The body for life program is a 12 week exercise and diet program which was created by Bill Phillips, a former competitive body-builder. It consists of daily, brief, progressive workouts, and six meals a day, consisting of a portion of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables. The size of each portion is reduced to the size of the dieter’s palm and the dieter is told to drink at least 10 cups of water a day.

Body For Life Exercises

The human body adapts itself to reduced calorie intake and responds by slowing down its metabolism, so that when the diet comes to an end and normal eating is restored, the dieter starts to gain weight even faster than before – a process which is known as yo-yo dieting. To prevent this, the Body For Life Program includes weight training to build skeletal muscle and increase the metabolism, which also helps to maximize the energy expenditure from aerobic exercise.

The Body for Life exercise program is quite complicated. It alternates between weight training and aerobic exercise, and weight training sessions again alternate between exercises for the upper body and exercises for the lower body. The exercise program runs six days a week, from Monday to Saturday, and the seventh day, Sunday, is the rest day.

Body For Life Diet

There are 10 nutrition rules to remember:

1. Eat six small meals per day.
2. Eat a portion of protein and carbohydrates with each meal.
3. Eat a portion of vegetables at least twice a day.
4. A portion is no bigger than the size of your palm.
5. Take a tablespoon of unsaturated oil per day, or three portions of salmon per week.
6. Drink at least 10 cups of water per day.
7. If necessary, take performance-nutrition shakes to make sure that you get optimal levels of required nutrients.
8. Plan your meals in advance and record what you eat.
9. Make a grocery list.
10. On Sunday, your free day, eat whatever you want.

Get your proteins from the following foods: chicken breast, turkey breast, lean ground turkey, orange roughy, haddock, salmon, swordfish, tuna, crab, lobster, shrimp, top round steak, top sirloin steak, lean ground beef, buffalo, lean ham, egg whites, low-fat cottage cheese.

Get your carbohydrates from the following foods: baked potato, sweet potato, squash, yam, pumpkin, steamed brown rice, steamed wild rice, oatmeal, pasta, barley, beans, corn, strawberries, melon, apple, organe, fat-free yogurt, whole-wheat bread

Eat the following vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, green peppers, spinach, tomato, mushroom, peas, brussels sprouts, artichoke, cabbage, celery, zucchini, cucumer, onion

Body For Life Program Summary

Although, six meals a day and a daily exercise plan are good strategies for weight loss, the diet is overly strict, and the foods allowed have no special qualities that help with weight loss. Also, the regimen may be difficult to maintain long-term. It can be concluded that, unless you’re a dedicated bodybuiler, the diet is far too strict to be recommended.

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