Biggest Loser 8 Fall Challenge -- for losers and maintainers!

[mikamah]

Good morning. It's been busy here, and I'm finding if I go on the computer at night, I don't get anything else done, so I try not to do that. We went to a meeting at the historical society last night with my son's cub scout troop to hear about the indians that lived in our area before the europeans came. It was pretty interesting, and we got to see lots of relics that have been found over the years. Michael loved seeing the spears and spear throwers. They are going to have an afternoon with the scouts where they will be able to target practice with some replica spears! A little scary to me to put spears in the hands of 7 year olds. Guess that's why I'm not the den leader.

Pjlla- Congrats on being the biggest loser this week!!!! Nice work. I'm sure your gain today is just some fluid, and you have a good plan to drink lots of water and hopefully it will be gone tomorrow.

Cindylou- You did amazing on sunday. We did our 3 mile walk in the pouring rain, and it was cold. I can't imagine a half marathon, and to be able to run in Boston is awesome!! Nice work!!

Jennz- I hope you are feeling better real soon. Hang in there.

Lisa- 9 pounds is awesome!!! I bet your little wii friend was happy to see you back. It cracks me up when I go back on the wii fit and get a little scolding as to where I have been.

Tracey- I think the wii fit goal weight is low too. It puts your bmi at 22. The top of ww scale is a bmi of 25, and for me that would be 155 pounds, which I would be thrilled with. My first big goal is just to be overweight, not obese. You're doing awesome!! 10 pounds is fabulous in 5 weeks!!

I'm behind again on the qotds- I did read the what could I do today one the other day, and I am committed to journalling every day. I hadn't done it over the weekend, and went way beyond my points, but since monday, I'm writing it down and that makes such a big difference for me. Plus I'm gettin on the wii fit every day.

My fav recipe is for a chicken broc ziti casserole that is a light recipe. You make the sauce from broth and corn starch, ff sourcream, and a little monterey jack cheese. I make this recipe for christmas eve, and always add more cheese and sour cream to make it a little richer, but I made it recently using the light method, and my son didn't even notice. I'll post the recipe later if any one is interested.

Have a great day everyone.

 

[pjlla]

Pjlla- Congrats on being the biggest loser this week!!!! Nice work. I'm sure your gain today is just some fluid, and you have a good plan to drink lots of water and hopefully it will be gone tomorrow.

My fav recipe is for a chicken broc ziti casserole that is a light recipe. You make the sauce from broth and corn starch, ff sourcream, and a little monterey jack cheese. I make this recipe for christmas eve, and always add more cheese and sour cream to make it a little richer, but I made it recently using the light method, and my son didn't even notice. I'll post the recipe later if any one is interested.

Have a great day everyone.

Thanks for the congrats a nd the encouragement. I would love the recipe for the chicken broc ziti casserole! Thanks for offering..............P

 

[tigger813]

Woohoo! I did a mile on the elliptical PAIN FREE!

I have done the 2 mile WATP, a half hour on the Wii Fit and a mile on the elliptical! I actually am at a solid 170! So that's one pound and maybe I can got down another by tomorrow's weigh in! I plan on doing the 3 mile WATP this afternoon and watching my calorie intake today!

 

[sskem96]

Well, I was late getting home from work this morning after a busy night. It's almost 11am now and I have to be back to work at 10pm, so I'll make this short so I can get to bed.

Thanks for all the meal ideas. I hope that everyone who's feeling under the weather will be feeling better soon. I'm just now starting to feel better after almost 2 weeks of feeling lousy. DD12 stayed home today, but she seems much better than yesterday, so I told her to plan on going to school tomorrow!

QOTD Thursday: If you were at WDW right now and were committed to staying OP for your vacation, what would you eat today?

Breakfast: Stuffed French Toast made in the room (one of the many benefits of DVC!) French toast with FF cream cheese and strawberries in the middle and more strawberries on top, SF syrup, coffee with FF vanilla caramel creamer and Sweet N Low.

Lunch: 1/2 Pork BBQ sandwich from Cosmic Rays (share with DH or one of the kids) with pickles and sauteed onions from the fixins bar, apple slices or applesauce cup with a packet of Splenda, carrots, and a Lite Lemonade. (The kids are always more than happy to give me the healthy stuff their kids meal comes with!)

Snack: Small vanilla cone from someplace near the Magic Carpets of Aladdin ride. (I can't think of the name of the place, too tired!)

Dinner: Chicken Strawberry Salad from the Plaza Restaurant.

I think with all the activity points I earn walking, that would put me within my points and still very satisfied. My trip is just a little over a month away, so I've started thinking a lot about how I'll eat while I'm away. How do stay OP while you're on vacation?

 

[thelionqueen]

QOTD Thursday: If you were at WDW right now and were committed to staying OP for your vacation, what would you eat today?

What a FANTASTIC question!!!

Breakfast-scrambled eggs & ham from somewhere (anywhere) but most likely from the counter service restaurant at the resort

Lunch-Turkey Leg!!!

Snack-Pineapple Dole Whip & popcorn (MUST have a box of popcorn every single day...its my fave!)

Dinner-LeCellier-Pretzel Bread, Pretzel Bread, Pretzel Bread & a maple Creme' Brulee' (those are really the only 2 things I eat there)

 

[tigger813]

QOTD Thursday

I would be heading to Nara at AKL to get a Chicken Caesar salad for DH and I to split! We had the BEST salads there and had them two or three times they were so good in April!

I would then hop a bus to head to the POLY or MK for a Dole Whip Float! (OK, Now I may have to put my freezer bowl in so I can make some Dole Whip).

Don't know what else I would want except maybe head to WS and Mexico for the combo plate. I love that!

 

[pjlla]

QOTD Thursday: If you were at WDW right now and were committed to staying OP for your vacation, what would you eat today?

Wow.... another great question!

Well.... I would eat a breakfast that I packed and brought along. Rachel's pear mangosteen cottage cheese, a few almonds, and a decaf coffee with skim milk.... OR a homemade lowfat muffin, a wedge of LC cheese, and an herbal tea. We had in-room breakfast most days during our last trip and it worked out really well.... for the diet, the budget, and for time management!

Mid-morning snack if needed would be fresh fruit.

Lunch would be veggie burger on a half a roll with a side salad. Or maybe a larger salad with some grilled chicken. And I would probably eat the healthy sides from the kids meals that they don't always want (grapes, hot veggie, etc). A large cup of seltzer with lemon (some places have it, some don't) or a water to drink.

Snack.... I would share a Mickey bar with one of the kids! I LOVE me a Mickey bar!!

Dinner... Since I did well all day I would want to splurge and have a nice sit down dinner... maybe someplace where I could get a grilled fish or shrimp dinner with a baked potato or brown rice and nice fresh steamed broccoli. I might indulge in a small cocktail if I was done touring the parks for the night (otherwise I get too sleepy!). Maybe I would share a few bites of someone's dessert. I would definitely skip the buffets, as it so WAAAAY to easy to overeat!

That might not be a PERFECT OP day, but if I skipped the cocktail it would definitely be close!

GOod for you for thinking ahead to the eating you will do at WDW on your trip. It should be very helpful having a kitchen. I made a few batches of muffins before we left. I froze them really solid in my extra freezer, then I vacuume sealed them. I kept them frozen until we left and then I put them in my checked luggage at the last minute (in a small box). They arrived in perfect condition. I made healthy chocolate chip muffins for the rest of the family and some low fat/high fiber muffins for myself. We had a muffin (or two) with our coffee/juice every day. Like I said, it saved time and money, as well as calories. I could run and get the coffee/juice for everyone since I was always the first one up.... then I could feed the kids while they were waiting for their turn in the bathroom. And when need be we were able to eat our breakfast in the car on the way to the parks (we prefer to drive rather than use the resort buses). It worked out great!! And it was a treat for the kids, as I RARELY make muffins at home!!

I did well with my OP eating during our trip in 2008 and it really paid off. I did gain some weight, but not a lot. I was able to enjoy some of my WDW favorite foods/restaurants without going crazy. And I was able to come home and get right back into the right frame of mind and right back OP.

I'm having a bit of a boring day here at work. I wish I had brought something to read or some photos to sort, but oh well. Glad I have my DIS friends to keep me occupied!..............P

 

[princessbride6205]

QOTD Thursday: If you were at WDW right now and were committed to staying OP for your vacation, what would you eat today?
Fun question!!
Breakfast - cereal & banana
Lunch - Counter-service salad (maybe the beet one from Sunshine Seasons at Epcot)
Dinner - California Grill has some great options: Hand-cut Whole Wheat Linguine - with summer squash, eggplant, broccoli raab, goat cheese and tomato ragu
Snack/Dessert - If I was completely committed to staying on plan, I would choose fruit or sorbet, like the dessert on Sanaa's lunch menu: Fresh Fruit with Mint, Toasted Coconut and Mango Sauce. If I wanted to treat myself - I'd split a regular dessert with someone.

 

[50sjayne]

QOTD Thursday: If you were at WDW right now and were committed to staying OP for your vacation, what would you eat today?


Well. I'd be at Disneyland and I guess op is on program? I really enjoyed my bagels with smoked salmon and fat free creamcheese in the room for breakfast. Some orange juice too. We'd go back to the room for lunch/dinner probably sandwiches or burgers. Sometimes we'll just bring sandwiches into the park too though. I'd definitely have a glass of wine on the balcony at HOJO's too later. I'd also have brought water and crystal lights for refills with me to the park and jerky/dried fruit for snacking if necessary. I am in constant motion when there really- I only gained a pound last time and I ate-- well-- lol, including hometown buffet, a huge serving of chicken nachos at whitewater snacks and the angus bacon cheddar burgers we brought. Also a big fattening omelet at Mimi's one day lol.

 

[pjlla]

I thought I'd take some time today to share a few recipes, since I have a bit of time to kill.

Here is one I posted last spring... but it is a great fall recipe. It have tried it and it is delicious! It is from the WW website.

POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Warm up with our hearty sweet potato soup as the temperature starts to drop. Toast the pecans to help maximize their flavor.


Ingredients

2 large sweet potato(es)
2 cup(s) canned chicken broth, divided
1 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
1 tbsp chopped pecans

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.


Pierce potatoes in several places with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool. When cool, remove and discard skin; chop potatoes.


Combine sweet potatoes and 3/4 cup of broth in a blender or food processor; blend or process until smooth, about 1 minute. Set potato mixture aside.


Melt margarine in a medium-size saucepan; stir in flour and ginger, and then add milk. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Cook 1 minute more and then stir in sweet potato mixture and remaining 1 1/4 cups of broth. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes more. Pour into 4 serving bowls and sprinkle each with 3/4 teaspoon of pecans. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
Notes
For an extra flavor boost, consider adding a dash of curry powder with the flour and ginger.


It was SO yummy and creamy... but I suppose you have to like sweet potatoes. I did add a bit of salt when I served myself. I did not use the nuts, since my DS has a nut allergy I don't keep them in the house. And I needed more than the 2 cups of chicken broth that it called for to blend the sweet potatoes... and I had to blend in two batches. I also cooked my potatoes in the microwave because I didn't want to heat up the oven for just that.... but I think it might taste a bit better and bring out the sweetness of the potatoes if they were cooked in the regular oven.

This is from the BL book:

Here is the original recipe:

1 C silken tofu (approx 9 oz)

1/3 C peanut butter

4 tsp. honey

2 tsp. lime juice

Blend all ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth. Store in refrigerator.

Serving size: 2 TB - 80 calories, 5 g protein, 4 g carbs, 5 g fat, 1 g fiber

WW points per serving - 2

Here is what I used:

I used the tofu and peanut butter (1 lb. of silken tofu and 2/3 C p.butter... double recipe) but instead of honey I used Agave nectar (8 tsp. for the doubl recipe) and I did not use the lime juice. My blender seized up on me when I tried to use it, so I ended up blending this together with a whisk. It took a minute for the p. butter and tofu to get together, but it definitely worked. I might even try adding a splash of vanilla.

It is wetter than straight p. butter, but still spreadable. And I can essentially eat double the amount for the same points as straight p. butter! And I can see blending this into shakes or dipping fruit! Just be warned, since it is a dairy product it has a limited life in the fridge. I have been making a double batch and freezing it in four small containers. But then you do have to use it rather quickly when you defrost it.



Enjoy!..............P

 

[Ronda93]

First of all, let me say, wow. Thanks for adding tracking to the COW. I have really gotten in line and stayed on plan this week. It really helps during work hours. Once I'm home there's not much to graze on.

If I were at WDW and eating right ...

breakfast would be bagel, cream cheese and coffee.
lunch would be a salad somewhere - I've gotten some great ideas here
dinner would be something grilled with vegetables.
snacks would be an apple.

My tactic is to mostly eliminate junk. When I let it through it has to be really good junk - Beaches and Cream burger good. I don't want food to lose all pleaasure. Sometimes I indulge.

Ronda

 

[MelanieC]

Thursday's QOTD:

B- Would be breakfast in the room that I brought (Maybe a larabar or another bar of some type.
L - The Colony salad (dressing on the side) at LTT
S- Dole Whip w/ juice - The calories were pretty low on these
Hop to Epcot
D- Shrimp/Scallops Meal at Teppanyaki

 

[MelanieC]

Dinner-LeCellier-Pretzel Bread, Pretzel Bread, Pretzel Bread & a maple Creme' Brulee' (those are really the only 2 things I eat there)

LOL! I got a kick out of that. I've always said the pretzel bread and cheddar cheese soup is a great meal!

 

[susan514]

Hi everyone,

Congrats to the top 10 Job well done.

Tomorrow, DH and I are going to WDW till Nov. 4. We are staying at OKW and then at BLT. Can't wait. We do have some F&W events booked, so it should be interesting to see what happens to my weight. I intend to try to workout, but I do expect to gain some weight.

The neat thing is, I started Nutrisystem on 3/23/09 and set a goal, I wanted to lose 50 lbs. for this trip

I did it!! Hit 50.5 lbs. down this morning. I still want to lose another 20lbs. and have set a goal of 3/23/10, one year from the start. This trip is a break for me but I hope to also jumpstart my loss by eating more. I have found that if I boost my eating for a short time, when I go back to program I will then break through a plateau.

Good luck to everyone with WI.

 

[tigger813]

I'm headed downstairs in a few for one of my last chance workouts! I workout for about an hour every morning too! Anyone want to join me?

Go BL!!!!!!!

 

[lisaviolet]

Wednesday QOTD: What is your favorite meal to fix for your family that's healthy enough for you to eat it without making any special adjustments for your diet?

EXCELLENT question!! I have a SUPER curried chicken recipe that makes a HUGE serving for very few points that I try to make every few weeks (especially in the fall/winter). Served over brown rice and it is a full meal. DD and DH like it also (DS can't eat chicken) so it is pretty much a win-win for me! I have shared the recipe before here, but I will again if anyone is interested.

I look forward to hearing everyone's answer and PLEASE share recipes if you can!! .....................P

Can you post this recipe? Thanks. If I missed it - well I can be slow like that.

 

[lisaviolet]

The neat thing is, I started Nutrisystem on 3/23/09 and set a goal, I wanted to lose 50 lbs. for this trip

I did it!! Hit 50.5 lbs. down this morning. I still want to lose another 20lbs. and have set a goal of 3/23/10, one year from the start. This trip is a break for me but I hope to also jumpstart my loss by eating more. I have found that if I boost my eating for a short time, when I go back to program I will then break through a plateau.

That's fantastic Sue. Congratulations. Have a wonderful trip. I'm dreaming of sitting and drinking on an OKW balcony right now. Thanks for the visual.

 

[donac]

Good evening everyone. SOrry I haven't been on lately. I had an inservice day on Monday, Tuesday I had a math team meeting, and Wednesday I had a faculty meeting. School has been crazy. I don't think that I have had a day where all my students were in school once this week. And I already know that some will be out tomorrow. I also only have one more week before we go on break for a week and when we get back we only have a week until the first marking period ends.

QOTD Thursday: If you were at WDW right now and were committed to staying OP for your vacation, what would you eat today?

Breakfast oatmeal or cereal and a banana
Snack fresh fruit
Lunch a salad or a kids meal
Snack dole whip or a frozen fruit bar from DHS (Dh got a pineapple one and I got a strawberry one and half way through we switched. They are only about 80 calories and I found the same pineapple ones in my supermarket so I have been buying them. Better for dh than regular ice cream)
Dinner Japan we love to watch them cook at the table.

 

[donac]

Good Thursday Evening

Thanks to all the folks who have participated in COW 5. We had 16 participate this week. I know it has gone down but it is nice that we have a core group of people who are still trying to make it work

Other participants
a nut for Disney
BilltM (hope you are feeling better)
ShortyNBug
thelionqueen



5th place with 20 points
tiger813
mikamah

4th place with 22 points
donac
luvBaloo
NC_Tink


3rd place with 24 points
lisah0711
2nd place with 25 points
50s jayne
cindylou
Princessbride6205
Rohnda93

and in
1st place with 26 points
a little pixie dust
worfiedoodles

Congratulations to a little pixie dust worfiedoodles and to all the participants.


COW 7


THis week's COW starts on tomorrow 10/22/09 and will run until midnight Thursday 10/29/09.


SInce most people feel that 4 is the limit to keep in mind for the COW this week I will start to take some away and add new ones.

YOu get 1 point for each day you follow the COW

This week's new COW is based on something that has been on several tv shows this week, volunteering.


Spend 10 minutes a day exercising It doesn't matter if it is running, walking, yoga or strength training. Just MOVE (1 point for each day)
Eat at least 1 fruit each day (1 point for each day you do)
Journal the food you eat each day
Do something for someone else every day. Send a letter to someone, do a favor for a friend, offer to shop for a house bound person. 1 point for each day you do something.


On Friday 10/30/09 send me

XX days exercising
XX days of eating 1 fruit
XX days journaling
XX days doing something for someone else

Thanks and enjoy the COW

DOn't forget to send me your COW6 points tomorrow so I can post results next week

 

[disneychrista]

I have been MIA this week. I have been fighting a bad cold for the past week. Started with a sore throat on Friday and moved to my chest. I haven't worked out for over a week and my eating has not been good. When every I have a cold the only thing that tastes good are sweet things. Everything just taste off/bad.

So, I am your coach for the coming week. I am a West Coaster so I will try to remember to post the QOTD the night before...other wise be patient it might be noon Eastern Time before I get it posted. Sorry if any questions are repeats.

Question of the Day - Friday 10/22
How do you handle life's little unexpected curve balls? What do you do when "life" gets in the way of your plans?