8 Lessons from the Biggest Loser

This is a great article from "Living La Vida Low Carb" (see link at end of article).

8 Lessons from the Biggest Loser we can all learn from!

1. You shouldn't go it alone. Do you think that the contestants would be as successful if they went at it alone?
Lesson: There is strength in numbers. Doing everything by yourself can be lonely and discouraging.

2. Your attitude matters. The wrong group can drain your motivation and energy.
Lesson: Surround yourself with positive people. If you find that the negative attitude is coming from you, chances are you won’t stick with it. Change your perspective and stay positive for good results!

3. You won't always see results.
Lesson: Losing weight isn't as simple as a mathematical equation. Sure you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight, but even when you do everything right, sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. Is it frustrating? You bet! But when it happens, all you can do is accept it and continue on. Trust that your efforts will show eventually. Remember that even when the scale doesn't budge, your efforts are making a difference. Try to focus on other ways to measure your progress — like how you feel, your health improvements, and how your clothes fit. If all else fails, take steps to bust through your plateau!

4. You have to train your brain. Bob and Jillian know that exercise and training will reshape the body. But they are great at training the contestants mentally too. Along the course of the show, they all learn to believe in themselves. Whether they make it to the end or get eliminated along the way, most of the "losers" say the same thing: What they had accomplished on the campus had previously been nothing more than a dream.
Lesson: Believe in yourself! When you're out of shape and overweight, it's easy to beat yourself up and lose confidence.With every small step you take towards your goals, your confidence will build. With every goal you achieve, your self-esteem with sky-rocket. The key is to just start. It's always better to try—even if you mess up along the way — than to never try at all.

5. You have to change your lifestyle. Understand that this is a complete lifestyle overhaul— a total transformation for life, not a diet for a little while. No matter how hard you work or how much weight you lose, it will come back if you revert back to your old habits.
Lesson: There are no quick fixes. Getting healthy and managing your weight it is not a temporary thing. It's a series of day-to-day, meal-by-meal choices that you have to stick with for the long haul.

6. You have to work hard. Sometimes when I'd watch the Teams work out I'd think, "Their trainers are heartless!" In reality, those trainers know that weight loss takes hard work. You see them exercise when they have nothing left, choose the healthy foods even though they'd rather have their favorite comfort foods, and even leave their families for weeks at a time — these things are not for the faint of heart.
Lesson: It won't always be easy. Lots of people want to lose weight, but most aren't willing to pay the price or make sacrifices to get there. You will not be successful with a half-hearted effort or by looking for shortcuts or the easy way out.

7. You can have fun! I always enjoy watching different challenges each week. Although they were often physical, they're not what I'd consider traditional exercise: trying to stay on a moving escalator the longest; running and placing empty soda cans from one bin to another; or traversing a ravine on a zip line.
Lesson: Boredom will kill your exercise routine. Mix it up and keep your body guessing and keep it fun. Instead on going to the gym for a mindless half hour on the stairclimber (more like the “stairmonster”), get outside and do some hiking or biking. Forgo the weight machines one day and head to a playground to swing from the monkey bars, climb, jump, run and LAUGH!

8. You have to be consistent. Those who lose the biggest are consistent. They make healthy eating and exercise part of their daily lives — even after they go home. And even when they encounter setbacks along the way, they don't give up.
Lesson: Consistency is key. No matter how close (or far) you are from your goal — or even if you're there already — the habits you learn along the way have to continue if you're to be successful in the long term.

http://www.livinlowcarbdiscussion.com/showthread.php?tid=107

Twenty pounds down - and counting!

Did someone say TWENTY POUNDS?? Hurray for me!! 232.4 Yeah baby!!

I got a lot of rest this weekend - took it real easy on Saturday, and napped yesterday afternoon for 3 hours. I feel pretty good today. I did work out yesterday, though Sundays I'm usually "off." I figured I better make up for Saturday! I'm down another couple of pounds, and that's very exciting. Also, I found my WW materials, so I can start paying more attention to my food and what it costs me to eat. I really hate having nearly a five-foot-around butt, and I'm not losing there for the past month - no change at all in that measurement.

Sometimes after I've taken a break for a day or even two, I find that my workouts after that are more effective - at least I feel as if I'm better able to do them. So maybe it's just the body saying it needs to recuperate? I don't know anything, though; I'm just a workout junkie One day at a time, right?

Last week I drove my daughter out to Arizona to stay with her dad for a couple of weeks. As I suspected, Arizona was horribly hot; however, I was granted a reprieve from the blazing sun by monsoon clouds and a gusty wind most of the day. Of course, that made it humid, but it was "only" around 100F all day rather than the forecast 116. And being right on the water, we could jump in at any time. Much nicer than I expected.

Couldn't sleep, though. Woke up at 2:00 a.m. and decided I wanted to come home. So I woke my daughter and we had a "moment" before I headed out down the road.... without her. It's the worst feeling in the world. At least I know she's in a place where she's loved and taken care of. I'll miss her terribly, but I have to say that I will enjoy some private time.

The ride home was punctuated by brilliant lightning, rumbling thunder, and intermittent heavy rain. Exciting! The whole sky would light up, huge bolts of lightning that seemed to be directly in my path! Cool! After getting home, I got to sleep for a few hours to make up what I'd missed.

Great to be home, but sure miss my girl. I'll tell you another time about the "other" girls who were there... a 13-year old with a pierced tongue and her older sister (16) with the pink skull-and-crossbones dangling from her pierced navel. ::shudder::

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I do the two-day fast with juice and green tea. I'm discovering that any whey-based powder gives me excruciating belly pains. So I go with cranberry, apple, mango (clear juices) etc., and green tea or other herb teas. I'm also going to try broth next time, just to see how that goes over. I think it would be really satisfying to do a hot beef broth rather than something cold in the evening.

Two things: First - I DID THOSE STUPID REVERSE LUNGES TODAY!!! Every single one of them! and I did NOT fall over! Woo hooo!

Second - my Turbo Jam came today! Yippppeee!!

I read all the way through the "guidebook" and I've tried on my weight gloves. But I have to ask, do they make these for really tiny people?? I can barely get them fastened, and I have small wrists. It will be interesting to see how they stay on when we get jammin' lol

I also think I'm not eating enough, or something else is wrong. I get shaky/trembly and headachy during the day, even though I think I'm eating okay, and even too much. Maybe I'm not getting enough protein? I dunno, but I'm going to try the formula in the TJ book (which says I should be eating 2300 calories [yikes!]) and see if I feel better. Possibly I need to start taking supplements?

I'm a little down today, because I miss my daughter. She called me today, all excited because her dad let her get a little puppy.... I could just imagine her face, and it made me miss her. (I know, I know, it's just a short time and she will be home really soon...) Okay, pity party OVER.

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7-11-08
I'm going to go curl up with a book and see if I can fall asleep... had my tooth pulled today that has been bothering me for a long time, and they had to basically take it out in pieces. Bleagh! The roots of my molars curl inward, so even when they get the tooth loose, it won't come out easily. I'm going to be sore tomorrow, I think. However, getting that disgusting, diseased tooth out of my mouth is a huge relief, and I think I'll be feeling better than I have in a long time just getting that poison out of my system. ((Let's hear it for a healthier mouth!! Hip hip hooray!))