The Mean Girls Biggest Loser

New Year, New Waistline!

While it is pretty predictable that we always make resolutions about our weight, this year, we are going to have a little more added incentive. The first (and with luck last) Mean Girls Biggest Loser! This will be a modified version of the television show, but if you have ever watched that show, then you're going to know pretty much everything you need to know. I will be collecting $10 from everyone, and in July, the cash will be given to the person who has lost the largest percentage of their body weight.

The Dates: January 7 - June 30, 2008 (Monday - Monday, 176 Days). Obviously, all of us have different goals and amounts. The reason for the length of time is not only to give those of us with more to lose the opportunity to achieve our goals, but it is also to prove that we can sustain the positive changes we are making. The goal here is not to starve yourself until you reach your weight, and then just start back up with the bad habits. We are not dieting. We are shooting for a lifestyle change!
The Weigh-In: Your initial weight will be due by the morning of Monday, January 7th, and the first official weigh in will be January 16 and every Wednesday after that until June 25, with the final weigh-in due on June 30th. The winner will be announced on the Mean Girls Blog on July 1st. All weights and subsequent weight loss totals and percentages will be posted on the blog. The point here is not to feel embarrassed about your weight. After all, ignoring the problem will not make it go away. We are doing this as a group to give each other support and to provide healthy competition.
The Process: We are operating on the honor system for weigh-ins. So, please be honest. While obviously, the money is a good thing, the real reason for doing this is to lose the weight and keep it off. You will only be cheating yourself. You can text or email me your weight, and I will do the rest of the posting.

Finally, I want to encourage everyone to get a free membership at Fit Day, which is a diet and weight loss journal. It provides an easy way to record your diet and exercise. One of the best ways to figure out your path is to look at what you eat (again, no cheating or selective recording). I think everyone will be pretty shocked at their caloric, fat, and carb intake, and this is good way to find out. They have a lot of foods in a database already so all you need to do is search for them, or you can do like I have done and create custom foods. All you need is the nutritional information. Another tool for you is the Diet Facts website. They have compiled a listing of nutritional information for a lot of fast food establishments out there. Trust me, it is probably a lot worse than you thought!

If you have any questions, either email me or post a comment so that everyone can see them.

Good Luck!