts, the right combos, at

the right times. I think your results will be just as good if you

get your protein from soy as it will from whey. Your results will be

just as good if you eat chicken or a vegetarian source of protein.

Question 7:

Bill, first off, thanks for such a great program. I¡¦ve had more

success with it than any other, but I¡¦ve done the challenge once and

was not able to finish more than 3 weeks. I just kept running into a

rut of no variety in foods. With exercising, writing in my journal,

and sticking to nutrition, I couldn¡¦t find time to throw in variety

into my meals. What would you suggest?

Bill says:

First of all, congratulations for hanging in there! As far as how to

find time for variety, why don¡¦t you do a quick inventory of what you

invest your time in each night. Is there something you¡¦re doing each

night that isn¡¦t paying back a big dividend on your investment? Can

you find 20 minutes each night to invest in planning your nutrition

for the following day? Think about it¡KI¡¦ll bet you can find the

time for consistent variety.

Question 8:

Bill, how can I convince my mother to switch from Atkins diet to EFL?

Bill says:

Well¡KI don¡¦t suppose the fact that Atkins is no longer with us is

going to make the biggest difference. I think your example is

probably going to be her best source of inspiration. Personally,

I¡¦ve never had much success telling people what to do ¡K I¡¦ve had to

show them in order to inspire them to make a change. Follow me?

Question 9:

Should I be concerned about the protein in the recipes? They don¡¦t

seem to meet the 1 gram per lb rule.

Bill says:

The what rule? Whose rule is that? I think too much has been made

of specific amounts of protein or ratios of protein to carbs to fat

and not enough attention has been focused on a more intuitive style

of eating. Those who really ¡§get¡¨ the Eating for Lifestyle and those

who stick with it ¡§For Life¡¨ will be those who get past the point of

counting calories, grams of this or that, and dial it in to what it

feels like to eat right.

Question 10:

Why aren¡¦t there nutritional profiles included with the recipes?

Grams of fat, carbs, etc.

Bill says:

That question is somewhat answered above. I very purposely and

deliberately did not include the nutrition facts in EFL, as I know

that out of the hundreds of thousands of people who have made the

transformation, the vast majority succeed with learning how to see

the proper portions, and feel what the right amount is for them to

eat. My job is to keep you focused on what really matters, and not

distract you with things that don¡¦t. That being said, if you really

want to know the numbers, you can find them at eatingforlife.com, but

even there, I don¡¦t make it all that easy for you to get access.

Question 11:

To gain muscle don¡¦t we need to eat 0.8 to 1 gm for protein for each

pound of body weight?

Bill says:

If you eat 6 portions of protein a day as I describe in both For Life

books, you will enjoy the results.

Question 12:

I have not gotten the EFL book yet. I have tried to follow the BFL

eating rules, yet I still feel hungry after the hand/fist portions.

If I was to increase the portions, should I increase the

Carbs/Protein/Both or just add more veggies to all meals?

Bill says:

Try the latter first.

Question 13:

Bill if I am in a hurry and can¡¦t prepare meals, isn¡¦t it okay to get

a grilled chicken sandwich from a fast food restaurant?

Bill says:

It is what I would call plan C. Plan A be that you prepare your own

meals as I describe in EFL. Plan B for me is a Myoplex or a Balance

bar, which I¡¦ll carry with me, especially when I travel. And Plan C,

try to find the best of the worst choices at a fast food joint.

Question 14:

I am currently eating for life and training for a marathon, are there

any recommendations you recommend? Especially the week of the race?

Bill says:

I¡¦ve met quite a few people that enjoy the challenge a marathon

presents. And the idea of incorporating weight training into an

endurance program certainly has its benefits. However, the week

before a marathon I would suggest cutting out the weight training and

doubling up carbohydrate portions for 3 of your 6 daily meals. Other

than that, as you are well aware, rest is your best ¡§advantage¡¨

leading up to a race.

Question 15:

Bill, as a working mom of a 3 year old, I really try to make the

right food choices, but sometimes things get hectic and I might have

an extra portion of carbs that I shoudn¡¦t have. If an incorporate an

extra cardio worktout into my week, can I help balance this. This

doesn¡¦t happen often.

Bill says:

No. Let¡¦s not get in the habit of trying to make up for meal mess

ups with extra exercise. EFL is not perfect. I am not perfect. You

are not perfect. We are going to make mistakes. What we need to do

is focus on each day¡¦s planning and not focus what we have missed or

messed up in the past. If you eat a little too much today, that

doesn¡¦t change tomorrow¡¦s plan. Each day is an opportunity to get it

right.

Question 16:

As a 2003 BFL competitor, I learned so much (thanks Bill)-one big

lesson was to cook extra portions and freeze them so I would always

have a good choice available. Are there recipes in EFL good for this

cook ahead practice?

Bill says:

That is a very good habit. In EFL, the concept of making meals ahead

of time is called preparing ¡§planned overs¡¨ as opposed to the

accidental ¡§leftovers¡¨. Many of the meals in EFL can be prepared

ahead of time and frozen and refrigerated so you¡¦re always got good

food a microwave minute away.

Question 17:

Bill, I¡¦m on the road a lot of the day with my job and when I¡¦m not

driving, I¡¦m meeting people for breakfast and lunch and that¡¦s when I

get into trouble, especially when the breakfast/lunch is catered by

someone else. How do you stay on track all of the time while

traveling?

Bill says:

Planning really is the key. I travel a lot also, and when you put

yourself in a position where you are hungry, around the wrong foods,

and around people who are eating the wrong foods, you have very

little chance of getting it right. So plan ahead of time and make

decisions to put yourself in the right situation. If you go to these

breakfasts or lunches having already had your nutrition bar, a

nutrition shake, or a healthy meal, you¡¦ll feel satisfied, and when

you think about it, won¡¦t you have more time to engage in meaningful

communication with the people you¡¦re sharing time with?

Question 18:

Six small meals of carbs and protein seems like too much food for

someone that doesn¡¦t workout in the ¡§BFL¡¨ way. Should those amounts

be reduced? Especially for women.

Bill says:

Good question. Why aren¡¦t you working out? Maybe you are but not in

the specific way I describe in BFL. Still, I recommend six meals a

day, each balanced in protein and carbs, but the key is the proper

portion. Smaller portions are better than skipping meals.

Question 19:

I don¡¦t like fish at all so I take a super omega complex that

includes flax, borage, omega 3-6-9 and CLA. Helpful or a waste?

Bill says:

What do you have against fish? I hope you¡¦re not about cow! The

supplement form of essential fatty acids will help. And, don¡¦t

forget that other natural sources of good fats are found in foods

like spinach!

Question 20:

I¡¦ve tried several recipes in EFL, even my teenagers enjoyed the

recipes. How can I adapt some of our favorite recipes to fit the BFL

plan? We especially like Thai cooking.

Bill says:

Well, we are beginning to prepare the second EFL book already

titled ¡§Eating for Life: Second Servings¡¨ and questions like yours

will help us design the recipes and direction of the follow-up book.

If you have any suggestions of recipes that you would want to share,

feel free to stop by eatingforlife.com after this chat to share your

ideas.

Question 21:

Bill, I turn 40 in 3 days and have noticed a change in my body and

metabolism. I lost 20 lbs on BFL 3 years ago and am ready to start

the plan again with the help of ¡§Eating for Life¡¨. I love the 4 and

8 week incentive programs. All that is missing from the program is a

personal visit or phone call from you! Is there anything I should

change in my routine since I will be in the ¡§over 40¡¨ category?

Bill says:

You and I are about the same age¡Kman, did that happen fast! From my

experience, it is best to continue to let your body evolve and not

just accept, but enjoy the process of how it changes. I don¡¦t have

as much muscle now as I did when I was in my 20s. Maybe you don¡¦t

either. But you still have a body that is your absolute best! And

you can build that with aerobics, the strength training, the great

nutrition that is the foundation of BFL. By the way, I wouldn¡¦t

trade an ounce of ¡§wisdom¡¨ each year has given me for a solid pound

of that old muscle. Would you?

Question 22:

I know that you have tried most supplements on the market today¡XIn

EFL you said you pretty much stick to the protein shakes¡Khow do you

feel about creatine, zma, etc.¡Xsupplements other than a protein shake

or vitamins? Are you staying away from them for good because they

obviously have been beneficial to you and so many others over the

years.

Bill says:

Here¡¦s the quick run through on supplements that I would recommend to

someone who is trying to gain muscle while losing fat. Creatine,

yes. CLA, yes. ZMA, no. Fat burners, no. Antioxidants, get them

from food.

Question 23:

Why no to ZMA?

Bill says:

It just isn¡¦t worth the investment from my experience.

Question 24:

Bill, I¡¦m very concerned about the obesity in our children. I

applaud your American Transformation goal because heart disease will

be worse with our kids than it is now and it¡¦s the #1 killer. Do you

have any plans on making plans to the powers that be to have

healthier school lunches offered? And with so many kids coming home

to empty homes, what¡¦s the best food to have around so the kids WILL

eat them instead of fast food?

Bill says:

Now that¡¦s a topic worthy of discussion! On Janurary 20, I will be

in Washington DC speaking with the Department of Health and Human

Services about what we need to do to address the obesity epidemic we

see with today¡¦s children. Certainly, we need to be conscious of the

fact that children will do what we show them, not what we tell them.

Healthy parents will have a much better chance of having healthy

children. Also, the school curriculum absolutely has to change. We

need to teach reading, writing, arithmetic, and exercise and

nutrition, which they can share with their folks. And, this

country¡¦s food manufacturers have to start developing quality

nutritious snacks instead of supplying just high sugar, high profit

margin junk! We¡¦ll take much more about this in the future. You can

count on it!

Question 25:

Why no to fat burners? My boyfriend is addicted to them and he

doesn¡¦t listen to me, perhaps if you mentioned it, he¡¦d believe me¡KI

worry.

Bill says:

I certainly have not seen the thousands of people who successful

transformed with Body for Life giving credit (honestly) to any

particular fat burner. Your body burns fat just fine on its own.

It¡¦s usually the mind that hangs on to it. And when you change your

mind, focus on what you want to look like, what you want to feel

like, and you allow exercise and proper nutrition to get you there,

you will succeed. That you can count on!

Question 26:

Bill, I am unable to workout in a gym. What would be the basic

equipment to work out of my home the BFL way?

Bill says:

I work out at home. I have a set of dumbbells and an exercise bike.

When I¡¦m at home in Hawaii I walk or run three days a week and do a

simple weight training workout three days a week. In Colorado,

especially on cold days like today, I do my aerobics indoors. It¡¦s

very simple.

Question 27:

Is there a particular quality among that stands out among the people

who have successfully transformed their bodies by following the BFL

program that you have noticed?

Bill says:

Everyone who reads BFL and EFL will discover the same exact

information. That information is honest, straightforward,

scientifically sound and it works. So why doesn¡¦t everyone transform

who reads the books? That is a very good question. And as far as I

can tell, the answer comes down to how much a person wants to

change. Some change before they have to. Others don¡¦t change until

they don¡¦t have a choice. So the quality that allows those success

stories to be written is the quality of wanting to change more than

you want to stay the same. Answer yes, each and every day of the 12

week program, and you will succeed.

Question 28:

Is the Energy for Life book still planned for publication?

Bill says:

Energy for life is in the works. And those of you who waited forever

for Eating for Life know that when I say ¡§in the works¡¨, I mean it is

cooking, but I don¡¦t know exactly when it will be done. I hope that

those of you who have seen the quality of Eating for Life realize

that I am determined to produce the most beautiful, the highest

quality, and the most meaningful books. That¡¦s what you deserve!

Moderator:

We are almost of of time. Do you have any final words for us Bill?

Bill says:

Thank you very much for sharing this time with me. Thank you for the

questions, and even though we can¡¦t get to all of them, I will

continue to answer those that I can on future chats and also at

eatingforlife.com and of course through future books. Have a great

day, you guys!

[Guest guest]

Man, I wish I had this transcript so many times in the past. Whenever

I've told people that BFL is NOT a 40-40-20 program or about 1 gram

of protein per body weight, etc, I've been attacked left and right

and jumped all over. I'm SO happy to see Bill clarifying these

things - that you do NOT need a ton of protein to gain muscle, that

you do NOT need to count every calorie, etc. WOW! GO BILL. I also

love him coming out and saying - eat them veggies! WHOOT!

> I transcribed the entire chat on Web MD today since they said they

> wouldn't have it up until later this week. I didn't want to wait

for

> it. I think that a lot of what Bill said should clear up

a

> lot of confusion with BFL and EFL, and lots of other stuff for this

[Guest guest]

Man, I wish I had this transcript so many times in the past. Whenever

I've told people that BFL is NOT a 40-40-20 program or about 1 gram

of protein per body weight, etc, I've been attacked left and right

and jumped all over. I'm SO happy to see Bill clarifying these

things - that you do NOT need a ton of protein to gain muscle, that

you do NOT need to count every calorie, etc. WOW! GO BILL. I also

love him coming out and saying - eat them veggies! WHOOT!

> I transcribed the entire chat on Web MD today since they said they

> wouldn't have it up until later this week. I didn't want to wait

for

> it. I think that a lot of what Bill said should clear up

a

> lot of confusion with BFL and EFL, and lots of other stuff for this

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Andy. That was very interesting. I, too, wondered about the lower

protein in the EFL recipes and have worried if I don't get my " 1 gram per 1

lb of bodyweight. " I'm not sure where I came up with that idea but it's

what I've been doing for four years now. It's worked for me so I've been

hesitant to lower the ratio (40/40/20). What are y'all's thoughts on that?

Sara

Question 9:

Should I be concerned about the protein in the recipes? They don¡¦t

seem to meet the 1 gram per lb rule.

Bill says:

The what rule? Whose rule is that? I think too much has been made

of specific amounts of protein or ratios of protein to carbs to fat

and not enough attention has been focused on a more intuitive style

of eating. Those who really ¡§get¡¨ the Eating for Lifestyle and those

who stick with it ¡§For Life¡¨ will be those who get past the point of

counting calories, grams of this or that, and dial it in to what it

feels like to eat right.