This version of my non-dairy Fiber One Raisin Crispy Treat Bar cuts out the artificial sweeteners and adds in a bit of coconut for texture. I’ll post updated nutrition stats when I get home! (Done!)

Fiber One Raisin Coconut Crispy Treat Bar (2 layer bar)

Yields 14 bars

Nutritional information per bar: 226.3 cals, 6.3 g fat, 2.3 g sat fat, 29.2 g carb, 7.0 g fiber, 20.0 g pro

Base Layer
10 scoops chocolate protein powder (I used Dymatize Elite Rich Chocolate)
2 TBSP cocoa powder
6 TBSP natural peanut butter
1/2 c. raisins
1/4 c. shredded coconut (sweetened, unpacked)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. agave nectar or honey
1/2 - 3/4 cup water (less or more based on your protein powder)

Crispy Treat Layer
3 cups Fiber One cereal
12 large marshmallows
1 TBSP butter/margarine

Line large (7x 11 or 9 x 9) baking dish of loaf pan with wax paper (let the paper be over size on two opposite ends so that you can use them to pull out the bars after setting).

BASE layer: Combine dry ingredients for BASE layer in a medium bowl and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix (use pastry cutter, two butter knives, or your hand–preferably gloved) - the mixture will be crumbly and dry. Add water & vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix everything until dough forms. The dough should have the consistency of warm Tootsie Roll candy or nougat. Spread dough into pan and press down using a sheet a wax paper and a spatula.

CRISPY layer:

Stove: Over stove in non-stick pan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and sticky. Remove from heat and quickly stir in cereals to coat.

Microwave: Melt butter in large bowl for 15 - 30 seconds. Add marshmallows and stir to coat. Microwave for an additional 30 sec - 1 minute until melted. Stir and quickly stir in cereal to coate.

Press mixture into pan on top of base layer using wax paper (or spray your spatula with cooking spray) to prevent sticking.

Refrigerate for overnight or freeze for 1 hour and cut into 14 bars. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or store in covered container between sheets of wax paper. Keep refrigerated.

7/7/09 Measurements (Difference from Week 6 stats in parentheses)

Age: 34 (still)
’6” (same)
Weight: 146.6 (-2.6 lb)
BF%: 24.7% Averaged from 27.2% (Tanita body fat scale); 22.2% (Omron handheld)
Chest: 35.0” (same)
Waist: 27.25” (-1.25”)
Hip: 38.88” (-0.12”)
Thigh: 23.5” (-0.50”)
Calf: 14.88” (-0.12”)
Shoulder: 42” (+0.50”)
Arm: 12.13” (-0.37”)

Lean mass: 110.39 lbs (+0.28 lb)
Fat mass: 36.21 lbs (-2.88 lb)

From the online BF calculator:

Body Mass Index: 23.7 kg/m2
Waist-to-Height ratio: 0.41
Percent Body Fat: 25.5%
Lean Body Mass: 109.2 lb

Your weight is in the normal range.
You do not need to lose weight.
Minimum caloric requirements: 1855 Calories per day
Your diet should contain at least 76 grams of protein per day.

Summary: Not much change in the last week due to the decreased exercise intensity of Active Rest week and the random foods from the 4th of July weekend (I am pretty sure I am still retaining water), but I admit that I need to clean up the food more for this phase of the program. I need to average a loss of 1 lb per week over the next 12 weeks to reach my body fat percentage goal of 18% (approximately 134-136 lbs) before we head out on our two week Mediterranean cruise.

According to my Weight Loss Spreadsheet, I need to keep calories between 1579 - 1763 per day to reach my goal in 83 days. I think my intake has been close to that, but my meals could stand some more standardization and cleaning up. I’m going to shoot for the lower end of that range on non-lifting days and the full 1750-1770 on lifting days. The addition of a 200 calorie post-workout shake on lifting days should take care of the extra calories.

I am currently in the “Gold” or hypertrophy phase of the LL Cool J program. I finished up 4 weeks (Silver phase) of strength workouts the week before last and then took a scheduled week of Active Rest for week 10 where I primarily stuck to the Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout boxing, Forza, and push-ups. I love this program so far and have managed not to tweak anything in the scheduled workouts. The cardio portion is finally picking up and calories are coming down at the same time. I expect to see an increase in the rate of fat loss from this point on as the focus shifts to hypertrophy and fat loss in the final Platinum phase.

For the time being, though, I’ve really enjoyed eating enough to support my workouts and allow strength gains in nearly all of my lifts while gradually bringing my body fat down. LL and his trainer apparently know their stuff.