BL 3 - Red Team week 3

[dare2dream]

It's weigh in day Red Team

I look forward to hearing from everyone today.

Red Team question of the day
Week 2 is done. How did it go for you? What worked well in week 2? What will you improve for week 3?

Don't forget our weekly ongoing question - What is great about you? Today list your original 5 items and add one more, or if you have not posted your list yet crank out 6 things that are great about you. They can be accomplishments, personality traits, talents, or skills you possess. Everyday repeat your list and add one more item. List the things that make you proud of you and that you love about yourself.

I'll check in later today. Now I will get to bed.

[MagicalMom]

After being on a plateau for over a month I have finally lost 2 lbs, down to 165 from 167. Everyone has been trlling me to increase my caloric intake, but that can be so difficult psychologically. Last night I broke down & had 15 potoato chips (150 cal.) & the scale budged this morning. I have also increased my strength training & started jogging. Hopefully this will kcik start my weight loss again.

Hmmmmmm, I worked all weekend & must have, missed the 5 greatest things thread. I'll have to think of some things & get back to you. :)

[Piglet&Pooh&5DD]

It's weigh in day Red Team

I look forward to hearing from everyone today.

Red Team question of the day
Week 2 is done. How did it go for you? What worked well in week 2? What will you improve for week 3?

Don't forget our weekly ongoing question - What is great about you? Today list your original 5 items and add one more, or if you have not posted your list yet crank out 6 things that are great about you. They can be accomplishments, personality traits, talents, or skills you possess. Everyday repeat your list and add one more item. List the things that make you proud of you and that you love about yourself.

I'll check in later today. Now I will get to bed.

Week 2 didn't turn quite as I had planned. I let my life get in the way ( with 5 kids, that tends to happen a lot!) I am more determined to myself a priority, even if I have to get up at 5AM to do it!

To answer the weekly question:

1. I am a good mother.
2. I am a loving wife.
3. I have a big heart and tend to care more for others than myself ( really evident now!)
4. I am patient.
5. I am a good daughter.
6. I will have to think about that one.

[bridgetgabbie]

So I am down 4.8 this week. I couldn't believe it. What has been working for me is eating the points I burn when exercising, so eating more, yay. And also I feel getting in healthy fats and my milk has sped up my weight loss. I have been on Weight Watchers all summer, but as soon as I started concentrating on what I was eating, my weight loss picked up significantly. This week I am going to work on meal planning. I have the hardest time figuring out what we are going to eat, so we basically have the same meals every single day.

I guess I missed the post about great things about you as well. I will list some:
1) I am a great mom.
2) I am a great wife.
3) I work hard at whatever I do.
4) I'm smart.
5) I love to run. (Huge accomplishment, I used to think runners were crazy)
6) I'm very independent.

Robin

[MagicalMom]

OK, I'm working on my list.

1) Next month we will celebrate our 9 yr wedding anniversary.

2) I have lost 24lbs. since May. I have soprt of an addiction to just going to the mall & trying on clothes for hours because it is so much fun now. :)

3) We are almost debt free! (except for vehicles & home)

4) I have 3 kids and occasionally they are even well behaved. LOL

5) I am always trying to be the best Mom, Wife & friend I can be.

[bcvprincesses]

I am down 1 lb this week which I am really surprised. My allergies and asthma are so bad right now. I can barely walk the length of my house without wheezing. I have not exercised this week because I just can't breathe. Every year at this time this happens. Hopefully this week will be better.

To everyone else so far great job. Keep up the good work.

To answer the weekly question:

1. I am a great mom.
2. I am a great wife.
3. I am a great teacher to my girls.
4. I am a great nurse.
5. I am a great Disney planner.

[MagicalMom]

4. I am a great nurse.


I think we have quite a few nurses in our group. I have been an LPN for about 5 yeaqrs & am just going back to school now to become an RN. Now that I think of it, most of my co-workers are over-weight. Maybe it is the stress of the job & the donuts the pt's families bring in. :) Lord knows we get enough running around at work that you would think we would all be skinny. :confused3

[tinkamom]

I lost 2.2lbs this week, not as much as I hoped probably because my walks were interupted a couple of times. One night I encountered a very drunk man who was trying to walk his bike home and kept falling in the street. He didn't speak English, or he was just too drunk to understand me when I tried to help him! I kept trying to get him to sit on the side of the road instead of stumbling and falling in the middle of the street! I don't know how he didn't get hit by a car! Finally I had to give up and went home and called the police but they didn't do anything.

The next night my cat followed me! I chased her for a good half hour before I finally caught her and then had to cut the rest of my walk short because it was getting too late.

Last night was meet the teacher night so I didn't get to walk. So on a week I planned on walking more....I ended up walking less!

[Nancy]

I lost a little over 2 pounds this week. Much better than last week. :cool1:


I have already listed my 5 good things so to add #6 into the mix

#6. I love a good challenge! And I hate to lose (challenges that is, I love losing weight)

[tinkamom]

Oh....I forgot to post my list.
1. I'm very determined, when I work towards something I give it my all!
2. I have a very big heart.
3. I'm honest and trustworthy.
4. I'm a good cook. (Too good....thats why I'm here! :rotfl: )
5. I'm smart.
6. I'm a good Mom.

[maryliz]

Good Tuesday morning! My scale moved DOWNWARD this week ... not very much, mind you ( 1/2 pound), but at least it's in the right direction. :goodvibes

Here's my original 5 from yesterday, and my new one:

1) I have been married almost 14 yrs to a wonderful DH.
2) I have 2 beautiful children, who make me proud on a daily basis.
3) I am best friends with all of my sisters.
4) I finally got my butt in gear and did a 5K powerwalk at lunch.
5) I wear the title of "Disney Freak" with great Pride.
6) My butt hurts from yesterdays 5K powerwalk, but it's not going to stop me from going out there again today. :thumbsup2

Keep up the great work, team! :banana: :banana: :banana:

[Nancy]

So I am down 4.8 this week. I couldn't believe it. What has been working for me is eating the points I burn when exercising, so eating more, yay. And also I feel getting in healthy fats and my milk has sped up my weight loss. I have been on Weight Watchers all summer, but as soon as I started concentrating on what I was eating, my weight loss picked up significantly. This week I am going to work on meal planning. I have the hardest time figuring out what we are going to eat, so we basically have the same meals every single day.

I guess I missed the post about great things about you as well. I will list some:
1) I am a great mom.
2) I am a great wife.
3) I work hard at whatever I do.
4) I'm smart.
5) I love to run. (Huge accomplishment, I used to think runners were crazy)
6) I'm very independent.

Robin

Robin

WTG on the weight loss this week:cool1:

I'm in the same boat with you on meals, it gets so boring after a while eating the same things. I take the Smart Ones dinners to work with me and I always seem to eat the same 2 or 3, I really need to expand my food choices. I think I'm going on to the WW website and look up recipes. And one of these days I am going to buy some of their cookbooks. I've been fixing regular meals for the family and then making myself something, I want to just cook 1 meal, plus I figure healthy eating will benefit the whole family not just me.

[ibouncetoo]

Morning Losers!

I have a zero change to report this morning. I had a few food 'challenges' this past week and only got in two swims. I really think I'm just a day or two away from a drop, so I should be contributing to the team more this week!

This week my focus is getting the right supplies (NEVER made it to the grocery store this weekend) and I pledge to PACK MY LUNCH at least three times (of the four days left). I'll hit the pool three times too!

It is finally starting to cool off a bit here overnight, so morning walking is not far away. I know that will make a big difference for me and the swimming has really helped with my joints.

ONWARD AND DOWNWARD, Losers!

[jimmduck]

Hello red team - I am here.

Don't post much - am a lawyer and very busy lately.

I don't have a lot of time right now either. I lost two pounds last week and am hoping for a loss this week too.

It doesn't matter if the "team" wins or loses guys, only matters that we do our best and, hopefully, the scale moves in the right direction.

A 1/2 pound is great Mary Liz, I'll be happy with that. I have to wait until tonight to get to the gym to weigh in but I will.

Once when I went to WW meetings, years ago, we had a lady that we called the "quarter pounder", because she lost 1/4 pound, week after week, but it adds up.

I figure that if I can lose 2 pounds a week for a year, that would be very substantial.

Did we ever figure out how long this challenge is to continue? I think it should go at least as long as the show does. I am looking forward to seeing it tonight.

Have a good day folks.

Linda

P.S. Mary Liz, where did you get your running Mickey? I have my eye on the Disney full one day (2010 to be precise) and he is perfect.:tinker: :donald: :mickeyjum

[ibouncetoo]

I just PM'd our fearless leader and ohMom that the NBC show ends on December 18th (earlier than I thought it would).

[dare2dream]

Thanks for the heads up Jackie. We had already decided to make December 18 our last weigh in anyway. I'm glad the show will be ending as we conclude our challenge. We will form some type of support group afterwards to get us through the remainder of the holidays. We don't want to undo all good this BL experience will do for us.

WISH biggest loser central is working on the first team challenge. We're ironing out the last final details so stay tuned for the official announcement. Oh and by the way no big prizes just a special clippie and bragging rights.

I also would like to thank the 17 members out of our team of 37 that have checked in for the week. I need to hear from the other 20 ladies by midnight tonight. I'm glad you're coming here to share your successes for the week but please remember to PM me with your weekly weight so I have a record of it. After everyone checks in I transfer your PM messages to a weekly team word file so I have documentation. Then I erase your PMs because I can only store so many here. My spreadsheet of weight changes is a work of art and I hope it will calculate a higher percentage of weight lost for us this week.

Another thing to mention is the apologies that I get when you PM your weight to me. I only lost XX this week, I am not happy with my XX loss, I will try to do better next week, etc.

Listen up Red Team

Don't ever feel you need to apologize for your progress. I am very proud of you every week and every day. I know a healthy lifestyle is quite an undertaking. It will take time. Some days will be great, some days will not. That is life. The important thing is to try our best every single day. Every loss is important to the team, no matter how large or small it is. I would love to blow away the Black and Blue teams. That would be great but more important is how each and every one of you is doing. I want us to embrace this challenge together and use it to encourage us to make healthier choices in our lives. These 15 weeks we will have together can help us to develop healthy habits that we can continue for the rest of our lives. If we do the things we know we need to do the pounds will come off. The rate they come off is not important, the habits we develop are very important.

We start a new week today. Do a personal evaluation. Let's get serious about this. Set some personal goals for this week. Watch out for the weekly team challenge coming soon. Contribute to our team thread. Share, chat, and encourage. We are Team Red are we are the Biggest Losers!!!

[mom2alix]

Small loss this week, total of 3 lbs down for the challenge so far. While it's not as much as I would like, (anyone else have that fantasy where Tink sprinkles you with pixie dust and you're a size 6?), progress is progress! :cool1: :thumbsup2

Cheers to you teammates!
:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:
MagicalMom - Congrats on breaking that plateau!!! That is the hardest because it is SO easy to get discouraged.

bridgetgabbie - WOW!! I keep seeing the ads about adding dairy helping with weight loss, I will have to try it.

bcvprincesses - Hope you feel better soon. Allergy season is the pits!

Tinkamom, Nancy, Maryliz and Jimmduck - Congrats on the weightloss!!

ibouncetoo - you had a great week last week, and I'm sure you'll see great results next week with all the goals you're setting!



Here's my answer to the challenge question:

1. I have 2 terrific kids
2. Happily married for 11 years
3. We have great vacations thanks to my planning
4. I’m a hard worker
5. I talked DH into a personal trainer to get healthy together
6. I’m smart

[sadeeyore]

Hi red team
sorry I haven't posted for a few days. I didn't do too bad for most of this week, although my SIL was admitted to hospital on Sunday and I feel I didn't stop eating Sunday or Monday :headache: . I really need to learn to stop comfort eating.
I am down 1lb this week, after eating so much the last couple of days I am happy with that.

The weekly question:
Six good things about me :scratchin
1) I am a good wife
2) I am a good mum and friend to my boys
3) My family and friends can depend on me
4) I like doing crafts
5) I like caring for others
Finding it hard to think of another one, so I asked my DH who said
5) You make good lasagna :laughing:

[Soccer Princess]

I lost 1 lb. this week. Not a great loss, but hey it's a loss. I will admit that I didn't change my eating habits at all, but did make it to the gym. I know if I stop eating all of that fast food and junk food I will lose the weight. I am starting my exercise plan this next week, so I'm hoping for a greater loss.

[dare2dream]

Important Official Red Team Announcements

#1 The Wish Biggest Loser Challenge will run until Tuesday, December 18. That will be the last day you will report your weigh in to me. Jackie, ibouncetoo, who works at an NBC affiliate let us know today that the show will also run until December 18. We really picked the right day after all. After our BL challenge ends we will start some type of support group to help us get through the remainder of the holidays without undoing the good we will do as Biggest Losers.

#2 We have been issued the first WISH Biggest Loser Team Challenge. Here is the offical communique from Biggest Loser central:

(insert sweet hosting voice here)

Two weeks have elapsed since the start of WISH BIGGEST LOSER ROUND 3 and our participants have settled into their routine of WISHing and LOSING and SHARING……now it’s time to :stir: :stir:


TEAM CHALLENGE NUMBER ONE!


For this first challenge between the teams, team members are going to have to evaluate and meditate on what it is or isn’t that they are putting in their mouths. Food is fuel and our big losers need quality energy to burn body fat during their workouts.

Here is how it works; below you see a list of ‘tasks’. For the next 7 days you are challenged to complete as many ‘tasks’ as you can. Each one is valued at 5 pts each. During the 7 days of the challenge, keep record of a completed task and at the end of the week turn in your final total score to your team captain. For example, task #1 – Drink eight glasses of at least 8 oz of water each day ----- this is a one time task and you must complete it entirely to award yourself 5 pts. However, task #2 – Try 2 new fruits or vegetables….. – is possible to complete this task more than once. Each time you have successfully sampled, and hopefully enjoyed a serving of, a new fruit or vegetable you can award yourself 5 pts. Tasks that can be completed multiple times are marked with an ***

This challenge is on your honor system, be accurate and honest with the points you award yourself. After all, if you cheat you are only cheating yourself from forming healthy eating habits. :)


TASKS:


drink eight glasses of at least 8 oz of water each day


Try two new fruits, vegetables or combination of either this week ***
(new is one you have never tasted before)


Instead of snacking -- spend 20 mins engaged in a hobby or interest ***


Eat a healthy breakfast every day instead of skipping this meal


Eat at least 3 servings of whole grains this week ***


Consume at least 2 non-starchy vegetables 3 days this week ***


No eating of fast-food -- salads and Subway excluded


Suggestion – print out the task list and keep it hand to mark off each time you complete one for easy and accurate record


GOOD LUCK AND Bon Appétit!


Well Team Red, we have been challenged. This is a chance to redeem our showing from last week. We CAN WIN this thing. The only problem I see is that many of our team members do not post on our team thread at all. I'm not sure if they visit here so I will PM those that do not check in here today a copy of this challenge. Please take this seriously. The more people we have really working on it the more points we will get. If you have any questions just PM me.

We team captains are still in cahoots about when we will start this challenge. We do communicate alot about BL business. I have over 70 emails in my personal Biggest Loser folder so far just from OhMom (our organizer), Princess Vija (blue team captain) and Dona C (black team captain). I am posting the challenge today as a heads up for you to start thinking about. Print out the list and keep it where you can reference it during the week. Total your points at the end of the week and PM them to me.

There are no big prizes involved with winning this one (actually WISH BL has no REAL big prizes, just our satisfaction and gaining new healthy habits). There is a special clippie offered to the winning team. The winners will be able to sport the clippie until the conclusion of the next team challenge when a new team winner is announced. This clippie will replace the Red Team member clippie for the bragging period. I apologize that my limited technical ability will not allow me to show the clippie here. I will try to work on it. I have it in a file as a JPEG. I tried to copy and paste it but could not. Any suggestions you techaristas out there?

My burning questions for some of you:

Mermaid02 (??) - How is DH's grandmother doing?

winniedapooh (Michelle) - How are you doing after your surgery?

Have a healthy day.

[cherylp3]

Brenda, Can you definine not starchy vegetables?

Also regarding snacking, what if it is in our diet plan from a doctor? ( Is scheduled snacking allowed?)

[dare2dream]

Cheryl,

Starchy vegetables would be potatoes, corn, lima beans, and peas. Most other vegetables would be considered non-starchy.

Scheduled healthy snacking is allowed and encouraged. The 20 minutes of activity is for the time after your snack or meal when you still want to eat. THe activity is good for late at night when it's not time to snack, or early in the morning, or in the middle of the afternoon when it is not time to eat. The 20 minutes of activity is designed to avoid a mindless snacking frenzy. Sometimes we 'think' we are hungry and after a glass of water and some time the 'feeling' of hunger will subside. They say it takes 20 minutes after eating for our mind to realize our stomach is satisfied. Hopefully the 20 minutes of pleasurable activity will help our mind realize that food is not really what we need.

Hope this helps. Ask away if you have any other questions.

[tinkamom]

I love the challenge! Does anyone have any suggestions for new fruits and veggies?

[Christy93]

I lost 1.5 this week! That's a total of 3.5 in the past 2 weeks! :banana:

Hmmmm, 6 things about me...
1. I am very patient
2. I am a good preschool teacher
3. I am a good mom to 3 boys
4. I am an attentive wife
5. I am creative
6. I am becomming a good cook

[cherylp3]

try plucots - they are a mix of a plum and an apricot.

Also Asian pears.

[ibouncetoo]

Do we have a start date for the challenge??


BIGGEST LOSER TIME CHANGE:

For those of you who watch the show, it will air for 2 hours on 9/25 (7-9Pcentral/8-10P eastern).

Then effective 10/2 a half hour of "Singing Bee" will air before a 90 minute episode of BL. So that would be 7:30-9P central/8:30-10P eastern. This change is 'till further notice'. My bet is Singing Bee will die an untimely death pretty soon, and then (NBC = Nothing But Change) will move everything around again. I"ll keep you posted.


BTW, good day for me today and I hit the grocery store tonight!

[ohMom]

hi :wave:

i'm popping in b/c i'm nosy...

here's my official spiel

The challenge begins on Wednesday Sept 19 at 12:01 a.m. and end on Tuesday Sept 25th midnight. Your final score must be reported in by Thursday Sept 26 at 3 p.m. EST in order to be included in the team score. Team captains will report in to each team and report the final results in their weekly team thread on Thursday (Sept 26) evening.

[ibouncetoo]

No eating of fast-food -- salads and Subway excluded

.


OK....how do we do points for NOT doing something??? :confused3 So, every time I drive by a fast food restaurant and don't go in, I get 5 points???

This one needs some 'splainin.

[bridgetgabbie]

So I am trying to PM you my weight but my post count is not up to 10 yet, so I am busy trying to make posts, I guess you have to have 10 posts to PM people. I will get you my weight before midnight, I promise!

Robin

[cccm]

I got on the scale this AM and it displayed that it needs new batteries. Not what I was expecting. :lmao: It did give me my weight after I turned it off and on again. I am down, a little more than a pound. Hopefully DH will see this and change the battery, after all he is on that darn scale every morning. I keep thinking that it will start talking to him. Think of the AOL Voice from 1996 saying to him "You've gained weight".

The scale going down is good because DFIL didn't want me cooking, I didn't get exercise, blah, blah, blah......

I'll post my six items later. i am still working on writing employee reviews. Three due this month, deadline is Thursday. One down, two to go.

I already do all the tasks listed, with the exception of the fruits and veggies. The trying new fruit isn't happening here. I am very picky about my fruit. I am gong to search for some veggie I have never eaten.

Good night and Good Job Red Team. :cheer2: :cheer2: I am proud of everyone who checked in whether or not the scale went in the desired direction.

[dare2dream]

Jackie,

The no fast food item is a one per week item. So if for the whole week you do not eat any fast food (Healthy Subway and salads are OK) then you get 5 points. Just five points for the week.

Did I 'spain OK?

And thanks for the BL news. I had thought it was going to 90 minutes at some point. I think I better get out and start watching tonights episode on the DVR, I love to zip through those commericials while I am exercising in the living room.


Thanks to OhMom for posting the weekly team challenge start day - TOMORROW -Wednesday!!

I am still waiting for 11 weights. I wonder if the nastygrams should go out now.

[MagicalMom]

I wanted to post my before picture but couldn't get it to work. I'll try again some other time. :)

Just wanted to add that I will hold onto my picture until Dec.

[dare2dream]

I am still waiting for 5 weights. I am very eager to see how we made out this week. Last week the other teams said they had members with BIG losses. So far we do not have any BIG losses, 4.8 is the best loss so far, last week we had two 5 pound losses and five 4 pound losses. We do have less no changes this week. That is good. We have a lot of losers this week and I am proud of you. I'm not sure we have enough to win it this week, but we are losing and that is the most important thing.

Today is the beginning of our first weekly team challenge. Did you get the details on post #20 of this thread. Print out the activities and start participating. We need EVERYONE to help with this. Every point is desperately needed. Start today with a healthy breakfast and drink your water today.

I have not been on porgram lately and thus I am not feeling good about myself. My bad recording is playing in my head 'Brenda you are the biggest, fattest, ugliest, and laziest person on the entire planet'. Some success today could change the recording to reflect the great things about me.

1. I am compassionate
2. I am good with numbers.
3. I have been married 27 years.
4. I have helped to raise three wonderful children.
5. When I went back to college I had a 4.0 GPA.
6. When I promise to do something I do it.
7. I make lunch for my guys and fill their water jug every workday.

Well Red Losers, do you have a plan for today? What is working for you? It is time to dig in our heels and really get to work. The Red Team will be victorious.

Have a healthy day.

[MagicalMom]

Are we going by just pounds? Or percentages like they do on BL?

[winniedapooh]

On the mend after a week of laying around like a slug. Got the stitches out yesterday and am hoping to get back to normal a little bit. I have to read last weeks thread but will wait for later...

6 Things about me...

1. I love my kids more than life itself.
2. I am a good listener.
3. I am caring to the point that sometimes my heart gets really hurt.
4. I am totally in love with the love of my life soul mate best friend of 22 years .
5. I WILL have my PhD by August of 2008.
6. Trying to write all this stuff about me makes me feel like I am being self-centered lol.

Love the challenge a challenge it will be for me stuck at home! GO RED TEAM!!! :cheer2: :cheer2:

[dare2dream]

Our weekly team winner is determined by percentage of weight lost. We are calculating cumulative weight lost/initial weight so our percentages should get higher each week. That will be exciting. I just mentioned pounds lost to give you an idea of how we are doing. I'm still waiting on 4 weights. I think today I will PM team members I don't see here too often info about our weekly team challenge. To win this thing we will need EVERYONE participating.

I had a healthy breakfast and am drinking my water already today. Hope your day is off to a great start too.

[dare2dream]

Michelle,
It's good to see you back. I hope your recovery continues to go well. It's OK to brag about ourselves sometimes. Seeing our value and worth can help us to make wiser health choices to take care of ourselves.

Have a healthy day.

[Nancy]

I've got the challenge list and I'm getting all geared up for it.

I had a fairly decent loss this week, next week I'm hoping it's even better!

[tink06]

:yay: Hi everyone!

Ok, so late to join the red team, but I'm here, and my butt is in gear to lose! :woohoo:

I've printed out the challenge, and am on my way to collecting those points - ate a healthy breakfast this morning (even though tempation breakfast sits just 50 ft down the hall), and have had almost 2 of the eight glasses of water.

Will think of my six things and post them shortly!

[lil mermaid]

Okay y'all - here are my 5 things, finally:

1. I am a great Mom and I have great kids
2. I am very happily married and I am a good wife
3. I have a pretty smile
4. I am athletic and can ride a bike really fast
5. I am a very loyal and caring friend

Everyone is doing great - as far as "big losses" - don't stress. Remember, slow and steady wins the race when it comes to healthy and sustained weight loss. Just be consistent and it will pay off (ack...now if I could just do that myself...)

[mom2alix]

After watching the BL show last night, I think we also need some perspective on those big losses.

Did you notice that most of the female contestants lost in the 2-5 lb range, mostly around 2-3 lbs? Those were the results they had after a week of 4 hour workouts with a personal trainer, diet consultations, and being removed from the normal stresses/temptations of their lives.

Ladies, if you lost anything this week, you made progress! All by yourself!!!!! Be proud of that. Even those with no change - guess what? You didn't gain weight! That's a positive too! :cool1: :cool1: :cool1:

1. I have 2 terrific kids
2. Happily married for 11 years
3. We have great vacations thanks to my planning
4. I’m a hard worker
5. I talked DH into a personal trainer to get healthy together
6. I’m smart
7. I am making positive changes in my life to be a good example to my kids

[simpilotswife]

No loss for me this week. :(


6 things about me....

I'm smart
I have a great sense of humor.
I am pretty.
I know a lot about Special Ed.
I have a great family.
I am a warm person.

[maryliz]

Happy Wednesday, TEAM! After doing 5K powerwalks the last 2 days (boy, do my shins and butt hurt), I took today off and went and watched my 2 kids run their first cross-country meet of the season. I purposely parked further away from the park, knowing that it's quite a hike into the park to get to the starting area. :thumbsup2

I'm looking for some help in this weekly challenge ... when I go to the grocery store, I buy "the usual" fruits and veggies. Can anyone suggest some fruits or veggies that I should look for, to try out my new ones for the week? Oh, and since I'm challenged in the area of the kitchen, let me know the best way to cook the veggies. I'm very much a "steam the veggies in the micro" kinda gal, so let me know if that works for anything you're suggesting. :lmao:

Adding to my list for today:

1) I have been married almost 14 yrs to a wonderful DH.
2) I have 2 beautiful children, who make me proud on a daily basis.
3) I am best friends with all of my sisters.
4) I finally got my butt in gear and did a 5K powerwalk at lunch.
5) I wear the title of "Disney Freak" with great Pride.
6) My butt hurts from yesterdays 5K powerwalk, but it's not going to stop me from going out there again today.
7) I was one of the biggest cheerleaders at my kids meet today ... and not just for my own, or their teammates, I was clapping and yelling for EVERYONE, and one of the marshalls commented on how great she thought that was.

gotta go get some more water ... I've probably had around 80oz today, but it's what I really want right now. :goodvibes

Keep up the great work everyone!

[maryliz]

P.S. Mary Liz, where did you get your running Mickey? I have my eye on the Disney full one day (2010 to be precise) and he is perfect.:tinker: :donald: :mickeyjum

Hi Linda. I just went into my siggie so hope this image works for you ... I've had the Mickey since before the Inaugural WISH 2005 Team. And I'll be doing the 1/2 again in 2010 ... I promised my nephew that when he's 14, I'd do it with him. :goodvibes The whole "marathon weekend" experiece is awesome, made especially so because of the wonderful WISH'ers that I on-line trained with for a year. :love:

Try pasting this into your signature and see if it works. I had to take out the / before the last so that it wouldn't just put the mickey here ... so make the last thing before pasting it into your signature.

[IMG]http://www.mickeysplace.hpg.ig.com.br/mickeycorrendo2.gif[IMG]


Oh, and I loved that "quarter pounder lady" scenario ... slow and steady not only wins the race but helps you keep it off too.

[simpilotswife]

I bought some radishes to snack on. Also I was eyeing string beans as a snack item.

[agnes!]

I had a Fruit & Nut Bar + an apple (a Fuji just picked from my own back yard) for breakfast. But I've got to remember to eat lunch when I should.

I love the four-packs of Lean Cuisines that I can get at Costco. When it's only myself for lunch, those are easy to heat up. That plus an apple and maybe some broccoli fills me up so I don't get the dreaded snackies attack later in the day.

I have decided to put my own spin on the "6 Good things", I want to write about *me*, not my DD or DH or any others (even though I do have a wonderful DH & DD).
About ME. But it is difficult to think of 6 positives "I am..." things about myself, the negatives come so easily, don't they? Do you ever wonder...*WHOSE* voice is that in your head being so negative? Do you have a specific person in mind from your past? I know I do. The constantly negative voice I "hear" is unfortunately my dad's.
Right now I can only think of a few positives, but will add to my own personal "I am..." list as the descriptions come to me.

I am thoughtful.
I am smart.
I am the holder of a Master's Degree.


agnes!
PS - This reminds me of my women's group at church. We have prayer cards. When I write down my request on my 'card', it can only be for myself, not for others. It's actually rather uncomfortable to do that - feels self-centered or something.

[dare2dream]

welcome to our new members Pyrateswife who's loss was included in our weekly total. Todays new member is Tink06 who is ready to add to new weeks total.
:welcome: to the Rocking Red Team!!

Attention Red Team!!

Our team now numbers 38, Tink will join us next week and one person did not report in for the week. Of our 36 members for this week we had 4 gains, 5 no changes, and 27 losses. We lost 43.5 pounds. EEKS - That is 3 extra people yet 13.4 pounds less than last week.


At this time I would like to annnounce the top five Red Team Losers for week two

(drum roll please)

#5 bcvprincess (Ann Marie) 2.155 %
#4 cherylp3 (Cheryl) 2.491 %
#3 Acklander (???) 2.609 %
#2 tmeyer (Thresa) 2.991 %

And the Red Team week 2 Biggest Loser is ....
bridgetgabbie (Robin) 3.966 %

Week 1 WISH Biggest Loser challenge team results

#1 The Black Team 2.05 %

To beat them we would have had to lose an additional 59 pounds!

#2 The Blue Team 1.64 %

To beat them we would have had to lose an additional 27 pounds!

#3 The Red Team 1.298 %


I hang my head in shame. What can we do Red Team? Do we have a lot of smaller people with less % to lose? Is everyone trying as hard as they can? I know I have not been, but I am with the program now. I do not want to be humiliated next week. This is getting old. Any suggestions Red Team?

I will be sending a PM to all team members pleading for help and making them aware of the weekly team challenge and that will be a royal pain. It would be nice to take that challenge.

I just feel like we have a lot of team members that are only half heartedly doing this. I know that has been me. I really just need to calm down. The world will not come to an end because we lost. This is not a reflection on me personally. We are trying. We are losing. We are developing better healthy habits. That is what this challenge is all about.

Hang in there Red Team. We will persevere. We will boldly move forward on our weight loss journeys. It is important for everyone to buckle down and really work hard, for the team, but most importantly for ourselves and our health.

[cherylp3]

I have a lot to loose. I did a check in with my nutritionist yesterday.

I started my water challenge today - 64 ox dank going for another 32
Will stop and go shopping for fruits and veggies tonight.

I went to Curves 3 times this week.

I checked the scale today and was up, I plan on adding a walk today and maybe one on Friday. Instead of going to the movies on Sunday, I plan on going to Epcot.

Keep making those healthy choices everyone.

-Cheryl

[maryliz]

HI TEAM! I am exactly who Brenda was describing ... perhaps only half-heartedly doing this challenge. I've been doing the baby-steps thing ... get my water back on track, try and make better choices, kick-started my power walking this week. But am I really accountable for what I'm putting in my mouth every day? NO ... and that's not helping my TEAM. :sad2:

Today has been an excellent day, water-exercise-food wise ... so I'm going to pull out that journal tonight, and start being accountable for every bite. I owe it to all of you ... I owe it to myself. And I've been having TOM issues for the past 2 weeks, so I'm really, really hoping for a nice little visit from the Whoosh Fairy this week. ;)

Come on TEAM ... we CAN do this. :yay: :yay: :yay:


A big CONGRATS to everyone this week ... but especially our TOP 5 LOSERS! Weigh to go ! :cool1:

[cherylp3]

Maryliz, I also have TOM issues. I have elevated DHEAS and cortisol.
I'm trying the new lybrel pill next month.

-Cheryl

[MagicalMom]

I hang my head in shame. What can we do Red Team? Do we have a lot of smaller people with less % to lose? Is everyone trying as hard as they can? I know I have not been, but I am with the program now. I do not want to be humiliated next week. This is getting old. Any suggestions Red Team?

I will be sending a PM to all team members pleading for help and making them aware of the weekly team challenge and that will be a royal pain. It would be nice to take that challenge.

I just feel like we have a lot of team members that are only half heartedly doing this. I know that has been me. I really just need to calm down. The world will not come to an end because we lost. This is not a reflection on me personally. We are trying. We are losing. We are developing better healthy habits. That is what this challenge is all about.

Hang in there Red Team. We will persevere. We will boldly move forward on our weight loss journeys. It is important for everyone to buckle down and really work hard, for the team, but most importantly for ourselves and our health.


Do you have everyone's weights? If we are all mostly in the mid 100s then we won't get big numbers.

There is a chance that the other teams are full of much larger people. They will loose more & quicker than the rest of us.

I know I have only lost 2 lbs in the past 2 weeks but I can honestly say I am giving it my all. I jog, walk & lift weights daily. I do yoga & pilates. I drink only water & eat well. I do not eat fast food or junk food. Even when I spend the day on my feet working a 12 hour shift I still get 40 -60 minutes of exercise in.

I don't expect to loose any big numbers. Last spring when I first began dieting I was losing pretty regularly. The last 20 lbs seems to be the hardest.

So sorry to be causing you humiliation.

[Nancy]

It's true that if there are members on the team that have been dieting for a while the weight losses will be slower and a lot less. I've been averaging 2 pounds a week weight loss and I know that is probably going to be tops for me. Age plays a factor in how fast you lose too. The older you are the harder it is to lose. I do weight watchers so I am on program everyday. I don't really exercise too much because my job is pretty physical, lifting a lot and tons of walking.

I just can't see how as a group we could lose 60 more pounds a week (I could see 20 though) unless we have a few that lose more than 5 pounds each.

None of us should feel humiliated...as long as we are all trying to lose weight and it comes off either fast or slow, then we are being successful...even if we finish in last place. (BUT I would like to be in first place just once :) )

So red team members......lets all pledge to work a wee bit harder this week, stay on course, drink our water, take the challenge. No one should be starving themselves for this, watch portion sizes.When you measure out a cup of cereal you will be amazed at how little this really is. The first time I did it I was :eek: , I measured out the amount I usually poured into my bowl in the morning and it was 3 cups!! Well, no wonders I never lost weight! If you are drinking soda (pop) even diet..stop and drink water instead: anything carbonated will hinder weight loss, although a diet soda is better than a regular one. Stick to decaf drinks, caffiene is a no no on WW. (not sure why though:confused3)

PM me if you are having a bad day, I am a great support person. Let me be your panic button! I need to lose 100 pounds so I am not perfect at this weight loss stuff, but I am learning a lot from Weight Watchers that could apply to anyone.

LET'S GO TEAM!!

WE CAN GET IT DONE!!

[Nancy]

Ok, so my problem for the challenge. What to try for a new veggie?

I eat broccolli, cauliflower, green and yellow squash, carrots, potatoes, avocado, lettuce, onions, peppers, cucumber, tomato (is that a fruit or veggie), yellow beans, beets, spaghetti squash, butternut squash.

I have tried and do not like: peas, any kind of bean along the line of lima, kidney etc. I have tried brussel sprouts and they were so so. I don't like mushrooms of anykind, I have a texture issue (hence the beans and peas).

So some suggestions for a veggie that tastes good is needed here. I walked the whole produce department today and I was :confused3 .

Has anyone had Rappi? I have a coupon for a free bag of it. How about baby patty pan squash?

[winniedapooh]

Ok, so my problem for the challenge. What to try for a new veggie?

I eat broccolli, cauliflower, green and yellow squash, carrots, potatoes, avocado, lettuce, onions, peppers, cucumber, tomato (is that a fruit or veggie), yellow beans, beets, spaghetti squash, butternut squash.

I have tried and do not like: peas, any kind of bean along the line of lima, kidney etc. I have tried brussel sprouts and they were so so. I don't like mushrooms of anykind, I have a texture issue (hence the beans and peas).

So some suggestions for a veggie that tastes good is needed here. I walked the whole produce department today and I was :confused3 .

Has anyone had Rappi? I have a coupon for a free bag of it. How about baby patty pan squash?


How about spinach, I love it cooked or raw in a salad???:goodvibes

[tinkamom]

How about broccoli rabe or spagetti squash? Maybe kale or swiss chard? I had a hard time finding a new veggie too....I eat most of them already. I did find a couple of interesting new fruits today, an asian prickly pear and a red pear.

[mom2alix]

I think we need to be healthy in our expectations. With a 38 member team, a good healthy goal would be 57 - 76 lbs (that's 1.5-2 lbs each). We might not beat the other teams, but we'd all be making some good progress.

I've been brainstorming on this challenge. I'm another one who eats vegetables pretty regularly so there's not much new to try, but I found this website that I thought was helpful. It gave me some ideas, at least, as well as telling how to prepare them. I think artichoke should count as a new vegetable for me since I've only ever had it in a spinach-artichoke cheese dip (not exactly the healthiest):lmao:

http://www.kitchenhelper.net/unusualvegetables.html

The ideas on the site include:
celeriac
yams
chili peppers
fennel
etc.

Other ideas:
asparagus
broccolini (I LOVE this http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28129,00.html)

eggplant
tomatillo
radishes
water chestnuts
watercress
shallots (use instead of onion)
parsnips
rutabaga
spaghetti squash
okra (I like it pickled - get the spicy - about 10 calories each)
jicama
beets
rhubarb
turnips
leeks (there is a great diet soup recipe using these - I think it's from the French Women Don't Get Fat book)
capers (I think they're a veggie, might be a fruit??)

Also, new to you greens should count. If you normally eat ice berg or romaine, branch out.

Escarole
Endive
Swiss Chard
Broccoli Rabe
mustard greens
cilantro

[MagicalMom]

And the Red Team week 2 Biggest Loser is ....
bridgetgabbie (Robin) 3.966 %


Help!

I used to be really good at math but must be losing my skills. :lmao: I know Bridgetgabbie lost 4 lbs. She is also the winner at 3.966% lost. So, if she lost 4 lbs & that is 4% of her weight, wouldn't that mean she weighs 100 lbs? :confused3

No wonder I have trouble helping the kids anymore. :lmao: Feel free to teach me guys. :lmao:

[MagicalMom]

Seriously, I'm getting more & more confused if someone could help me out. A member of the black team lost 3.6 lbs. It was 4.1% of her weight. Would that mean she weighs 90 some pounds??

By my calculations, taking into consideration that I don't know anyone's actually weight if she weighed 150 lbs & lost 3.6lbs it would be a 2.4% loss. If she weighed 200 lbs & lost 3.6 lbs it would be 1.8%.

So, if these numbers are correct then the other teams must have much smaller people in their groups to have such larger % numbers. Right?

**I know this must be wrong because if BCVprincess lost 1lb & it was 2.155% of her weight loss than wouldn't she weigh around 50 lbs???? Because if she weighed 100lbs & lost 1 pound wouldn't that only be 1%? LOL I must really need math help guys. :()

[MagicalMom]

Ok. I just watched the last BL episode so I could figure out their calculations. The blue team weighed a total of 1761lbs. They lost a total of 43lbs giving them 2.43%.

When I try to apply the same calculations to our program it seems very off to me.

[mom2alix]

Help!

I used to be really good at math but must be losing my skills. :lmao: I know Bridgetgabbie lost 4 lbs. She is also the winner at 3.966% lost. So, if she lost 4 lbs & that is 4% of her weight, wouldn't that mean she weighs 100 lbs? :confused3

No wonder I have trouble helping the kids anymore. :lmao: Feel free to teach me guys. :lmao:

Ok. I just watched the last BL episode so I could figure out their calculations. The blue team weighed a total of 1761lbs. They lost a total of 43lbs giving them 2.43%.

When I try to apply the same calculations to our program it seems very off to me.

Our weekly team winner is determined by percentage of weight lost. We are calculating cumulative weight lost/initial weight so our percentages should get higher each week. That will be exciting. I just mentioned pounds lost to give you an idea of how we are doing. I'm still waiting on 4 weights. I think today I will PM team members I don't see here too often info about our weekly team challenge. To win this thing we will need EVERYONE participating.

I had a healthy breakfast and am drinking my water already today. Hope your day is off to a great start too.

MM - I bolded the part of D2D's post that I think explains the math questions. Is it cumulative on the show too? I thought they started new each week for the team competition but the individual was cumulative. :confused3 Seems like if the teams are always cumulative then once a team achieived a lead, it would be hard for the other teams to catch up.

I don't really understand either. ;)

[MagicalMom]

MM - I bolded the part of D2D's post that I think explains the math questions. Is it cumulative on the show too? I thought they started new each week for the team competition but the individual was cumulative. :confused3 Seems like if the teams are always cumulative then once a team achieived a lead, it would be hard for the other teams to catch up.

I don't really understand either. ;)

The only one I did the math on was the blue team weigh in on the last show. Their starting weights were:
266, 271, 267, 359, 205 & 399. They lost a totoal of 43 lbs between all of them. Which would be 2.43% Makes sense to me.

For someone to lose 1 lb & lose 2% makes no sense at all. Unless they weighed 50lbs. :confused3

[Nancy]

How about spinach, I love it cooked or raw in a salad???:goodvibes

I forgot about spinach. I can eat it cooked in something like Lasgna Florentine, but I don't like it plain or in a salad.

How about broccoli rabe or spagetti squash? Maybe kale or swiss chard? I had a hard time finding a new veggie too....I eat most of them already. I did find a couple of interesting new fruits today, an asian prickly pear and a red pear.

broccoli rabe, is that the same as rappi? I work in a grocery store so I get to try lots of stuff when they give out samples. (that's how I tried avocado the first time)

I think we need to be healthy in our expectations. With a 38 member team, a good healthy goal would be 57 - 76 lbs (that's 1.5-2 lbs each). We might not beat the other teams, but we'd all be making some good progress.

I've been brainstorming on this challenge. I'm another one who eats vegetables pretty regularly so there's not much new to try, but I found this website that I thought was helpful. It gave me some ideas, at least, as well as telling how to prepare them. I think artichoke should count as a new vegetable for me since I've only ever had it in a spinach-artichoke cheese dip (not exactly the healthiest):lmao:

http://www.kitchenhelper.net/unusualvegetables.html

The ideas on the site include:
celeriac
yams
chili peppers
fennel
etc.

Other ideas:
asparagus
broccolini (I LOVE this http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28129,00.html)

eggplant
tomatillo
radishes
water chestnuts
watercress
shallots (use instead of onion)
parsnips
rutabaga
spaghetti squash
okra (I like it pickled - get the spicy - about 10 calories each)
jicama
beets
rhubarb
turnips
leeks (there is a great diet soup recipe using these - I think it's from the French Women Don't Get Fat book)
capers (I think they're a veggie, might be a fruit??)

Also, new to you greens should count. If you normally eat ice berg or romaine, branch out.

Escarole
Endive
Swiss Chard
Broccoli Rabe
mustard greens
cilantro

Leeks, I almost bought a minestroni fresh veggie soup mix (all pre-cut and pre-washed veggies) that had leeks in it, but it's still too warm here for me to think about making a big pot of soup. BUT maybe I'll try that.

Cilantro I use when making this avocado/roasted corn salsa that is great on a grilled chicken wrap.

[MagicalMom]

Yep, checked last weeks totals & it is cumulative. The TV show goes by weekly numbers. I don't think they do indiviual percentages. They just take the teams total weight loss for the week.
Makes more sense to me to do it that way.

So, an individual could lose no weight one week & still be in the lead based on their previous weeks weight loss.

[dare2dream]

My dear Red Team that I love dearly, each and every one of you,

Yes, I am frustrated that we lost another weigh in so miserably compared to the other teams. Please do not ever think I am humiliated because of you. I am very proud of those of you that are really trying and working hard. We do have the majority of our team with an initial weight in the 150-199 range. Here is our team breakdown (I am a numbers freak) 300-350 - 3, 250-299 - 5, 200-249 - 9, 150-199 - 20, 100-149 - 1. Our average weight is 209.9. I do not know these women's height, I do not know their BMI, and actually that is none of my business. I just know that for some reason we all decided to take this challenge to become healthier. I know it is MUCH harder to lose weight at 150 pounds than at 300 pounds. Some women are struggling at plateaus they have been at for a while and we all deal with the dreaded TOM situation. Life is all around us and food will always be a part of that life.

I just wonder if everyone is doing all that they can with this challenge. I know I have not been and that has caused me humiliation when I look at our numbers and wonder how I could have made a better contribution. I really need to just step back and not get so crazy about our low percentage. I do not know the make up of the other teams and possibly I never will.

As mom2alix (Rebecca) pointed out we have been calculating using cumulative weight lost. Bridgetgabbie's percentage was for two weeks of weight loss. This method may put us at a disadvantage because we are already so far behind the other teams. Each week as we try to catch up they will still be losing so there will always be a gap. It may be more fair to calculate each week using that week loss divided by that weeks initial weight. I may discuss that with the other team captains. I am certainly not in this to lose every single week no matter how hard we try.

We team captains are all new at this and doing the best we can. The hardest part is trying to get everyones weight each week. The other teams have members that did not provide an initial weight or have missed week 1 or week 2 and have not been heard from since. I am happy that I have heard from all our team members except for the one that has not checked in for week 2.

Thanks for posting here and letting me know that you are taking the weekly challenge seriously. It's hard to come up with new vegetables to try. I got two new fruits tonight, an asian pear and a pluot. My challenge printout is beside me at the kitchen table and I make notes after every meal. I want to do my part with this challenge.

I again apologize if I have offended any team member. I am not humiliated of you, I am with myself for not being a better motivator and leader. I am a humble volunteer here and I certainly don't have all the answers. I am here to develop healthy habits and lose some weight just like all of you.

Red team as long as that scale inches down each week, no matter how slowly we are all winners no matter what the numbers say and no matter how those numbers compare to the other teams.

Our Red Team is a bunch of Losers. And I mean that in a GOOD way.

[ibouncetoo]

. It may be more fair to calculate each week using that week loss divided by that weeks initial weight. I may discuss that with the other team captains. I am certainly not in this to lose every single week no matter how hard we try.



For the weekly TEAM contest, it should be just THAT WEEK's loss/percentage...like on the show. :confused3 New week, new contest. However at the final weigh in, it should be the cumulative loss to determine the team that won the entire Biggest Loser challenge. Just my two cents.

Getting cumulative numbers for the individuals on a team is great though...show's how we are each doing over the long haul.

Got all my water in yesterday and today, and that's something for me! The NEW fruit/veggies is difficult, as I already eat all I can get my hands on. I'll check out some from the list posted though. The whole grains catagory should be OK, there is a 'designer' sandwich shop near work that has fantastic breads of that kind. So I'm plugging along on the challenge.

Morning temps are starting to drop, so I'll be doing AM walks instead of evening swims now. Just have to be sure to NOT get on the DIS when I first wake up :surfweb:

[MagicalMom]

I think we should keep chugging along & do the best we can do. It would be great to come in first place but since the numbers are cumulative we may be too far behind already.

As a side not, everyone try to weigh in first thing in the morning, after a trip to the bathroom & before breakfast. That should be your lowest weight of the day. :)

D2D, please don't take our weight loss numbers personally. :)

[cccm]

Escarole idea: Blackened Chicken Pasta

-Grill chicken breast with blackened seasoning. Weigh it to your desired portion size.
-Weigh and cook desired serving size of pasta. I use gemelli for a pasta shape.
-Dice Red Pepper to desired amount.
-Cut escarole similar to how they do romaine to desired amount

You want the escarole wilted, so I sometimes toss the escarole and red pepper into the pasta for the last 30 seconds of it cooking and then drain the whole thing.

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix in any type of Caesar salad dressing, remember to measure it and count it in with your calories.

The flavors are fantastic together. The heat of the blackening seasoning, the sweetness of the red pepper.

My weight loss has been an ongoing battle since I got married. I did make it down 20 lbs at one point about 4 years ago. In August I said enough is enough. I wanted to lose weight to look cute at Disney. So since the beginning of August I am actually down about 10 lbs. I lost weight at Disney!! I am in a plateau right now. I know how to jump start to get past this and that will be occurring.

I do agree with the posters that it is not possible for most of our team to have huge losses based on many of our starting weight. There is no way I can lose 10 lbs in one week. I think the most is 4 to 5 lbs.

Also, some things to keep in mind. I go to the gym and not only do cardio but also weights. I work with a trainer occasionally. Muscle weighs more than fat. I am creating muscles with my weight lifting. So my weigh loss is a bit different until that new muscle can burn off the fat. I am also losing inches which is wonderful as it directly impacts my clothes. I know it sounds insane, but I can bench press 45 lbs and I am proud of it.

A lot of losing weight is learning about your body, which we are all doing. I learned that more protein less carbs does work for me. However, I get the shakes if I cut out carbs completely.

Watching the BL Teams this week on TV made me think "Oh no, someone is going to get really frustrated and lose it". The trainers were disappointed.

So Red Team, keep trying, don't give up. Remember to learn about your body, how it reacts with foods and exercise. Some good things I have learned.

- Don't put a thing in your mouth unless you wrote it down in your journal.
- Your body needs food to survive, if it thinks it is being starved it will hoard calories. My trainer told me never go below 1,200 calories.
- Don't eat the same foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Your body will get used to them. Shake things up a little.

To add to MagicalMom - I take a shower, hit the bathroom, dry my hair. Weigh myself right before I get dressed (I don't eat until I get to work). Those days of weighing at noon at WW at work, I wouldn't eat or drink anything until noon that day.

My question: Does Chinese count as fast food? :lmao: I am thinking as traditional greasy Chinese food goes, it does.

Now for my biggest challenge of the day: I have to figure out what to wear to work today. Part of me wants to call in sick :sick: rather than figure out what to wear.

[tinkamom]

cccm-I like your blackened chicken pasta receipe. Escarole is a new veggie for me so I was thinking of making Italian wedding soup with it but I may try your receipe instead. I'll use whole wheat pasta to get the whole grains in!

[dare2dream]

cccm (Celeste),
It's Friday, find something fabulous and get to work!! Then you can enjoy the weekend. I know you can conquer your plateau and get to where you want to be. Thanks for the receipe, when can you drop by to cook it?

mom2alix (Rebecca),
Thanks for the great list of unusual vegetables. There are alot there to choose from.

Thanks for your thoughts red team on our numbers. I will pass them along to WISH Biggest Loser central. All we can do is try our best and that's what I am doing now. I hope you are too.

I have not been good about this and it makes me think too hard:

Things I love about me:
1. I am compassionate
2. I am good with numbers.
3. I have been married 27 years.
4. I have helped to raise three wonderful children.
5. When I went back to college I had a 4.0 GPA.
6. When I promise to do something I do it.
7. I make lunch for my guys and fill their water jug every workday.
8. I am creative.
9. I look at the big picture, not just the here and now.

That is getting harder, but I need to do it. At the end of the week I will print out my list to reminder me of why I am great for the days when I don't feel so great.

Red Team I hope you feel great today because you are great.

Have a healthy day.

[jimmduck]

Brenda - weight loss is such an individual thing, affected by so many things - some of which are not in our control.

We have struggles that those on the show do not face (like everyday life and chores) and really cannot control what other teams do - or what anyone else does except ourselves.

Me, for example. One of my first goals is to lose enough weight to be able to weigh at home (11 lbs to be exact). Then I can weigh in the morning. Right now, I cannot. I can only weigh at the gym, can only get there at night, after supper - well, it is not an ideal time for sure.

Whether it is 1/4 pound, 1/2 pound, whatever - what matters is a healthy lifestyle and consistency.

That is why I joined this challenge. If I accomplish this, I will win, we will win. The rest does not matter and we will drive ourselves crazy trying to "beat" the other teams.

We will not lose another 59 pounds in a week, not with weights at this range. There is no prize here, no $500,000.00 - nobody is voting anyone off.

If that goal is not achievable, then let us focus on what is, the daily challenges, working out, eating healthy, seeing the scale go down most weeks.

We are just here to encourage each other to do our best.

If you look at it that way, Brenda, you are the best leader there is and you have nothing to be humiliated about.

Life happens. Besides there are other "challenges" to focus on, like the one we have this week (although the vegetable part is hard for me, I don't like most vegetables). It is interesting to note that while, on the show, the Red Team is getting their butt kicked, but they have won every other challenge.

Hang in there team - lets focus on what we can do and not on what we cannot.

Linda

:tinker: :donald: :mickeyjum

[jimmduck]

Looking to see if he (Mickey) works.

And he does! Thanks Mary Liz (fellow Canuck I think - I am from Nova Scotia)

Linda

P.S. Lost a pound this week - 3 so far. Hardly the "biggest loser", but I have faced the scale, at night, for three consecutive weeks and that is big for me, I tend to avoid it. Coach says that if we focus on what we are eating and stay accountable, we tend to eat less

http://www.mickeysplace.hpg.ig.com.br/mickeycorrendo2.gif

[ibouncetoo]

Brenda - weight loss is such an individual thing, affected by so many things - some of which are not in our control.

We have struggles that those on the show do not face (like everyday life and chores) and really cannot control what other teams do - or what anyone else does except ourselves.

Me, for example. One of my first goals is to lose enough weight to be able to weigh at home (11 lbs to be exact). Then I can weigh in the morning. Right now, I cannot. I can only weigh at the gym, can only get there at night, after supper - well, it is not an ideal time for sure.

Whether it is 1/4 pound, 1/2 pound, whatever - what matters is a healthy lifestyle and consistency.

That is why I joined this challenge. If I accomplish this, I will win, we will win. The rest does not matter and we will drive ourselves crazy trying to "beat" the other teams.

We will not lose another 59 pounds in a week, not with weights at this range. There is no prize here, no $500,000.00 - nobody is voting anyone off.

If that goal is not achievable, then let us focus on what is, the daily challenges, working out, eating healthy, seeing the scale go down most weeks.

We are just here to encourage each other to do our best.

If you look at it that way, Brenda, you are the best leader there is and you have nothing to be humiliated about.

Life happens. Besides there are other "challenges" to focus on, like the one we have this week (although the vegetable part is hard for me, I don't like most vegetables). It is interesting to note that while, on the show, the Red Team is getting their butt kicked, but they have won every other challenge.

Hang in there team - lets focus on what we can do and not on what we cannot.

Linda





Very well said, Linda!:thumbsup2

.

[MagicalMom]

I woke up this morning & finally hit my 25lbs total!!!! It took from May until now. Exercising atleast 1 hour a day (but somedays that was only walking, other days it was lifting weights!) Just another 20 -25 to go!!

[Nancy]

I woke up this morning & finally hit my 25lbs total!!!! It took from May until now. Exercising atleast 1 hour a day (but somedays that was only walking, other days it was lifting weights!) Just another 20 -25 to go!!

Bravo!!!:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: Way To Go!



I am hoping to hit 15 gone next week, my personal goal was 30 by Christmas, if I stay on the same track I've been on I should be ok. Then my next goal is another 20 by April when DH and I go on our solo trip to the World. It's our fist time going solo since we had children. Last time we went just the 2 of us there were only 2 parks and we actually drove in from Daytona for the 2 days we spent there.

[pyrateswife]

First off, thank you for the welcome! now for the confessions:
I gained 1 lb this week.. :scared1: I am soo sorry. I have been feeling really crappy about myself.. I hate looking in the mirror and seeing my reflection.. It dont even look like me anymore. I now weigh 218 :( I am saying my weight out loud so maybe this will help me see that I do need to get this under control.
My big thing is that I am sooooooo embarrassed to exercise in front of anyone.. Including my family.. because I feel like an idiot when I get all hot or red in the face.. or worse.. out of breath... does anyone know where I am comming from?
I was so upset today, on my lunch break I went to the worst place possible for lunch.. Burger King.. it is now 1:20 and I feel like the biggest looser.. I feel sick.. Sick that I slipped and ate there.. and physically sick.. I have spent over $100.00 in the last month alone on diet things.. ( alli, the blue bottle one, and that hoodia crap ) which i seen no results at all..grr Lesson Learned.. It is just plain hardwork..
With that being said and now that I have got all this off of my chest... I give you my commitment on loosing weight.. This is just a HUGE struggle for me.. I need to get over being embarrassed.. ( sorry for all the spelling errors) lol the other night my daughter who just turned 4 started crying saying she is fat.. I dont know where she is getting it.. but what got me is that her exact words where.. "mommy I am getting fat like you" that brought tears to my eyes and I started to cry and my hubby said .. she is only 4..shes not trying to be mean.. but hey it was reality.. I am fat..
I know it sounds like I need counceling..exc.. but I dont..lol.. I know what I need to do to loose weight.. my motto has been "I will start tomorrow" well this time I am for real I am starting tomorrow...
Has anyone had these feelings or is it just me.. and thank you for letting me vent.. It is nice to be part of a group! SORRY THIS IS SO LONG!
- LISA

[pyrateswife]

Also How Important Is The Water Drinking? Wont That Make U Retain Water..... ???

[MagicalMom]

My big thing is that I am sooooooo embarrassed to exercise in front of anyone.. Including my family.. because I feel like an idiot when I get all hot or red in the face.. or worse.. out of breath... does anyone know where I am comming from?
- LISA

Hi. When I first started working out I was a bit secretive about it. I was afraid I'd fail & didn't want anyone to know. I didn't want to go to the gym. I didn't want to walk out oin public. I didn't have the motivation or energy to do much. So, I started walking in place. I'd call my firiend 30 times a day & while gabbing with her I would walk in place for 20 minutes. I probably lost my first 10 lbs just by doing that. As the weight started coming off I had more enrgy & nerve to move onto bigger things. Just take it slow, I know you can do this. :thumbsup2

[ibouncetoo]

Also How Important Is The Water Drinking? Wont That Make U Retain Water..... ???

Nope, water doesn't make you retain....salt does. AND water flushes out the salt...so just keep drinking, drinking, drinking.......and make lots of visits to the 'ladies'.

Welcome to the team!

[dare2dream]

Pyrateswife (Lisa), :grouphug:

Lisa, you are part of a wonderful group and we are here to encourage you to reach your weight loss goals. I wish I could tell you the magic secret or suggest a miraculous pill, but no such thing exists. Things in bottles may help, but you are the one that will ultimately make this weight loss effort really work. The absolute only way to lose weight is with hard work. At first is it very difficult but as healthy habits are established it does get easier, so they say, I'm still waiting for that part.

Yow have made a hugh step in committing to make a change in your life. This will not be easy, but I know you can do it, especially for that beautiful DD. You are her best teacher. She looks to you to learn healthy habits and how to feel about herself.

Do not start tomorrow, start RIGHT NOW!! Here are my thoughts for you, but remember I am NOT an expert, I am just trying hard just like you.

1. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. As ibouncetoo (Jackie) said it will not make you retain water. Water is good for your body and most people do not get enough. What I like about sipping water all day is that it fills me up and helps me not to obsess about food all day. It also makes me pee night and day since my bladder is the size of a pea. But I know this is a good thing for my body. I have learned were all the restrooms are in every place I shop.

2. Try to formulate some type of eating plan that will work for you. Decide how much protien, fruit, dairy, vegetables, and starches you will eat each day and stick with it. Try to plan your meals. Always have healthy readily accessible snacks in the house.

3. Exercise. That should be a four letter work. I hate it, but I do it and I feel great when I am done. Since I am so large I just set my timer for 30 minutes, turn on the TV and just move around the living room. I march, I walk, I sashay, I hokey pokey, I just move my a**. This is probably not the best thing for me to be doing, but I feel it is a start and it is better than nothing. Someday I will go to a gym and do 'real' exercising and get on complicated machines and all that, but for now I am doing what works for me.

4. Check in here for accountability and encouragement. There is a thread for a monthly exercise challenge to commit to a certain amount of exercise in a month. There is a place where you can start a WISH journal for you to just express yourself as you travel along this journey to good health. There are other wonderful programs and websites to help you. I love sparkpeople.com. It is free. They email me valuable information everyday. They have a calorie tracker, can provide meal plans, and have lots of other cool stuff at their site if that is what you think would work for you.

5. Always remember that everyday will not perfect. There will be days we overindulge at Burger King. It's important to keep those days to a minimum. This is life. We can enjoy it and enjoy wonderful food too. Just remember that overindulging should not happen everyday. There is wonderful healthy food that we need to enjoy daily. It takes time to develop a taste and desire for them. In time fresh fruit will satisfy a craving instead of junk food. It just takes time and commitment. The most important thing is what we do after overindulging. We can give up and begin a crazed feeding frenzy or we can be in control. We can say no to more overindulging and we can adjust our eating and exercise to compensate for a little something special.

Lisa, I'm sure none of this is news to you, but I know these things will help.
Hold your head up and look toward the goal, good health and feeling good about yourself. That is what keeps us on the path each day. We are each at different stages of our journey. I am finally getting firmly back on path. I know I can do this one day at a time. Small goals are best. Sometimes it gets too depressing to think about how far we have to go. I know I can do 10 pounds and that is what I am working on now.

I know you can do this Lisa.

Have a healthy day.

[dizchick]

Hello Red Team! I hope everyone has built in a little bit of time for themselves this weekend to dedicate to healthy habits! We can't get down as a team - we still have lot more weeks to catch up! I'm happy that I lost almost 4 pounds this past week! I had gained the week before (TOM), so I was happy to take off the two I had gained, plus two more! I think I only reported my loss of almost 2 to Brenda though, since it was a two pound loss from my start weight.

One thing that I've found helps me is that I HAVE to exercise. No question about it. If I don't work out - I don't lose weight. And, I need to sweat when I work out! I've found I tend to carry a lot of water weight and sweating is the best way to lose it. Unfortunately, I usually lose fairly slowly since I only have about 15 (very stubborn) pounds to lose. I'll be on vacation next week, so I won't be able to check in a bunch, but I have Brenda's phone number to report my loss.

Here are my things I like about me:

-Good friend, girlfriend, daughter, and sister
-Love to laugh
-I actually love to exercise
-I'm opinionated, yet tactful
-I love to smile
-I just moved to a new city and started a new job, which took a lot of guts and I'm proud of myself
-I'm going to start school again and get my master's degree
:)

[pyrateswife]

thank you all sooo much for the encouragement! Means a lot to know ppl care... And I know all about sparkpeople.. it is a great place.. I just gave up on it but I went back to it tonight... I am making out a weeks worth of meals and am going to get on track... thank you all!

[cccm]

Good Saturday Morning Red Team! I am heading off for the gym. 30 minutes cardio, followed by 30 minutes of weights and some core strengthening.

We are supposed to have a beautiful last day of summer here between Boston and the Cape. Not sure what is on tap for the day. I was trying to take DD and her BFF to Boston on the train to roam (shop, have a nice lunch, visit a yummy Italian Bakery to get 1 Pistachio Macaroon and get some history, Paul Revere's House). Haven't heard back from her mom though.

I love cooking/baking. So I strive to find recipes that are healthy. I don't want to rely on frozen meals often because of the high sodium. That is what is causing us so much weight. Cooking Light has some great easy recipes (magazine and website). Also Weight Watchers web site. They even have a little quiz about how you eat.

I did the 6 Week Body Makeover a while ago and believe its core concept is correct. Basically you are cutting out all processed food. Sodium is evil. Did all of you know that celery is actually an empty enemy. Yes it cures our cravings for crunch, but it is high in sodium.

Here is my Moms recipe for Stuffed Peppers: 5 WW Points

6 bell peppers (color of choice)
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup cooked rice (I like to use the boil in bag for convenience)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic (yes I use jarred garlic, again for convenience)
15 ounce can tomato sauce
3 ounces shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper to desired tasting

Oven to 350 degrees

Cut top center of pepper off and clean out inside. Cook in boiling water until it is in a state between crisp and just a little tender. You don't want to over cook them to mush. Drain and set aside.

Cook beef, onion and garlic until brown, drain out the fat. Add back to pan and stir in rice, salt, pepper and 1 cup of tomato sauce.

Stuff peppers with the mixture above and put them in a dish that will hold the peppers upright. Pour remaining sauce on top, cover and toss in the oven for about 45 minutes. Uncover sprinkle with cheese and cook until cheese is melted.

See you later!

[iggbees]

i have to admit that i have not been trying hard enough. i walk everywhere around campus, even up 4 flights of stairs (i refuse to take the elevator). these past few weeks have been tough for me since i don't really get home in time to make dinner, then my boyfriend will make what he likes and i'll eat like a pig. terrible, i know. i have however been drinking tons of water thanks to my brita pitcher (i occasionally sneak a ginger ale at dinner if i eat out, because i don't like the taste of restaurant water). i do eat a small lunch though and i've been trying to eat a clif bar for breakfast every day (lots of fiber and nutrients!).

this week should be a little better, my boyfriend is going abroad for a conference for the whole week and i'll get to exercise in the morning without feeling guilty that i'm not spending those extra hours with him in bed. here i come pilates!

i don't have much to lose (about 15-20 lbs) and i've seemed to hit a plateau, but i know i can lose it, i've done it once before.

i also have to admit that the last 2 nights we went out for dinner. both nights though, i stopped myself when i felt full, which did not mean finishing everything on my plate! i was proud of myself.

[winniedapooh]

Morning Red Team...It has been a very rough week for me. Healing from knee surgery stinks. :eek: Although I am very used to it, it still stinks. I had a meeting at my son's school yesterday and went to Target after, took a cart instead of the crutches and walked around for about 1/2 hour. Slow, steady, and painful. I feel like such a beached whale just sitting but I know that that is what I need to do in order to heal faster and safer. I am terrified to get on the scale this week, I feel so bloated from the pain meds. I am only taking 1 at night but this stuff does a number on your body!!! As long as I don't gain I won't feel too bad. I had thought I would be walking with a cane at WDW next week, but will still need the crutches and a wheelchair...lol that only makes me feel worse! At least I am taking care of myself. We can do this, slow and steady, and to our fearless captain we CAN DO IT!!! Thanks for all of your encouragement.:goodvibes

GO RED TEAM!!!:cheer2:

[mom2alix]

Hey guys! I had another idea for a new veggie and you can combine this with your whole grain serving too.

Hummus!!! If you haven't tried it before, it's a really yummy dip/spread made with chickpeas. Good source of protein. Get a whole wheat pita and cut it up to dip or hummus is also good as a veggie dip. Make a great spread for a vegetarian sandwich too.

Similar idea if you want to try eggplant is baba ganoush. Here's a recipe:

http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/appetizersandsnacks/r/eggplantdip.htm


You can usually find hummus already made in the refrigerated deli section. I've seen baba ganoush already made as well, but only at places like Whole Foods.

[cherylp3]

Hi everyone,

Checking in while I did not fast today, I did try to eat less.

If you can find it get Sabra Hummus, its one of the top 5 packages hummus.

[Nancy]

I've never had hummus, does it tast very "chickpea-ish"? I jsut imagine check peas to have that same dry yucky textrue to them as regular peas and that makes me gag. (Like I said, I have texture issues) I think I'm going to go with the soup mix that had leeks in it. OR maybe I'll get daring and try some eggplant!

[cccm]

Hummus is awesome! It does not taste like chick peas at all. I have a favorite recipe at epicurious.com that is Hummus with Yogurt and Lemon (Bon Appetit, October 1997). Very good and I like making it, very easy as well. I know it is fresh.

[mom2alix]

I've never had hummus, does it tast very "chickpea-ish"? I jsut imagine check peas to have that same dry yucky textrue to them as regular peas and that makes me gag. (Like I said, I have texture issues) I think I'm going to go with the soup mix that had leeks in it. OR maybe I'll get daring and try some eggplant!


Not at all. I don't think you'd even know that's what it was made from it you didn't look at a recipe. Chickpeas are actually more of a bean than a pea I think. You'll also see them labeled as garbonzo beans. Hummus is a dip consistency, so not at all dry. One kind I like also has black olives in it and I've tried the sundried tomato flavor too - YUM!!!

[mom2alix]

I thought I'd share this form from the Flylady website. It's called the Body Clutter investigator (companion to her book). I think it's a really good worksheet for tracking your daily food and water intake and exercise. It asks all the right questions about what you're doing, including sleep. After a couple of weeks, you can look back and see what days you really lost and tie it back to what you did the day or two before to find what really works with your body.

http://www.flylady.net/images/bc_investigator.pdf

[tinkamom]

Hi everyone! I went dress shopping today and was pleasantly surprized! I'm down 2 dress sizes!:banana: The scale hasn't moved as much as I wanted it these last few weeks but somethings working! I quess some of my fat is turning to muscle! Its the first time in a long time I came home from trying on clothes happy!

I think my nightly walks are really helping. That and measuring and writing everything down, it really does help.

Hang in there everyone!

[tinkamom]

Just in case anyone was thinking of trying a prickly pear.....DON'T!:sad2: It was awful! UGH!

[cccm]

tinkamom - Congratulations!!!!

[Nancy]

Just in case anyone was thinking of trying a prickly pear.....DON'T!:sad2: It was awful! UGH!

Hey, at least you tried it! You're doing better than me in that area. I am still talking myself into trying something new!

And congrats on the 2 sizes down, WTG!:woohoo:

[MagicalMom]

Might as well worn you all today. I don't expect the scale to move too much tomorrow morning. I had lost an other pound last week, but with TOM just days away the scale will usually read a pound or two higher for a few days. Sorry guys.

[agnes!]

:cheer2: GO TEAM GO, BE a LOSER! :cheer2:
And if you're not as big of a loser as you'd like to be, DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP OVER IT. It's ok if you haven't lost as much as you want. Take a breath, and keep going. DO NOT GIVE UP.

Eating healthier? Check.
Getting more exercise? Check.
Finding out you are not alone? Check.
Having a positive goal? Check.

As they said in Galaxy Quest
"Never give up, never surrender!"

Thanks for listening,
agnes!

[simpilotswife]

Congrats tinkamom on losing those sizes.

[cherylp3]

Is weigh in due Tuesday night or Wed Night?

Cheryl

[cccm]

Hi Cheryl,

Weigh in my midnight Tuesday night.

Celeste

[dare2dream]

Please check in on our week 4 thread now.

Report your weekly progress to me by Midnight tonight (Tuesday). Thanks Celeste.

Red Team Rocks!!!