Grazing Tips for Christmas and New Year’s…or…Food and More Food All Around Me!

1. Eat six small meals a day.

When confronted with a potluck, a holiday meal, or a work party our tendency is to go for the gusto and pig out!  Sound familiar?  Instead try to stick to a small meal even at these times.  For me, these small meals are about three hundred calories each.  Web search for “online calorie calculator” to help determine how many calories to consume to maintain your current weight, or lose weight.

2. Make an extra plate for later.

Want to go back for seconds?  Aunt Martha’s banana-cream-puff pie only come around once a year?  I know the feeling.  I had the most delicious chili rellenos at my Women’s Study Group Potluck.  They were to die for, or to live for another day for, and eat in the morning for breakfast!  The thought dawned on me, “I could make an extra plate for later!”  Next time I will try this.  Leave a comment if you try this, or have tried this, and let me know how it works!  Knowing I can have some more stuffing later entices me to exercise self-control, without stuffing myself until I feel ill.  Know the feeling?  Stuffed Christina is not on the holiday wish list this year.

To keep the caloric intake down, I decided to scrape most of the cheese off and eat mostly the chili portion, which worked out quite fine and kept my calorie intake for the meal lower.  Part of the problem with potlucks is you really do not know how many calories are in each dish.  Note to self: “decision” is the key word here.  It is your decision what to put on your plate and how much.  Most importantly do not kid yourself into thinking the calories do not count or just continuing to dive in.  The extra calories have to go somewhere.

3. Skip any and all caloric drinks!

Need a quick Soda fix?  Then take a sip and go back to water!  Do you have any idea how much sugar is in one can of soda? There are ten packets of sugar in one can of soda!  Juice, sparkling cider, wine, beer, tequila, etcetera, they all turn to sugar in your body.  Want to avoid the four pounds that most people gain each holiday season?  Then kick the cola habit and go with water.  Add a little lemon.  Add a little Designer Whey Protein packet and get ten grams of protein and a tasty treat without added sugar or low quality sugar substitutes.

4. Drink plenty of water.

Our bodies are made up of 75% water when we are born and down to as low as 45% water if we are obese.  Average range of water for men is 60% and 55% for women.  Lean muscle mass holds more water than fat.  Whether you want to lose weight or gain weight (Yes, some people have a gaining weight problem.  Shocking!  I know) you need water to survive and it will help fill up your tummy during those feasts of fat and frolicking French fries at the drive through on your long trip to Aunt Mildred and Uncle Frank’s house.  So skip the fries, ask for a protein style wrap (hamburger wrapped in lettuce), and ask for an extra-large water!  Your body will thank you for it.  I know mine will. :)  Better yet…

5. Pack healthy snacks for long road trips.

My husband, Jason, thought of bringing sliced cucumbers and boiled eggs on our trip to Grandma and Grandpa’s house this year.  What a great idea!  Thanks honey!

6. Take a few bites of a sinfully delicious desert or entrée to get the taste but not all the calories.

I have heard it said more than once that the first couple of bites are the best.  Your taste buds are primed for variety and flavor and they soak up those first few nibbles.  Close your eyes.  Feel the texture on your tongue.  Sense all the different flavors in the bite.  Then, throw the rest away!  This takes willpower, but it is worth the effort, and your bottom line will thank you for it!

Have a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year!  And happy thoughtful healthy eating!

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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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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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I recently spent a wonderful week in Los Angeles for both professional and personal reasons. During my time there I have come to one profound epiphany when it comes to our nutrition and eating habits: we treat holidays and vacations as most adults treat Vegas. We are under the impression, that what we eat there or then, stays there or then… unfortunately it is not the case. I find it so much easier to disregard all our nutrition strategies and goals when we are celebrating a holiday, but most importantly, on vacation or traveling.

The only problem is if you decide to put all your hard work and good habits aside for a few days or even a week, the result and extra pounds will not be staying behind at your vacation location. It will be with you when you return and probably put you a few steps back from where you previously where. I am by no means telling you to not enjoy yourself when you are away or on vacation… I am just saying you shouldn’t disregard all your hard work for just a few days. While I was in LA I did enjoy some fine foods and dining, but I also had my Designer Whey protein with me to maintain my eating habits at the same time. It is not difficult to eat healthy in this day and age. I was able to pack my protein without putting my luggage over the weight limit.

Holidays tend to be a little less of a problem, as long as you know it’s a one day affair and a not week long of binging. Another thing I have come to find is people tend to crave something only when they tell themselves they can’t have it. You may not desire or even be thinking of having ICE CREAM, but if I were to tell you that YOU CAN’T HAVE ICE CREAM you would immediately desire it. So rather than tell yourself you CAN’T have something, just tell yourself you CAN, but you just choose not to. You may go on vacation, but your health and habits should never. Do not treat your health like Vegas, because regardless of where you devastate your diet, the results will follow you home.

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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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Why is it that cravings for certain foods grab a hold of us and won’t let go till a run through the drive through has been completed? Last week I was craving a big juicy burger! I don’t mean a kids meal burger I mean one that you have to disconnect your jaw to bite into. This insatiable craving really shocked me because I’m not much of a red meat person. However, I’m happy to report that I didn’t give in, instead I thought about why I wanted something so out of the ordinary. Then it occurred to me that I must not be getting enough protein. I have been trying to eat less and move more and I think my body was screaming for tools to repair and build my muscles. I decided to try adding a scoop of Biggest Loser Protein first thing in the morning. I added 50 calories 17 g chocolate powder with a tbs of peanut butter to my oatmeal. After a few days I noticed I wasn’t drooling at the big burger commercials any more!

Food cravings are our bodies sometimes annoying way of helping us get the nutrients we need. If we listen carefully and don’t get distracted with the rush of giving into temptation we can still meet our fitness goals. Now I need to figure out what my body needs when I must eat a wonton

Have a wonderful week! 
Burgandy

Burgandy Keel received free product in exchange for her blog.

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I’m not a huge fan of Gyms.  I would much rather be outside soaking in the beauty of mother earth.  I know that some people would prefer the gym over battling with bugs, animals, and the weather but that is just not me.   Although I don’t really like them, I do find myself joining the gym rats on their electronic wheels every now and then.   But when I have my choice I am the mountain lion conquering the world outside of the cages, taking on whatever nature can throw at me.  One of my secrets to staying energized and having fun while I’m out is having a snack with me to keep my body fueled.  The biggest loser protein products are so quick and easy, they are what I usually reach for as I’m running out the door to conquer the world.

Note:  Corey Pinkerton received free product in exchange for his blog.

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Note: Burgandy Keel has received free product in exchange for her blog.

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I put 110% in my workout, nutrition and recovery and I am satisfied at the end my workout!!

In the years of training I have seen more people fail to reach their goals because of the fact they aren’t willing to make life adjustments to better their life and live a healthly balanced life.  You don’t have to be the biggest, leanest body in the gym but when you look in the mirror ask yourself…are you happy with your results? If not, STEP IT UP.

So lets make it happen:

1. Do cardio in the morning to burn off any extra carbs you ate
2. Consume more meals a day (add acouple of BLITZ SHAKES bewteen meals and before bed)
3. Change your workout style confuse your body
4. Drink lots of water
5. Get 6hrs to 8hrs of sleep
6. BE HAPPY!!!
7. DONT GIVE UP IT DOESNT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT!!!

- Rick Hagen

Posted in DESIGNER WHEY Healthy Minute | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

In the beginning, life on the Ranch wasn’t easy, but being away from all my loved ones, food, problems, work and everyday stress was actually good. For the first time I found myself working hard, for me. Looking back, there were moments I wanted to leave the Ranch, even though deep down inside I didn’t want to leave and tried to stay on the Ranch as long as I could.

Then came the return home. It was completely different from being on the Ranch. I went through a great period of adjustment. This is where the Biggest Loser Protein products came into play. I used them at the Ranch but once I came home I implemented the Biggest Loser Protein products to my routine and continued writing in my journal. I knew I had to work harder at home so I used the protein shakes with fruit or milk before and after workouts. I drank my protein all day to replenish my muscles. Because I was working out 6 to 8 hours a day, I needed to stay strong. My desire was to reach my goal weight which I did. And I surpassed it!!  Now I am on my way to bodybuilding and sculpting. The Biggest Loser products will help me succeed, improve and show that we can turn a body around.

Now that the weight is off, toning and tightening my muscles is my next challenge. Thank you for all your attention and products. I couldn’t have achieved 22% BMI (the lowest of Season 9!!) without them. I now have beautiful toned legs and arms. It was definitely worth the hard work and sweat. Although I didn’t win the monetary prize, being the healthiest contestant at 22% BMI after surgery is the biggest and best prize of all.

Getting my life back internally, externally, physically, and emotionally is the biggest reward anyone can ask for. I am so grateful to The Biggest Loser, my trainer Desmond Thompson, my family and friends. Again, thank you. 

- MIGGY

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