WK 11 Results Week ending November 9th, 2013

First of all, please forgive me for not posting this until now.  It was a busy weekend but that's over now. We are entering our last week.  Can you believe it?!  Just to get it out there and so people can get their Saturday planned let's plan on meeting here next week @ 9:00 am for the FINAL!

 

Here are last week's results:

 

Top Losers:  Really not too bad, very small gains, byes or stayed the same:

 

Jordan- 3.24%

Amanda- 3.19%

Sheridan- 1.52%

Becky- 1.37%

McCall- 0.88%

Lydia- 0.76%

 

Don't give up!!!  You still have this week to get to the goal you set 11 weeks ago.  Need a little help.  Here's some information I found that just might help you out.

 

No Challenge this week.

 

Have a great week, or couple of days.  See you on Saturday!

Top 3 Foods That Boost Metabolism and Burn Fat       

There are many foods that boost metabolism and burn fat, which can help make your weight loss goals much easier to achieve.
Before we get to those, let’s take a look at how your metabolism works. Your metabolism determines how quickly calories are burned (used as energy) by your body, which determines how quickly you gain or lose weight. When your cells need energy, first carbohydrates are broken down, then fat, then protein. The body converts carbohydrates into glucose that your body uses for energy. Any excess carbohydrates will be stored in fat cells.

Up to 75% of the calories you ingest in a day are used for normal daily bodily functions like your heart, brain, cell regeneration, and more.  Ten percent of the calories you eat are used for digestion, while the remaining 15-25% of calories are burned through exercise. Your body mass also plays a factor. The larger your body mass is, the more calories you need and the more you burn.
As you get older, at around age 40, you lose 5% of your lean body mass.  This percentage increases every decade. Men typically burn calories more quickly than women because they usually have a bigger body mass, plus more lean muscle mass. Heredity also plays a part in your metabolic rate.

In order to burn calories, you have to eat calories.   Eating every four to five hours is the best way to boost your metabolism. Eating even something small for breakfast is very important. During the night your body has been in a fasting state, and your metabolism will be slowed down. In order to get your metabolism running strong again, you have to eat first thing in the morning, as well as regularly throughout the day.

Which are the best foods that boost metabolism and burn fat?
Lean Meat and Protein
The first metabolism-boosting food is lean meat.  Your body has to work hard to digest and process protein, which boosts your metabolism because a lot of energy is expended just to digest the protein you eat.  Adding protein to every meal will give you the largest possible boost to your metabolism. Good protein sources are lean chicken, turkey, fish, and lean cuts of beef and pork.  Vegetarian alternatives would include beans, lentils, and tofu.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Another great food that boosts metabolism and burns fat is dark green, leafy vegetables.  They are high in fiber and rich in iron, which helps in the absorption of vitamins and minerals.  Spinach, for example, is very low calorie and contains great antioxidants and vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.

Water
Of the foods that boost metabolism and burn fat, the most important one isn’t technically a “food” – it’s a beverage.  That’s right, it’s water!
If you don’t drink enough water, your metabolism will be sluggish, period.  Your liver and other organs need water in order to process nutrients and burn fat.  Not only is water essential for fat burning, it’s vital for all bodily functions, including brain function, heart function, lung function, and muscle function.
How much water do you need to drink for maximum fat burning results?  It’s easy to calculate your water requirements. The best way to calculate your daily water requirement is to divide your current weight in half, and use that as the amount of ounces you should drink each day.
Let’s say you weigh 140 pounds; divide that in half to get approximately 70 ounces. If you drink bottled water, this can be easily tracked by drinking three 20 ounce bottles per day. The other 10 ounces of water will probably be part of your food and other beverage intake.  (Taking into consideration that you also get water from the foods you eat and other beverages you drink, your actual water intake can be a little less than your calculated amount.)

There you have it; three essential foods that boost metabolism and burn fat.  Make them a daily staple in your diet and you’ll be a fat-burning machine in no time.

WK 10-- BYE WEEK

WK 9 Results week ending October 26, 2013

Still hanging in there?  Are you not seeing the results that you were hoping for?  Go back to some of the previous posts and maybe there is something that will click.  Remember, it's a diet, exercise, and life changing thing.  Sometimes it takes a little bit of time for you body to realize, hey, this is what's going to happen from now on.  Slow and steady is a good thing, and keeps off the weight better than losing all at once.  It's a proven fact.

Here's this week's TOP Losers: 

Sheridan- 3.05%

Amanda- 1.08%

Heather- 1.01%

Becky- 0.81%

Lydia- 0.03%

Kristi- 0.03%

The rest of you had very small losses, gains, or took a bye.

Winner of the challenge for just trying to keep it together is:  Sheridan

This week's challenge is:  Water...again!   So, jump on board with me and drink more water.  I actually like water, but for some this is a hard challenge.  Drink what you're supposed to that is your daily intake and you're entered in for the prize.  Unfortunately, there is not going to be a challenge prize this week.  Prize money is getting thin.  That's ok, there's still good reason to do the challenge. 

Having a little trouble.  Here's a great article that just may help you rev up your loss.

  5 Easy Ways to Speed Up Weight Loss

Here are 5 tricks weight loss gurus use to peel off pounds more quickly:

1. Eat More Snacks
That’s right, eat more – just not at mealtimes. It’s more than likely that, in your drive to diet, you’ve begun stretching the time between meals, a common weight loss strategy. (Example: I’ll just wait another half hour to eat lunch, I can make it, and that will mean I’ve gone five hours on only 400 calories…)
Unfortunately, while this strategy makes logical sense, because it feels like fewer meals means less food, the opposite is true. If you wait until you’re super hungry before you eat, you’re bound to eat more before you feel satisfied. (You also tend to eat faster, another no-no.)
Solution: Keep numerous healthy snacks like almonds, sunflower seeds, sliced apples, trail mix, low fat cheese, and whole wheat crackers on hand and eat something light but nutritious every couple of hours.

2. Stop Multitasking
Managers, you’re probably shaking your heads about now. After all, if we don’t multitask, how in the world are we going to get everything done? But when you’re doing five things at once, your mind’s not fully engaged in any one task. That makes you less fully conscious, and more likely to think about food, or dig mindlessly into your snack drawer or that candy jar on a coworker’s desk.
Multitasking also tends to send us into a stressed-out tizzy, a prerequisite for emotional eating. Instead, try giving each task on your to-do list your full attention for a set amount of time. Not only will you get better results much more quickly, you’ll be less likely to obsess about food or engage in mindless emotional eating.

3. Add Strength Training to Your Workout, or Do More of It
I’ve talked about strength training for weight loss before, so I’ll keep it short. Think of it as an equal partner with aerobic exercise, which burns calories but doesn’t have a significant long term effect on metabolism. While aerobic exercise is best for calorie burning, strength training amps up your metabolism by increasing muscle mass.

4. Eat Before Eating
Research has highlighted several versions of this concept. One study found that when people eat a bowl of hot soup before a meal, they eat less. Another found that eating a spicy hot appetizer before a meal curbed appetite. A likely explanation: you tend to eat soup slowly, waiting for it to cool, and eating anything slowly gives your brain, hormones, and stomach time to coordinate a message of fullness. Spicy food is also hard to eat fast, and chili pepper (particularly cayenne pepper) has been found to speed metabolism.
Then there are the many studies showing that eating a high-fiber snack, such as an apple, half an hour before a meal cuts calorie consumption. That one has a simple explanation: Fiber fills you up, making it harder to overeat later.

5. Sleep More
We have the unfortunate tendency in this culture to associate sleep with being sluggish. Not so: We now know that sleeping revs up the metabolism, so the longer you sleep the more fat you burn. Sleep also regulates hormones that control appetite and energy production. When you skip sleep, your body produces more ghrelin, which triggers cravings, and less leptin, which makes you feel full and satisfied with your food intake.
If those aren’t reason enough to prioritize your eight hours a night, there’s longevity, too. Sleep partners with stress in a vicious cycle that’s been shown by researchers to shorten your life by quadrupling stroke risk and weakening your immune system.

Have a great week and safe Halloween.  Do your best to stay away from all that CANDY!!!

  See you next week at the scale.

W8 - Results Week Ending October 19, 2013

Another week come and gone.  Did you see the results you were hoping for?  Are you in a slump?  If you want to see results, you have to put forth the effort to get the results you are seeking.  Many of you are frustrated and I totally get it.  I'm not an expert by any means at this, in fact, sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get to the goal I want.  But, I do know that you have to be consistent and you have to make changes that when this is "over" you can continue to see progress.  I have seen so many who have lost and then gained and I think the one thing that is typical is trying to do something that is not the normal.  Go ahead and have a treat once in a while, just don't eat the entire cake.  It's ok.  Maybe do 15 more minutes of exercise to justify the little set back.  It doesn't seem real to me to never be able to have the good things again, so it's best if you learn how to treat yourself.  I have also heard from some that they have a splurge day.  I do that too, just don't let that one day turn in to two, or three, or etc...  You are succeeding.  If you feel like you are not getting the results you are hoping, re-evaluate what you are doing.  Try smaller portions, more fruits and vegies, less sugar, and of course, more exercise.  It was a pretty good week, but it's not over.  No one is too far ahead that YOU couldn't win.  So, let's do this...

This week's TOP Losers:

Becky- 1.34%
Amanda- 1.24%
Ruth- 1.00%
Kristi- 0.67%
Lydia- 0.59%
Pat- 0.03%

The rest were byes, stayed the same or very small gains.

Winner of the challenge of breakfast and winner of the headphones is:  Heather!!!

Next week's challenge is this:  STAY FOCUSED!!!  Try putting all the things together from previous challenges.  Water, Journal, Exercise, Breakfast.  All those together should help you see results at the scale.  So, just by staying in this and trying extra hard this week you will be entered into the drawing.  Prize this week is another $5 gift card to Jamba Juice.  A good reward that will be worth the extra effort you put in to this.  Four weeks my friends, you could easily be down 5-10 more pounds if you stay in this and work hard.

Top 3 Worst Weight Loss Shortcuts That Will Take You Off Course

If you learn one thing I hope it’s this: There are no quick fixes when it comes to losing weight and getting fit. None. Zero. Nada. Zilch.
Yet there’s a little part inside of us that wants the weight gone NOW. No, not even NOW. We want it gone YESTERDAY.
And then that’s when we resort to desperate measures and try to find shortcuts. But shortcuts will have you going round in circles, not knowing which way to turn.
Here are the top three worst weight loss shortcuts. Doing one of these is bad enough. But all three? That’s a recipe for disaster.
Shortcut: Eating Too Few Calories
It’s tempting to use this shortcut. You figure if you gain weight from overeating, then undereating is the way to go, right? Ah, not quite.
Eating too few calories will not only leave you hungry, tired and cranky, but you’ll find yourself in the middle of Mickey D’s scoffing down a Big Mac and fries because your cravings will be out of control.
Get Back on Course: Instead what you need to do is create a calorie deficit that’s safe and healthy – and doesn’t leave you hungry.

Once you decide on a daily calorie goal, track your weight loss calories with the and see how you hungry you feel with your initial calorie goal – and then make small adjustments. Raise the goal if you find you’re too hungry.

If you’re a woman, don’t go below 1200 calories a day. For men, don’t go below 1800 calories a day.
Shortcut: Exercising Way Too Much *
With this shortcut, you figure if exercise is supposed to be good for you, well, shucks, a lot of exercise should be even better. And you would be wrong.

Not only do you run the risk of injuring yourself by overusing and overstraining your muscles and joints, but overtraining can be bad for your health.
According the American Council on Exercise, symptoms of overtraining include:

• fatigue that won’t go away despite rest;
• plateau/decrease in exercise performance;
• problems sleeping;
• moodiness;
• loss of appetite and weight (and not in a good way);
• muscle soreness;
• increased resting heart rate.

That doesn’t sound healthy at all, right?

Get Back on Course: Instead of exercising too much all at once to lose weight, look at your current exercise program. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, take a look at what you’re currently doing and gradually increase the duration, intensity or frequency of your exercise program.
*For those who hate exercising, I realize the fact there’s such a thing as over-exercising is inconceivable. But let me tell you, there are people out there who over-exercise. I swear!
Eliminating Important Foods or Food Groups
With this shortcut, some fad diet tells you how you can lose tons of weight by simply eliminating certain foods from your diet or by severely limiting carbs. Or you’re told to only eat certain foods (like grapefruit), thereby eliminating all other foods.
This shortcut only seems to work because you’re actually eating – drumroll, please – less calories.
But eliminating important foods or food groups from your diet can have severe consequences to your health. Sure, fruit is healthy. But a fruit only diet? Lacks protein and fat, and certain vitamins and minerals.
Get Back on Course: Instead of eliminating foods or food groups, work with the foods you love and find a way to balanace your diet. If you don’t have healthy eating habits to begin with, work your way towards eating healthier foods. You need a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, fats and protein to keep your body healthy. You can’t live on Twinkies alone.

The bottom line is that there are no quick fixes. If you start using shortcuts, you run the risk of moving backwards on the road to your weight loss goals. You’ll mess up your metabolism, tire yourself out and feel discouraged with the lack of progress.

Fitness is a lifelong commitment — and can sometimes be long road to walk. Make changes you can live with for the rest of your life. Take the straight and narrow road, and avoid the shortcuts.

Here's the next bonus challenge.  These are not easy as some of you will attest.  But, try it.  Good results if you stick with it.  If you don't know what the exercise is, try google, it explains or has pictures of all of these.

Have a great week.  See you next Saturday at the scale!

WK 7- Results Week ending October 12, 2013

Well, this is it...HALF Weigh!  Don't quit now. No one ever likes to do things half way.  Finish strong.  Not too late to change somethings and finish where you wanted to be at the end of this round.   Here's this week's results:

Top Losers this week:

McCall- 1.85%
Amanda- 1.23%
Jordan- 1.12%
Lydia- 0.83%
Kristi- 0.76%

The rest of us had small gains, loses, or took byes.



This week's challenge winner of the jump rope is:  Pat

This week's challenge is:  Breakfast!  I am terrible at this one.  Most who struggle with weight loss when looking back at their day, breakfast is skipped.  So, this week, starting Monday, eat a good breakfast every day.  Here's some helpful info that just may start you in the right direction.  Prize is:  Another set of headphones.

A Healthy Breakfast for Weight Loss Success:

Whether you prefer eggs, yogurt, or oatmeal, getting a healthy breakfast under your belt sets the tone for a day of weight control and fewer calories overall. In fact, research shows that people who start their day with breakfast make healthier choices and have a lower body mass index in general. The breakfast effect is even stronger for women than men.

"If we skip breakfast, we'll make unhealthier choices at lunch. People who skip breakfast eat more during the day," says Emily Banes, RD, clinical dietitian at the Houston Northwest Medical Center. This is partly due to a thought process in which people believe — incorrectly — that if they don't eat breakfast, they can eat more at lunch or dinner.

Here's the reality. On a physiological level, your breakfast choices — or lack of them — can set off a cycle of cravings and blood sugar spikes that spells doom for weight control. Better to start the day with stable blood sugar and ultimately fewer calories, courtesy of breakfast, says Banes.

Breakfast Calories: What to Eat

You may have to find your perfect breakfast food through a trial and error process. Banes advises thinking outside the breakfast box. It's fine if you prefer a small turkey sandwich or a hard-boiled egg to traditional breakfast foods, she says. Here are other ideas:

Consider whole grains. Whole grains are a good choice because they keep you feeling full, according to a dietary study that compared feelings of satisfaction between people who ate a hot whole-grain cereal for breakfast and those who ate refined wheat bread. Those who ate the whole-grain breakfast reported feeling less hungry over the following eight hours than the comparison group.

Opt for eggs. A study of people between the ages of 25 and 60 who were trying to lose weight found that those who ate two eggs for breakfast lost 65 percent more weight than those who ate bagels, and they also reported having higher energy levels throughout the day. Although this study showed no effect of egg consumption on cholesterol levels, Banes cautions that this may not be the right choice if you already have high cholesterol. Ask your doctor about egg-white alternatives.

Avoid high-sugar choices. Eating doughnuts, breakfast pastries, and sugary cereals may begin that cycle of cravings and blood sugar lows that can undermine your efforts.

Breakfast Calories: Ideas for Slow Starters

Not everyone leaps out of bed ravenously hungry.

"When you first wake up in the morning, if you are not a breakfast person, but you can eat two hours later, that's fine. Have a little yogurt with cereal in it, a little bit of peanut butter on some crackers, or a granola bar with a little bit of protein in it. It doesn't have to be traditional breakfast foods," says Banes.

Once you find the breakfast options that suit your diet and your taste buds, plan ahead so that these foods are on hand when you want them — and you can solidify a healthy habit that will last a lifetime.

 Hope everyone has a great UEA weekend!!

Wk 6-Results ending October 5, 2013

Can you believe that we are half way?  How you doing?  Better than you thought?  Not as you well as you had hoped?  Well, it's not too late to pull your self up and re-evaluate what changes need to be done to get you to where you want to be at the end of this round.  We have just six more weigh ins.  I do want to say, this is supposed to be a life-changing process.  Make changes in your life that you can incorporate and keep after this "game" is over.  Ive done this game a few times now and have slowly reached new goals.  However, if I looked at the number that I have lost when I started this journey, it may have scared me.  But, little by little, it's coming off and every week as I weigh, I celebrate even the little losses.  And don't beat myself up over the little gains, or staying the same.   It didn't creep on overnight, it's not going to come off over night.  Be patient, but be consistent and you will see results...I promise.  I know, because I have watched this happen first hand.

Well, enough of that.  Here's what you came here for:

This Week's Top Ten:


Susan- 3.67%
Sheridan- 1.95%
Kristi- 1.88%
Amanda- 1.21%
Jordan- 0.98%
Lydia- 0.74%
Becky- 0.44%
Ruth- 0.44%

And for the rest of you byes, small gains or losses, or you stayed the same.  The winner of the $5 Jamba Juice gift card is-Ruth  Weigh to go!!!



This weeks challenge is:  Another training one.  What are you playing for? Another Jump rope.
These workouts are great, and can be as hard as you choose them to be. Do them once for beginning, or 2-3 times consecutively for intermediate or advanced. You may not like them, but your body will.  Here you go:

  

And this week's helpful information.  Stuck on a plateau?  These are very difficult.  I was on one for over two months, however thank heavens I was having myself measured, there were results happening, I just didn't see it on the scale.  Here you go.  Hope this helps someone reading this...

Why Am I Not Losing Weight? 5 Reasons You’re Stuck in a Plateau

Have you been stuck at the same weight for a few weeks despite the fact that you seem to be doing all the “right” things? It’s frustrating when your weight loss comes to a stop even though your routine hasn’t changed much. This happens to a lot of people and is commonly referred to as a plateau.
There are a couple of different reasons why the scale isn’t budging. With a few tweaks to your routine, you’ll find that you can start losing weight again. Take a look at some of the most common reasons why you may not be losing weight:

1. You’re underestimating the calories you eat. When you start a diet, you’re probably quite strict about counting your calories. You may even use a scale or measuring cups to make sure that you are eating the right portion size. However, as time goes on, you tend to get less rigid, eyeballing portions instead of being accurate. This could be adding extra calories without you realizing it. Track your calories with an online calorie counter or fitness tracker.
If you’re not sure how many calories you should be eating, you can easily calculate your calorie deficit with this a calorie deficiet calculator (search online, there are several out there)
2. You’re overestimating calories burned. If you’re following the calories burned guide on the exercise machine or relying on estimates from the internet, you may be overestimating how much you are burning when you work out.

3. You’re not eating enough. People who are more active need more calories just to survive. If you eat too few calories, your body thinks that it’s starving and it tends to hold on to the fat. The barest minimums are 1200 calories for women and 1800 for men. People that are larger, more active, or breastfeeding may require much more. I’d venture to say that most people need much more than the 1200/1800.

4. Your body is in a rut. Our bodies are made to be efficient. If you’ve been doing the same exercise routine since you started a diet, your body may have adjusted to the activity, so that it’s not burning as many calories as when you first started. To remedy this, try switching to a different aerobic exercise, or increase your frequency, duration or intensity. If you’re weight training, try different exercises and be sure to increase the weights if the exercises are too easy.

5. You’re losing fat but gaining muscle. If you’re new to exercise (or getting back into it after a long layoff), you may be losing body fat but gaining muscle at the same time. I’ve had this happen to me several times. If this is the case, rejoice! That’s the holy grail of fat loss. How can you tell if you’re losing fat and gaining lean body mass? Track your body fat percentage over several weeks. You may see your weight staying the same but your body fat percentage dropping.

Have a wonderful week.

(Not sure why this is here and I couldn't delete it so oh well!!!)

W5- Results ending September 28, 2013

Week Five!!!  How are you doing?  Don't give up, this is where the rubber meets the road.  I'm sure so many times you might say it's not worth it, I'm not doing very well.  Hey, come on, all who are playing are less than when they started this friendly game.  So, it's better than a gain.  Shake off all those negative feelings and get in this.  It's still early and no one is so far ahead that you couldn't take it.

TOP Ten:

Geina- 2.66%
Jordan- 2.15%
Amanda- 1.79%
Ruth- 1.10%
Sheridan- 0.96%
Pat- 0.85%
Becky- 0.80%
Heather- 0.73%
Lydia- 0.57%

And the rest stayed the same or had very small gains.

This week's challenge winner of the jump rope is Kristi.  Pick it up at next weigh in.

This week's challenge is:  NO Sugar for at least 5-7 days.  Technically we lost yesterday due to not posting the challenge.   Might be easy for some, and harder for others but try it.  You may find that's what is your downfall and not letting you see the results you are hoping for.  That one little cookie, may be the culprit.  What are you playing for:  $ 5 gift card to Jumba Juice.  There will be two winners.  Jamba juice has excellent choices with zero sugar added.  So, if you need something fruit is a great alternative, just be careful, the natural sugars are sometimes hard on a body, too.

I love that so many of you are doing the challenges.  When they change, there is no reason to stop doing them.  Those sit ups are killers, but your abs will thank you.  And the other training rotations of 4-5 exercises, you got a great start last week.  Keep it up, you'll see that your body is stronger and can do them faster and perhaps more rotations.  Don't be afraid to keep doing them.  Also, everyone likes a reward, make ones for you.  Don't use food as the reward, perhaps a movie with your spouse or friends.  A pedicure, a new workout DVD, or shirt.  All of us like rewards, I know I do!

 Here's the week's helpful info.  It's hard to eat healthy when you go out to eat, and let's face it many of us go weigh more than we should.  Maybe this will help you with some wiser choices.

8 Smart Tips for Healthy Eating On the Run

One of the biggest obstacles to healthy eating is a lack of time, which is what discourages many people from making the leap to eat much more healthily. Because fast food and junk food appears to be much more readily available than healthy options, many people simply succumb to the temptation and eat poorly during their busy days.
What many people do not realize is that it only takes a little bit of pre-planning to ensure that meals and snacks are healthy during the day. The following are some tips which will help you opt for the healthier eating choices during your busy, stressful day.

1. Make sure that you eat your fruits and vegetables for the day. The best part about fruits and vegetables is that many of them are extremely portable. Keep a couple of pieces of fruit, or some sliced vegetables in your car or on your office desk. When you are feeling hungry, opt for these healthy snacks instead of making the trek to the vending machine or stopping at a convenience store for a sugary snack.
2. No matter where you eat, make sure that you are watching your portion sizes. You should always opt for the smaller, if not the smallest, size for your meal. If you absolutely must have those salty French fries, opt for the smallest size because it will more than likely be enough to curb your craving without going too overboard in terms of calories.
3. If you are on the run and have no other options but fast food, try to find a deli-style location rather than stopping at the closest drive-thru. Submarine sandwiches on whole wheat or wraps are options which are much lower both in calories and fat than what you would have found at another fast food location.
4. Most places offer healthy sides which you should take advantage of. There are many other options available to you that are simply much better for you than French fries. Many places even offer salads now, which while not as healthy as a salad you would make at home, can easily curb your hunger without overwhelming you with too many calories.
5. Choose grilled options whenever they are available. Chicken may be a healthy choice in general, but the fried and breaded chicken choices that many fast food restaurants offer are actually very high in calories and fat. Opt for a grilled chicken sandwich instead.
6. Try to stop at a supermarket on your lunch break, instead of a fast food restaurant. Grocery stores offer a lot of different quick food options, like vegetables and fruit which are already washed and cut and individually packaged, or small submarine sandwiches with the condiments on the side. If you grab a sandwich, remember to grab a yogurt cup or an individual piece of fruit as well for a well rounded lunch time meal.
7. Speaking of condiments, try to avoid mayonnaise if you can. You may not realize this: A mere tablespoon of mayonnaise can have as many as 100 calories! Yuck!
8. Keep water with you at all times. Avoid sugary drinks and drinks with a lot of caffeine, instead opting for the healthiest thing that you can put into your body: Water. Keep bottled water in your car, or a gallon jug of water at the office with you. Water will also help you feel full faster, if you drink a large glass before every snack or meal.

Have a great week, and we will see less of you at the scale on next Saturday!

THINK ABOUT IT!!!

WK4- Results ending September 23, 2013

Week 4, how you doing? Happy with your progress, or frustrated?  It is amazing how different we all are and yet so similar in so many ways.  Weight loss is hard, if it was easy none of us would even be playing this game,right.  So, you have to look at all aspects of your daily food intake, your exercise and so many things.  If you're not getting the results you are wanting, change something.  It's still very early in this and you've got it.  One thing you really need to do is journal or input what you do everyday, and everything you eat.  It's so important.  You will be amazed at all the small calories you eat that you may not even be aware of. Here's a few of the favorites that are out there, lose it, sparkpeople, calorie king, or if you are using one that you love, share it with the rest of us.

Here's this week's results and other helpful things to help you have an awesome week.

This Week's LOSERS:

Kristi- 1.77%
Heather- 1.68%
Susan- 1.65%
Ruth- 1.09%
Sheridan- 1.05%
Amanda- 1.01%
Pat- 0.73%
Lydia- 0.73%
Becky- 0.61%

If you don't see your name listed above, you had very small losses and very small gains.

Last week's challenge winner of the awesome headsets to use with your workout is:  Jordan

This week's challenge is this:

Three times everyday. Want more out of it, do it three times consecutively.  In order for you to be eligible for the prize you need to do this for at least 3 of the 5 days. That means each day you will have done 30 push ups, 60 sit ups, 75 squats, 60 lunges, 240 jumping jacks,and 3 minutes of wall sits. This is similar to what a personal trainer would give you, and then some more.   

What you playing for:  A jump rope.  

Some may find this information helpful too.  Pandora is awesome, and I think some of these are worth looking into.

Pandora has announced twelve new workout stations, aimed at people who want something to listen to while exercising. Here are the stations and some of the artists who feature on them:

80′s Cardio – Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, Journey.

Alternative Endurance Training – Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rise Against, Sublime.

Classic Rock Power Workout- AC/DC, Aerosmith, Queen.

Country Fitness – Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean.

Dance Cardio – Deadmau5, Tiesto, David Guetta.

Electronic Cardio – Daft Punk, Skrillex, Diplo.

Hard Rock Strength Training – Linkin Park, Three Days Grace, Disturbed.

Pop and Hip Hop Power Workout – Ke$ha, Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce.

Pop Fitness – Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Train.

Rap Strength Training – Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Eminem.

Yoga – Deep Forest, Deepak Chakra, Brian Eno.

Yoga Workout – Cheb I Sabbah, LTJ Bukem, J-Boogie’s Dubtronic Science.

After adding a genre station, listeners can personalize and refine it by providing thumbs-up and thumbs-down feedback for each song depending on whether they want to hear it more often or never want to hear it again. The vice president of corporate communications at Pandora, Deborah Roth, said:

People have been asking for stations designed specifically to get their blood pumping during workouts. We created twelve great stations from various starting points across the music universe, everything from 80′s to country to hard rock, all geared toward giving people energizing music to listen to while they’re exercising

Have a wonderful week fellow losers. Hope to see less of you next week at the scale!

W3 - Results Week Ending September 14, 2013

Remember it came on, one pound at a time and it will come off one pound at a time.  Patience and persistence they work.  Keep going strong.

Another week come and gone.  How'd you do?  As good as you hoped, did you work hard enough?  Did the results at the scale speak for the effort(s) you did?  Think about it.  Whatever you saw if you're not happy with it, try changing a few things, success is coming.

Congratulations to this week's winner of the water bottle:  Lydia

This week's Losers:

Jordan- 1.94%
Sheridan- 1.62%
Susan- 1.48%
Amanda- 1.18%
McCall- 1.09%
Lydia- 1.06%
Becky- 0.62%
Kristi- 0.56%
Ruth- 0.04%
Pat- 0.04%

This week's challenge:  Sit ups!  100 each day.  You don't have to do all of them at once, 2 @ 50, 4 @ 25, whatever.  Try it, you just may be surprised that you can do it.  Prize you're playing for:  A set of earphones to use when you exercise. 

Think exercise is all about toned abs and weight loss? It also makes you happier and smarter.

Maybe you exercise to tone your thighs, build your biceps, or flatten your belly. Or maybe you work out to ward off the big killers like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. But how about sweating to improve your mind? "Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, and learning," . "Even 10 minutes of activity changes your brain." If you need a little extra incentive to lace up those sneakers, here are five ways that exercise can boost your brainpower.

It reverses the detrimental effects of stress.

Jumping on the treadmill or cross trainer for 30 minutes can blow off tension by increasing levels of "soothing" brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. What's fascinating, though, is that exercise may actually work on a cellular level to reverse stress's toll on our aging process, according to a 2010 study from the University of California—San Francisco. The researchers found that stressed-out women who exercised vigorously for an average of 45 minutes over a three-day period had cells that showed fewer signs of aging compared to women who were stressed and inactive. Working out also helps keep us from ruminating "by altering blood flow to those areas in the brain involved in triggering us to relive these stressful thoughts again and again," says study coauthor Elissa Epel, an associate professor of psychiatry at UCSF.

It leaves you feeling euphoric.

Yes, that "runner's high" really does exist if you're willing to shift into high-intensity mode. Ratey recommends sprint bursts through interval training. Run, bike, or swim as fast as you can for 30 to 40 seconds and then reduce your speed to a gentle pace for five minutes before sprinting again. Repeat four times for a total of five sprints. "You'll feel really sparkly for the rest of the day," he says.

And who wouldn't want to feel "sparkly", right???

So, maybe one of these reasons is enough to start moving.

Have a wonderful, healthy and awesome week.

W2 - Results Ending September 7, 2013

Well you did it!  You made it through Week One.  To be honest, it's really the easiest week.  Everyone is always on board and ready to tackle their weight issue.   Now's when it gets a little more tricky, do not quit.  They say it takes 13 days to make a habit, you are almost there.  Those habits and things you are trying to change are going to get you to the finish you deserve and most importantly want.   Typically week one, even on the TV show Biggest Loser is always a great week for high numbers and this week did not disappoint.  If you did not see the loss that you were expecting, sit down and re-evaluate.  Maybe you need to do a little bit more of something, or give up a little more of something else.  You've got this...

Here's what you came to see, remember these are always the week totals, not the competition totals.

Top Ten:

Sheridan-3.88%
Amanda-3.85%
McCall-2.52%
Kristi-2.44%
Becky-2.31%
Jordan-1.86%
Heather-1.82%
Ruth-1.70%
Geina-1.39%
Pat-1.45%
Susan-1.23%
Lydia-1.00%

Total lbs lost this week:  52.1 - Weigh to go!!!

Congratulations to the winner of the water bottle for letting me know what they are playing for: Susan.  Put those pictures somewhere that it will remind you of what you are playing for.  It just may be yours in 12 short weeks!  Susan, you can just pick this up when I see you at the 6 week weigh in.

Here is also the breakdown of prize $$$:

1st $350
2nd $150
3rd $75
4th $25

This week's challenge is to drink water, and lots of it.  Find out what you should be drinking.  This needs to be good clean water, not juice or soda.  48 oz, is doable for most.  More if you want.  Add lemon or lime if you need to, but try hard not to do something like Crystal lite or something similar, best results will be with just good ol' H2O.

Here's some helpful info on the benefits of Water and Weight Loss, hope this is helpful:

Drinking Water And Weight Loss Are Directly Related To Each Other. If You Are Not Losing Weight Even Though You Are Exercising More And Eating Less, Read On.

Natural, healthy weight loss can occur only by increasing one's intake of good healthy water. Weight loss is primarily the result of the liver converting stored fat into usable energy. But when the body is dehydrated, fat cells get "rubbery" and cannot be easily metabolized. This means that it's harder to lose when you don't drink your water.

All weight-loss programs are based on reduced caloric intake and increased metabolic rate, both of which are naturally achieved with an increased intake of healthy water. Increasing water intake naturally speeds up metabolism and allows the body to better assimilate nutrients from the foods and nutritional supplements we consume. Water also assists the liver in converting stored fat into usable energy.

 Other benefits of drinking water and weight loss:  The benefit of drinking water with regards to losing weight is that water is constantly working moving nutrients in and out of the body. That is, it transports the good stuff to your cells where it's needed and it helps to move the bad stuff out. You simply need to keep your body well hydrated in order for this transport system to work to it's fullest.

Water is also natural appetite suppressant, so developing a good water drinking habit can be a long-term aid in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.  Most times your “hunger” is your body asking for water – not food.

Increasing water intake naturally speeds up metabolism and allows the body to better assimilate nutrients from the foods and nutritional supplements we consume, the result being natural and healthy weight loss. When we do not consume enough water, the upper and lower intestine have a reduced ability to absorb nutrients. The result is that most of the value of our foods and supplements is lost and passes through our body with out being absorbed.

Are you beginning to see the connection between drinking water and weight loss?

The quality of the water we drink also greatly impacts the body's ability in maintaining a certain weight. One of the main functions of the liver is to act as a filter and eliminate toxins from the body. The liver performs this vital process using water in a joint effort with the kidneys. If the water we consume contains chemicals like chlorine, lead or agricultural and industrial pollutants, then much of the liver's energy is spent on filtering contaminants instead of processing fat into energy. Many recent studies have shown a link between consuming chlorinated water and thyroid dysfunction, which can lead to weight gain.


Top 11 Health Benefits of Drinking Water

You will be amazed of the benefits of drinking water as follow:

1.Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger, it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories. Here are the further details on how to achieve fat loss by drinking water.
2.Natural Remedy for Headache: Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although many reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.
3.Look Younger with Healthier Skin: You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increases skin elasticity.
4.Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrated.
 5.Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. That means you’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises. Water also helps to fuel your muscle.
6.Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.
7.Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.
8.Less Likely to Get Sick and Feel Healthy: Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack. Water adds with lemon is used for ailments like respiratory disease, intestinal problems, rheumatism and arthritis etc. In another words one of the benefits of drinking water is that it can improve your immune system. Follow this link for further information on how lemon water can improve your health.
9.Relieves Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks water, your heart, for instance, needs to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so will you.
10.Good Mood: Your body feels very good and that’s why you feel happy.
11.Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

Can you see the importance of water to your body after understanding the above benefits of drinking water?

Prizes for next week:  Well of course, another watter bottle.  You will want one, they are fantastic.

See you next week at the scale.  8:45 - 9:15 a.m.

W1- Game On my Friends!!

Well, here we go.  If you are reading this post, most likely you are a participant in Round 2 of the Biggest Loser Kaysville.  This has proven to be a helpful tool for many, including myself.  Some have played, some have won big $$$, but most of all, most have gained helpful habits and lifestyle changes that will help them live healthier and longer lives.  I am determined to use this round to get myself back to a weight that I love and recover from having my baby.  I know I will get there :)  I have always said this has to be a lifestyle change.  You can always do fad diets and things, but let's be honest, those do not last.  Little by little unless you change what got you there in the first place you most likely will gain it back, maybe even a bit more.  I'm trying to be very careful if I'm going to have a treat, I look at my options and choose one, the one that will be worth it.  I also  have found that diet without exercise is like rowing with one oar, you need both oars in the water, or diet and exercise to get you to the desired shore.

So, let's get going.  This week it's about deciding what you are in this for.  I want all to reply to the email of what you are going to do with the $$$ when you win it.  Not IF you win, but WHEN you win.  This will be posted on the before picture I give you and you are to use this for your motivation. If I forgot to get your picture at the start, please remind me to take it next Saturday when I see you.  This is so fun to see in the end.  Put it on your fridge, your bathroom mirror, your visor in the car, whatever  helps you to see where you started and a good visual of the last time you will see that number that was on the scale at today's weigh in.

All those who respond will be entered into the drawing for next week.  However, you need to respond to me by Thursday evening to be eligible.  That way the prize can be given to you at the weigh in.  What are you playing for?  A decent water bottle and the winner just might be you.  That is if you respond by Thursday.  And, most importantly, let what you are playing for be for YOU.  Come on, be selfish.  It's ok!  Who really wants to play to put it toward a bill, not me.

Here's some helpful information that may answer some questions you might have.  Have a wonderful week, I hope to see less of you at the scale next Saturday, 8:45 - 9:15.

Focusing on the small day-to-day steps it takes to slim down will add up to a significant amount of weight loss in 12 weeks. An effective and comprehensive weight loss program consists of regular exercise and healthy nutritional habits. Set yourself up to burn more calories than you consume if you want to lose body fat.

Significance
Twelve weeks gives you time to initiate a weight loss program and see significant results. To lose weight, you need to make daily efforts toward reducing the calories you consume while burning a large number of calories through exercise. For every pound of fat loss, you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories.

Time Frame
If you follow healthy eating habits and participate in regular exercise, you should average 1 to 2 lbs. of weight loss a week. This amount may fluctuate. People typically lose more at the beginning of a weight loss program. Monitor your weight regularly. Use a scale to weigh yourself and record the date and your weight. Weigh yourself every week on the same day to track your progress.

Diet
Consuming fewer calories is much easier than burning calories through exercise. Reduce your caloric intake by drinking water instead of alcohol, sweetened tea and soda. Eat smaller portion sizes at every meal and include plenty of lower-calorie foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Use an online calorie calculator to determine how many calories you should eat a day to maintain your current weight. Subtract 500 from that total--this is the number of calories you should consume to lose weight.

Exercise
Focus your fitness routine primarily on cardiovascular activities, which will help you burn plenty of calories. Perform cardio four to six days a week for 30 to 60 minutes per session. Work out for longer durations to burn more energy. While running is the most effective calorie-burning activity, choose activities you enjoy so you're less likely to skip your workouts.

Considerations
You may have more success with your weight loss efforts if you have long-term goals beyond your 12-week plan. Continue eating healthy meals and exercising after this 12-week period to maintain your weight loss. Avoid diet pills and supplements; the results typically are temporary and such methods may damage your health. Don't starve yourself or work out for unsafe durations.

Before I forget, I am going to wait one more week just to be sure we don't have any additional players to determine what the prize winnings will be.  If you know of anyone that still might be interested, please give them the details and have them show up at my house next week.  There is still time for LADIES only to join.

One last thing:

See you at the scale!

Rules

Whatcha Think??? You In???

There has been several interested in doing another Biggest Loser contest.  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.   Many who live a bit of a distance are welcome to join in the fun.  You will need to be at the 1st, a middle, and last weigh in.  You will need to text or email your weight from your home scale each week.  This may make it a little off from the scale at my house, but it will keep you accountable and in the game without having to drive each week to my home.  Weigh in's are every Saturday morning 8:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. @ my house (75 W. 575 N. Kaysville).

This has always been a great contest to help people get healthier and feel better.  It is a volunteer effort on my part so there is bound to be a mistake here and there.  I try everything I can to recheck my math and especially at the end of the competition.  So, remember you're getting what you pay for.

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 same clothes each weigh in, preferably shorts and t-shirt, No shoes
3. Weigh ins are Saturday mornings 8:45- 9:15 a.m. If arrangements need to be made for another time to weigh in a $2 penalty will be added to the pot to be divided among the winners.  This has always been a rule, but never enforced...this time I will collect.  I don't mind doing different times but should be a penalty due to others weighing in on the scheduled time.
4. Percent of weight loss determines winner, not most pounds lost
5. Participants can miss two weigh ins, but not consecutively and still be included in participation prize.
6. Before pictures will be taken, but not posted on blog. This will help you to see your progress.
7. All weights will be kept confidential, however percentages will be posted weekly on blog.
8.  NO HCG, or other drastic means to accomplish weight loss i.e. weight loss shake only diets.  This has to be a diet and exercise game/contest.  Also, please, please, please, do not drink a bunch of water at the first weigh in.  This messes up the game and to be honest, it will catch up with you.  (sorry, had to put that this time, too many people tell me it happens)
10. Contest begins - August 31st, 2013 and runs for 12 weeks.  Contest ends - November 16th, 2013

More to come...so stay tuned. Remember you could be the biggest loser.

Come on...what have you got to lose???