Now For The Positive - Biggest Loser Favorites & A Special Call Out!

I promised yesterday that after we were done with our Rulon-induced migraines I would post about the OTHER happenings of Tuesday night's episode. These are much more fun to write about!!!

This week was also Favorites Week, so three of the most inspiring former contestants stopped by to help our friends in Season 11. Ali Vincent, Sam Poueu, and Tara Costa were on hand to give food tips and bust everyone's butts in the gym. It gave me a thought - since Jillian is leaving at the end of this season, why not hire a former contestant who is still living the healthy lifestyle and can put the new contestants through the paces just like they went through? Obviously they should get certified if they aren't already, but they would certainly be able to relate to life on the ranch. THe ones that were there this week did an amazing job. Just a thought...hope you're listening, NBC!

This week a favorite challenge was also brought back. I'm sure you remember the car pulling challenge of Tara's season, so the Season 11 Seven and Tara did it again! Tara and Rulon had a photo finish close enough to rival the Kentucky Derby, but Tara pulled it out by a nose. (Now THAT's what I call horsepower...who needs engines or ponies!) Tara proved that she is still a force to be reckoned with a few seasons later, and she won a donation to her charity, the Inspire Change Foundation. If you loved the T-shirt Tara was wearing on the show, you can order one at the Marika Fitness site...part of the proceeds goes to Inspire Change. Currently sizes go up to XL, but ICF is looking for someone to do larger sizes as well. Let's help kids get and stay fit!

Speaking of inspiring change, you may remember that Justin from this season began his own mission once he got home from the ranch. You can now order his "Justin's Call Out" T-shirts, which start at size Medium and go up to 4XL. Checks, money orders, and Paypal are accepted...and there are also tank tops available for summer. The T-shirts are $15 plus $2 for shipping. Please contact Justin's lovely wife Julie at justbjulie@yahoo.com to order or get additional information.

So let's really inspire change...in ourselves, our families and friends, and in our communities. Fitness rules!!!

Biggest Loser...Learning to Lose at HOME???

Yesterday's episode was the last show before next week's finale. The Final 4 were sent off to lose weight at home for 30 days, and Alison also informed them that they would be running a marathon when they got back to the ranch, before that final weigh-in.

We got to see glimpses of how each of the contestants dealt with having to stick to their healthy lifestyles while they were back with their families and friends. Except for one thing...Koli decided to deal with with his situation by NOT dealing with it. He stayed in Las Vegas for the month and hired a personal trainer so he could focus on winning and not have to deal with the same everyday life and distractions that the other 3 contestants did. To me...this is cheating. Everyone else played by the rules, and Koli is going to have to try to live his new way at home sooner or later.

The marathon was quite inspiring, and I always love seeing people from previous seasons come to help the current players out. Matt Hoover ran with Daris, who really pushed himself and completed the race in 4 hours and 2 minutes. He completely blew away the old record time of 4:55 set by Tara Costa from Season 7. Sione Fa ran with Koli, and he came in second, a good 2 hours after Daris. Ashley and Michael decided they were going to finish the race together, and they had Ali Vincent and Mike Morelli by their sides. All of the contestants also had a family member join them for the last mile or so, and it was a very emotional scene. Daris mentioned that he's been strong all along, but didn't really realize it until now. I think that happens to many of us. We don't believe in ourselves enough at first, but as time goes on when see that we always had that strength we needed to accomplish our goals. Ashley said it best...when she said that she is finally the girl she always wanted to be.

At the weigh-in, Michael had a special moment when he saw that he now weighed 299. He had broken the 300 pound barrier! He and Ashley were the top 2 and secured their spots in the finale. Koli and Daris fell below the yellow line. Daris actually gained 2 pounds while at home. He admitted that he focused really hard on the marathon, but gave in to late night eating. What happened to Daris is a good lesson for all of us. A lot of people think that if you are running, especially marathons, that you can eat whatever you want because you're exercising so much. Keeping to a healthy eating schedule is just as important as the running is for your body. You do not have license to eat everything you want .

America gets to vote whether Daris or Koli will be in the finals with Michael and Ashley. My votes all went to Daris. Some people will argue that Koli should get the spot because he lost weight and Daris gained. I respectfully disagree with that. Daris may have gained two pounds, but he did it honestly at home. Koli did not play by the same rules that everyone else did, and for that reason I want to see Daris in the Final 3. I think Koli is a great person, but I don't care for his "strategy". I would also like to see Daris come back and show that he got back on track at home again before the finale.

Next week is the big night...and for me, here's hoping that it will be Ashley, Michael, and Daris competing for the Grand Prize. No matter what, they have all inspired me and done a wonderful job of changing their lives for the better!

Labor Day...and Motivational Monday!!!

Happy Labor Day! As you may recall, I had set a goal for myself to be under 200 pounds by Labor Day, so this is a big weigh-in for me. I also wondered what I would see on the scale this morning, since we had a big BBQ at our house on Saturday, and I did have a few beers and a couple of shots. Otherwise I did well, including the extra trips up and down the stairs and eating healthy the rest of the week.

Well, I lost 2 pounds!!! I now weigh 204, and I'm very happy with that. I'm thankful that my celebration on Saturday didn't mess me up on the scale. I know I did not quite get to my goal for Labor Day, but I truly believe that I would not have even been this close without setting that goal. I am making a new set of goals, which I will post tomorrow. I'm down over 9 pounds since starting this blog, so I know I'm on my way to even smaller numbers!

This week my motivational person is Tara Costa from this past season's Biggest Loser. She is amazing, and if you remember she was even able to pull a car! She is still kicking butt and motivating the rest of us to reach our goals. She just launched her new site at http://www.taracosta.com/ in order to reach as many people as she can to inspire them!

Enjoy the holiday, and let's all make this a fantastic week!!! xoxoxo

Step It Up!

It's time to take things to the next level...sort of. I'm working out like crazy for the next few days, because I am having some minor surgery on Tuesday and I know this will slow me down for a little while. I sent a message to DJ, who is a Biggest Loser trainer...he has trained Tara Costa, Amy Parham, and Phil Parham when they were no longer on the ranch. He has given wonderful advice so far, so I asked him how I should handle this workout-wise. He told me to listen to my body, and when I feel up to it I should start with cardio. He also recommends that I ask my doctor how soon I can do certain exercises, which I am going to do. I'm sure I can still walk, and I will definitely keep eating healthy foods. I know I'll have a couple of days on pain meds, so I'll be a little sleepy.

The one thing I will not do is give up. I've had this type of surgery twice before (breast biopsy) and thank you to God that everything was fine. My doctor believes that I'll have the same results this time, but I have a family history of breast cancer so he wants to make sure I'm all right. Both of those other times, however, I took it WAY TOO EASY. I also didn't pay attention to what I was eating, so I gained weight during those times. That is not going to happen this time!

Yesterday I got to take my walk before it rained again. I felt like I needed to do more, so I pulled out my old workout step...the one my son has been using to sit on the floor and play solitaire. That's almost as bad as using your stationary bike for a clothes rack! My step workouts are all on video, and my VCR is not working. I have exercise DVD's, but none of them are step. I remembered a lot of the old step moves and made up my own workout. By the time 15 minutes had gone by I was completely dripping in sweat. I plan to do more stepping tonight, and hopefully soon I can grab a step DVD so I can challenge myself more.

All I know is...this surgery is just a minor roadblock to my goals. I will do whatever I can or am allowed to do right after the procedure. Then I will work my way up to full health once again! God is with me through it all, and he will lead me where I need to go. Please stay with me on this journey...I will still be posting everyday and reporting on what I am doing and how I'm feeling. I'm not the only one who experiences these temporary setbacks, so I hope this will help any of you who have your own issues or injuries to work through. Adjust whatever you have to, but don't let anything stop you. I know nothing is stopping me this time!

As for the next four days, I will be working my butt off...and telling you all about it!

Marie :o)