The Biggest Loser: Week 9

So last week Amy decided to finally put herself at the top of her priority list and voted off her former teammate, Brady. And for that decision she really caught some slack from her other teammates.

But she made the decision to vote Brady off because she knew that he was her biggest threat in the game and instead of staying true to her FORMER team (they are technically singles now) and keeping the player with the second highest percentage of weight lost (she's the first), she made a very wise and bold move and voted against someone she wasn't 'supposed' to.

You know, sometimes when we're on the path to becoming healthier and trying to lose weight we also face some challenges from those we are around. "Oh come on, just one piece won't hurt" or "Let's go get a burger. Who wants to eat salad?!" These aren't the best examples but I think you know what I'm talking about. And they'll come from both thinner, healthier people as well as those who are in the same unhealthy boat we are! Those who aren't facing the same struggles we are have a hard time understanding and we all know that misery (read: other overweight, unhealthy people) loves company. Making healthier decisions tends to make others who are overweight and not taking care of themselves feel guilty and because of that they sometimes attack our choices in order to make themselves feel better.

Sometimes it's a very hard and lonely road we walk but like Amy, we MUST keep our focus and take care of ourselves. No one else can do it for us. And no matter what challenges or temptations or even criticism come our way, we have to keep our eye on our goal and keep working hard to reach it.

It was 80's week on the Biggest Loser campus and here were the trivia questions asked during the challenge. There are some pretty astonishing numbers here!

Since 1980, the obesity rates have nearly:
A.) Doubled
B.) Tripled
C.) Quadrupled
Answer: A.) Doubled

In the 80's, one of the most popular workout videos promised to give you buns of what?
Answer: Steel

The National Institute of Health classified obesity as a disease in 1985... True or False?
Answer: True

The percentage of Americans with diabetes has increased by what percent since 1980?
A.) 100%
B.) 200%
C.) 300%
Answer: C.) 300%

Twenty years ago, U.S. teenage boys drank twice as much milk as soda. Today, they drink twice as much soda as milk... True or False?
Answer? True

Today, the most commonly purchased women's dress size in America is a size 14. In 1985, it was a size...
A.) 8
B.) 10
C.) 12
Answer: A.) 8

Today, women between the ages of 20 & 39 are eating an average of 385 extra calories a day compared to the 1980's. That's enough to gain how many pounds in one year?
A.) 20 pounds
B.) 26.7 pounds
C.) 35.8 pounds
Answer: B.) 26.7 pounds

Who won a Grammy for best video of the year in 1982 for a music video that featured her working out in a leotard?
A.) Madonna
B.) Olivia Newton-John
C.) ? (Heba answered before Allison could read choice C.
Answer: B.) Olivia Newton-John

How crazy is Jillian? Seriously. She took the seats off the spin bikes while her girls were standing up working out on them. I'm telling ya', $250,000 is just simply not work it! It wouldn't be a such a big deal if she didn't push them way beyond what anybody can possible do. And if she'd get her dang feet off the wheel of the bike while they're pedaling!

TRAINER TIP (Bob):
Keeping power snacks readily available is crucial to help keep your blood sugar stable, your metabolism at high-speed, and also help curb cravings. Nuts are a perfect snack or low-fat string cheese, or carry around an apple with you. The fiber in an apple helps regulate blood sugar levels and helps keep you from crashing at the end of a long day.


Michelle: -8 (-56)
Renee: -8 (-60)
Ed: -11 (-73)
Heba: -7 (-63)
Coleen: -3 (-51)
Amy: -8 (-66)
Vicky: -6 (-59)

ELIMINATED: Coleen

All I can say is UNbelievable! I was so proud of Amy last week, yet I think she just sealed her fate this week.

Ah well. I guess the drama continues.

Breakfast is a Must!

It's true, breakfast really IS the most important meal of the day. Even if you don't like to eat breakfast or you're 'not a breakfast' person, you need to make it a priority to start your day out doing the best thing you can for your body. Studies show that skipping breakfast can actually cause you to GAIN weight!

Still not convinced? Why is eating breakfast so important? Well, there are several reasons. First of all, most of us are our most active in the earlier part of the day and our bodies need fuel to be able to function at it's best. Eating breakfast helps keep you from getting hungry later on in the day which means you will usually make healthier food choices throughout the day. And most importantly, eating a healthy breakfast kick starts your metabolism, which means that you will begin burning calories first thing in the morning!

According to The Biggest Loser Cookbook we should eat at least 4 servings of fruits and veggies (you can eat more than that, but make sure you eat more vegetables than fruit), 3 servings of protein (that's three 8-ounce portions, which is 1 cup or about the size of the palm of your hand), 2 servings of whole grains, and up to 200 calories of 'extras' each day.

So for breakfast I am trying to find different ideas that include the following prerequisites:

*good source of protein to give me a boost of energy
*good source of fiber to keep things moving *wink* and to help fill me up
*low in calories and fat
*must taste good, meaning I'm not about to gag as I choke it down
*inexpensive, as I have five other people in my home to feed as well
*I also follow the Weight Watchers plan of counting Points, so it must not be high in Points as well

So far I have quickly come up with two options that meet all these requirements.

1. Small, plain Lenders bagel with 1 TBSP. regular Wal-Mart brand peanut butter; this provides the following:
Calories: 150
Fat: 1g.
Fiber: 1g.
Protein: 5g.
WW Points: 3
*I thought, in order to get in a fruit/veggie I might also add 1 small banana which adds 90 calories, 0 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram of protein, and 1 Point.


2. Bestlife Light Flat-Out Wrap (bought these at Wal-Mart) with 1 egg scrambled (with nothing added while scrambling), and 1/4 c. of shredded low-fat cheese; this provides the following:
Calories: 240
Fat: 12 1/2g.
Fiber: 9g.
Protein: 23g.
WW Points: 5

I know there are a lot of other options out there and I'll be on the hunt for them. As I find them I will share them here.

If anyone has any ideas or recipes to share, please pass them on.

The Biggest Loser: Week 8

My intention in blogging about this season's Biggest Loser was to pass on the helpful tips and advice given during the show and not get into the personal things that go on with the contestants. But I have to say, I am very disappointed in how much drama has gone on this time. It has taken a positive, encouraging, helpful show and turned it into nothing more than a drama-filled soap opera. I love the show and have always felt so encouraged and inspired after watching it, but this season all I feel is anger and frustration.

So, having said that and not wanting to dwell on it any further, here are the best snippets I came away with tonight.

Just because you may be trying to lose weight and eat healthier doesn't mean you have to totally give up the sweets. I know they have these purposefully placed ads during the show, but this one was a good example of a sweet treat we can have for very few calories.


Jello Sugar Free Banana Fudge Sundae has only 60 calories. Add a bit of Cool Whip for 20 more calories and you've got a perfect-portioned, yummy, sweet snack that you don't have to feel guilty about. I've done this several times with sugar free jello as well. YUM! Here are some comparisons...

Schwans Banana Fudge Sundae Cone = 250 Calories
Sonic Banana Fudge = 480 Calories
Low-Fat, Low-Calorie version recipe from CalorieKing = 213 Calories

Last season's winner, Ali Vincent visited the contestants tonight and talked with them and encouraged them. She 'brought along' a friend, Cynthia Sass, Registered Dietician and Prevention Magazine's Nutrition Director and she had some really good advice for the contestants.



This doesn't apply to me, but maybe it will help someone else. Because Heba and Ed were recruited for the show in a bar, this tip is in regards to drinking beer.

1 pint of beer = 1 slice of bread
6 pints = 1 loaf of bread
Switching to lite beer slashes the calories and carbs by at least 50% or more.

Her tip for families with children who believe that if it's good for you it can't possibly taste good is to blindfold the children (or the parents) and get them to try new foods that way. Brady, who is a 'super finicky eater', was blindfolded and given a yellow pepper (and something else I couldn't distinguish) to taste. Surprisingly he liked both. I think we'll have to try this trick in our own home!



For those with a sweet tooth the trick is to cut or seperate your baked goods (brownies, cookies, etc.) into smaller portions, wrap them in freezer paper, put them in a ziplock bag and put them into the freezer. This way you have perfectly portioned snacks plus you also can't gobble it all up and reach for another one. You actually have to wait for it to thaw. Good thinking!

The only thing that resembled a 'Trainer Tip' this week is when they showed a couple of signs on the wall of the gym.

"Because I said so, that's why!" - Jillian

"Are you ready? You bet you are!" - Bob

THIS WEEK'S WEIGHT LOSS:
Michelle: -6 (-48)
Renee: -7 (-52)
Coleen: -7 (-48)
Brady: -6 (-77)
Vicky: -8 (-53)
Heba: -9 (-56)
Amy C.: -6 (-58)
Ed: -4 (-62)

ELIMINATED: Brady

And for the returning players who battled for a chance to return to the ranch, here's how much they've lost since Week 1:
Jerry: -41
Shellay: -39
Tom: -48
L.T. -57
Adam: -35
Stacey: -31
Ed: -58 (won the challenge to come back to the ranch)
Amy P. -47
Phil -68

The Biggest Loser: Week 7

So, thanks to Vickie telling on him, Bob learns that Brady isn't eating every four hours and he's convinced that's why he only had a 3 pound weight loss last week.

Hmmm, interesting.

I could most definitely handle eating every four hours! But I guess Little Debbies don't count, huh? Mental note: learn what I should be eating. I know this is to keep the body's metabolism up, which helps burn off fat, but if you're not giving it the right fuel then you're defeating the whole purpose.

Ok, so on to the first challenge. The reason we are overweight is because of the bad choices we've made in the past. David Zinczenko, author of Eat This Not That!: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More! (as well as Eat This Not That! for Kids!: Be the Leanest, Fittest Family on the Block!...gotta look into that one!), is the guest 'celebrity' and presents each team with two choices. Should you eat 'This' or 'That'. Each contestant has to choose which plate of food has the least amount of calories. The prize is a '40-pound advantage' at the next challenge, whatever that means.

So here were the choices of food. Which would be the better choice:

THIS: a hot dog with ketchup, mustard, and relish
THAT: nacho's with cheese
Answer: THIS
The hot dog is built-in portion control. The hot dog has 280 calories, the nachos and cheese has 692.

THIS: 1 small spaghetti with marinara and spicy italian sausage with a side caesar salad
THAT: a small penne with marinara and garlic shrimp and a garden side salad with fat-free italian dressing
Answer: THAT
Each italian sausage is about 200 calories and 20 grams of fat! The spaghetti has 1030 calories. The penne, 660.

THIS: chicken and shrimp fajitas with the works
THAT: 24 chicken nuggets with BBQ sauce
Answer: THAT
'The Works' is always something you want to stay away from. The chicken & shrimp fajita has 1360 calories, the chicken nuggets has 1120.

THIS: multi-grain bagel with lite cream cheese
THAT: ham, egg, & cheese english muffin sandwich
Answer: THAT
The bagel has empty carbs and the words 'multigrain' and 'lite' make you think it's healthier than what it actually is. The bagel has 500 calories, the sandwich 310.

THIS: 1 grilled chicken burrito with the works
THAT: 18 lite beers
Answer: THIS
The burrito contains 1092 calories, the beer has 1152. Neither one is actually a good choice. And come on, who in their right mind would choose to drink 18 beers over eating a chicken burrito!

TRAINER TIP (Bob):
Being stressed makes it easy to make poor choices about what we eat. Some stress reducing comfort foods are walnuts, which help replace stress-depleted B-vitamins and is a great source of Omega-3's, and aspargus, a natural mood lightener, dipped in fat-free yogurt for some extra Calcium. If you simply MUST have chocolate (was Bob speaking directly to me?), go for the dark. It contains antioxidants which helps to fight cancer and heart disease.

TRAINER TIP (Jillian):
To improve your balance and coordination work with your own body weight. Working out with machines at the gym isolates the muscle, which isn't natural. Doing squats, lunges, push-ups, crunches, pull-ups, etc. forces your upper and lower body to work together which gives you more balance, stability, and coordination.

Bob made a good point. Each contestant is on a calorie 'budget' each day and it's critical that they make each of those calories count. Do they really want to waste those calories on snacking all day? I like this visual. I'm a numbers person and I think this is why counting Points with Weight Watchers has always really worked for me. Now I just need to find the best foods to use my daily Points (or calories) on and make sure I don't waste them but use them for foods that are going to help further my weight loss.

THIS WEEK'S WEIGHT LOSS:
Michelle: -2 (-42)
Renee: -3 (-45)
Coleen: -2 (-41)
Phil: -3 (-62)
Brady: -13 (-71)
Vicky: -2 (-45)
Heba: -6 (-47)
Amy C.: -6 (-52)

ELIMINATED: Phil (who stopped to buy his wife a beautiful 20th anniversary ring and surprised her... she didn't even know he had been eliminated... at the spot he originally proposed to her and asked her to marry him again. Of course she said yes and they did it right then and there! It was sooo sweet. I really like both of them).

My Declaration of Thindependence

When, in the course of my life, it becomes necessary for me to end an unhealthy relationship with food and eating, I know that I have enough strength to do that.

After all, I have a right to _______________ and _______________.

I shouldn't have to feel _______________ and _________________, and I refuse to feel that way anymore.

I know losing weight is hard. I have an especially hard time with _______________ and _________________.

But it's worth it to me to dedicate myself to the task of losing weight, and I will do what it takes to meet my weight goal of ________.

I am dedicated to my plan for weight loss, and to get there I will ____________________, I will ___________________, and I will ____________________.

Now is MY time and I WILL make it happen. This is my Declaration of Independence from an overweight lifestyle. I am free at last! Let the fireworks begin!

The First Female Biggest Loser!

I am by no means a feminist and oh how tired I get of hearing sayings such as 'Girl Power' and 'Women Rule' and all the other ridiculous things they come up with.

However, being a female and knowing how hard losing weight is, not to mention how much harder it is for women to lose than men, I was really pulling for either Ali or Kelly to win this season's Biggest Loser. It didn't help that the last remaining guys were SO annoying with their, "Pride on 3, pride on 3" chant and their constant belittling of the women that were left. UGH! I'm sure they're nice guys in real life, but I so wanted to box their ears every week.

So I was so happy to see Ali win. She's a real inspiration to me because she is the same age I am (32), the same height as me (5'5"), her starting weight was the same as my highest weight (234), and her ultimate goal weight was the same as what mine is (125). To see her work hard and push herself to achieve such a big goal, and to see how AWESOME she looks is such an encouragement to me. If she can do it then so can I! And just look at how good I'll look when it's all said and done! LOL!

1 Month Free Guest Pass to Health Clubs!

If you're serious about losing weight, getting in shape, and getting healthy then you may want to check out this 1-month free guest pass from any of the following fitness centers:

*Lady of America/LOA
*Ladies Workout Express
*Workout Express
*Health Clubs of America

It looks like this is only good through the month of April, so don't put it off!

Watch Clips of The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser Finale

Tonight is The Biggest Loser finale. I really love watching this show. It is so motivating! Seeing the contestants, many who have overwhelming circumstances and weight to overcome, struggle and push through to a new life is fascinating. If they can do it, anyone can! Many times I have sat and cried right along with them because I understand what they are feeling and going through emotionally.

As far as tonight's show goes, I think I'll be cheering for Kelly. She was the heaviest female on the show this season and just seems very sweet. But then, I really like Ali too. She's really done an amazing job, losing most of her weight at home, then earning the right to come back onto the show.

I'm not crazy about Mark. I'm sure he's a nice enough guy, but he was pretty ruthless throughout the show. He has worked hard and lost an amazing amount of weight though. And Roger has blown everyone else out of the water. He's lost more than any other contestant in every season of TBL while there on the ranch! That's an awesome accomplishment. So while he technically would deserve to win, I'd really love to see one of the girls win instead.

I guess we'll find out who really is the Biggest Loser tonight! Don't miss the LIVE 2-hour finale on NBC at 8pm Eastern time.

More Sleep = Better Weight Loss

Did you know that getting more sleep may actually help you lose weight? Yep, that's what I hear.

Now, I don't know about you, but I know that I could do a lot better in the sleep department. I don't think it's so much that I'm not getting enough sleep, but I know that I don't have good sleeping patterns which leads to my whole system being messed up. Staying up until one and two o'clock in the morning and then sleeping until 8:30 or 9:00 is not good for anyone. And it really messes up the rest of my day as well.

I used to get up at 5:00 am every day to work-out and shower before anyone else got up. I felt GREAT! My days, and consequently the days of my husband and kids, went so much better. But I've not done that in such a very long time. We're putting the kids to bed MUCH too late, then we stay up enjoying some quiet time, which leads to me surfing or blogging until the wee hours of the mornings, which then causes me to sleep late in the mornings. NOT a good pattern.

Losing weight and getting healthy is a gradual process. Baby steps. Life-style changes, one thing at a time. So getting more sleep and getting back on a good sleeping schedule is one thing I'm going to start working on.

Here is a really good article from WebMD about why more sleep may help you lose weight.

Great Idea From Tonight's Biggest Loser

I really enjoy watching The Biggest Loser. I love seeing the transformations in the people and it really encourages me.

Tonight Bob Harper, one of the trainers on the show, was trying to help one of the young men who had a hard time with his eating. Bob asked Dan if he ever planned his meals. Dan replied that he "planned on going through the drive-through". So Bob showed him an easy way to eat healthy.

He took a Ziploc bag and filled it with salad 'stuff', zipped it up, and tossed it into the refrigerator. Now, whenever Dan was hungry and needed to grab something, or, if he had his meals planned out for the week and in those plans a salad was included, all he had to do was go to the refrigerator and pull out his salad, open it up, pour his dressing in, zip the bag back up and give it a good shake, and wha-la... a nice fresh salad in no time.

This is a great idea, and one I think I'm going to start using here!

Weight Management: Strategies for Success

One in every three Americans is fighting the weight loss battle. Tipping the energy balance scale in favor of using more calories than you consume is the bottom line for losing weight. Sounds easy! Then why are so many people losing the weight loss battle instead of the weight?

Whether you have tried to lose weight on your own or with the help of an organized program, the focus is too often on severely restrictive diets and unrealistic goals. Not being able to reach these goals can set you up for an endless cycle of failure and discouragement. Also, extremely limited food choices may trigger binge eating, which can undermine your efforts.

Increase your chances for success by focusing on managing your weight. Weight management involves adopting a lifestyle that includes a healthful eating plan and regular physical activity. The key to managing weight throughout life is a positive attitude and the right kind of motivation. Internal motivators such as health, increased energy, self-esteem, and personal control increase your chances for lifelong weight management success.

Read the rest of this article here.

Jumping Right In

Hi! Welcome to The Healthy Weigh of Life!

I'm not finished with all the 'decorating' I want to do around here at my new 'home' on the web, but while I'm working on it I thought I'd just jump right in and get posting. I have so much great, healthy, and helpful information to share with you, so why wait, right? Isn't that what we do? Put off until tomorrow what we know we should be doing today? Why? Why do we make the things that are the best for us some of the last things we do? We know that exercising and eating healthy are going to make us look and feel better, so why is it the one thing that we struggle with the most?

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of settling for second-best when it comes to living when there's something I can do about it! To me, living is enjoying every day, feeling good in the clothes I'm in, being comfortable enough to get down in the floor and play with my kids, and not constantly thinking about my weight or letting it hinder me!

Consider this one of those WYSIWYG blogs... what you see is what you get. I am no expert, just someone with a lot of knowledge, information, and experience that I think can help others. I plan on sharing this journey with you while also sharing my personal highs and lows, the meals I'm preparing for my family and myself, as well as loads of information that will help you get healthy and I welcome you to do the same. Share with us what works for you and what doesn't. Tell us what you're eating or what yummy, healthy recipes you've found. What is your story? Your goals?

Don't worry, I'm not some skinny-minny that will be telling you what all you're doing wrong and what you need to be doing to lose weight. Please! We have ENOUGH of those out there. I'm just a normal person who has been on the weight-loss journey, and been successful in the past, and now needs to, once again, get her life back in-shape (no pun intended).

I know the pain, the emotions, and the struggles that come with trying to lose weight. I know what it feels like to want more than anything to be thin and healthy, yet feeling like you'll never get there. I know the frustration of not being able to play with your kids they way they want you to because of all the extra weight. I know the pain of having others look at you differently and treat you differently than they do thin people. I know the disappointment felt when looking in the mirror before getting in the shower. I know the shame and embarrassment of being in front of others or running into someone you haven't seen in awhile and wanting to run the other way and hide. And what about the physical pain that comes with extra weight? UGH! Nothing makes you feel older than what you really are like carrying around extra weight.

Those feeling are real, and hard to deal with sometimes. And even though it makes absolutely no sense at all, sometimes the feelings I described above are the very things that drive a lot of us right back to the chips and ice cream and double-fudge brownies. It's a vicious cycle.

But that's why I've started this blog. I'm tired of living this way and letting life pass me by while I sit eating my Cherry Garcia ice cream and crying about how fat I am!

So come along with me and let's get healthy together. If we all push this cart uphill together it will be easier. And then one day we can all jump on and ride it down the other side to Healthyville! (Ok, so that was a bit corny, but you get the picture.)