Biggest Loser 12 - Which Time Slot Do You Prefer?

You know that commerical, "What would you do for a Klondike Bar"? Well, Biggest Loser turned that thought completely on its head. We saw their version last night - "What would you do for your favorite gym time slot" (which doesn't have quite the same ring to it) as the teams were faced with piles of donuts. It was actually more like "How many donuts would you eat for your time slot, where you'll have to work extra hard to burn them all off?"

Most of the contestants didn't eat any, but John from the Black team ate the most...37. Quite ironic that at the weigh-in his team needed to lose more than 37 pounds to be safe. They didn't make it, but the Blue team saved their butts. Maybe they'll send them a dozen donuts as a thank you gift.

This poses a question that I would like to ask you. Which time slot would you prefer? Early morning, midday, or late at night?

Ideally, I like to work out in the early evening. I am not a morning person (though I'm trying to be!) and I seem to be at my best at this time. If I only had those 3 choices, I would want the midday slot. My second choice would be the early one. (Even if I had to deal with Bizarro Bob's wake up call!) The late night slot would be bad for me because I would be too wound up to get to sleep afterward.

So which time do you like to workout...and what would YOU do to keep that time slot? I don't mean shoving donuts into your mouth in a challenge, but rather how would you personally make sure that you worked out at that time?

We all have to schedule our exercise time just like any other appointment. We already schedule meetings, church, kids activities, etc. Exercise is just as important as all of those. And once you write it down in your calendar, you must keep that appointment - just like you would never skip a meeting. Stick to whatever time is best for you and be consistent.

Now, if an emergency comes up and you can't keep to your schedule, by all means get some type of workout in wherever you can. Things do happen...but have a back-up plan in case you can't execute Plan A. Being consistent will give you the results you want, and your body will learn to crave workouts.

So here's to your favorite gym time...WITHOUT the donuts!

Week 1 of Biggest Loser 12 Challenge: How Did You Do?

The first week of my Biggest Loser Season 12 Challenge is in the books. Last week we set our goals...how much are we going to lose by the finale?

I weighed in this morning feeling pretty confident. I did have one piece of birthday cake at my son's party, but otherwise made smart choices. I had two spin classes and Pilates, in addition to my regular walking routine with a little dancing thrown in. So what do you think my scale told me?

It said "Congratulations!" (Well, it didn't actually speak, even though that would have been cool...yet scary.) I lost another 2.4 pounds this week so I've lost 4.6 so far toward my goal of 30 gone by mid-December.

I'm on my way and feeling better...healthier and more positive about myself.

How about you? How did you do? If you haven't joined my challenge yet you can still post here and set a goal. Let's work toward this together, and we will all be able to celebrate on BL12 finale night!

Biggest Loser Season 12 Premiere: What Do You Think of the New Trainers?

Tuesday night's season premiere of Biggest Loser ushered in a new era...one without well-loved trainer Jillian Michaels. Bob Harper is still there (thank God!) and he chose to lead the black team in honor of his former partner in crime. Bob is even more fierce than before while revealing his heart, making for the perfect balance in a trainer.

Two new trainers join Bob this season, Dolvett Quince and Anna Kournikova. Dolvett is taking on the red team while Anna leads the blue.

In the first challenge, the three teams were broken into age groups and competed for the right to choose their trainer. Of course the winning team chose Bob. He's proven himself from Season 1 until now and his track record speaks for itself. And with Bob, you know (for the most part) what you're going to get.

The second place team chose Dolvett, who is an experienced trainer in his own right. His long list of happy, fit clients includes some guy named Justin Bieber. (All of the young girls know Justin's in great shape for sure, while I show my age by still proclaiming my devotion to David Cassidy.) As I watched the first episode, Dolvett impressed me. Actually, I was much more than impressed. I became an immediate fan of his training style, which includes his way of showing tough love along with the compassion necessary for working with broken, obese contestants. Plus, I certainly agree with all of my female friends that he's extremely easy on the eyes!

The third place team didn't really have a choice. They became Anna's team. I was skeptical from the very first announcement of her as a trainer. Yes, she's an incredible tennis player, and she's definitely in top shape. But I didn't think she had what it took to really get the best out of all of the contestants in her charge. As the show began, I mentioned that I hope she proves me wrong...and discovered that most people are as skeptical as I am. The first show didn't do anything to change my mind yet. Anna is very sweet - possibly a little TOO sweet. I love her compassion, especially when she ran out to meet her team before they got to the finish line. She was also immediately thrown in the deep end since one of her team members found out her dad passed away just as she was getting settled on the ranch. Anna handled that well.

The problem is in the gym. Anna is not tough enough on her team. Even when she attempts to sound angry or push them it comes out much too nice. I'm not saying she has to be mean to everyone. What she does need is to find that balance that Bob and Dolvett have - the balance between compassion and rousing people into their consciousness so they do their best. Results will not happen without the tough love. Everyone needs a major kick in the butt as a wake-up call to reclaim their health.

The results on the scale proved the point. Bob's team won with a considerable lead over Dolvett's team. And Dolvett's team crushed Anna's. The difference was significant, showing which methods actually get the job done.

I still hope Anna proves me wrong...as the weeks go on it's possible that she will find her rhythm and learn to be a tough motivator while still keeping the compassion. What do you think of the new trainers? Drop me a line and tell me what you think!

Biggest Loser Season 12 Challenge!!!

*photos courtesy of NBC.

The day has arrived.

Tonight is the Season 12 Premiere of Biggest Loser. Not only do we have a brand new bunch of contestants, but 2 rookie trainers. Rookie, that is, to Biggest Loser. Dolvett Quince is already an amazing trainer in his own right and I expect him to do well. With Anna Kournikova there is more of a question mark. Obviously she's a great athlete and in top shape, but it will be interesting to see how she does training "losers" for a whole season.

I would like to present a challenge to all of my blog readers/friends. Make this the season you push yourself as hard as you can, just as if you were on the ranch being trained by Bob, Dolvett, or Anna. (Or Jillian...because we know she will always be there in spirit!) Try that exercise class that always frightened you but you secretly want to master. Pump up your workouts. Stop eating junk...ESPECIALLY while watching Biggest Loser!

This challenge also includes setting a goal. How much weigh will you lose by the finale in December? I set a goal for myself to be down at least 25 pounds by Thanksgiving. I weighed in today (first week) and lost 2.2 pounds, putting me at 213.8 for the start of this BL12 Challenge. I now amend my goal to include the first part of December up to the finale - I will lose at least 30 pounds by then.

I know I'm ready to watch tonight and so are you. Are you ready to join me in this challenge? Please post your BL12 Finale goal here and we can do this together!

Getting Back Up To Speed - Recommit To Fit!

In the last couple of weeks, my healthy habits have slipped a bit. With Labor Day Weekend, birthday parties and other celebrations I relaxed...a little bit TOO much. A couple of beers here, some dessert there - it all added up to a four pound gain on the scale this morning. I hadn't weighed myself in about 3 weeks, so I didn't stop the slide as soon as I could. (On a positive note - last summer my slide gained me 9 pounds, so I'm getting better at this!)

So...today is a good time for me to recommit to my fitness plan. I drank a lot of diet soda over the last couple of weeks and now I'm cutting it out completely. I'm also bumping up my workouts. I started spinning over the weekend, and when the link is up to my article I will share it with you. I'm sore all over but in a good way! I know I need to schedule my fitness every day just like any other appointment, so that I don't let it fall by the wayside when I get too busy. I also have to plan my meals better, which is something that I didn't do while getting ready for the start of school or for all of the parties we attended.

I'm officially setting a fall goal. I will lose at least 25 pounds by Thanksgiving, which will put me at 191 or less. I am also posting my goal everywhere that I will see it regularly, like the kitchen and my office. And I will weigh myself weekly once again.

What about you guys? Do have have a fall goal that you'd like to share? We can do this together!

Being The Plus-Sized Friend

Over Labor Day Weekend, we had our annual reunion BBQ with my husband's classmates and their families. Even though I didn't go to school with any of them, we've all become close friends over the years. We all accept each other for who we are and appreciate not only what we have in common but also the differences which make each of us unique. It's amazing what we all learn when we get together!

That being said, there is still one thing that always winds up on my mind, no matter how hard I try to push it away. I am the only plus-sized woman at our get-togethers. Nobody ever makes me feel any different, but it is a fact that I'm the thickest female in the room (or on the patio). I have lost weight, but I'm still a long way from my goal and the contrast presented to me in photos hits me hard.

Besides the photos, other little things remind me that I've still got a lot of work to do. Without exception, each of my female friends made some derrogatory comment about themselves and their own figures. Comments about never fitting into a certain size again, wanting flat stomachs back, and supposedly looking like an expectant mom were the ones that came up most often. I jokingly said that I was going to smack all of them. Every single one of them has an awesome figure...figures that right now are a long way from where I am. I would be extremely happy to have any of their shapes.

Now, I do get where they're coming from. Most women who have had kids still long for the bodies they had in high school, and if they were always used to being a size 4 or 6 and now they're a size up from that they feel different and want to go back to that size. The tummies that carried babies are not the same as they were before, but none of my friends look pregnant or fat in any way, shape or form. I also know that when they say these things they're not directed at me - they are only speaking out loud what their own subconcious minds keep telling them. Even though none of them would ever speak this way about me or each other, they do it to themselves...and it does still affect me even if they don't realize it. Even worse, what they say to themselves affects THEM.

I will say that seeing my friends in great shape does motivate me to kick it up an extra notch for myself. I will conquer my demons. I know I can and will move past the "plus-sized friend" feelings that plague me, but I also want all of my friends to know that they should stop being so tough on themselves, appreciate what they have, and realize they are all beautiful right now...just as they are!