Discussion Board

Welcome to my Journal

I have been wanting to journal for quite sometime. I’ve found my inspiration.

Tomorrow, our small inside sales department is starting a "Biggest Loser" contest. Our registered nurse at work will weigh us in and record our BMI. Each of us are putting in $50 and the winnings will be split between the individual that who lose the most weight and the individual that lowers their BMI the most. It's a 60 day competition and our progress will be monitored every two weeks.

My thoughts?

This will be a great motivator to take all that I have learned last year about McDougalling and seriously put it to use and take off a couple of pounds (chuckle, chuckle, wink, wink).

Look for my stats and commentary tomorrow.

Good luck. Sounds like fun.

Good luck! I am also in a small weight loss competition at work, there is 3 of us. At the end of each month whoever loses the most weight, the 2 others have to buy a fun present for, i.e. bath stuff or lotto tickets.

Also I am sitting next to someone at work doing atkins. We are comparing diets and weight losses all the time. He misses bread and pasta... lol.

Looking forward to reading more!

Well, that was interesting! I didn’t think I weighed THAT much. No wonder my pants don’t fit! Here are my stats for today:

Height: 5’ 6”
Weight: 177
BMI: 28.3
Body Fat: 38.1

Cholesterol: 170 (to be updated next week)
Blood pressure: 97 / 60

Our biggest loser competition consists of 11 people. I’m the only woman and the oldest, 47. The rest are guys in their upper 20s to mid 30s. Some only need to lose about 20 pounds; one guy should lose about 100. Me? I think I need to lose about 40. Will I lose it in two months? No. Do I think I’ll win this? No. Will it motivate me to get my act together? YES.

The guys seem to be pretty motivated. We’re all doing our own meal and exercise planning. We have a small gym at work that’s equipped with cardio machines and weights. I’ve been doing hot yoga about 3x a week since December. I love it, I’m toning up, but I need to do cardio to help move the weight.

My biggest challenge is my boyfriend. He’s one of those skinny guys that has never had to workout or watch what he eats. The other night he bought two bags of Kettle chips, smoked Gouda cheese and salted peanuts. That was yesterday’s lunch for him and he wondered why he had a headache afterwards

I had to ask him last night to stop sabotaging my efforts. He brings in all this food and wants to go out and eat and drink. I try really hard when we’re out, but sometimes it’s just too much temptation. Today we have to meet at the bank during lunch time. I bet he’ll want to go to Five Guys for lunch. (Don’t worry, I’m not going there to eat…)

The mood in the office is good. A couple of guys are really surprised at their numbers, surprised how high they are. Word is out there are a couple of football parties going on; we’ll see how they fair over the weekend. These guys do like to party!

So, I have knowledge, I know how to do this, I know I can do this. Now to find my Maximum Weight Loss book.

See you tomorrow!

Ok, day 4 of our Biggest Loser competition. This weekend I was completely plant strong compliant this weekend. No coffee, no cream. I'm hoping my cholesterol will go down because of this. Last check was 170.

I spent an hour at the hot yoga studio Sunday. I love it.

No mention on how anyone else done this weekend. They're still talking about the Giants win over San Fran.

Today's Food Plan:

B - Oatmeal and frozen fruit (no additives)
L - Whole grain rice, black beans and frozen veggies. Mixed greens with a fat free dressing.
D - Undecided at this point. Thinking of that yummy sweet potato at home or maybe a repeat of lunch. Up date later.
Snacks - Apple, Banana

Exercise - I'll probably hit the gym at work today, bike for 30, some weights. I may go do yoga tonight, too.

I'm really challenging myself this time around to be 100% McDougall compliant and do his maximum weight loss program. I've tinkered with this last year and I think if I focus and not cheat, I'll do well.

Enjoy the day everyone!

Day 5. No coffee. I am doing this!

B - Oatmeal, fruit

L - Rice, beans, veggies. Greens, fat free dressing

D - Undecided. Last night was rice, beans and veggies. I'm thinking of making some hummus sans yummy tahini.

Snacks - two bananas and a grapefruit are with me here today

I'm too sure what's up with my fellow biggest loser contestants. Myself and two others went to to the gym yesterday during lunch, one guy, a type II diabetic, mentioned he is doing the atkins diet And the other guys, I don't know what they're doing. They complained yesterday they ate too much pizza and drank too much beer over the weekend while watching football. They know that I'm pretty active with this. Oh well.

Last night I did a hot yoga class. New instructor, new style, packed class. It's was very challenging. I never knew I could sweat THAT much. I was drenched. I thought it was funny when I took my first class to see people with large towels and lots of water. I'm now one of them. I'm really toning up and it's very motivating to keep in this track.

Well, that's my report today. Keep on keepin' on everybody

Ok. Another day, another bowl of oatmeal. I actually like the stuff and I really can eat it everyday.

So, let's get the paperwork of the way:

B - Oatmeal with fruit

L - Baked russet potato with homemade marinara sauce (recipe below), sided with homemade roasted red pepper hummus (fat free!) and a green salad with fat free wasabi ginger dressing

D - Probably the same as lunch

Snacks - banana, green grapes

I love to cook and anything I can do homemade, I will. I was taking culinary classes at our local community college. It really sharpened up my skills. I have enough credits for a certificate. I had to stop since I had to start travelling for work. Again. I'm hoping with my new boss that will come to an end and I can go back to school and finish up.

My marinara sauce recipe:

Simmer in hot water 1 or 2 cloves of chopped garlic to release the aroma and flavor.

Add 1 can Furmanos Chunky Crushed Tomotoes (I prefer the NO BASIL added product).

I like to add in crushed red pepper flakes, fresh ground pepper and salt (to bring flavors togethers).

Simmer for about 45 minutes on a low heat. I don't like my sauce too watery.

This is a great base to then start adding veggies to it. Delish

As for out biggest loser competition, these guys are nuts. They're out buying all of those protien drinks and powders and chugging down shakes of them. Do they really think consuming over 200 grams of protien a day will really cause a weight loss??? I guess so. Oh well...

Tonight is another hot yoga night. Last night I went for a 30 minute walk / jog at the Y. My back is tight, so the streching the heat should help.

Thanks for the read!

So, a couple of things. This morning I'm getting my car worked on. Snow tires put on, oil change, alternator clutch replaced... I've only had two bananas so far and have driven by, not stopped, all of my old coffee haunts.

This morning getting dressed I can see the effects of the yoga and this WOE. My muffin top is getting smaller and my tight jeans are getting lose What a motivator - even though yesterday I had a weak moment, i was hungry, tummy growling, and I broke into some sesame sticks and pumpkin seeds. I'm not going to beat myself up over this at all.

Today's eating plan:

B - Two bananas
L - A planned stopped at Hannaford or Stop and Shop for some fruit and veggies - maybe some whole grain rice sushi with only veggies.
D - Hopefully my leftover nutritious lunch
Snacks - fruit, veggies

Hot yoga tonight for exercise

I had to laugh at one of my fellow biggest loser contestants yesterday. He went to Wendy's and got lunch. A baked potato and chili. Just lathered with cheese and broccoli and washed it all down with a protein shake. He's gonna gain weight at this rate. LOL

A lovely rainy day here in upstate NY. It's much better than the 8" snow storms we were getting last year this time.

Tonight I'm travelling up to see my boyfriend over the weekend in Canada. I'm packed up with bananas and apples for the trip. He's promised not to fill up his house with junk food for the weekend. I'm hoping to do some skating up there. The NHL All Star game is this weekend and we plan on going and skating on the canal (which is very cool).

Today's Food:

B - Oatmeal, Fruit

L - Whole grain rice with corn, beans and lime juice. (Think fat free Chipolte Lime Cilantro Rice)

D - I'll be travelling tonight - probably bananas and apples and veggies that I'll pick up along the way

Snacks - Bananas, apples

I was inspired to come up with a fat-free version of Chipolte's Cilantro Lime Rice after reading about it here on the boards. Here's my take:

2 cups cooked whole grain rice
1 can corn
1 can black beans
Lime juice to taste

Just mix it all together! Add in chopped cilantro if desired.

Last night's hot yoga class really kicked my butt. I'm surprised at how much one can sweat. Amazing..

Happy Friday Everyone!

Love your journal--I'm rooting for you--bet you'll win the contest!!

You're doing GREAT!!! Keep up the good work! I LOVE your enthusiasm! You're going to win, for sure!

Thanks guys.

I was in Canada this weekend at my boyfriend's place. He only eats junk food. I dragged him to a yoga class Sunday morning at the local Lululemon store. It was free and I'm happy to see a store "give" back to the community. I would go again.

It's so frustrating to eat outside of your norm. After our class I picked out what seemed to be a McDougall friendly eating establishment for breakfast.

How silly of me to think that!

It was one of those ala-carte places where you can pick and choose what you want to eat. Well, I ended up with a bowl of fruit and some oily, shredded potatoes with a side of ketchup and nothing to drink. They had these beautiful salads full of fresh veggies. Spinach and mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, mixed green - heck! I could make my own salad!

Ha!

I was told they could not serve any of the fresh veggies since the registers were not open for "those" foods - and if we serve one person, we have to serve them all. I thought "Gee, it would really be a bad thing if more people ate veggies....and if you're worried about more people eating them in your place, I suggest you look around at your current clientle 'cause they ain't gonna be eatin' them unless you slather them with chocolate syrup and whipped cream". My boyfriend delcared (very sarcastically) we will never eat there again.

It's so frustrating to go into places that are so inflexible about removing sugar / chocolate / fat / cheese from their food items. I saw the manager and I was going to state my case (i don't eat junk) but at the rate I was going with the employees I figured he wouldn't care.

The weekend was ok. I had one beer and one cup of coffee. My eating was so-so. I had Indian and Japanese that had a bit of fish in it. Some stuff is just so oily. We did frequent McDonalds cause I knew I could get oatmeal and tea in the AM. It was better than other place we went to!

So, I'm home and I can cook my own food. Our first weigh-in is Friday, so I will be extra careful forward this week. A couple of hot yoga classes and some serious McDougalling may tip the scale seriously to my favor

Look for my Tuesday report

I just did a mid-week weigh in. I’m down two pounds (happy feet). Our official weigh in is Friday. I’m planning on upping my intake on potatoes and adding one or two more hot yoga classes (my yoga teacher calls it my "secret weapon”)

This program does work as long as you stick to it. Funny thing about it, I’m not hungry and I certainly don’t miss all of the junk I’ve been eating in the past. I'm really quite pleased I've taken off a couple of pounds so far. Our in-house nurse is really hoping that I win.

I just heard one of my fellow contestants tell how he drank 7 - 8 beers over the weekend and over ate at Taco Bell. I think a couple of other guys fell off their wagons, too. I tell ya, if they just focus and ate clean - they could really take off some weight.

Here’s today’s food log:

B – Oatmeal and fruit
L – Whole grain rice with veggies. Soy sauce on the side for taste
D – Russet potatoes with homemade hummus
Snacks – Bananas, Apples

I need to go grocery shopping tonight for some veggies, fruit, rice and beans. I usually let myself run out of "things" just to keep fresh items in the house.

So, a couple of items.

The folks over at Engine 2 are sponsoring a recipe engine on Facebook called “The Plant Strong Recipe Exchange”. Too bad I’m not eating fat, or I would defiantly make and inhale the ‘creamy avocado’ dressing on greens.

Creamy Orange Avocado Dressing

1/2 Avocado
1/2 cup orange juice
3 green onions
Black pepper to taste, blended in a blender

Serve over field greens and lots of other yummy veggies.

I also saw from a local bakery on Facebook (http://coccadotts.com/) a Chicken Wing Cupcake. It’s described as a buttery corn bread base with bleu cheese frosting and chicken wing on top. I give them an A+ for creativity, an F for healthy.

That's my report for today. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Welcome to Wednesday, Feburary 1st. I can't believe January is gone and we have no snow! (We'll probably pay for this in March...)
Well, I just had my cholesterol checked. I’ve had a 31 (thirty one) point drop in less than two months. I'm very stunned by this change.

Here are my numbers from today's readings:

Total: 139 (down from 170)
LDL: 73
HDL: 49
Ratio: 2.8
Tri: 87

Glucose: 77

BP 97 / 70

The nurse at work said it will only get better if I continue to do what I’m doing. So, what am I doing? Let’s go down the list.

McDougalling. My fat free vegan diet.
NO coffee with cream. NO alcohol. NO processed foods.
Hot yoga.

The nurse seems to think only the yoga is what is dropping my numbers. I’m thinking it’s because I’ve been very focused on McDougaling and removing garbage from my diet and working out. She and I really did not think my numbers were going to be this dramatic. I'm excited

So, what's on today's menu? The usual suspects:

B - Banana, pear (I've been in meetings all morning)
L - Greens and dressing, rice with beans, corn and other frozen veggies
D - Probably rice with beans and corn
Snacks - Probably oatmeal I didn't have this morning or left over lunch.
Activity - Hot Yoga

You really cannot deny how well this program this works. The proof is in the numbers. If you know of anybody that is suspicious about this WOE just throw them my numbers.

My fellow contestants are still focused on watching what they eat and working out. Yesterday, one guy with type II diabetes was eating a roasted chicken from Wal-Mart (skin and all). Another one had his cholestrol checked, it was 268 (and he's young, very young...) and had Chipole's Taco Bowl with steak for dinner last night (18grams of fat - wow).

I'm very supporting of my coworkers and offer them tips and advice. They're now asking what I'm eating now that know I've dropped my numbers so dramatically. Good for them. We all know change can take a long time - espcially change in our diets. I'm glad I'm a good example for them.

Have a great day everyone.

Another day, another bowl of oatmeal. I'm not complaining about it.

Today's menu has me eating:

B - Oatmeal and fruit
L - Rice with beans, corn and frozen veggies with a slathering of Frank's Red Hot (love the stuff...I put on almost everything)
D - I'm thinking of making some homemade marinara tonight and putting it on some russet potatoes
Snacks - Banana, pear

I'm hoping for a walk during lunchtime. No yoga tonight. I have a conference call with collegues in our UK office and they picked 7pm EST - right smack-dab in the middle of my evening plans. So, no yoga for me

Tomorrow is our first weigh-in for our Biggest Loser competition. I was planning on two yoga classes tonight to give myself an edge over the guys weight-wise and sweat out some extra ounces. Since I'm not going tonight, I'll really watch my eating, get a good walk in and wear my skimpy exercise clothes for tomorrow's weigh-in.

I have to say, it's really nice when the weight starts to come off and people start to notice your efforts. I got a very nice compliment from a woman at the yoga studio. It's all very encouraging and quite motivating.

Have a wonderful Thursday everybody!