30 Day Shred With Me! (Oct. 21-Nov. 19)

30-day-shred We can do this folks! Join me in my next 30 Day Challenge!

What: A 30 day commitment to do Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred workout

When: Oct. 21-Nov. 19

What you need to participate:

  • the desire to create change in your life
  • the determination to stick with it for 30 days
  • the heart to encourage others involved in the challenge

Shopping list:

Why I Think This Challenge Is For You:

  • Will be fun doing it as a group – we can motivate one another!
  • There are 3 levels to choose from – I say we ALL can do level 1!
  • The actual routine is 20 MINUTES! (allow 30 with warm-up/cool-down)
  • Only failure will be to NOT DO IT: Even if you can do 1/4 to 1/2 of each exercise, we will consider it success! If routine is difficult where you are currently at, a good goal may be to be able to do full 20 minutes on day 30. 🙂

Assignment:

  • Read the post “What Could You Change in 30 Days?” if you’ve not done so already
  • Sign up to join in by adding comment to this post
  • Sign up for the Facebook Fan Page (if not currently a member) – will discuss more at the fan page.
  • Gather the items you need from the shopping list above
  • Mark your calendar for start date of Oct. 21

Ready…Set… Go!!!!


What Could You Change in 30 Days?

calendarThe challenge of losing 140 lbs can be OVERWHELMING! I can remember the day I made this decision as if it were yesterday. I knew instinctively that the only way I was truly going to change all of the poor eating and non-healthy choices that I had been making, would be to chunk it down and make those changes bit by bit. If I were truly going to commit to this decision, I was going to be successful by creating true lasting changes in the smaller decisions that I made day-to-day.

This began a pattern of creating 30 day plans or challenges for myself. I discovered a great post at Steve Pavlina’s blog titled “30 Days to Success” which describes what he calls a 30 day trial. The concept is basically that 30 days is a reasonable time to commit to something that we want to change in our life. This could be the introduction of a healthy new habit or the demise of something that we feel is negative in our life.

What if you told yourself that you were committing to something, not forever…but for 30 days? If, at the end of 30 days, you never wanted to engage in the activity again, you wouldn’t have to, BUT if in fact a healthy habit is a result, how wonderful would that be?

If you are just starting out with your weight loss and have a huge list of things that you want to change, what is ONE things that you could commit to doing for the next 30 days? Could you commit to a 15 min. walk? Taking a daily vitamin? Drinking 8 glasses of water? Eating 3-5 servings of fruits/vegetables a day? What could your 30 day action plan be?

The very first 30 day challenge that I created for myself regarding my weight loss had to do with exercise. I KNEW that I HAD TO GET MOVING and I had been doing nothing prior to that point. I was ready to pour a lot into myself to lose this weight and I was determined to make exercise a big part of the plan.

I decided to walk for 60 minutes a day to create a habit of moving for myself. It was a lofty goal and guess what? I could not walk for 60 minutes or even 30 minutes at a time…my body just would not allow for it. My feet and legs would swell and it was just too painful. SO my 30 day challenge was to walk for 15 minutes 4 times a day for 30 days!

Did I complete it? You bet! How did I feel at the end of 30 days? I would say that it was the single best thing I did for myself at that time. I knew now that I COULD exercise. The weight started coming off and I was more likely to eat healthy throughout the day after working on the exercise piece.

Here are some examples of other 30 day challenges I have done in the past:

  • drink 8 glasses of water a day
  • no eating out
  • writing for 1 hr/day
  • no watching TV during the week (M-Th)
  • waking up at 5AM

You get the idea….

I swear by the 30 Day Challenge and I’d love to challenge you now to choose one thing that you will commit to doing for 30 days! Please add your comments so that I can cheer you on. 🙂

Go!


Week 144 Check-in: October 5, 2009

Starting Weight: Jan 1, 2007 – 278 lbs
Previous Week’s Weight: September 28, 2009 – 168

Current Weight: October 5, 2009 -  168 lbs

Week 144 Weight Loss:   0 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 110 lbs

Exercise Report:
Cardio x 5 (5 walks)
Strength Training (Jillian dvd) x 2
Abs x 2
Pilates x2

Food Report:
A bit better!

Notes:

  • started P
  • argh – spent a few days with a big headache!
  • next week WILL be better!


Month 34 Goals: October 09

Weight Loss and Fitness Goals:

Starting Weight: Jan. 1, 2007 – 278 lbs
Starting Weight: Jan. 1, 2008  – 193 lbs
Starting Weight  Jan. 1, 2009 – 158 lbs
Starting Weight  Oct. 1, 2009 – 167.2 lbs
YR 3 Q4 Weight Goal: 150

Weight loss goal for month: 161 (6.2 lbs)

Weight loss goal per week: 1.5 lbs

October Exercise Goals:

  • Cardio (walking/bike/treadmill (5 times/wk ) Experiment with interval training
  • Strength Training (Jillian DVD)
  • Abs 2 times/wk (8 Minute Abs Dvd)
  • Pilates 2 times/wk – (video)

October Food/Nutrition Goals:

  • Get back on track!!
  • 8 glasses of water/day
  • 1300-1500 calories
  • may do some calorie cycling


2009 Q4 GOALS: Oct 1-Dec. 31, 2009

Starting Weight: Jan. 1, 2009 – 158 lbs
Starting Weight: October 1, 2009 – 167.2 lbs

Q4 Weight Goal: 150 (17.2 lb loss)

Q4 Fitness Goals:

  • Cardio 5 times/wk (min. 30 min) – try interval training on the treadmill  now that I am doing winter in MI
  • Strength Training 2 times/wk (Jillian – No Trouble Zones, may try 30 Day Shred)
  • Pilates 2 times/wk
  • Abs 2 times/wk (2 instead of 4 while doing Jillian also)

Q4 Food/Nutrition Goals:

  • Focus on 1500 at beginning, decrease or calorie cycle down to 1200 towards goal weight as needed
  • 8 glasses water daily

Ok – we can do this – 3 more months until 2010 – really want to hit this goal! 🙂

Month 33 Check-in: September 09

Starting Weight: Jan 1, 2007 – 278 lbs
Previous Month Weight: September 1, 2009 – 169 lbs

Current Weight: October 1 – 167.2 lbs

Month 33 Weight Loss:  1.8 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 110.8 lbs

Initial Measurements (1 month in):

Arms: 15.5 in.
Chest: 46 in.
Waist: 44 in.
Hips: 56 in.
Thigh: 29 in.

Measurements: Oct. 1:
Arms: 12 in.
Chest: 35.5 in.
Waist: 29 in.
Hips: 43.5 in.
Thigh: 22.5 in.

Month Decrease in Inches =  haven’t been great with measuring – will plan to do this Q4 again! 😉
Total Decrease in Inches = 48 in.

Biggest Loser 8: Episode 803 Recap

(Original Air Date 9/29/2009)

This week starts out with a crazy bang…

Individual Challenge:

The theme of  the week was “Would You Rather”. The contestants were given the choice of having a 2 lb advantage at the weigh-in if they would be willing to give up their training with Jillian and Bob for the whole week.  The teams could step forward if they were willing to take Alison up on the offer and only one team would be given the advantage. No one was dumb enough to give up their trainers for only 2 lbs UNTIL Tracey did step up – much to the surprise of her poor partner Coach Mo.

Everyone was shocked and trainers Jillian and Bob were completely ticked off at Tracey that she would throw out the training for 2 measly lbs. It was like a slap in the face! They (Bob) kept their cool and had a real heart to heart with her to be sure that she understood how important these choices were that she was making.

Temptation Challenge:

Alison hit the contestants up with a temptation, asking them “would you rather control your diet or the game”?

The winner of the temptation would be able to choose one person from each team to represent the team weight loss for the week.

The contestants were faced with small cupcakes worth 100 calories each. Whoever at the most cupcakes would win the temptation. Only two people ate any cupcakes – Antoine with 2 and TRACEY (shocker!) at 4 cupcakes!

The contestants were shocked and Jillian and Bob were completely thinking she was crazy!

Trainer Tip:

Jillian Michaels (trainer): To improve your balance, stand with one leg raised on a sofa cushion. Move a medicine ball from side to side and overhead while balancing on the one foot. Once this is mastered, try the same thing with your eyes closed.

Team Challenge:

The winning team of the challenge would be granted immunity at the weekly weigh-in.

The teams had to carry a total of 500 lbs to the top of an inclined ramp and the first to do so would raise their colored flag at the end of the ramp.

The teams could choose between carrying two 5 lbs weights that were the furthest distance from the ramp or one 25 lb weight that was close to the ramp.  The teams were pretty much equally divided in their choice of weights.

The green team of Allen and Abby won with their choice of the two 5 lb weights.

Last Chance Workout:

The last chance workout was grueling as usual!

Everyone made a point to suck up to Tracey because of the decision that she would make as to whose weight would count at the weigh-in.

Weigh-In Results: (pounds lost this week, total lbs lost to date, current weight)

Daniel: 6 lbs, 25 lbs total, 287 lbs
Shay: 6 lbs, 39 lbs total, 437 lbs (*was chosen by Tracey)
Amanda: 5 lbs, 15 lbs total, 235 lbs (*was chosen by Tracey)
Rebecca: 7 lbs, 31 lbs total, 248 lbs
Rudy: 12 lbs, 54 lbs total, 388 lbs (*was chosen by Tracey)
Dina: 3 lbs, 19 lbs total, 234 lbs
Antoine: 11 lbs, 37 lbs total, 330 lbs
Sean: 6 lbs, 39 lbs total, 405 lbs (*was chosen by Tracey)
Liz: 4 lbs, 24 lbs total, 243 lbs (*was chosen by Tracey)
Danny: 4 lbs, 40 lbs total, 390 lbs
Allen: 4 lbs, 33 lbs total, 292 lbs
Abby: 5 lbs, 31 lbs total, 216 lbs
Julio: 7 lbs, 39 lbs total, 368 lbs
Coach Mo: 1 lbs, 29 lbs total, 326 lbs
Tracey: 11 lbs, 21 lbs total, 217 lbs (*was chosen by Tracey)

Biggest Loser for the Week:
Tracey had the biggest percentage loss for the week, BUT no one clapped during her 11 lb loss weigh-in at all – due to the disgust everyone was feeling at the crazy choices and decisions that she made this week.

Lowest Teams for the Week:
Antoine & Sean
Daniel & Shay

Eliminated Contestant/Team:
Antoine & Sean

Sean’s transformation since leaving the ranch:

Sean has lost 120 lbs since leaving the Biggest Loser Ranch and is doing awesome at home with wife and kids. Go Sean!

Antoine’s transformation since leaving the ranch:

Antoine has lost 105 lbs since leaving the Biggest Loser Ranch and has been hitting the gym hard. Go Antoine!

He said that when he started with The Biggest Loser he had 3 goals in mind: 1. To be healthy 2. To be happy 3. To be able to one day have a family – Surprise!!! The contestant that Alexandra mentioned having a crush on WAS ANTOINE! WooHoo! They are very happy together and can imagine a future together.

Next Week on the Show:

Next week teasers allude to the difficult time that Tracey is having faced with the repercussion of her actions this week. Everyone pretty much seems to hate her and to top it off the doctor tells her that she cannot do any exercise due to her injury.

Stay tuned!


Week 143 Check-in: September 28, 2009

Starting Weight: Jan 1, 2007 – 278 lbs
Previous Week’s Weight: September 21, 2009 – 169

Current Weight: September 28, 2009 -  168 lbs

Week 143 Weight Loss:   1 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 110 lbs

Exercise Report:
Cardio x 4 (3 walks, 1 bike: 8.3 mi)
Strength Training (Jillian dvd) x 2
Abs x 2
Pilates x2

Food Report:
I so need to be doing better with this! argh! – ditto! 😉

Notes:

  • All I can say is that I am planning for a good Q4 – enough of not losing! Ready to go again!





Biggest Loser 8: Episode 802 Recap

(Original Air Date 9/22/2009)

Week 2 is notorious for being a difficult week for the Biggest Loser contestants on the show. In general, usually week one brings big loss across the board and week 2 slows down quite a bit on the heels of those big numbers.

Alison Sweeney offers the contestants a challenge this week…if the combined team can lose 150 lbs total, no one will be eliminated. If they do not meet this requirement, 2 people would be leaving the ranch.

“The universal truth to weight loss…this is the foundation of any program no matter what it might be…is calories in, calories out.” ~ Jillian Michaels

Tracey returns to the ranch after being in the hospital and seems nervous but ready to get down to business with her teammate Coach Mo.

All the contestants seem to be upset with Julio because of his lack of effort.

Trainer Tip:

Jillian Michaels (trainer): Keep a food journal and write everything down. This will help you to be accountable for the food and beverage choices that you are making throughout the day/week. It’s been reported that keeping a food journal can double your weight loss.

Healthy Food Challenge With Curtis Stone:

World class chef Curtis Stone teaches the contestants some healthy cooking tips that will aid them in a challenge. If they can answer 5 of 8 questions that Alison presents to them correctly, they will win a 15 lb advantage at the weigh-in.

Healthy Food and Cooking Tips:

1. Know your healthy portion sizes (he recommends The Biggest Loser Nutritional Scale to measure)
2. Use a healthy cooking method: bake, poach, steam, broil or grill
3. Be aware of the salad dressing/topping when eating out – this can be more calories than a different option
4. Pasta calories can be cut in half by substituting vegetables – for ex, zuccinni
5. Soda: way too much sugar to be consuming – give up soda!
6. Eat healthy snacks – incorporate protein because it refuels your muscles, helps increase your fullness and helps to maintain your blood sugar level
7. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks throughout the day

*The contestants did win the challenge and the 15 lb advantage which meant that they now had to lose a total of 135 lbs instead of the original 150 lbs.

Curtis Stone Cooking Tip:

For a healthy sweet, grill or broil chunks of pineapple on a skewer and eat with some natural yogurt.

Group Challenge:

The contestants compete in a challenge whereby the have to walk across the water from raft to raft on planks that get more narrow as they proceed through 4 stages across the water. Everyone must make it across the planks and if one person falls in the water, the contest would be over.

Each stage has a prize:

  • Raft 1: 5 lb weight advantage
  • Raft 2: 5 lb weight advantage
  • Raft 3: phone calls from home
  • Raft 4: 10 lb weight advantage

*The contestants completed the challenge winning all the prizes for a total of 20 additional lbs won. They now only needed to lose a total of 115 lbs to keep everyone at the ranch! They also each enjoyed teary phone calls with their loved ones.

Last Chance Workout:

Bob and Jillian both discuss and agree that Julio needs some pressure from them as he’s not been working as hard as he should be.

“The gym here is almost like a truth serum. I can beat on them and beat on them and beat on them to the point that all of their defenses are down…and then everything that they’ve been stuffing down comes flooding up.”
~ Jillian Michaels

Weigh-In Results: (pounds lost this week, total lbs lost to date, current weight)

Daniel: 7 lbs, 19 lbs total, 293 lbs
Shay: 16 lbs, 33 lbs total, 443 lbs
Amanda: 4 lbs, 10 lbs total, 240 lbs
Rebecca: 6 lbs, 24 lbs total, 255 lbs
Rudy: 14 lbs, 42 lbs total, 400 lbs
Dina: 8 lbs, 16 lbs total, 237 lbs
Antoine: 8 lbs, 26 lbs total, 341 lbs
Sean: 11 lbs, 33 lbs total, 411 lbs
Liz: 10 lbs, 20 lbs total, 247 lbs
Danny: 12 lbs, 36 lbs total, 394 lbs
Allen: 10 lbs, 29 lbs total, 296 lbs
Abby: 11 lbs, 26 lbs total, 221 lbs
Julio: 19 lbs, 32 lbs total, 375 lbs
Coach Mo: 9 lbs, 28 lbs total, 327 lbs
Tracey: 10 lbs, 10 lbs total, 228 lbs (returned from the hospital, original weight was 238 lbs)

Biggest Loser for the Week:
No Biggest Loser this week because of the team challenge.

Lowest Team for the Week:
No lowest team this week because the team met the weight challenge.

Eliminated Contestant:
No one was eliminated this week because the team met the weight challenge.

Next Week on the Show:

Next week the contestants will be faced with an individual decision. They can choose to give up the trainers for the week in order to have complete control at the week’s weigh in. By the teaser, it looks as though someone did choose this as Bob & Jillian do not look happy!

Stay tuned!

Week 142 Check-in: September 21, 2009

Starting Weight: Jan 1, 2007 – 278 lbs
Previous Week’s Weight: September 14, 2009 – 169

Current Weight: September 21, 2009 -  169 lbs

Week 142 Weight Loss:   0 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 109 lbs

Exercise Report:
Cardio x 4 (1 walks, 3 bike: 24.7 mi)
Strength Training (Jillian dvd) x 2
Abs x 2
Pilates x2

Food Report:
I so need to be doing better with this! argh!

Notes:

  • ok on the exercise
  • struggling a bit with food/calories
  • Q4 is coming up – planning to hit it hard! 😉


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