Week 2- Ending October 29, 2011

Excellent job this week.  We had a few already take their first bye, due to being out of town etc. and that's okay.  Below are the results for this week with the challenge winner, next challenge and some helpful info. 

This weeks top 10

1. Amanda - 2.73%
2. Jake - 2.62%
3. Geina - 2.45%
4. Julie - 2.34%
5. Ruth - 2.25%
6. Lisa - 1.77%
7. LeAnna - 1.43 %
8. Jon H. - 1.35%
9. Jordan - 1.17%
10. Sharon - 1.15%

Erica - 0.98%, Laura - 0.35%, Liz - 0.25%
Don't let these numbers scare or fool you, it's really, really close and it can all change next weigh in.

Overall weight lost this week was 42.6 Lbs.

Weekly Challange Winner (6pk water, crystal light mixins) Julie


This week's challenge is EXERCISE! Put on the Rocky soundtrack, you can't go wrong.

You've journaled, you've added water to your day, now it's time to EXERCISE! Keep track of minutes exercised in your journals. Everyone who gets over 200 minutes gets a ticket for the drawing. This week's prize: A Biggest Loser Workout DVD, only one winner this week however. You will want it, it seriously is an awesome DVD and if you're a fan of the show, its fun to workout with past contestants.

Exercise helps you manage your weight.

Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade some couch time for walking or other physical activities.
This one's a no-brainer. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn — and the easier it is to keep your weight under control. You don't even need to set aside major chunks of time for working out. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during your lunch break. Do jumping jacks during commercials. Better yet, turn off the TV and take a brisk walk. Dedicated workouts are great, but physical activity you accumulate throughout the day helps you burn calories, too.

Exercise can be — gasp — fun!

Wondering what to do on a Saturday afternoon? Looking for an activity that suits the entire family? Get physical!
Physical activity doesn't have to be drudgery. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If you're moving, it counts!
Are you convinced? Good. Start reaping the benefits of regular physical activity today!

Also, do you have recipe that you'd love to share. Email it to me, or post on the comments. I'd love some new things to try and I know others would too!

Have an awesome week. We'll see you next week from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Week 1- Ending October 22, 2011

The first week was great and pretty much every one had some loss.  If you were one that was not happy with your loss, don't get discouraged early.  Plenty of time left and it sometime takes some time for you to figure out what your body likes.  As mentioned in the previous post we have 19 paid participants. I will post the top 10 on their own line and the rest in order combined. If you have a gain, I will not post your + percentage or your name. Might not make sense, but when you look at it you'll get it.  So now that I have explained, lets get to the results.

This weeks top 10

1. Jon H.- 4.46%
2. Lisa- 3.23%
3. Laura- 2.72 %
4. Jordan- 2.68%
5. Kim- 2.50 %
6. Geina- 2.13%
7. Jeni- 1.99%
8. Erica- 1.93%
9. Jon O.-1.76 %
10. Ruth- 1.74%

Liz-1.09%, LeAnna- 0.97%, Becky- 0.89%, Sharon- 0.88%, Patricia- 0.38%.

Everyones weight lost this week combined was 57.2 lbs.  Weigh to go everyone!!!

Weekly challange winner (waterbottle) was:  Ruth
Be sure to pick your prize up on Saturday

Before I get to this weeks challange, I thought it would be fun to post what some people would do if they placed and won $$.  Several said a new wardrobe, another said home remodeling, others said put towards family vacations, a new flat iron, hair extensions and get the internet for her home.  Such fun ideas.  These are good to look at and it helps keep you motivated.

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 6 pk of water with drink mix.

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?

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!  We will see you on Saturday between 8:30-9:30.

And it starts now!

Yesterday the contest started.  Many people showed up paid their money and are committing themselves to a new and healthier lifestyle.  So far we have 19 paid participants.  So unless others still join in the next week (yes, if you know of others that still want to join, they have this week to do so.) The prize money will be distributed as follows:

1st Place $400

2nd Place $250

3rd Place $150

4th Place $100

Participation prize $50

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 alot 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 weeks challenge is to journal.  This means to write down everything that you eat good or bad.  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 do not exceed a calorie maximum. A great website for calorie counting is calorieking.com.   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 use and love is Calorie Counter by FatSecret.  This will truly help you in your success to shed those pounds.  Oh, by the way what are you playing for?  A new water bottle because later in the contest this will come in handy!

One last thing, in my last contest everyone wrote down what they would do with the money if they won it.  This was really fun to post and great goals to work towards.  I would like to do that next time, so be thinking of that and come prepared to write it down.

Looking forward to a great weigh in next week. If I didn't take your photo yesterday, please remind me to do so.  It's so fun to see the before and afters! 

Contest Info and Rules

There has been several interested in doing a Biggest Loser contest like the one I participated in.  Here are the rules, subject to change, but for now this may answer some questions. Read the rules below, hopefully this will answer any questions. If you are needing to weigh in before Saturday, you must weigh in the final week at approx. the same time. For example, if you need to start on Friday evening, then your final weigh in will need to take place on a Friday evening. This should make it as fair as possible for the final percentage lost.

1. $55.00 entrance fee to be collected at first weigh in. $50 towards final prize winnings, $5 each person to go towards weekly challenge prizes.
2. Weigh in like clothes each weigh in, preferrably shorts and t-shirt, excersize clothing etc. No shoes
3. Weigh ins are Saturday mornings 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
4. Percent of weight loss determines winner, not most pounds lost
5. 50% of collected goes to 1st place winner, 30% to 2nd Place and 15% to 3rd Place, 5% Participation prize for all who have stayed committed and weighed in at all weigh in's with the exception of the two allowed. (This could be subject to change depending on number of contestants)
6. Participants can miss two weigh ins, but not consecutively and still be included in weigh in.
7. Before pictures will be taken, but not posted on blog. This will help you to see your progress.
8. All weights will be kept confidential, however percentages will be posted weekly on blog.
9.  NO HCG, or other drastic means to accomplish weight loss.  This has to be a diet and exercise game.
10. Contest begins - October 15th, 2011
11. Contest ends - December 31st, 2011
More to come...so stay tuned. Remember you could be the biggest loser.