Challenge complete.

I know this post is late, but I thought I would post it anyway.
I followed the "Bowflex 6 week challenge" for the last 6 weeks. I followed the exercise plan exactly. The diet plan I was not as successful with. The diet requires you to eliminate all caffeine from your diet. I did not do that. I also allowed myself to drink on the weekends..... about 6-8 oz of spirits with diet coke. The food portion of the diet I followed to a tee. I was not able to find certain food options as they were American products, but I was able to find a calorie equivalent option.
The water portion of their diet was difficult, but I would say I was able to follow it 90% of the time.

Now the results! This is a quote from the diet plan in the Bowflex manual.

"The men involved in my research, for example, had an average fat loss of 27.95 pounds per man. Women on the same
program averaged a reduction of 16.96 pounds. Best of all, these dramatic results were achieved -- not in six months --
but in only six weeks!
That'’s right. Similar results can be accomplished by you in six short weeks, which include just 18 workouts (3 per week)
on the Bowflex machine.
Bowflex was a significant part of the results. The exercises performed on it allowed the participants to build muscle,
which accelerated their metabolisms, and produced faster and greater fat losses."

My results were not quite so dramatic.

I lost 8.6 lbs..... 5.1 lbs of that was fat loss. The rest of it (3.5) was muscle mass.
Just a tad short( insert sarcasm here) of the almost 28 lbs the program suggests is possible.
Even though I did not follow the program exactly I don't feel the cheats I allowed myself would account for the huge difference in what they claim is possible, and what I achieved.
The muscle mass loss is what bothers me the most....although everything I have read suggests that weight loss and building muscle mass don't go together. You need to eat more calories to add mass and you need to reduce calories for weight loss.
Most plans have you lose weight and then add muscle back after tour weight is at a healthy level.

Overall I am pleased with my progress. My weight loss is on average 1.4 lbs per week which is healthy and sustainable for a long period of time. I feel more muscular, and have more muscle definition than when I started.
I am now at week 10 and have added some cardio to the program. I am now down 10.6 lbs and counting.
My current weight is 211 lbs and my goal is 195. I can see the light. 2 years ago I weighed 270 lbs and it seemed like an impossible task. It is NOT!
Slow and steady will win the race....eat healthy....watch your portions....drink lots of water...exercise hard 3-5 times per week. It will happen for you! It will happen for me.