Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Second Half - Week 3

This was a pretty even keel week for us. Though Xena is schooling us in how to get back into shape post-goiter. She should be climbing back into loser status very soon, if not next week.

It's May 1st, so we have two full months until a winner is crowned!

Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Second Half - Week 3

We have our first person reaching 10 pounds! Way to go, Romeo!

Nearly everyone is still trending downwards, keep it up folks!

Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Second Half - Week 2

Romeo is re-asserting his dominance of the field, though Mom is not nipping had his stilettos. I also want to welcome Xena back to the fold. She's finally kicked the goiter, and she is back to contend.

The Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Second Half

After an unintentional week off due to three participants on various forms of vacations, we're back this week with a new leader. We are now at the half way point, and we're all working towards our summer goals. Keep it up, folks!

Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Week 9 & 10

I'm sorry for not posting these last week, but the week just got away from me and this week almost did, too.

Anywhoo, Maestro has been making a move in the past couple weeks, and the big question is will he blow it on corned beef and cabbage in Ireland? :)

To the rest of you (us), it's SPRING! Get a move on! We have a little over two months until Pride, three months until Vegas (or Sweden for Athena AND the end of the Biggest Loser), and four months until Market Days. So, if you're waiting for some "Fierce Urgency of Now," well, now is now....

Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Week 8

While Romeo is still in the lead, we've had some major motion from Brooklyn and Maestro. Brooklyn had a big drop this week to move her into second place, and Maestro continues his steady pace to join the 2% club. Alas, Xena has been struck by a 103 pound goiter. Let's all pray that she recovers soon!

Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Week 7

We're starting to see some movement! With Romeo holding steady after his killer week last week, Athena and Maestro both clock in this week with personal bests. Also, Blanche, he of the biscuits and gravy, got weighed at our Oscar Party, which probably isn't too fair considering all that was eaten that night, but that's what he gets for not participating up until now. Oh, and if Xena doesn't start sending in weights, I'm bumping her up to 250 next week. :-)

Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Week 7

Romeo is starting to kick everyone's butt!

Since we're going into the second month of this and now that the Mean Girls have a substantial goal in mind with the Mean Girls Under the Strip Tour '08, maybe it is time for everyone to kick themselves out of the status quo and try something different.

Bring it, Girls!

Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Week 6

Romeo is slowly yet surely becoming the most consistent loser of the group, and he has claimed the top spot (though still tied with Mom and Athena). Will he go for 5 next week? He has a vacation coming up, girls. So, there's your chance to catch up!

Maestro and FitnessNerd have been hangin in there, too, but I was kind of hoping that being on my deathbed over the weekend would mean more of a weight loss. Damn!


Anyone care to make a side wager on when Blanche will actually put down the biscuits and gravy and start participating? :)

Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Week 4 & 5

Since I didn't get the numbers together last week, I am posting both weeks. Mom has seized the lead, and Romeo has moved into second place! Brooklyn and Maestro both had some losses, too. Keep up the good work!


Week 5:
Week 4:

Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Week 2

We have the first results of our weigh ins, and well, there wasn't much of a move, but obviously, we couldn't expect to see movement like the people on the show. However, there is obviously room to improve here, and we all need help in achieving our goals.

Since we had ties, I just put them in alphabetical order for fairness.

Good Job to Athena, Brooklyn, and Romeo! Good Luck in Week 3!

Mean Girls Biggest Loser - Week 1, Tip 1 - Diet 101

I will be bringing you weekly tips and articles that I find on the internets.

Good Luck, Losers! :-)

I found this story at BodyBuilding.com, and I just want to say it is a VERY informative website. I know most of you do not want to become body builders, but there is a lot of great basic information there. They also have workout routines and other things that should be very helpful for you. Plus, there is a store with good prices on supplements and other stuff, though I have found things cheaper on the net. Check it out!

Diet 101: Basics of a Sound Nutritional Plan
By: Ginger Redeker

Diet is an ugly word that conjures up thoughts of deprivation and filling your growling stomach with bland, boring, food. However, one must realize that "diet" is merely the makeup of your daily intake of food and it doesn't necessarily have to be restrictive and mundane.

A person's diet is the number one key to achieving the goals they desire in any fitness program they partake in. You know the old saying, "you are what you eat" is the best quote and should be your inspiration and motivation in making wise and informed decisions on what you put in your mouth.

This article will hopefully help you to determine what to look for when going grocery shopping, dining out, preparing and eating your own food to improve your "diet" and hopefully will give you some suggestions and insight to keep you on the path of a healthier, slimmer, you.

The Basics Of Nutrition

You should strive to eat at least 5 to 6 small meals a day that are spread 2 to 3 hours apart. Each meal should have some source of protein with it and can be combined with fibrous carbs (think vegetables) or starchy carbs (think fruits, grains and potatoes). Beyond that, the best advice I can give you is to choose whole, fresh, unprocessed food that exists in their most natural state.

For example, instead of eating cereal which is highly processed and can be full of sugar and chemicals you can't even pronounce, why not try a bowl of plain oatmeal, cream of rice or oat bran that is sweetened and flavored with Splenda and cinnamon or maybe some chopped pecans with some sugar free syrup.

Try eating raw or lightly steamed broccoli instead of broccoli smothered in cheese and butter. Replace lunch meat that is highly processed with chemicals and preservatives with real turkey, beef or chicken. The point is, consuming fresh whole foods is the best route to take when it comes to feeding our bodies.

The mentality one needs to have concerning diet, is that of fueling our bodies to perform throughout the day and to keep our energy up and our minds sharp.

Alternatives

Now that you know a little about how many times a day you should eat and what kinds of foods you should be eating, we can touch on the topics of condiments, food preparation, and food substitutes.

The purpose of this article is to inform you of healthy alternatives to help you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals in conjunction with an appropriate workout program.

In the following categories, I will give you some examples of common food additives that can in fact be replaced with healthier options. Again, my advice to you is to experiment with these healthier alternatives to find what suits your palate the best!

Beverages

Coffee Creamer And Sugar

• Low Carb Protein Shakes or Ready to Drink Shakes (Labrada, Muscle Milk Light, or Pure Pro)
• Soymilk or Almond Milk (I like SoySlender or Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk)
• Stevia, Splenda, or Equal
• Flavored Sugar Free Coffee Syrups

Juice And Sugary Drinks

• Crystal light
• No Sugar Added Light Juice
• Juice your own fruit juices from fresh fruit

Pop

• Diet Pop
• Crystal light mixed with Carbonated Seltzer water

Whole Or 2% milk

• Skim Milk
• Soy or Almond Milk

Alcohol

• Limit at all costs because it's the #1 factor in gaining weight and belly fat

Condiments

• Butter
• Fat Free Promise Butter
• I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray
• Molly McButter
• For Baking replace butter in recipes with fat free yogurt, fat free sour cream, sugar free applesauce, shredded zucchini or carrots, or pureed dates or figs
• Use Pam non stick cooking spray for sautée, grilling or pan frying

Salad Dressing

• Fat free dressings but beware of hidden fructose corn syrup (check the ingredient list on the nutrition label)
• Make your own dressing by mixing flax seed oil, Mrs Dash or other herbs, peppers, onions etc. and balsamic vinegar (my favorite is the Golden Balsamic Vinegar as it is sweeter)
• Mustard with splenda and a little water to make a virtually fat free low cal honey mustard dressing
• Salsa or lemon wedges
• Top your salad with fat free cottage cheese

Toppings, Seasonings And Marinades

• Fat Free Ranch dressing on potatoes
• Fat free sour cream, cream cheese or yogurt
• Salsa
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Mrs Dash Seasonings and Marinades
• •Sugar Free Maple Syrup
• Walden Farm Products

Dining Out:

When dinning out or eating at friends' houses, don't be afraid to quiz the server or your host/hostess on how the food was prepared. Shy away from terms on the menu like sautéed, creamed, fried, breaded, drizzled, etc and ask for all sauces to come on the side.
Make smart decisions and when in doubt order a salad loaded with lots of veggies with a clean source of protein such as chicken, steak or salmon. Order your salad dressings on the side and dip the fork in the dressing and eat with the salad instead of drenching the salad with unnecessary calories.

The Lesser Evil?

When making choices regarding nutrition and meal planning, think and ask yourself, "What is the lesser evil?"

My suggestion to you is to take a trip to the grocery store and compare similar products so that you can get an idea of which ones are the better choices-- this is what I do with my clients. They literally get a lesson in nutrition and what to look for at the grocery store because I want them to know that there are healthier options out there that don't taste like cardboard!

You want to choose the lowest sugar, least processed, low sodium products and try them. See what healthy options taste good they do not all taste great but experiment to see which ones will work for you!

Making any modifications or changes in your diet is never easy! I suggest that you start out slow and make a few small changes every week to prevent from becoming overwhelmed and giving in. You almost have to retrain your taste buds to crave the natural flavor of food.

When was the last time you ate a vegetable that wasn't doused in butter, cheese, salt or salad dressing? Just remember that all of the little additions to our food add up into a bunch of unnecessary calories. It is the little things like putting sauces and dressings on the side and dipping your fork into it for a little taste and weighing and measuring food to be sure of the food portions that are being consumed, that can make a huge difference in your ability to lose weight.

Conclusion

By shaving off a few calories here and there, being aware of portion sizes, and choosing whole unprocessed foods, you will in turn be saving hundreds of calories which will result in losing those unwanted lbs!

Hopefully this article gives a few basic ideas to get started but remember, no nutrition plan will work without you the participant, to be consistent and dedicated to see it through.

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!