My cardio goal for this past week was 210 minutes. I made my goal, but did not pass it. In addition to 210 minutes of cardio, I also got 310 minutes of other exercise in, bringing my exercise total for the week to 520 minutes. Not too shabby!
I lost 4.8lbs in our first weigh-in, so I am pretty excited right about now!. Our current challenge is to set a personal water goal. My goal for this week is 600 oz. I'm off to a bit of a slow start, but I think I can get there!
There is no team cardio challenge this week, although my personal goal is to get at least 150 minutes in this week. I haven't done any yet though- I plan to start either later tonight or tomorrow. We'll see how this week goes!
Saturday, 10 January 2009
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Biggest Loser (SPOILER)
I started watching this show in season 5 and got hooked. Season 6 was interesting, but a bit of a disappointment as well. The contrast was amazing. In season 5, there were contestants I wasn't crazy about but, overall I was happy for everyone and so impressed by them. In season 6 I found myself wishing that people would have a bad weigh-in just so they would be eliminated. How horrible is that? I knew I should be happy for all of them as they made that journey- but the cattiness and attitudes were a huge turn-off.
So I watched the first episode of season 7 with some trepidation. I wasn't sure if this was a show that would be worth sticking with, but I was pleased with the first episode. So, here's my little recap, since I have an opinion about anything and everything under the sun!
The Contestants
BLUE TEAM: Filipe and Sione- I was very impressed by these two cousins. I loved their attitude and the way they seemed to stick together. They are trying to send a very important message that just because being over-weight might be "normal" for your community does not mean it is healthy! Being a resident of the fattest state in the nation- I think this is a wonderful message and I hope they go far.
BLACK TEAM: Dane and Blaine- These two cousins are going to be a force to be reckoned with! So far I am pretty impressed with them, although I am not sure if I will really like them as the show progresses. They're pretty serious though, and they can both go far if they stick with it!
SILVER TEAM: Carla and Joelle- If I had to pick a "least favorite" team, silver would be it. These two best friends don't seem to have what it takes to really support one another. I know they show does a lot of editing- but the conversations they aired between the two of them made it seem as if they don't have a strong "team" mentality. I think this is going to hinder both of them.
WHITE TEAM: Estella and Jerry- WOW! I am so impressed with these two, and so worried for Jerry's health. I think it's wonderful that they are taking this chance to get healthier so they can be around to see their grandchildren, and just think they are a cute and sweet couple.
PINK TEAM: Helen and Shannon- I'm not sure what I think of this mother/daughter team. They didn't stand out to me one way or the other, really. Usually I enjoy seeing mothers and daughters interact- and it's possible they will start to "make their mark".
ORANGE TEAM: Dan and Dave- I am very hopeful for these two friends. Dan is the heaviest contestant ever weighing in at 454 pounds to start. I really hope that they can both turn their lives around- they need this so much!
PURPLE TEAM: Cathy and Kristin- This mother/daughter team hasn't impressed me yet, either. I'm sure they will though. They had a wonderful attitude about being chosen last when teams were picked, so I know they are willing to give it their all.
GREEN TEAM: Tara and Laura- I'm unsure about them. Tara is definitely a force to be reckoned with, she's a strong competitor with a very upbeat attitude. Laura, on the other hand, seems to be struggling already. I hope she can find some inner strength and pull through!
BROWN TEAM: Ron and Mike- I was impressed with this father son team. Especially because Ron has had a gastric bi passe surgery. I think this sends a good message to people- that quick fixes and surgeries are not always the answer, and the best results come with plain old proper diet and exercise. I hope they go far.
YELLOW TEAM: Mandi and Aubrey- these two sisters are going to be hard to beat. They did really well this first week, and I am pretty impressed with them so far. I tend to be drawn to yellow teams though (I liked Kelly in season 5 and rooted for Coleen throughout season 6)
RED TEAM: Nicole and Damien- I hope this couple does well. I think it is wonderful that they are trying to get healthy together before their wedding, and I hope they have a long and happy, healthy marriage!
The Challenge
I thought the bridge race was a great challenge, and it showed how some of the teams worked together. Black team won, although Yellow gave them a run for their money. It was interesting to see which contestants helped their teammate and which ones didn't. You saw the red and white teams pulling eachother over the obstacle- but I noticed that Tara (Green) didn't do the same thing for Laura. I'm wondering how that will play out in weeks to come. Black teams reward for winning was immunity at the weigh-in.
The Weigh-In
WOW! Those were some HUGE numbers dropped, but what a dissapointing night! Usually week one's weigh-in is so upbeat and positive, but this night was filled with dread. They announced at the beginning that only ONE team would be left intact, and that the other 9 teams would have to send one person home. Each team that didn't get above the yellow line was so depressed, what a downer for all of them. Brown team one the weigh-in, and everyone else had to pick someone to leave.
The Twist.
None of the 9 contestants sent home are "eliminated" They have to go home for 30 days and at the end of the time, if their teammate is still in the game, they get to come back. I think this will help America see that it CAN be done at home, and I am hopeful that this will workout to everyone's benefit.
For now, the remaining contestants are: Dane & Blaine, Ron & Mike, Damien, Tara, Kristin, Daniel, Jerry, & Joelle. I can't remember the other three, but I think it's Mandi, Helen, and Sione.
So I watched the first episode of season 7 with some trepidation. I wasn't sure if this was a show that would be worth sticking with, but I was pleased with the first episode. So, here's my little recap, since I have an opinion about anything and everything under the sun!
The Contestants
BLUE TEAM: Filipe and Sione- I was very impressed by these two cousins. I loved their attitude and the way they seemed to stick together. They are trying to send a very important message that just because being over-weight might be "normal" for your community does not mean it is healthy! Being a resident of the fattest state in the nation- I think this is a wonderful message and I hope they go far.
BLACK TEAM: Dane and Blaine- These two cousins are going to be a force to be reckoned with! So far I am pretty impressed with them, although I am not sure if I will really like them as the show progresses. They're pretty serious though, and they can both go far if they stick with it!
SILVER TEAM: Carla and Joelle- If I had to pick a "least favorite" team, silver would be it. These two best friends don't seem to have what it takes to really support one another. I know they show does a lot of editing- but the conversations they aired between the two of them made it seem as if they don't have a strong "team" mentality. I think this is going to hinder both of them.
WHITE TEAM: Estella and Jerry- WOW! I am so impressed with these two, and so worried for Jerry's health. I think it's wonderful that they are taking this chance to get healthier so they can be around to see their grandchildren, and just think they are a cute and sweet couple.
PINK TEAM: Helen and Shannon- I'm not sure what I think of this mother/daughter team. They didn't stand out to me one way or the other, really. Usually I enjoy seeing mothers and daughters interact- and it's possible they will start to "make their mark".
ORANGE TEAM: Dan and Dave- I am very hopeful for these two friends. Dan is the heaviest contestant ever weighing in at 454 pounds to start. I really hope that they can both turn their lives around- they need this so much!
PURPLE TEAM: Cathy and Kristin- This mother/daughter team hasn't impressed me yet, either. I'm sure they will though. They had a wonderful attitude about being chosen last when teams were picked, so I know they are willing to give it their all.
GREEN TEAM: Tara and Laura- I'm unsure about them. Tara is definitely a force to be reckoned with, she's a strong competitor with a very upbeat attitude. Laura, on the other hand, seems to be struggling already. I hope she can find some inner strength and pull through!
BROWN TEAM: Ron and Mike- I was impressed with this father son team. Especially because Ron has had a gastric bi passe surgery. I think this sends a good message to people- that quick fixes and surgeries are not always the answer, and the best results come with plain old proper diet and exercise. I hope they go far.
YELLOW TEAM: Mandi and Aubrey- these two sisters are going to be hard to beat. They did really well this first week, and I am pretty impressed with them so far. I tend to be drawn to yellow teams though (I liked Kelly in season 5 and rooted for Coleen throughout season 6)
RED TEAM: Nicole and Damien- I hope this couple does well. I think it is wonderful that they are trying to get healthy together before their wedding, and I hope they have a long and happy, healthy marriage!
The Challenge
I thought the bridge race was a great challenge, and it showed how some of the teams worked together. Black team won, although Yellow gave them a run for their money. It was interesting to see which contestants helped their teammate and which ones didn't. You saw the red and white teams pulling eachother over the obstacle- but I noticed that Tara (Green) didn't do the same thing for Laura. I'm wondering how that will play out in weeks to come. Black teams reward for winning was immunity at the weigh-in.
The Weigh-In
WOW! Those were some HUGE numbers dropped, but what a dissapointing night! Usually week one's weigh-in is so upbeat and positive, but this night was filled with dread. They announced at the beginning that only ONE team would be left intact, and that the other 9 teams would have to send one person home. Each team that didn't get above the yellow line was so depressed, what a downer for all of them. Brown team one the weigh-in, and everyone else had to pick someone to leave.
The Twist.
None of the 9 contestants sent home are "eliminated" They have to go home for 30 days and at the end of the time, if their teammate is still in the game, they get to come back. I think this will help America see that it CAN be done at home, and I am hopeful that this will workout to everyone's benefit.
For now, the remaining contestants are: Dane & Blaine, Ron & Mike, Damien, Tara, Kristin, Daniel, Jerry, & Joelle. I can't remember the other three, but I think it's Mandi, Helen, and Sione.
Monday, 5 January 2009
I can't believe they eat THAT!
That's a comment I tend to get a lot when people who don't know us very well see S and F sitting down to dinner. It's usually "I can't believe they eat that", "My child would never try that" "Why aren't they picky like other kids?"
I don't think we do anything all that spectacular with our children, but people seem to think that we do. It's normal for us, though.
For starters- I am not a chef or a caterer, and our kitchen is not a cafeteria or a restaurant. I make one dinner and one dinner only. Family members can eat it or not- but nothing else is going to be made. I'm not a Burger King- special orders DO upset me! Because of this, though, my kids simply aren't that picky. Sure, they have things they won't eat. Neither child will touch a tomato (although they do like tomato soup) and F is very anti-pickle. Those things don't bother me.
We also have a rule about tasting everything. S is five, so he has to take five bites of everything on his plate. F, who is three, has to take three bites. After five (or three) bites, if they still say "I don't like that" or "I don't want that"- it's fine. As long as they give it a shot, I don't really care. In my experience- getting them to try something is most of the battle. With S in particular, most of the balking is because something is new or looks different, and before five bites are gone he has decided he likes it.
One thing our family doesn't seem to understand about the "bites rule" is that it is NOT a bribe. It's not "try 5 bites and you can have dessert" or "try three bites and then I'll make you something else" I don't want to teach them that they have to eat healthy foods to get a reward- I want them to eat them simply because they ARE healthy foods!
The other thing we do (or try to do, as often as possible) is offer reasonable choices. I try to make 2 veggies with every meal, and as long as they have one on their plate, I am happy. If there is a food they have tried several times and still do not like, I don't make them eat it (hence the tomato ban S & F have going on!) I still offer it, but I don't like to force them to eat it, or they will never really like it.
I don't think these things are that unusual, and I am certain we are not the only parents who do this. It works for us though, and I am happy about that. One thing I do try to do that I have noticed many parents (in our circle, at least) don't do is be upfront. My SIL for example- tells her kids that everything is chicken. Having pork for dinner? It's chicken. Beef? Chicken again. We don't do that. If my kid's ask "what's this?" I tell them. It gets mixed results. F usually says "oh, I don't like spinach" and we have to resort to the three bite rule. S usually just says "oh, ok" and tries it. I think he just wants to know what he is putting into his mouth (which isn't a bad idea!)
I don't think we do anything all that spectacular with our children, but people seem to think that we do. It's normal for us, though.
For starters- I am not a chef or a caterer, and our kitchen is not a cafeteria or a restaurant. I make one dinner and one dinner only. Family members can eat it or not- but nothing else is going to be made. I'm not a Burger King- special orders DO upset me! Because of this, though, my kids simply aren't that picky. Sure, they have things they won't eat. Neither child will touch a tomato (although they do like tomato soup) and F is very anti-pickle. Those things don't bother me.
We also have a rule about tasting everything. S is five, so he has to take five bites of everything on his plate. F, who is three, has to take three bites. After five (or three) bites, if they still say "I don't like that" or "I don't want that"- it's fine. As long as they give it a shot, I don't really care. In my experience- getting them to try something is most of the battle. With S in particular, most of the balking is because something is new or looks different, and before five bites are gone he has decided he likes it.
One thing our family doesn't seem to understand about the "bites rule" is that it is NOT a bribe. It's not "try 5 bites and you can have dessert" or "try three bites and then I'll make you something else" I don't want to teach them that they have to eat healthy foods to get a reward- I want them to eat them simply because they ARE healthy foods!
The other thing we do (or try to do, as often as possible) is offer reasonable choices. I try to make 2 veggies with every meal, and as long as they have one on their plate, I am happy. If there is a food they have tried several times and still do not like, I don't make them eat it (hence the tomato ban S & F have going on!) I still offer it, but I don't like to force them to eat it, or they will never really like it.
I don't think these things are that unusual, and I am certain we are not the only parents who do this. It works for us though, and I am happy about that. One thing I do try to do that I have noticed many parents (in our circle, at least) don't do is be upfront. My SIL for example- tells her kids that everything is chicken. Having pork for dinner? It's chicken. Beef? Chicken again. We don't do that. If my kid's ask "what's this?" I tell them. It gets mixed results. F usually says "oh, I don't like spinach" and we have to resort to the three bite rule. S usually just says "oh, ok" and tries it. I think he just wants to know what he is putting into his mouth (which isn't a bad idea!)
Sunday, 4 January 2009
No Running Away
I am a huge fan of quotations, one-liners, meditations, and words of wisdom. I kind of "collect" them. One of my favorite websites is quotationspage.com, and I love their feature for motivational quote of the day. Well, most days.
Today I was a little under-whelmed by their chosen quotes. Then I remembered that I hadn't read yesterday's yet- and I found this one on January 2nd.
"You cannot run away from a weakness; you must sometimes fight it out or perish. And if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?" -Robert Louis Stevenson
How very true! And it's something I have been struggling with myself. Yesterday is a pretty good example for me. I went to the gym and got a great workout in. I went out to eat but, when I totaled my calories at the end of the evening, I was doing ok still. And then I saw them.
Oreos.
I have a terrible weakness for sweets. So I read the package. One serving=2 cookies. I had 2. And then 2 more. And then 4 more after that.
I finally stopped after 8 and spent the rest of the night being angry with myself. I wasn't all that hungry. I knew that I should stop with 2. I ate out of boredom and exercised a lack of control.
I usually try to run away from my temptations and weaknesses by simply not buying sweets myself. But, living in someone else's house right now- that's not an option. I can't run away from it. I have to learn to deal with it. I have to learn to eat sensibly. To control my portions, my cravings, and myself.
Why not now?
Today I was a little under-whelmed by their chosen quotes. Then I remembered that I hadn't read yesterday's yet- and I found this one on January 2nd.
"You cannot run away from a weakness; you must sometimes fight it out or perish. And if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?" -Robert Louis Stevenson
How very true! And it's something I have been struggling with myself. Yesterday is a pretty good example for me. I went to the gym and got a great workout in. I went out to eat but, when I totaled my calories at the end of the evening, I was doing ok still. And then I saw them.
Oreos.
I have a terrible weakness for sweets. So I read the package. One serving=2 cookies. I had 2. And then 2 more. And then 4 more after that.
I finally stopped after 8 and spent the rest of the night being angry with myself. I wasn't all that hungry. I knew that I should stop with 2. I ate out of boredom and exercised a lack of control.
I usually try to run away from my temptations and weaknesses by simply not buying sweets myself. But, living in someone else's house right now- that's not an option. I can't run away from it. I have to learn to deal with it. I have to learn to eat sensibly. To control my portions, my cravings, and myself.
Why not now?
Friday, 2 January 2009
Jackson Sparkers Challenge
I am trying to be more active on Sparkpeople and, since moving home, have tried to get the Jackson area team to be more active. One thing I have noticed about Sparkpeople is that, while there are a lot of really active groups- the "local teams" tend to be pretty slow. I'd love to change that though!
We are starting a New Year's/Valentine's Day challenge on our board. Running from yesterday and ending on the 13th of Feb. (hence the "Valentine's Day") Yesterday was our "Getting to Know You" day- and today we officially start- including a weigh-in and goal setting.
My starting weight for this challenge is 142 lbs. My goal for this challenge is to lose 7lbs (seems reasonable for 6 weeks) so my challenge goal weight is 135 lbs
Our first team challenge is to focus on getting our cardio in this week (which I think is a good way to start!) I tend to do cardio 3x a week, but I really want to start doing 30 minutes a day. So my goal for today through Jan. 8th is 210 minutes of cardio. We'll see how I do!
We are starting a New Year's/Valentine's Day challenge on our board. Running from yesterday and ending on the 13th of Feb. (hence the "Valentine's Day") Yesterday was our "Getting to Know You" day- and today we officially start- including a weigh-in and goal setting.
My starting weight for this challenge is 142 lbs. My goal for this challenge is to lose 7lbs (seems reasonable for 6 weeks) so my challenge goal weight is 135 lbs
Our first team challenge is to focus on getting our cardio in this week (which I think is a good way to start!) I tend to do cardio 3x a week, but I really want to start doing 30 minutes a day. So my goal for today through Jan. 8th is 210 minutes of cardio. We'll see how I do!
Thursday, 1 January 2009
New Life Resolutions
Happy New Year! If you haven't yet settled on your top goals for the year, do so today. Writing down your goals (in specific terms) means you're more likely to achieve them.
It's New Year's Resolution time again. Like many people, I am find myself making resolutions every January. Like many people, I find myself breaking most of those resolutions by March.
I thought I would try something different this year. Instead of making Resolutions for 2009- I am going to make a Pledge for my life from today on. I have found several pledges online, most of them very similar to one another. I chose to write my own. I took bits and pieces from the various pledges that I came across- so I am not trying to claim this as a 100% original work.
I Pledge to Live Healthy
Today is the most important day of the rest of my life. Today I am deciding to live a healthy life from now on. My health is important for me. It is important for my own life, my success, my happiness and my meaningful living. It is also important for my family and my loved ones. I realize that I can not take my health for granted and I have to make conscience decisions & efforts to achieve good health. It is primarily my responsibility and today I make a commitment to make healthy living as part of my attitude and every day life.
Today I Pledge that...
- I will not "diet" but will understand that eating healthy is a way of life.
- I will drink more water and will enjoy its benefits to my body and my health.
- I will not beat myself up if I occasionally slip up, but will always prod myself to get back "on the wagon"
- I will find a way to be active every day- whether through formal exercise or my daily activities
- I will learn to love and appreciate myself, and to know and accept my limitations and strengths.
- I will learn to prevent and manage stress in my life.
- I will strive for balance, to be neither too anxious nor too casual about my personal health.
- I will encourage my children and loved ones to live a healthy life, and will strive to lead by example.
Saturday, 27 December 2008
Most Useful Fitness Gadget
This was a fun message board question that I found today. It was a thread titled: "Mose Useful Fitness Gadget" The question was pretty simple: "What is the most useful thing you've bought that has helped you get fit?"
My answer, on the other hand, is not that simple. Picking one thing as the most useful is hard to do! There are a few that come to mind though...
My answer, on the other hand, is not that simple. Picking one thing as the most useful is hard to do! There are a few that come to mind though...
- DVD's a-plenty! When I was not able to get to a gym, having DVD's to do at home were great! I bought several different ones with different types of workouts on them. It was fun to try new things, and it helped me stay on track by breaking up the boredom.
- Free Weights. I bought my first set of hand weights a while ago- to help amp up my pilates DVD. I only had one at the time, and I was getting pretty bored doing the same workout all the time. Adding some weights to it made it more challenging, and helped me stick with it.
- Good Shoes. A MUST have item! I am a compulsively cheap person, and I hated spending $50+ dollars on shoes when I could find them for at least half of that at other stores. But trying to run in the wrong shoes caused shin splints and other injuries. It really was worth it to get some good shoes and use them just for the gym/my workouts.
- Treadmill. Having a treadmill at home made it easy to get cardio in. Going to the gym or exercising outside wasn't always an option. To be honest, I am not thrilled with the treadmill that I have, but I am glad I bought one, and I am looking forward to upgrading it when the opportunity arives.
- Yoga mat! I LOVE my yoga mat. It wasn't very expensive, and it's a simple thing- but it's been great to have. I keep it where I can see it, and it reminds me to get a workout in, whether it's yoga or pilates, or just doing a little bit of stretching when I am sore.
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