Everyone faces constant struggles with life, relationships, and other, but though we all face the same battles, we all respond differently to the situations. For some find solace with food, others head right to the bar and tavern, but for me, the moment I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders I head right for the gym or the track. My “coping” mechanism is to use exercise, rather than to use a substance or a vice. I luckily turned what could easily be a negative habit, into what has become a positive. Without failing, the moment I feel stressed or overwhelmed with life and RELATIONSHIPS, I instinctively get into my car and head to the gym or to the track, and relieve that stress in the healthiest and MOST EFFECTIVE of ways; by exercising. Nothing helps me clear my mind greater than the feeling I get after an “angry” or “frustrated” workout or run. All the testosterone that is raising my anxiety and blood pressure dissolves with each set or lap. If you tend to turn to cigarettes, alcohol, or even food to provide the feeling of euphoria which you may momentarily receive, it only takes a few days to turn what is a harmful reaction to a positive reaction. It will initially take a conscious effort at first, but I promise you, like me, you will soon turn what could be potentially a destructive habit into a healthful and beneficial habit. Before you reach for the cigarette or the beer, or the ice cream, take a deep breath, put on your sneakers and head to the gym or the track.

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Did you know? Many running injuries happen because muscles are not properly stretched before OR after running. If you don’t stretch, not only could you get hurt, chances are you most likely will. Along with following a sensible training schedule and choosing the right shoes, stretching is the most important thing a runner can do. You’ll find that the benefits of stretching include reduced muscle soreness and better performance.

Before you run your body is cold and your muscles are short and tight. This is the reason why the first 20 minutes of your runs are the most difficult (if you haven’t warmed up). Without preparing your body for a run – by stretching – you are asking for an injury.

Too many runners are perfectly able to squeeze in many hours of running every week but they never seem to have the time to stretch. Not even for five or ten minutes before or after. Find the time!
Now that you’re sold on stretching – be careful about how you stretch. Technique is important. Don’t bounce! Instead, gently ease into and out of each pose, holding for 20-30 seconds. Do each stretch two or three times until you feel considerably more limber than before. Remember to breathe!

Muscles must be stretched gradually. If a stretch is applied too quickly, the muscle responds with a strong contraction, increasing tension. If the stretch is applied slowly, however, this contraction reflex is avoided, muscle tension falls, and you may stretch the muscle further. The lesson here: stretch slowly and hold the stretch for 30 to 40 seconds.

Do not stretch beyond the point where you begin to feel tightness in the muscle. Do not push through muscle resistance, and never stretch to the point of discomfort or pain.

Build stretching into your regular schedule both before and after your daily run — it’s best to do your pre-run stretching after a gentle warmup run of five or ten minutes, since “warm” muscles stretch more easily.

Here are some of the most popular stretches for running. Repeat Each Stretch 3 to 4 times; Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds:

1. Wall Pushup #1
Stand about three feet from a wall, feet at shoulder width and flat on the ground. Put your hands on the wall with your arms straight for support. Lean your hips forward and bend your knees slightly to stretch your calves.

2. Wall Pushup #2
From the previous position, bend forward to lower your body to waist height. Bring one foot forward with your knee slightly bent. Lift the toes of the front foot to stretch the muscle under the calf. Stretch both legs.

3. Wall Pushup #3
Put your feet together, rocking back on your heels with your hands on the wall and your arms straight to form a jackknife with your body. This stretches your hips, shoulders, and lower back.

4. Back Scratch
Grab your elbow with the opposite hand and gently push the elbow up and across your body until your hand reaches down to “scratch” your back. Gently push on your elbow to guide your hand down your back as far as it will comfortably go, stretching your triceps and shoulders. Stretch both arms.

5. Hamstring Stretch
Lie down with one leg straight up in the air, the other bent with foot flat on the ground. Loop a towel over the arch of the lifted foot, and gently pull on the towel as you push against it with your foot. Push only to the point where your muscles contract. Stretch both legs.

6. Quadriceps Stretch
Kneel on your knees (without resting back on your heels). Lean back with your body erect and your arms to the side. Hold for 15 seconds.

7. Heel To Buttock
Stand on one foot, with one hand on a wall for balance. Hold the other foot with the opposite hand and raise the heel of the lifted foot to the buttocks (or as close as comfortably possible), stretching your quadriceps. Keep your body upright throughout. Change legs and repeat.

8. Hip & Lower Back Stretch
Sit on the ground with your legs crossed. Lift your right leg and cross it over the left, which should remain bent. Hug the right leg to your chest and twist the trunk of your body to look over your right shoulder. Change legs and repeat (i.e. looking over your left shoulder).

9. Iliotibial Band Stretch
Lie on your side with both legs bent in running position. Bring the bottom leg toward your chest and then bring the top one back toward your buttocks, so that the running position of your legs is exaggerated as possible. Hold for 30 seconds then flip sides and repeat.

10. Hamstring & Back Stretch
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Hug your shins to your chest to stretch your hamstrings and lower back.

11. Bridge
Lie on your back and, with your feet flat on the ground, lift your hips up until your body forms a flat plane. Repeat this one ten times for 30 seconds each to stretch your quads and lower back.

12. Groin Stretch
Seated, put the soles of your feet together. With your elbows on the inside of your knees, gradually lean forward and gently press your knees toward the ground.

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Maintenance. That has been quite a scary word since my finale last December. Everyone warned me about it, but I would always think to myself that it would be a whiz. Peace of cake! Truth be told, the daily struggles of maintenance are something that I believe I will deal with for the rest of my life. 

Like I’ve stated before, I went back to lifting weights soon after my finale. I hit the weights hard and put myself on a muscle building program with the help of ProteinBlitz’s 60g of protein per serving. I figured I would need all the calories I could get while building, so my eating got a little out of control. Now, it is nearly physiologically impossible to pack on a bunch of muscle without adding on a little fat as well. So for three months I bulked and bulked and bulked. I was working out a lot so I felt as though I needed those calories to add muscle, but I took in more than I could handle, so my weight jumped up more than I expected. It was kind of like a slap in the face when I stepped on the scale. 

I needed to change things up. For the last two months I have been in the cut phase of my program. I had to trim a little more than expected, but I knew it had to be done. I increased my cardio and actually added more protein shakes with the Protein Blitz while dropping my overall caloric intake. I’m proud to say I’ve actually dropped more than 15 pounds, but more importantly, I’ve packed on even more muscle than before. I’m two notches in on my belt, my pants are a lot looser, and I’m actually starting to see abs again! Who knew they would come back. 

I feel unbelievable right now. There are two weeks left until the next Biggest Loser finale and I will be the on stage correspondent for DietsInReview.com. I was almost dreading doing it in the shape I was in a couple months ago, but look forward to doing it in the shape that I am in now. I can’t wait to wow everyone with my new muscular frame. I pick things up and put them down! 

Note: Mark Pinhasovich received free product in exchange for his blog. 

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One of the great things about living in Utah is we have four beautiful seasons. However, I think we may be the only state to have two seasons in one week. We had frost and snow on Monday and today its going to be 80 degrees. Yesterday, as I sat at my daughters track meet watching my son eat a snow cone I couldn’t help be a little jealous (because I am trying to watch how much sugar I eat) that I was “enjoying,” plain water. Well, this morning as I was preparing for day two of the track meet I decided I could also have a frosty treat. I’m going to attempt to make a Lemonade Designer Whey Protein 2Go®  icee. Doesn’t sitting in the sun sipping frozen lemon aide sound wonderful! I love Biggest Loser Protein 2Go® Lemonade!

Enjoy your weekend

Burgandy

 Burgandy Keel received free product in exchange for her blog.

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Who’s making your decisions?

Have you ever felt out of control? Lately I tell you I feel like I’m not getting it all together as if I can’t get anything right. I was talking to a friend and we were talking about the different pressures we put on ourselves that are often unattainable and then we never get a chance to celebrate or be done or take a break. Lately I have felt as if a teenager has been making my decision’s and trust me when I say I wasn’t the most pleasant teenager. I was that “WHATEVER” teenager and that is how I’ve been feeling lately and honestly it’s not ok, not anymore.

I realized that at different points in my life when I have felt uncomfortable or alone or scared or nervous or sad or out of control or even just bored I have let that teenager inside me that wanted to be noticed make decisions for me or shall I say sabotage me. Well there is nothing I can do about my past but I can stop the cycle and do something different. I refuse to let my insecurities sabotage me.

I have been at this point in my life many times before and I’m sure I’ll be here many times again I just hope that each time I catch myself a little faster than the time before and as long as I do that I will continue to win. As I continued the conversation with my friend and tried to pinpoint why I might be sabotaging myself, I realized that I need some new goals, I need to break it done to basics!

I need to rest my weekly plans and get focused on some specific goals that I am achieving each and every week so I can feel proud of my accomplishments. I realized that a lot of my “whatever’s” as of lately is because I haven’t been feeling the greatest about my self, about my body. I have been feeling weak, out of control and soft. I realized that I was experiencing what probably many others are feeling at this time of year…. I’m dreading swimsuit season!!!! I don’t feel as strong as I have in recent years years so I took a look at that and to tell you the truth there were some obvious voids in my routine that will help me feel better with just the simplest of tweaks.

So my swimsuit ready routine is going to be focusing on building more muscle, I want to hit it hard and really start to see all the definition that I love again. When I am able to see the definition in my body I truly feel BEAUTIFUL, with that having my definition which is strength and confidence. There are some transitions in my life right now and I want to feel prepared to address them head on. Hit me up on the Biggest Loser Protein  FaceBook page and tell me what kind of strength training programs and ideas you have as well as any new shake recipes for summer protein shakes! I’m trying CrossFit and just bought the TRX system so I’ll let you know how it’s going.

Till next time,

Ali xo

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The month of May is filled with many reasons to celebrate from Mothers Day to Memorial Day..and my birthday somewhere in the middle! :)
 
This month I want to celebrate, give thanks to and honor someone very special in my life. The Biggest Loser show brought us together and through the magic of the casting process and a little help from the internet, a bond was created that holds strong to this day!
 
I met Joeinne after her brother, Captain Tom, had attended and received a “call back” interview for Season 10 of the Biggest Loser…I attended the same casting call and received a “call back” interview also.  The casting call turnout was huge-3000 people…just trying to put into perspective how amazing it was ! We stood maybe a dozen people away from each other in line that day but it wasn’t until after the casting call that we all met!
 
Through the social networking process and our love of all things Biggest Loser and the desire to become healthy, Joeinne and I met via the internet! Joeinne was on a crusade to help get her brother, Captain Tom, on the show since he was well over 300 lbs and heart disease runs in their family.
 
Over the next several months friendships blossomed, our families all got together …Captain Tom took us for a sail on his boat, an authentic Sternwheeler! With season 11 Biggest Loser casting call now fast approaching, Captain Tom and I decided to apply for a spot on the show as a team! Joeinne had recently lost 125 lbs and was doing well with maintaining her weight loss. She not only was rooting for her brother to get on the show but was rooting for me now, too..I often told her that she was our “cheerleader” !  She was and is so much more then that though, she once drove over 400 miles just to help me make my casting video! She was and is our rock through this whole process!
 
In the end when neither Captain Tom or I were selected for Season 11,  there was Joeinne once again encouraging us to stay strong. She feels that we can lose weight and get healthy on our own. Her positive energy never ends and is quite infectious as well!
 
Three months ago Captain Tom and I attended the Season 12 Biggest Loser casting call. Joeinne was helping to attend to every little detail and cheering us on as usual! Joeinne had been so focused on being there for both her brother and I that she hadn’t noticed that she had gained back 36 lbs!  She had once weighed 320 lbs and gotten down to 187.
 
Joeinne noticed she wasn’t feeling as energetic as usual, so she visited her Doctor for a check up. One month after the Season 12 Biggest Loser casting call, she found herself in Double Bypass Open Heart surgery to correct a severely clogged artery.  She had also suffered a mild heart attack as well.
 
Almost 6 weeks post surgery, Joeinne is healing and looking forward to getting back on track with eating healthy. She has begun walking to stay fit. 

I can’t think of a nicer person that I have ever met in my life as Joeinne. When my family and I visited Joeinne and Captain Tom in their hometown for the first time, it was as if we had stepped back in time to a story book fairy tale….it was enchanting and beautiful….just like Joeinne!

Sometimes we want to help others so much and in doing so, we lose sight of ourselves. Keeping ourselves in focus helps us to be able to keep doing what makes us happiest, like helping others.  I’m sending Joeinne a “get well/care package”…not flowers, not candy….but, something that will help her get healthy ….a basket of ‘Biggest Loser Protein Products!’  She knows it on the way and couldn’t be any more excited!
 
Have a wonderful May everyone! See you back here in June!
Stephenie

Stephenie received free product in return for her blog.

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Wow everybody! What an amazing journey its been since my time on The Biggest Loser! Between being a full time husband, a daddy to 3 amazing kids,  a full time pastor, and traveling the country telling my story to any and everybody, its hard to get the nutritional aspect on lock.  I love how The Biggest Loser Protein products keep me so in check with my nutritional goals!  A lot of people think that The Biggest Loser Protein Powder is a magical weight loss powder you add to some milk or some water but you would be wrong! It starts in your head! Having a great workout plan, a great nutritional plan and incorporating The Biggest Loser Protein is the right way to balance out your life! It is an amazing tool to help you on your weight loss or weight maintaining journey, however, your best tool is a having a great plan.  Remember to sit down and plan out your meal times and your snack times.  Also, remember to add some time  for working out or working up a sweat, and remember to add some you time in there to balance out the equation. I believe in you, believe in yourself.  I am currently in Owasso Oklahoma training for a few half marathons, some 5K’s and a 10K.  Its always good to work toward a goal.   So, be sure to set yourself a goal!

Do good work, find me on facebook and tell me all about your amazing lives with The Biggest Loser Protein.

Sean Algaier received free product in exchange for his blog.

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:  ”After an Intense work out, when I feel quenched and drained of energy I grab a packet of PROTEIN*2GO out of my gym bag and mix it with my water or when I work out at home I put 1-2 cups of ice in a blender add a packet of Lemon or Red Raspberry PROTEIN*2GO and blend it with 8oz. of water for a quick pick me up, and to help in the rebuilding process of my muscles! It’s a great refreshing Frosty!

Frado Dinten received Free product in exchnage for his blog.

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Many of us tend to have a “Seasonal” mentality when it comes to fitness and nutrition. As if we are bears who are awoken from hibernation and join the gym, and eat healthy. If life is not a seasonal practice, then fitness and nutrition, which is so pivotal to our lives, can not be a seasonal way of life. Our relationship and commitment to our health is reflective to our lives, and therefore by making year around changes, our lives will be changed all year.

If doesn’t even have to be a dramatic change; replacing one meal a day with a protein shake, working out a few days a week all year long are not going to cause you to completely alter your daily routine. Another thing many of us hear and say far too often is “I just don’t have enough time,” and if that is something you say routinely it’s not that there isn’t enough time, but that you rather not workout and eat healthy. Why? Because we have the ability to make time for things when we view them as important.

Being a high school teacher, who also wears numerous other hats, I can easily say I don’t have enough time and it would be warranted… but, I have found the time and turned it into a habit rather than a sporadic ritual. There is always time. We just have to WANT to do it. Because if you haven’t figured it out already; life is never easy and there is never enough time in a day. As Ben Franklin said “Small strokes fall great oaks.”

Posted in Nick Ferroni | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

Well folks, it’s been three months since the finale.  Life after the Biggest Loser is indeed difficult.  I really found myself going through the process of the show, but now I need to get on with my next stage of life. 

            My schedule has been crazy!  I’ve been traveling to some beautiful (and warm) parts of the country to lend a helping hand to those in need.  It’s hard to cook for myself when I am on the road, so keeping around Biggest Loser protein bars really helps me fight hunger between meals and in a healthy manner.  I honestly don’t know what I would do without them.

            Another facet of my life that I have been working on is muscle gain.  I actually got a little TOO skinny for the finale.  I was actually told I had to GAIN twenty pounds.  Never thought I would hear those words in my life.  When I got home from California, I went back to what I loved doing, lifting weights.  As much as doing cardio was essential to my weight loss, weights are what I truly enjoyed.  Now in order to get bigger muscle wise and not go up waist wise, I had to look for a good source of protein post workout.  That is were Protein Blitz came in.  60g of protein per servings with very low carbs, plus 8g of leucine and 16g of BCAA’s for recovery? That is a hit in my book.  I have gotten my arms up to 18″, hoping to get to 20″ by the season 11 finale.  My chest is popping as well and I feel like a million bucks.  Still a 36″ waist too!

            As this crazy journey of life continues I hope to inspire many others out there that you can overcome any obstacles.  Follow me on twitter @BLMark and feel free to leave me a message on facebook at Mark Pinhasovich Biggest Loser!

Mark Pinhasovich received product in exchange for his blog.

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