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!))

Stats Update

Just to update the stats:

Upper body hasn't changed at all - isn't that weird? So, these are for below the chest on down.

Waist 41.5 (down 1.5)
Butt 54 (down 1)
Left thigh 27.5 (down 2.5)
Right thigh 27 (down 3.5) (did I not measure in the same place?)
Left calf 20 (down .5)
Right calf 19.5 (down .75)
Both ankles 10 (down 1 each) (isn't that interesting?)

Looks like I need to get on the stick with the upper body.

I'm Still Here ... Really!

I'm sure you're thinking, "She bailed! What a slacker! None of these Fat Chicks ever sticks with the program. I'll bet she's off buying candy by the pound at See's or Ethel M's!"

So sorry, and "neener neener neener" because I'm still at it! So there.

There have just been so many changes going on in my life, I haven't had a chance to post here recently.

Quit my second job, bought a fixer-upper house - which is basically another full-time job - and then moved into it. And if you've read my profile, you know that I'm an accountant. Tax season just passed us by. It was a kicker, too, this year, because we had a bunch of "front office" issues with personnel.

One gal had to go out on total bed rest due to complications with her pregnancy in mid-February. Her replacement is a complete ninny, incapable of even the smallest attempts at rational thought or logic. Cute as a button, but dumb as a post. She kind of reminds me of a puppy. No control over any of her emotions, and everything in the world revolves around her. It's maddening, I tell you!

Another pregnant gal went out 10 days... yes, 10 days... prior to the April filing deadline, also with complications of pregnancy. Unfortunately, that meant that my staff in the bookkeeping department - and myself, as well - ended up answering phones, assembling tax returns and handing them out.

Then after tax season is the end-of-quarter reports for payroll and sales taxes, plus property tax statements for businesses. California is a taxing place ;) . I'm finally coming up for air, and actually delighted to find that I haven't completely lost my momentum for weight loss. I did gain a couple of pounds, but I'm doing really well in spite of all the upheaval and stress. This morning found me at 243.4 - not too shabby. (I mean, duh, "yes" it's a crap weight to be, but at least I'm not all the way back up at 253.)

I recently purchased a new workout video set from Beach Body. If I get some good results from it, I'll be posting them here. So far, it's a great sweat maker, and that's a good thing.

And if you think yard work isn't hard work... you've never done any. My new place has way too much yard for me. I spend a lot of time ignoring it, simply because it takes so much time!! My dad came by today and helped me get the front yard cut down and cleaned up. He's an awesome guy. So that was my workout today - raking, sweeping, pushing and pulling the dang green waste can all over the place, bending down to pick up the cuttings and then reaching up to put them in the can, etc etc etc etc. Sore? Yep.

I'm still here. I'm still working on it. You can count on that.

Steady as She Goes!

Steady as She Goes!

We broke the 10 pound barrier! 242.6 on Saturday morning, 12/08/07. This is a good thing, although, I still feel it's a little slow. But progress is progress, right? As long as we are still going in the correct direction, it's progress – no matter how small.

I've been paying more attention to the magazines for health and fitness. What I have found is that they are just as full of hype as the “gossip” magazines. For instance:

“Shrink Your Fat Cells!”

“Drop Pounds Effortlessly!”

“The Female Fat Cure!”

“Feel Fabulous After 40” (I have an affinity for that word, you know ;) )

“Miracle Food Melts Fat!”

“Doctor Finds Amazing New Way to ....” Take your pick: Flatten Your Belly, Look Younger, Melt Trouble Spots, Drop 85 Pounds By Christmas.... etc.

What a load of hooey! It's all hype. The real way to lose weight is to change your life. Change how you view food and how you relate to regular exercise. DESIRE to change.

I'm still walking 3-4 days per week at 1.5 miles. It's probably time to increase the distance. However, with the holidays here, there is a lot of excess stress going around. I think I'll keep to my schedule to avoid any more stress from change. Also, I've been diagnosed with very low iron (normal blood levels have a number of 100-150; mine is 40), and a kidney infection. That's a long story we won't go into right now! Mrs. Doctor says I need to reduce my stress levels. Yeah, okay. Just give me a month, all right?

In addition, my doctor requested a blood test called an A1C. This measures the level of blood glucose, and is lauded as the “definitive” test for diabetes. Yes, I was 0.1% over the acceptable threshold (I'm at 6.0%, the limit is 5.9%), and Mrs. Doctor was quite smug about it. She's been predicting my diabetic downfall for over a year, and has been quite disappointed when the results of previous tests didn't pan out. She says, and I quote, “I'll give you an opportunity to fix it yourself, rather than prescribe medication just yet.”

Well, duh. Did she not hear me describe my life changes? Is she ignoring my recent weight loss? I think she just likes being in control. Frankly, she's a little pudgy herself. Perhaps she needs to understand about the FABULOUS way to change her life, hm?

Did I mention that I'm currently buying a house? This will eliminate one of my jobs when I move (I'm an apartment manager of a senior building with 44 units). We went into escrow last week, and we're very excited to finally have a home of our own, my daughter and I. We expect to move around January 5,6,7^th. Once we get there, the living room is 14 feet X 20 feet. Woo hoo! Can you say “floor exercise”? I'll be able to break out the exercise videos and really go for it. I can't wait!

This is the part where....

... fortitude and endurance keep me going. The "rush" of excitement at the prospect of becoming FABULOUS has tempered somewhat. Now comes the work. We are still making progress - 246.4 today (down 6.6 lbs.), and a full inch off of my BUTT - but it's slow progress. Changing one's life is not an easy task. However, I'm still walking at least 3 days per week, I'm still trying to make better choices and largely succeeding at that.

I think I've mentioned before that it's the quiet determination of a life change that will be the deciding factor here. Prayer. Support of friends and family. Knowledge - reading about nutrition and proper food preparation techniques, reading about others' successes, watching videos of successful efforts, etc., really help.

(Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Larry Winget, I'm not selling his stuff, nor do I make any money by referencing his material here. I just enjoy his style of "personal development.:)

Reading about how to change has been a great source of inspiration for me. In Larry Winget's book, "Shut up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life," he says something like - "No one ever ate anything by accident."

Well, duh. That was the most obvious statement! But that never occurred to me before. Everything that goes in my mouth was put there by me. No one forced me. That chocolate didn't just jump in there by itself. I opened my mouth, bent my elbow, and I ate every bite of every thing that ever passed my lips. I've been such a schmuck ~ thinking that it wasn't my fault that I'm 100 pounds overweight. "Um.. low thyroid problem, yeah that's it! No, no! It was my divorce that caused me to gain weight! No, WAIT! STRESS!! That's what happened! I couldn't HELP MYSELF!" ...

Those days are over. I'm overweight because I ate too much. Period. And now that I'm solidly aware of that fact, I can take action of my own accord and stop it. I can change it. I can turn it around. With the help of God, family, and friends, I can once again be FABULOUS. If I can quit smoking in that manner, I can certainly beat FLAB.

Did I mention I was once fabulous? Perhaps I'll post a PRE-FLAB picture to show you just how fab I was. Then, every time I visit my Blog, I'll see how things used to be. I'm not sure I can be quite that fabulous again, but I can certainly strive to get there... or at least really, really close. :) After all, I was younger then. It would be a great motivator, though, to see on a regular basis just how fabulous it's possible for me to be.

Progress!

Progress!

It seemed like a long time coming, but we’re finally seeing some measurable progress: Down 5.4 pounds! 247.6 - Woo hoo! That’s what I’m talkin’ about! Oh, yeah! I’ll be doing a full-body measure at the end of the month. I figure if I do that once every six weeks or so, it will give me a better indicator than trying to do a full measure too often. (Let’s do it when we’re pretty sure we can actually measure some change, shall we?)

The morning walk is definitely paying off. I feel better, I’m more clear-headed, and I think I’m sleeping better, too. Haven’t really noticed any change in my clothes yet, of course, but I think that will happen soon because a pair of shoes that has been too tight actually fit very well yesterday. So, if nothing else, my feet are thinner ;).

I was reading the other day about depression and diabetes. That if you have diabetes, depression makes it worse. AND, that exercise is actually better than medication for both maladies. While I don’t have diabetes (yet – it runs in my family), I do have a tendency to be depressed (which also runs in my family). If I can keep up the exercise, I can certainly beat the odds on both.

One of my 44 neighbors (I live in an apartment building) actually went walking with me this morning. We’ll call her Ms. J. She’s what I’ve heard described as “no bigger than a minute!” Maybe 4’2” – my 10-year-old is as tall as she is – and, while not slender, she’s certainly not fat. Just turned 60-something, and very “go-get-‘em” when she’s up to it. We had a great chat about life and friends and birthdays (hers was yesterday) and health and etc.; as much as you can squeeze into a 20-minute walk at 5:00 a.m. Ms. J is interested in joining the walk a few days a week. I think it’s great!