Hello Friends,

This week went by so fast! I was so busy that I did not get to watch my favorite show until Sunday. Oh the “Biggest Loser” show of course left us hanging to see the winners. Good thing I don’t have too many days to wait! Did you see the segment where Sugar Ray was on? I did and he said a cool quip. He said POWER means Prepare-Overcome-Win-Every-Round. How cool is that! Also Designer Whey had a nice promo too. I can’t help be get excited for Designer Whey when I see their promo…you guys rock! I tell all my friends about Designer Whey Products and how they have helped me on my journey to healthier me.

I picked up a “Biggest Loser” Weight management kit from Sam’s Club today. I heard that 55% of the Biggest Losers diet is protein. See, if you listen carefully you will get the tips and secrets to the contestant’s weight loss. Some contestants lost almost 90 pounds in 9 weeks! I sure wish I could be a contestant and have someone push me, train me, feed me and teach me like the contestants receive. I wish for a personal trainer and equipment but with our budget being so tight… for now I will have to rely on myself. I wish our dog was good on the leash I would love to go for walks with her but she is a stinker and jerks me and pulls I have not been able to break her of that.

Today I got really irked… I don’t even know if irked is a word but I will say irked to be nice… I shop at a discount grocery store to help save money and the person in line ahead of me had his groceries and 2 bottles of Bailey’s Cream…ok so far not so bad…but then he pulls out his bridge (food stamp) card and pays for his groceries then a 20 dollar bill to pay for the booze…I am like steaming… the man can’t pay for his groceries but has the money for booze….ugh!

Well friends its Monday and I always like Monday, it’s the beginning of a new week for new hopes.

Have a good one,

Camille

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Happy March, Friends…it’s suppose to warm up this weekend here in Michigan…Bring it on! I hope this finds you healthier then the day before. I have been thinking about patterns and realized that everything is based on a pattern. I, like a lot of Americans have lived an unhealthy pattern. If you pay attention to Bob, one of the “Biggest Loser” trainers he said to be healthy the pattern is “Fuel -> Move -> Rest. For me it was always Move -> Rest -> Fuel -> Rest some more. So I had it wrong.

Our church is having a diet and nutrition course for the next few weeks. I am learning a lot and thought I would share with you all what I have learned in just one session.

To stop cravings – eat every 3 hours small meals that include protein.

Exercise: How much and how long – You only need 30 minutes a day of cardio. Cardio is simply raising your heart rate higher then your sitting heart rate. Here is something interesting… you do not need to do 30 minutes in a row. I never seem to fit in 30 minutes a day then felt bad but if you do 3 – 10 minute work outs or even if you start out doing 5 minutes – 6 times a day that works! You can jog in place, jump rope, dance, rebound or anything that will get your heart rate above your sitting rate even… sex… LOL. OK, now run home and tell your husband its exercise time!

You need 1 hour each week strength training – it does not take very many pounds for strength. 2 – 5 pound weights is great! Carry a weight in your car and do bicep curls driving…ummm… one arm at a time! You can use soup cans or water bottles. I say use water bottles that you refill then after you are done doing reps, drink the water!

You need flexibility every day – stretching, bend touch your toes when you get out of bed, stand up from your computer. Practice flexibility anytime. Just get some stretching in wherever you can. That’s it to stay fit.

It’s best to exercise …ANYTIME! Morning does revs up your metabolism and helps keep it going all day.

The figure below is how to figure out how many calories you need to lose 1 pound a week just by your food intake. **Add exercise and you lose more!

1. Add 655 to this calculation 4.35 X Weight in Pounds
2. Add your answer to this calculation 4.7 X Height in inches
3. Subtract your answer to this calculation 4.7 X age
4. Subtract 500 calories

This equals the number of calories you need to take in each day to lose 1 pound a week. Not doing anything but this formula you could lose 52 pounds a year!

My weight is 278, Height 69 inches and I am 41
655 + 1209.3 (4.35 X 278) + 324.3 (4.7 X 69) – 192.7 (4.7 X 41) – 500 = 1495.9 calories a day. (1500 is close enough!)

To figure out how much water you need to drink a day it’s your weight divided by 2. My weigh is 278, I should be drinking 139 oz of water a day… whoa sure will be pee’n a lot! That’s over a gallon a day! That is hard to see doing but I think I will make it a goal to drink a gallon of water a day… Or lose weight so I don’t have to drink that much!

I hope this helps you with your weight loss journey. Start with figuring out your resting heart rate add a little more movement every day and before you know it you will have worked yourself up to 30 minutes of cardio a day. I will close for now…

Until next time… Camille from Michigan

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Hello Friends,

 I tell ya, Designer Whey Products rock! These products really help when you are on a weight loss journey. When you contact Designer Whey they are prompt to help answer any questions you have. So not only are they dedicated to a great product but the stand by it, they are happy to assist you. Best of all they want you to succeed in your goals. Whether it is to lose weight, live healthier, or body build they are there for you. They even give you a free diet plan to follow. That just shows you how much confidence they have in their company and products.

 Last month I lost 8 pounds. I still have a few to go to catch up to where I left off before all the holiday festivities. I contribute the loss to following my plan which includes drinking my whey. Tonight I really wanted something sweet and so I got out my blender, tossed in a good and ripe banana, added 1 cup of skim milk, a dash a cinnamon, 1 scoop of French Vanilla Weight Control Powder then about 6 ice cubes…turned on that baby and whirled it for a minute or two, poured the mixture in a nice glass….It was soooooo good and satisfying. I almost always have a shake before bed and I swear it helps me sleep better. Guess I am like a baby…lol. I used to suffer really bad from acid reflux now I only have a bout here and there and those bouts are the nights I forget to have my shake!

 We are back to the cold here in Michigan…ugh… and I am sure when it gets hot I will complain then too!

 Well, friends, night for now. I hope this finds you well and thank you Designer Whey…you’re the best.

 Camille

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Well Friends, yesterday was my 41^st birthday. My husband and girls gave me a wonderful and fun birthday. Purple is my favorite color so of course my girls get purple balloons and steamers. My husband is quite the character, he buys me purple duct tape, pretty funny! He also bought me a very nice simple silver necklace which is perfect for me as I am a pretty simple person. I love popcorn so my daughters bought me a popcorn recipe book, very cool. Popcorn is a perfect snack, high fiber, low calories. On the humorous side, I watch Oprah so my girls bought me Oprah Magazine. We have a tradition of all kids get a small gift on each others birthday. If you have young kids it works like a charm when the girls see their sister getting a bunch a gifts they are not so hurt because they receive a gift too.

 Did you watch The Biggest Loser this week? I think Joelle deserved to go home but I felt bad for Carla. When you want something so bad and another gets in the way it is frustrating.

 I have been trying to speed up my walk and I guess you would call it a light jog. I can go 3 houses then have to slow back to a walk but for me even jogging two feet is a challenge. I see the contestants on The Biggest Loser and they are even heavier than I am and they can jog so I have been doing a little at a time. I started by doing a light jog on my rebounder then progressed to when I walked. It’s easier for me on the rebounder then on cement. Now I know I can do it and that feels pretty good.

 Have a great week end. Stick to your healthy plans, and look for The Biggest Loser Protein in your local grocery store. It tastes great and will help you lose weight and feel great with a proper diet and exercise!

Camille from Michigan 

http://www.thebiggestloserprotein.com

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Weekends are very difficult for me I always gain a pound or 2; I hate it and feel guilty. But how do you balance life and diet? When your hubby wants to have a couple of beers with you do you just say no? When you are invited to a birthday party do you not eat the cake? When super bowl is on do you just nibble on celery sticks? Sometimes our bodies are not fair. Why can my friend have beer and Big Macs and cookies and not gain an ounce? She’s a size 2…ugh. I can not even smell a Big Mac without putting on 5 pounds!

So, here I sit, it’s Sunday, back on my eating plan, feeling disgusted that I have to get off the 1.5 pound that I gained just from Friday and Saturdays events to get back on the losing end…sigh. I am not mad at the events I had a great times. I am frustrated as to why I can’t have my cake and eat too and just be fine when I hop on the scale. Why does my body hold on to food and calories turn it into fat to store it way just incase there is some famine or something…I just want to scream… YOU WILL NOT STARVE…LET IT GO! 

For Super Bowl goodies we had a bunch of cut up veggies with dip, fresh fruit with dip, pretzels, popcorn. Instead of our traditional pizza we got 100 calorie English muffins and topped those with pizza stuff. Saved about 80 calories per piece and it was good!

Well, I better get busy and get some things done around here before I go to sleep.

Take care,

Camille

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I just got an email regarding the results of the Challenge. Again, it was all so anticlimactic. Just a name of the winner, no mention of me or anyone else. No idea who this person that won was, or what they looked like. No pics to see the transformation that they made. No idea if I was even in the running or what. No recognition whatsoever. Just leaves me shaking my head in disappointment. So I just have to fall back on what the main purpose of the challenge was in the first place. To make a life change for myself. And I did that. And I am very pleased. And seeing how much I enjoyed the competition/deadline aspect of the whole thing, I believe I will continue on this path I’ve begun, and see how far I can take it. I enjoyed those elements, and the drive they instilled in me. There are myriad contests and competitions that I can enroll in. I see that I can improve my body, and I want to see just how dramatic I can do that. I believe the challenge has just begun…….

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The big challenge now is trying to keep the motivation high since the competition aspect is gone. Now that I have the freedom to eat whatever again, I don’t quite know what to eat !! Obviously I am not going to go back to my old ways. I have every intention of continuing on this fitness road I’ve embarked upon, but the simple diet I was eating certainly made mealtime a snap. I need to learn now about clean eating and the foods that I can incorporate into my diet to maintain the level of fitness I’ve achieved. Of course, after the pic and measurements, I went out for a cheeseburger and had a margarita, too. It’s amazing how my mindset has changed now that I don’t have a deadline looming. I’ve gotten a little lazy in the daily commitment to exercise. I need to kick that back up a notch. I can see how a fitness lifestyle takes a tremendous amount of dedication and determination to maintain.

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I have been waiting now for almost two weeks to find out the results of the contest. I talked with many people in the gym who were even angrier than I was about the way it ended. They all had similar experiences. Some people even refused to do the measurements and pics because it wasn’t with someone in charge of the challenge. There is no way for me to try to get them redone, either. The timing of all the elements of diet, water, supplements, exercise, etc…..was geared for that morning. I was at my peak. I no longer feel excited about the challenge. I do feel great for myself, personally, but the rest is a huge letdown. They will be giving the results on May 5. Very anticlimactic.

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I went in as scheduled this morning to have my after pics and measurements taken. The situation at Gold’s Gym was nothing short of completely unprofessional and disappointing. There was no one connected to the Gold’s Challenge there to do the measurements. None of the employees seemed to have any idea what was going on. The manager, in particular, was clueless. They finally got one of the reception guys to measure me and take the picture. The first thing he says to me is “Do you know how to use this camera ?” Then when we get to measuring, he’s asking me where to hold the tape. I really was just angry. I went up to the manager to ask what was going on, and all he could do was throw his hands up and say” I don’t know what to tell you.” As unprofessional and inept as I’ve ever experienced. None of the tape measurement numbers changed, which is impossible as my clothes are hanging on me now. I’ve lost over 15 pounds, and almost 6% body fat, and none of my measurements are different. My trainer had gone on vacation for the week, so he wasn’t there to help. It was simply deflating after all the work I’ve done.

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So tomorrow morning is the day of reckoning. I’m excited. I have not lifted weights for a couple of days now. Only cardio. My water intake has been on a tapering schedule for days. Today I only get 1 liter. Tomorrow only 16 oz. And I had to buy distilled water to keep the sodium levels low. I’ve done my treadmill for the day. I will lay in the sun for a while, as having a tan is desired to help show off the muscle better. I will also practice my “posing” in the mirror. I get only one front and one side pic to be shown to the judges. I need to be able to effortlessly nail a muscle defining pose, and smile, for the camera on command. I think I’ve got it down. I bought a great bathing suit. My body looks fabulous. It’s only the competition, and what they’ve achieved, that is in my way. Did someone want it more than me ? Did someone work harder ? I’ll know soon enough.

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