So this weekend I made my goal for the month.  I wanted to start with that right there.  My goal by April 30th was to be down to 256 pounds, and on Friday I weighed in at a svelte 255.  Not bad, considering earlier this month I had ballooned to 272.  So I’m really proud of myself for having met my goal, and now that I did, I think it’s a good time to look back at the last few weeks and see what I was doing right, what I was doing wrong, and what I need to do for the next month to keep losing weight.

First off, what I did wrong.  As much as I really hate to admit it, I have to officially place both Philly Cheesesteak & NY Pizza, a restaurant near my school, on the fast food list.  I had initially avoided this move, since it wasn’t a Burger King or a McDonald’s, and therefore wasn’t obviously a fast food place, but the fact that the pizza is extra greasy and the Philly’s are made short order (read: really bad for you) is undeniable, and therefore it goes on the banned list.  My friend really was the one that pointed this out; that basically I had been cheating on my pseudo-Lent promise.  So now I’m officially putting that restaurant on the fast-food list, meaning I can no longer go there.  Probably a good thing, because as good as their food is, it’s really pretty bad for you, and I began eating there more and more lately.  Next up is pizza in general.  It’s great to have a cheat day every once in a while, but this week I think I ate pizza 3 different times, and that’s really not good for anyone.  Sure it’s convenient, but it’s also expensive in comparison to say Subway or making a bowl of soup and a sandwich, which is even cheaper.  Plus, eating an entire large Meat Lovers pizza from Papa John’s just can’t be healthy.  So, ordering pizza is out as well.  Now, grabbing a slice if you have some friends over or are at a friends house watching the game is another matter.  1 or 2 slices won’t really be that big of a deal.  My problem specifically has been that I order an entire pizza for myself, and then eat it myself, and I’ve been doing that more and more lately too.  So, no more ordering pizza.

Now, the good.  I haven’t had a drop of alcohol, and I really don’t miss it at all.  Same goes for Soda.  The fast food, as discussed above, is kind of a gray area, but I haven’t stepped foot into a Burger King or any other traditional fast food place since I placed a ban on them.  Also, I’ve been eating a lot less burgers (my friend’s wedding reception BBQ notwithstanding) which has been good for me.  So I am meeting, on all points, everything I said I wouldn’t do, which is good.  And obviously it’s been paying off.  However, I can’t say I’ve been working out 4 times a week.  I have been walking a lot more places now that I sold my car, so that is healthy, but I haven’t set aside much dedicated time to actually work out, and that’s something I need to do.  30 minutes on the treadmill followed up with some decent weight lifting will do wonders for me, and that’s really what I need to do.  But, I can’t say I haven’t been working out at all, since I do walk to and from school everyday, and some days I will walk around my block (which is exactly a mile) several times over the course of a little more than an hour, which is really nice for clearing my head or listening to some music that I’ve been meaning to listen to.  So all in all, the workouts could be better and more frequent, but I haven’t been skipping them either.

Overall, I’ve definitely slimmed down some.  It’s noticeable, and that’s important.  More important than numbers is how you look.  If you’re 5′5″ and 200 pounds, but you have a trim tummy and well-toned legs and whatnot, then your muscles just weigh a lot (I have no idea why this would happen), but so long as you’re happy with how you look, that’s more important than some arbitrary number.  That said, most people, including myself, have a magic number they want to reach, and that’s based on knowing that at that weight we will look a certain way, which is our ultimate goal.  I want to reach 170 pounds, and with the help of DesignerWhey, I’m well on my way of getting there.  So take a look at what you’ve done the last month and what you’ve accomplished, and keep going at it.  Because there is a pot of gold at the end of this journey, but only if you work hard to get it.  Thanks for joining me, and I’ll see you next time.

Nate

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This is part 7 of helpful tips and methods on “Defeating the Itis” pertaining to the daily fitness routines that many go through.

So up until this point, I have just been bombarding you with all of these alternative ideas and concepts about how to motivate yourself into actually getting your foot inside the door at the gym. And although some of these might prove to be helpful I overlooked one key element and that is “what is motivating you once you have actually stepped into the gym.” Yes there are the typical reasons (very valid ones I might add): I want to lose weight, I want to improve my looks, I want to get stronger, I want to be more involved in the fitness community, I want something productive to do to relieve the stress of a hard day, I want to improve my health, etc. Like I said, these are all extremely valid reasons, I know because they are constantly recycled in my daily thoughts.  The great thing about these is that every person can have their own and create their own unique goals and lifetime milestones from themselves that stem from these.  And I say to those who abide be these ideals and others that follow a similar lifeline, rock on and use these as motivators to get you into the gym and to get you through your workouts, I know I certainly do – they are excellent tools. But they are obvious ones that we think about all the time. What I want to get at in these next couple of blogs are the little tiny tricks that keep you going when you are in mid work out. All this time I have been talking about the crash that we can all feel that prevents us from getting into the gym but what about that brick wall that sometimes pops like the annoying “punch the monkey in face and win a Car” web pop-up. I have a couple easy, tiny behaviors that you can employ as your so called pop-up blockers at the gym, to help you tear down that wall.

The first of these is what I like to call the “only” factor.  The “only” factor refers to the method by which you count while working out. When counting focus on what you are striving toward and what you have already done.  Meaning that if you are on your 2^nd of 4 sets don’t think of it as the 2^nd set but instead put yourself in mind frame that you “only” have two sets left or that you are half way done with your sets for this exercise. This works perfect for running as well and in fact that is where I got the idea in the first place.  When I used to run cross country to get in shape for the soccer season back in high school, I used to hit a giant mental barbed wire fence after the first mile in every race that I ran. On every regular run day I would be absolutely fine and be able to power through the entire run without the mental fatigue. But for whatever reason when it came race time I would be so drained psychologically that after that first mile I seriously always wanted to quit. After burning out my first couple races and losing my hard earned place after that first mile, my coach began to trouble shoot for me.  At first the obvious diagnosis was that I was just physically burned out after the first mile, but when he saw me run time intervals on the track he knew that was not in fact the case. He taught me this technique of focusing on what you have accomplished and then honing in on fact that you are already partly done so really you “only” have this much more to go.  I was thinking to myself in the beginning holy hell I still have two more miles to keep at this pace, but after I really focused on this new method of thinking everything turned around. I would hit that mile and not think about the 2 miles I would think to myself “ok just keep this pace for ½ a mile more (which is much more reasonable than for two more miles) then when I hit that ½ mile point I would think to myself ok that last ½ mile was very doable just go a ½ more mile at the same pace. I would have just enough mental and physical energy to do that for one more ½ mile and then when I realized I only had one ½ mile left I would actually pick up the pace because I knew that it would all be over in no time and I would be so much more happy with myself if I did it. The same I found out carried over for the gym. By far chest and back are the most physically and mentally demanding days for me out of the whole workout week.  So I started putting the 3 most challenging exercises at the very beginning of my workout, then once I hit that burnout point I would tell myself that “I have already done the three hardest exercises and that I only have 3 left.” Then I would do the two next easiest exercises and tell myself that I “only” had one more to do. Then half way through my last one I would convince myself to do one more exercise afterword just to push it and feel that much more accomplished because at most I only had 7 min left at the gym.

Looking at this on paper it might sound like a giant crock pot of self indulged crap, and it might even seem a little confusing,  but when actually set forth in motion and practically maintained, it really works. I always thought that it was just something that worked for me but I started telling people about this when they would share with me in passing about problems with burning out not just in the gym but in many different facets of their lives, and they told me that it truly started working for them as well.  Maybe they are just trying to make me feel good about myself by telling me that this works but hey it works for me and it is something that is so easily done that I whole heartedly encourage you to give it a try for a little while. Once again, these are simply the opinions of a guy who has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

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Hello Friends!

Hope this finds you having a fabulous day! I did mention that I started a weight loss challenge and so far I have lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks, which is a great start but I have done these challenges before and know I need to tweak my plan so I get a little better result. I did get a stability ball and have really only sat on it at my desk; I can feel it working on my core! Who would have thought just sitting on a stability ball would make your core stronger? I plan to do on exercises on it as well once I get over the fear of rolling off it onto my butt! Now that would not be a pretty picture!  lol

WOW! What an emotional Biggest Loser show this week. I feel for O’Neal losing his brother to cancer. That was very touching. I know you all shed a tear or 2 along with him. My daughter had that experience with her grandfather. My dad passed in the night and my daughter found out the next day after school. She was crushed that she did not get to say good-bye. My dad was my daughter Sue’s life…she did everything and went everywhere with him.  That was 7 years ago. Time sure marches on.

I have been walking a lot and going to the gym. I even have walked over 20K steps in one day which equals 8.5 miles for me. I have realized that no one is going to step up and help me, no one is going to come knocking on my door  to go walking, no one is going to meet me at the gym, no one is going to help me plan menus for the week, no one is going to say I better not eat that… I do not have close friends or family. So I have realized I am on my own with this weight loss and have accepted that fact. Now don’t get me wrong I have a lot of facebook supporters cheering me on, and designer whey friends and fast track to weight loss friends, and neighbor friends but it’s not the same as someone saying come on I will help you and support you, let’s get walking.

It’s also difficult as for me because I do not have a treadmill at home to help track what I am doing. I am waiting to hear if I won a contest to win a treadmill through the Life Fitness brand so send in the lucky vibes for me to win! If I win the weight loss challenge it will be for over 300 bucks that will pay for my Fast Track to Weight Loss with Kim Lyons membership. With the Gold membership you get a personal trainer maybe even Kim who was a Biggest Loser Trainer in the pass! The trainer will help monitor your diet, exercise, give you pep talks, encouragement and suggestions. But as most things in life it is not free.

One thing I am being faithful using is my Designer Whey Weight Control Powders. I love the taste and the energy I get from using this great product. I also carry the 2GO packets in my car so I have no excuse to stop and grab something to eat that probably is not good for me.

Thanks friends for reading this blog entry. I hope it inspires you to continue on your quest to be the healthiest you can be. Life is too short to waste time on unhealthy habits.

Take care, until next time.

Camille

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Welcome back to my blogosphere everyone.  We are going to make this super sweet, because that’s how my weight loss is going–Super Sweet.  15 pounds since the 1st of the month.  That’s an additional 5 pounds since I talked to you last.  I’ve finally gotten down further than I started, meaning that I’m starting to get a head of my weight, by which I mean I now weigh less than I did on New Year’s Eve.  So I keep going, and I will eventually reach my goal.

So how is everything else going, you ask? Still no alcohol, fast food, or soda.  Had some burgers last night with some friends, but that’s still only 3 for the week.  Not drinking alcohol hasn’t been nearly as hard as I would have thought; a lot of my friends are very supportive of me trying to lose weight.  The big test will be this weekend at my friend’s bachelor party, but I think I’ll be ok.  Soda is real easy to not drink, especially when you have delicious Protein Water to drink instead.  And not eating fast food is really, really easy when you don’t have any money, so instead I eat Progresso soups and things of that nature, ensuring to watch how many calories and how much fat I’m taking in.  To be honest, this whole thing has been a lot easier than I thought it would be, and that has me thinking I may do it longer than the 46 days I said I would.  We’ll see when we get there though.

So, for all of you out there that are working on your new New Year’s Resolution, I say this: I am living proof that it CAN be done.  If you’re struggling, then take a good serious look at your workout regiment, your diet, and your “cheating” and see if maybe there is somewhere to improve.  There’s room for all of us to improve, perhaps a little less “cheating” and a little more exercise (I should go for a workout right now, but I have a ton of things to do), maybe a little smaller portion of steak.  Every little bit counts, and all those little bits will eventually add up to either weight lost or weight gained.  So be positive, be motivated, and let’s keep losing that weight!  Thanks for joining me, and I’ll talk to you later!

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Excitement is mounting as The Biggest Loser, Season 9 is getting down to the wire. Don’t miss the big finale on May 25!

Casting for Season 10 is in full swing. Recently, we were lucky enough to attend casting calls in Phoenix and Los Angeles where Ali Vincent greeted hopefuls and handed out sample packs of TBL Red Raspberry and Blue Blueberry Protein•2Go.

Both casting calls drew a record number of people who are eager to join the Season 10 cast of The Biggest Loser. Only 350-500 hopeful contestants were expected in Phoenix but over 700 came out. Los Angeles also drew a big crowd with more than 1,100 hopefuls!  At both casting calls, Designer Whey greeted future contestants and fans, sharing information on the importance of protein in everyday diet.  The Biggest Loser protein is an integral part of daily nutrition on the Biggest Loser Ranch. As the show’s contestants are eliminated weekly, Designer Whey provides each contestant with protein powder to help them achieve their weight loss and fitness goals.  Designer Whey is excited to be part of the life changing journey for many Biggest Loser contestants and hopefuls.

Our own Camille Gibson, a contributing blogger for… Designer Whey, recently braved a cold and rainy Detroit day for her chance to get on the Biggest Loser, Season 10. A big fan of the show, Camille’s got what it takes to not only be a star contestant, but she has the will and determination to go all the way! Good Luck Camille! Wish Camille Good luck on her Designer Whey blog page HERE >

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Well everyone, I’m back for another exciting episode of “Weight Loss”.  Since my last post, I would love to proudly announce that I have stuck to all of the guidelines I set forth in my new New Year’s Eve Resolutions: no fast food, no soda, no alcohol, only 5 burger patties, and working out more often.  I haven’t stepped inside a fast food joint, nor touched any alcohol, or sipped any soda since the 24th of March, and boy do I feel…well, good actually.  I’ve been eating smaller meals more often, so I’m not really all that hungry, although sometimes a hunger pang does hit me.  I haven’t missed alcohol or soda at all, thankfully.  And my wallet is certainly happier from me eating at home instead of eating out all the time.  So, what negatives have I been seeing from my new, healthier lifestyle? Well, once in a while I do get quite hungry, which is hard to ignore.  A tall glass of water will help for a short while, but eventually you have to eat something.  For someone like me, it’s going to be a battle for a while as my stomach will actually start to shrink in size to adapt to the smaller portions that I’m eating, and it will be a sort of uncomfortable time of adjustment.  But, a banana or some baby carrots go a long way, as well as all the water you can drink (I love that 0 Calorie substance).  Combine that with more exercise, including walking to school or to the movies instead of driving, and I’m already seeing the results. 

One drastic measure that I did take is that I weigh myself EVERY DAY.  Although a lot of people will tell you that weighing yourself every day isn’t really a good idea, since your weight will fluctuate a lot from day to day, I’ve found that on the days that my weight is lower than the day before, I give myself a little fist pump of joy and say to myself, “Self, you’re on the right track, keep it up.” On those days that my weight is higher than the day before, I find myself doubling my efforts and being extra conscious of what I eat and how much exercise I get.  All of this combined has allowed me to lose 10 pounds in this time frame.  For me to lose 10 pounds in about 2 weeks is remarkable, and should be an inspiration to all of you reading my blogs that if even I can do it, surely you can do even better.  The negative side to that is that I also gained 10 pounds from mid-February to March 24th, so the hard work I’ve done has simply put me back to square one.  However, the fact remains that I am 10 pounds lighter than I was two weeks ago, and that’s something to be proud of. 

Now, I can’t guarantee that my weight loss will continue in this trend or at this rate, but I will put a personal guarantee that I will continue to lose weight.  As I said in my previous blog, what’s past is past, and serves now only as a reminder of the time that I wasted.  If I can lose 10 pounds in two weeks, then I should be done closer to 220, instead of at 262lbs.  But here I am, working hard towards a goal, and I hope that those of you who had given up on yourselves, who said it was too hard, have renewed their passion to lead a healthier life and can use my example of the possibilities that exist, if only we choose to accept them.  I have faith that you can lose the weight as I have.  However, only you can put in the work and determination to succeed.  Do it, and be better for it.  Until next time, here’s to living healthy!

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As a full time worker, mother and wife, it’s easy to make sure I’m never caught without ample nutrition.  Biggest Loser Protein is a great way to fuel up in a hurry for those of us on the go.   Thanks so much to Biggest Loser Protein for providing samples for the Super Cooper Race!  In addition to supporting a great cause for families of children with heart defects, they supplied us with the needed fuel to run our 5K.  I truly can’t thank you enough.  I tell everyone how great this product is and how it’s become one of the staples of my new healthy lifestyle. 

Sincerely,
Vicky Vilcan, BL6

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Did you know the tricep is the largest muscle in your arm? It’s also the biggest problem area for many women. If you’ve found yourself covering them up in hot weather, it’s time to unveil those soon-to-be fabulous arms!   Here are some great tips to help you get killer triceps just in time to go sleeveless this spring and summer.

Let’s start with The Skull Crusher. The name might be intimidating, but essentially it’s a tricep extension done while lying down.  This exercise can easily be done at home if you have a barbell or weight available.  If you’ve got a bench, great. If not, just lie down with your feet firmly on the floor.  The weight should be up behind the top of your head with your arms slightly tilted.  Lower the weight slowly down past your forehead then back up again.  To maximize your results, hold the weight a little longer before finishing.

Our next exercise is the one arm tricep. You’ll need a dumbbell for this one. Make sure the weight is comfortable for you in the beginning. Don’t worry if it seems easy at first – it’ll soon get harder!  Take one dumbbell and hold it over your head with one arm extended.  Your elbows should be steady and close to your head.  Lower the dumbbell slowly behind your head and hold for one second before returning to the starting position.  Once you’ve finished the set, alternate arms. 

Tricep kickbacks are another great way to tone and tighten your triceps.  You can do these by bending over a firm, level surface, placing your hand on the surface and holding a dumbbell hanging straight down.  If there’s no surface nearby, just bend over slightly, keeping your back straight. (See photo below). While keeping your elbow steady, press the weight backward slowly just until your forearm is parallel to the floor.  If done properly you should feel your tricep muscle contract.  Lower the weight to the starting position.

Remember to stretch your triceps before starting your routine and after each exercise. You’ll be glad you did!

Depending on whether you’re at a beginning or advanced level, you should do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps. Some trainers will tell you to repeat the weight movement until you can’t do any more reps.  And don’t forget to drink your Designer Whey protein!  Whey Protein wastes no time in delivering what your body needs – Designer Whey’s special blend of amino acids support lean muscle recovery and growth.

As with any exercise program, consult your doctor or a professional trainer before starting a new workout program.

Difficulty Rating (On a 1-5 Scale, 1 being a piece-a-cake): 3-4, depending on how intense you workout

Stay tuned next week for another amazing workout move!

Here’s to killer triceps,
Designer Whey

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This past Saturday was so much fun at the Biggest Loser casting call in my home town of Mesa, Arizona.  There were approximately 700 hopeful contestants that stood in line, some for hours waiting to get their opportunity to be on the Biggest Loser.  I remember being in that line over 2 years ago and I also remember how scared I was.  I new that regardless of the outcome I was going to start doing things differently.  I mean come on, typically over 200,000 people try out for the show each season and usually only 20 lucky contestants get chosen for each season.  That means that over 199,980 hopefuls are left to figure things out on their own.

The best way to get things changed around in the right direction is to gather knowledge, get a support team, and start where you can.  You did not gain unwanted weight overnight and you surely won’t be losing over night either.  I remember talking to a lady who came over to me at the Biggest Loser protein booth at the HiHealth store in the mall and her sharing with me how this was the 5th season she had tried out for the show.  My heart sank as she continued to share with me that she felt like this would be her last time to line up for the casting call, she felt as if the stars were aligned in her favor.  I agreed with her that this would be her last casting call and as she her eyes lit up and she asked me “really? you really believe it?”  I said “yes because no matter what happens you must choose you”.  She promised herself in front of me that no matter what the outcome of the casting selection she was going to start on her journey of a healthier lifestyle.  I shared with her some quick get started tips as well as gave her some samples of the Biggest Loser protein 2Go packs, I love them because they are easy and convenient so they prevent you from ever having an excuse that you are not prepared

I’ll will be at the LA Biggest Loser casting call encouraging those in line, signing autographs, taking pictures and handing out Biggest Loser protein samples.  So whether you are trying out for the show or just want to say hi, come on by.

See you soon,
Ali

www.alivincent.com

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When it comes to winning at the losing game, the scale shouldn’t always have the last word. It’s more than just possible to change body composition or add lean muscle mass and not move the number on the scale. But for many of us, it is necessary to see that number go down.

So sheepishly we walk every Wednesday morning towards the enemy, the scale. For some reason we think that it will help to shed the gym shorts, which in all reality probably weight a couple of ounces. But this Wednesday it was the sweet sight of success. Down ten pounds since the start of the journey. Again, ten pounds off me is the equivalent of lobbing a couple of deck chairs off the Titanic. But it indeed was a victory, albeit small.

As you read our blogs we hope you don’t tire of hearing words of wisdom from successful people, but what a better place to find wisdom but from those who have reached their goals in life. Today we find encouragement from one of the truly decent guys who ever coached in the NFL.

When the Carolina Panthers first came to Charlotte, their first head coach was a guy named Dom Capers. He was a lawn and garden guy so we had a lot in common and sometimes talked after practice. The first major hurdle he faced was the fact that his first ever draft pick a quarterback was holding out and not participating in training camp. And that begged the question to the coach, “How bad does this bother you.”

He said not at all, and when he gave his reasoning we believed him. He said he only worried about the things that were in his control, and a hold out was way beyond anything he could control. A pretty simple thought yes, but it can apply to the battle we wage everyday.

We can’t control how other people treat us, but we can control how we treat ourselves.  We can control how much water we drink every day, and how much protein we take in and how often we hit the gym.  We can’t control when the sun comes up, but we can make time for exercise.

At one time or another we have all been guilty of spending a lot of time worrying about things that are out of our control.  And that negative energy can be placed elsewhere, and could one day result in the sweet sight of success on the scale.

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