Archives for January 2010
Biggest Loser 9 Premiere: Episode 901 Recap
January 6, 2010 by Leave a Comment
(Original Air Date 1/05/2010)
The Biggest Loser Season 9 Premiere last night was great!
The contestants are actually the biggest that they have had on the show to date and I believe the lbs lost and determination will match their enthusiasm proving a good season all around!
Alison Sweeney continues to be the hostess for the show – I love her in this role!
This season began a little different than normal with each set of contestants (we are back to couples this season) receiving and exciting phone call from Bob or Jillian and the announcement that they have been selected as a Biggest Loser contestant.
The next announcement is that they will be doing their initial weigh-in in their hometown among friends, family and neighbors. Gulp! I know that this was not an easy thing for most of them.
Here is the breakdown of the teams and a bit about each of the contestants:
Team Yellow: (Father/Daughter)
Sunshine – age 24, restaurant server, starting weight: 275 lbs.
O’Neil – age 51, Station Manager US Postal Service, starting weight: 389 lbs.
Team Brown: (Brothers (Twins)
John – age 30, Sr. Marketing Manager, starting weight: 484 lbs
James – age 30, Human Resources Director, starting weight: 485 lbs.
Team Pink: (Mother/Daughter)
Ashley – age 27, Spa Manager and Esthetician; starting weight:Â 374 lbs
Sherry– age 51, Admin Nonprofit; starting weight: 218 lbs.
Team Orange: (Mother/Son)
Daris– age 25, Deliveryman/Salesman; starting weight: 346 lbs
Cheryl – age 50, Owner Sears hometown store; starting weight: 227 lbs.
Team Purple: (Mother/Daughter)
Stephanie – age 29, Radio Sales Executive; starting weight: 264 lbs.
Patti– age 55, Business Owner; starting weight 243 lbs.
Team Black: (Father/Daughter)
Andrea – age 24, Executive Assistant; starting weight: 298 lbs.
Darell – age 46, Operator/Mechanic; starting weight: 413 lbs.
Team Blue: (Mother/Daughter)
Cherita – age 50, Homemaker; starting weight: 277 lbs.
Victoria – age 22, Student; starting weight: 358 lbs.
Team Green: (Mother/Daughter)
Miggy – age 48, Chef; starting weight: 240 lbs.
Migdalia– age 28, Homemaker; starting weight: 265 lbs.
Team Red: (Husband/Wife)
Lance – age 38, Rancher; starting weight: 365 lbs.
Melisa – age 39, attorney; starting weight: 233 lbs.
Team Grey: (Cousins)
Koli – age 29, Football Coach and Head of Security; starting weight: 403 lbs.
Sam – age 24, Youth Football Coach and Security Guard; starting weight: 372 lbs.
Team White: (Mother/Son)
Michael – age 30, Deejay; starting weight: 526 lbs.
Maria – age 51, Corporate Travel Agent; starting weight: 281 lbs.
The contestants arrive at the ranch and are greeted by Alison Sweeney who takes them to an empty gym.
The curtains raise and they are faced with their first challenge AND an elimination! Rows of stationary bikes and the instructions from Ali that they will have to complete 26.2 miles on the bikes as a team which is the amount run for the marathoners in Season 8.
The first team to complete the 26.2 miles will be immune from the first elimination.
The last 2 teams to complete the challenge will automatically be leaving the ranch immediately. Yikes! Big things at stake here!
The green team made up of Mother/Daughter duo Miggy and Migdalia REALLY took off and won first place. I was VERY impressed by their effort!
Unfortunately blue team member, Cherita, was forced by the doctor to get off the bike as she was really in pain. Her daughter Victoria had to continue on her own.
The blue team and yellow team (Sunshine and O’Neil) come in last and it is heartbreaking to see them go so soon.
BUT WAIT!
Their cars are stopped but none other than Bob and Jillian as they are leaving the ranch! Yay! Another chance.
They will return home for 30 days and receive training from Bob and Jillian. (not sure how that is going to work) They will return to the ranch at that point and the team to have the highest percentage loss will return to the game.
Again this season, trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, will be working together to train all of the contestants as opposed to splitting them up into teams that compete against each other. I like it that they are doing this!
Once again Bob comments that this is the biggest group that they have ever had at the ranch.
Dr. Huizenga is back as the leading physician for the 9th season of Biggest Loser.
Trainer Tips: (for working out with a partner)
1. Rest your forearms on floor while in plank position. Partner helps to raise and lower your leg.
2. Do sit-ups with feet touching and pass a ball in between.
Bob and Jillian introduce the contestants to their first workout by pulling the fire alarm while they are sleeping. Needless to say that it is a rough wake-up call indeed!
“Day 1 workout is rock bottom.” ~ Bob Harper
The contestants spend some time getting to know one another and listening to each others stories of how they feel they got so heavy and what their hopes and dreams for the future are.
Weigh-In Results: (pounds lost)
Team Green: (Mother/Daughter)
Miggy – 16 lbs.
Migdalia – 13 lbs.
Team Grey: (Cousins)
Koli – 18 lbs.
Sam – 29 lbs.
Team Orange: (Mother/Son)
Daris – 29 lbs
Cheryl – 14 lbs.
Team Black: (Father/Daughter)
Andrea – 14 lbs.
Darell – 30 lbs.
Team Brown: (Brothers (Twins)
John – 23 lbs
James – 23 lbs.
Team Red: (Husband/Wife)
Lance – 21 lbs.
Melisa – 19 lbs.
Team Purple: (Mother/Daughter)
Stephanie – 18 lbs.
Patti- 23 lbs.
Team Pink: (Mother/Daughter)
Ashley – 21 lbs
Sherry- 17 lbs.
Team White: (Mother/Son)
Michael – 34 lbs.
Maria – 13 lbs.
Lowest Team for the Week:
John & James (Team Brown)
Eliminated Contestant:
James
James’s transformation since leaving the ranch:
He has lost 100 lbs in 2 months. He is working out daily at his local gym and says that the gym has become his work. He and his wife stay home and cook healthy meals together. His wife has also lost 24 lbs!
Next Week on the Show:
Week 2 is historically a rough week for the contestants. Bob and Jillian are determined to break the curse!
Stay tuned!
1 to 40: Hope for the future: Love
January 6, 2010 by 2 Comments
I feel as if these posts about my future hopes would not be complete if I didn’t include one on the topic of love, my singleness and hopes for my future romantic life.
I can honestly say a few things about how I feel about finding love in my life:
- At 278 lbs, 3 years ago, I did not feel hopeful. At times I felt lonely, depressed and as if no one would ever possibly be able to love me. I KNOW that this had everything to do with how I was feeling about myself.
- Having lost 110 lbs now and turning 40, I can say that I do not feel this same hopelessness. I now feel better about myself. I feel that I have more of myself to give to a future mate and I am ready but not desperate to meet Mr. Right.
- I do believe that God has a husband for me and I am trusting in His timing.
- I do well being alone but I certainly do not wish to be single. I do want to share my life with someone.
- On children: Of course with age, this is a topic to explore feelings about. I am grateful that I am not a 40 year old woman yearning to have children. On the other hand, I am open to the possibilities if my future husband A. has children of his own B. Really want us to “try” to have children of our own C. Adoption -Â I do wonder sometimes if my many years as a nanny were actually my “mothering” years.
So there you have it…Â 😉
Biggest Loser 9 Starts Tonight!
January 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Yay! The Biggest Loser is back with Season 9! We will see the season beginning with couples once again.
This show continues to inspire me and I am going to use this (as I hope many of you will) to bring me into the New Year fighting to lose these last 30 lbs!
Trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels return along with host Alison Sweeney of Days of our Lives. (P.S. I happened to see Alison Sweeney a week or so ago coming out of a Vegas show – she is just as adorable in person)
I follow Jillian Michaels on Twitter and she has tweeted about how amazing this new cast is! I am really looking forward to it!
Most nights (currently traveling so not sure that I will make it tonight) many of us will tweet live during the show using #biggestloser and/or #thebiggestloser. Be sure to follow me on Twitter if you are not doing so already. Loads of fun! 😉
The Biggest Loser Season 9 premieres on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 (8-10 p.m. ET).
I’ll be watching, will you?
2 to 40: Hope for the future: A Mobile Lifestyle
January 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment
In this post, I would like to discuss another of my biggest hopes (intentions) for the future.
Up until this past Sept. I had been working for an online company for the past 4 years and was just getting ready to make the big move to a mobile lifestyle. (When I lost my job in Sept.)
What do I mean by this?
I spent a bit of time traveling in 2008-2009 and I discovered that it was really pretty easy to maintain my work schedule while abroad.
As I’ve said in some of my earlier posts, one of my biggest dreams has always been about traveling the world. Of course a big stumbling block to that has been the saving money/working situation.
Now that I have discovered the world of online business and virtual type work I no longer see money as the challenge it once was. In fact, there are SO many places that I could choose to live (that are high on my list as well) that are MUCH less expensive than the U.S.
So, one of my biggest goals in 2010 and as I enter my 40’s is to create a successful online business model for myself that will allow me to be able to maintain a mobile lifestyle with the ultimate goal of living anywhere that I would choose. (Italy, for example!) 🙂
My current goal and location of choice is Thailand for the following reasons:
- I have heard from others that a reasonable cost of living would be around $1000/mo U.S. which I think is a totally doable goal!
- This is a part of the world that I have really wanted to explore (Southeast Asia)
- I am imagining living somewhere with a great view and in walking distance of a beach
This could change in the upcoming months and I will keep you posted! If I get my income up quickly I could also see myself moving to Italy, Ireland or England! 🙂
3 to 40: Hope for the future: Health
January 4, 2010 by 3 Comments
In the next 3 posts leading up to the big day, I want to spend some time looking forward as to what my hopes for the future are.
There are many, but I will focus on the biggies!
Obviously, having lost 110 of my 140 lb goal is a one of those big hopes for my future.
I’ve known since starting out that it would be a journey, not something fast or necessarily easy at all.
I’ve come to know some truths about my struggle with weight even now after having lost so much. The reality is, like so many others, I will have to constantly keep this in the forefront of my mind. I need to be aware of the habits that I choose daily and remind myself of where I have come from in terms of my weight loss.
It’s not easy to maintain…this is something I have discovered already even though I haven’t quite reached my goal. I seem to put weight on pretty quickly when I deviate from the day-to-day healthy routine. I’ve discovered this just being in Las Vegas this past week. 😉
I know that I will constantly need to maintain an exercise routine of some sort. I’m not anticipating being fanatical about this but I can imagine keeping with a routine that at minimum includes 4-5 days of cardio.
So, as I look ahead at my 40’s in regards to my health, here are my intentions:
- to reach and maintain my goal weight of 138 lbs. (this is my initial goal right now and I can imagine that I may choose to go a bit lower with this)
- to continue with healthy eating and calorie counting until I reach my goal weight
- once I reach maintenance, I would like to think that I could manage somewhat of an 80/20 lifestyle when it comes to my food intake – meaning, if 80% of the time I am eating “normal”, healthy meals – the other 20% could be fine for occasional splurges
- to continue with a regular exercise plan that includes cardio, strength training and core/stretching of some kind
- to continue to push myself physically – biking, running, hiking, vacations that include physical activities
- to continue to learn and grow emotionally and mentally as well – to keep my mind active and remain constant in my desire to learn new things
- to feel just as great (or better!) at 50 as I do now at 40 WooHoo! 🙂
I KNOW that I feel way better in regards to my health and weight turning 40 then I did on my 30th birthday! THIS is a great thing!!
Week 157 Check-in: January 4, 2010
January 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Starting Weight: Jan 1, 2007 – 278 lbs
Previous Week’s Weight: December 28, 2009 – 168 (estimate)
Current Weight: January 4, 2010 – 178 lbs (haven’t actually weighed – estimate only)
Week 157 Weight Loss:Â +10 lbs (estimate – confident will come off fast – water/sodium) 😉
Total Weight Loss: 100 lbs
Exercise Report:
Cardio x 2 (hotel – stairs, gym)
Food Report:
Not great while in Vegas! Definitely indulging! 😉
Notes:
- Very excited to be in Vegas this week!
- Also super excited about the New Year – Be sure to check out the mini-series
“2010: What’s Your Plan“ - Will be ready to go when I get back!
4 to 40: Travel Adventures: Ireland
January 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment
My most recent travel adventure led me to Ireland for the first time in Sept. 2008 I went to Dublin to meet up with a good friend and then we headed by car to tour a bit of the beautiful country.
We headed to the Blackwater River for some salmon fishing and we completely lucked out with gorgeous weather for most of our fishing adventure. P.S. We did not catch Salmon but we had a blast.
We were then off to Killarney in County Kerry where we enjoyed an awesome B & B, great food and fun pub life!
From Killarney, the famous Ring of Kerry was calling us and we were off by car to enjoy the beautiful scenery and drive. These were some of the most amazing views that I have ever seen.
After County Kerry we decided to extend our trip (and my 10 day stay to 3.5 weeks) and we were off to Clifden in County Galway. We went there to explore another beautiful part of the country and happened upon the yearly music festival which was SO much fun! More fishing, dinners, pubs and great music!
This was an amazing trip!
P.S. I enjoyed my trip to Ireland (and my friend and his family so much) that I returned again in Dec. 2008 for 3.5 months! Yay! Would love to return again one day! 🙂
5 to 40: Travel Adventures: Greece and Italy
January 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment
More travel adventures…Yay!
At the end of the summer of 2001 my sister Michelle and I headed to England to meet up with youngest sis Janell who was attending summer courses in London.
We spent a few days with her there and then the 3 of us headed off to Greece for a night in Athens and a week in beautiful Santorini.
Of course the Pathenon was a must see in Athens:
…before we boarded the overnight boat for Santorini.
This was one of the best vacations and I loved this week with my sisters. We rented a small car and explored the island enjoying Greek food, beaches, a volcano hike, amazing views and more!
We then headed to Venice (my second trip here) for a few days before
we parted ways. My sisters headed back to the US and I was on to
what remains one of my favorite places thus far…Cinque Terre Italy.
I met an English friend and her daughter here and we had an amazing time.
Cinque Terre is made up of 5 villages along the Italian coast. People come here to hike the beautiful land and enjoy the pristine beached. I did a bit of both along with some wonderful meals, wine and the company of a dear friend.
I am happy to say that although my friend was unable to join me and I was not really in shape at the time, I did do all of the hikes between the villages on my own.
I would say that one of my dreams would be to live in Italy for a period one day. I love the culture, people and places.
Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout Challenge (Jan. 11-Feb. 9)
January 2, 2010 by 3 Comments
Join my good friend Lori of The Biggest Loser Lover for our next 30 Day Challenge!
What: 30 Days of The Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout DVD
When: Jan. 11 – Feb. 9
Lori’s notes/instructions:
Inspiration:Paula’s 30 Day Shred Challenge, The Biggest Loser Show
- What I’ve learned from both – the ultimate responsibility for weight loss is mine, but the power of community/accountability make it SO much easier!
What It I: 30 Days of the The Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout DVD
- Beginners: M/W/F – Last Chance circuit training (30mins), T/TH/Sa – Upper body/Lower body Sculpting (20mins), Sunday – Active rest – walking or meditation. Use heavier weights as needed.
- Intermediates: Days 1-15 as above: Days 15-30 M/W/F Last Chance Circuit Training plus Upper Body (40mins), T/TH/Sa Last Chance Circuit plus Lower Body (40mins), Sunday – Active Rest – walking or meditation. Use heavier weights as needed.
- Advanced: M/W/F Last Chance Circuit Training plus Upper Body (40mins), T/TH/Sa Last Chance Circuit plus Lower Body (40mins), Sunday – Active Rest – walking or meditation. Use heavier weights as needed.
Shopping list:
- The Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout DVD
hosted by Jillian Michaels DVD $9.99
- 3, 5 or 8 lbs dumbbells, depending on your level. Recommend 3 to start.
- Exercise Mat (if exercising on a hard floor)
What’s in it for you:Inexpensive plateau buster, circuit training to boost metabolism, reinvigorate your commitment to weight loss, new workout friends to motivate and support
Ready to Start?
- Read the post “What Could You Change in 30 Days?” if you’ve not done so already
- Reply to forum post here to sign up
- Gather the items you need from the shopping list above
- Take beginning weight, measurements
- Mark your calendar for Day 1 – January 11
- Wow us on February 9!!!
***The Challenge Daily Check-in will take place in the Community Forum Here and we will also be checking in via Twitter – Be sure to follow biggestloserlvr and pseymour (hashtag #30daylcw for challenge chat!)
Ready, Set, Go! 🙂
