Nothing

Didn't lose anything. Didn't eat well. Didn't exercise.

I'm feeling more motivated at the moment though, so perhaps this next week will be better.

Win SOME, Lose SOME!

We lost some - a pound each; but compliments of a party for a perky little 4 year old, we probably won some tonight! It sure was fun to see what was left of yawl; we forgot our camera, so the Simmons will just have to use their imaginations - it was an emaciated site to behold!

Those now pushin' or beyond the 10% mark are probably dreaming about how t0 spend the cash, but don't dream too big my friends, because there are sleeping giants all around you. Be careful of the big toes, the verbose trickery, and loose loss language, because you may witness 'shock and awe' when April rolls around.

Til' we meet 'round the scales again next Sunday, we remain truly yours,
BO n' GO

Plateau?????

I think that I have hit the bottom for the type of exercises I have been doing. I guess it is time for me to change up the training I have been doing. Oh I lost a very minimal amount, enough that I am not even going to consider it a weight loss. This week I am going to do some different exercises to see if I can trick my body and get some results. We will see... late.

Lost 2

I wish they were coming out with a Lost 2. Was anyone a die-hard fan of Lost? I didn't get into until the 3rd or even 4th season and watched all the previous ones on DVD. Then the last season was so fun and confusing, I loved being "lost" every week, but the last episode screwed me over. It was trying to be too deep and have this really cool message/meaning and I just hated. So I guess I'm not too sure that I would be all that excited for a Lost 2.

Jenni - week 8

I lost 3 pounds this week - and again for the record, it's really 2 hence the 1 pound gainage last week. Enough with the fluctuation already! I guess that's normal though, so it's ok. It feels SO GOOD to be getting closer and closer to my goal weight! I appreciate everyone doing this together! Really, it's such a motivation to me to keep going. Thanks so much you guys. I fit into another skirt yesterday that I haven't been able to wear, it was so nice. I feel like I have a new wardrobe to wear again. :) This week I hurt my big toe. I can barely walk on it today. I don't even know what I did! Kind of frustrating. It hurt a bit while I was exercising yesterday. And now today it's bad. I hope it will heal up soon so I can be active again. Maybe I should just do the bike this week to let it heal? We'll see. Love you all! :)

BY THE INCH, IT'S A CINCH!

Late reporting due to trip south - "tending" a parent and grand-kids; it was a treat being around both ends of life's spectrum. We also got a look at some of the competition - Mr. Burke Horton, and Jenni Craig - they're looking greaaaaaaaaaat, so watch out all you wanna be Lose It winners!

As for the BOGO team: a tad plus for GO, and a tad minus for BO! In other words, a WASH for our team.... GO won't stand still long enough for measurements, but appearances tell the story--she's goin' down! She maintains a healthy attitude toward her teammate and still feeds him well, but smaller portions - we have a rule that one cannot lick their plate anymore!

BO is tracking many things, including water percentage; thought I was retaining water for some reason. It appears that an obese individual can have as little as 45% water; my percentage is increasing each week as I moved out of the obese body fat category. Around 55% water is normal for men, and around 51% for women due to higher "acceptable" body fat levels. I have now arrived in the "acceptable" level for body fat - under 25%. Also, my waist is almost true to the pant size I have been wearing for years; no more lying pants!

We get a kick out of reading your reports, knowing that your struggles and sorrows will be rewarded with joy, even though it may not be until the next life. Love to you all! BO n' GO

Food Journal

So I got this food journal/calorie counter app last week. I've tried using these things before with online programs, but needed to have a computer handy always ended up being an inconvenience that ended the tracking within a couple days. Now I've got the application in my pocket and I actually use it. As a result I actually stayed nearly within a calorie limit that's supposed to make me lose two pounds on average per week. Even on the day a coworker brought in donuts, and I had two of them. I just ended up being hungry most of the day.
I lost one pound this week. It may take me till around June to reach my target, but I intend to get there. I just wish my other New Years goals were going as well as this one.

Good Week

Well I had another week of weight loss. This week I lost THREE pounds. I am happy with the results. I have been doing the same routine for 3 weeks in a row now. It is starting to pay off in the body shaping. The weight is coming off, but I have notice improvements in the muscle definition and tone. I will keep this up another week and see how things go. I am 2 pounds from a milestone. I hope I can keep this up until the end and get myself to the point I was hoping to get at. I will admit my will power this week was "weak", but all in all I was able to accomplish all that I set to do. Juli failed me and made some delicious eats and I couldn't resist. Then she brought home a gallon of pudding from an activity she did and that wasn't good either. Every time the fridge door is open there is pudding sitting there, and I promise there is a neon sign blinking on it.... "eat me chubby". That sign almost convinces me every time.

I learned something in Sunday School today. We talked about the miracles that Jesus did while here on earth. When we read the definition of Miracles in the Bible dictionary, it made me think about what we are doing to get weight loss and control. In the definition it states "Miracles should not be regarded as deviations from the ordinary course of nature so much as manifestations of divine or spiritual power. Some lower law was in each case superseded by the action of a higher (law)." Do you know what this mean? It means that with Heavenly Fathers help, all of us can get that "divine and spiritual power" to superseded the lower law we are use to and have miracles in our own lives. We all need to be in control our wants and desires, this is the higher law. When Jesus performed miracles, he didn't change the elements from one to another, he just had control of the elements he used to create miracles. Lets get more control over the elements we control and make a difference that makes us feel better everyday.

Just know one day you will be able to control the fat and tell it to leave, but until then lets do what we can do to get rid of the chub. Lets all kick butt this week. Arik

NO COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!

Need Help!

So, I have had a hard week with this pregnancy, just keep contracting if I stand too much & it hurts my back, and I'm tired. I need easy recipes, I've lost the desire to cook, especially anything healthy 'cause it requires too much thinking. I've just wanted to have mac n cheese with hotdogs & chili in it, or make creamy enchiladas, you know, all the WRONG things to eat. Any ideas, I miss casseroles & the frugality of it all, I don't like eating a lot of meat, so to sit & eat a whole peice of chicken everyday is not fun for me, I like a little bit, mixed in with something yummo. Let me know if you have any ideas. LOVE YOU!

+1

It was a rough week. No desire to eat healthy or work out. What can I say?

Jenni - week 7

Well, I gained a pound this week. I was expecting too because it's that time of the month. I know that may be too much information for everyone, but for me it's good to remember that tidbit of information to explain the gain. I feel fine with it and know it will come off this week. I was a bit worried because I treated myself to sweets on Valentines day and had a bit too much bread on Tuesday at our Relief Society bread making night. But I did really well at Bunko again and made good choices. We went to Aurora over the weekend and stayed with Grandma. It was really fun to see her and talk with her. Dad and Gail watched our kids on Saturday so that we could go to the Temple - it was really nice. (THANKS again!!!) It was fun to see them too, they're looking great! With all of the traveling it was a bit difficult to eat well, but I think I did pretty good and ordered small things, or a salad. So all in all it was a pretty good week. I'm excited for this week, I'd like to do more running along with my workouts. Hope you all have a healthy and happy week!!!!! :)

Struggling

I've had a rough couple of weeks. Ever since the superbowl. I got sick and did nothing last week and still haven't got any energy yet this week. The last two nights all I could think about during my workouts was "for what reason?" Why am I doing this? Why did I want to push my body to get into better shape? I'm not on any sports team. Jenni will still love me even if I don't lose my gut. So this is my soul searching question I'm asking myself. Why am I doing this challenge? Here is a face swap I did with Tony Horton. Since I think he's in great shape at 46 yrs old in this picture? He doesn't eat too many sweets or fats which is something normal people like me crave all the time. I don't understand it, but get the idea that I'd feel better about myself if I didn't eat so much crap or when I did eat crap just not so much?

Robbed by a Nut!

Reporting "alive" here in West Valley City!

Gailena results were stable, with a ZERO weight gain/loss; in actuality she lost 0.2% fat, but experienced a 0.2% higher water retention, so still on the downward trend. Her exercise routine was marginal, and she enjoyed a bit of chocolate and nuts in her diet. Life is good!!!!

Bratley lost that pound that Burke found. During weigh-in routine each morning of the past week, it appeared that a two pound weight loss would be realized. BUT the Brat inherited some pistachio nuts from his father-in-law, and the subtle saline coating reduced the expected results by a pound. Daily exercise was hampered by pain in the achilles tendon, but on the mend now.

One little square of Royal Dark, Cadbury Chocolate daily sometimes turns into two - it sure is yummy though; and it seems a fair trade for the high-levels of a sugary substance that used to run through our veins. Life is GOOD!!!!

Carry-on, little friends, in building better bodies; the trek to Missouri will be more enjoyable now! See ya 'round the bend!

Renewed drive

So I started the week off with Super Bowl food on Sunday, followed by Sophie making brownies on Monday and me eating about 5-6. Going out for Sushi, Ice cream dots, and a Jazz game on Wednesday. Kind of cool we happened to be there for what turned out to be Sloan's last game with the Jazz. Then on Thursday I went to a graveside ceremony for my mom's aunt, followed by a trip to a Chinese Buffet with my mom, some of her siblings, and my grandparents. I weighed myself Friday morning and I was up 2 lbs. Well I didn't want to report a weight gain today, so I controlled myself much better Friday and Saturday and upon weighing in this morning, found I'd not only managed to lose the two I'd gained, but one more along with them. So I lost 1 pound for the week.

It's Back

I gained my 0.8 last week's loss back. I continued my Super Bowl binge this whole last week and with getting sick and not working out the last 4 days I'm surprised I didn't gain more.

Super Bowl Results....

Well I don't know if I would call them "Super" but they were results. This week I worked out every single day like I have been from the beginning. I started my week off with a Super Celebration and enjoyed eating whatever I wanted to for one day. It was great. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I did my normal circuit training (sit ups, push up, curls and elliptical) for a total of six rotations. On Tuesday and Thursday and did my normal elliptical 30 minutes. Yesterday I thought it would be nice to go outside and do some running. I shaved 2 minutes off my 1.5 mile time from the last time I ran it three weeks ago. That is awesome. I was hoping for some awesome results this morning, however only came in with a 2 pound weight reduction. I am actually very happy about it. I am at a total of 28 pound right now which is very nice. The best part however is when I was running yesterday, it almost felt effortless when it came to recovery. With that said I have realized that the elliptical is a heaven sent piece of equipment because of the low impact it provides my knees. Today I am feeling aches from yesterdays run.

My plan this week is the same, I am actually going to up my reps on circuit days and try and go to muscle failure on each thing, each set. I am hoping for some big returns this week. That sounds like I am investing money into a high yield bank account for some big financial returns. Instead however, I will invest good eating habits and exercise for a longer healthier life. The returns I have already seen have been great results but the long term will be outstanding. I have a challenge for everyone... Invest in good food and exercise this week, and we will see the results next Sunday... and 50 years from now hopefully.

Robina

Welp, I gained a pound. I didn't really try very hard this week. I tend to eat crummier when I have added stress (girls camp, yes already) and I have a Human Biology mid-term test coming up next Thursday. I have SOOooooo much to study. Here's hopin' I can keep my eating to a minimum on the junk food this week. Wish me luck.

Jenni - week 6

Well hello there, fello weight losers. I am VERY proud to report a loss of 4 pounds this week, but for the record it's really 3 since I gained a big'n last week. I have to say I was really stressed about weighing in this week - well, I am every week - so that's not new, I guess. Our whole little town is sick right now and we've all got the bug. Strep, flu, and I had some of that fun bronchitis coughing going on that I had last year at this time! So, we're all on medicine and the kids have been home all week except for Friday. It's been a great little vacation (yah right) but now we're ready for life to get back to normal. So for exercise this week I would wait for Burke to get home and then I'd go running, so I could get out of the house. But then the bug caught up with me for the weekend and I couldn't do much again. SO sick of being sick. BUT yesterday I slept a lot, so that counts as losing some calories, right? Whatever. Do you guys ever get scared once you get to a certain number that it won't stick or you wonder if you can get below that for sure??? I'm at that point. Because I still have a ways to go, but this is about where I've gotten in the past. I can get past this, right???!!! Right! Let's do this!!!!! :) Oh, one more bit of rambling - ya know how I've been craving cookie dough??? Well, I walk into the kitchen on Friday night and there Burke is making chocolate chip cookies?!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was a bit taken back, what to do. So I ate some and some cookies. It's like it relieved stress from my body! It was good. Who knows though, it may catch up to me next week. EEEEKKKK! Good luck on V-day tomorrow! AND we have Kaleb's b-day the next day. We're doomed this week. Bah!

Cookies for Jenni

HA, here's a great cookie recipe with NO sugar or butter! I tweaked it, and it worked, the kids didn't go for them as much, but I thought they were great, like a breakfast type cookie. I halved the recipe because nobody needs a bazillion cookies. So, here's what I came up with:

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 c applesauce
1/3 c honey
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c oatmeal
1/2 c raisins

Heat oven at 350. Mix applesauce, honey, egg, and vanilla; mix well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Finally mix in oats and raisins. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet & bake 10 min ('til golden brown). Super yummy. Or you can make bar cookies in an 8x8 pan, baking 30 min. I think I figured it to be about 80 cal per cookie. Anyway, hope this satisfies some cravings. Love you all.

Pizzzzzzzzzzzzza

What a great day it was today. Me and Juli enjoyed a pizza together tonight for dinner. It was a large and between the two of us, we ate the entire thing... I'm not even joking. It was sooooooooooo good. I thought maybe I would try Steve's strategy of eat whatever you want and still lose three pounds. I guess Sunday will be the judge. It is weird, there is some guilt that came along with eating that much pizza, but I LOVED IT. I think I forgot to mention what was on the pizza.... It was loaded with mushrooms, pineapple, tons of spinach, red peppers and onions. The crust was very thin and made with 50% ground wheat, and then sprinkled with some cheese. So actually I don't feel one bit guilty. I love eating yummy food.

Just a side note I was doing some research the other day and they talked about drinking your 64 oz of water per day. They said in doing just that, your body will burn an extra 500 calories in just drinking per week. Food for thought. Happy being healthy everyone. Later

0.2 +2.0 FOR GO N' BO

LITTLE LATE SIGNING IN, BUT WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW YOU ARE DOING BEFORE WE DARE REPORT! GO WAS SURPRISED, AND EXCITED, TO SEE SHE HAD LOST 2 POUNDS OVER THE PAST WEEK. BO WAS SURPRISED, AND NOT REALLY EXCITED TO SEE HE HAD LOST 0.2 POUNDS OVER THE PAST WEEK. WE'RE KEEPING ON TRACK WITH THE DOWNWARD TREND AND GIVING ALL OF YOU A HEADSTART, BUT AFTER SEEING ARIK'S RESULTS SUNDAY NIGHT, DECIDED WE NEED TO GIVE HIM A LITTLE MORE COMPETITION. DON'T WORRY (TOO MUCH), WE'RE JUST HARMLESS LITTLE OLD PEOPLE, WHO ARE TRYING TO BE YOUNGER (LOOKING / FEELING).

WE'RE SORRY TO HEAR OF DISCOURAGING RESULTS - KEEP ON GOING, SAID THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD, AS HE CHUGGED UP THE HILL.... LOVE AND SUCCESS TO YOU ALL THIS WEEK; AND IT APPEARS THE BY WORD IS "LISTEN TO YOUR BODY" THIS WEEK.

I Am Not an Advocate for Diet Soda (just the real stuff with all the High Fructose Corn Syrup)

I just want everyone to understand that I was just joking when I made my post (and still am in the title). As much as I do love soda (especially Mt. Dew and I will admit for the higher caffeine content) I don't think that drinking diet/regular soda everyday (and certainly not every 2-3 hours) is a healthy choice. I was just trying to support Steve in saying what the article said that a diet drink every once in a blue moon as a special treat is nothing to beat yourself up about. I'm sure there is something that everyone in this challenge eats occasionally that is just as bad health wise for you as a diet soda. And there is a zero calorie beverage that is very good for you: water.

That being said I'd like to share with you a rebuttal that one of my volleyball players (who is addicted to soda and doesn't yet know it) shot at me when I challenged all my girls to a no carbonated/caffeinated beverage policy for this last season. She told me vaguely that soda is used by athletes and she needed it too. She felt that she would not be as energetic without it on the court. She is my best athlete but I still feel she would be just as good without soda. I had already read a brief synopsis about what she was referring to that cyclists use soda to refuel themselves on their last few minutes of a long race. I found an article (or one that is more in depth) about this study and don't expect any of you to read the whole thing, but it is very interesting. These cyclists drink coke, sometimes "de-fizzed" or mixed with a sport drink, for an energy boost. The caffeine helps and the carbonation does nothing to their blood acidity. While exercising caffeine is only mildly diuretic. That being said I still do not think any soda (cola or MT DEW) is a good idea during exercise because I am not an athlete and definitely not a cyclist (I would hate to wear full body spandex).

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/sports-nutrition-is-coca-cola-an-effective-sports-drink-713

Here is an interesting article that says that sports, juices, and non-cola beverages can cause 3-11 times greater enamel damage on teeth.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/262925-relationship-between-sport-drinks-dental-erosion/

And lastly a blog I came across that seems to have a lot of articles warning us to be cautious of all the studies that are done on health. It seems science keeps changing it mind. Just read an article in Newsweek last week about this cycle of science saying "this is how it is" and then recanting "never-mind". Check this out if you have some spare time (Jenni seems to think I've got too much!)

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com

I AM NOW A MAN!

I am now a real man. I watched the Super Bowl for the 1st time in my life and actually enjoyed it! My co-worker (also the mayor) invited the faculty over and I hesitated at first but then thought about all the food and said ok. Jenni stayed home with Kaleb :( and I took the girls. It was a lot of fun and I ate enough to last me till tomorrow night. I rooted for the Packers cause that's who they were rooting for and that made the night because my team won! Don't lose too much fat this week, in fact, I won't mind a bit if any of you gain, ahem Arik. Lets try to keep this biggest loser contest a close game huh?!

0.8 (I love the tenths digit)

I lost 8 pounds this last week. I'm happy because I felt like I was going to gain weight. I ate a horse and sat on my butt 24/7!?! Just kidding. I really did have some days that I ate a lot more than I've been eating (portion size) and this was my rest week which meant I didn't lose a gallon of sweat every time I worked out. It was hard to work out to the same routine for 6 days in a row and by Saturday I was really sick of looking at the same people doing the same thing while I mimicked them. So I was surprised and happy when I got on the scale and weighed 0.8 pounds. \

Okay, for all of you who are still confused, I only lost 0.8 lbs. That's almost one whole pound.

This next week's workouts are gonna suck! I'm into "max" training DVDs now that I've graduated from the regular stuff.

Congrats to all you who are still hanging in the challenge and working for it!

Absence makes the food taste better

I lost 3 pounds this week. A little surprising considering how the week went. I usually work out with one of my coworkers before lunch, but he was sick this week. I opted to do the work outs at home, ended up skipping two days, and riding an exercise bike is a lot less exertion than an elliptical. I don't feel like I ate especially well, and on Friday I had a diet Mt. Dew. Not just a can, but the 52 oz. mug I've been filling with water every work day this year, was full of that sweet, yellow, questionably poisonous liquid. I couldn't believe how good it tasted. Go without pop for a month then have it again, and its amazing. I also had an Apollo burger and fries earlier in the week. Looking forward to this evening and some more indulgence.

Sundays are Heavenly

The day you don't have to exersice, which is okay with me. This week I did cardio one day and then I would do a circuit the next day to include cardio, sit-ups, push-ups and some band. It was great and felt really good. I am amazing myself at how well I have been able to do on my workouts. I was very lucky this week and lost another 3 pounds. I figure if I can keep this up, I will be about to my goal by the end of March. Then after March it is just all about maintaining and staying healthy. I appreciate everyones posts this last week. There is a healthy body fat percentage for everyone, I did figure mine out at the begin of this whole thing and it was in the obese range. I think I will try and find it out again maybe today. Keep up the good work. Arik

Jenni - week 5

I gained a pound this week. Stupid. It was just a hard week emotionally and physically. I felt like I still ate healthy - except for Wednesday I ate too many carbs - yah, I think I blame it all on WEDNESDAY! It was a hard day - I felt stressed and overloaded with stuff. Because of all of that I had another flare up. After YW that night I had a lupus rash thing on my feet and they hurt pretty bad. BUT I still needed to work out, so somehow I did. It was a dumb choice because I was weak and still pushed myself. So now I've hurt my knee's because I worked out when I shouldn't have. SO I couldn't work out at all yesterday. I'm glad it's Sunday and I can just relax. Kaleb is sick, so I'll stay home with him today. This next week will be a better week...it better be. :)

Robyn -

Well, as you all know, I was doing the juicing. It was supposed to last 8 days but I only lasted 5. I am really done with this "juice fast" program. I haven't been following it anymore but I have been making healthier choices. Steve made the kids french toast last night for dinner and I really wanted some but I didn't, I am very proud. Instead, I made me some wheat spaghetti and I threw in a bunch of veggies into the sauce. Amberly and Jared ate that with me and we all enjoyed it. I am very proud to say that I lost 4 lbs. I feel very happy with that.

What Does "Weight Loss" Really Mean?

I've been wondering what a good percentage of body fat would be, so checked out this website and found the following interesting information - thought I'd share:

Body fat measurements and the measuring tape are recognized as superior methods for measuring "weight loss". When one declares that they want to "lose weight", what they often mean is that they want to lose fat. So, now that you've had your body fat percentage measured, what does the number really mean?

First, your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat your body contains. If you are 150 pounds and 10% fat, it means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass (bone, muscle, organ tissue, blood and everything else).

A certain amount of fat is essential to bodily functions. Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues and is the main form of the body's energy storage. The following table describes body fat ranges and their associated categories:

*General Body Fat Percentage Categories

*American Council on Exercise

Classification	Women (% fat)	Men (% fat)
Essential Fat	10-12%	2-4%
Athletes	14-20%	6-13%
Fitness	21-24%	14-17%
Acceptable	25-31%	18-25%
Obese	32% plus	25% plus

Knowing your body fat percentage can also help you determine if your weight loss goals are realistic. Remember, weight loss doesn't always mean fat loss. For example:

Let's say you're a 130# woman with 23% body fat, and you goal is to "lose 20 pounds":

Initial body fat: 130# x 0.23 fat = 30 # body fat

Lean body mass: 130# total - 30# fat = 100# lean body mass (bones, organs and all else)

Goal: 130# - 20# = 110 pounds

As you can see, the goal of losing 20 pounds is not realistic or healthy. At 110 pounds, this woman still requires 100# of lean body mass (bones, organs, etc.), but would only be carrying 10#, or only 9% body fat. From the chart above, you can see that this is a dangerously low percentage.

A better goal might be for the woman to reduce her body fat from 23% to 18%. In this case:

130# x 0.18 = 23 # body fat

100# lean body mass + 23 # = 123# goal weight

So, for this individual to achieve a lean, but healthy 18% fat, she would need to lose only 7 pounds of fat, reducing her weight from her current 130 pounds to 123 pounds. Losing more than 7 pounds means losing lean body mass (usually metabolically-active muscle tissue), which is clearly not desirable.

So before you decide that you need to "lose weight", remember to consider that "weight" consists of both lean body mass and body fat. Try to keep your weight loss goals realistic, and remember, keep the calorie-burning muscle, and lose only the fat.

Here's the URL, in case you want to check it out. Love yawl - see you tomorrow!

http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm

Our Deepest Fear

I read this on my friends blog the other day. I've read it before, but I just really love it and it gives me strength to continue to try and be my best me.

"Our Deepest Fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

-Marianne Williamson