Biggest Loser 9 Spring Challenge -- thread closing -- see new thread Part 2!

[jennz]

QOTD: I love the Arnold Sandwich thins too! They have made a big difference. I also got a great tip from Corrina, I drizzle some olive oil on my popcorn...yum!! That is so satisfying for me!

 

[pjlla]

Good Morning BL Brigade!

It's time for the changing of the coaches -- Thank you so much to JenAnderson, what a great week we have had!

For anyone who doesn't know me -- a brief introduction. My name is Maria, I'm 41, I've been married for almost 17 years and we have one ds12. I work full-time as a grants professional, and I love my adopted City of Boston, where we've lived for 16 years. I'm originally from St. Louis, and I've been overweight since grad school many moons ago. I have lost significant amounts of weight twice before in my life, but too fast and with too little exercise. This time is taking so much longer, but the losses are sticking better.

This is my 3rd BL Challenge, I really enjoy the comraderie and support, and I'm totally psyched to be coaching this week!

Friday QOTD: Is there a healthy food swap you tried to make that surprised you with how well it worked? Is there one that just didn't work at all for you?

I am really surprised how pleased I am with Splenda -- I had tried the pink and blue, and just couldn't handle the aftertaste. Splenda works great for me! I can't deal with slices of fake cheese! I'm fine if the cheese is shredded or grated, but the slices just don't taste right to me. One that took longer but eventually worked out -- diet soda. I swore I would never give up regular soda. Well, I found a way, but then I was drinking too much diet soda. I've finally weaned myself off of soda pretty much altogether, but it took a couple of years.

Congratulations to all the COW participants, and Good Luck to Everyone with your weigh-in! Don't forget to PM those numbers to LuvBaloo!

Maria

Morning Maria! Glad to have you coaching this week! Nice job removing the soda from your life... it is SO bad for you.

My healthy food change... I gave up Diet Coke on 01/02/2008 and haven't looked back. I drink seltzer or water now (occasionally a bit of that 4C drink mix.... like the Crystal light but with Splenda instead of aspartame). I will occasionally have a Diet Coke when I am out at a restaurant that has lousy water and no seltzer.... or the occasional Fresca.... but probably less than 6 servings a year. I will even bring my own seltzer into restaurants that don't offer it (although almost anyplace with a bar will have it available, you just have to ask). I never drank regular soda and I only drank caffeine free, so it was mostly just the habit I had to give up, not the sugar or caffeine.

I also eliminated a lot of white carbs from my diet. I NEVER get french fries any more when we go out (although I am not above scrounging a few from my DS's plate!!), I rarely eat white potatoes, I only eat white bread about once a week or so (usually in the form of a 100 calorie bagel or 100 calorie english muffin or a Sandwich Thin). I almost NEVER eat white pasta any more.... although I still serve it to my family, but we are trying to change over to whole wheat slowly. I never liked/served white rice to my family, only brown rice or wild rice, so no change there.

My few remaining white carbs are things like the previously mentioned 100 calorie items, Baked Lays occasionally, and microwave lowfat popcorn (and my current obsession with the chocolate bran muffins I made!!).

Good morning everyone! I am so happy to be down .8 today - I had a bad week, off plan but I think I can safely say my new habits have made my "bad" days better than my old "normal" days! So I am now down 13.2 pounds. I got an email from a friend who told me her 11 year old daughter said she had to see me because I look great - I was shocked. I told dh and said "but I've only lost 13 pounds" and then inspiration hit - thanks to 50sjayne (I'm pretty sure that was her post about the 40 # kitty litter). I picked up a new 10 pound bag of potatoes - wow that was heavy! - and told dh to hold it. He said "this is heavy" and then I told him I lost more than that! What a great feeling!! Then I did the same with dd just to feel even better - of to a great start today.

It is SUCH an eye opener to "heft" an item that weighs what you have lost. Back in 2003 DH and I both lost weight... I lost about 40 lb and he lost about 60..... it was close to what our kids weighed at that time, so we used to talk about losing a "kid"! It was a HUGE eye opener for us! When I do the WATP DVDs, I use 1 lb. wrist weights, 5 lb. ankle weights, and a 2 lb. weight belt.... and it is unbelieveable how heavy that 14 pounds feels! I can't believe I used to have many more times that weight on my body! Did you see the episode of BL this season where the heavy guy (Mike??) had to put his amount of excess weight on Bob and Bob had to stand up with it on... it looked like Bob was going to collapse! And this guy is carrying this around with him EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY!! Try carrying that bag of potatoes around for the next hour... you will realize what a huge accomplishment you have achieved!

Thanks to Jen for coaching last week. You did an awesome job as coach, and I loved your qotds.
A big welcome to Maria as this weeks coach.

I am happy to see 2.4 of last weeks gain gone again, bringing me back under my starting weight!! It's a slow process, but I won't ever give up. I have a broken tooth and a root canal to thank for some of that weight loss. Wasn't up to eating much the past couple days, but my tooth is feeling better. Just need to try and keep with the healthier choices, and journalling.

Have a great day all.

Sorry to hear about the tooth.... what a pain (literally!). Hope it is feeling better (and I hope you have good dental insurance! ).

You had a good loss!! I'm happy for you!


Good morning all my BL friends (or, as my kids call you, my "imaginary friends")!

I am sad to report that I am up 1 lb. today. Not sure why other than the fact that my cold kept me from getting in my usual amount of exercise. I did at least 30 minutes every day, but I usually have a few days each week of 75+ minutes and that just didn't happen this week. Plus I am ovulating (sorry if that is TMI) and I always bloat up during this time. I was really hoping to go into the kids school vacation week down a bit more, so I would have some wiggle room, but it is not to be.

I also had a few homemade meals this week that were hard to track (points wise) and perhaps I underestimated them. I'll have to make note of that for the next time.

I got in my exercise early today, as I will be working the computer system at DD's swim meet tonight, so no exercise time at the Y. I decided to change things up a little, in response to the QOTD from earlier this week. After I did 30 minutes of full incline interval walking on the TM, I did 30 minutes of calesthenics type stuff.... 10 minutes of stair running, 2 minutes of jumping jacks, 2 minutes of high knees... that kind of stuff. It was a nice change, plus I played some fun ABBA music that I rarely listen to. Then I did a FULL 5 minutes of good stretching... that felt so nice... stretching is really underrated!


I promised some friends over on the Scrapping board that I would get some pictures of some pages I did posted today, so I've got to run. Have a SUPER Friday everyone!...................P

 

[tigger813]

My parents swear by the Arnold Sandwich Thins. I had a coupon yesterday so I bought 2 packages of the whole wheat ones that I will have with tuna fish and miracle whip light for lunch.

Just finished 5 miles so far for today. Time for my weigh in!

 

[tigger813]

WOOHOO! Down .4 for the week!!!!

If you don't do anything else during the week, DRINK YOUR WATER! That is totally helping me lose the weight along with eating better but the WATER IS A KEY!

 

[princessbride6205]

Welcome, Maria, our coach this week! This is my 3rd BL too.

I'm a little bummed that I had an exact maintain this week (literally to the tenth of what I've been the last 2 weigh ins). I exercised every day and stayed within my calories. Now that I only have about 2 pounds left till goal, I set my calorie tracker to lose approx 1 pound per week. So I wasn't expecting anything big, just a tiny movement down was all I was hoping for. BUT, I am not discouraged. Maintaining is better than a gain.
It may be for the best actually - I'm out of town visiting relatives this weekend, have family visiting us next weekend, and the weekend after that is the Princess half marathon. With the family visits always come meals that are hard to track and juggling to fit in workouts. And since the Princess is my first long race, I have no idea how that will affect my weight loss. So maintaining may be all I'll be able to do the next few weeks anyway.

I'll be back to answer the QOTD - have to do some work now...

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Thanks for sharing Liz!

I do have a couple of questions but think I might try core for a week or two. My biggest concern is that I will gain weight because normally I do not use my 35 flex points and I know with core I would be dipping into them.

First, do you think if you tracked the points for core plus your flex points you would have ate about the same as tracking?

Second, were there foods that you really missed (besides the bread) that you had to count?

Finally, if you would be willing to share...how many of your 35 flex points did you end up using?

You did a great job losing 4 pounds! It is making me think that I should try the core for a bit of a change...and if it doesn't work, I can always go back to tracking.

Thanks for sharing!!!
Jen

I would love to share. The biggest problem I was having with flex was saving up my points so I could have snacks at night. This meant I really was not following the healthy guidelines. The only thing I missed was the bread honestly. But I took the 35 points and divided them up daily so I got 5 points per day. I think I used about 22 of them.

I used brown rice instead of jasmine rice. You can have potatoes or rice once per day so I saved that for dinner. I made up a double batch of the soup and had that for lunches and the core quesh for breakfast. Also I love polenta with strawberries and sugar free syrup. Kinda like something I had as a child called mush. You can have oatmeal, cream of wheat, whole grain cereal, and grits. I really think ww got the lowcarb right. Your body is not deprived because you can have so many whole grains. I did have to switch out my dressings for ff along with my sour cream and mayo. I didnt mind though. I made seafood salad, egg salad and chicken salad and used the sandwich thins for 1 point each. I made smooties with my milk and frozen fruit for sweet cravings along with ff pudding I love the butterscotch and fudge flavors.

Protein fills you faster/longer so I found I was way less hungry and didnt have as many snack cravings. You can have the smart pop so every night I have a large bag of that and a pudding for snack. I really dont feel deprived having that. I even packed all this stuff last week when we went to the parks and did great with it.

I check the ww message boards for filling foods to get tips but I dont post there. Let me know if you want any of the recipes I found.

I tried tracking but you do eat more points on core and it freaked me out so I stopped. Once I stopped tracking I was not so focused on food and naturally started eating less. My mind is kinda crazy like that though. The more I focus on it the more obsessed with food I become. If that makes any sense at all.

I mostly used my extra points for sandwhich thins, salad dress that was not ff, and ww string cheese and turkey peperoini. Just some things I like that are not core. Most everything else is allowed.

 

[lisaviolet]

Good morning all my BL friends (or, as my kids call you, my "imaginary friends")!

I am sad to report that I am up 1 lb. today.
P

on your kids Pamela.

And don't be sad about one pound. Frustrating I know - but you know in the scheme of things it's just an annoying little nothing. Onward.

WOOHOO! Down .4 for the week!!!!
!

Love this. Love the WOOHOO.

I'm a little bummed that I had an exact maintain this week

Maintaining! A highly - oh so highly - underrated feat!

And fantastic to be so close to goal.

I'm down one pound this week (on a 2 week weigh in which means twin baby .5s!)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

 

[princessbride6205]

Friday QOTD: Is there a healthy food swap you tried to make that surprised you with how well it worked? Is there one that just didn't work at all for you?
Oatmeal for breakfast instead of anything else. Helps keep me full and I'm finding I can add a lot less brown sugar than I used to. I had no idea DD would love it, so that helps we can make a big bowl and split. I've always been a skim milk, whole wheat bread, diet butter, FF dressing, no mayo person so no issues with keeping those. I do like Splenda - it's the only fake sugar I like. The sandwich thins are okay, but I like the whole wheat Thomas english muffins better.
Whole wheat tortillas are the sub we can't stick with. We eat tortillas 1-2 times a week in various meals, DH more often (likes wraps as snacks). I don't love the wheat tortillas, but I can eat them. DH hates them. It is the only food substitution that he has thrown an absolute fit about, so I let him win. We tried the corn tortillas but I hated those. So I buy the white flour tortillas "plus" (I think it has omega fat and fiber added).
Finding substitutes for dessert is my biggest challenge. I like to have a moderate to large sized snack in the evening while I'm relaxing. Usually that is a large dish of reduced fat ice cream topped with sprinkles or chocolate syrup. Or at least, that was my "I'm saving enough calories to eat this everyday" dessert. (If I didn't care about weight loss or maintaining, my ideal dessert would include homemade cookies.) So I'm trying to switch it up and enjoy other snacks in the evening. I got some organic ginger snap cookies, sometimes I'll have pistachios, greek yogurt, or FF pudding. As long as I keep out of the mindset that I NEED ice cream everyday, I think I'll be okay.

 

[corinnak]

You're so lucky about the stomach pooch. I don't think that mine will ever totally disappear without surgery. I am less than 10 pounds away from goal, but I still have a pooch (and not a furry friend who brings my slippers!!)

I agree - coveting redlight's nearly gone stomach pooch. Here I am, below my goal and my stomach is still very much there. I am just having to come to terms with the fact that my body was VERY stretched out when I was hugely pregnant and overweight with my oldest son, and it's not going back without surgical intervention - no amount of ab-work is fixing this. I actually have abs of steel under a very pillowy outer layer. I'm like a jawbreaker wrapped in a marshmallow.

But that is OK. It beats where I was before by a mile. Even if you disregard the question of cost, I'm not sure I'd ever be willing to undergo the risks of surgery for the sake of appearance rather than health.

Wahoo!!! I have worked hard this week since coming home from vacation--very compulsive with food and exercise--and it's paid off. This morning I am back to my pre-trip weight
Which means some pretty fun things:
I got my 20 lb clippie yippee
And, the best of all - I am no longer 'morbidly obese'.

Liz - congratulations on ALL of these victories! Getting back in the swing of things after a vacation is a huge accomplishment and a skill for life, I believe. The new clippie looks great! And how wonderful to shed that "M.O." designation!

QOTD: I tried the BL Weight Loss Yoga last night and it did me in. I can't believe yoga is so challenging. I guess I should buy a yoga for beginners DVD. I think I'll swap a WATPs DVD for that as a reward. I bought a WATPs DVD and I really can't get into it. I'll try again over the weekend.

CC - that is a tough DVD, for sure. The section with the core work is especially tough, I think. And I've done a good bit of work on my core over the past year. Even the "beginner" week, he has you hold those poses a LONG time. Good for you that you tried it - next time you do it, it probably won't be as tough as this time as your body adapts to the things you ask of it.

QOTD: I love the Arnold Sandwich thins too! They have made a big difference. I also got a great tip from Corrina, I drizzle some olive oil on my popcorn...yum!! That is so satisfying for me!

Jenn - you are making me hungry! I do love that teaspoon of olive oil on the popcorn!

I'm a little bummed that I had an exact maintain this week (literally to the tenth of what I've been the last 2 weigh ins). I exercised every day and stayed within my calories. Now that I only have about 2 pounds left till goal, I set my calorie tracker to lose approx 1 pound per week. So I wasn't expecting anything big, just a tiny movement down was all I was hoping for. BUT, I am not discouraged. Maintaining is better than a gain.
It may be for the best actually - I'm out of town visiting relatives this weekend, have family visiting us next weekend, and the weekend after that is the Princess half marathon. With the family visits always come meals that are hard to track and juggling to fit in workouts. And since the Princess is my first long race, I have no idea how that will affect my weight loss. So maintaining may be all I'll be able to do the next few weeks anyway.

Hey there princessbride cousin! It gets so tough as you approach that goal. Sometimes our bodies just have to hang out, but it is annoying at the least. Maintaining at this level is actually great, too! You are so close, you really get to enjoy pretty much everything about being at goal except the number itself.

Good luck with your travels and visits and guests - I agree, that does make it challenging.

I have no way of knowing how the Princess race will impact your weight, but I can tell you that for myself, I almost always find that I'm up the first few days after a big, big race (water retention in muscles doing repairs, I like to think!) and then by the end of the week, I'm usually back to where I was before or down a little bit. That's just my experience, but I thought I'd throw it out there for reference anyhow.


Friday QOTD: Is there a healthy food swap you tried to make that surprised you with how well it worked? Is there one that just didn't work at all for you?

Boy, I think I'm the only one who's not so much a fan of the Splenda (and Arnold thins, which contain Splenda) - unfortunately, I've discovered that I have an issue with my heart in which it actually skips a beat and when I have even sugarless gum with splenda, it gets noticeably worse, to the point where I actually feel it in my chest. I sure wish they'd label things that contain splenda the way they used to with Nutrasweet! So I guess that's a whole pile of swaps that don't work for me, as it is found in so very many reduced fat/calorie yogurts, breads, etc. now.

The things that do work for me: I like the 2% cheeses. I agree on the fat free, but find that the 2% is a good blend of palatability and weight-loss-friendliness.

I finally found some non-sucralose sandwich thins today. They are made by a company called "Earth Grains" and are pretty good!

Stevia does not cause the same issues with my heart, so when I want my tea or yogurt sweetened, I use a little stevia. It does have a bit of an aftertaste, so I am careful about where I use it.

And finally, my favorite substitute for ice cream (which is my worst addiction):

1/2 cup plain fat free greek yogurt (with a little stevia and vanilla stirred in)
topped with
2/3 cup frozen wild blueberries
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
(2 points)

If I have an extra point to play with, I also love to add either a measured quantity of Kashi Crunchy cereal or lowfat granola or 7 chopped up almonds or 1/2 T chocolate chips.

It is amazingly thick and creamy.

Oh, here's one more tip - the Greek Gods brand of yogurt is sour. I love Trader Joe's, Oikos or Fage. Be sure to get the fat free - the full vat versions are crazy!

 

[50sjayne]

Up late last night watching the US collect more medals!!!! Loved the men's figure skating! Evan was AWESOME lat night! I was afraid to watch but made it through! He's a real cutie!!!!

Enjoy your day everyone.

I am the opposite today- I am bitterly, bitterly disappointed Evgeni Plushenko didn't get the gold. I realize Evan works hard--jeez that's all they had to say about him--but Plushenko is something else--he flies. Watching Evan--he is strong and practice perfect but there is no art to it. I hated his snakey Vera Wang costume too--Vera Wang who still promotes use of animal fur and 12 year old anorexic models. Plushenko did the quad which is what differentiates the men skaters from the women, and was enjoyable to watch. Johnny Weir skated beautifully, got a standing ovation (the only one) and they underscored him terribly. The new point system has to go. It is killing the art and passion of it.

 

[corinnak]

Forgot to say:

Welcome to our new coach, Maria!!! Can't wait to hear what you have in store for us this week!

Thanks so much for the coaching last week, Jen! You did a fantastic job!

Congratulations to all of the COW participants as well! I feel guilty that I never participate in it, but I am always inspired by the challenges. Thanks for running it, Dona!

 

[DisCanCan]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcomes & thanks for the exercising advice Corinna it was very helpful. Last night I went to a boxing exercise class with a couple of friends from work… My arms & abs are KILLING me but it’s a good sore cuz I know I worked my butt off for that hurt... I am also down 2.5 pounds so I am happy about my progress… I just have to keep thinking slow & steady wins this journey that I am on…

QOTD: I also eat oatmeal in the morning. I find it fills me up till lunch time. I have mine with cinnamon, mix berries & soy milk. I haven’t really found a healtly food swap that I didn’t like yet! I have switched all of my white “stuff” out with whole grains. I have started to cut out the sugar & processed food, which in doing so I have discovered that I LOVE to cook…

Thanks for all the great motivation & advice

Candice

 

[my3princes]

I had a loss this morning I got up, weighed in on our scale, moved to the wii fit, weighed in and started the body test where I nearly passed out, just standing on it It was the weirdest feeling. I made it to the couch before the "lights blinked out". It was just a few seconds followed by feeling very hot then major dry heaves. About 5 minutes later I felt fine again and have felt fine for most of the day. I have no idea why or what happened, but I've got to admit that I'm a bit scared. Anywhooo I did have a loss and so did DH. Mind you I'm not back to where I was 3 weeks ago so I doubt the weight loss has anything to do with this morning.


QOTD: The Arnold sandwich thins and Diet Soda have made a world of difference to my life. I also like the laughing cow light swiss cheese for sandwiches. Giving up soda totally has not worked for me at all.

 

[50sjayne]

Healthy swap. Hmm. I put honey in my coffee now instead of sugar. I actually got this from my Dad. I needed some equal too when I first started doing this but now as long as I have a really good ff creamer, I don't need anything else. I like other stuff for variety as my morning coffe is just really my one sweet treat. Right now I have some starbucks gingerbread syrup I got marked down. After thanksgiving we had whipped topping which was nice. On the more healthy side, a good dose of cinnamon is great with the gingerbread and I have a little shaker of nutmeg for extra flavor I use almost daily for the coffee. I use olive oil for pretty much everything now, I even have a sprayer I got for xmas which I love . You put the olive oil in a canister thing and it sprays olive oil--genius....
I have maintained again this week. As I'm at my goal weight I'm really happy with that.

 

[princessbride6205]

Hey there princessbride cousin! It gets so tough as you approach that goal. Sometimes our bodies just have to hang out, but it is annoying at the least. Maintaining at this level is actually great, too! You are so close, you really get to enjoy pretty much everything about being at goal except the number itself.

Good luck with your travels and visits and guests - I agree, that does make it challenging.

I have no way of knowing how the Princess race will impact your weight, but I can tell you that for myself, I almost always find that I'm up the first few days after a big, big race (water retention in muscles doing repairs, I like to think!) and then by the end of the week, I'm usually back to where I was before or down a little bit. That's just my experience, but I thought I'd throw it out there for reference anyhow.

The things that do work for me: I like the 2% cheeses. I agree on the fat free, but find that the 2% is a good blend of palatability and weight-loss-friendliness.

I finally found some non-sucralose sandwich thins today. They are made by a company called "Earth Grains" and are pretty good!

And finally, my favorite substitute for ice cream (which is my worst addiction):

1/2 cup plain fat free greek yogurt (with a little stevia and vanilla stirred in)
topped with
2/3 cup frozen wild blueberries
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
(2 points)

If I have an extra point to play with, I also love to add either a measured quantity of Kashi Crunchy cereal or lowfat granola or 7 chopped up almonds or 1/2 T chocolate chips.

It is amazingly thick and creamy.

Oh, here's one more tip - the Greek Gods brand of yogurt is sour. I love Trader Joe's, Oikos or Fage. Be sure to get the fat free - the full vat versions are crazy!

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm okay with a maintain - just would like to see my goal number and fit into that pair of khakis that is taunting me! I know I'll get there, just not this week. I figured I might gain a little around the half marathon, then lose it a few days or a week later - I'm wondering if all my powerade, clif shots & WDW treats will negate the 1300 calories I burn in the race.

2% cheeses are another one I forgot to mention in the QOTD. I always buy those. Just bought another brand of Sandwich thins - I think they are Earth Grains, Corinna! - so we'll see how we like those.

I bought some Greek yogurt - now I need to actually eat it! I've put chocolate chips in blackberry regular yogurt before and that was yummy. I'll be trying some more mix ins with the Greek yogurt. Thanks for the tips on brands, Corinna.

 

[tigger813]

Just did the first workout on the BL Wii game. I did a moderate 37 minute workout! Man, that was tough!

Did the Wii Fit weigh in and it actually said I was down from the last time I was on. Doing well today but will not do well tonight as we're ordering pizza and having chips and I'm having a drink! I earned it! I really wanted a Welsh Dragon (fave drink at Epcot, Rose and Crown we know the recipe) but DH forgot to stop and get melon liquer so I will just have to drink something else like a mango margarita or maybe I'll make DH make me a scorpion.

Looking forward to more Olympics tonight!

 

[jennz]

lol Tracey just had to say I knew that was you when I was reading the post in my email...love your posts and drinks! Have a fun night - it was a good Survivor last night!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

QOTD -- switching out chips for baked chips...decided to make that a lifestyle change not just a 'dieting' change and surprisingly my oldest DD prefers them now too.

I agree, this is another one that has been good for our entire family. I especially like the Veggie Chips, even though I know they aren't actually alot better for you than regular chips, but they are alot less greasy.

Good morning everyone! I am so happy to be down .8 today

13 lbs is something to be very proud of! And it clearly shows! The key is to keep plugging away even if it seems like the week isn't going well -- the next one surely will!

Sleepover went well and I think they are just waking up now as I hear giggling and talking!

My ds is at a sleepover as I write! I was happy to drop him off and glad it's someone else's turn -- I like having the kids over, but it's also nice to have a break, too. It sounds like all the giggling girls had a blast!

QOTD: My big recipe makeover has been my bacon double cheese quiche. I now make it with egg beaters and turkey bacon. It';s actually tastier! I usually don't like turkey bacon but love it that way! I also use ground turkey more than beef these days.

That sounds delicious! I also buy the giant container at BJ's -- I know it's not going to go bad before I use it all.

For me the best one is the Arnold's Sandwich Thins. I LOVE bread and tried so many "diet" breads before I came across these. I have been enjoying sandwiches again since finding them. The fat-free cheeses don't work at all for me. I just skip it if that is my only choice. We tried cake made with diet pop and fat free frosting this weekend - TOTALLY DID NOT work for me. Funny thing is...DH and the rest of the family enjoyed them.

First, on the 2 lbs gone! I think being a coach usually helps that week I love the Arnold Sandwich Thins, we eat them pretty much exclusively as our bread. I also just say no if my only choice is fake cheese. That cake sounds...interesting. I can see why it might not go over well with everyone.

Plus my husband is now off for a few days from the hospital so we are having our Valentines this weekend at Boma Yay!!

Friday QOTD: Is there a healthy food swap you tried to make that surprised you with how well it worked? Is there one that just didn't work at all for you?

I swapped out salad dressing from reular to light or ff depending upon the brand. I also bread fish with cornmeal now not flour and bake it. It comes out crispy if that is what you are looking for.

I can not do brick or slice ff cheese. It tates like plastic to me. The shreded kind or feta is ok but otherwise no way.

What a fantastic way to celebrate, have a zebra dome for me! I also love feta cheese! I should have been adopted by a Greek family!

I just wanted to add. Some people wanted me to post how I liked ww core vs ww points or flex. It is definately the way for me to go. I hate tracking food and this gives me the freedom to not have to do that. It seems the only real things I miss are bread and crackers but I have 35 points if I want the bread and I switched to ff popcorn instead of crackers for my cruchy snack and tackled my sweet tooth with ff jello pudding. So I am doing well. I am losing pretty well too. I took off 4lbs this week and it straightened me out last week so I didnt gain. It did take a week to adjust.

I am so glad you found a system that is working for you -- that is key, being willing to try something new. It could be just what you need to succeed!

I am happy to see 2.4 of last weeks gain gone again, bringing me back under my starting weight!! It's a slow process, but I won't ever give up. I have a broken tooth and a root canal to thank for some of that weight loss. Wasn't up to eating much the past couple days, but my tooth is feeling better. Just need to try and keep with the healthier choices, and journalling.

I love the greek yogurt now, and it has so much more protein than the regular yogurt it holds me so much longer. I buy chobani because the fage is so much more expensive.

Considering all you have going on -- again, you are so strong and doing such a great job! I have not tried the Greek yogurt yet. I don't know what is stopping me...I switched to organic, I guess Greek is the next step.

I love the Arnold Sandwich Thins, too. And surprisingly DH likes them too. I do not like the rubber fake cheese in any form -- it just isn't the same. I like the richer, more flavorful hard cheeses like parmesan and romano where you can use less if you grate them yourself (not the green stuff in the can).

I have to laugh because the "green stuff in the can" is one of my successful substitutions!

QOTD: I love the Arnold Sandwich thins too! They have made a big difference. I also got a great tip from Corrina, I drizzle some olive oil on my popcorn...yum!! That is so satisfying for me!

Now I have to try this olive oil trick!

My healthy food change... I gave up Diet Coke on 01/02/2008 and haven't looked back. I drink seltzer or water now (occasionally a bit of that 4C drink mix.... like the Crystal light but with Splenda instead of aspartame). I will occasionally have a Diet Coke when I am out at a restaurant that has lousy water and no seltzer.... or the occasional Fresca.... but probably less than 6 servings a year. I will even bring my own seltzer into restaurants that don't offer it (although almost anyplace with a bar will have it available, you just have to ask). I never drank regular soda and I only drank caffeine free, so it was mostly just the habit I had to give up, not the sugar or caffeine.

I also eliminated a lot of white carbs from my diet. I NEVER get french fries any more when we go out (although I am not above scrounging a few from my DS's plate!!), I rarely eat white potatoes, I only eat white bread about once a week or so (usually in the form of a 100 calorie bagel or 100 calorie english muffin or a Sandwich Thin). I almost NEVER eat white pasta any more.... although I still serve it to my family, but we are trying to change over to whole wheat slowly. I never liked/served white rice to my family, only brown rice or wild rice, so no change there.

My few remaining white carbs are things like the previously mentioned 100 calorie items, Baked Lays occasionally, and microwave lowfat popcorn (and my current obsession with the chocolate bran muffins I made!!).

Your many changes show in the weight you have lost! All good advice and ideas for people to try!

WOOHOO! Down .4 for the week!!!!

If you don't do anything else during the week, DRINK YOUR WATER! That is totally helping me lose the weight along with eating better but the WATER IS A KEY!

Fantastic advice! You can drink too much water, but it's hard to do!

Maintaining is better than a gain.

Yes, it is -- you are so close to goal it is really hard to lose at the end.

I'm down one pound this week (on a 2 week weigh in which means twin baby .5s!)

I call it progress -- remember, progress not perfection -- you are doing great!

Friday QOTD: Is there a healthy food swap you tried to make that surprised you with how well it worked? Is there one that just didn't work at all for you?
Oatmeal for breakfast instead of anything else. Helps keep me full and I'm finding I can add a lot less brown sugar than I used to. I had no idea DD would love it, so that helps we can make a big bowl and split. I've always been a skim milk, whole wheat bread, diet butter, FF dressing, no mayo person so no issues with keeping those. I do like Splenda - it's the only fake sugar I like. The sandwich thins are okay, but I like the whole wheat Thomas english muffins better.
Whole wheat tortillas are the sub we can't stick with. We eat tortillas 1-2 times a week in various meals, DH more often (likes wraps as snacks). I don't love the wheat tortillas, but I can eat them. DH hates them. It is the only food substitution that he has thrown an absolute fit about, so I let him win. We tried the corn tortillas but I hated those. So I buy the white flour tortillas "plus" (I think it has omega fat and fiber added).
Finding substitutes for dessert is my biggest challenge. I like to have a moderate to large sized snack in the evening while I'm relaxing. Usually that is a large dish of reduced fat ice cream topped with sprinkles or chocolate syrup. Or at least, that was my "I'm saving enough calories to eat this everyday" dessert. (If I didn't care about weight loss or maintaining, my ideal dessert would include homemade cookies.) So I'm trying to switch it up and enjoy other snacks in the evening. I got some organic ginger snap cookies, sometimes I'll have pistachios, greek yogurt, or FF pudding. As long as I keep out of the mindset that I NEED ice cream everyday, I think I'll be okay.

The evening is totally my downfall. I want to eat while I watch tv. It's just an ingrained habit. I am working hard on it, but I agree it is hard. Now I may drink 3 cups of hot tea every night, but at least I'm not eating everything I see...

I agree - coveting redlight's nearly gone stomach pooch. Here I am, below my goal and my stomach is still very much there. I am just having to come to terms with the fact that my body was VERY stretched out when I was hugely pregnant and overweight with my oldest son, and it's not going back without surgical intervention - no amount of ab-work is fixing this. I actually have abs of steel under a very pillowy outer layer. I'm like a jawbreaker wrapped in a marshmallow.

But that is OK. It beats where I was before by a mile. Even if you disregard the question of cost, I'm not sure I'd ever be willing to undergo the risks of surgery for the sake of appearance rather than health.

Friday QOTD: Is there a healthy food swap you tried to make that surprised you with how well it worked? Is there one that just didn't work at all for you?

Boy, I think I'm the only one who's not so much a fan of the Splenda (and Arnold thins, which contain Splenda) - unfortunately, I've discovered that I have an issue with my heart in which it actually skips a beat and when I have even sugarless gum with splenda, it gets noticeably worse, to the point where I actually feel it in my chest. I sure wish they'd label things that contain splenda the way they used to with Nutrasweet! So I guess that's a whole pile of swaps that don't work for me, as it is found in so very many reduced fat/calorie yogurts, breads, etc. now.

The things that do work for me: I like the 2% cheeses. I agree on the fat free, but find that the 2% is a good blend of palatability and weight-loss-friendliness.

I finally found some non-sucralose sandwich thins today. They are made by a company called "Earth Grains" and are pretty good!

Stevia does not cause the same issues with my heart, so when I want my tea or yogurt sweetened, I use a little stevia. It does have a bit of an aftertaste, so I am careful about where I use it.

And finally, my favorite substitute for ice cream (which is my worst addiction):

1/2 cup plain fat free greek yogurt (with a little stevia and vanilla stirred in)
topped with
2/3 cup frozen wild blueberries
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
(2 points)

If I have an extra point to play with, I also love to add either a measured quantity of Kashi Crunchy cereal or lowfat granola or 7 chopped up almonds or 1/2 T chocolate chips.

It is amazingly thick and creamy.

Oh, here's one more tip - the Greek Gods brand of yogurt is sour. I love Trader Joe's, Oikos or Fage. Be sure to get the fat free - the full vat versions are crazy!

I just have to ask -- chia seeds, like the chia pets? That stomach is a badge of courage. You created life -- that is no small accomplishment! You made human beings! Of course your body isn't going to be exactly like it was before (ok, unless you are Heidi Klum)! You are in the best shape of your life (I might have heard somewhere), and with all your body can do, the appearance just isn't as important. I know of course you want to look good -- but you do!

I am the opposite today- I am bitterly, bitterly disappointed Evgeni Plushenko didn't get the gold. I realize Evan works hard--jeez that's all they had to say about him--but Plushenko is something else--he flies. Watching Evan--he is strong and practice perfect but there is no art to it. I hated his snakey Vera Wang costume too--Vera Wang who still promotes use of animal fur and 12 year old anorexic models. Plushenko did the quad which is what differentiates the men skaters from the women, and was enjoyable to watch. Johnny Weir skated beautifully, got a standing ovation (the only one) and they underscored him terribly. The new point system has to go. It is killing the art and passion of it.

I haven't watched last night's events yet -- I did Tivo so I expect to catch it soon. I have been concerned about the new scoring system ever since I realized artistry was probably not going to get the weight I think it deserves. What have you thought about the commentary? I don't even know who the woman is (they never show them), but she's getting on my nerves. She seems very biased to me. I like Scott Hamilton, but you can be too positive. I miss Dick Button at the height of his faculties...

Congratulations to all of the COW participants as well! I feel guilty that I never participate in it, but I am always inspired by the challenges. Thanks for running it, Dona!

Absolutely -- when I do the COW I do so much better, I just haven't been able to get it together this time. It's always things we need to do, Thank you, Dona, for all your hard work!

QOTD: I also eat oatmeal in the morning. I find it fills me up till lunch time. I have mine with cinnamon, mix berries & soy milk. I haven’t really found a healtly food swap that I didn’t like yet! I have switched all of my white “stuff” out with whole grains. I have started to cut out the sugar & processed food, which in doing so I have discovered that I LOVE to cook…

Hey Candice! I'm so glad you are enjoying the BL Challenge! And it is awesome you have found a love of cooking, and everything is working great for you!

I had a loss this morning I got up, weighed in on our scale, moved to the wii fit, weighed in and started the body test where I nearly passed out, just standing on it It was the weirdest feeling. I made it to the couch before the "lights blinked out". It was just a few seconds followed by feeling very hot then major dry heaves. About 5 minutes later I felt fine again and have felt fine for most of the day. I have no idea why or what happened, but I've got to admit that I'm a bit scared. Anywhooo I did have a loss and so did DH. Mind you I'm not back to where I was 3 weeks ago so I doubt the weight loss has anything to do with this morning.


QOTD: The Arnold sandwich thins and Diet Soda have made a world of difference to my life. I also like the laughing cow light swiss cheese for sandwiches. Giving up soda totally has not worked for me at all.

Oh my goodness! I hope you continue to feel well! Soda is a tough one. The Laughing Cow is a good friend of mine. Love those Babybels!

Healthy swap. Hmm. I put honey in my coffee now instead of sugar. I actually got this from my Dad. I needed some equal too when I first started doing this but now as long as I have a really good ff creamer, I don't need anything else. I like other stuff for variety as my morning coffe is just really my one sweet treat. Right now I have some starbucks gingerbread syrup I got marked down. After thanksgiving we had whipped topping which was nice. On the more healthy side, a good dose of cinnamon is great with the gingerbread and I have a little shaker of nutmeg for extra flavor I use almost daily for the coffee. I use olive oil for pretty much everything now, I even have a sprayer I got for xmas which I love . You put the olive oil in a canister thing and it sprays olive oil--genius....
I have maintained again this week. As I'm at my goal weight I'm really happy with that.

It sounds like you are doing great, and you are keeping variety in your breakfast, so it doesn't get boring, a great strategy!

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm okay with a maintain - just would like to see my goal number and fit into that pair of khakis that is taunting me! I know I'll get there, just not this week. I figured I might gain a little around the half marathon, then lose it a few days or a week later - I'm wondering if all my powerade, clif shots & WDW treats will negate the 1300 calories I burn in the race.

Well, I can't predict how you will do, but like Corinna, I am always up a few days after the race, and then I settle back down. Give yourself a little time afterwards because things just may fluctuate -- your body is not sure if this is going to be a daily occurrence, and has to try to adjust.

I'm off to pick dh up from work. I hope everyone has an awesome Friday evening!

Maria

 

[tigger813]

I really look forward to the weekends as that's the only time I drink! Having a few Honey BBQ potato chips. I do mean only a few! They are soooo yummy!

Time for some more water before my OTHER drink!

I bought some more BL Protein Powder today. I saw the recipes on the BL game so I will have to try a few.

GO TEAM USA and GO TEAM CANADA (if you're not against the USA!)!

Tonight's gonna be good night! (DS and her family are going to see the Black Eyed Peas tonight so the song has been going through my head ALL DAY!

 

[lecach]

Tonight's gonna be good night! (DS and her family are going to see the Black Eyed Peas tonight so the song has been going through my head ALL DAY!

They must live in NC? A lot of my friends are going to the show in Raleigh tonight. I would like to go but my DH wouldnt. And since we're already getting a babysitter tomorrow night it just wouldnt work.