It’s the day you not only ‘get’ to but ‘have’ to downsize your clothing!

While my weight loss journey, which has been filled with lots of ups and downs, quite literally speaking! and is still is progress I have reached the point that many of my clothing items don’t fit because they are too big now!

So on this day I am going through what is truly a ‘right of passage’ for anyone on a weight loss journey. It’s important for me to really take a look at how each item fits so loosely and really take time to take in this transformation. It’s the best positive reinforcement and motivator ever! As I gaze into the full length mirror I can see how far I have come and also where I want to be. I see myself, my body, transforming like a butterfly…. it’s amazing, it’s surreal and I am grateful!

I was noticing my clothing choices as I sorted through them. Hmmm.. mostly all dark colors, mostly all black…. because that color is supposed be ‘slimming’ right? Where is anything bright and cheery colored?, guess those colors are just for folks who aren’t  ‘fluffy’ or ’round’…like me.  
 
Sure I had a few items that had color but always paired them with a little black jacket. always trying to hide my body, hide myself. Hoping nobody would notice what was obvious … my weight.

For the last few months, when I go clothing shopping, I look for items with color.. Items that are bright and cheery… like me! I learned something during my ‘right of passage’ day… I don’t want to hide behind dark colors anymore.. That’s not who I am and not who I ever was!

So the happy ending and moral to my story, at least so far since it’s not over yet, is this: Represent yourself everyday for who you truly are, don’t let society or fashion trends tell you who you are or should be. It doesn’t matter where you are in your weight loss journey… be who you are now…  turn up the color …. you are beautiful!
 
Staying in true form, I was morphed into my very colorful ‘cartoon self’ this month by my wonderful Biggest Loser friend Christa!  (she’s vying for a spot on BL13) …. my Avatar proudly drinks DesignerWhey/Biggest Loser Protein 2GO in what else but delicious Lemonade flavor! Hope you all are having the best summer ever! See you back here in September! 
 
Stephenie   

So what CAN help me out of this bad mood?  One thing that helps me is proper nutrition.  Foods can increase our energy or deplete our energy.  One of the biggest energy suckers is sugar.  There are many negative side effects to sugar, including feeding cancer cells, increasing your risk for Alzheimer’s, contributing to hormone imbalance, and gaining weight and fat.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want ANY of those side effects.  My daughter, Britney, wanted to let you know that sugar causes sugar bugs in your teeth!  And they probably do not exist, but cavities definitely do!

Do you think food does not have an effect on your brain chemistry?  Think again.  Everything we put into our bodies becomes a living part of us.  So choose wisely.  Today!  Every day! 

Ever cruised the aisles of the grocery store and wondered if the food is good for you?  I did not used to think about all of the bad stuff in our food.  Now when I go through the grocery store, I see aisles and aisles of stuff that will not help make my body healthy: crackers, chips, candy, cereals, prepackaged foods, and frozen meals.  Many of these foods have extra ingredients that are not really food. 

There is great stuff out there!  You just have to find it!  Even in the prepackaged, frozen foods, and chips and crackers departments!  Just do your research and read ALL the ingredients and know what they mean.  It takes time to get knowledgeable about nutrition.  I have heard from two friends of mine recently about a popular brand of chips with MSG, which is not listed on the label, causing them headaches.  MSG, food dyes, and other additives are not going to help us get healthy.

So what is safe?  Designer Whey has a great healthy product, low in fat, high in healthy whey protein.   My personal favorite, French Vanilla, is sweetened with a natural sweetener called Stevia   Awesome!  I enjoy knowing that my kids get the taste of sugar without the side effects of weight gain and craziness that sugar can cause in kids.  Britney would also like to let you know too much sugar can make you wild!  Watch out for that!  We do not want any wild kids, grown-ups, or grown up children!

So, here is my soothing Cranky-Attitude Busting Smoothie: 

Strawberry Bliss

1 scoop French Vanilla Designer Whey Protein Powder
6 – 8 Strawberries
4 cubes ice
½ cup Coconut Milk, Organic Milk, or Organic Soy Milk
1 small piece ginger – less than 1 tsp
1/8 cup pistachios – Roasted and Salted is fine

Blend well and enjoy!

The best part of my new show is realizing that I have started to get in a rut and I need to live bigger, go for more, and give more. I realized that I thrive when I know that my effort is making a difference, what ever that difference might be. I suppose the simplest of them would be staying consistent in training so that I don’t have to continually jump over the road blocks of starting a training program and letting my body build and be rewarded by it’s commitment. I am like everyone else though and I believe if I ever truly get it I probably won’t be here anymore!

In the meantime however I realized that not only is the summer almost over, that 2011 is almost over too. Particularly since 2012 brings a whole new concern of mine…… IronMan! I know, I know I’m suppose to live in the moment but I need to explain to you why it is that I MUST do the IronMan in 2012.

I first fell in love with the triathlon as the result  of an experience I had at an event I was at called “Do Something Healthy” shortly after I won. I was at the event as their keynote speaker but as I sat in the audience waiting to go on stage the emcee was showing a documentary he had been working on. He had recently completed the Kona triathlon and documented his experience.

As I sat there and watched the way he was able to capture such raw emotion and articulate the process, I knew that I had to experience it for myself. I had been at the time in such a surreal time of my life and processing every new moment took all that I had. I could not believe the life I was living and creating and had the honor of experiencing. I was being flown all over the country to be on one television show or another meeting people that I only knew from watching myself on tv and having them share with me how they watched my journey and cheered me on. I was on the cover of numerous magazines and in many different shoots. I had been interviewed on countless radio shows. My life was anything but typical from the life I left when I went to the Biggest Loser. At the time I was so connected to the entire experience but I also wondered what might happen when I felt less connected and as time went by, would I be able to continue to draw from an experience which was bound to be years away before I even realized it?

I knew as I sat there watching that although I will never be able to experience the trials and triumphs from the time in my life when I was on the Biggest Loser ever again. I might be able to experience a different journey in the same way, I felt as if he was taking the words right out of my mouth as he explained his journey during the Iron Man. I knew I had to do it.

In the time following and since when I would do different interviews I would recall this experience and of course they would ask when I was planning on doing an Iron Man, in a panic the first time the question was asked I said in 2012 if I’m not pregnant. Back in 2008/2009 that seemed so far away, I had no idea where exactly my life was heading and I thought for sure I would be pregnant. Well as it turns out 2012 wasn’t so far away after all and I am not about to go get pregnant because I’m scared of the commitment training for Iron Man takes.

The truth is I want to do an Iron Man more now then the day I sat in that audience watching the documentary on it. The truth is also that I am just as scared as I was when I first stood in line on August 11, 2007 for the Biggest Loser. I need to make sure that I am consistent so that I can continue to live the life I dream of, that means fueling my body to have energy, resting appropriately, and be open to support that this new journey is going to need. What big things to you want to do that you are scared of? Are you fueling your body? Resting? Accepting support? I hope so because I know you’ll need it just like me

xo,
Ali

LBS LOST: 181 on the show, 216 from his highest weight a year ago.

GOAL: To inspire and motivate people to discover their personal potential to live life beyond their wildest dreams!

ABOUT: The only man left standing in the Final 4 of NBC’s hit show Biggest Loser Season 11. Known as the man with “nine lives”, Jay tattooed on his forearm the BIGGEST lesson he learned on the Ranch…WHAT YOU’RE FOR STRENGTHENS YOU [what he didn't tattoo on his arm was the other part of the quote... what you're against weakens you]

Never could I have imagined just a year ago weighing in at 435 pounds that I would be where I am today. Being a contestant on Season 11 of NBC’s The Biggest Loser definitely gave me the “fast pass” to get my life on track, my weight under control, and my head in the best place it has been in decades! And most amazing, myself, my wife, my daughter, and my son are now collectively 395 pounds lighter than our highest weights and we’re ecstatic about that!

We all know that the key to survival on the show is to keep a higher percentage of weight loss than the other contestants each week, but that weight is never compared between fat, water, and muscle. That being the case it was never a great idea to focus on building muscle during my time on The Ranch. Home for good now I’m continuing to exercise to lose more body fat, but I’m also focusing on becoming stronger and building upper body muscle mass which I’ve never had in my entire life. One because it’s important to do for my overall health, but also because I’ll look much stronger and more vital because once you pass 50 that’s just good advice on many fronts.

When I left for California last year, my son Matthew was an ideal weight for his height at about 170 pounds at 6’2” but had no real muscle mass. Myself, and my daughter Jennifer’s journey motivated him to take his body to the next level, and with the help of a personal trainer Matthew put on 25 pounds of muscle during the duration of our season. With the help of Designer Whey Protein, I’m looking forward to training with Matthew to build up my muscle mass with weight lifting and using Designer Whey Protein to enhance my results. Lean protein consumption is the key to repairing and building your bodies muscles on your training days and your rest days. Matthew used Designer Whey’s ‘Protein Blitz’ line while I was on The Ranch to assist in his progress while building lean muscle and I can’t wait to do the same! Because on the Ranch I learned… WHAT YOU’RE FOR STRENGTHENS YOU… and let’s face it, nothing strengthens you like building muscle!

If you’d like to keep up with our families ongoing health & wellness journey, post Biggest Loser, we share what’s working for us at…

Jay: http://www.facebook.com/JayLynnJacobs 

Jen: http://www.facebook.com/JRushJacobs

Matthew: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matthew-Jacobs/147266798684723 

Kim: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1120222600

The truth is clear that it doesn’t matter what your addiction is… It’s still an addiction and food used in the wrong way can be an addiction. When we use food to take away feelings such as sadness and boredom or because we are  tired, upset, lonely or stressed, sometimes the food becomes the ‘cure’ but as we know that kind of of cure can lead to more problems in the long run such as poor health and weight gain.     
 
A better choice may be in learning new ways to manage day to day stressors. Just learning to manage stress seems to be key in moving forward toward living a more healthy and positive lifestyle. Here are some helpful tips and sound advice that I have gathered and that I use as tools to stay focused on my journey. I hope you will find them helpful too:

* get enough sleep every night
* drink plenty of water
* plan, shop for and cook healthy meals in advance
* incorporate some form of exercise each day
* join a support group  (in person or online)
* enjoy a new or old hobby
* take time each day to relax and just breath! Finding inner peace is key
* journal about your feelings
* set small achievable goals
* celebrate every victory big or small!

This last month I took my very first Spin Cycle class! It’s funny how looking back I had given myself a million reasons in the past why a Spin class couldn’t be for me..from being too big to ride the bike to thinking my knees would give out after the first 5 min…I thought that Spin classes were only for people who were already in great shape! What I discovered was that I wasn’t too big to ride the bike, my knees never hurt or gave out and everyone in class was so supportive of me and explained that they were on their own journeys too! I don’t want to forget to mention that it was with the encouragement of the Spin class instructor that I took my first class…and my sister, Melanie, happens to be that instructor! Thank you Melanie!…it was just the boost I needed!

While I am looking forward to and longing for the day that this grey cloud (my weight ) is gone… I rejoice , find sanity and sanctuary in knowing I am not alone …. and neither are you. Reach out and you’ll find open hearts all over the world ready to embrace you and your journey! 
 
I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to Courtney Crozier ( BL11) in May. Since BL11 has wrapped she has joined forces with Wholly Guacamole http://eatwholly.com and Diets in Review and is kicking off summer with an exciting challenge filled with lots of support, great prizes and endless inspiring motivation as only Courtney can deliver! I’m in… If you want to join too go to  http://www.dietsinreview.com/videos/courtneys-summer-challenge-week-4/
 
So there it is! My July DesignerWhey/Biggest Loser Protein Blog…. filled with questions, answers, motivation and inspiration…. now it’s all you!!.. get to it and own the Summer of 2011! 
 
P.S. keep your Biggest Loser Protein 2Go handy! A Refreshing way to keep hydrated on hot summer days!
 
See you back here in August!
Stephenie

So, let’s keep this positive to start…  I got myself a little thing called a runner’s high.  I used to get them during weekly training runs- and could even solicit this phenomenon on command every time I raced.  I would call it a euphoric state where everything physically, emotionally and spiritually is in synch.  The pain from running is numbed, endorphins are tapped and you feel like you could go forever. 

Well, Tuesday I was doing some light interval work at a grassy park near the beach and it just hit me.  It began as an ice-cold prick down the back of my neck- then my stride lengthened and my chest heaved in rhythm.  I started sweating really hard too as my body began to push itself through the workout. My calves have (and still are, thank-you-very-much!) killing me.  I knew that changing up my running surface to something a little more soft like turf would make sense…  just look out for ankle-twisting gopher holes!  That, coupled with the cool ocean breeze was invigorating… I hadn’t tapped the adrenaline reservoir in years… at least not from running.  I will be sure to make at least one of my sessions this week at the same park- running with expectation for similar results.

Now for my low… don’t worry, I will spare you the details…  but I yaked…  puked, vomited, upchucked, barfed, chundered, regurgitated, spewed (we love you Garth), threw up, heaved and tossed my cookies (I think there was a boot in there somewhere)…  all at the same time! I was praying to the porcelain god, I tell you what!  What? I didn’t give any graphic details- it’s your imagination, people.  Well, without saying much more- I was messed up.  I had just completed a Thursday workout and was feeling sick coming down the home stretch.  What happened was I’d eaten much to close to my work out.  Let this be a lesson to you all…  running after you’ve just eaten is bad- your body no likey. 

It’s amazing to me how in just one short week I experienced such a dramatic shift.  One day I felt like I was flying and the next I was just trying to make it back to the office!  Yes, this is the part where I relate my time out on the road to life.  I can’t help it people, life is far too short to waste breath telling you about my pukefest, my barf-o-rama, my– sorry, you get the point. I want to make substantial connections to what I do in my everyday life with my life’s purpose.  I want my time here to be meaningful- to have value and be of substance worth sharing.

What I realized this week is that there are circumstances that are out of my control.  They may be successful in bringing me down and/or building me up.  Like my dad used to tell me, though- don’t go around with a control panel on your chest giving people and situations full access to push your buttons.  I am not as interested in the potential the situation has on me, but in the potential in me to overcome this situation!  I think it’s futile to obsess and worry about what may be…  it’s not a matter of if, but when because this life ain’t perfect, folks.  Energy, time and a commitment spent toward a productive will-do/am-doing attitude are a far better investment. 

As I begin my fourth week, I will be ready for the ups and downs in my training regiment and as I discussed in Week 1, I will remember the good times when I’m fighting the bad ones.  Ice those calves and have a great week- leave me some comments (did I miss any chunky synonyms?) and I will see you next time. Thanks for sharing in this with me.

The first time I saw Kale I was like, “What am I going to do with this monstrosity of a vegetable?”  Do I cook it?  Do I steam it?  I’m supposed to eat a lot of raw vegetables.  So, I thought, hey!  I’ll blend it! Make sure you buy organic.  Non-organic Kale is high on the toxin lists for vegetables!  Actually, most greens should be bought organic if possible.

My Morning Routine:  Drag myself out of bed, listen to my children argue over who is going to play the Wii first, take my vitamins, and build my monster protein powder vegetable smoothie!  I’ll throw in celery, apples, kale, protein powder, coconut oil, stevia, peaches, and the kitchen sink!  Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I’m off with the kids to my walking group.  As we head out the door I weave through laundry, toys, and Wii remotes.  Yeah, I’m not the cleanest Mom in the world, but I’m working on being my best!

They scooter along with me as I freak out that they’re going to cross the streets carefully with me and all the cars are going to pay attention.  Thank goodness for my quick morning protein smoothie!  It’s a great start to my often hectic morning.  It really is.  I feel energized and ready to take on the world!

Other days I’m training a client or two, getting in my workout at the gym, where I take advantage of the child care and get in some writing.  Love my gym!  Trying to combat stress in my life is nutrition first these days!  I used to push it hard core with Amateur Kickboxing Fighting, but unhealthy eating habits and life stress was adding up.  Because I was fueling my body with candy and cheese and trying to work out two to three hours, four days a week, along with a lot of life stress, I passed out in September of 2010.  In October of 2010 I was diagnosed by my Wellness Doctor with adrenal fatigue.  I am doing a lot better now, but I am still learning how to lower stress and eat six meals a day.  I still love Kickboxing for fun, but have taken up a lower stress lifestyle in exercise, relationships, and nutrition.  Now instead of that Donut and 800 calorie Frappuccino, I opt for my gluten free organic brownie and an assortment of spicy and minty teas!

I’ve learned the importance of a quality protein powder to aide me in eating six small meals a day.  It’s not always a perfect eating day, but protein powders and protein bars give me the fuel I need in combination with my fruits, vegetables, beans, raw nuts, and whole grains, to fuel my body, fuel my health, and fuel my life!

I would like to encourage you to try Kale, and try to make one small change today in exercise or nutrition to change your life, one step at a time.  You can do it!  Why?  Because you’re worth it!  You deserve to be healthy!  And your body will thank you for it!

Kale Smoothie Recipe

2 cups Kale Leaves – packed

1 cup organic berries (Your pick: Organic Strawberries, Organic Blueberries, Organic Blackberries, Organic Raspberries)

1 cup water or almond milk

1 serving Protein Powder

1 tbsp peanut butter (or a handful of raw nuts, almonds, you could use 1 tbsp coconut oil: find online or at a health food store)

10 drops stevia (a healthy sugar alternative)

Blend and Enjoy!

I guess the good news is I have had the opportunity to see plenty of warmer days with all of my traveling. I recently went to the Biggest Loser campus to check out the new digs as well as interview all the contestant for the upcoming season 12. Every season they redo the set/house we live in during our journeys on campus. In the past the have made changes but as far as the kitchen they just changed the color of the tiles through stick on tiles. This season however the kitchen GORGEOUS! They redid the entire thing the range and ovens our in the middle of the dining area, they have a huge cutting board counter top as well as tons of beautiful spices on display, I can’t wait for you guys to see it.

The ranch was amazing as usual and the contestants couldn’t be better. Of course I am not able to share what I know about the contestants yet but I can share about the trainers since we all know who they are going to be this season.

I must admit when I first heard that Anna Kournikova was going to be a trainer I was like WHAT?! She’s a tennis player and known for her PDA with her then boyfriend and now husband Enrique Iglesias, what does she know about training people? However after I met her and was able to ask her a few questions she quickly won me over and I have a feeling she is going to do the same with the millions of Biggest Loser fans. She is 100% committed to make sure that the contestants of season 12 change their lifestyles into healthy ones so that they can continue to live them. What I love most about her is that she is overly into admitting that she doesn’t have all the answers and actively into using all her resources to get them.

Then you have Dolvett Quince who is just yummy in so many ways, not as yummy however as the brand NEW barely on the shelves DESIGNER WHEY bars! I mean for crying out loud I feel as if I’m eating a Reese’s Sticks but it’s the peanut butter protein bar with 10g protein for only 160 calories. I think that my prayers have been answered. Now back to Dolvett he is a season trainer that has been helping the people of Atlanta get their groove back for years and although I may not be as impressed as thirteen year old girls he was Justin Bieber’s trainer

And then of course the main man on campus Mr. Harper and he is better than ever!

I can’t wait for all of you to meet the new season of the Biggest Loser and go out right now to try the new protein bars ….you are going to die with how good they are!

Until next time,

Ali xo

When I was growing up, we had raspberry bushes along the length of our backyard.  In the summertime when the berries would “come on,” my mom would always tell us to let them be (since they were meant for her infamous raspberry jam).  Knowing that the berries were” forbidden” made them all the sweeter, and nearly every day a few handfuls would disappear into our eager mouths.  Looking back, I’m sure that my mom was well aware of our “secret” raids on the precious berries (I’m sure our stained hands and mouths, scratches on our arms and plenty of guilty glances toward the kitchen window gave it away), but rarely did she say anything. 

For the past few weeks I have been anxiously waiting for raspberries to arrive in our grocery stores. Frozen berries are great (I use them almost daily in my smoothies), but there is something special about the taste and texture of freshly picked raspberries.  I always try to capture that taste in all of my recipes, but while frozen berries provide the chill and thickness in a smoothie, they don’t possess the level of freshness that off the vine berries afford.  How could I keep the smoothie texture without using lots of ice and watering down the delicate flavor of the berries?  After numerous attempts (and a few failures!), I finally arrived at what I think is a perfect balance of freshness, flavor and texture. Why not freeze my liquid ingredients?  So here it is – my NEW favorite smoothie… for this week anyways. 

Till next time!

Fresh Raspberry Summertime Smoothie

1 cup fresh raspberries, divided in half

1 scoop Designer Whey Strawberry Protein Powder

2 Tbsp ground Flax seed

1 cup plain yogurt

½-1 packet Stevia

3-4 cubes So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk (ice cube tray purchased in Target’s dollar section)

½ cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Method

Combine ½ cup raspberries with the remaining ingredients, blending very well (the coconut milk ice cubes freeze extra solid.) After desired consistency is achieved add in remaining ½ cup raspberries and pulse 3-4 times, just until combined (this is the key to maintaining the “fresh” flavor!) Pour and enjoy!