Final Results

I just got the final results for the contest from Laura and thought I would post them for anyone who might be interested. Congratulations to everyone for their hard work.

Total Weight loss percentages for the contest.

1rst Place Colby 18.17%
2nd Place Matthew 17.55%
3rd Place Fran S. 13.4%
4th Place Linda G. 12.32%
5th Place Carole T. 10.39%
6th Place Rachel J. 9.68%
7th Place Wayne D. 9.65%
8th Place Kathy G. 8.74%
9th Place Lisa S. 5.23%

10th Place Karie W. 4.56%
11th Place Laura L. 1.82%
12th Place Kim D. 1.70%
13th Place Gail N. .73%
14th Place Shauna W. .35%
15th Place Angie J. .24%

Winners never quit and in our case losers never quit either.

Sorry folks that the blog was not updated last week. Between Matthew's wedding for Laura and a major remodeling project I have going on in my house, it was a crazy week. Here are the stats for the last two weeks.

This weeks Top Losers

1. Geina 1.5%

2. Fran 1.31%

3. Carole 1.06%

4. Kathy .79%

5. Linda .37%

6. Rachel .35%

Last Weeks Top Losers

1. Matthew D 1.4%

2. Kinsey R 1%

3. Colby D .86%

4. Linda G .8%

5. Shauna .78%

6. Rachel J .23%

7. Vickie J .11%

As you can see we haven't had enough people lose to even make a top 10 list each week. It seems like almost everyone is struggling. I want to sincerely congratulate those who have been able to consistently drop even if it is a half a pound. A loss is still a loss and means you are going in the right direction. Keep up the good work. For the rest of us it is time for the Last Chance Workouts. There are 2 weigh-ins left in the contest. The numbers are very close. Let's all try to make sure we have losses for the next couple of weigh-ins. It would be great to see numbers like we did the first week.

I think for the challenge this week we will just say anyone who comes and weighs in and has a loss is eligible for this week's challenge prize. Remember all the challenges we have had in the past and try to implement them into your life this week...water, exercise, 3 meals, 2 snacks, lots of fruit and veggies, food journaling, etc. I know if you try to do these things you will have success. Don't give up. It is never to late to quit bad habits and get started in the right direction.

Have a great week and hopefully we will have a top 20 losers list this Saturday.

March blew in like a lion...hopefully it will blow some pounds away.

We are now two thirds of the way through our Biggest Loser Challenge. I am so proud of how hard you all have been working. We have a month left to finish strong. Let's make March our best month ever. Here are the standings for this week.

Top Ten Losers for this Week

1. Gail N. 2.2%

2. Jess S. 1.71%

3. Karie W. 1.56%

4. Linda G. 1.43%

5. Lisa S. 1.2%

6. Rachel J. 1.16%

7. Colby D. 1.03%

8. Kathy G. .56%

9. Jenn J. .24%

10. Vickie J. .23%

Honorable Mention Tana L. .16%

This Week's Challenge winners were Jess S. and Gail N. There seems to be a correlation between this week's two top losers and our two challenge winners. I hope the weekly challenges are given you some extra motivation and helping you stay on track.

Challenge for this week:

Three Healthy Meals, + 2 snacks EVERYDAY!

If you were to be a contestant on the Biggest Loser they eat three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and two snacks a day. Parceling out your calories throughout the day means you'll stay full and won't go on suar or carb binges from too many bad, empty calories, Ed Brantley of Season 6 BL, a professional chef, used to eat his first meal of the day at lunchtime, when he'd scarf down a few burgers. It started a cycle of bad choices that continued throughout the day.
Eating more-frequent meals and snacks will...
* keep you from feeling deprived.
* help control blood sugar and unsulin levels
* Lead to lower body fat
*keep you energized for exercise and activity.
* reduce stress hormones in the body that can contribute to fat accumulation.
* establish a regular pattern of eating that helps prevent impulse eating.
One problem with skipping meals is that by the time mealtime rolls around, you're famished and more likely to choose the wrong foods, especially those high in fat. Fat has more than twice as many calories as protein and carbohydrate. It satisfies hunger very quickly, and your body seems to know this. So the longer you go without food, the more likely you are to crave a high-fat treat.
If you feel hungry between meals and snacks try drinking a glass of water, chew a piece of sugar-free gum, or do something to distract yourself from thinking about food.
If you're not in the habit of eating regular meals and snack, creating a food schedule that you use in conjunction with your journal can help you stay on track. Successful losers learn over time that carefully planning their meals and snack is one of the most important components of successful weight loss.

Have an awesome week. Stay focused. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks, calculate and journal. You may not be used to eating that often, but should see results if followed correctly.

5 weeks left...time to kick it in to gear!!!

Sorry for the delay in updating the blog. Last weekend was President's day weekend and no school on Friday or Monday. So several of the contestants were unable to weigh in for that week. Here are the weigh in results for both weeks.

Top Ten list for Feb.18

1. Linda G. 1.87%
2. Edye W. 1.36%
3. Carole T. .8%
4. Shauna W. .48%
5. Colby D. .37%
6. Fran S. .14%
7. Rachel J. .11%
8. Brittany C. .09%

Because not every one weighed in we did not have enough for a top ten list.

Top Ten list for Feb. 25

1. Wayne D 2.74

2. Kathy G 2.6

3. Matthew D 2.49

4. Gail N 1.75

5. Fran S 1.29

6. Carole T 1.27

7. Rachel J 1.03

8. Colby D .93

9. Kinsey R .74

10. Linda G .48

11. Jenn J .47

There were only 11 that lost. Laura won the challenge.

If the contest were to end today here is where everyone would stand. The percentages are very, very close so anyone could still be the biggest loser.

1. Matthew D

2. Colby D

3. Fran S

4. Wayne D

5. Carole T

6. Kathy G

7. Linda G

8. Rachel J

9. Brittany C

10. Karie W

11. Kim D

12. Edye W

13. Lisa S

14. Jess S

15. Shauna W

16. Jenn J

17. Kelcee T

18. Laura L

19. Geina Y

20. Angie J

21. Vickie J

22. MeraLee R

23. Gail N

24. Sunnie H

25. Kinsey R

This week's challenge is: Vegetables! Don't cringe! Prize is a package of Frozen Vegetables to cook in your microwave in the same bag. These are yummy and so easy. There will be two winners. Incorporate your daily allowance of vegetables in your meal planning this week and receive a ticket for the prize. You must have at least 5 of the 7 days to be eligible for the drawing.

Why is it important to eat vegetables?

Eating vegetables provides health benefits — people who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.

Health benefits

• Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases.
• Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for type 2 diabetes.
• Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain cancers, such as mouth, stomach, and colon-rectum cancer.
• Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as fruits and vegetables, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
• Eating fruits and vegetables rich in potassium as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and may help to decrease bone loss.
• Eating foods such as vegetables that are low in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake.

Nutrients

Food sources of the nutrients in bold can be found in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Click on the nutrient name to link to the food sources table.

Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. (Sauces or seasonings may add fat, calories, or cholesterol.)

• Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C.
• Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Vegetable sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white beans, tomato products (paste, sauce, and juice), beet greens, soybeans, lima beans, winter squash, spinach, lentils, kidney beans, and split peas.
• Dietary fiber from vegetables, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as vegetables help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.
• Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and those in the first trimester of pregnancy should consume adequate folate, including folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
• Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.
• Vitamin E helps protect vitamin A and essential fatty acids from cell oxidation.
• Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin C aids in iron absorption.

Sound easy enough? Hopefully this will help with overall health and see results at the scale. Usually you can have a bigger portion of vegies for very little calories. My favorite is the broccoli, cauliflower and carrot trio. It's really good.

Have a great week. We'll see you on Saturday. Remember: "Always concentrate on how far you have come, rather than how far you have left to go."

The Power of the Full Moon

The results this week were very interesting. We had almost as many people gain as we had lose. There are most likely several valid explanations for this and we had a few contestants even blame it on the full moon that was present this week. Possibly??? Here are this week's top ten. Let me just give them extra kudos for losing on a week when most people were struggling.

This weeks Top Ten

1rst Matthew D 3.91%

2nd Laura L 2.89%

3rd Colby D 1.4%

4th Meralee R 1.04%

5th Karie W 1.01%

6th Geina Y .85%

7th Kim D .83%

8th Angie J .73%

9th Rachel J .68%

10th Fran S .57%

Honorable Mention Linda G .35%, Tana .23%

11 gains and 4 byes.

Actually it is quite normal to see a gain or two along the way as you lose weight. Our bodies need to adjust and will plateau in weight lose or even gain. None of the gains were very large. Please do not beat yourself up or get discouraged if you had a gain. Remember to keep the bigger picture in view and see how far you have come overall. This contest is still very close and you are all still in it. Anyone could win.

This week's Challenge:

Next week we will reach the halfway point in our contest. It is normal for our motivation and commitment to wane along the way. Now is a great time to recommit to your weight loss and health goals. This week's challenge is two fold.

Part One:

Please write down at least 2 goals that you are willing to commit to that will help you achieve better health. They can be any goal that you think will help motivate you, including amount of exercise each week, drinking more water, eating at least 3 vegetables and 2 fruits each day, food journal, the list can go on and on. The important thing is to pick the goals and then write them down. A goal that is not written is just wishful thinking. Write it down where you can see and review it often, even daily: A note card stuck to your mirror, a sticky note on the door as you leave the house everyday, place wherever it will help you the most and review it often. Along with a goal please think of a reward you will give yourself if you accomplish that goal. For example if you set a goal to work out at least 5 times a week, reward yourself with a favorite candy bar on Saturday after the weigh-in. Food is not the best reward, but for me the thought of never having a sweet treat again is depressing. If I journal everyday and watch my calories, I will allow myself a small portion of my favorite candy bar, just making sure that I include those calories in my count.

Part two:

Let's try to mix things up this week. We may be in a diet rut after 5 weeks. So the other challenge for this week is to try a new form of exercise (water aerobics, yoga class, biking, the options are endless) or if you can't find a new form of exercise than introduce at least one or two new healthy recipes into your diet this week. Try a vegetable you have never eaten before. Have you ever had Jicima, turnips, rutabagas, edemame? You don't just have to eat carrots and celery for snacks. I found a web site the beginning of the year that has awesome recipes that are very healthy. Check out WholeLiving.com. It is a Martha Stewart publication that had a great cleansing and healthy eating challenge for 2012 with over 50 great recipes. I have really enjoyed them.

Hopefully this week's challenge will help all of us recommit to a healthier and thinner 2012. Remember why you joined this contest in the first place. Seven weeks is still a lot of time to make some great changes to your body and health.

Have a great week.

Do You Have a Plan?

Overall we had a great week with most of us showing a loss on the scales. You guys are all doing great. It is awesome to see so many people consistently moving in a downward direction. I know we would all love to see 5 lbs or more a week, but honestly dropping a pound or two each week is the healthy way to lose and in the long run it will be more lasting. Even just 1 pound a week will have you 12 pounds lighter at the end of this contest and that could make the difference in one size smaller in your clothes or perhaps clothes that are too tight now will feel loose and that is a great feeling. Keep up the great work.

This Week's Top Ten List

1rst Colby D 2.66%

2nd Jenn J 2.36%

3rd Edye W 2.31%

4th Lisa S 2.26%

5th Gail N 2.06%

6th Kathy G 1.31%

7th Rachel J 1.23%

8th Vickie J 1.17%

9th Carole T 1.14%

10th Fran S 1.13%

Honorable mention Linda G 1.04%, Matthew D .97%, Laura L .92%, Kim D .72%, Karie W .55%, Kelcee T .46%, Jess S .43%, Shauna W .24%, Julie L .1%

This week's challenge winner was Karie W. She won a food scale to help her with her portion control. I hope you all have a better idea of what your portions of food should look like now.

New Challenge for this coming week: Meal Planning

I had a couple of contestants ask if we could do a challenge about not eating out since this is an issue they seem to be struggling with. To make this a more universal challenge for everyone we decided to challenge you all to plan your meals. So try to plan out all your meals for the week. Go do some healthy shopping with a shopping list in hand. If you can't plan for the whole week, at least plan the night before for the next day. Try to pick 3 healthy meals and don't forget your healthy snacks. Also try to cut back on the times you eat out. Cut that number in at least 1/2, or better yet try to go the whole week without eating out. If you plan ahead for at least 4 days this coming week you are eligible for the drawing. The prize this week will be a great exercise ball.

Everyone’s lives are so busy these days, sometimes it’s hard enough just to get workouts in without having to figure out what to eat when you drag yourself home at night.

When things get hectic, meals are usually the first thing to suffer. We stop and pick up fast food, hit the vending machine at work or school, and even skip meals sometimes. All of these are habits that should be avoided. Eating the wrong kinds of food at the wrong times can wreak havoc on how you feel—and how you feel affects how well your body functions. If you want to meet your full potential in the gym, you are going to have to eat right.

In order to keep your blood sugar stable and your metabolism at its highest, you should try to eat small meals every 3 hours throughout the day. But it can be a challenge to come up with 5-6 small meals a day. Which, in turn, makes it harder to stick to the nutritious diet your body needs to perform at its best.

When we are super busy, we tend to eat whatever is in front of us—even if that food isn’t good for us. So if you can plan your meals and have them readily accessible throughout the day, you will have a greater chance of success in meeting your diet and exercise goals.

Here are some helpful meal preparation strategies:

• Make a plan—It is important to look at your food and drink intake over the course of the entire day and plan ahead for it. If you know ahead of time that you will be eating out at a restaurant or a friend’s house, you can plan around some not-so-good items you know you will indulge in later. Even a quick plan made in the morning or before you go to bed at night will save you time and frustration later when you are hungry, but aren’t sure what to grab.
• Cook in batches—Whenever you find the time to cook, make enough for several days. Separate the food into smaller portions and store in the fridge or freezer. That way it will be ready to be packed up whenever you need it.
• Invest in a cooler—If you are going to be away from home all day, pack all 4-5 meals and take them with you in a cooler or hot/cold lunch bag. This practice will save you headaches later on and may even save you money because you aren’t eating out.
• Try for balance–Make sure that each meal is a good balance of carbohydrates and proteins so that your body’s energy stays balanced as well. Eating all the proteins for your entire day in one sitting is not a balanced approach.

Readily accessible meals will help you stay on the right track to meeting your fitness goals. You will be less hungry, more energetic, and probably have a more positive outlook on things. So plan for and prepare your meals ahead of time and you are sure to start feeling and looking great.

I just ate how many calories????

Week 3 Ending Jan. 28, 2012

This week ended with still some very good numbers. There were a few more people who gained a little this week but I don't want you to be discouraged. Unfortunately the scale holds great power over many of us and when it doesn't move in the direction we want it to go or move as fast as we would like it to we tend to get discouraged and want to give up. Please don't let that happen. Losing weight is not an exact science. It is very hard to tell how your body will react but it is a proven fact that if you stay the course by making even small and healthy changes to your diet and exercise you will eventually see amazing changes.

This Week's Top Ten

1rst Matthew D 2.5%

2nd Kinsey R 2.1%

3rd Geina Y 1.8%

4th Fran S 1.7%

5th Wayne D 1.1%

6th Colby D 1.1%

7th Kelsey 1.02%

8th Kim D 1.0%

9th Kari W 0.99%

10th Linda G 0.57%

Honorable mention Rachel J 0.56%, Carole T 0.56%, Brittany C 0.55%, Jess S 0.54%, Sunnie H 0.39%, Shauna W 0.24%, Lisa S 0.12%

We have also had several people express concern that it seems a little unfair for the women to be competing with the men. Although it is generally the rule that men can lose weight faster than women, it really doesn't play that great of a role in this contest and I think we will be amazed to see the final results in 12 weeks. I want to mention that Colby, Wayne and Matthew all have had great success so far but I need to let you know that they are highly motivated and are working very hard at this. Matthew is getting married on Mar 10 so he has great incentive to lose the weight and to win the money for his honeymoon. Even though he puts in very long days with work and school (not getting home until usually after midnight) he has still gotten up an hour early every day to workout and to pack all his food for the day. That is true dedication and it is paying off in the numbers he is seeing on the scale each week. Colby and his wife are committed to getting financially fit this year and have quit eating out altogether. That one little change can make a huge difference in your weight loss. Try it yourself and see. I just want to applaud both of these young men. Wayne has done weight watchers on and off for several years and is absolutely faithful in counting his points each day and sticking to the program.Yes they are guys and tend to lose faster but honestly they are working just as hard as the rest of us to be successful. I mention them because I want you all to see that there are many different ways to approach this challenge but if you are committed you will see success.

OK on to this week's challenge: Watch your Serving Sizes. Bigger portions = More calories, guaranteed. Everyone who comes to weigh in this week and at least tries to watch their portions will be entered into the challenge prize for the week. What's this weeks prize you ask? We will be giving away a food scale. So get out your measuring cups and spoons, your food scales and start checking the nutritional info on packages to make sure you know what a serving actually is.

Portion control is always a challenge but a great way to lose weight. Now that you are all pros at keeping a food journal, the next step is make sure you are not eating too many calories of even the good foods. Here is an example. For snacks I often will eat raw almonds mixed with craisins. I really like them and the raw almonds contain a lot of health promoting fats along with other ingredients. As I mentioned before I am away from my home usually 4 days of the week. Last week I got called out on short notice so I didn't have much time. I grabbed a new bag of almonds and craisins and threw it in my lunch bag.The only problem with that is I didn't weigh it out. Usually I will get small snack size sandwich baggies and weigh out all my snacks ahead of time and then only bring enough to cover the days I will be gone. 12 almonds equal 80 calories and 20 grams of Craisins (about 1 tbsp) equals 65 calories, so together that is a snack worth 145 calories which is about what I allow myself for snacks. Put that amount in a small snack baggie and you will see it isn't very much so the calories add up quite quickly when eating these items. Since they were all in one large bag, I ended up eating the entire thing on my 4 day trip. I probably consumed 4 times the calories I usually do because I hadn't taken the time to portion out the food ahead of time.

Mypyramid.gov is an excellent website to help with what you should and how much to eat. You can go in and register and do a menu planner with your height and weight. It will calculate a healthy daily caloric intake for you and then you enter what you eat. Seriously, this is so cool...and it's FREE. Here is another example from the lady who ran the last contest I participated in:"I have 1 c of Special K cereal with 1/2 c 1% milk, he puts an entry in the grain column and dairy and calculates the calories...SAAWEET!!! I know those of you who have an IPhone, or app for this it's not that great, but for me I thought it was very helpful. Go ahead...try it". Here's a little extra help too.

What's a Serving?

The MyPyramid system was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help people live longer, better and healthier lives. There are six broad types of food in the MyPyramid system shown in the chart below.
When choosing foods, keep the following in mind:

• All food groups are important. Each food group provides specific nutrients that can not easily be met from other food groups. No single food group can provide all nutrients.
• The amount of food we need from each food group varies based on age, gender, physical activity, and weight goals.
• The serving sizes recommended by the MyPyramid guidelines can be different than the serving size information on a food label. MyPyramid serving sizes are based on nutrient content. For example, in the MyPyramid system, 1 cup of low fat milk has a similar nutrient profile in calcium, protein, and riboflavin as 1.5 oz of cheese.
• The MyPyramid serving sizes are often different than our personal portion sizes which is the amount of a particular food you typically eat. Recognizing how many servings are in your typical portion is critical in learning "real time" energy management.
  Below are examples of what the MyPyramid guidelines define as one serving unit for each of the food groups.

  Food Group	Serving Size	Serving Size in Context	Visual Clues and Examples of One Serving
  Grains	1 Ounce	1 slice of bread 1 cup cold cereal ½ cup cooked rice, pasta or cooked cereal	Bread = plastic CD case Cooked rice = ½ of a tennis ball 1 mini-bagel 5 whole-wheat crackers ½ English muffin 1 (4 ½ inch) pancake 1 small tortilla (6 inches)
  Fruit Group	1 Cup Equivalent	1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice; ½ cup of dried fruit	Whole fruit = 1 baseball Cut fruit = 7 cotton balls 1 small apple 32 seedless grapes 3 medium plums
  Vegetable Group	1 Cup Equivalent	1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice; 2 cups of raw leafy greens	Vegetables = a light bulb or computer mouse 2 medium carrots 1 large ear corn 1 medium baked potato 3 (5 inch long) spears of broccoli
  Meat and Beans Group	1 Ounce	1 egg 1 tablespoon peanut butter ¼ cup cooked dry beans ½ ounce nuts or seeds	Nuts = 12 almonds, 24 pistachios Turkey = one sandwich slice Peanut butter = ½ golf ball Burger patty = ½ patty Tuna = ¼ can of drained tuna Fish = One third of a checkbook Meat or Poultry = One third of a deck of cards
  Milk Group	1 cup Equivalent	1 cup milk 1 ½ ounce natural cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese	Hard cheese = two 9-volt batteries Shredded cheese = tennis ball
  Oils	1 Teaspoon	1 Teaspoon oil, salad dressing, butter, etc.	Butter and spreads = A stack of 6 nickels

Sorry for the Delay

Week Ending Jan. 21, 2012

First I want to apologize for the not getting the blog updated sooner. I was out of town all weekend until very late Sunday night (didn't get in until after midnight). I had every intention of doing this first thing Monday morning but I got called out of town again at the last minute and had to chose between blogging or preparing my food for the days I would be away. This gives me an opportunity to point out a very important principle that will help on you journey...BE PREPARED. As a flight attendant I am usually away from home 4 days of the week. If I plan my meals ahead of time and have the things available that I need to eat healthy I always make better choices. Try to plan and shop for at least a week in advance so that you have a plan. I will talk about this more in a later blog. Now on to the more important business. This week's results.

Top Ten for this week:

1. Matthew D 2.6%

2. Colby D 2.2%

Two people tied for 3rd place

3. Kathy G 1.4%

3. Carole T 1.4%

Two more people tied for 4th place

4. Brittany C 1.2%

4. Rachel J 1.2%

5. Shauna W 0.8%

Then we had 5 people tie for 6th place

6. Wayne D 0.7%

6. Linda G 0.7%

6. Kari W 0.7%

6. Jess S 0.7%

6. Fran S 0.7%

7. Laura 0.5%

8. Vickie J 0.3%

9. Julie L 0.29%

10. Meralee R 0.2%

Honorable mention was Sunnie H with .1%

We had several people take a bye this week because they were not available to weigh-in and a few who went up on the scales but considering the great start we had last week it is totally normal to see lower numbers the second week. Congratulations to all of you for sticking to it and moving the scale in the right direction.

Our weekly challenge winner was Vickie J who won a new water bottle.

Now looking forward to this week. I think Laura told most of you the the challenge this week is Exercise. I know it is already Tuesday but anyone who exercises at least 30 minutes for 4 days out of the week can put in a ticket for the drawing this Saturday. The prize is a Biggest Loser Workout DVD.

Let me share a few thoughts with you on exercise. I have always loved to exercise. You would probably not have always guessed it by looking at my body but I have always exercised regularly more for my mental health then my physical health. It is a great stress reducer and the endorphins you create really do kick in to elevate your mood.

I know there are always a million excuses to not work out but in the end that is really all they are...just excuses. Let's look at some of them and how to overcome them.

1. No time...the great thing about exercise is that the effects are cumulative. That means that 5 minutes here or 10 minutes there all add up in a day. You don't have to find an hour time block in your schedule, just park at the end of the parking lot when you go to the store instead of driving around and around stalking people till you find a place up close. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk with your kids to school instead of driving. Pack a lunch and spend your lunch break taking a brisk walk while you eat your sandwich. If you have to unwind at night watching TV do it on a treadmill or keep small hand weights close by and do some lifting while watching TV. If you don't have weights do sit-ups, crunches, lunges, jumping jacks. Just find opportunities to move more. There are a million different ways to be active. Try getting up 1 hour earlier so you can work out. You will be surprised at how much better your whole day goes.

2. Too expensive...can't afford a gym membership! You don't need a gym, they are great if you have access to one but you don't need one to exercise and feel healthy. When my children were just babies, I didn't have the money or the time to hit the gym but I did have a video player in the basement and every morning before those first babies were up and crying I was down there with Jane Fonda (yes, complete with pink striped leotards and leg warmers that my kids still mock me about today) getting my exercise in. I knew if I allowed 1 hour a day for me I was able to give my kids so much more of myself through out the day. You can rent DVDs at the library to work out to if you don't want to or can't afford to buy them. I have a great collection of workout DVDs that I would gladly lend to anyone who wants to try them.

3. I hate to exercise...it is boring or it hurts or I am so out of shape I can't do it. This excuse just doesn't fly, there are so many ways to be active, just find something that you like to do and do it. You don't have to run on a treadmill or do a marathon if you hate running. Love to dance? Take a Zumba class or check out the old Richard Simmons sweating to the oldies videos. Need something low impact? Try water aerobics, a yoga class, dust off your old bicycle (or your kids bicycle) and go for a ride. I loved to roller skate as a child so I thought several years ago it would be fun to try my kids Rollerblades, boy was that a mistake. I just know that there is something out there for everyone. Find that thing that makes you happy and do it. Just make sure it involves some motion on your part. If you love doing it, you will continue doing it and it won't feel like a chore.

4. I'm just not motivated. Find an exercise buddy. It can be a spouse, a best friend, a total stranger. I know that Laura and Angie met at the gym, total strangers and have become great friends and workout partners. Knowing someone is depending and waiting on you to get out of bed in the morning is a good motivator. Commit your goals to someone else. That always helps me stick to it. My kids all know how much I weigh and how much I want to lose and they ask me all the time how I am doing. They are my best cheerleaders. Don't wait for someone to find you, go out and find someone who needs your help as much as you need theirs. Five years ago my husband passed away from a brain tumor. I had the dearest friend who called me up every morning in the months preceding his death and dragged me out of my house and up on the mountain so I could walk and talk. It was my saving grace through those trying days and I will be forever grateful to her. I know it was a lot harder for her but she knew it was my thing and she did it for me. Be that kind of friend to someone else.

Set a goal, sign up for a 5k, a half marathon, a century bike ride. Knowing you have to get in shape for a future race is great motivation.

I could go on and on but I hope you get the idea. There is nothing better for your health and happiness than becoming more active. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day and the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Just get started. Move a little bit more today than you did yesterday and before you know it, it will become a way of life. You will become an exercise junkie like me.

What a fantastic start!!!

Week 1: Ending Jan. 14, 2012

I can not believe what a great week we all had. Everyone is off to a fabulous start. Together as a group we lost more than 100 lbs. That is truly amazing. Everyone should be very proud of themselves. If you were one that was not happy with your loss, don't get discouraged early. There is plenty of time left and it usually takes some time for you to figure out what works best for your body. Each week I will post the top 10 losers and then add honorable mentions for everyone else that lost weight. So here goes.

This Weeks Top Ten

1. Wayne D. 4.5%

2. (We had 2 people tie for 2nd place)

Brittany C. 4.1%

Matthew D. 4.1%

3. Colby D. 4.0%

4. Fran S. 3.7%

5. Kim D 3.3%

6. Carole T. 2.8%

7. Kari W. 2.6%

8. Kathy G. 2.3%

9. Lisa S 2.2%

10. Jenn J. 2.0%

Honorable mention

Gail N 1.7%, Shauna W 1.7%, Kelcee T 1.6%, Linda G 1.4%, Julie L 1.3%, Edye W 1.3%, Vickie J 1.2%, Jess S 1.2%, Rachel J 1.2%, Marylee G 1.2%, Angie J 1.1%, Sunnie H 1.1%, Meralee R 1.0%, Laura L 0.8%, Geina Y 0.4%

The winner of this week's challenge to Food Journal was Wayne D.

Now for this week's challenge. It's water, and lots of it. Keep track of your water. And, yes Crystal Light, Walmart brand or other store brands count. Soda, DOES NOT!, not even diet...sorry about that one. Find out what your body's daily intake should be and try to reach or exceed the amount. You need to drink your daily amount at least 3 of the days to be eligible for the prize. 64 oz is the usual number everyone shoots for, but some may need more/less. If you accept and complete the challenge for at least three out of the seven days, you will receive a ticket for the weekly drawing. You'll be playing for a new water bottle.

Water is a fantastic way to fill the gaps between meals. When your mouth wants to be busy, say around 3:00 in the afternoon when dinner is still a few hours away, a cold glass of water can help take your mind off of the snacking habit.

What’s wrong with soda or diet soda?

Scientists and health advocates blame soda for a wide variety of ailments ranging from tooth decay to diabetes, even cancer. The reason is simple: beyond high-fructose corn syrup, which is pure sugar, the remaining ingredients are chemicals. What about diet soda, you may ask; it doesn’t have any sugar. True, instead it has more chemicals and many scientists believe that these chemicals and artificial sweeteners in particular need to be studied more thoroughly. There is a general consensus among those in the medical industry that artificial sweeteners play some role in the epidemic of obesity in the world.

Not happy with water?

1. Many people don’t like to drink plain water. Like many healthy goals, it helps to make small changes. If you drink two cans of soda a day, replace one of your cans of soda with a glass of water and try that for a few weeks. Once you've got the hang of that, you can replace the other can, too. To make your water more palatable, why not add a slice of fresh citrus to it. Or consider drinking the flavored and carbonated water that is now available at most grocery stores. Take care to make sure that the water has no additional sugar or artificial sweeteners. Mineral waters, carbonated or non-carbonated, also offer an appealing alternative.

Coffee and tea without added sugar or milk, also offer a midday alternative to snacking. Be careful to keep caffeine intake in moderation. Too much caffeine can make you jittery and affect your adrenal glands, which can interfere with your hormonal balance and contribute to insulin resistance and weight gain.

Alcohol is primarily a carbohydrate and will contribute to weight gain rather than weight loss. Additionally, it may inhibit your decision making abilities and make that bag of chips and greasy burger look even more tempting.

When it comes right down to it, water really is the best thing for your body. It hydrates your cells, cleanses your body and helps you lose weight, and it helps you stay healthy and feel better.
Have a great week!

A New Start for a New Year

Finally we are ready to get started. We would like to thank everyone who has decided to start this journey with us to a new and healthier you in 2012. Sorry for the delay in updating the blog. We were waiting for a few final contestants to get signed up and weighed in. We now have 27 people who have committed to our contest. That is fabulous. That makes the prize money we can distribute at the end very enticing. Here is how the money will be distributed on Mar.31

1rst Place $500

2nd Place $350

3rd Place $250

4th Place $150

And we will award 2 participation awards for $50 each.

A quick explanation of how you can win the participation prize. To be eligible for this prize, you need to have NOT placed in the top 4, you need to make it to at least 10 out of the 12 weigh ins, and you cannot have gained additional weight from your first weigh in. At the time of money distribution anyone that meets these requirements will put their name in a drawing and the first place winner will draw it out. If any of you are confused, just ask me questions next Saturday when I see you. There is a lot of money to be earned so I hope everyone stays motivated!

If you've ever wondered why some people are able to shed those pounds and keep them off, it's probably because they know the five secrets to lasting weight loss...and now so do you.
1. They eat breakfast
2. They eat fruit and/or vegetables with each meal
3. They have protein with each meal and snack
4. They're physically active
5. They plan their meals, their snacks, and their exercise.

Weekly Challenge

This week's challenge is to journal. I can not stress enough how important this one little step is on your weight loss journey. This means to write down everything that you eat good or bad. I think most of us signed up for this contest because we liked the idea of having to be held accountable each week by weighing in. Journaling is the same concept. It holds us accountable for the things we eat. I think many of you will be not only surprised but shocked by the amount of actual calories you consume each day when you start tracking them. This will help you look back on your days and know where you need to improve or add different food items.

Maybe your goal is to keep track and not to exceed a calorie maximum. To lose 1 pound a week you need to eat 500 less calories a day than you burn. The average person burns around 2000 calories a day. So to lose a pound a week you need to limit your calories to around 1500 a day. If you add exercise to the mix you bump up the amount of calories you burn. If you walk vigorously for an hour you can burn an additional 500 calories making your deficit for the day 1000 calories which should equate to a 2 lbs a week weight loss. This is not an exact science but it is a good rule of thumb to follow. Bottom line...try to limit your calorie intake each day to around 1500 or less and try to get some sort of exercise every day. Then you should see a healthy 2 lbs a week loss.

There are several great websites for calorie counting such as calorieking.com, spark people.com, my fitness pal etc. All you do is click on the food, search, and then enter the food you have eaten and follow the prompts to figure out the calories. For those that have a IPhone or IPad, a free app that I have had recommended to me is Calorie Counter by FatSecret. This will truly help you in your success to shed those pound.

I would also recommend buying a food scale. They are fairly inexpensive and you can find them at Walmart, Target or other similar stores. Get in the habit of weighing your food, checking portion sizes on the food labels etc. I think we all tend to underestimate our food portions that we eat. I keep my scale on my kitchen counter with a notebook and pen next to it so I can jot down the exact measurements before I enter them in on the computer. It can be a pain at first but it is so worth the effort. Just make it a new habit. This has made such a difference in my weight loss.

Eating out is no excuse for not tracking calories. On the Internet you can google just about any food item that you can purchase in a fast food joint or restaurant.

OK I will get off of my Food Journal soapbox for now. Let me say again how excited we are that you have all decided to join with us. We would like to make this blog a motivational tool and support to help you along the way. We plan on posting recipe ideas each week along with the weekly challenge. We encourage your comments, success stories, struggles you may be facing or even the occasional whining about how much you miss chocolate. We really want this to be a support group so please speak up and let us hear from you. If you have great recipes you would like to share please email them to me at sbillnlisa@comcast.net and I will post them on the blog.

Good Luck everyone. Can't wait to see how the first week went for all of you. The weight loss is usually pretty great week 1.