Second Place is First Loser!

The other night, I was running my normal route and thought: 'I know how competitive everyone is...if I am going to have a chance of winning this challenge, I need to do things that I haven't done before.' So I did it! 

It was something that I have wanted to do since I moved to this house.  I ran to the 215 and back! (about 6 miles round trip).  I am not telling you to brag, but rather to motivate you to push yourself harder than you think you can.  I have sore legs, and blisters to show for it, but I am grateful that I finally did it.  It's been over a year since I have ran that far and now I want to do more!

I found a fantastic website with a ton of low-calorie recipes on it.  It includes, breakfast, appetizers, salads, main dishes and even dessert (check out the Diet Coke Brownies..only 115 calories!)  These will help make sure our accomplishments won't go unnoticed.  (I am using these to plan my meals for next week..I will let you know what our families' favorites are.)

Website:
 http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/p/recipe-box_20.html
(I also pinned it for those on Pintrest)

Sweat is just your fat crying~Keep Moving!

As much as I want to let this challenge be only about losing weight and ignore the fact that I may need a lifestyle makeover, I have come to realize that losing weight has to include a lifestyle change.  I did some research and found a few things that all doctors agree should be done on a daily basis for our health.  These may not help you drop the weight fast, but those who do these daily will be able to lose more weight and remain healthy.

1.)  A healthy breakfast is the cornerstone of a good diet. Studies have shown when we skip breakfast; our bodies go for 10-16 hours with no outside source of energy. Our chemistry begins to shift to a mode of starvation, which increases appetite and changes how our bodies regulate blood sugar.

2.)  Drink at least eight 8oz. glasses of water a day. A recent study surveyed peoples' various aches and pains, energy levels and sense of well-being. When they were instructed to drink 8 glasses of water a day and their symptoms were reevaluated, notable improvements were seen in improved energy levels, fewer aches and pains, and generally improved sense of health.

3.)  Make meaningful connections with people. Many go through their day-to-day lives surrounded by other people without making meaningful connections. This doesn’t mean getting more Facebook or Twitter friends! A study was done over long period of time among classmates. Those who subsequently developed cancer were more likely to have described a lack of closeness with their parents and friends than their healthy classmates, even 50 years later.

4.)  If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Eat your fruits and vegetables!  There are too many benefits to list, but we all know what they are.

5.)  Sunlight is every bit as central to our health and well-being as proper nutrition, and exercise. (This is for my husband who thinks walking to his car is enough time spent outdoors.) Exposure to sunlight stimulates the pineal gland to produce melatonin which plays a role in proper sleep and has been shown to fight cancer. Also, when we are outdoors we tend to be more active by walking, hiking, and enjoying other physical activities.

6.)  Learn how to cope with stress properly; take time to relax and meditate. Every day you need to find a way to cope with the stresses, big or little, that come your way.  When you encounter stress, your brain releases hormones that go to various parts of the body to help you fight; fat and sugar are released into the bloodstream, and at the same time you blood vessels constrict, increasing your blood pressure. Your heart beats faster and your muscles tighten, which contribute to an overall unwell feeling.

7.)  Get at least 7 hours of sleep. A brand new study showed that people who don’t get enough sleep are not as sharp the next day and most alarmingly, they don’t even realize it. There have been numerous studies that link obesity and not enough sleep.  With kids, jobs, school and church obligations, I know this may be hard to do.  However, studies have shown that those who get 7 hours of sleep each night are better able to perform their duties.  So look at sleeping as an important part of being the best ‘YOU’-you can be.

They are haunting me.  Gummi Bears…just sitting there asking to be eaten. How do I eat these without feeling guilty about it?  I just need to burn off the calories so it is as if I never ate them.  Here are few easy ways to burn off calories for those haunting moments during the day:

Cook Dinner: Between chopping and table setting, you'll burn 100 calories in 38 minutes.

Garden: Spend 21 minutes tilling soil and planting in your garden to burn 100 calories.

Walk the dog: Hoof it to the dog park at a relaxed pace to burn 30 calories in 10 minutes. At the park, use the leash to jump rope for only four minutes (40 calories).

Play Soccer with the kids: Dribble and shoot your way through soccer drills for 14 minutes to boot 100 calories.

Dance:  repeating a song four times, you'll torch 100 calories.        

(Close your eyes Annie and Kaden:)

Sex: slide under the sheets for 20 minutes to burn 100 calories.

Vacuuming:  25 minutes of vacuuming around your home will burn about 100 calories

Walk: 15 minutes of brisk walking will burn approximately 100 calories.

Jog: Do it in-place as you wait for your favorite show to come on. 12 minutes will burn more than 100 calories.

Volleyball: Twelve minutes of volleyball is all it takes to reach 100 calories burned.

Swimming:  Of all the summers not to have a pool! Just a 15-minute leisurely swimming will help burn over 100 calories.  I’m not even talking laps.

Laugh: If you laugh for 10 to 15 minutes a day, you'll burn up to 50 calories. No joke!

I, of course, gave in to the haunting Gummi Bears, but had fun dancing them off!

Better choices on the run

As I was running today, I could not stop thinking about McDonald’s french fries and cheeseburgers.  (I don’t like McDonalds…my body must be really craving fat!)  However, that got me thinking about fast food.  We are all busy; sometimes a meal on the run is the only option we have.  (or in my case…I just don’t feel like cooking) I did a little research to find the best options for us as we eat on the run. Here are a few:

 McDonald's Chicken McNuggets with Sweet 'N Sour Sauce

4 pieces, 220 calories
The sauce is low in calories and sodium.

McDonald's Hamburger

260 calories
This less-than-two-ounce burger is pretty small, so it's one of the diet-friendliest sandwiches in the biz.

McDonald's Egg McMuffin

300 calories
With its lean Canadian-style bacon and English muffin, this breakfast sandwich is a better choice than the 500-calorie Sausage Biscuit with Egg.

KFC Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

120 calories
Mashed is always better than fried. Don't worry about the gravy; it adds only a few calories and just half a gram of fat.

KFC Original Recipe Drumstick

140 calories

KFC Honey BBQ Sandwich

300 calories
This Southern specialty is actually the lowest-calorie full-size sandwich on the menu.

Taco Bell Fresco Style Crunchy Taco

150 calories                     
Pair your taco with a filling side (like beans or rice), so you won't be hungry again before you leave the parking lot.

Taco Bell Fresco Style Grilled Steak Soft Taco

170 calories                                                    Taco Bell Fresco Style Tostada

200 calories                  

Taco Bell Gordita Nacho Cheese -- Chicken

270 calories

Pizza Hut Fit 'N Delicious Pizza with Diced Chicken, Red Onion, and Green Pepper

2 slices, 340 calories
A dietitian's dream: thin crust, lean chicken, and vegetable toppings.

Pizza Hut 12" Veggie Lover's Hand-Tossed Pizza

1 slice, 220 calories

Wendy's Jr. Hamburger

280 calories

Wendy's Large Chili

330 calories

Have a sweet tooth?  Here are a few choices on the sweeter side:

McDonald's Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Cone

150 calories                                      

Taco Bell Cinnamon Twists

160 calories

Wendy's Jr. Frosty

160 calories

5 Disasters to avoid:

1.     Wendy's Big Bacon Classic: 580 calories,

2.     McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 730 calories

3.     KFC Chicken Pot Pie: 770 calories, 40g fat

4.     Burger King Triple Whopper with Cheese: 1,230 calories,

5.     Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad: 860 calories

The Team~Before Pictures

                                                                       Alison

Annie

Aaron

Chris

Doug

Kaden

Kiel

Kim

Mindy

Mom

Dad

Don't be stressing about these pictures.  They are simply meant to motivate.  It's the AFTER pictures that we all care about.

Welcome!  
 The One-Ton Challenge. 
After the weigh-in, the total was over 2500!!  This is where the one-ton challenge comes to play.  I believe we can make us an even 1 TON.  This means that as a whole, we have to lose over 500 lbs! Yikes!
Can it be done?  I think it can...although it may take longer than the end of July. 
What's your part?  There are 11 people in the challenge now.  That means we all have to lose just over 45 lbs each.  Some will do more and some can do less. 
How can I do it? Think about what you might (or did) look like 45lbs lighter.  That should be enough motivation for us all. If you need some extra motivation, I hope this blog will do that.
Look forward to updates, healthy tips, pictures and more.  Feel free to comment and post as well.