National Body Challenge

[Teeara]

If you get the chance to watch the health challenge shows do so. They are so motivating! Juan Carlos Cruz who has the Calorie Commando show of the food channel was a participant in the first challenge. He lost 75 pounds.

Tami

 

Tami, I work for Juan's wife here in Los Angeles and Juan loves doing these shows and helping people out. He works out daily and just finished shooting the 3rd season of "Calorie Commando". If you go to www.foodnetwork.com you can find recipes for the different foods he prepares on the show. Also, he is currently negotiating a new contract with Food Network, so if you like his show, please email them to let them know that you are watching the show. And lastly, he really IS the nicest guy. I have met him a couple of times and he is very down to earth and genuinely cares about all of us who struggle with our weight (I've lost 30 lbs on WW and have 30 to go). As you said above, he had to lose 75 pounds himself (he was a former pastry chef). He's been there and done that. Successfully. Good luck to all of you on achieving your weight loss goals!

 

Theresa

[adoptmom]

Theresa-

 

His homepage on Foodnetwork is one of my favorites! I've made at least a dozen of his recipes already. I've been off plan for the past few weeks because things have been so hairy with my Grandma but it's starting to look up. I've been happy just to maintain the past few months instead of gain 20 pounds from stress eating but now I'm getting back on track.

 

Thanks for posting about Juan. It's always nice to find out that someone you see on TV is as genuine and nice as they seem.

 

Tami

[adoptmom]

Oh! BTW, how is everyone doing? I'm down 2 pounds! :D

 

Tami

[sharonella]

Oh! BTW, how is everyone doing? I'm down 2 pounds! :D

 

Tami

 

Yay Tami!

 

I can't beleive I didn't post myself on Friday -- I had an awesone week!

I am down 2.75 in the last 2 weeks -- So, I'm down a total of 22.75 since Sept 13. 8.75 for the Body Challenge

 

My body fat % is down to 44.5% (from 48.3% in Sept.) (Still a far cry from the "healthy" 25% a "normal" weight woman should be, but I'm SOOOO headed in the right direction!)

 

And my cholesterol is down to 174

Last Feb it was 241, in Sept it was 214, and in Oct it was 195. All from diet & exercise -- with NO cholesterol drugs! I just called my mom, and hers is down to 170-something this week too, (her doc is very happy) but she's on "drugs". ;-)

 

MY doc was so happy, too. She told me to keep doing what I was doing, and don;t try to do it all too fast. When she asked me what my final goal was, I told her I thought about 145, and she said is should take me at least another year to get there, and I agreed. So we'll see! (Next year's cruise in a two-piece?)

 

Oh yeah -- and got the cruise docs today!

[adoptmom]

Sharonella-

 

Wow! That's fabulous! Congratulations, I know you've worked hard. I'm especially glad that your cholesterol is down that far. I've been lucky genetically and mine runs in the 150's but we have to watch DH's. So far, so good, but his dad had problems with that and blood sugar.

 

TAmi

[sharonella]

Hey all!

 

I can't believe how well I'm doing! My motivation it thru the roof, between planning for the cruise, joining the National Body Challenge and reading & posting in these forums (this has been BIG boost!). :D And of course, the more I lose, the more I've been motivated to stick to my diet & workouts!

 

(Just a note before I post my new loss -- I think my numbers were a bit "off" last week -- I got my .25 and .75 messed up, I think for the Challenge total!):rolleyes:

 

Anyway, I lost 2.25 since last week, for a total of 10.5 lost in the Challenge, and 25 total lbs since September. My belly seems to refuse to get smaller, but my waist hips & thighs are showing it.

 

In fact, I'm going to have to try on every piece of clothing before I pack it for my cruise -- I have NO idea what "summery" clothes fit me anymore!:confused:

 

I hope everyone else has been doing well. Tami, I know you have, even tho your life has been very stressful right now.

 

Oh, and I meant to post before -- I've watched Calorie Commando a few times recently, and I really like the show a lot

[adoptmom]

Sharonella- Glad to hear that you're doing so well. I actually lost 10 pounds this week, but I dont' suggest you hop on my "plan." We've had some kind of funky stomach bug. It doesn't last more than 48 hours but yuck! :( I'd have preferred to have lost the weight a little slower by hard work. Oh well, guess I should question Karma huh? Now I just have to work to not put it back on immediately.

 

I'm still chugging along with the exercise except the 2 days I spent on the couch. 2 days this week I even logged 16,000 steps. Also one of the other moms at play practice has been walking with me on the nights our kids are there. We figured out the other day that we're both there now until the end of the play so we have about 4 weeks of walking 4 nights a week. She's faster than me so it's good to have someone to keep up with.

 

Tami

[sharonella]

Hi Tami

 

I hope you're feeling much better this week!

 

I feel like I've pretty much stuck to my routine during the past week (especially working out), except I haven't been as diligent writing everything down, so maybe I have eaten more than I should.:confused: I only lost .25 of a pound this week, but I still feel great. In fact, I feel so great, that today is the first day of my period, & so far, no cramping.

 

That has been another wonderful positive "side effect" about my eating right & working out. Every month, I used to have 1-2 days of feeling miserable & bloaty, but since eating lots less processed foods, more vegs, and working out regularly, it's been barely a "blip" every month. :rolleyes:

 

One more plus this week -- I actually survived my first step aerobics class in three years! :p I pretty much kept up, and only had to do a few minutes on the floor -- I thought I'd be doing 75% on the floor, without the step!

 

I'm not sure if I'm going to get a chance to post again before I cruise -- this time next week, I'll be in Florida!!! My computer here at work has been down all week :( -- I'm borrowing a co-worker's right now on break, and a new computer will be on my desk when I get back -- but definitely when I come back, I'll post as to whether I gained or lost on the cruise, and what my final Body Challenge loss is.

 

I expect to actually lose while on this cruise. Between workouts in the gym & just walking laps on the deck - as well as walking tours of Nassau, St Thomas & St Maarten -- I may even be able to work out MORE while on the cruise!:D

 

And I really will be thinking of all of you here in the "Lose Before You Cruise" forums, as inspiration, so I don't ruin all my hard work by skipping a few workouts or eating that high cal dessert or drinking that unnecessary margarita!

 

I hope you all post losses while I'm gone! Bye bye for now!

[sharonella]

Hi all

 

I weighed in a day early, since I have to do my final packing tonight, so no gym today:( ! Tomorrow tho, if the weather's fine in Fla -- we are planning to walk to the port form our hotel - we're told it's only about 1 mile 1 way, so that will be nice! (TO actully be able to walk outdoors, instead of on the treadmill wil actually be a TREAT!):p

 

Anyway, I'm down another 1 lb -- so 11.75 on the National Body Challenge! I have gotten away from writing everything down, & I know I've been eating a bit more -- but I've been working out almost every day -- I alcutally got to do a couple workouts last week of 1.5 to 2 hours, so that's probably why I'm still posting a decent loss.

 

I'll be thinking of you all next week, while I'm away -- I'll be sure to take that extra lap around the deck & skip those hi-cal drinks, & know we're all doing that, wherever we are!

I'll post when I get back, to see how you all have done while I'm away!

[adoptmom]

Have a great time! I'll talk to you when you get back.

 

Tami

[sharonella]

Hi All

 

We're back from our cruise and it was MARVELOUS! I have been so busy this week, I have not had time to post - finally a new computer, but still no files retrieved from the old one. AAACCCKKK! Looks bleaker as the days go by.....

 

Anyway, the good news is, I actually LOST 1/2 lb on the cruise! So a total of 12.25 on the National Body Challenge.

 

I did a lot of exercise -- I went to the gym once for a little over an hour, and briskly walked around the ship another day for about 45 min. On St. Maarten we beach walked for about 30-40 min, and swam for about 15. On St. Thomas, beach-walked for about 15-20 min. Took the stairs on the ship -- UP and DOWN -- 90% of the time. It was tough -- my sisters kept taking the elevators, but I usually got somewhere before they did! Also strolled around shopping at least 1/2 hr in all 3 ports.

 

Food & drink-wise, I really did eat what I wanted, and cleaned my plate most nights at dinner, and had dessert! At dinner and the buffets, I usually stuck to healthier choices, but didn't usually get the diet or "spa" choices. I did eat lots of fruit & veggies, but I really like them! And drank LOTS of water with lemon, and club soda with lime. I did have 1 beer almost every day, and 3-4 days had 1 glass of wine with dinner. At the past cruisers cocktail party & the captain's cocktail party I had 2-3 drinks and the hors d'oevres. So I really did not deny myself! It had to be that I kept active every day (insterad of sitting on my butt all day, like I do at work!)

 

Well gotta go now! Headed to the gym (I have to say, I really missed it -- more than I missed work, tho!)

 

How have the rest of you done this past few weeks?

[adoptmom]

I'm hanging in there. I'm still down just the 4 pounds but also 6 inches on my hips. My 16 jeans are loose around the waist but I need to get them looser in the thighs before I can go down a size. I changed up my exercise routine for strength training so we'll see if that makes the changes I want to see.

 

Personally things are going a bit better. Finally got DS to an allergist who isn't living in 1980 and things are starting to happen there. Hopefully we can get past the need for antibiotics and steroids every 3 months. that isn't good for him (or us because his behavior in steroids can drive me up the wall!) Grandma is supposed to get released from the hospital next Friday and go back home. That will take a huge load off even though it means a 3 hour round trip once a week to take care of things down there.

 

No baby news yet, except that our homestudy is FINALLY done and being sent out to the various agencies that our agency works with. It will be ok if nothing happens until after the first week of April passes. Most of the agencies we'd be travelling to are in Texas, Florida, and Georgia. It will be much easier to find a hotel after spring break is over.

 

Congratulations on losing weight on the cruise! I lost 5 pounds between the cruise and the 5 days at disney afterward last year. Still don't know how that happened except that Disney was so darned hot that we only ate in the morning and at night. Just drinks and light snacks during the day.

 

Talk to you soon.

 

Tami