I'm normally not a competitive sort, but I've had several people ask me to sponsor a "Biggest Loser" type of competition here in the forums, to get them motivated. The idea being that each of us would post our starting weight, and then whoever lost the most weight by say May 1st would get a prize.

I am happy to donate a $50 Amazon gift certificate towards this project!

We will take in entries up through February 1st. To join in our challenge, please send me an email with your current weight and a current photo of you. That way we fairly document the process. You don't have to share either one with the group, although you can if it helps to motivate you! We will want you to post weekly with the amount of weight you've lost, so that we can gauge how people are doing.

Let me know if you have any questions! My email is LowCarb AT BellaOnline.com

Enjoy!

OK we have three contestants so far for the challenge! I'll have them post their details here. We're still taking entries, if you want to enter the challenge!

I'm one of the three contestants and started my new low carb way of life 6 days ago. I've eaten this way before(to lose weight for my wedding dress) and it worked for me. I stopped avoiding carbs when I got pregnant with my twins and never started back to the healthier eating; that was 7 years and one new baby ago. I'm 5'3", 182 pounds and 35 years old, it's about time to get back on track. Good luck to all who take this challenge and who continue even after it's over, I will! God Bless!!

Welcome, twins+1! It's great to have you on board, and we will help you get to a healthier weight!

What sort of diet challenges do you have right now?

Hey Lisa! I have a big challenge with needing something sweet after I eat lunch and dinner. I've been looking around on some low carb sites and found a recipe for peanut butter cookies (pretty good but crumbly) and chocolate peanut butter fudge (awesome). All the ingredients are low carb even the peanut butter and chocolate, good figure! Who knew they could make them that way! If anyone wants the recipes I can post them just let me know. They're really easy to make.
That's about it for me. So far the low carb eating is going great, now that I have something sweet to nibble on.

Our modern society definitely develops a sweet tooth in us from day one - as children we are bombarded with sugar-filled peanut butter, sugar-filled jelly, sugar-filled drinks, you name it. Pretty much everything we give to kids has added sugar in it. It's no wonder we keep craving that as an adult

Not that it will necessarily help you right now, but your tongue really does adjust over time. That is, if you keep eating a low sugar diet, your tongue gets used to that - and then even a little sugar seems like "really sweet". So you get that same sugar-high fix from only a slightly sugary item. It means it gets easier and easier to eat healthy foods and be really happy. If you eat something super-sugary it actually tastes *too* sweet.

Luckily for modern consumers there are TONS (and I mean tons) of super-delicious low sugar chocolates on the market now. I'm not talking about carob - I'm talking about high quality chocolates that taste *exactly* like full-blown sugar chocolate. Many of the major manufacturers like Lindt and Godiva are offering them. They are supremely delicious and very low on sugar. So if you want to indulge, there are definitely options out there. I find a lot of them at CVS and even Target has a bunch of them too. You can of course order them online too if you want.

Thanks for the tip. I'm going to try and limit myself on the sweets (low sugar ones of course) for these first 2 weeks, and see how I do. I agree with you on the changing of taste buds. My mind has a lot to do with it too!

One key is if you start to crave a sweet, eat something that is half sweet. That way you take care of the sweet craving but also affect your sensitivity to sugar. That way over time you need less and less "sweet flavor" to taste sweet

[i]Hello Everyone!

I just signed up for the weight loss challenge. My name is Kim, and I weight 220 pounds. There I said it! That's hard to share with people. I lost weight successfully in 2003 and kept it off for 2 years, then I started putting it back on a little at a time, and here I am. When I lost the weight I vowed never to put it back on. (I think we all do that) So, part of my weight loss journey is I am going to learn everything I can about maintaining weight loss and then make the changes.
So, that's it in a nutshell. I am hoping this competition will give me the kick in my pants I need. I hope to see lots of people signing up, this challenge. It should be fun! February 1st is not that far away!!.
Good luck everyone!!!

Good for you for taking that step Lollie, and welcome!! It's always hard to start out publicly saying what you weigh. It's one of our world's only remaining prejudices. So we should accept what we are - and then strive to be healthy. It's a two part program

You can definitely start now, there's no reason to wait! People who join in over the coming days will only have a few days difference and really over the time span we're looking at it won't make much of a difference.

It definitely is sneaky how weight gain creeps up on you. Especially if you don't have a scale (or avoid stepping on it) you don't even notice it until it's too late. We keep a scale in our bathroom and I try to use it after each shower, just to keep an eye on things. I don't stress about it, but it's a sanity check. If I start to drift upwards, it reminds me to eat a salad for lunch

So tell us what your current challenge is as far as food - is there a type of food you tend to eat that you probably shouldn't?

Thanks for the encouragement! It seems everything is a challenge these days! One of the big problems is I recently got married. The marriage is not a problem, I am so happy I could burst at times. BUT he cooks, and he cooks good. He quit smoking about 5 months ago so he is eating more than usual too. He has never had a weight problem. I am trying to gently encourage him to cook healthier. He is big on sauces, frying and frying in butter yet!

Congratulations on getting married!

My boyfriend loves to cook too! Encourage your guy to cook cool, delicious dishes like filet mignon, asparagus, broiled chicken with lemon, etc. There are a ton of very fancy dishes that are fresh and natural. Tell him that sauces are cheating, that they hide the flavors. Challenge him to cook fresh and au natural which is the true challenge of a chef, to let the dish's true flavors shine through

Thanks Lisa. I printed up your food list for the first two weeks on a low carb diet and we are going shopping tomorrow. There are so many possibilities!

Still a few days for others to chime in - send me an email via my contact form to join in!

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Hi Everyone,

I'm joining your challenge. I've always been heavy, and up and down...and I'm definitely happier down. I'm old enough that I can accept the "looking good" compliments.<G>

I've lost 50 lbs. since last June. And I don't remember how, but I do remember that I had to simplify and keep my mind on it.

I knew the holidays were gonna be trouble, and I was well-braced for them, but then I slipped. Now I'm up about 20 again and feel terrible.

I started low carbing yet again today. I find I cannot stay with anything radical---like induction---for long, but am willing and able to stay natural and low fat, sugar, white stuff in the long run.

There's plenty of hard cheese, meat and eggs in the house, and string beans and celery for a couple of days. I have some diet green tea and plenty of water, so I guess I'm set.

Hopefully, this strict low carb kick-off will get me back on track.

Good luck to everybody who's going for it,
Mrylln

I'm a contestant as well. My husband and I are both trying to lose weight and have been dieting since New Year's. We've both lost a few pounds but have faltered in the past week or so.

Our biggest challenge is staying on top of planning our meals. When we plan, we do so much better.

My weight is 177 lbs and am 5'2. I'm looking for all the support I can get and to give it as well.

Good luck everyone!

Hello Everybody,
My name is Susan and I have just signed up for the weight loss challenge. I am a 42 yr old single mother of 2. I have been on the low carb diet for a few months and lost 30 lbs but the weight loss just stopped. I know I need to excersize so I started working out 3 days ago and hope this challenge is what will motivate me to lose another 40lbs. I'm only 5'4 and 193 lbs. (please don't do the math) Good luck everybody!
Susan

I just signed up. I want to lose at least 30 more pounds.

Hello
I'm Felicity from Australia. Does this count as signing up? or did I already do that when I emailed Lisa about it?
I want to lose the weight but don't want to do the losing! I don't feel motivated to spend any time at it. I know the right things to do but just can't seem to make myself do them.
I was 20 kgs lighter 9 years ago when we married. We are ecstatically happy, exceptionally busy and eat out a lot. Both of us are good cooks. I am a vegetarian (since birth) so eating out usually means there is less choice. I'm particularly picky about fresh fruit and veg. They must be excellent quality otherwise I'm not interested.
I'm going through a heavy menopause for more than 8 years now. I've been off HRT for about 3 years and this means it's difficult to keep my body equilibrium, makes me very tired etc. often with sleepless nights.
We walk two or three times a week and work on our 17 acre property just keeping it free from undergrowth around the house. However, it has been HOT the past two months with temperatures as high as 110F so of course can do little exercise in this heat.
I work from home in front of this computer, so can't walk to the bus or whatever, thus changing some of my sedentary habits.
The real issue is I'm just not motivated, but I hate being fat. I was 96kgs and went down to 92.5kgs but am back up to 95.2kgs this morning. (about 2.2lbs in 1 kg)
I do notice if I cut out wine that my weight drops and we're doing that a fair bit lately. My husband had a tumour on his kidney last year and had to have both removed in full so he's very conscious of his weight and abusing his remaining kidney.
Our daughter is getting married in April and in May I have to make a presentation to a government forum. I'd like to be not quite so heavy :-)

Hi everyone!

I'm so happy to see that I'm not alone in the weight loss plan!

I am 5'4 and 164.

I have started exercising, and already feel so much better. I also have been trying to make an effort to include more servings of fruits and veggies in my diet, as well as watch out for carbs, sodium, etc.

I think I have a HUGE road ahead, but look forward to the challenge.

It's nice to meet everyone, and I'm so glad I'm not doing this alone!

Lisa, my picture will be coming soon! Thanks for doing this!!

Hi Lynn:

You're the same height and weight as my mother was, and she was just sturdy, not huge.<G>

Planning is just that. You know what to do. I don't know what "plan" you're following, but COSTCO is my "go to" for most things.

I started yesterday, and true to form I want what I want now! So I started an Atkins induction type thing that I hope will last for the two weeks. I know if I don't cave, I will lose up to 20 pounds in that time. It's a wonderful thing for the impatient.

When I weighed this morning, I was 6.5 pounds down from the day before. I know this was all water, because I was peeing like a maniac all night. It's a starting point, because that water does not belong there. I take Lasix to help out with this, but I still plump up from time to time---especially when I give carbohydrates free rein in my diet---and it's good to lose excess. I could write a book on it, but I forget.<G> (That's how I manage to regain pounds.)

Yesterday was a Costco event. My husband had been there and bought lots of hard cheese, big roasts of meat, and a few greens. Yesterday was a pot roast, some eggs, some cheese, and a few string beans with Diet Lipton Green Tea. To my surprise, that big pot roast was gone by dark, and so today I have a pork roast in the oven. Today, I've eaten hard-boiled eggs, some cheese and celery and cream cheese.

My blood glucose, which is unruly, is a beautiful 80. Spot on. There are a lot of good reasons to stay focused on whatever plan you're on. The best one I can think of is that you won't feel like this.

Good luck,
Mrylln

Hello, i signed up too. I don't have a tremendous amount to lose, but on my frame, an extra 5-10 pounds makes a huge difference in how I look. I went off the Low Carb during my epic weeks-long move down the coast (I had enough things to worry about besides changing around every restaurant menu three times a day - which always annoys me).

I also was not working out daily as usual. I hate the way I look right now and am embarrassed to be seen. I know it's only my baggage, and that all bodies are beautiful, but it's harder to apply that rule to myself than I do to others.

In any case, I am hoping this can help keep me accountable and get back to being fit. :-)

We've got 17 people participating in the challenge now, hurrah!! I know all of us will lose weight and become more healthy, with the support of our community. Post away either in this thread or in new threads if you want help with menu ideas, advice about menu combinations or anything else!!

Staying active is always a key part of any healthy lifestyle, so you keep those bones and muscles strong. Be sure to post away if you're feeling like you're not active enough and we'll give ideas!

Please remember to KEEP IT HEALTHY! If you're doing this as a new big diet change, chat with your doctor about it. The aim here is to lose weight slowly and steadily, so it can be kept off

Since it is not midnight yet, it is still January 31st and I will participate in the challenge. It appears that I am the only male. That said, I challenge all you ladies to a gender challenge in addition to The Biggest Loser. I am 6'2" and weigh 255 with a goal of getting under 200. Can't tell you my age but I will start collecting Social Security in 5 months. I accept this challenge!

HEEERRRREEE WEEEE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I am really excited about this. I have fool proofed my house, so I won't cave in at a weak moment. My hubby is cooperating, so all is well. I am not looking forward to the Super Bowl Party we go to every year. I love party food, but but I am sure there will be cheese and sausage there, and I am bringing deviled eggs. Good luck everyone, and THINK HEALTHY!!!

Lollie - cleaning out your house is SO so important!! Give away all the junk food. I really find if there is junk food in my house I *will* eat it. It is much better to have it completely gone. If you have healthy snacks in the house, you will eat those healthy snacks. Get LOTS of water and keep it around. If it's there, you'll drink it. Water helps keep you full and helps you lose weight.

Don't worry about "bloating" on water. In reality, your body only clings to water if it thinks there is a drought going on. If you drink water regularly, your body feels there's no need to cling to it and it lets it go right in and out. So ironically the more water you drink, the less water you retain.

Hi. I just joined the challenge, and I am very excited about it! I have being doing low carb since July 9 and have lost 78 lbs so far. I am hoping to lose another 35 lbs. I am 5'9" tall.

Good luck to all!

Congratulations on your weight loss so far and best wishes in your future loss as you continue on your way.

Wow, 78 pounds since July is wonderful. Congratulations. Only 1/3 left to go.

I'm do a 2-week induction to start, and it's interesting to be getting all those "diet" desires for meat and eggs, etc. out of the way.

I marked the calendar to underscore that this is only for a short time, and as a reminder to adapt and modify the carb count when the two weeks are up.

Day 3: 7.5 lbs. down

Sugar-Free Lime Jello and a little heavy cream waits for after dinner.

Otherwise, more eggs, meat, cheese, and celery. (And a few macadamias.)

It's not too bad. I already feel much lighter and my tummy is descending.

Toodles,
Mrylln

7.5! That's great!! I am down 2#. I also like Jello and cream, it's great when you are craving something sweet. I eat a few almonds too. I like the crunch. Yesterday I had some beef roast and a ceasar salad. I left the table satisfied.

Hang in there everyone, we can do this!!!

Hello Everyone. I just stumbled across your forum while searching the internet for low carb information. I'd like to join your challenge.

I did the Atkin's thing a few years ago with great success... then.. for reasons I'm still trying to figure out, I went off the diet. Now, 3 years later, I'm back where I started. So I'm going to try again. Hopefully this time I'll make some changes that I can live with for life.

I stocked up on meats, cheese and eggs but I'm having a problem finding a lot of the low carb foods that used to be in the supermarket during the Atkin's boom. I ordered some stuff from online, but I'm seriously going to miss my dairy. Nobody seems to carry the low carb yogurt or milk anymore. (If anyone else lives in NYC and can tell me where to find this stuff I'd be most appreciative).

I joined a gym on Friday. I'll be going 3 days a week starting Tuesday.

I really don't know my measurements or what I weigh until I go to the gym on Tuesday. I'll let you all know then.

Peachy

Hi All
Well, the Super Bowl party was not as much of a challenge as I had feared. There was raw veggies so I had some celery and broccoli, there was chicken wings and cheese and sausage. I brought deviled eggs, so I had plenty to eat.I stayed away from the kitchen as much as I could so that helped.
Have a good week everyone!

Hello again everyone! I had posted last week that I had lost 78 lbs but I did not give my actual weight. I thought you may be curious. I am 5'9" and when I started the diet in July, I weighed 283.5. I currently weigh 205.5

Lollie - that is such great news!! Really, there almost always are good options out there if you keep your eyes open. I *adore* deviled eggs, I could eat those all day long Not that that would be good for me! But it goes to show that some truly decadent treats are completely low carb.

Remember everybody to drink lots of water and to take your vitamins daily! Both of those are *key* to flushing the excess fat out of your system, and to helping your body metabolize as smoothly as it can.

I'm not in the challenge myself, but I've lost about 4 pounds already, just following along So it really can work!

I just don't have a scale and am still trapped in my house (snowbound). I could measure myself with a tape measure and keep track of that. Just a thought, wondering if that would be okay.

I used to have an extra scale but I mailed that off to another BellaOnline editor who needed one. You could do water displacement in the bathtub Measure how many inches you displace when you get into it, when you fill it to a certain line

Hey Amazon has a Biggest Loser scale for $30,

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Hi Everyone! I found something good that I thought I would share. We needed a fast dinner last night so we tried Hormel's Beef Tips in gravy. It was great! We also had steamed broccoli and it was a great meal. You can find the beef in the cooler at your grocer in a black plasic container. The has 4 carbs and 1 fiber.

Okay i was at a WalMart last night and weighed myself on their scales. So I have 144 pounds to start with.

What is the official day to record weight loss for the Biggest Loser Challenge and where, please? Thanks, Betty

Hello everyone

How is everyone doing? I have lost 3 pounds. I will take them but I had hoped for more. 5 years ago when I did this I lost 7 the first week and the weight just fell off for the first 6 weeks. I am not going to give up, I have to lose this weight. Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this?

Hi Lolly,

I am experiencing the same thing as you. I lost 4 lbs. However, I did not do the induction. For breakfast I have a 200 calorie whey protein shake, a spinach salad with chicken for lunch and low carb salad dressing; and meat and vegetable for dinner. I have been having 4 oz of low carb ice cream with a cup of fresh strawberries at night. I will eventually cut this out but I am weaning myself slowly. I am reducing my daily carbs and trying not to eat sugar. I was only able to walk a few times this week. If I can get out more, it may help my weight loss.

My update - I went for a hike yesterday and had a one hour walk/jog in front of the TV today (CSI of course). Still don't have a treadmill but I did get some high impact flooring mats to jog on (so I don't get shin splints). I still need decent shoes - I keep using berkenstocks to run in. Foolish, yes, I know. :-)

I also signed up for the online Momentum Fitness program. There is a special for people involved in the Flylady program, so I used that for a discount.

Great job Jilly!! I am up to almost 30 minutes on my bike riding, in three 10 minute segments. I am so proud of myself, back when I began a week or two ago I could barely ride for 3 minutes straight!! It really does get easier as you go.

We've just about hit the two week mark! Everyone should post how much weight they've lost so far, and any challenges they face that we can help out with!

Way to go, ladies!

Yes, Jilly, you need shoes! LOL--I love Birkies but not for running! BTW, toe raises are almost a miracle cure for shin splints if you do get them. When you're sitting or standing, just lift up your toes. You'll feel a stretch in the front of your legs and your shin splints will go away fast. And, it's a good stretch for when you're just sitting at your desk or on the couch.

Lisa, that's great progress on building up your endurance on the bike!

I think I lost 5 pounds. My scale died so I had to buy another one today. I'm not sure if they weigh the same. But if so, then 5 pounds.

I am going to my 4th yoga class tonight. I cannot believe how much I am liking it. I know the stress relief is great and a big part, but also, I'm using new muscles. And, I walk all the time and infrequently lift weights or do other strength exercises, so that was surprising to me, but I can feel it a tiny bit of soreness pretty much all over. And, it seems much better for my neck & shoulders (which I always manage to irritate with weights).

Oooo Deb great news on the five pounds!! Congratulations!

I've always wanted to try yoga. I just don't have any time to do it. What I *should* do is get a Yoga DVD and give it a try here. I hear from everybody that it's really good for you and relaxing. I could use some relaxing It is great that it is working out well for you!

For now though the bike is working out REALLY well. I've been working on watching the various Jane Austen movies to document them all for my website, so if I'm going to be sitting there anyway I might as well be productive at the same time. And it really is much easier for me to do exercise if I'm being distracted while I do it

Hi Folks

Well, I am pleased to say I have lost 5 pounds so far. I would kill for a pizza but other than that I am doing good! It's funny, I don't eat pizza too often when I am not low carbing it. I guess it's mind over matter. I know I shouldn't have it so I want it. I have gone to the health club 5 times these past 2 weeks.

Hi Losers!

I lost 12 on induction from the 31st until last Friday night when we had a "Carbo Load" dinner for the crew team. With the tiniest bit of spaghetti and a scone, I gained 4 back. So I've lost 8 total.
Now it's back to lower carbs, all vegetables and fruits, lower fat proteins, and "good" fats. Watching out for white foods. Bread is rough, rice is brown or wild, and legumes do it for me. I think of this as the long-haul plan, and once the whole family settles into it, we do very well.

Good luck everybody,
Mrylln

Hello, everybody. I must admit it's a little difficult being low carb around Valentine's Day but I'm hanging in there and have lost about 3 pounds since I joined the biggest loser challenge. Something that has really helped me is starting to use my heartrate monitor again while I exercise. I didn't use it for at least a year because my muscles ached all the time from hypothyroidism. I didn't know I had it and I definitely didn't feel like exerting myself. Now I'm feeling good and wearing my heartrate monitor. It forces me to get in my fat-burning zone for at least 20 minutes, three times a week. I definitely don't push myself as hard without the heartrate monitor. To figure out your target heartrate, take (220-your age) and multiply that figure by 80 percent. That's your target heartrate. As an example, someone 30 years old would have 220-30=190 X 80 percent=152. You can find a good, basic heartrate monitor for about $40-$50. It's definitely a good investment. But if you're not a regular exerciser, be sure and start out slowly. Even if you can do 8 minutes to start, by adding just one minute a week, by the end of a year, you'd be up to 1 hour.

Thanks Deb and Lisa. :-) Here is my workout update: (all walking/jogging in front of the TV) Sunday, one hour; Monday 35 minutes; Tues 2 hours and 40 minutes, Wed (today) 1 hour.

And yes I still need decent shoes.

But in good news I got a haircut and color today. I feel happy about that because it's been about six months since I paid any attention at all to what I look like. This is a good sign. (watching Look Ten Years Younger is shaming me).

Lollie,
Do I have the answer for you....make a crustless pizza. I put a small can of tomato sauce in a baking dish. Add to it a little red wine (if you have it), a bit of oregano, fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of sweetener. Sprinkle cheese over sauce and add whatever toppings you like and bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes or so. Let it cool down enough so it can be cut and enjoy. Ahhh, the best of both worlds.

Susan

After reading all your great weight loss stories I've been guilted into and onto the gazelle (today, and I mean it this time). I've only worked out a few times as I'm in such heel pain from plantar fasciitis. I plan on an hour a day, 4-5 days a week. I've lost 4 lbs. from no carbs so far.

We can do this!

Susan

Welcome, Susan, sorry to hear about your PF. I actually covered this in a couple of articles recently on the Walking site-- you might find them helpful:

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

and

Treating Plantar Fasciitis

I took off some time from walking, then, did some bike riding for awhile before easing back into walking. Swimming is said to be best as an alternate because it puts essentially no strain on the PF. But, I'm not that good at swimming and don't really have time to do the whole change/swim/shower/get dressed/makup/hair all over again thing.

You just can't rush healing. The stretches, ice and arch supports helped me without medical intervention, but some people have to go to the dr. And, you certainly don't want to make it worse.

Even some other exercises can make it worse--squats for example put a lot of strain on the PF.

Congrats on losing 4 pounds, though! And, you're right! We CAN do and are doing it and I'm sure our Before/After pics are going to be awesome!

Susan I love that crustless pizza idea, thank you.

And yes, Deb, i need to make a real plan to get decent shoes for my workouts. :-) I will look at Zappos.com today. What do you think of running/walking barefoot on the carpet or workout pads?

oh and I also lost four pounds, so 140. Congrats on everyone's weight loss and workouts! Lisa, great job on that bike.

I also hear great things about yoga.

On pizza, we were a big pizza family. What Bob makes now is eggplant pizza. He cuts an eggplant into circles and then puts the cheese, sauce etc. on that. It is REALLY tasty and fulfills most of the pizza cravings. Also he gets flour tortillas (low carb) and makes a pizza with those. That is also very tasty!

Sheree - we have a heart rate monitor but I never use it. In fact our bike has handgrips that are supposed to sense your heart rate but it broke a long time ago. So I never know what my heart rate is. I suppose you are right, I really should track down that heart rate monitor and start using it. Right now I was just proud to be able to go from 3 minutes at a time to 10 minutes But now that I am up to 10 minutes at a time / 30 minutes total maybe I actually am doing enough that a heart rate monitor would be helpful. I will try to find that!

For those who are worried about it being Valentine's Day - remember that dark chocolate is pretty much sugar free!! So you can have it without any real impact on your weight loss plans. For a special dinner, go for steak and a fine wine! That is REALLY yummy and perfectly healthy

Jilly, many world-class runners run barefoot, and when I was a kid, I rarely wore shoes in the summer. I'd run all over the place too, gravel, asphalt, grass. So, I certainly don't scoff at the idea. There are pros/cons and research supporting both shoes and no-shoes.

And, racing flats, which are the shoes almost all runners wear when racing, are very close to bare feet. They provide minimal support because they need to be light so they don't hinder speed.

So, I'm all for doing whatever works, and indoors on padded surfaces would be a good way to try it if you are so inclined. In fact, I wouldn't run or walk outside barefoot anymore because the last time I did, I stepped on a bee and my foot swelled up double. I stay barefoot or in socks inside, though!

I actually think bare feet would be better than running or walking in poorly fitting shoes. You will not get blisters that way! Plus, many exercise programs are done in barefeet -- my yoga classes for one, but also martial arts.

Of course, if you have any pain during, stop. And, after, if you have pain, even in your back, hips or knees, you could need more support than bare feet provide.

I love being barefoot - or in the winter, going with just thick socks on. So I'm all for exercising barefoot Deb is right - martial artists work out in bare feet!

I do put on slippers when I ride the bike though

Lisa the eggplant pizza sounds good. Do you bake the eggplant first and then melt the cheese and sauce on top?

Thanks for the info, Deb, on working out barefoot. I did go to Zappos and ordered some shoes to work out in today, so they should arrive later this week.

Workout update - nothing on Valentine's Day. Then two hours each day both yesterday and today. During todays I added intervals and some core body training during the walking/jogging.

I love the idea of eggplant pizza! I have to try it. I decided to stick to induction another week. Is chicken broth ok for induction? I am thinking if I use that and put some chicken and maybe cut up onions and celery I will have chicken soup! That sounds good right about now. I am sooo tired of eggs! I have lost 7 pounds so far.

Well, the first week I lost 4, but gained 3 back this past week. : (

Eggplant pizza - sauceless version -

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Lollie - that is great news!! Yes chicken broth is quite fine all day every day Just keep an eye on the salt content. Some of those are VERY salty. They do have low sodium varieties.

There are lots of things other than eggs to eat!! How about turkey, chicken, tuna, swordfish, venison, pork, ... I assume you're talking for the meat part of your meal? There are also TONS of non-meat foods to eat out there, what veggies do you like?

OK we can rescue you What changed in the second week in your eating habits? Did you drink enough water? Take your vitamins? Did you add in more carbs? Did you reduce the exercise you were doing? Get enough sleep? We'll help out!

I had company, didn't exercise, and ate more carbs than usual.

Oh! I thought it was a mysterious change OK so it was a completely understandable change!!

Well then it's easy to get back on track then If the company is still around, go on walks with them!

Thanks Lisa! Oh, I don't eat just eggs. I eat some kind of meat and veg for dinner and tuna, a ham wrap or egg salad and celery for lunch, and of course hard boiled eggs. But I do have eggs almost every morning, because I am at a loss at what to eat with not a lot of time. Are those small packs of Buddig meat ok? They are 1 carb for the whole pack but are they considered a processed meat? I love the beef.

Lolly - I'm looking at the Buddig website and they don't say anything about how the meat is made. Does the package say anything about preservatives? It's the preservatives you have to be cautious of for all meats. That's a health issue, not really a "low carb" specific issue.

OK you need quick healthy breakfast ideas? Let me start a thread about that for you!

What I made for dinner tonight:

It's low-carb and delicious.



I found a recipe for something called Joe's Special, I think that's it--with ground beef, eggs & spinach. I had ground chicken and spinach and cut the eggs in half and added about 2 oz. cream cheese, plus onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, nutmeg. Oh, and a little Parmesan on top.

It was divine. Made 4 huge servings. I'll have leftovers for days! Yum-o!

That looks delicious! Definitely making a meal once and having easy leftovers later is a GREAT idea

That does look good and I'm going to try it this week.

The other night my daughter and I cut chicken breast in 2X2 in. pieces, cut a pocket for a slice of cheddar cheese and wrapped it all in a 1/2 slice of bacon. We fried them for a few minutes on each (all 4) side until the bird was white and the bacon crispy. They were terrific, the kids liked them and they were good cut up on my salad the next day!

I've lost a total of 5 lbs. so far.

Susan

That's great news, Susan!! Congratulations!

The chicken breast thing sounds delicious It's great when a meal is both tasty fresh and makes great leftovers too!

I am all out of salad stuff and am dying for a salad. We need to go shopping ... maybe tomorrow ... today we ran out and got some bins to finally get some of the house organized. We have all these clothes in the closet that my boyfriend can't fit into right now so we're putting them into the attic until he loses a little weight. Now to get us back on track with the healthy eating

Hello Everyone! I am sad to report that I have not been doing so well on my diet. Over the past few weeks, I have gained 3 lbs and I weighed in this morning at 208.5.

I cheating on Monday but have been good the rest of the week. I am not sure why I keep cheating. I started this diet in July and did not have any cheats until Christmas. After cheating at Christmas, I can't seem to get myself back on track. It seems that every weekend, I talk myself into cheating.

I am low-carbing with a couple of friends from work, so I hope this will help me stick to it. I have lost over 70 lbs since July and still have 35-40 to lose. Please think happy thoughts for me.

Have a great weekend!!

That is great news about the 70 pounds gone!

Don't despair! We all slide backwards sometimes. It's like riding a bike. You're going to fall sometimes. You climb back on and keep riding and making progress

It is impressive that you can cheat enough on a weekend to more-than-undo the good eating of the week though!

Let's work on your normal daily menu. Is it at a level that by the end of the week of eating "properly" you have lost a little weight?

Time to check in... I lost 2 more this week, total of 9. You know what gets me? My husband, who is not dieting, and doesn't need to lose, has lost 7 pounds and 2 inches around his waist...without trying!! Sheesh!

I can tell my cravings for sweets has diminished. I need things to snack on. I like to have a snack when I get home from work and maybe at night.

Have a great week!

Lolly - I bet he is inspired by you and by the food you guys are eating!! I imagine it's not that he's "not trying" but that together you two are living more healthily now

That is so great on your sweets cravings! It really does get SO much easier as you go, as you get comfortable with your new way of life.

Congratulations on your 9 pounds! We will hold a big celebration for you when you hit the big 1-0

Congrats on the 9 lbs! I've lost one pound since starting this challenge. We've been sick the past week and a half. Hopefully we are all on the mend and can get back to eating right.

Lynn - one pound is still a victory, because it means you weren't gaining weight! You are heading in the right direction!

I'm really sorry you guys have been sick. Feel better soon! Drink lots of chicken soup!

We're closing in on the one month mark! It looks like the current leader has lost just over 2 pounds a week, which is a nice healthy rate! That's great! The rest of you can easily catch up though with a bit of exercise and healthy eating. Drink that water, and keep at it! We're all rooting for you!

Workout update:

18th - rest day. 19th - 2 hours walking outside. 20th - nothing, oops! 21 - 45 minutes walking in front of TV. 22nd - 1 hour on NEW TREADMILL with new light weights! YAY! 23nd - 1.5 hours, 24th - only 15 minutes but at least i got something in. 25 - 1 hour. 26th - 2 hours. 27 - gentle 35 minutes as i think I strained my groin. Today - rest day.

I still don't have a scale but have to go down to walmart on saturday, so i will weigh myself on their scales there.

As far as lowcarbing, I haev been doing a lot of fiber lately but less veggies which isn't good. I've been super stressed and have not felt like cooking. at all. just pleased to be getting in my workouts. :_

That is SO great about the treadmill!! Congratulations!!

That is a lot of great exercise you are getting in there. I am so jealous

Fiber is good! You don't have to cook veggies. Have a nice salad!

A friend of mine has gotten into Tupperware and I bought a salad saver from her to be nice. The thing actually WORKS!! I'm getting a second one from her now to store berries in.

I have noticed I am pooing more with all the fiber. I am hoping this is normal?

I have also heard that healthy poop should float.

Is it okay to talk about poop? :-)

LOL there was in fact a House episode about floating poop and Bob and I joke about that all the time.

Floating poop ONLY means there is a lot of fat in it. In the episode it was a vegetarian girl and her boyfriend, and they came in because his poop had begun to float. It turns out it's because he was "cheating" on her and eating cheeseburgers and the fat content cause it to happen. So it is not about being healthy at all, it is simply about having fat in your diet.

As far as going more regularly, yes definitely fiber in your diet means that you go more often and more easily, it helps to regulate you. It always amuses me that in our society we talk about sex non stop but rarely talk about the digestive system, which then means when people have digestive problems they don't know if it's normal or abnormal or so on. It would be good if we could talk about all aspects of our body with equal frankness

So yes people who don't eat enough fiber often get "stopped up" and then have large painful poops because they all jam up. Fiber helps to prevent that, to help things flow smoothly

thanks lisa.

maybe we should have a poop thread? where people can ask these crazy questions and feel okay about it?

People can ask crazy questions wherever they want to, we answer all kinds Ask away!

Okay, I got a scale today. 133 pounds! also a 86 minute workout on the treadmill, but really slow, under a mile an hour, b/c of the groin pull.

I guess the fiber is helping.

Okay, I'll confess: I ate [censored] food all week being sick and I've gained like the whole 5 pounds I'd lost. And, I couldn't exercise, either (I'd have coughed up a tonsil or something.)

I've become a cookie-eating sloth! (I'm pretty sure you'd find Cookie Monster DNA in my genetic profile.)

So, I'm going to take it easy another couple of days--my throat is still swollen and I'm still quite congested--and then, I'll be working my butt off to catch up. (pun intended.)

I have a trip to Colorado coming up at the end of March. It'll be nothing but fabulous dinners & partying at night & snack foods all day in meetings, so I've got to get ahead!

I'm feeling some sympathy for those Biggest Loser guys who went to Vegas last week! LOL

You poor thing Deb!! But remember, if you hadn't lost the weight before you'd be *up* weight right now. So you are net even which is a good thing!!

Hey fabulous dinners can be VERY good for you. Think filet mignon, asparagus, lobster, delicious salads and wonderful wines! It is all waiting for you - plus Colorado has great hiking trails, skiing trails and is made for outdoor activities.

Jill wow so is that 11 pounds?? I think you're in the lead then!! Is anybody else near 11 pounds yet? I think Lollie was at 9 pounds last count ...

Congrats Jill!

This is hard!!! (I am whining) I have lost one whole pound this week. Don't get me wrong that makes 10, but it has been so slow. Last time I did this (7 years ago, maybe?) the weight was falling off. I know, I know, That was then and this is now, but c,mon! I am leaving for Arizona in two weeks and had hoped I would be down a size so my summer clothes will fit. . Mannnn, I am a baby whining today huh? Seriously, I am proud of my 10 pounds and I am going to keep pushing. Have a great week everyone. WE CAN DO THIS!!!

That is great news, Lollie, that you are making forward progress! There are many times you will plateau but then you will go forward again, it sort of goes in fits and starts. If you have a scale that measures fat and muscle often you'll find that when the weight "stalls" it is because you're converting more muscle which then the following weeks leads to much more weight loss and so on. It's a cycle that goes around. So don't be discouraged!! Your body is probably making muscle right now and slimming down and next week you'll lose more weight again in larger numbers.

Even if you don't have a muscle mass scale, if you have a tape measure and measure your waist every few days that can really help.

How close are you to your summer clothes size?

Arizona sounds wonderful! Where in Arizona are you going? I was out there a few months ago and I LOVED it

Is there any way to slightly increase your activity levels? Sometimes if you keep eating the way you are but even make gentle changes in your activity the weight loss will skyrocket.

Also, not to get too personal, but depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle, you can lose weight more quickly or slowly. I find if I am getting near my period time that the weight loss slows - and then once the period is past it speeds up again.

lollie congrats on the ten pounds!

I noticed on the Biggest Loser show they have weeks with a lot of weight loss, followed by weeks with zero to small weight loss. So i guess it's all part of the process.

Yes definitely not all progress is in sheer weight. Sometimes progress is in losing inches off the hip or converting fat to muscle which is a long term positive thing for future weight loss. So it's good to track several things, not just weight, if you can. A tape measure is a really good idea!

Thanks for the encouraging words. I won't give up yet. I will try more exercise this week and see if that speeds things up. I always measure myself and that is not changing either. The only thing i can think of is quantity. I need to cut down on serving sizes, I do not do well when I feel hungry but I will try, I am getting desperate!

We are going to Scottsdale Arizona and I can't wait, I live in Wisconsin and we have had a horrible winter! In fact we are on a winter storm watch as I type. Like my Mom always said, "this too shall pass".

LOL we had 6" of snow a few days ago but now it's pleasant and nice out there. I hope your winter storm doesn't continue through our way!!

Actually if you eat too few carbs or get hungry your body will think there's a famine going on and start clinging to weight. So if you're feeling hungry, you need to find things to eat. Just make sure they're healthy things. I.e. don't cut down serving sizes. Instead, find more things you can eat that are healthy for you. Drink more water. Eat more celery snacks. Eat a few hard boiled eggs.

More exercise is of course good - the more activity you do, the more fat you burn. The more muscle you build up, the more it actively burns energy for you 24 hours a day just by existing. But make sure you're not going hungry in here

I swear I had an article on this topic - emergency weight loss if you have a short term goal - but I can't find it. Let me dig some more. How many pounds do you want to lose, in how many days? I want to make clear that I'm talking about *healthy* weight loss, but there are tricks to doing it if you're dedicated and I'll post those as soon as I find them.

OK here you go - tips for emergency weight loss

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Mkay, update: Weight is 129. :-)

Workouts - March 1: treadmill 1 hour, 2nd: 78 minutes treadmill and hand weights, 3rd: 70 minutes, same, 4th: 2.15 hours same but added my six minute No Excuses Workout of lunges, crunches, back extensions and pushups.

I found a stability peanut for $2 at a garage sale, which is like a ball but has a peanut shape. It's super cool to use.

I am hoping my stability and twist discs and yoga mat get in today. :-)

Jilly you keep making me go look up your starting weight!! OK so that is ... wow, 15 pounds!!! NO WAY!!!! That is AWESOME

Jeez Louise you have passed me. I am about 134. OK I'm going to ramp up my exercise level. I just got in my intro-to-yoga DVD today but I don't think yoga is going to help with weight loss, that was more a stress management thing for me

I can make it down to 129 ... really ...

Yeah, I'm ready to vote Jilly off. She's making me ashamed of my like 3 pound weight loss! But, like on the TV show, I have so much more "room to improve" than she does! She'll be anorexic before long and Dr. Phil will have to come to her house and forcibly remove her treadmill and make her eat Twinkies!

(Congrats--you are doing great and I am crying just like those crybabies on BL)

Hey what about me, i've lost 16 pounds since Jan 1st.

That is awesome news, Rosie!! But we only started counting February 1st And I don't think you enrolled in the contest!! Did you send your information in to me? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Deb - it is wonderful that you lost 3 pounds!! That is forward progress! Maybe is there a way to walk a little longer each day? Jill is really impressing me with her 2 hours on the treadmill in a single day!!

Oh o.k sorry, next contest maybe

Thanks guys. i have to go super duper slow in the treadmill because of the pulled groin. Actually at 1mph. If i raise it any faster, or add an incline, then it tears at my pulled tissue. So while I would love to go faster, I am pleased that the slow but steady rate seems to be working.

It's easy to do two hours at snail-like speeds. And since i can read while walking, it doesn't take away from my "getting things done" time.

I tend to lose and gain really quickly and it all shows really quickly at my height of 5'4. And it all goes in my middle, the waist/back fat/shoulders - my legs, hips and butt stay pretty much the same. I know some people hate their thighs, but for me it's all about the thick torso.

I have to make sure i work out all the time for my whole life or the weight just creeps back on. It's constant vigilance for me. When on BL last night the doctor was telling the contestants that they were Obesity Survivors, i felt that was a great way to say it. That there is no cure for obesity; that you have to control it. I feel like that for me. And it helps me take this seriously. It's not about trying to look good; it's about lifelong health and less mental stress.

hmmm, didn't Mary Ellen have 12 pounds lost?

that is really great, though, Rosie!

Deb, that is so funny - you made me giggle. Your three pounds is great and a solid start. I just drop and gain quickly.

it IS funny that the larger BL contestants are the "biggest threats," and often get voted off. Funny in a not-nice way, though. Oh well, i guess the show also has to be about strategy...i would myself prefer it to just be about the weight loss. It's the least inspiring aspect of the show.

Dr. Phil can't have my treadmill. Mine! Mine!

I'm happy to provide a little comic relief! Anytime!

Yeah, I hear them "strategizing" about who to vote off and it's really awful sometimes. But, I remembered that when I was getting all "J" about your success! LOL--I'm happy for you and even more motivated to get back on track!

I am doing more strength training and yoga, so I am building muscles. And, the cookie monster is grounded! LOL

I hope you are icing that pulled muscle after you work out! Those are painful and hard to heal.

I'm happy with my 3 pounds. I did lose almost 40 pounds last year, so I didn't expect to lose fast. Especially in winter.

Slow and steady is definitely better for you and probably much more likely to stay off.

I didn't realize they voted people off the challenge, that's a real shame. Everyone should be able to stay and do their best!

I do have a yoga DVD which just arrived but I haven't tried it yet. I hear Dance Dance calling to me so I'll go down and play with that for a little while ... I need a timer down there to keep track of how long I do it for ... oh wait, the lamp down there has a clock and if I unplug it it starts again at 12:00. So that's like a timer ...

Lisa that is a great idea of using the clock as a timer like that!

the Dance Dance sounds really fun. Are you learning actual dance steps or is it more free form and jumping around?

Jilly - this is rock music, so it's not waltzing or sambaing There is a mat on the ground -



http://www.amazon.com/Playstation-PS2-DDR-Dance-Pad/dp/B000CSBVBM

so you see on the screen arrows and you have to hit those arrows with your feet. Sometimes they are fast single-presses and sometimes it's two at a time like LEFT-RIGHT or TOP-BOTTOM.

Here's an EASY one so as not to scare you off. This guy is playing a song I love - Unbelievable by EMF - and it's a main reason I just bought a new DDR game from Amazon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiBv8fMQtHc

See how he goes with the arrows?

OK now if you want to be really scared, take a look at this DDR guy

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Ok guys, the scale doesn't lie right? Well I'm stuck at a 5 lb loss but my clothes are definitely a bit looser so I think I'm losing. I've started swimming laps each evening so we'll see what that does.

They wern't kidding when they said it was harder to get off after the age of 40...

Are you sure we can't vote anyone off our contest? lol

Rosie - I didn't mean to discourage you, it's just that we did a lot of talking about this before it began and all the people who are participating made sure to get their exact weight before February 1st, they sent in photos and everything. That way we know we are quite fair in who "wins" on May 1st and gets the $50 gift certificate. You are welcome to post and to share your news!! It's just that to be fair to the people who are competing for the gift certificate we tried to do everything as solidly as we could.

I'm sorry that you missed all those messages and posts when we were setting that up!

Sue - a five pound loss is great news!! That is much better than no loss or than gaining weight! And definitely there are many times that you are building muscle and losing fat - and since muscle is more dense you are dropping dress sizes even though you "weigh the same".

So definitely we should all have tape measures and be measuring our waists and hips to see the progress there. I have to figure out where mine has gone!!

An update for me - I'm exercising more than I have in years probably, and I'm up to 137 LOL So my weight is being strange. My body fat is going down though, so I'm definitely turning into muscle, and I imagine my waist must be slimming down. But I can't find my tape measure anywhere. Plus I didn't measure myself before I started exercising.

My task for today is to find or buy a tape measure ... or maybe 2 so when I lose one I still have one, they are cheap ... I mean a body tape measure, not a carpentry one

UPDATE: OK I just ordered myself one from Amazon. Prime = 2 day free shipping = no hassle

Thanks for including those DDR vids and info, Lisa. Dan and I just watched them and it does look like fun. So we might get it.

Now got to go look for that tape measure....

oh, and Dan asked me to ask you if you prefer DDR on the Xbox or Wii.

LOL we have it for the PS2. So neither of the above.

It works out well because the PS2 can now sit downstairs with the DDR pad, while we keep the Xbox 360 up here for actual gaming.

It all comes down to the songs you want. Look through the song lists for each platform you own and see which ones you like better. The game differences don't matter as much as the songs you like do.

OK now I'm at 138. So I'm gaining weight by exercising Bob claims I seem denser. So maybe I'm slimming down. I don't have my tape measure in yet to see ...

Denser is good! Dan also said I seem slimmer when he hugged me today. But I don't know about denser. I am going the highrep, low weight route. You are going the other direction, Lisa. so this makes sense.

Anyway: My Upate - 127 pounds! Don't vote me off.

Workouts - 4th: 2.25 hours cardio/No Excuses Workout, 5th: 50 minutes cardio/hand weights, 6th: 60 mins cardio. 7th: 60 minutes cardio/hand weights/twist board and stability disc, 8th: one hour moderate hike, 9th: 2 hours of cardio/No Excuse Workout/handweights/twist and stability stuff. Today, the 10th, rest day.

Well I'm back at 137 so maybe this "muscle" (hah) is finally starting to do its job and burn off fat while I sleep. That has always been my mental image, that by creating some muscle it will turn into a calorie-eating powerhouse that nibbles up fat cells while I sleep

That's so great on you getting slimmer! Do you have a string anywhere in the house, to measure your waist and hips and see how you are doing?

That's so awesome on the 127 pounds. Good for you!!!

You are doing so great with your exercise, that is really inspiring!!

Jilly you are doing great! Congratulations!!!

Thanks Lolly and Lisa. Lolly, I LOVE your little inspirational tagline. I am going to have to use that one in conversation.

Okay, I will go get my tape measure. Am afraid....let's see....

Okay, with some trepidation I grabbed my trusty Ikea tape measure (you know, the ones they give you for free when you shop there).

And I pulled out my fitness diary from when i looked good, for comparison.

Here are the results from today:

Chest - 38
Waist - 31
Hips - 36
Thighs - 21.5

Now, to compare to when I kept my fitness log and looked good, just before i moved to Seattle and got depressed. So this was Feb 21, 2006 (about two years ago):

Chest - 34
Waist - 28
Hips - 34
Thighs - 19.5

With a weight of 119 pounds and a size 2.

I refuse to feel sad about this. If I measured myself about a month or two ago I bet it would have been much worse.

It's great that we are doing this challenge! It's so nice to be held accountable and have a group to share things with. <3

Jill - you have a bigger chest!! How can you feel badly about a bigger chest!!

The ideal measurements for Marilyn Monroe was a 36 chest and a 36 hips. So you were toooo skinny before!! You are far more ideal now

I *just* got in my new measure device in today. So I'll play with it soon and post the details.

I think your measurements are fine as is, but you are not that far from two years ago. You are doing great. I forgot to report my weight for this week. I have lost another pound, slow;y but surely it is coming off. We leave for vacation on Saturday. I worry what that will do, but that's life right? We go on vacations, have holidays and other celebrations, can't get away from them! I hope I can show some restraint though. :-)

That is great on the pound, Lollie, yes the weight went on slowly so it's good to take it off slowly! Plus forward progress is always better than being stuck

Don't think about the vacation as being restrained - think of it as your chance to splurge on lobster and filet mignon and asparagus and other exotic treats! All of those are quite good for you!

That's true, Lollie, use it as an excuse to have some real luxuries like LIsa says!

Thanks guys on the kind words on the measurements. Truth is, I like it when i have a lean tomboy look. Being curvy on top just makes me look heavy no matter what I wear. I am thinking of buying some minimizer bras.

Yes I agree that we all have different body shapes that we are aiming for and what one person thinks is great, another person thinks is not great. I know that several people here wish they could be your shape or my shape the way we are and I don't mean to minimize their goals either We all have different ideals which is a good thing!

OK you were brave and posted your numbers, so I will post mine. I am always shy about this because I wish I was curvier. I wish I could be like you and want a lean shape. Maybe I will work on that.

breast - 35.5"
waist - 27"
hips (across the hip bone area, not across the "widest part of my bottom") - 37"
bottom - 39"
thigh (widest part of my thigh) - 21.5"
bicep ("making a muscle") - 10.75"

BTW here is the new tape measure I got -



I really like it, here's my review of it -

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art10032.asp

Okay, i just went and added two new/different measurements:


Chest - 38
Waist - 31
Belly: 35 (under waist)
Hips - 36
Butt - 38
Thighs - 21.5

When you measure your thigh, where do you measure it? Bob was thinking that we should measure "halfway up" but I thought it was easier to measure the thickest part

thickest part

ok good I just want to do it properly, like how normal people do it

that begs the question of my normalcy...;)

Do other people do it this way?

As long as you do it this way I am happy to do it the way you do it

According to Jas Townsend, you are 100% right!!

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I'm not going to do it any way until I get back in a size 8! You girls got guts!!

Sueey2 - it really does help you see you're making progress - sometimes if you only lose 1 pound in a week you actually lose a lot of waistline and it can be really encouraging. So even if you don't post it here, it can be great to record it for yourself to give yourself encouragement that you are making progress

OK I definitely need to pull out my tape measure and hope I am losing inches I am up to 139.5 I think it said. Which is the wrong direction for me. I am being a bad example for everyone! I think I am doing bulk-up exercises to gain muscle rather than toning exercise to lose fat. Although you would think with my hour of dancing every day that that would burn off fat.

Still I really do have to say that I seem slimmer and I certainly feel much better!! So I think it's also an important lesson not to focus TOO much just on "losing weight". There is a wide range of weights that we can be healthy at, and it's more important to be active and get exercise than to be stick-thin

Lisa, how are your clothes fitting? That is always a good indicator for me.

It's interesting that your weight is going up, since my sense is you are exercising more than you have before. And yes, the cardio should be balancing out the bulking up. But maybe you are *really* bulking up! :-) You will be Sarah Conner before you know it.

LOL in my dreams!!

I'm going to wait a week from my last measurement to measure again, I figure measuring every 2 days won't be very productive. I wear all sweats and t-shirts so it's hard to guess how they are fitting in a tight / loose sense.

So in "loser" sense I am not succeeding, but in exercise sense I am very much so since I literally did not exercise or move at ALL when we started this. I only sat at my desk all day and I couldn't even ride the bike for 3 minutes without dying.

well that is just wonderful Lisa! You are really taking to the exercise. Maybe we can call you The Biggest Gainer.

Does your Regency dress fit looser? Since it's custom made, you would know, plus you have a before pic of you in it. just a thought.

LOLOL that is toooo funny

I don't think I could tell with the regency dress, because it was gathered at the waist by a ribbon. I think the measurements will tell the best, in a few days I'll take those again and see if things are changing. Definitely I would have to imagine if before I could only do 10 situps and now I'm doing 60 that for example my stomach must be flatter ...

Yeah the measurements will probably be the definitive guide then.

I really want to lose the belly, myself. I don't mind the hips or butt. And I am not sure if I should buy bras right now or wait until I lose some inches.

Well I would say you definitely want to feel good about yourself now, not keep saying "someday I will feel good and have clothes that fit". So I would suggest buying 2 bras now that really fit you well now. Enjoy wearing them. Then as you lose weight going forward, you can donate these to charity 'barely worn' and some woman will love them, and you will get new ones for yourself that you really enjoy!

Okay, my weekly update: 125 pounds.

11th - I went to the doctor and had my pulled groin looked at. I am happy to report it really is a pulled groin and not a hernia (yet). So i have to take care of it. The test we did to check on it kinda hurt and my groin was sensitive for days after. So I had to really take it easy this week. My mistake on that evening was a 2 hour workout of mixed treadmill/twist board/weights. It made things a bit worse.

12th - 1 hr treadmill, hand weights and No Excuse Workout. My groin was still smarting. so next day was a rest.

13th - Rest Day

14th - 35 minutes Twist Board

15th - 30 minutes Yoga, then 45 mins of weights with Twistbd and Stability disc

16th - 1 hr twistbd and treadmill. I can't take the treadmill above 0.7 MPH or my groin starts hurting. but I think any movement seems to be worthwhile.

Good for you Jilly. We're at the end of a 15 day heatwave with temperatures around or above 100F/38C. It's the longest heatwave on record for an Australian city. I couldn't have cared less about exercise or food or anything during this time. My hands are swollen, I have heatrash and can't comfortably wear my implant processor on my ear because everything is so sore! Today our temperature will be only 27C today so that's a bit of a relief.

holy man, Felicity. That's intense. I would lie low and take cool baths. Make like a lizard. Hydrate. Take care of yourself.

Wow yes drink a ton of liquids!! It sounds like you're in a natural sauna!

That's great news Jill - I'm glad you are working with a doctor on your health, and try to take it easy!

I finally got my 2 bikes all cleaned up, the chain degreased and then lubed!! I have a road bike and a mountain bike. They haven't been out of the basement in years. I then took the mountain bike for a short 2.5 mile loop which is all downhill and then STEEP uphill. I was dying But I made it!! Then I went with Bob to his band practice and asked them if I could use them as a live Dance Dance Revolution game. They were all for it so I did about 2 hours straight of made-up dancing It was a lot of fun! I didn't get any "scores" though

So that is a fair amount of exercise for one day!! I still plan on doing that yoga set tonight, once Bob goes to sleep.

Lisa, you are a machine!

LOL ah but really it was easy. The bike work was all easy once I had the bikes outside. The dancing was quite fun! The yoga at the end was a little more challenging but from a flexibility point of view. Plus it was only 20 minutes.

Hi Everyone! I am back from my vacation and had a wonderful time! I did not go crazy with my food, but I did have more carbs than normal. I had a half baked potato and a piece of toast one day and a piece of spice/raisin cake another day a three bean salad another and that's about it for big carb foods. I didn't think that was so bad, but as of this morning I gained 4 pounds. Darn! I expected some what of a gain. So I am back to 7 pound weight loss. I got right back on the program today and am still determined.

Lolly, you are a rock star. Who goes on vacation and even still tries to do eating right? So four pounds is no big deal. And you probably had a GREAT time! Just focus now on fiber and fresh foods.

Lisa your new bikes sound cool. What kind did you get? Road, mtn or hybrid?

Hello everyone!

I am happy to report that I have finally lost a pound. I know that is not an amazing achievement, but it feels good because now I am back on the right track. I am a little nervous about Easter, but I am going to try to be strong. How is everyone else doing?

Hi again! I also wanted to report that I am getting an exercise bike next week from a friend. I am anxious to start using it.

Marvin's mom congrats on losing that pound, its a whole lot better than gaining it, i've lost 18 pounds since Jan 1st. its great your getting a bike. your headed in the right direction. set your self a goal. i walk 5days a week 2+ miles a day on my treadmill i live in Massachusetts and i'm walking to Wisconsin to visit a friend since Jan 1st i have walked 110.15 miles i'm getting there .Where are you biking to?

Lolly that is SO great, I am very proud of you!! You probably would have gained MANY more pounds if you had not been paying attention. Good job!! You're on a healthy path

Marvin's Mon - that is GREAT news about the pound and the bike! Forward progress is wonderful news! I started out at only 3 minutes at a time and am now up to 30 minutes. You take things in little steps! Let us know how that goes!

I have my bike news in the bike forum! Road bikes, our mountain bikes are in great shape.

I finally went down two pounds! Somehow I did it by going out to a nice Italian restaurant and having salad plus swordfish and then cheese for dessert

oh, i will have to go check on your bikes there then And congrats on the two pounds!!! The italian food sounds nice.

Congrats Marvin's Mom. you have to start somewhere, you know! A pound is wonderful. Just not *gaining* weight is a triumph for anyone.

On Easter Sunday, I would advise people to try filling up on salad as much as possible and drink lots of fresh water, before the actual main courses. This way we can all eat smaller portions by racking up on the fiber first.

But also remember that if we slip, it's okay. This isn't a diet. it's not about deprivation! We have to keep ourselves happy on holidays and vacations to be sustainable for a lifetime.

Well also many Easter Sunday meals are

ham - perfect
eggs - perfect
veggies - perfect
salads - perfect

Just stay away from the chocolate! Hopefully if your family is being supportive they are providing SUGAR-FREE chocolate - or bring your own!!

I'm eating alone so I'll have a weight watchers dinner and salad.
Happy Easter to all of you

We can eat a virtual meal with you, Rosie! I think Bob and I are just staying home and not doing anything "special"

Sounds good to me what time should i be there, lol ;o)

Well my family has spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread with salad and cakes on easter.

I told my mother i was not going to come down to san diego unless it was okay with people for me to have more meatballs and salad than other people. last year I ended up crying b/c people called me selfish for eating more meatballs. they all ganged up; it was terrible. Of course in my italian family everything people feel they just say.

this year she promised more salad and more meatballs and that no one was going to give me the evil eye for taking more meatballs than two.

Your mom SHOULD get that family in line, I can't believe they would do that!! We all have different diet styles. There is enough food for everyone. Sheesh!! What is there some sort of a meatball shortage in the world??

Italian families should be about "eat more! more!" not about "stop eating" ...

My exercised bike is at home waiting for me. I am going to give it a try tonight. Wish me luck!!

Definitely tell us all about it, Marvin's Mom! I love my exercise bike and really like using it. The key seems to be to have it somewhere that's easy to use - like in front of your tv - and to not start piling things on it. As soon as clothes start to pile on it, you are less likely to use it

Well, Easter went well in the Florio household. My mom made TWO crockpots of meatballs and sausage in my honor - so everyone could take all the meat they liked this time.

And then she gave me one of the crockpots, which was GREAT, since I want to be able to put meat and veggies and spices in it and just let it perk along all day without my having to cook anything.

Now I will search for a low carb crockpot cookbook.

My weekly update - 125 pounds, so no loss this week (in BL terms I seem to have hit the wall).

Workouts: (oops, let me see when i last posted this, BRB)

Okay, workouts:

17th - Rest day
18th - 2.25 hours treadmill/Twist, No Excuses Workout and also a 20 minute lovely walk outside
19th- another nice walk 30 minutes, this time with DH
20th - 1.5 hours treadmill/twist
21st - 60 min twist
22nd - 5 mile hike (all afternoon) with DH at Silverwood Lake. Later, 2 hours twist board and weighted ball wall
23 - Rest day. Easter
24 - 1 hour walk around bay with my father. Later, 2.5 hours treadmill (parents house)
25 - 1.5 hours treadmill (parents house)
26 - 75 minutes treadmill/twist, 15 minutes light yoga/stretching

I felt my pulled groin burning at the end of my saturday hike, which is a real bummer. I still have to take things really slooowwwwly. But I healed it before after my prior move and will do it again. It just takes months. it's nice the twist board does not hurt that region at all.

Yes we ADORE our crockpot, it makes delicious food with very little work. Plus it fills your house full of luscious smells during the day! I highly recommend crockpot cooking to anybody who does not have one yet.

That is great that you stayed steady even while having an Easter vacation!! Well done, Jill!!

Wow,Jilly you are one moving machine!! I envy your energy! I have lost one of the 4 pounds I gained from vacation, even with Easter on there. So I am at 8 pounds. Sheesh this is taking forever!!! I know, I know, patience! Have a great weekend everyone!

Thanks guys! And Lollie that is so great!!! You are back on track!

I think we have to learn to be okay with gaining a little now and then, because that is just life. We can say, "okay, no worries, I am am track for long term" and not stress out over the week-to-week fluctuations.

Everyone wonders how long I will be on the low carb. Arg. I am always telling people this is NOT a diet. And that I work out because it is healthy for my mind and body and that I have found ways to make it fun.

Lollie, remember that forward progress is always better than gaining more weight!! Think of how much heavier you might have been without your efforts

I think some people have this odd idea that you "fix" a weight problem and then you eat a "normal American diet" after that. But the whole reason we gained weight was that we ate that diet in the first place!! Our "normal eating" is bad! We have to eat healthy every day.

It amazes me that people would think you should start eating junk food because it's "normal"

Ask them how long they're going to stay on their junk food diet

Happy Friday!

I am happy to report that I am down another 1/2 lb. I am at 204. I started this diet (on my own) in July at 283.5 and have 1/2 lb to go before I reach 80 lbs lost. This is only a small step, but I guess I have to look at the big picture. I am finally heading in the right direction again. :-)

By the way, I love my new exercise bike. I rode 3 miles yesterday and feel great.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Marvin's Mom, you are such a rock star. I am so proud of you. It sounds like the exercise bike is a godsend and it's a great bonus that you enjoy it. Just imagine you are cycling in the Rockies with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face.

80 pounds is a big loss and BTW you are on the verge of getting under the 200 mark - what a milestone! Everyone on the BL show is so happy, and some even cry for joy, when they hit the one hundreds. Every small step becomes significant when we are thinking long term (which is just a lot of small steps, but you know that).

Marvin's Mom - that is AWESOME news!! Only another 1/2 pound!! You can do it!!

Great news on the exercise bike!!

Yes we will have another celebration when you get under 200, but let's focus on the 80 pounds first!

LIsa, that is funny about the junk food diet. heehee. I was actually sitting between two guys who used to be smokers. Big time smokers. And now one is two years smoke free and the other just passed his one year. I made sure to make an announcement to the family about how proud i was of them.

On the less good side, they are now gaining a LOT of weight. One has gotten pretty heavy and the other looks like he might be headed that way. my thinking is that they did great by quitting smoking and they should really be proud of that. But eventually they are going to have to think about their weight. So manybe it's good that they are asking me questions about low carb, even if it's 'when is the diet over'...at least they are asking and i get to educate a little bit. By osmosis they might pick up a few things.

Okay, update on me.

I did lose one pound so am now at 124.

I also did my measurements:
Chest - 37
Waist - 30
Belly - 35.5
Hips - 36
Thigh - 20.5

So everything went down, even if only a half inch.

Wow that is *awesome* news Jill!! Great job!! Hey a half inch is a lot to lose!

That is so true about your relatives - it is great that they have stopped smoking but soon (once they are really sure they won't go back to smoking) they will need to learn to eat more healthily. And by watching you make great progress, it will stick in their mind to talk with you when they are ready to take that next step. They will start to realize that they just can't keep eating the way they are.

I did it. I weighed in this morning and I was down to 203.5. I hit my 80 lb mark. I am very happy!!!

Next goal - under 200 lbs :-)

I have been riding my exercise bike every day!

Thanks for all of your support. I really appreciate it!!

WTG Marvin's Mom!! Great job!

wooohooo! Yeah MM! We are all so proud of you! I bet you feel great.

Wow, Marvin's Mom - 80 pounds is GREAT!!! That is so awesome Congratulations!!

Good for you on the bike, I know it can be really hard sometimes to get up the energy to get started. It really is so worth it!

I seem to have gained two pounds while working out daily and doing yoga. Now at 126. I am wondering if my period coming makes a difference? Er?

Congrats Marvins Mom, you must feel wonderful! 200 is just around the corner!!!!

Today I am at 127...does anyone know if one's period makes one weigh more? Am I retaining water? This is weird.

Yes definitely your body gains weight during your period Don't worry about it! It's a natural cycle and will reset itself in a few days

Okay, update - yesterday the weight dropped back to 124 and today back to 127. I don't understand but will just go with it.

Since last update -

26th - yoga/stretch 15 minutes, treadmill 75 minutes

27th - 1 hour twist

28th - rest day

29th - 5 mile hike. 2 hour twist/tread, valeo ball, ab wheel

30th - 20 min yoga, 33 min intervals training, ab wheel

31st - 1 hour yoga, 20 min twist, treadmill 1 hour

April 1 - bed yoga, ab wheel, 1 hr treadmill, 30 minutes yoga (back and standing), then 2 more hours treadmill/twist to Biggest Loser show and No Excuses Workout

2nd - 40 minute yoga (back/seated with book), 1 hour twist/treadmill, 20 minute walk

3rd - treadmill 60 minutes, 1 hr walking, 20 min yoga (strength and balance)

Happy Friday!

I am down another pound today. I weighed in this morning at 202.5. I am really hoping to be under 200 lbs in the next couple of weeks.

I have a blind date tomorrow night. This is my first date in some time. I am very nervous but finally starting to like the way I look. Thanks for your support and wish me luck!

Have a great weekend!

Wow, that's awesome news, Marvin's Mom! I am sure you will have fun on your date - enjoy it! We're all rooting for you

That is so great that you are down so close to 200!! I know we will get you there soon The victory is nearly in sight!

Jill - that's great news with your workouts, that you are keeping up with them! I completely can't find my wheel-on-a-stick and I hate to buy another one. I know it's here *somewhere*. I'll take another look around later today ...

During the course of my period, my weight varies each day between 124 and 127. Hmmm. I thought that was at least interesting enough to report. Also my measurements are bigger:

Chest - 37
Waist - 30.5
Belly - 35
Hips - 36.5
Thigh - 21

I will assume it's bloating, since I have been working out and low carbing just fine.

We will see next week.

Lisa, I saw on another post that you ordered a new ab wheel. That's great.

I still can't get anywhere near the ground (dan goes flat out, no problem) but I like doing around five of them a day. Dan says to only do a few b/c it can really hurt you if you do too much too soon. he never does more than five or ten reps with it each day. So that is just a caution for everyone thinking about getting one of these.

For people on a tight-ish budget, I wanted to mention that I see these wheels on a stick things all the time at Goodwill for usually 2.99. That is where I got mine. Make sure it's solid - not wobbly, and you will have found a good deal!

Right Bob can go out nearly flat and I can barely go a quarter of the way out before I get shaky. But I know if I keep working on it that I'll get better over time!

Yes definitely water gain is normal during your period, it's just a normal cycle up and down. Think of it as an ocean's tides

I wonder if periods affect the girls on Biggest Loser? I guess that would, wouldn't it? And every pound counts on that show to stay in the game. Not fair.

Well but the guys are probably getting charged with testosterone as the competition goes on, which inhibits their brains working properly

ha! maybe it evens out in some karmic way. one can hope...

Hi Folks! I lost a pound this week. So it's 8 now. I had hoped for more by now, but 8 pounds is 8 pounds, right? I spent the day moving furniture and cleaning carpets. What a job, but the worst is over. So that was my exercise today! I am asking around for an exercise bike I can borrow from someone. I want to see if it is something I will enjoy before I commit and buy one. Have a groovy week everyone!

Lollie, thats great, keep up the good work!

Lollie - that is awesome news!! You are moving forward which is always wonderful! Hey, moving furniture both cleans your world and loses weight which is a perfect combination!

Yes definitely if you can play with the bike first it can make a huge difference. I really love my bike and am riding it frequently, and I know a big part of why I use it is that it's comfortable to ride.

I still haven't lost any weight, really I go between 135 and 140. But I have far more muscle and endurance now, so that's a great thing!

Thanks Lisa!

I really want to increase my endurance. I have noticed that I can't run far without breathing hard and suffering!!

Well we can definitely help with that! The key is to start with little steps but increase them. Back when we began this, I could only bike for 3 minutes! But I kept at it. 3 minutes were better than zero. Now I'm up to 30 minutes! So if you can get out walking, go walking even if it's just for a short while. Go just a tiny bit further every day

Lollie, that is great about the pound. One pound less is awesome. Take your time building up your endurance. The key is to start super slow, like Lisa said. Don't push yourself to discomfort. That is so last century.

Just keep it easy and enjoyable and follow your body when it asks for more, or less, as you go. It's about being sustainable for your life and having fun with moving.

My update - my weight chart on my online workout program is funny looking - this last week has been up, down, up, down, up, down, between 124 and 127. Weird to have that much fluctuation daily. So today it's 124 again and my period is over.

So hopefully my body has re-set itself and i can see about maybe losing another pound someday.

The other difference has been the yoga, which I have been doing daily. I really like it. I don't know if one is supposed to do it every day or if that is not healthy.

I think a lot of people do yoga daily as a daily stress-relief activity, so I imagine at our beginning levels it is quite good for you. Maybe if you were doing the really hard "workout" yoga it would fall into the five-on-two-off type of thing, but even then I imagine on the off days you'd do the gentle resting yoga stuff

That's great that you're staying in the 124-127 range!! Good for you! And you're getting more limber and healthy too!

Yay, it seems I am back on track and lost a pound! Am now 123.

It will be interesting to see if the juggling up and down happneds every month during my cycle. lol

Wednesdays are good days for me, since I do my longest workouts Tuesday nights (during the Biggest Loser show on TV).

That's true, Lisa, about being at a beginner level being cool for daily practice. I really feel different inside since I started doing yoga too. I guess I should post about that over in the yoga forum.

Today I actually got up in the morning! Hurrah! But then I didn't exercise I've been busy doing system restores all day, having some PC problems. I was actually going to go for a walk with Bob but his bike is ready!! So he took it out for a half hour bike ride. Which is great! Now we're getting to the point where we can go riding together, which is a big milestone We both have bikes at home now, both are functional and the weather is getting warmer!

He's going out to darts soon so if I can get this darn PC working properly, smoothly, then I'll go do some of the yoga. Maybe the 70 minute basics.

I also just got a call from my health care guys and they said I get $300/yr reimbursement for yoga classes!! Too cool!! So that is even more incentive to go sign up for some

I have to avoid the TV thread right now because we haven't watched our recording yet. We'll watch it when Bob gets back from darts.

Sounds like Bob might be getting back into biking. That's so great. I hope you two do lots of cycling together.

Did you watch BL yet?

I am amazed about the health thing! What kind of insurance IS that? Wow. it covers yoga? Please tell me how you arranged that and what kind of health insurance covers something so proactive and amazing.

It's Fallon and actually it's the cheapest-of-the-cheap plan. It is literally the cheapest plan we can get in Massachusetts and doesn't even cover prescription. But apparently the plans are all getting worried about obesity and want to proactively help people stay healthy vs getting heavy and racking up huge bills.

So yes it's really cool that they will cover my yoga classes for me

Today I only woke up at 2pm despite really trying to get myself on a more normal schedule. It was 70F today here!!! Amazing. We had to take the kitties to the vet, but then afterwards I went out in the yard and did a lot of raking and cleaning. So that was exercise with a bonus. I got the back deck all cleaned up and we even had our burgers out there for dinner!! It was so nice. The peepers were all peeping away and there aren't any bugs yet.

Oh!! I was doing yoga poses in the waiting from the vet!! I amuse myself so much I was doing tree pose and the hanging front bend. I'm getting better at tree pose!

Were there other people there? Did you feel weird? Did anyone ask you what you were doing?

That's great on the tree pose. I am looking forward to taking pictures of you and deb doing tree pose under the cherry blossoms!

also, it's good to realize that things like spring cleaning, gardening, raking and snow shoveling is all fantastic exercise. Even a good vacumming session is a workout if you do the whole house (Roombas aside, of course).

I think i will also take a look at my health insurance. I need to change it to CA blue shield, so maybe it will offer something like a weight control program. One never knows...

I tried looking on their website and they won't tell non-members what their plans involve Definitely ask them about it!

Happy Monday!

I just thought I would stop by and let you know that I weighed in at 200.5 this morning. I am almost there!!!

I will keep you updated! It would be nice if tomorrow could be the magic day. The day of the Biggest Loser finale.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Wow that is SO awesome Marvin's Mom!! Whether it's tomorrow or any other day, we will celebrate with you!!

Jill - there was nobody else in the vet's waiting room while I was doing "full tree pose". At the stores later, I was doing a more subtle "stand on one foot" so there were people around but they probably had no idea I was doing anything unusual

We're closing in on May 1st!! How is everybody doing in their weight loss? I've still been stabilized around 137 or so - so I haven't lost any weight, but I've gained muscle and a ton of endurance and strength So I consider that a reasonable trade-off!

Yay to you, Marvin's Mom! You are so there! It would be cool if the last half pound was on the BL finale day. But even so, it's wonderful no matter what.

How about this, Marvin's Mom, if you get to 200 we will give you a virtual check for a virtual quarter of a million dollars! You can buy a virtual vacation with it

Hi everyone,

I weighed myself today and I have lost 2 more pounds! So it's 10 so far. Wow it has taken a long time to lose ten pounds but I think of 2-5# bags of sugar and that makes me feel good. We are going to Las Vegas a week from Friday, maybe all that walking will help, or pushing the play button on the slots???

I've lost 7 pounds so far. I am telling myself I've gained muscle, though! Maybe a little. I watched the Biggest Loser on TV and realized I'm way too gentle on myself! LOL--I need a Jillian yelling at me, too.

I think now I've got the cardio down (walking) and the flexibility is getting better (yoga), I really need to be more disciplined about strength training.

So, that's my new goal. I'll start with the minimum (I always do!) of two sessions a week. Tuesday & Thursday. I'm telling you all so I'll actually feel like I have to! LOL

Lollie and Deb, that is great news! I love the bags of sugar metaphor.


At 123 that is 21 pounds for me. let's see if i can reach my goal by may 1. Actually, with all my traveling coming up, I will be lucky to just stay where I am at.

Jilly, that's awesome! You rock!

Lollie that is AWESOME about the 10 pounds!!! Yes it can take a while - but remember, losing slowly is much better than gaining! That is so great. And it could be muscle, which is much healthier for you in your system than fat.

Vegas will be *great* for your health! We went there a few years ago and it is a *ton* of walking. Make a point to walk around to see each casino. They're really pretty! When you eat, go for things like filet mignon, lobster, etc. I.e. you can treat yourself and eat really good things for you.

Drink lots of water! It can get hot there

I have photos and info on Vegas here!

BellaOnline ALERT: Raw URLs are not allowed in these forums for security reasons. Please use UBB code. If you don't know how to do UBB code just post here for help - we will help out!

Deb - That is great that you've lost 7 pounds! Definitely I am sure you're gaining muscle And lung power!

It does sound like a great idea to add some strength training into your mix! Walking and yoga are great starts, for general endurance and flexibility reasons. But for getting to the point of weight loss, more is definitely better. Strength training and aerobics are two halves of that!

There are lots of DVDs for aerobic activities - I use the dance dance games myself, on a PS2. They are SUPER fun and really get you active!

LOL ok after my half hour bike ride yesterday, this morning I was ... 140!! So I am gaining weight I am just so amused by this. It really goes to show that what we might think of as "lots of exercise" really isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things. I should probably be biking for an hour a day - not a half hour - if I want to lose weight.

This is pretty interesting Lisa. You must be building tons of muscle!

Well I just caved in and ordered myself a new scale that measures muscle in addition to fat and water. I really want to know just what is going on inside my body. I'll let you know when I get it, what it says!

Well, I'm still at the 5lb mark but that's ok, it's better than gaining. I just replaced the motor controller ($200) in my treadmill so I'm back up and running. Maybe I'll see some more loss soon.

Sueey2 - it really makes SUCH a big difference if you exercise daily!! We have several women here who are steadily losing weight by doing treadmill walking every day. That is really the key. You have to actively do activities (grin) every day to become more healthy.

We will do everything we can to help you get in your walking daily! Do you need ideas about what to do, watch or read while you walk? Let us know how many miles you get in!

I just measured all my body parts - I had last done it just about a month ago. I am pretty much exactly the same everywhere So while my endurance is way up, and my flexibility is up, my size is the same. Maybe this is simply the size I'm meant to be!

I got a new scale - one that measures muscle mass and gives you your daily calorie level / metabolism level. It's an Omron scale. I'll see what that starts to show ...

Hello!

I am still haven't gotten below 200 but I am not giving up! I weighed in at 200.5 today. I have lost 5 lbs since we began this contest.

I am going to try to post some before and after pictures on the "sucess stories". I think I have definitely made some big changes. I really want to lose another 30 lbs.

Lisa, any plans to start another contest? We wouldn't even need a prize. I just love having the support. :-)

Hey there, Marvin's Mom! That is so great that you are just over 200! Sometimes our bodies take a few days or weeks to "resettle" as the fat and muscle all convert over. You are still doing really well - you're not gaining, and your body is just getting ready for a new set of weight loss! Keep at it every day, and you'll start dropping the weight again soon

Yes I think a summertime contest would be great fun! It's when most of us can get out and be active

Hi All

Well, I did not win big in Vegas but I sure had a good time! It had been some time since I visited Sin City and wow, has it changed! I am happy to report that I did not gain an ounce! So officially I have lost 10 pounds. I had hoped for more, but I will take it, it's 10 pounds less than 3 months ago! Slow but sure, I always say!

Wow that is so awesome!! Great job!! Just to stay even in a place like Vegas is a HUGE achievement!

What was your favorite hotel there?

We stayed at the Luxor, which was nice, but next time I;d like to try New York, New York, We went to a show there and walked around and I really liked it. It has a fun atmosphere.

I love the Luxor - those sideways elevators are TOO cool!! For those who haven't been to Vegas, Luxor is a big black pyramid and they have elevators that go diagonally up the sides!!

NY NY is cool too Bob is from NYC so to him that's not "exotic" enough

We're on our final day!! Can anybody beat Jilly?

OK here we are, the end of the contest, May 1st! Who has lost the most weight?

Everybody post the weight lost between Feb 1 and May 1 and let's see!

Nope, can't beat Jilly! WAY TO GO JILLY!!!! It's 11 pounds for me. Thanks so much for having this contest,Lisa, it was fun and very inspiring!!! It helped keep me in check.

I'm still at 5 lbs but I saw the Doctor yesterday and she put me on different meds so I'm hoping I'll feel better and be able to excersize a LOT more!! Good job Jilly and all you other Big Losers! Keep up the good work. This was a lot of fun and I hate to see it end.

I lost 10 pounds as of this morning. Not quite TV show standards, but I don't have a Jillian here! I need a Jillian!

And, I'm glad about losing 10 pounds. I'll take it. My goal for this year was to lose 30. So, that's 1/3 of the goal.

Thanks for the well wishes you guys! At 123 this morning, so 21 pounds lost. My goal weight is 115 but i think i'd be happy at 118, which leaves me five pounds to go.

Everyone did so well! Congrats Lolly, Deb, Marvin's Mom, Rosie, Lisa and Sueey, and everyone else who has been working out/low carbing.

I think this has been really so much fun - to have a group to be accountable to, to share the ups and downs of the process, to congratulate on the half pounds lost and good weeks of not gaining when traveling or sick. Such great support. No wonder people on the BL ranch do so insanely well (that and having a Jillian to yell at them, as Deb said!)

That is *awesome* Jilly - you are such an inspiration to us! I'll wait until Sunday to see if anybody else chimes in with a higher number, but I think you probably have won this round Great job!

I am at 137 right now - so in this time range I have been between 136 and 140 I think. I have definitely gotten more flexible and increased my endurance, which is great! Now I think I have to start being more aerobic for longer periods of time - i.e. instead of dancing for an hour, dancing for an hour-and-a-half. I am sure I can lose the weight if I focus!

Maybe we can do another round for the "summer months" of June - July - August! That gives me some time to catch up on a few things in here first

Gosh, the weight didn't fall off like it did the first time I started low carb eating. Of course, I am limited in my exercising
so I guess that makes all the difference in the world.
My total weight loss was just over 13 lbs. Gee, now I know what my mom meant when she said it gets harder to lose as you age, that's so true.
Well, I know I didn't win but I enjoyed it none the less! I still plan on sticking with it!
Congrats to everyone who lost weight!
-Dana

Hello Everyone!

I lost 5 lbs during our contest. I am stuck at 200.5

Congrats Jilly! You are a rock star!!

Thank you all for the support. It has been so nice to have encouragement and friendship here. I am looking forward to the next contest.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks Marvin's Mom - you are a rock star too.

If i am the Biggest Loser of this round, then I guess that makes Sunseed (13 pounds) and Lolly (11 pounds) the other Finalists? Unless I missed someone?

Of course, everyone who was in this group is a winner - we all either lost pounds, or didn't gain them, or converted fat into muscle.

Sunseed - that is a great amount of weight you've lost! Congratulations! Definitely exercising is a key to it. Keep at it and you can continue to become more healthy!

Marvin's Mom - we'll get you down below 200! Do you have any stairs in your house? Try just one minute of going up and down the first stair, each day. See if that helps!

It's Sunday! Final call! Did anybody beat Jilly's wonderful 21 pounds of weight loss?

Jilly is our Ali!!

Awesome, Jilly! Congratulations to you!

Jilly is the Winner!! Congratulations!

Jilly - email me your email you'd like me to use for the Amazon certificate, and I'll send that over!

Weeee! Confetti flies for me! heehee.

Thanks everyone, that was SO FUN! And I will be rooting everyone on for the next season, so to speak. I really think group support is so much better than efforts spent all alone. I like all you guys a lot.

I will email you my addy, Lisa and thank you so much. Just so people know, the Amazon cert will be spent all on Fitness Stuff: I am getting a fat tester (Lisa's thing), another Barbara Brenagh (?) Yoga DVD (the stress Relief one, with the Dalai Lama), a Shiva Rea Yoga (Trance Dance) and one called Yoga Elements for Beginners. I can't wait to play with my new toys!

That is awesome Jilly - I know you will reach your final goal! This is like the "go back home" time now