And the Losers Are...

Congratulations to the Biggest Losers of the week!

Men:
James Judd - lost 3lbs
Jeremy Stroup and Mike Ybarguen - lost 2lbs

Women:
Bevelee Dinkelman - lost 5lbs
Carol Masich and Eldeane Sheffer - lost 4lbs


Great job everyone and remember the next weigh-in is tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31st from 5:30-8:00 pm. See you then!

One Day At a Time!!!!

Ok Friends, we have been at this weight loss/behavior change thing for 8 weeks now and some of us have seen the scale go down. However, some of us still have not seen the results that we wanted, but please don't give up and don't despair! It is important to remember that every one's body is different and everyone is going to lose weight at different speeds. It is also important to remember that healthy weight loss takes time (not what you want to hear, I know!) but the time is worth it. In the end you will be happier, healthier, have more energy, and most importantly you will keep the weight off!

Now, there are still 4 more weeks to go - if you have missed weigh-ins that's okay, recommit yourself and come back. If you have not lost the amount of weight you thought you would, that's okay, recommit yourself and keep coming. If your doing good, Keep Up The Great Work and keep coming and help support your fellow contestants!

Remember: You Can Do This - Rome Was Not Built in a Day - Take One Day At A Time!

The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before. – Steve Young

3 Easy (Healthy) Crockpot Recipes

Beef Vegetable Soup
Makes: 4 servings

1lb boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 - 14 1/2 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 cup loose-packed frozen peas
Fresh parsley sprigs (optional)

1. in a 3 - 4 quart slow cooker, combine beef chuck pieces, sliced carrots, cubed potatoes and chopped onion. Sprinkle with salt and thyme. Add bay leaf, tomatoes with their juices and water. Stir until all ingredients are combines. 2. Cover, cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. 3. Remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in peas and garnish with parsley if desired.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 269 calories, 28g protein, 29g carbohydrates, 4g fat (1g saturated), 4g fiber.

Cajun Shrimp and Rice
Makes: 6 servings

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 6-ounce package long-grain and wild-rice mix, such as Uncle Ben's
1/4 cup water
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1lb cooked, shelled and deveined shrimp
Hot-pepper sauce (optional)

1. In a 4 quart slow cooker, combine tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, onions, bell pepper, rice mix with seasoning packer, water, garlic and Cajun seasoning. 2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting 3 to 3.5 hours. 3. Stir shrimp into rice mixture. Cover; cook for 15 minutes longer at high-heat setting. Sprinkle wit hot-pepper sauce if desired.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 223 calories, 21g protein, 32g carbohydrates, 2g fat (0g saturated), 3g fiber.

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry
Makes: 4 to 6 servings

3 cups cauliflower florets
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup lose-pack frozen cut green beans
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
Cooked brown rice (optional)

1. In a 4 quart slow cooker, combine cauliflower, chickpeas, green beans, carrots and onion. Stir in broth and curry powder. 2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2.5 to 3 hours. 3. Stir in coconut milk and shredded basil leaves. Spoon rice, if using, into bowls, and ladle curry over top.

Nutritional Facts per serving: 219 calories, 8g protein, 32g carbohydrate, 7g fat (4g saturated), 9g fiber.

Source: Fitness Magazine http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/

Workout Makeover

Lets be honest you can get into a rut when it comes to exercising. Often we get stuck in our comfort zone and head for the same elliptical machine day after day! While all exercise is good there are two things that can happen when you do the same workout day after day the first, is Boredom; when your brain abandons your exercise routine, your body is soon to follow. The second issue is our bodies become very efficient at doing the same exercise day after day so then it takes longer and longer to burn the same amount of calories as we did at the beginning.

So if your looking to get yourself out of an exercise rut or for new ways to mix up your routine try these tips:

Sick of Running/Walking on the Treadmill: Play with the control panel. After a 5-minute warm-up, jog for 2 minutes, then walk for 2 minutes, or sprint - surprise yourself! Repeat for 20 to 30 minutes and you have your self a great interval workout. Also try placing a pair of 5 - 8 lb dumbbells beside the machine, and jump off every 3 minutes to do 1 minute of arm toners.

Sick of Working out Solo: Find a workout buddy! Working out with others can instantly help your motivation and commitment to get to the gym everyday. Walkers can find local groups and organized walks at www.ava.org; Runners should check out www.rrca.org for organized events or local groups; or check out www.craigslist.com for other locals looking for a fitness buddy! An even better option is to inspire a friend or family member to get off the couch and become one of your workout groupies.

Sick of your Workout Video: Try a video mail delivery service like Netflix or Blockbuster ! Both companies can offer thousands of fitness DVDs which will provide you with an opportunity to try lots of different types of exercises and lots of different videos, so you can find ones that are just right for you.

Sick of the Elliptical: Have you tried going in different directions? After 4 minutes at a steady pace, set the resistance to 8 and do 4 strokes forward, then do 4 strokes backward, repeating for 2 minutes before returning to your original pace for another 4 minutes - plus every time you change directions you are working your core by maintaining your balance.

Try a Class: Often it is easy to give up early or to cut our workouts short, so check out a class at your local gym or rec center. Fitness classes are a great way to get in your exercise especially if you like the idea of not having to make up your own routine; they are also great to get you motivated and to give you new ideas to incorporate into your personal workouts.

Source: Fitness Magazine http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/

And the Losers Are!

Biggest Losers of Last Week Are...

Women:

Debbie Orchard - lost 5lbs

Carole Townsend m- 4lbs

Men:

Olaf Questereit - 4lbs

Roger Burdette, Lane Clark, Richard Copier, Seth Johnson, Worth McCleery and James Simpson - lost 3lbs

Keep up the great work everyone and we will see you for this weeks weigh-in tomorrow night at 5:30-8:00 PM.

Fries...

Love French Fries but not what they do to your waist line? Try this great alternative by dietitian extraordinaire Ellie Krieger; and check out her blog HERE!

Garlic “Fries”
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons canola oil

3 large baking potatoes1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to tasteCooking spray

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Heat the garlic and oil together in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Strain the garlic from the oil with a small mesh strainer. Set both garlic and oil aside.
Cut the potatoes in to 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks. In a large bowl, toss together the oil, potatoes, and salt. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the potatoes onto it in a single layer. Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the baking sheet with a metal spatula. In a serving bowl, toss with the parsley, reserved garlic, and salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servingsServing size: 3/4 cup
Per Serving: Calories 270; Total fat 7g (Sat fat 0.6g, Mono fat 4g, Poly fat 2g); Protein 6g; Carb 47g; Fiber 3.5g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 304mg

Go Buy A Cookbook

Are you sick of the same old healthy food? Well it is about that time when healthy eating is getting somewhat boring and while you still want to be good you are ready for a little variety in your diet. So now is the time to invest in a new cookbook, and yes it is an investment, and investment in your health. You want to look for a cookbook that list the nutritional information for each recipe so that you know how many calories each dish contains. Once you have chosen a new cookbook grab your apron and get in the kitchen - oh do yourself a favor and make notes in your cookbook so you know which recipes you like and what ingredients you changed.

Check out these great Cookbooks - You may find one that you like!

The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life

The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 7th Edition

The Biggest Loser Cookbook

Biggest Loser Family Cookbook

The Healthy College Cookbook

American Heart Association Quick & Easy Cookbook

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Do you usually get your green on with the "traditional" Corned Beef and Cabbage? Well, you might want to skip the corned beef this year because it can pack a major punch of calories, fat, and sodium. Instead go for another traditional Irish recipe: Irish Stew, with 279 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 31 grams of protein this lean alternative will keep you on the right track and still allow you to celebrate in style!

Read the History of St. Patrick's Day Here

** Okay so you are ready bought the Corned Beef try the following recipe by Alton Brown- it skips the butter; and pair that beef with a salad and whole grain bread!

Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
2 to 2 1/2 pound Corned Beef Brisket

1tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 pound diced carrots, approximately 4 small
1/2 pound diced onions, approximately 2 small
1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped, approximately 3 medium
1/4 pound diced celery, approximately 2 stalks
1 small head cabbage, chopped, approximately 2 pounds

Directions
Place the corned beef, pepper, allspice, bay leaves and salt into a large 8-quart pot along with 3-quarts of water. Cover and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to low and cook, at a low simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
After 2 1/2 hours add the carrots, onions, potatoes and celery. Return to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the cabbage and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes and cabbage are tender. Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately.

Asparagus!

Asparagus is one of nature's true food heroes as a source of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. It's also high in fiber and potassium but low in calories which makes ideal if your trying to eat healthy and lose weight.

So how do you choose asparagus? - You want to look for bunches with firm stalks and tightly closed tips. Then store the brunch in the refrigerator with the stem ends wrapped in most paper towels and they will keep for several days. Prior to cooking you will need to trim the woody stem ends - the easiest way to to snap them off as they will naturally break at the right place.

Steaming Asparagus
In a large saucepan, skillet, bring ½ inch of water to a boil
Add a single layer of asparagus
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender

Asparagus takes about 2-5 minutes to cook, depending on size and freshness.

*As soon as it turns bright green, it's ready.

Roasted Asparagus Serves 6 to 8
2 thin bunches asparagus, ends trimmed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread out asparagus spears in a large shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Shake roasting pan gently so asparagus is completely coated in oil.
Roast in oven until spears are just tender. Cooking time will depend on thickness of asparagus, about 10 minutes for medium-thick asparagus. Pencil asparagus will take much less time; thick stalks will take more. Shake pan halfway through cooking time to keep spears from sticking. Just before serving, drizzle asparagus with olive oil and adjust seasoning

**The tips of roasted asparagus should be just crisp and the stalks golden brown and tender.

Try these great Asparagus Recipes:

Asparagus, Leek, and Gruyere Quiche

Asparagus Soup

Sesame Asparagus

Exercise

A recent study by the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) has shed new light on just how much exercise is needed for weight loss. According to the ACSM adults need at least 250 minutes per week of exercise to lose a significant amount of weight. 250 minutes works out to be 50 minutes of exercise five days a week.

So what does this mean? Well, if you are currently only doing 30 minutes of exercise five days a week and you are not seeing the results you want then you need to increase the length of your workouts. Though, don't stress about going from 30 minutes to 60 minutes all at once but rather add on 5 minutes to each of your workouts every other day for a few weeks and in no time you will be at 50-60 minute workouts. Also if your not doing so already you will want to include weight lifting in your weekly workouts. Doing so will increase your fat-free mass which will help your body to burn more calories while at rest and reduce your health risks.

Read more about the ACSM study and exercise for weight loss here: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20090227/weight-loss-may-take-250-minutes-of-exercise?src=RSS_PUBLIC

And the Losers Are...

Congratulations to the Biggest Losers of the week!

Men
Jeremy Stroup - lost 8lbs
Larry Tuttle - lost 6lbs

Women
Brandy Jensen - lost 6lbs
Arlene McClanahan - lost 4lbs

The Total Weight Lost for the contest so far is 562 lbs - Keep up the Great work!

Do you feel like your doing everything right but the scale is not showing you the numbers you want? Well you not alone! Though just because the number on the scale is not going down does not mean that you are not making progress. More then likely you are still making great strides you just don't know how to measure progress without a scale. Check out this great short article titled - Measure Progress Without the Scale: An Arsenal of Tools for Your Motivation and find a few ideas to track your progress and stay motivated.

It also may be helpful to keep in mind that this is not a "Diet" it is a life style change, and life style changes take a longer time but have much greater long term payoffs in the end!

Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still. - Chinese Proverb

Create A Cookbook

Here's and idea - create your own personalized healthy cookbook. All you need is a binder and plastic sheet covers. You can organize your cookbook by meals, food groups, calories, etc. then as you make your meals note your changes to the recipes and how much you liked the meal. The next time you are wondering what to make for dinner grab your healthy cookbook which will be full of great tasting ideas that you have already tested!

P.S. You may want to put your name on your cookbook as family and friends are bound to be jealous.

Check This Out!

The Food Network has a new blog called Healthy Eats. It is full of great healthy recipes to spice up your weekly meal plans. The blog address is http://blog.healthyeats.com/.

Another great resource for healthy recipes is the blog Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes. The recipes are set up on the Weight Watches point system and the blog gives great ideas for healthy home cooked dishes. The blog address is http://weight-watchers-points-recipes.blogspot.com/

What other great online resources have you discovered for healthy cooking? Do you have a great healthy recipe other might enjoy? Please Share!

And the Losers Are...

Congratulations to the Biggest Losers of the week!

Men
Daniel Sommer - lost 6 lb
Jeremy Stroup - lost 5 lb

Women
Coralyn Draw - lost 6 lb
Mary Jo Ballou, Betty Hauptman, Carissa Letting, and Debbie Orchard - lost 4 lb

The Total Weight Lost for the contest so far is 521 lbs!!! Keep up the Great work!

Cauliflower

Have you tried Cauliflower lately? No - Well you should! Cauliflower is a great veggie that is packed full of nutrients such as vitamin C, dietary fiber, folate and sulforaphane an anti-cancer compound . Cauliflower is also low in calories (25 per cup) and fat free and contains protein!

Conveniently Cauliflower is available year round and the recipes are endless. In selecting a cauliflower choose one with compact, creamy white florets/curds and bright green, firmly attached leaves. The cauliflower should feel heavy for its size and be free of brown spots and loose sections that are spread out. Click HERE for a video on selecting a cauliflower.

Once you have perched your perfect head of cauliflower try some of these recipes:

Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"
1 head of cauliflower
1/8 cup skim milk
pinch of salt
pepper & paprika to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook Cauliflower until soft and transfer into a food processor or blender. Whip cauliflower with milk, salt, and pepper until smooth. Pour cauliflower mixture in baking dish sprinkle with paprika and bake until bubbly.

Hurry Curry Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli

Simple Cauliflower Soup

Guilt Doesn't Burn Calories!

When you find yourself getting discouraged or feeling guilty for that cookie you ate or the workout you missed keep in mind guilt does not burn calories! When it come to losing weight and being healthy feeling guilt for slip ups will not get you any closer to your goals. So when you slip up don't dwell on it, remember your only human and its okay -tomorrow is a fresh day and you can and will do better.

Did you know?

Did you know that since you registered for Weigh Biggest Loser you get FREE entry into the Linda Buttars Memorial Family Fun Run?

And, since the Biggest Loser winners will be announced at the Fun Run you should consider participating and bring your family and friends.

There are actually two different races at the run a 5k (3.1 miles) and a 10k (6.21 miles). Now, before you start panicking and saying to yourself there is no way I could run a whole 3.1 miles keep in mind the race is not tomorrow and no one said you had to run the whole way - you could just walk.

Now is the perfect time to start preparing for the 5k and there are many different training schedules out there to fit your needs. If you are interested check out these two websites for info to get you started.

http://running.about.com/od/racetraining/a/first5K.htm

http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5-Knovice.htm

If you would like to prepare for the 5k and would like the help of a group, keep in mind that the WBL walking group meets on Saturday at 8am at the Stone Creek Park (7950 S 4800 W).

The Fun Run is inexpensive ($5 per person/$15 for a family of 5) and family friendly - visit this link to sign family and friends up: http://www.wjordan.com/siteFiles/2009%20LBM%20Fun%20Run.pdf

Share Your Efforts

Don't keep your weight loss efforts a secret! Talk to your friends and family about your goals -not incessantly but keep them in the loop about what your going to do and how they can support you in your efforts. If you don't let them know you maybe running the risk of them accidentally sabotaging your efforts. You want family and friends to help you with your goals and then share in your happiness as you achieve them. More then likely your habits will rub off on them and they’ll become healthier people too!