I dreamt last night that I was in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, but I guess that can be expected when you finish a zombie book right before bed.

In short, nice book, not as good as the first book, and ending was a bit out there (if you can believe that in zombie fiction).

BIGGEST LOSER!

Did anyone catch last nights Biggest Loser?  I watched it, but didn’t tweet it because I had a headache and didn’t really feel like sitting in front of the computer any longer.  I gotta say though, I do think I’m experiencing of Biggest Loser burnout.  I watched it, sure, but was I excited that it was back on? No, not really.  Especially after I saw that they are going to continue to hide the identities of the new trainers, which is a really stupid idea.  Hopefully seperating the cast members for a month will help do away with some of the gameplay, but we’ll see how it goes.

V!

I was much more excited about V.  I was dissapointed with some aspects of the Season Premier (the whole Red Sky thing was rather anticlimatic, I was hoping to see the invasion start to take place), but overall I’m still excited about this season.  Again, we’ll see how it goes.

In other news…

I’m housesitting for my friend Michelle this weekend, which will be a nice change to pace.  I get to play with a puppy and watch a REALLY BIG tv!  She has a new elliptical machine too, so WooT for that.

I got a loan approval for a car, I would just need to get the down payment in order and I’ll be good to go.  The interest rate SUCKS, but so does my credit.  I’m still hoping to find something nice and reliable that I can pay cash for, but at least now I have a back up plan.

And I think that’s it…for now.

About two months ago two Biggest Loser type challenges started at my office. 

One was company wide, and called the Team Lean Challenge.   Basically you weighed in as teams, and whichever team lost the largest percentage of weight won a Nintendo Wii (for each person).

The other challenge was within my department, and was an individual challenge.  You would weigh in each week, and if you lost no weight you had to pay a dollar, and if you gained weight you had a pay a dollar for each pound gained.  At the end whoever lost the most weight would get that money.

My “Team Lean” team consisted of me and two other co-workers.  As a team, we bombed.  I don’t know what our final total was, but I know the winning team was based out of one of our Washington DC offices, and they lost 9.8% of their initial weight.  WooT to them.

As for the departmental challenge?

Yeah, I kicked ass in that one.  Of my total weight lost so far, 19 pounds of that was during the challenge, making me the winner.  The prize had gotten up to $73.00.

WooT!!!!

What’s even better is that of that $73.00, I had only contributed two dollars, and those were weeks I didn’t lose anything (in blog time, thats Week 2 and Week 4).

So far this has been an awesome week, and its Christmas week, so that makes it 200% awesomer by default.  Is everyone ready for the holiday?  I have a sh*t ton of wrapping to do, but other than that I think I’m in good shape.

Have a great day!

Had some random updates I wanted to post, and some housekeeping that needed to be done, so here goes….

a)  Recieved a request for a progress pic, so here goes:

You can click on the image to see the full sized version.  What you have is a pic of me at the very beginning (265 pounds), from week 5 (252 pounds), and from week 8 (245 pounds).  I don’t know what happened to make the last pic SO MUCH BRIGHTER, but overall I can see a difference.  I can also see that I am in really REALLY bad need of a haircut, which is a situation I hope to rectify soon.  At least I got rid of that hairy crap on my face.

b)  I’ve gotten really bad about posting those Team Lean letters we get sent at work as part of the Tean Lean Challenge, so I’ve compiled them all here.

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 5 (they skipped week 4 due to numbering issues, they hadn’t counted the first week or something…)
• Week 6
• Week 7
• Week 8

That’s as far as they’ve gotten so far.  As far as the Tean Lean Challenge goes, I’m the only one in my group who has really lost any weight, so we aren’t going to win this one (asses will be kicked, I assure you, j/k).  BUT, my unit is doing that seperate Biggest Loser Challenge, and I’m pretty sure I’m in the lead for that one.  WooT!

c) The Marathon Week Challenge started today. WooHoo!  As of my writing this there are 7 challengers (including myself).  I know we can do this, and I know YOU CAN too.  You can still register and get started.

d)  To go along w/Marathon Week.  I woke up this morning early this morning and completed 3 miles on the treadmill.  Usually I say I walked/jogged/ran those 3 miles, but today I’m proud to say that I only jogged/ran them.  I completed those 3 miles in 34min and 34sec.  I had THOUGHT I completed one of my goals involving completing 30mins consecutively, but I just went back and reread it and saw that I set the goal at 5.5mph, whereas I was only going between 5.0 and 5.2mph for the most part.  D’oh!  I can’t strikethrough that one after all…yet.

e)  This isn’t so much an update or housekeeping as it is a rant, but here goes.  I love The Biggest Loser. I didn’t really start watching until Season 4, and I didn’t watch ALL of Season 6 (b/c I thought most of the contestants were scheming c*ntbags), but otherwise I’ve watched it pretty much religously.  With this season, I’m voting for Amanda to make it to the final three, and I will totally admit that I cried like a baby during the episode when Abby was eliminated…

…with that said, the product placement is getting rediculous.  What. The. F*ck.  I always thought the Subway visits were a little over the top, but with the Multi Grain cheerios thing last week, and with the Extra Gum advertisement in Bob’s motivational video to Amanda, I’ve just had enough.  I doubt any NBC execs read this blog, but if anyone is, Dude!…you are taking ALOT away from the show by turning into a two hour mother f*cking commercial, so knock it off.  We get it, product exists that help people lose weight.  Maybe, just maybe, mention them in passing, or sell them f*cking ad space during the ACTUAL COMMERCIAL BREAKS.

That’s all I got.  I’m in a super good mood after my run, and I’m not going to let the Biggest Loser harsh that mellow.  You all have a splendid day…and register for my challenge!  All participants get a free trip to Hawaii*!

*void where you live

Happy Reading!

Welcome to Week 5 of the Team Lean Challenge!

This week will focus on Exercise and Activity.

By combining exercise with improved eating habits, you are much more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

• You burn more calories when you are exercising; the more active you are, the more calories you burn.
• Regular exercise also builds muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat. In this way you can increase your metabolism, which helps keep excess weight off.

Getting Started

Life is busy. Most would say they would love to fit in regular exercise, but it’s hard to find the time. It’s time to stop thinking of physical activity as a “when I have time” option and consider it a necessity for life. Whether or not you want or need to lose weight, exercise is vital to good health. Losing weight and feeling great are just added bonuses!

“If you think of getting active as one more thing on your long to-do list, you’ll never get moving.”

How Much Exercise Is Needed?

The CDC recommends adults get a MINIMUM of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity (such as brisk walking) physical activity per day, most days of the week OR a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity (such as running or jogging) physical activity 3 days a week. Additionally adults should do resistance, strength-building and weight -bearing activities two days a week with a goal of completing 6-8 strength training exercises, with 8-12 repetitions per exercise.

To move toward a healthier weight and prevent weight gain, aim for about 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity on most days.

Moderate intensity physical activity is any activity that takes about as much energy as a brisk walk. For the average person, this is about 1½ to 2 miles in 30 minutes, a pace at which breathing will quicken and the heart will beat faster. No matter what activity you choose, you can do it all at once, or divide it into two or three parts during the day. If you divide it up, each part should be at least 10 minutes long.

Target Heart Rate

To determine the best intensity for your workout, consider your target heart range. This is the recommended intensity to achieve during your workout. This is also your best fat burning range. Check your heart rate 10 minutes after you start exercising. Find your pulse just below your thumb on your wrist. Count your heart rate for six seconds beginning with “0″. Add a “0″ to this number. For instance, if you count twelve beats in six seconds, your heart rate per minute is 120.

Need help determining your target heart rate… use this handy online calculator -http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Target_Heart_Rate_Calculator.asp

Tips for People Who Have Been Inactive for a While

Use a sensible approach by starting out slowly.

• Begin by choosing moderate-intensity activities you enjoy the most. By choosing activities you enjoy, you’ll be more likely to stick with them.
• Gradually build up the time spent doing the activity by adding a few minutes every few days or so until you can comfortably perform a minimum recommended amount of activity (30 minutes per day).
• As the minimum amount becomes easier, gradually increase either the length of time performing an activity or increase the intensity of the activity, or both.
• Vary your activities, both for interest and to broaden the range of benefits.
• Explore new physical activities.
• Reward and acknowledge your efforts

Ready to increase your activity, but don’t know how to begin?

Visit www.sparkpeople.com to create an individual workout plan. Try using the workout generator tool to create a customized work-out for you to print or to track online. You can even view workout videos online that you can do at your desk or at home.

Remember, there are 1440 minutes in every day… Schedule at least 30 of them for physical activity.

copied from bhsonline

TTFN!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Team Lean Challenge!

 This week’s focus is making Habit Changes.

 The latest studies conclude that a successful weight-loss plan is a mind/body undertaking that not only involves monitoring calorie intake and expenditure, but dealing with the psychological side of weight loss and habit change.

But what really works and what doesn’t? These seven proven principles can increase your chances of weight-loss success now — and for the long term.

1. Get mentally prepared before you start.

Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Yale University, recommends asking yourself two key questions before starting a weight-loss program: “Compared with the last time I dieted, how motivated am I now?” And, “Do I see myself being committed for the weeks, months or years it will take to reach my goal?”

“If you can honestly answer ‘Very!’ and ‘Yes!,’ you’re ready to take on the challenge of weight loss,” says Dr. Brownell. “If you’re not mentally prepped before you dive into a diet, you’re more likely to mount a halfhearted effort and suffer the inevitable consequence: regaining the weight.”

If your motivation level needs a boost, list the negative aspects to staying at your present weight. These could include having increased health risks, low energy or not looking your best.

2. Don’t aim to lose any more than 10 percent of your weight at a time.

Forget trying to be model thin or get down to what you weighed in high school. Set a more modest goal by cutting 3,500 to 7,000 calories (one to two pounds) per week from what you normally consume. Even those with life-threatening weight problems are advised to stick to that humble objective. Why?

“Most people aren’t able to lose more than 10 percent of their weight,” says Gary Foster, Ph.D., clinical director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “Even if you could, studies suggest you’ll be more likely to gain it back.”

Losing so little over such a long time may seem like a small achievement, but it’s not if you keep it off.

3. Include regular exercise in your weight-loss plan.

To lose weight, you must reduce your calorie intake. You should get in the habit of exercising while in the weight-loss phase of your diet because you’ll need it when you move to weight maintenance. “In study after study, the people who exercise are the people who keep weight off long term,” says Dr. Wyatt.

Indeed, in a study of 3,000 people who lost at least 30 pounds and kept the weight off for a year or more, 90 percent said exercise was the key to their weight maintenance, according to the National Weight Control Registry.

4. Don’t eliminate fat from your diet, but do watch portion sizes.

A calorie is still a calorie whether it comes from fat or carbohydrate or protein. Fats supply energy and essential fatty acids, and they help absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and carotenoids. You need some fat in the food you eat, but choose sensibly. Anything eaten in excess can lead to weight gain. You lose weight by eating fewer calories and by increasing physical activity. Fat contains 9 calories per gram, carbohydrates and proteins contain 4 calories per gram. So, eating one gram of fat gives you more calories than one gram of carbohydrate. Reducing the amount of fat you eat is one way to limit your overall calorie intake. However, eating fat-free or reduced-fat foods isn’t always the answer to weight loss. if you eat more of the reduced fat food than you would of the regular item. For example, if you eat twice as many fat-free crackers, you have increased your overall calorie intake.  Remember, just because a product is fat-free, it doesn’t mean that it is “calorie-free.” And, all calories count!

5. Avoid unnecessary snacking.

According to a recent University of North Carolina survey and analysis of nationwide food consumption of more than 63,000 people, Americans’ snack consumption has increased more than 50 percent over the last 20 years. Such snackaholic habits could be contributing to their collective weight problem. Snackers eat the same amount at meals as nonsnackers, so they end up eating more total calories, according to studies by David Levitsky, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and psychology at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

 This does not mean do not have a snack between meals.  Eating sensible snacks between smaller meals may actually stave off hunger and keep your blood sugar at a good level and prevent you from eating more at your main meals. In fact, studies in recent years have shown that eating several small meals a day instead of three large ones is better for your health and helps your weight loss by keeping your metabolism revved up! To make sure your snack does the trick, mix carbs with a protein, like reduced-fat cheese on wheat crackers and some grapes.

6. You can eat the foods you crave — every now and then.

On special occasions — say you really want the chocolate cake and ice cream at an office party — go ahead and dig in. For her book, “Eating Thin for Life,” Anne Fletcher, R.D., surveyed the diet habits of 208 people who lost an average of 64 pounds and kept it off, and found successful weight losers don’t deprive themselves of foods they crave or love.

“But they have control systems for tempting foods so they don’t go overboard,” says Ms. Fletcher.

7. Weigh yourself regularly.

To maintain weight loss, don’t ignore your scale and go by other indicators, such as how well your jeans fit. Instead, play the numbers game and step on the scale once a week.

“A weekly weigh-in can accurately help you monitor your weight, so you realize when you’re in relapse,” says Dr. Wyatt. If you gain five pounds or more, she advises immediate action. Ask yourself what you’ve been doing lately that might have caused the weight gain, then make changes to lose those extra few pounds within the month.