Biggest Loser Challenge Week 4

Hello Biggest Loser Challengers!!

Since we missed last week this update will have TWICE as much info.

Remember to check out our blog at www.spfbbiggestloserchallenge.blogspot.com. I am posting these update and other little info as we go along. Also, if you haven’t already done so, send me some info on how you plan to go about losing weight, what ideas what worked for you, your goals and how you’re doing so far. I will not post names but this information could motivate someone else in their journey so please share what you can!

I will be the first to admit to you guys, I fell off the bandwagon for the last week and a half or so. I gained back about a pound and did not commit myself to the changes I was trying to make or exercise at all. But I picked myself up and jumped right back on. So please don’t feel like you are alone if you happen to fall on the way side while we make this journey together. Just pick up where you left on and continue on. Try to figure out what is causing your loss of motivation, mine was losing my treadmill, and figure out what you can do to fix it or work around it, like doing tae bo instead of jogging on my treadmill. And as always, if you ever need help or just a little pick me up, let me know!! I want to help keep us all going to we can reach our goals together.

Here are your suggestions for the week:

1. Sugar substitutes are just as evil as sugar itself. Do you really think your body knows how to handle something that was man-made? Seriously. These chemically-adjusted products do not occur in the wild; there are no Splenda trees in warmer climates, nor are there NutraSweet plants in the Arctic. In some instances, taking in sugar substitutes may actually increase your levels of hunger! Let’s not forget about all the health issues that might arise from these unnatural substances. If you’re given a choice, it’s almost better to go with something your body knows how to deal with (real, unprocessed sugar). No, it’s much safer (and healthier) to stay away from blue, pink, and yellow packets entirely. Do a Web search for “Artificial Sweeteners May Damage Diet Efforts.” Then sit there and tell me they’re okay? No way.http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040630/artificial-sweeteners-damage-diet-efforts
2. I repeat again: Train wrecks will happen. One of these nights, you’re going to go out with friends and eat your weight in steak (likely blowing any kind of progress you had made for that day). Instead of repeating the overindulgence, just put yourself back on track the next day. You’re allowed to “mess up” every now and again, so long as you don’t make a habit out of consuming an excessive amount of food. Right the dining injustice immediately. You’ll be okay. You’ll be fine. Just don’t do it again. And again. And again. And again.
Know your daily calorie limit. When I was in the process of losing weight, it was suggested that I stay under 1700 calories a day. Knowing that number was half the battle. I could eat anything I wanted throughout the day, so long as I would stay at or beneath that number. While I couldn’t track 100% of the items I ate, I was able to make intake estimates – and adjust my schedule and ration my remaining calories accordingly. In this sense, you’re given extreme freedom – so long as you stay at or beneath that suggested calorie level for your plan. If you don’t know how much you’re supposed to take in, how are you supposed to know how much you’re supposed to take in?! Sounds redundant, but it’s a situation that many “dieters” are in (which is why they fail)!
4. Remember that the fork is not a shovel. I eat fast (I swear I can’t help it). Even if I’m not hungry, I want to shovel everything into my mouth in less than a minute. But my brain doesn’t know that my stomach is full until twenty minutes after it actually is. As such, I could stuff myself silly before realizing I didn’t need to consume as much as I did. Try eating half of what’s on your plate, wait ten minutes, then continue to eat if you’re still hungry. You never want to feel full – ever. That’s when you know you’ve eaten too much. If you want a real hunger-stopper, try an Omega 3 and Omega 6 supplement (EFAs) twenty minutes before a meal.
5. One pound a week. If you’re not losing at least one pound a week on your chosen weight loss regimen, you’re (a) stalled, or (b) finished. You might need to push yourself even harder, or (in some cases) let up a little bit while your body plays catch-up. If you lose more than one pound a week, then you’re doing better than average. Expecting to lose five pounds a week just isn’t realistic, though
6. Maintain your priorities. Sure, your sandwich would taste amazing with an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise… but do you really need it? Rather, is it more important for you to reach your weight loss goal quicker – or have this sandwich taste marginally better? What’ll happen the next time you’re faced with this decision – will you cave again? It’s a slippery slope; don’t lose sight of what’s most important to you.
Ignore Ronald McDonald. You don’t have to eliminate fast food completely, but you should avoid it at all costs. Most of it is nasty, bad stuff anyway – if you’d even go as far as to call it food. If you’re looking for convenience, find a more convenient meal source. Besides, most of what they serve would be considered “food product,” not food. There’s a gigantic difference as far as your body is concerned. Your bloodstream does not have taste buds, need I remind you?
8. Don’t compare yourself to others. Everybody is different. It stands to reason that everybody will lose weight differently. Even if you do the exact same things that I do, you won’t lose weight at the same rate. The key is in finding your triggers. Keep your goal in sight, and do whatever you have to do to meet that goal. When you start looking at someone else’s habits, you’re only going to become discouraged and quit without even realizing that it’s physically impossible to be anybody but yourself.
9. Zone out. There’s a reason why people exercise to their favorite music – listening to external stimulus takes your mind off of the physical activity. That’s the secret to making “exercise time” fly. If you’re concentrating on what your body is doing, the session is going to drag on for what will seem like days. Buy a portable music player, or situate yourself in front of a television.
10. Dietary control and exercise. It’s true what they say – all you need to do is watch what you eat, and expend more energy than you consume. It’s really that simple. You can quit reading this list now, you now know everything you need to know and didn’t need to fork over $500 for the privilege of me telling you the secret of losing weight. You don’t need to read a 4,000 page book, you don’t have to buy a tape series, you don’t need to stay up late at night to watch infomercials to understand this basic premise. It’s 100% true.
Tips this week were taken from http://chris.pirillo.com/50-weight-loss-tips/.

FYI: 7 round trips from the south exit door, down the hall way, through Lalo’s dock and into the volunteer room is one mile. Take a couple of laps during lunch or join us for walking.

WE WILL BE WALKING TODAY, MONDAY, JANUARY 25TH AT 4:30PM. JOIN US AT THE SOUTH EXIT DOOR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO!

Thanks for all your hard work guys and keep it up! In no time we will all be where we want to be. Don’t forget to weigh on Wednesday. Tami is here from 1:00pm – 3:00pm but you can weigh at any time during the day as long as you have a witness.

Thanks and have a great week!


Meagan Bratton, Volunteer Coordinator
South Plains Food Bank
Lubbock, Texas
806/763-3003, Fax: 806/741-0850
volunteer@spfb.org