Archives for October 2009

Pre-Challenge Assignment: What’s Your Intention?

October 14, 2009 by Paula 4 Comments

OK folks we’re 1 week away from our 30 Day Shred Challenge! (just click that link if you need the skinny on what I’m referring to – there’s still time to join in on the fun!)

I’m getting very excited and I’m SO happy that so many of you have joined up with me in this! I think it’s going to be great doing it together.

Today, I’d like you to think about what it is you hope to have accomplished at the end of the 30 days. I think it is VERY important and useful to have some serious intent behind our goals and actions…not just with the weight loss but with pretty much everything we do in life, right? 😉

Maybe you have not seriously begun your weight loss or exercise efforts and your intent would be to get into a nice exercise groove? Maybe you’re struggling with a plateau and are hoping that this change-up in your exercise will kick your weight loss into gear again. You get the idea.

For me, I’ve been hovering in the range of 167-170-ish for awhile now. It’s a tricky place because I know I want to reach my goal (138 ) and at my low (158) I felt fantastic BUT 167 still has me feeling pretty good.

So, my intention with the 30 Day Challenge is to have 30 days of exercise along with serious calorie counting – determined to get back to those low 160’s at a minimum.Â I also intend for us, as a group, to be a source of encouragement and support for one another…and that is happening! Thanks SO much gang! We can do this together and thank you for joining in and believing in yourself.

I’d love to hear what your intentions are in the comments…

Filed Under: 30 Day Shred (Oct 21-Nov 19)

Biggest Loser 8: Episode 805 Recap

October 14, 2009 by Paula Leave a Comment

(Original Air Date 10/13/2009)

Four weeks ago the contestants came to the ranch and were partnered up in teams. Tonight they would be divided into two teams (Blue/Black) with Bob and Jillian training their competitive teams once again.

Alison introduced this at the temptation challenge where the contestants would spin a wheel choosing one of 35 silver plates. One plate contained a golden ticket and the person that won the golden ticket would be able to choose the teams and the trainers. The other plates contained either sweets that the contestants had to eat or amounts of money. The contestants were able to choose if they wanted to take part in the temptation and everyone did play except for Abby.

The contestants were in shock when once again Tracey won the challenge and the power to choose the teams.

Tracey chooses Bob as her training for Team Blue and the rest of the team consists of: Coach Mo, Allen, Rudy, Rebecca and Liz.

Jillian’s Black Team is: Abby, Dina, Amanda, Danny, Daniel and Shay.

Many contestants are upset with Tracey but none more so than Liz who is overcome with emotion that she is being split from her partner Danny. She vows to get rid of Tracey the first chance she gets.

Jillian gives her team a good workout in the gym and Bob deals with Liz who passes out while on the treadmill.

There is a big moment in the gym (and throughout the show) when Jillian is trying to get Dina to jump up onto the platform. For some reason Dina has a huge mental block about completing this task and Jillian presses her to get to the bottom of the real thing that she is afraid of…presses her to get real with her feelings.

“Your life’s not changing today, but at least your butt’s getting smaller.” ~ Jillian Michaels to Dina

Trainer Tip:

Jillian Michaels (trainer): Do deadlifts to tone and strengthen gluts and hamstrings. For an added challenge, lift one leg and then alternate with the other leg.

Bob takes the Blue Team grocery shopping for lunch to teach them more about nutrition. They sit outside and have wraps made of Jennie-o Turkey and lots of vegetables.

Team Competition: (1st Blue vs. Black Competition):

The teams needed to complete a race while carrying on of their teammates on a platform. The one being carried could swap out. The winning team would win videos from home, a prize everyone wanted.

The blue team won and everyone was very excited to watch video messages from their loved ones.

A very touching moment was when Liz went to her old partner Danny to ask him to come watch her video with her. When she started the video, he realized that she had swapped her video for his. He was so grateful and the moment was awesome…go Liz!

Last Chance Workout:

Jillian worked her team out in pairs of two so they could push one another.

Bob took the Blue Team to 24 Hr Fitness to work out as a group.

Trainer Tip:

Bob Harper (trainer): If a regular push-up is too difficult, work up to it by starting against a wall then moving down to chair or table.

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

Tracey: 7 lbs, 32 lbs total, 206 lbs
Coach Mo: 6 lbs, 43 lbs total, 312 lbs
Allen: 7 lbs, 47 lbs total, 278 lbs
Rudy: 8 lbs, 73 lbs total, 369 lbs
Rebecca: 7 lbs, 42 lbs total, 237 lbs
Liz: 8 lbs, 35 lbs total, 232 lbs
Abby: 5 lbs, 39 lbs total, 208 lbs
Dina: 6 lbs, 30 lbs total, 223 lbs
Amanda: 6 lbs, 26 lbs total, 224 lbs
Danny: 10 lbs, 58 lbs total, 372 lbs
Daniel: 11 lbs, 36 lbs total, 276 lbs
Shay: 16 lbs, 60 lbs total, 416 lbs

Lowest Team for the Week:
Blue Team (Bob): blue 2.56% weight loss (Black Team (Jillian): 3.05% weight loss)

Biggest Loser (Immune) From Losing Team:
Liz

It seemed the Blue Team was sure to vote off Tracey as she had made many enemies over the course of the past few weeks. While discussions were underway though, Coach Mo completely stepped up to the plate asking the team to vote him out because it was the right thing for the team since he had the lowest weight loss. Very honorable Coach Mo!

Eliminated Contestant/Team:
Coach Mo

Coach Mo’s transformation since leaving the ranch:

Coach Mo has gone from a starting weight of 355 to 279 lbs since returning home from the ranch.
Coach Mo says that the show saved his life.

Next Week on the Show:

The contestants are going home for a week! Who will be celebrating when it comes time to face the scale?

Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Season 8 Tagged With: biggest loser, biggest loser 8, biggest loser season 8

What’s the Story in YOUR Head?

October 13, 2009 by Paula 8 Comments

story-in-your-head Yesterday an Ah-Ha moment occurred for me. I’ve had more than a few on this weight loss journey for sure, but this one was a biggie!

I’ve been rolling something around in my brain that I heard trainer Jillian Michaels say on the premier episode of The Biggest Loser Season 8.Â She was talking to contestant Shay as she was struggling on one of the pieces of gym equipment.

This is what she said to Shay:

â€œThis is a story in your head. None of it is real. All you have to do is change your mind.â€

What?! Wait a minute! Shay is like the biggest female contestant that they’ve had on the show thus far. (and you go Shay!) If she feels that her body cannot do something, is that incorrect? I mean we do have physical limitations…don’t we?

Hmmmmm…..

Yesterday, I did Jillian Michaels: No More Trouble Zones as I’ve been doing for weeks now. Every time I do this dvd, there are certain exercises that I cannot (really?) do all the way through. One of these is the dreaded surrender move where you hold your dumbbells over your head while kneeling and raising to standing position.

So, yesterday I realized that maybe this “I can’t” business was only a “story in my head”….maybe if Jillian was right about Shay and Shay has been completing amazing fitness tasks – maybe I could do this silly surrender move all the way through! OK, go figure! Changed my story, completed the move!

Could it really be THAT easy?

Change the story in your head, CHANGE YOUR LIFE, even?

I remember the day I decided to buy a bicycle. I had lost about 48 lbs at this stage of my weight loss journey and was weighing in at about 230 lbs. I had been thinking about this for awhile, but I honestly had the idea that it was something that I needed to wait for. After all fat people cannot ride bikes, can they? Doh!

I made the decision to go to the bike shop and literally stood there talking to the salesman with hands on hips saying…”OK, Am I too fat to ride a bike?” Of course, he denied this and sold me a bike that completely revolutionized my exercise routine! When that story in my head changed, the weight started coming off even more rapidly because I found a type of exercise that I completely enjoyed! Riding the bike that first time is one of my favorite memories during this journey to health, fitness and FREEDOM!

My weight loss journey DID begin with a decision back in 2006. There was a story playing in my head at that time that had all the makings of a very sad ending…a sad life. I had tried so many times to lose weight and the story I was telling myself was that I could only fail again, but was that real? Could it be only a thought and could I decide something else?

What is the story you are telling yourself today? Have you failed time and time again at losing weight? Are the words you hear in your head, reality? Or are they simply words?

If other people have lost the same weight or more than you have, is it possible that you could also achieve success?

Can you change YOUR story?

I know YOU can! Decide today that YOU deserve every positive thing that you could imagine coming your way…regardless of the past, regardless of the story, regardless of the obstacles that are before you.

What’s the NEW story in your head….I can’t wait to hear it!

Let’s do this together!

Filed Under: Motivation

Pre-Challenge Assignment: Work Those Muscles!

October 12, 2009 by Paula 2 Comments

OK team…we’re 9 days out from our 30 Day Shred Challenge and I just wanted to start putting some tips out there for you all.Â Do I think we’re gonna make it through the 30 days?Â You bet, I do!!!Â Do I think there may be some challenges along the way?Â Yes!!!!Â lol

So, being the planner that I am, I want to try to nip those challenges in the bud now.

IF you are not currently exercising, there will definitely be some soreness when you start with the infamous Jillian on the 21st! Heck, I’ve been doing strength training for 2+ yrs now and I’m expecting that I will have to push through some sore muscles.

So…if you’re not currently doing anything with your dumbbells, I’d suggest doing some bi-cep and tri-cep work every other day or so. Just do something light – maybe during commercials of your favorite TV program.

I’d also do a few sets of squats and lunges to get that lower body ready.

At the beginning of my fitness routine, I was fortunate to have access to a gym which is where I did my upper body work. As the months progressed, when I wanted to change up my routine a bit I purchased the book below and created a little upper and lower body routine of my own based on some of the exercises in this book.

I will include the link below in case this is something that would help you out.

Here you go: The Biggest Loser Fitness Program

Let’s go team! 🙂

P.S. Do you have everything you need from the shopping/tools list?

Filed Under: 30 Day Shred (Oct 21-Nov 19)

Week 145 Check-in: October 12, 2009

October 12, 2009 by Paula 2 Comments

Starting Weight: Jan 1, 2007 – 278 lbs
Previous Week’s Weight: October 5, 2009 – 168

Current Weight: October 12, 2009 -Â 168 lbs

Week 145 Weight Loss:Â Â 0 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 110 lbs

Exercise Report:
Cardio x 6 (6 walks)
Strength Training (Jillian dvd) x 2
Abs x 2
Pilates x2

Food Report:
ok…kinda fell off on counting the calories.

Notes:

little under the weather
at least I’m not gaining
really planning to hit it hard with 30 Day Shred Challenge coming up (21st)

Filed Under: Weekly Check-in

No Shred For You? What’s YOUR Challenge

October 7, 2009 by Paula 12 Comments

Ok friends, family and excuse-makers!!!Â I’m SO kidding – you all know I LOVE you and I can say that because I used to weigh 278 lbs and made EVERY excuse in the book to NOT start exercising!…Let alone commit PUBLICLY to 30 DAYS IN A ROW!!!!Â LOL

In all seriousness…You people are awesome!!

I’m go glad to know you…to be knowing you…and to be sharing in this journey to health, fitness and the FREEDOM that brings with you all!

Now, let’s figure out a way to make this work for everyone, deal?!

The 30 Day Shred is on and we are going to rock that challenge! You can sign up by leaving your comment at that page please.

It has been brought to my attention (thanks Andie from Austria!) that the dvd is not available in all parts of the world YET. (Go Jillian!) I also know that there are a few of you that may be holding back from joining us because you know exactly who Jillian Michaels is! OK, no joke this workout will be challenging.

If you’re able to do it and you’ve been exercising at least a bit, I say definitely go for the shred.

If you don’t have access to the dvd or you really do not feel that you are ready for the workout, I do not want you to be excluded here…I want this to be a team effort – 30 days of moving together – doing something that will challenge us all no matter what level we are starting from.

So, if this is you:

Do NOT feel bad, intimidated, shy etc…I’m gonna hi-five you below and we’re gonna get some stuff done here!
Please leave a comment below telling us what it is that you are going to commit to for those same 30 days – I’d LOVE to keep this about exercise for this challenge BUT you know where you’re at – push yourself but make it doable – walking, biking, swimming…20 min, 30 min, 45 min – that’s up to you – I think the important thing is that you are making a commitment to yourself. (and big bad meanie me – kidding) 😉
Be sure to sign up and say hello at the Facebook Page (we’ll be having some good discussion there as well)
Mark your calendar (Oct. 21)

I’m SO proud of YOU!

We’re getting ready to make some change happen and I really want YOU to be a part of it!

Filed Under: 30 Day Shred (Oct 21-Nov 19) Tagged With: 30 Day Challenge

Biggest Loser 8: Episode 804 Recap

October 7, 2009 by Paula Leave a Comment

(Original Air Date 10/06/2009)

This episode starts out with a very upset Shay talking to Tracey about how she felt that she had been betrayed the week before because Tracey did not stick to her word when she chose her to represent her team during the weigh-in.

Trainers, Bob and Jillian meet with the contestants in the gym and give them a pep talk about how no one wants to leave…everyone wants to be there at this point.

Tracey gets word from the doctor that she is not allowed to exercise at all during the week and Coach Mo learns that he is basically carrying the weight for the purple team all on his own.

Big Undertaking for the Week:

The contestants meet with Alison and look around their kitchen in shock as they realize that everything is locked up. Alison announces to the group that they will have to eat out every meal during the week.

Pop Challenge:

Alison then announces a pop quiz in which the teams have to choose the lowest calorie meal of three choices. The winner would receive a 1 year supply of healthy food – huge prize that everyone wanted!

There was a 3-way tie between Orange, Pink and Brown. The teams needed to guess the amount of calories in the low-cal meal and the Pink Team of Amanda and Rebecca won the tie-breaker and free groceries for a year.

Trainer Tip:

Jillian Michaels (trainer): Swap mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes for a lower calorie option.

Bob and Jillian take the contestants out for dinner at a Mexican restaurant where they discuss tips for making healthy choices while eating out. Jillian gives the contestants a hard time for not bringing their calorie counters to dinner with them. The first outing was very successful and the contestants are learning strategies that will help them in the “real world” when they leave the ranch.

Trainer Tip:

Bob Harper (trainer): Plan ahead when eating out at a restaurant by checking online menus when available. Avoid foods that are pan-fried and sauteed. Order your meet grilled, baked, steamed, poached or broiled and do not be afraid to ask a lot of questions about how the food will be prepared.

Team Competition:

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

The contestants are taken to a water park and they learn that the challenge would be holding themselves on a platform above water with only handlebars to hold up their weight. The platforms would be raised until the contestants were vertical above the water.

Daniel won for the orange team and the highlight of the evening for me was when Shay dropped from the challenge and Daniel yelled out to his partner, “I’m proud of you”. What a guy! 😉

Last Chance Workout:

The last chance workout was grueling as usual and Coach Mo suffered a temporary set-back by hurting his back. After a pep talk from Bob and an hour rest or so, he was back in the game pushing himself as normal.

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

Daniel: 0 lbs, 25 lbs total, 287 lbs (won immunity at the challenge)
Shay: 5 lbs, 44 lbs total, 432 lbs (won immunity at the challenge)
Amanda: 5 lbs, 20 lbs total, 230 lbs
Rebecca: 4 lbs, 35 lbs total, 244 lbs
Rudy: 11 lbs, 65 lbs total, 377 lbs
Dina: 5 lbs, 24 lbs total, 229 lbs
Liz: 3 lbs, 27 lbs total, 240 lbs
Danny: 8 lbs, 48 lbs total, 382 lbs
Allen: 7 lbs, 40 lbs total, 285 lbs
Abby: 3 lbs, 34 lbs total, 213 lbs
Julio: 4 lbs, 43 lbs total, 364 lbs
Coach Mo: 8 lbs, 37 lbs total, 318 lbs
Tracey: 4 lbs, 25 lbs total, 213 lbs

Lowest Teams for the Week:
Liz & Danny
Julio

Eliminated Contestant/Team:
Julio

Julio’s transformation since leaving the ranch:

Julio has gone from a starting weight of 368 to 299 lbs since returning home from the ranch.

Julio says that the gym has become like a second home to him. He loves being a positive role model to his kids and cooking healthy meals for his family.

Next Week on the Show:

It’s time to mix it up a bit next week as the teams become blue vs. black. There will be a competition in which one person will get a golden ticket and have all the power as they choose the teams and trainers.

Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Season 8 Tagged With: biggest loser, biggest loser 8, biggest loser season 8

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

October 6, 2009 by Paula 52 Comments

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:

Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred
Set of 3-Pound Dumbbells
Exercise Mat (if exercising on a hard floor)

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!!!!

Filed Under: 30 Day Shred (Oct 21-Nov 19) Tagged With: 30 Day Shred (Oct 21-Nov 19), jillian michaels

What Could You Change in 30 Days?

October 6, 2009 by Paula 13 Comments

The 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!