Update.

So I take it Biggest Loser II isn't happening? Jeremiah and I are still doing well. I have lost another 6 pounds since the last weigh in and Jeremiah has lost another 10. We are trying something new right now. I noticed that every time I have a day where I eat over my allotted calories I lose another pound in the days following. So now we are having what we call "Fatty Fridays" where we allow ourselves to eat over our allotted daily calories. That's not to say we are going crazy with calories on Fridays, just that we aren't going to be counting every calorie and will allow ourselves to go out to dinner or what not on Fridays and not freak out about it. We have only done it one week so far but the following Sunday I had lost another pound. So I think it may work well for me....we'll see. My sister told me she has a friend that lost 200 pounds having Fatty Fridays! So it can work. Well thats my update! Lets hear some more updates....if anyone even checks this blog anymore!

Biggest Loser II

Who's in for Biggest Loser II? Check your email for info...

Slow but steady

Ok, so like Jeremiah I am also continuing to lose. But I am not losing as quickly as he is. I'm not sure exactly why because my calories are remaining good, between 1300-1500 calories a day, and I work out 3-4 times a week which is the same thing Jeremiah is doing (except he has more calories) but he is losing more than me. I have only lost another pound since our final weigh in. Now losing is losing so i'm totally happy with another pound but I just wish the pounds would come off more quickly! Jeremiah thinks I should go talk to my Dr and get some ideas of what else I could be doing to make the weight come off more quickly. I don't know. All I know is I am not going to give up, I am going to keep trying and if all I lose is 1 pound in 2 weeks then so be it. It is still losing and eventually (like 10 years) I will reach my goal weight!

1 week post comp update

So im still a loser. I am under 250 now (@249) I havent been under 250 in probably 4-5 years or more. I am about 7 lbs away from my half way point of my 200 lb goal. I started at 284 back in March.

Over the past 2 weeks i have had 4 people at work ask me if i was on a diet because it looked like i was loosing weight. My response is usually, "No im not on a diet exactly". Then i explain that i call it a change in lifestyle and the way i eat. That to me diets are temporary and meant to be short term. I still eat fast food and pizza and all the stuff i liked to eat before, Its just that i have to plan for them so i eat lighter at my other meals that day. Its nice to be able to discuss it with people at work and have supporters there saying im doing a good job and such. I have been passing along alot of the stuff ive learned so far to others trying to lose weight too so hopefully i am helping/encouraging others.

For myself, I dont look any skinnier imo, In my before and after pics i dont look any different. If it wasnt for the scale and several people saying i look like ive lost weight i wouldnt think anything was happening. But i am excited to be getting close to my 1/2 way point. Im looking to reach it beginning Oct if i keep up my avg of 2-3 lbs per week.

For me the hardest part of losing weight is the more i loose the more work i have to do. As i lose weight the amount of calories i can eat goes down and its getting to the point that i am going to need to start working out on a regular basis to keep up my avg loses.

But im in this for the long haul. I am a pretty stubborn person so when i set my mind to something i generally see it through and little comments along the way from people at work go along way to help me keep going.

So i wanted to put in my thanks for this comp. It is really what i needed to get in line and start getting serious and moving in the right direction.

BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES

I've finally got the before and after pic's done. So, in no particular order, here they are:























You can really tell that we've lost weight. Oh, and between all of us who completed this competition, a total of 161.2 pounds!!!! That's like losing an overweight 5'4" person! Great Job everyone!

Okay, so I didn't pass math...

I suck at math...really, I do. I barely passed algebra, but at least I could spell it. Anyway, the numbers I gave you as far as the percentages on the teams were wrong...I'm not going to go into what exactly I did wrong, I already told you, I suck in math, but I do want to say, that Patrick and I did win, so don't hold your breath on that one.

The following are the true and correct percentages of every one's TOTAL weight loss (from the starting weight to the ending weight)as per the math scholar that lives here in my house and his handy excel sheet I'm going off of. So, here goes:

Patrick's TOTAL weight loss: 27.5 lbs. TOTAL body % Loss: 11.66%
Rachael's TOTAL weight loss: 21 lbs. TOTAL body % Loss: 10.82%

Kristine's TOTAL weight loss: 18.9 lbs. TOTAL body % Loss 10.98%
Shaila's TOTAL weight loss: 23.5 lbs. TOTAL body % Loss 9.73%

Jeremiah's TOTAL weight loss: 19.3 lbs. TOTAL body Loss 7.04%
Alyna's TOTAL weight loss: 16.7 lbs. TOTAL body % Loss 5.76%

Amy Fox's TOTAL weight loss: 7.5 lbs. TOTAL body % Loss 4.60%
Sherry's TOTAL weight loss: 7.6 lbs. TOTAL body % Loss 3.36%

Jennifer's TOTAL weight loss: 7.5 lbs. TOTAL body % Loss 4.26%

Kelly's TOTAL weight loss: 4.8 lbs. TOTAL body % Loss 2.14%
Deidre's TOTAL weight loss: 6.9 lbs. TOTAL body % Loss 4.54%

These are your true and correct totals. The following is % lost per team:

TEAM BLACK (Patrick and Rachael) 11.28%
TEAM PINK (Kristine and Shaila) 10.25%
TEAM LIME GREEN (Jeremiah and Alyna) 6.38%
TEAM BROWN (Steve and Jenn) 4.65%
TEAM BLUE (Sherry and Amy) 3.88%
TEAM RED (Kelly and Deidre) 3.11%

Okay, so go ahead and leave some comments about how I suck at math and whatever...I totally know...at least I didn't screw up bad enough to take someone else's winnings right?

BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES WILL BE UP SHORTLY.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the BIG day...Is anyone else not going to eat that day? Hahahahaha!

Life after the Biggest Loser Friend Edition

I don't know about all of you, but I thoroughly enjoyed the blog during our 10 week competition. I think that a lot of us are going to continue with our new lifestyles and possibly even plan another "fun" weigh in approximately 6 months from now.

I, for one, would love to see the blog stay in place so that we can continue to support each other and share ideas.

Rachael, is there a lot of work for you to maintain the blog? Is there really anything you need to do? I know we've had lots of hits, so maybe others are benefitting as well from this group of "ordinary" people on a journey to a more healthy lifestyle.

Input?

It's the Final Countdown!

Remember that song from the movie Rocky? Rocky is preparing for his big match up and the song with the lyrics "It's the Final Countdown" comes on....well my friends, it is the final countdown for us. There are only days left of our 10 week competition. Are you prepared?

For those of you who did not join us at our last weigh in, we decided to start it at 6:30pm. We also decided that each team should bring a healthy dessert with the recipe for us to celebrate with after the weigh in.

Weigh in will be a little different this time. Because I want to make sure that we have the correct amount lost (down to the ounce), Jennifer and I will be weighing in everyone separately so that we can look at your actual weight. After you weigh in, you can go and enjoy some yummy dessert while Jenn and I figure out the rankings. We will acknowledge the person who lost the most body percentage, but it's the team who lost the most that takes the prize.

This has been good for me and I am hoping for you as well. It's been a real challenge...a challenge that I probably wouldn't have stuck with if it weren't for all of you. Thank you for competing with me...you guys rock!

LAST WEEK!

I don't know about you all but I am soooo grateful for the fun , non-threatening, weigh loss program that has been placed together for us! Thank you so much for heading this up and giving me just that little push. I feel amazing and am eating better. I watch more carefully and I usually hate the smell of fast food when I drive by because I don't want that fat. I finally have a regular exercise program and am including friends with me. So this has affected more than just myself, all those around me! Be strong one week left everyone!!

Pampered Chef

Ok so I know this is REALLY short notice, but I am having a Pampered Chef party tomorrow August 14 at 7:00 pm. Any of you who want to come are more than welcome to come! Invite a friend too! The more the merrier! I would have invited you sooner but I didn't have your e-mail addresses and I didn't think of putting it on here until just now! So I hope you can make it! If you can't make it but maybe there is something you still would like to get let me know, I have a couple catalogs that you could look at or you can order it online as well! Hope to see any of you there!!! =)

Weigh In Results

Okay, Okay...I know I'm late...geesh!

Rachael: -1.1 lb. % to date 8%
Patrick: -3.1 lb. % to date 6.6%

Alyna: -4.4 lb. % to date 6%
Jeremiah: -3.3 % to date 6%

Deidre: 0 lb. % to date 2.2%
Kelly: 0 lb. % to date .4%

Jennifer: -2.6% % to date 4.3%
Steve: Did not weigh in

Frank and Amy did not weigh in

Amy Fox: -2.9 lb. % to date 3.7%
Sherry did not weigh in

Kristine: -2.9 lb % to date 10.3%
Shaila: -3.3 lb. % to date 11%

Looks like Team pink is ahead. We'll see if they can hang on to their lead. Good luck everyone!

8 weeks down...2 to go!

I just looked at the counter at the bottom of this page and this blog has had 2,421 views! Have we all looked at it that much or are we inspiring others through it. All I can say is, I am proud of you all for sticking with this for 8 weeks. I hope that you will continue with your weight loss journey beyond this competition. You all rock!

I am working on graphing everyone's weight loss and will have all your stats from previous weigh-ins for you to take home on a nice little sheet. I will also be including a graph so that you can continue weighing yourself at home and charting your progress.

I can't believe that we are almost done with this competition. We all know that days come and go. 10 weeks seemed like a long time, but it feels so short. I am just glad that I was able to use these past weeks working on my health. The time was going to go by anyway right? I feel better, my clothes are fitting better and I think I may be going down a size. Life is good. I am happy :-)

Exercise wont make you thin!!

Im reading this article in my free time today(Its kind of long). It pretty much discusses why exercise alone wont help you lose weight. Losing weight is pretty simple, You burn more calories than you consume. Exercising really doesn't burn that many calories. Usually 2-300 for 30 minutes.

Now im not saying exercise is a waste of time. I have really enjoyed working out more and i defiantly feel better and healthier. Exercise does build muscle and burn calories. And that muscle in turn burns more calories. But im seeing more and more that diet is more the key to losing weight then exercise alone.

Before we started this little competition me and Alyna were doing Wii Fit probably 3-4 days a week since the end of Feb. We had lost maybe 10 lbs in the 4 months we were doing it. Most of that was within the first month though. The rest of the time we were just gaining and losing the same 5 lbs over and over.

It wasnt until we started this game here that we started paying attention to and adjusting our diets that we actually started losing weight at a steady rate.

So i guess the quick summary of all this is, Exercise is good for you but you wont lose much weight (and keep it off) unless you make a lifestyle change and monitor the calories you consume.

Anyways, Here is the article if anyone else wants to read it.

--> Article <--

Food Network is bad for dieting...

Last night i was watching a show called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" Its a show about several people on Food Network telling the best food they ever had of a certain type. For example the 2 i saw last night where for the best Pizza and the best Dessert.

Also there is Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. This show goes around the country and shows all these small hole in the wall restaurants that have over the top food.

Ive watched these shows right after eating dinner before and they still made me hungry! Last night i had to struggle not to give in and grab a late night snack. I love these shows but really hate the temptation factor!

I'm a golfer!

Ok, so Steve's son (who lives in Japan) was here for two weeks. Right before he came here, he went golfing for the first time ever. Apparently, once you go golfing, you're a golfer. Seriously. He called and told me that golf clubs were being delivered to my house and when he got here he wanted to take me golfing, because he's a GOLFER now.
SOOOOO.....his golf clubs arrived at my house 3 days after he did. We went to Sports Authority and he bought golf shoes and a glove (just one....huh). He was down to his last 3 days before I finally relented and went golfing with him. (Of course, he went golfing several times without me and to the driving range several times also.)
WHAT A WORKOUT! I can't honestly say that I enjoyed it...except that we were so awful that it was hilarious! I can't remember the last time I laughed so much. After 9 holes, I was exhausted and SO ready to be finished (actually, I felt that way after the 4th hole, but we played 9 anyway!) Even with a golf cart, I registered 9,000 steps on my pedometer. Oh ya, did I mention that our tee time was at 1:00PM and it was over 100 degrees that day? Yep, come to find out, the afternoon tee times are cheaper than the morning ones. Who would have figured? The next day, my stomach, back, arms, thighs and a few muscles I didn't know existed were achingly sore.
I figure this counts as a workout, so if you're looking for something new to try to get some exercise, try carrying around a bag full of iron clubs and chasing a little white ball around a giant field in 100 degree weather. You could very possibly become just like me....a golfer!

Motivation Anyone?

I'm having a hard time trying to stay motivated...It seems Patrick and I can't seem to be on the same page when it comes to weight loss. When I'm motivated, he's not...When he's motivated, I'm not. Patrick is making me go to the track today...I don't want to.

I logged into facebook today to read this:

"Look at your personal life for places where you've let things slip. Sometimes we settle for pretty good when only excellent will do! You cannot do the minimum and expect maximum results." Rev Run

I really needed to read that today.

I'm going to start graphing our weight loss. Give me some time and I will post it on this blog. In the meantime, keep it up you losers!

One More Thing...

When I started this whole Biggest Loser thing, I didn't even think about recording the BMI results, which, as you all know, have become a big part in the weigh-in process. I found a website that will calculate the exact BMI and will go through your files and start recording your past BMI's on your charts as well. If at any time, you want to know what your past results have been, by all means, email me and I will get your numbers to you.

Results and a few other items of business

Wow! Who would have known that this blogging thing would be so difficult. Sorry to all of you who have tried to blog but can't or for some reason, can't anymore. I do not know why it is not working for you. This is the first community blog that I have opened and contributed to, so I do not know what's up!

I got a call from Kristine who told me that her pedometer sucks and that it deleted some of her "steps". Because these pedemoters are not "top of the line"...they are actually the "free" line...they aren't going to be very acurate. With that being said, or typed rather, try and keep a count on paper as well. I'm sorry that the challenge just got a little more challenging, but hey, you can count the steps you take as you get up to get a pencil ;-)

NOW FOR THE MOMENT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR...

The weigh-in results are as follows:

TEAM LIME GREEN:
Jeremiah: -2.4lbs.- Body % Lost .9% - Total Body Weight Lost to date 4.9%
Alyna: -4.4 lbs. - Body % Lost 1.5% - Total Body Weight Lost to date 4.1%

TEAM BLUE:
Amy: Did not weigh-in
Sherry: -.5 lbs. - Total Body % Lost to date 2.3%

TEAM BLACK:
Patrick: -2.2 lbs. - Body % Lost 1% - Total Body Weight Lost to date 5.3%
Rachael: -3.5 lbs. - Body % Lost 2% - Total Body Weight Lost to date 7.2%

TEAM PINK:
Shaila: +3.1 lbs. - Total Body Weight Lost to date 7.9%
Kristine: No Change - Total Body Weight Lost to date 8.7%

TEAM BROWN:
Steve: -8.8 lbs. - Body % Lost 3.7% - Total Body Weight Lost to date 4.9%
Jennifer: +2.6 lbs. - Total Body Weight Lost to date 2.8%

TEAM RED:
Deidre: No Change - Total Body Weight Lost to date 2.2%
Kelly: -1.1 lbs. - Body % Lost .5% - Total Body Weight Lost to date 1.5%

TEAM YELLOW:
Amy: +5.3 lbs. - Total Body Weight Lost 0%
Frank: Did not weigh in

I haven't had a chance to talk with Jennifer yet, but from what I've heard, Jeremiah and Alyna took home the prize this week! Congratulations to you guys!

I want to thank Jennifer for taking over the weigh-ins. I've been playing with my sister and mom while Patrick plays with my brothers and dad and some other men family members. Thanks so much Jenn for doing that for me. I still have your Wii at my house...maybe I'll throw my pedometer on and walk it back over to your house :-)

Here's to hoping that next weigh-ins are better for us all!

The Last Challenge

Week 7 & 8 – Walkin’ it Off
Weigh in date = August 7th

Pedometer challenge – pedometers were provided at the July 24th weigh in – the team that walks the most in two weeks wins a 1 lb. advantage at the weigh in.

I'm not sure how much the average person walks, but the pedometers only register up to 99,999. If you pedometer rolls over, please simply note the date that it rolled and keep on walkin'!

If you weren't at the weigh in, the extra pedometers are at Rachael's house. Go get yours as soon as possible - you don't want to miss a step.

Happy walking!

blogging

Blog, blog, blog BLOG............



Steve

The last two weeks have been kind of hard. We've been really busy and not had much time for as much exercise as i would have liked to do. The next two weeks will be better.


-Kelly

UUH

So these past two weeks have def. not been my best. I've been eating OK, but i have not really been exercising...at all. Well, i guess we'll see at the weigh in's. Good luck everyone!

My posts show up as California Dreamin', I can't figure out how to change it to my name, just so ya know. Shaila

Hi Everyone,

Can't say I'm too excited about weigh in tomorrow night. Since our last weigh in I've not been very diligent, doing some back sliding. Maybe a gain will give me the jump start I need to get motivated again. Sometimes it's just like that, 3 steps forward, 1 step back....it's still progress, right?

Guess it's important to just let it go and never give up. See ya'll tomorrow night, good luck all!

Struggling

Ok...so I was uber excited about my huge weight loss last time....but my scale says I've taken some backward steps and I'm worried about the weigh in tomorrow.

What really sucks about this is that last time I totally cheated. I was on vacation for a week and made poor eating choices and did not work out faithfully. I was SHOCKED at my weight loss. These last two weeks I have been almost religious about my habits (I say almost because I wasn't perfect) and I don't feel like it's paying off.

Perhaps my body is two weeks behind my activity? I am paying now for playing two weeks ago? If that's the case, then look out because my next weigh in is going to ROCK!

See you all tomorrow night! I hope you all are doing *weigh* better than I am.

Tabata Protocol

Since this weeks challenge is exercise i thought i would make a post about exercise and this method ive been reading about today. Im thinking about giving this a try and see how well it works. I will try doing my normal 30min work out every other day and this Super High Intensity short duration workout on off days. Or maybe this is something i can work into a morning routine. Below are a couple links about this method.

Does anyone have any input or experience with this type of workout?

Tabata Protocol
Cardio Myths

Water Aerobics Anyone?

I got a phone call from Alyna the other day telling me that a mutual friend of ours has offered to do a free water areobics class for our little competition. She is experienced in teaching water areobics and has taught for many years at the Rollingwood Raquet Club. So, my question to you (and if you would so kindly answer it by leaving a comment), is: Are you interested in joining us for a water areobics class and if so, what day and time would work best for you schedule? I'm down...are you?

My first compliment.

So on Monday I received my first compliment on how I look like I have lost some weight. It was a much needed compliment as I have been feeling terrible since the weigh in where I gained a pound. That pound was TOTALLY unexpected. I have been extremely careful with what I eat except for on the 4th of July when I didn't count calories. I admit I didn't work out as much but I did work out at least half of the days. I even weighed myself on my own Wii and according to it I had lost 2 pounds. So it was a total shock when I got to the weigh in and had gained a pound! So I was feeling really down since then and just starting to doubt myself and doubt this whole thing, and it felt very nice when I saw someone who I hadn't seen since before starting this whole thing and they said "You look great, you look like you've lost some weight!"

Regardless of what the scale said I am losing weight. My jeans that used to give me the dreaded "flat tire" look are now fitting nicely and I am feeling a lot more fit because of all the excersising I am doing! I am totally excited to see how much MORE fit I will be when this whole thing is through and how much weight I will have lost!

Keep up the good work everyone and I hope we all have an AWESOME next weigh in!!!

Weigh-In Results!

Sorry that this is so late. I honestly just didn't want to do it until now, sooooo, here are the results for our latest weigh-in!

TEAM BROWN:
Jennifer: -6.4 lbs. 3.7% body weight (Total body weight lost to date is 4.3%)
Steve: Did not weigh in

TEAM BLACK:
Rachael: -2.2 lbs. 1.2% body weight (Total body weight lost to date is 5.4%)
Patrick: -1.3 lbs. 0.6% body weight (Total body weight lost to date is 4.4%)

TEAM BLUE:
Sherry: -0.9 lbs. .04% body weight (Total body weight lost to date is 2.0%)
Amy: -1.3 lbs. .08% body weight (Total body weight lost to date is 1.9%)

TEAM PINK:
Shaila: -5.7 lbs. 2.5% body weight (Total body weight lost to date is 9.2%)
Kristine: -6.2 lbs. 3.8% body weight (Total body weight lost to date is 8.7%)

TEAM LIME GREEN:
Alyna: +1.3 (Total body weight lost to date is 2.6%)
Jeremiah: -3.3 lbs. 1.2% body weight (Total body weight lost to date is 4.0%)

TEAM YELLOW:
Frank: +5.3 lbs (Total body weight lost is 1.9%)
Amy: No Change (Total body weight lost is 2.3%)

TEAM RED:
Kelly: No Change (Total body weight lost is 0.9%)
Deidre: -2.9 lbs. 1.9% body weight (Total body weight lost is 2.2%)

CHALLENGE WINNER WITH 1LB. ADVANTAGE GOES TO TEAM BLACK

WINNER OF WEIGH-INS GOES TO: TEAM RED RECEIVING $5 GIFT CARD EACH TO SUBWAY (eat fresh...thumbs up).

Question for you all...Does this post count as my blog for the challenge this week? Hahahahaha

Keep LOSING losers!

Activity Challenge

Weeks 5 & 6 – Work it Out
Weigh in date = July 24th

Log your work out / exercise hours – the team with the most hours wins a 1 lb. advantage at the weigh in.
Note: You must blog at least one time during these two weeks in order to qualify for this challenge. If you have trouble using the blog, please call Rachael and she will walk you through it. Seriously….you only have to do it once!

I'm so grateful to Rachael for setting this up, it was the kick in the pants I really needed. I was getting so sick and tired of bingeing and feeling physically, emotionally and spiritually "weighed down." When I'm eating poorly I feel, think and act poorly. It feels so much better to have energy and living life again.

I have so much more time on my hands now that I'm not constantly grazing all day. When I hit a difficult day and want to throw in the towel I tell myself, "I can do this just for today," and somehow I get through the rough spot with that thought and a glass of water and get to wake up the next day grateful I didn't quit.

Good luck with weigh ins tonight losers! Can't wait to see your results, GO TEAMS!

Food you should NOT be eating!

Here is a funny web site that shows all the horribly unhealthy food that we should never attempt to eat! Some do look good though! Maybe i could save some calories for half of one?

*Disclaimer* Sorry if the name of this website offends you but i think its funny!

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

Two More Days!

Well, only two more days until the next weigh in. Hows everybody doing? I was on vacation all last week and have to say that it is much harder to stick with it when I vary from my daily routine!
I'm really looking forward to this weeks challenge. I can't wait to see how creative we all are! Don't forget to bring copies of your recipe to pass out to the group so that if someone loves your dish, they can recreate it themselves.
See you all on Friday!

Questions about next challange...

Does anyone have any food allergies or types of food they just cant or wont eat?

Team Pink Complete Weigh In

I just weighed Shaila (Team Pink) in this morning. She lost a whipping 16.5 Pounds!!! Way to go Shaila!!!!

Working out at work

At work depending on your surrounding you can: walk, sit on an excercise ball (engages your core), do calf raises, squats, keep dumbells by your side and do a complete workout right there while you work.

Junk food? In volve your children or loved ones. The more people around you that know your goals the more support you will get. My children are helping me.

Wow, we did so awesome everyone. What fun. So one item only for the next challenge or do we continue the log like the last challenge also?

Team Blue

I forgot to get a picture of Amy Stockett the first weigh-in so I did it last night. Here is Team Blue's Before Photo's.

The Next Challenge

Wow - what a night! I am so proud of all of us! EVERYBODY lost weight. For those of us that saw a small number (I am one of them) don't get discouraged. A LOSS IS A LOSS. Great job everybody! Keep it up.
Ok...here is the next challege...

Weeks 3 & 4 – Healthy Recipe Exchange
Weigh in date = July 10th

Each Team should bring a healthy main dish (350 calories or less) to the weigh in, along with several copies of the recipe (enough for each competitor)
Dishes will be judged on taste – best dish wins a 1 lb. advantage for the team
You cannot vote for your own dish
*Please plan a little extra time for this weigh in

Ok...you've got 2 weeks. Get started experimenting with yummy dishes and be prepared to have your taste buds tantalized two weeks from now! Happy Losing!

2 Weeks Down...8 More to Go!

Wow! What a night! It was so exciting to see that everyone lost weight (and that you all returned to weigh-in). Congratulations to you all. Keep it up! The following is a breakdown of tonight's weigh-ins...

TEAM BLACK
Rachael's Loss 8.2 Pounds ~ 4.2%
Patrick's Loss 9 Pounds ~ 3.8%

TEAM YELLOW
Frank's Loss 10.4 Pounds ~ 3.9%
Amy's Loss 4.9 Pounds ~ 2.3%

TEAM RED
Deidre's Loss .5 Pounds ~ 0%
Kelly's Loss 2.2 Pounds ~ 0.9%

TEAM BROWN
Jennifer's Loss 1.1 Pounds ~ 0.6%
Steve's Loss 3.1 Pounds ~ 1.3%

TEAM LIME GREEN
Alyna's Loss 8.8 Pounds ~ 3%
Jeremiah's Loss 7.7 Pounds ~ 2.8%

TEAM BLUE
Amy's Loss 1.8 Pounds ~ 1.1%
Sherry's Loss 3.7 Pounds ~ 1.6%

TEAM PINK
Kristine's Loss 8.7 Pounds ~ 5%
Shaila's Loss (determined on the 30th)

TOTAL WEIGHT LOST: 70.1 POUNDS!

WINNER'S OF THE FIRST WEEKS CHALLENGE: Team Blue with a total point value of 848. Getting a One Pound Advantage at Weigh-In.

HIGHEST SINGLE PERSON POINTS: Kristine (Team Pink) with 656 Points!

WINNER'S OF THIS WEEKS WEIGH-IN: TEAM BLACK with a total percent loss of 4%.

Jennifer will be posting the next challenge for everyone soon. If you cannot make the next weigh-in (July 10th), Please let me know. Keep up the great work ya'll and happy losing!!!

Eat Like Jillian

Jillian seems to eat pretty healthy but she has to have her chocolate! I dont know if i could ever have as strict of a diet as her but when health is your career i guess you have to!

*Read The Article*

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is our first weight loss weigh in! I'm excited and nervous! I sent an email to you all with a reminder so check it out. I forgot to mention to make sure you bring your point tally's from the challenge. Winning team gets a 1 pound advantage at the weigh in. Whoever wins the weigh in gets a prize! Yippeeee! See a lot less of you tomorrow :-)

Miracle Noodle - Review

So i got the noodles in on Monday and i gave them a try last night. They require about 10 min prep time. You have to rinse them pretty good in a strainer for a few minutes to get the liquid off of them that they are packaged with. The liquid has a salty fishy smell to it that isnt very appealing but once the noodles are washed there was no smell.

After rinsing the noodles they suggest you dry roast them in a non-stick pan. So i put them into a pan on high heat with no oil or anything and they never stuck to the pan. The directions say to roast them until they turn white (they are translucent at first). After about 5 min of roasting them they seemed ready, I didn't see anymore water coming off of them and they were white.

Now for the taste test...

They tasted like, well...Nothing. They really dont have any flavor to them at all. I added a very small amount of butter to them so they wouldnt stick together, although i dont think they would of anyways, and some Pico De Gallo for flavor. Then I had Alyna and the kids try them and the response was decent. JR(8 yrs old) said he didnt like them because they had no flavor. But i was expecting that since i didnt really season them. The other 2 kids didnt mind them either. And surprising to Alyna she didnt mind the flavor or texture either (she was very skeptical of them).

As for their texture, They arent slimy as i was reading in the reviews. That was probably because I dry roasted them to remove extra moisture. They have the feel of Rice noodles and they have a feeling of Al Dente Pasta. They kind of have the same feeling as eating bean sprouts, That kind of soft, crisp, crunch feeling.

Im not sure of their uses in cooking yet but they obviously would be good with Asian foods, probably soups. Im not sure if they would go well with Italian Pasta Sauce but i havent tried it just yet.

My only gripe is the cost. It was $42 for 20 7oz packages and there are supposedly 2 servings a pack. Well the 7oz pack seemed pretty small. I would need a couple packages for a full meal just for myself. At $2 per pack it seems kind of expensive for dinner purposes but they may be perfect for snacks and such as long as you are sensible with what ever you use to flavor them.

I give them a 7 out of 10, mainly for the cost per serving.

Motivation?

Ok, so I got home from work at 7:45PM tonight. Left the house at 7:45AM. I ate ok, but where oh where do I fit in a workout? I'm exhausted from a 12 hour day, and just can't motivate myself to get off my butt! Unfortunately for me, this is a regular occurance with my job. Any advice? Are any of you facing this same challenge?

The Challenge

Ok, so we learn as we go. Rachael asked me to post the challenge for anyone that misplaced their copy. From now on, the challenge will be posted immediately following our meetings. Hopefully, you remembered enough to at least keep track of your activities for this one!

Good Luck!

Weeks 1 & 2 – Add ‘em Up
Weigh in date = June 26th

Earn points based on the activities below – the team with the highest number of points at the weigh in will earn a 1 lb. advantage. (This is on the honor system, so please be honest!)

1 pt. activities
Drink an 8 oz. glass of water
Eat a serving of fruit
Eat a serving of vegetables

5 pt. activities
Do a household chore (includes items that burn energy – vacuuming, mowing, clean pool, wash car, mop floors, clean bathroom, etc.)
Motivate a competitor (cannot be your teammate!)
Go an entire day without a sweet treat (dessert)

10 pt. activities
Keep a food journal for the entire two weeks (must bring it to the weigh in)
Work out for 30 minutes

Junk Food Cravings...

I just threw out the left over ice cream from Raya's birthday party because it was talking to me...hopefully it doesn't come back from its grave to entice me. That would just be gross!

I stared at a TAKE 5 candybar for a few minutes...$300 made my decision of giving each piece to my kids...

Dieting is hard, choosing between health and cravings is even harder. Now I just wish those chips in the cubbord would stop calling my name!

1 week down

So we have finished a week of our diet! How is everyone feeling? I am feeling great! Sure I am still getting hungry but not as bad as it was the first couple of days. I am still excersizing a good amount and am feeling like I can do this!!! I am more excited about this diet than I have been about any diet I have ever done (and i've done a lot!).

For some reason this time it just feels like it is going to work for me and I am ready for it! Having my husband doing it with me is making it easier and the Calorie Count website is also making it easier. I am so excited to see how much I can lose by the end of this whole thing! I will definitely still be keeping the diet up even after this though!!! I want to be skinny for once in my life! I have been heavy since I was 9 years old, it's time to change! I want to thank Rachael for putting this whole thing together, I really think this is the begining of a life changing event for me! So here is to a great first week!!!

Noodle Alternative

http://www.miraclenoodle.com/

I love pasta and ive noticed since ive started watching my calories that noodles are alot of calories for small serving. SO i saw these and thought id give them a try.

* made of naturally water soluble fiber with no fat, sugar, or starch.
* contain zero net carbohydrates and zero calories, no gluten -made of a healthy natural fiber called Glucomannan.
* wheat & gluten free and kosher.
* Easily absorbs the flavors of any soup, dish, or sauce.
* are instant and come in a variety of styles
* have shown beneficial effects backed by medical studies for Type II Diabetes, Constipation, Obesity, and Cholesterol!

From the reviews i read they have no taste to them so you can make them taste like what ever you want!

Donut Addicts Rejoice!

http://www.holeydonuts.net/

These are donuts that have a fraction of the fat and calories of normal donuts and supposedly taste just as good. I havent tried them yet but they look very tempting! If any of you give these a try comment in here with a review!

Teams Announced!

Wow! This is awesome! I'm loving all the posts. Keep it up. I don't want to be the only one posting to this thing.

Sorry it has taken me awhile to get these BEFORE pictures up. The lack of food has really been messing with my head. With that being said...













Team Blue will be posted later when I get pictures of Amy Stockett.

I hope you are all doing well with your diets. I am struggling with working out. Jenn and I have made plans to workout together. Hopefully this will motivate and make me do it. Keep up the good work Ya'll!

I'm Hungry!

Ok so it's been 4 days since our weigh in! How is everyone doing?! I know I personally am still going strong! I am STARVING but I know it will get easier! The real challenge for me will be next weekend...it's my birthday and we are planning a beach picnic etc...it will be hard to be good that day but I am going to try my darndest!!! But, I have worked out for 3 of these 4 days for a good 30 mins each time with lots of sweating and pain and I have kept my calories at a good amount! I have been using that website that was posted and keeping a food log and activity log! I can't wait to see if what i'm doing is paying off! I know we are all on our way to being a better us! Hope everyone is doing good and keeping it up! I know we can do it!!!

For Calorie Counters

This tool calculates how many calories you should eat to obtain your weight loss goal.
http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/calories-goal.php

This is a really great site. Under the tools menu there are other useful tools also. They have something that will tell you the calories of any food and its nutritional info too.

Bring it on!

Okay yall! I came home and excercised and have had 16oz of H2o. Lets do this and see how much all 15 of us can collectively lose!!!

One More Day

All right contestants...tomorrow is your last day of food freedom...tomorrow is your last day of choosing whether or not you WANT or HAVE to exercise. TOMORROW THE BIGGEST LOSER FRIEND EDITION BEGINS...

So go now and eat the rest of that junk food you have stashed in your cupboards. Have your last binged meal out...and laze around on your couch watching your favorite TV show, because come Saturday, you will become a slave to salad and fruit. A slave to the treadmill or bike riding...you asked for a healthy body, now it's time to make it happen. Tomorrow, your life changes...changes for the good.

See you all tomorrow :-)

The First Post

Hey Fellow Losers...

I am so excited to get this party started! I'm ready to start now...but afraid that those first few pounds I lose will handicap me for the competition....SO, I will enjoy this last week of food and laziness freedom and I will lounge by the pool all weekend eating my son's birthday cupcakes.

But next week, watch out! I plan to treat myself to a day at the spa with my winnings. Who wants to partner up with me and go to the spa at the end of August? :P

Seriously....good luck to everybody. This is going to be fun.

Meet The Competition

Hello and welcome my fellow losers! This blog has been created for us all to contribute to. Record your trials, your triumphs, and your struggles. Give someone a pick-me-up or some advice. Upload pictures or video journals. Friendly badgering is encouraged!

This blog is public. Your friends and family can read it freely, however, only the 18 contestants are allowed to contribute to it.

Are you ready to meet your competitors? Ready or not, here they are...

Note: I've created Mii's for everyone. I didn't spend too much time on the details and did it completely from the memory I have of how you look plus if you have a Wii, you know there isn't many options to go with. We can tweek your Mii on our first visit if you really want to. Oh ya, never mind the "Quit" on the photo...We're not Quitters, we're Winners...or Losers depending on how you look at it.

RACHAEL DURLING



Age: 32
Birthday: January 13th
Height: 5'5"
Occupation: Stay at Home Mom
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Singing, Scrapbooking, Facebook
Favorite Physical Activities: Softball, Volleyball, Trampoline
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Reality TV, Blogging, Photography, Twilight (need I say more?)
Motivation: Energy and Strength


AMY SELF



Age: 40
Birthday: June 16th
Height: 5'4"
Occupation: Office Manager for the California State Grange
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Baseball with kids, camping, spending time with family
Favorite Physical Activities: Going to the gym and walking
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Reading, DVD's, Hanging out with friends, laying out in the pool
Motivation: To fit in my clothes again! I want to wear my Lucky jeans again and have energy for my family.


JENNIFER (JENN) THOMPSON



Age: 37
Birthday: September 15th
Height: 5'10"
Occupation: Community Association Manager
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Reading, Laying in the sun, Swimming
Favorite Physical Activities: Swimming, Martial Arts
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Reading
Motivation: Bikini Season Baby!

STEVE RICHARDSON



Age: 53
Birthday: July 19th
Height: 6'1"
Occupation: Contractor
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Working in the yard, Military Channel and Online Poker
Favorite Physical Activities: Working
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Sleeping
Motivation: Health

PATRICK DURLING

Age:35

Birthday: May 14th
Height: 5'7"
Occupation: NT Engineer
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Watch TV, Read the News,
Favorite Physical Activities: Sex, Raquetball, Hiking
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Cooking, Making Messes in the Kitchen for my wife to clean up
Motivation: Wants to be able to tie his shoes...comfortably

DEIDRE TOWNSEND



Age: 18
Birthday: November 22nd
Height: 5'4"
Occupation: Student
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Watch Movies
Favorite Physical Activities: Cheering, Soccer, and Dance
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Texting
Motivation: Lose the pounds I've packed on since High School

ALYNA (NYNA) REAGAN



Age: 29
Birthday: June 26th
Height: 5'6.5"
Occupation: Stay at Home Mom
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Playing on the Computer, Camping, Board Games
Favorite Physical Activities: Wii Fit, Swimming
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Board Games
Motivation: I'm fat and need to lose a lot of weight

KRISTINE MILLER



Age: 35
Birthday: May 21st
Height: 5'6"
Occupation: Stay at Home Mom and Substitute Teacher
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: My Family, Teaching, Sports-Coaching and Playing, Scrapbooking, My Dogs, Dates with my Hubby, Swimming, and Sleeping.
Favorite Physical Activities: Circuit Weights, Soccer, Softball, Basketball, Swimming, Running, and Bike Riding.
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: SLEEPING!
Motiviation: Fitting in a size 10 pant. I don't care about the total on the scale, I just want to fit comfortably in a lower pant size. I don't want to be just thinner, I want to be fit too.

SHAILA SORENSON



Age: I'm not allowed to post this...sorry :D
Birthday: May 20th
Height: 5'4"
Occupation: Fundraising Cooridinator
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Reading and Hangin' with Girlfriends
Favorite Physical Activities: Yoga, Walking, Water Arobics
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Watching Movies
Motivation: To Kick-start Myself into a Healthier Life Style and Lose Weight

AMY STOCKETT



Age: 32
Birthday: June 7th
Height: 5'4"
Occupation: Stay at Home Mom, Coach, and Substitute Teacher
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Sports, Reading, Camping, Coaching
Favorite Physical Activitites: Volleyball, Soccer, Raquetball, Ultimate Frisbee, Swimming (most sports)
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Reading and Sleeping
Motiviation: To be Healthier and Fit so I am not so tired all the time...getting down a few sizes would be nice too.

Jeremiah Reagan




Age: 31
Birthday: May 8th
Height: 5'10.5"
Occupation: Network Admin
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Video Games, Anime, Legos
Favorite Physical Activities: Softball, Wrestling with my 3 boys
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Video Games
Motivation: Lose Weight and Win

Nicole Zimmerman



Age: 30
Birthday: December 2nd
Height: 5'5"
Occupation: Stay at Home Mom
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Camping, Soaking up some sun, Shopping, BBQ's, Games and I love doing anything with friends and family.
Favorite Physical Activities: Treadmill, Eliptical, Bike Riding, Lifting Weights, Cleaning House, Running around with my kids.
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Movies, Reality Shows, Cooking, and Facebooking
Motivation: I'm so tired of being so big and love going to the gym but I need that extra something to help me with the food!

Sherry Plumb



Age: 36
Birthday: May 4th
Height: 5'3"
Occupation: Stay at Home Mom and Teacher
Favorite Hobbies/Passtimes: Scrapbooking, Camping, Spending time with my family, going to the movies
Favorite Physical Activities: Running, Water Areobics, Swimming, Biking
Favorite Non-Physical Activities: Reading and Sleeping
Motivation: To get back to Pre-Baby weight...Now that I'm done having kids, I can't use the excuse anymore that I am going to have another baby...Ok, it has been two years since our last one was born...it's time to get in gear and lose the weight, so I can get back to the things I really enjoy doing.