Photos

I tried to post the photos on their own page, but blogger wasn't having any of it. So I'll just add a new post for your before and after photos and update it as they come in.

I'll be sure to let everyone know whenever we have a new addition.

Sally W. (12.83%)

Cameron (13.32%) and Rebecca K (7.65%).

Connie M. (our 2nd place contestant with 13.83%)

Kira P. (At 19.62%, she is our 1st Place Winner!)

The Results are In!

The results are in and I need to share a few things with you. First of all:

 

The winner is…

 

Kira P. with a whapping 19.62% weight loss! 

 

And the Firs Runner Up with a very impressive 13.83% weight loss…Connie M!

 

With 31 paid participants, Kira and Connie will split the total prize of $310, 60/40. So Kira, I will be sending you your prize of $186. And Connie, you will receive the remaining $124. Great work and congratulations to both of you.

 

Now the race for First Runner Up really got close these last several weeks so I'd like to make honorable mention of the two contestants that gave Connie a run for the money.

 

Cameron K. was right on her heals with 13.32% weight loss and is currently in training for a MARATHON coming up next month!

 

Salley W. kept them both hustling with 12.83% weight loss and has run several 5k and 10k runs in the past few months. I find her success especially inspiring considering that her business is making custom, delicious, irresistible cakes for parties and weddings. Now that's will power!

 

As a group, our total weight loss since January 8^th is 476.8 Lbs! That is amazing and you are all so inspiring to me!

 

Speaking of the group, everyone has a story of the last 5 months. What's yours? I know Connie M. has done a very intense (and extremely hot) yoga class every day for nearly 100 days straight! I know there's a lot more to that story, so tell us about it and what you've learned. And Kira, we'd love to hear your story as well.

 

In fact, we'd love to hear everyone's story of what they learned. Leave them as comments on this post or email them to me and I'll post them.

 

I know that I've learned a lot in this process. I'll share just a few things.

 

First of all, watching how well you've done has shown me what can be accomplished when you stick to you goals. Where will we all be in the next 5 months? This challenge was long, but looking back, it doesn't seem as long as it did from the other end.

 

Another point is related to one of the quotes I posted on the blog. I said "A goal without a plan is like a racecar without a steering wheel. It may be fast, but it's going to crash at the first turn." When visiting Sally last month, I saw that she had actually posted that on her fridge, and it reminded me that I had forgotten about my plan (she obviously didn't forget hers though).

 

Making a plan is important, but working that plan consistently is the key to making it a successful one.

 

Finally, thank you all for playing with me. It's been fun working with you, following the show with you and most of all, getting to know you better.

 

Keep up the great work and keep setting goals.

 

With Love and Admiration,

 

Dave

Before and After

Kira wanted to share her before and after pictures so here they are.

The after photo was taken on April 14th. I can't wait to see the difference at the end of the challenge!

Anyone else that would like to share Before and After pictures - just let me know and I'd be happy to post them. If we get enough interest, I'll add a before and after page.

Thanks Kira and great job!

Techno Help

With all the 'apps' running around our there, its sometimes hard to know what's worth checking out. Here are a couple good ones related to fitness.

 

I've been using Nike+ (iPod/iPhone only) and Runtastic (android & The App Store). Here's a brief review from my perspective.

 

The Nike+ is a system that includes a chip in (or on) your shoe that transmits to a receiving device like an iPod (check for compatability), iPhone or other proprietary device. You have to either buy a pair of Nike shoes that were made to hold the Nike+ chip, or use a Velcro pouch and strap it to the laces of your shoe. The Nike+ chip alone runs about $20 ($30 if your iPod requires you to get the one that comes with the receiving unit), and the strap is about $10. You also have to purchase the app if you have an iPod touch or iPhone ($1.99).

 

Once you have all that, your ready to run. It's cool because you can listen to any play list on you iPod while you run, and even assign power songs that will play at the touch of a button, to give you that extra boost when you need it. You can just do a run (basic, time or distance), challenge your previous time and even play Nike+ Tag. A voice chimes in at intervals that you select (1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, etc.) and tells you your distance, time and current pace. It also lets you know if you're about to set a new personal best for distance or time, encouraging you to push yourself a little longer. When you do set a new personal best, a famous voice (like Lance Armstrong) will congratulate you when you finish.

 

At the end of your workout, you can review the statistics, upload to the Nike+ site and even share your run. You can also join the Nike+ community where you can see a graph of your run and challenge friends or join groups to keep you motivated. You can map your runs, create new runs or select a run that someone else in your area has created. If you have the iPhone, you can use the GPS feature to track your run and calibrate distance. The iPod allows you to calibrate your run to account for a longer or shorter stride than average.

 

Runtastic is an app that is available on both android and The App Store. Both have a free version and a paid version (less than $6) for added features. I installed the free version on my android phone and started using it to calibrate my Nike+ for my runs, because my average stride is quite a bit longer than most.

 

This app is great for several reasons (not just because its so cheap or even free). First of all, it uses the GPS on your android phone or iPhone to track the distance, speed, pace and elevation of your workout and shows your rout on the map. Because its using GPS, no calibrating is necessary, no matter what your stride. I also like the fact that it doesn't just limit me to running. When you select start, you are prompted to choose from a list of workouts like running/jogging, biking, walking, hiking and more. You can even choose to workout for a specified distance, time, pace or number of calories burned.

 

In the settings you can easily chose your preference for things like units (Metric or Imperial), voice feedback an a lot more. When you share your workout, friends can see the statistics and even view a map of your route. The paid version lets you geotag your rout by taking a photo and associating it to your location using GPS, and it allows you to track your heart rate. You can even track things like weight loss, although I haven't looked into those extra features yet.

 

Both programs allow for sharing (Facebook or twitter) and let you view your history. They also give you information such as calories burned, total distance and time. And both have a "community" online that you can log-into for more features.

 

These are two options that can help you keep up with your goals long after our little challenge is over. If' you'd like more info on Runtastic, search for "runtastic" on your android phone or iPhone go to www.runtastic.com. For Nike+ you can do the same thing but it's not available on android. You can also go to http://nikerunning.nike.com to learn more.

 

If you end up getting either one, look me up so we can continue to challenge one another.

 

Thanks,

 

Dave

The State of th Challenge

First of all…WOW! We've lost over 430 lbs so far as a group!

 

Major props to our TOP 4! More than a month ago, I told myself that this little challenge was going to come down to these 4 players. They have been by far the most consistent and dedicated. More than ¼ of our total weight lost has come from these 4 players! Thank you for all your motivation and inspiration!

 

Current Standings as of 4/20/11:

 

1^st place at an amazing 15.38%: Kira P!

2^nd place was stolen this week by Cameron K. who reached an awesome 11.28%!

3^rd place is currently held by "The Yoga Master" Connie M. with 9.88%!

4^th place (in spite of a recent injury) goes to Sally W. who came back this week to 9.23%!

 

This isn't to take away from anyone else, so many of you have done so well. I'm amazed at how great things have gone and I want to thank you all for your participation and encouragement over the course of this challenge. It's been a long one, I know, but you are making changes that count. Thank you, thank you so very much for playing with me.

 

Honestly, I'm not ruling anyone out; in fact, I'd love to be surprised by someone coming from behind.

 

 

I'd also like to propose a new group goal. Can we, as a group, lose more than 500 lbs before we finish? It's up to each of us, so let me know…ARE YOU IN?

 

You each inspire me, so thank you and, as always…

 

Thanks for playing :)

 

Dave

The End In Sight

According to web searches, the Season 11 finale is supposed to be aired on Tuesday, the 24th of May. This means that our final weigh-in will be Saturday the 28th of May, with final results posted Tuesday, May 31st.

So we have just 8 weigh-ins left in our challenge. If you’ve been lacking motivation, use these last 8 weeks to get yourself back on track and see what you can accomplish. With the weather getting nice, I’m planning on getting outdoors as much as possible! What’s your plan?

You can still do it!

Getting Out of the Slump

Our word of the week (or longer) is CONSISTENCY! It's really starting to show.

 

A better week than last week! Keep up the good work and give a shout out to our leader, the Queen of consistent effort…Kira P! She's lost 10.77% to date and is maintaining a great attitude!

 

Can we break 400 lbs. lost as a group this week? We're so close!

 

http://blchallenge2011.blogspot.com/p/results.html

 

Ken's Chili

I always appreciate any practical tips I can get for eating good, healthy food, because that’s where I struggle the most.

Check out the Recipes page for Ken’s Chili Recipe from this week’s episode of Biggest Loser. It’s only 150 calories per cup and it looks tasty.

We’re definitely giving it a go this week!

YOU CAN DO IT!

It seems like everyone is struggling to keep motivated!...  I just wanted to write - I only know a few of you that are "playing" but here are a few things I've been thinking...

The task of losing weight can be so daunting because it is not a quick process!  Think of it as the Turtle who was "slow and Steady" and he ended up winnning the race!  The rabbit is more like most of us... we want to rush through it and see results ASAP!   You have to close your eyes and picture yourself in the body that you want... don't picture your high school days - that is not realistic... just try to picture the end result and know you can get there! 

Since the begining of January I've had moderate to good succes with this BL Challenge.  I know it will be a long road to where I want to be, but the big thing for me now is to not give up!  Like Dave says: YOU ARE WORTH IT!  The thing that this BLChallenge is giving me is the desire to just keep trying, day in and day out.  I have bad days and even bad weeks but I am not going to just stop!  Even when the BL Challenge is over, I want to just maintain it!!

 

Just don't give up! All of your hard work (Hard hard work... this is hard!) can become null and void if you give up!  Think of all the time and hard work you have spent to lose what you have so far - 5,10,15 LBS... all of that can go down the drain if you just give up... you can gain back so much weight in just a week or two!  It's crazy to think you can spend months losing 20LBS and in a matter of weeks gain it back by just plain giving up!

Instead of giving yourself reasons why you can't eat something, give yourself reasons why you can eat something else! Making good choices with food and exercising feels good, I've made enough bad choices with food and exercise that I just get sick of feeling crapy - physically and mentally.

 

One other thing that you should try is to set a goal, an acheivable but difficult goal.  Walk / Run a 5K (only 3.1 Miles) by the end of the BL Challenge or something... a 5K seems like something SO hard, but once you do it, it feels SO good!  I ran my first 5K 3 Months after having my 2nd child... when I began training, it seemed so hard to get going....after the first 2 weeks of running a little each day, I could feel it getting easier and easier... push through the hard points.. it will be worth it!

 

Anyway, I'm not pro- I just wanted to give ya'll a little motivation!  I know I need it just as much as you!

Just rememeber - It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up that matters the most!

 

Good luck!! 

--
Sally W

 

"You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is." -Ellen Degeneres

WOW!

Over 353 pounds lost and new leaders are emerging! It's exciting to know that many of you are really starting to see a change!

Some of us have hit a rough spot but keep your chin up and push through it. You can do it and YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Just a note, a few of you still haven't paid your entry fee. If you're one of them, please get with me about it ASAP.

Thanks for playing!

Looking for Variety?

Alexis found this website and it's loaded with yummy recipes that are still healthy. It's called "Cook Yourself Thin" and I guess it's a show on the Lifetime network.

 

Check it out at: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes

 

I'll add this to the Links page.

Bon Appetite,

 

Dave

Stuff I’m Loving

With the changes I'm making in my lifestyle, I'm discovering that I truly enjoy some of them. A few of the things I've come to enjoy have surprised me a bit, so I thought I'd share.

 

My Running Shoes are getting warn and tattered but they still give me great support for what ever I do. I love my Asics and how they have made walking, jogging and even running more fun.

 

Running is the one thing that has surprised me the most. I've never liked to run and I can honestly say that for most of my life I truly hated it (it was a very effective punishment in high school sports). Lately I've really started enjoying it. I look forward to my daily jog and I love to find new places to check out.

 

Pushing Myself is another thing that has surprised me. Each day I try to push a little farther or harder in some way. I may go farther or just spend more time jogging, or make myself take a few more hills. I've found that in just a short time, I've gotten stronger and am able to go farther and enjoy more when I'm out.

 

Ibuprofen is something that I've come to value. I realized that what has stopped me from being consistent with my workouts in the past is the soreness that sticks around for a few days. Ibuprofen has helped curb the pain enough that I am enjoying the workout and can still move the rest of the day.

 

Stretching is another one of those things that I've avoided for way too long. I've never liked the feeling of stretching but I've discovered that when my muscles are warm from a work out, it feels sooooooo good! For me, I think that's the key, stretch when I'm still warm and then keep moving and stretching all day long (the ibuprofen helps with this too ).

 

Home Made Whole Wheat and Flax bread is one of the things I am truly loving. A friend gave us a recipe and we've been making it for several weeks now. Not only is it delicious and super healthy but its great fuel for my body. I love having protein (like an egg) on ½ a sandwich of this super bread for breakfast. I'll post the recipe soon so you can try it too. We found that it's super cheep if we get all the ingredients in the bulk bins at the grocery store.

 

Water for me has always been something to mix into juice but I have really come to love water. My body craves it and keeping a full water bottle close helps me keep from over snacking. And a glass of water before my meals helps me feel satisfied after a healthy portion.

 

Avocado is something I've always loved but I've started substituting it for mayo on my sandwiches. It gives me the creamy texture that I love and a great flavor (I sprinkle a pinch of salt on it) but it's a super healthy fat. It's all natural and not processed, which is also better for you. One thing we've discovered to make our avocado last longer in the fridge is the Ziploc Vacuum bags. They come with a little pump to suck the air out and the avocado stays bright green in the fridge for a whole week. This way I can just use what I need and not waste the rest.

 

What are you loving? Tell us about what makes you feel good or what has been a surprising discovery about your new lifestyle.

Searching for Success

After struggling through last week, I'm determined to get back on track. I found some great tips that are helping, in a surprising place ... www.walmart.com if you can believe it.

I combined info from several categories so there really is a lot of information here. I'm just trying to pick a few at a time to work on. Check it out and add any tips or insight you've got.

This post was so long I decided to move it to it's own page called "Tips." Check it out and give us some of your tips too.

Comments

As the blog author, I get an email every time someone comments on a post. I've recently discovered a feature that I think will allow me to have comments sent to other email addresses also.

 

If you'd like to get comments on the blog emailed to you, let me know and I'll add your address. It's kind of nice to know who's saying what, when about the different topics we're focusing on.

 

Dave

Weigh-in Progress: Week 3

Great job this week! Especially to Greg M. with 3.3% weight loss.

 

I don't want to leave out the three contestants (so far) that lost over 2% each...

 

Kira P., Josh T. and Shelly P.

 

WOW! Keep it up, you're inspiring us all!  

 

We are still looking for about a dozen weigh-ins, so if you haven't sent yours in, please do so soon (dreves21@live.com is the email address to send your current weight to, and please don't forget your name).  

 

As Dory, from Finding Nemo says, let's all "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…"

 

Dave

question

my scale weighs to the tenths, do you want that or do you think I should drop it, like "for real" Biggest Loser?  I think it seems petty and more letter of the law, but I am just a petty sort of person ;)

Great Job Everyone!

GREAT JOB this week everyone!

 

Our leaders for our first weigh-in are SHERYL H. with 3.32% and JOSH T. with 2.53%.

Wow! Great work!

 

We have lost 92.7 lbs. as a group so far! (And that's with 8 new contestants)

We now have 33 people playing. Awesome! 

 

Most of you have either paid, or let me know when I can expect your entry fee. If you haven't yet, please send me a note at dreves21@live.com.

 

Thanks to all of you, &

 

Keep up the GREAT work!

Email Your Post

You can post to the home page of the blog by copying this email address and pasting it into the "To:" box on an email message.

 

dreves21.blchallenge@blogger.com

 

If your post belongs on one of the other pages, I can move it. This is an easy way for you to participate in the challenge and share your stories, goals and tips.

 

Please continue to email your weigh-in info each week to:

 

 dreves21@live.com

 

Thanks and keep up the great work!

What’s Your Mix?

I like music when I workout. One thing I’ve tried is making a mix that alternates cadence so one song is good for walking and the next is better for running. This way I not only get to listen to some of my favorite tunes but it gives me a beat to keep my feet moving to (and I’m not so concerned about how much farther I have to go).

Here’s one of mine, it’s about 40 minutes total.

Warm-up: Upside Down by Jack Johnson (Curious George soundtrack) (3:28)
Walking: Viva La Vida by Coldplay (4:01)
Jogging: Amsterdam by Guster (3:37)
Walking: Hello Seattle by Owl City (2:47)
Jogging: Bulletproof by La Roux (3:25) (Turn around point)
Walking: Two at a Time by Guster (4:57)
Jogging: Walk you Home by Passenger (3:40)
Walking: Stole My Heart by Little & Ashley (3:13)
Jogging: In For The Kill by La Roux (4:08)
Walking: People Watching by Jack Johnson (Curious George soundtrack)(3:19)
Cool-off: Better Together by Jack Johnson (3:27)

What’s your mix and how do you move to it?

Here’s the Scoop

Joining: send me your first name and last initial, your starting weight and your email address. If you need to mail your entry fee, let me know that as well and I’ll send you my mailing address. You will be able to join in until Saturday the 15th of January. That's the day of our second weigh-in, the first one that will have results posted. If you can’t get the entry fee to me by then, let me know so we can make arrangements.

Weigh-ins: We need to receive your new weight by the end of the day every Saturday. You can pick which day you want to do your weigh-in as long as it’s consistent throughout the competition. I need the actual weight but your results will be posted by percentage of weight loss each week. I will however post the total pounds lost by the group weekly and cumulative.

Results & Updates: The results will posted by the end of the day the following Monday. I will be posting a few topics that you can contribute to like food & nutrition, fitness & exercise and goals & stories. Use the ‘Blog Archive’ links at the top of the page to navigate to each (this will reduce the amount of scrolling you’ll have to do). If you have (or want to get) a free blogger account (http://www.blogger.com/home), you will be able to post on the blog. If not, you can send them to me and I can post them.

The Prize: Once everyone’s entry fee has been received, the total prize amount will be posted. The person who has the highest percentage of weight loss will win 60% of the total and the person with the next highest percentage will receive the other 40%.

Community: In order to have a community of support, I’ll ask everyone to participate as much as they can. Send me recipes, fitness tips, stories that inspire you and your own personal goals and plans. This community will not only support and encourage you but it will provide positive accountability. When you share your plans, you’re more likely to stick to them. So give us updates on how you’re doing!

Another way to hold yourself accountable in a positive way is to set goals beyond your weight loss. I know some of you are already registered for a half marathon this year. If that’s not for you, find a 5K in your area or join the pound-for-pound challenge (http://www.pfpchallenge.com/). You can also include family or friends, or get a workout buddy. What ever you decide to do, share it with us. Maybe some of us can join you!

Contacting me: my email address is dreves21@live.com. You can also post questions right on the blog.

The Challenge

The basic idea is that we will be each other’s Biggest Looser campus and community. We can’t all go to the ranch but we can provide support, motivation and positive accountability to help each other stay on track.

Each participant will be listed on the blog by first name and last initial. When you have submitted your entry fee of $10, a ‘$’ will show next to your name.

Weigh-in will be due by Saturday of each week. You can weigh in on Friday if you like, as long as it’s the same day and time of day each week. Email your weekly weight to the link on the blog. The results will be posted by percentage of weight loss no later than the following Monday.

Alexis isn’t participating and will be the one managing the results each week.

The winners will be the people with the highest percentage of weight loss for the entire challenge. In the event of a tie, the prize will be split evenly rather than 60/40.