The Biggest Loser: Bodily Family Edition

P90X Complete.

2010-10-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

I finished a complete 13 Week workout of P90X! And Kristin did it with me as well!

Josh and I don't really have weights or bands, all we have are a pair of 3lb weights, so the outcome wasn't an insane one, but I feel good nonetheless! I still noticed a difference, but I will be excited to see what can happen once I do it with weights.

I highly recommend P90X. The first time I did it was after I had Abigail, and within 2 weeks my pregnancy love handles were gone! We didn't follow their food plan; the menu looked yummy, but the price to afford all that stuff did not look so yummy.

Anyways, feels good to be finished, and I can't wait to do another round when we can afford some weights or bands!

Keep it healthy out there America!

13.1

2010-08-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

We did it! Meagan and I completed our very first half marathon together this last weekend. Thanks to Danielle for challenging us to participate in a race with you next year. If it wasn't for that invitation, I don't believe we would have prepared to run a race like this. I know I am still looking forward to running in the great Idaho Potato Race with you next year!

Vibram FiveFingers

2010-08-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

I do not own a pair of these, but I hear a lot of good about them. The people I know that wear these, love them. I am posting about it because Meagan mentioned some knee pain, and these shoes apparently help with that. My friend had knee pain when she would run, switched to these shoes, and no knee pain. I will note that my friends have stated there is a transition period, that their calves kill when they first switch because you use different muscles, or maybe use the same muscles but differently, when running in these. Some friends have ran their marathons in these. Anyhow, I thought I would share for those of you that are serious runners.

I have no idea how much these cost.

Highs and Lows

2010-08-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Great news! I went shopping this week because I was tired of pulling up my pants all the time and I found out I needed to go down two pants sizes instead of one! I definitely wasn't expecting that, but it was awesome! This puts me to a size 4 now and I honestly have no idea when I was last this size... MAYBE 8th grade at the latest??? My weight seems to be varying in the 125-128 range. I'm happy with where I'm at. I haven't been trying to lose anything for a while now, just letting whatever happen happen. I'm trying to still exercise and eat nutritionally regularly, which brings me to the "low" of my post.

I'm having a harder time lately running on each of my training (for the half marathon) days as I should be, these last two weeks. I think part of it is because we've been working on getting into the new groove of things since moving and such. And I am finding I'm especially having a hard time getting to bed and waking up at a decent hour since Jon started his job at FedEx. Jon's shift ends after midnight, and I am having a hard time getting myself to bed before he gets home. I take advantage of the time while Koen is asleep and Jon is gone to get some things done. And I simply seem to have a hard time going to bed without him. So lately I've been going to bed much too late for early morning runs. I'm trying to work on helping Koen sleep through the night because he still wakes up several times during the night and it does make it even harder to get up earlier in the morning when I am up and down several times in the night. I'm finding I'm starting to feel more tired in the mornings now.

I've still been exercising (P90X) regularly, though not getting in all of the running that I should be. So why exactly am I blogging about this??? Because I feel I am having a "low" and need to put forth more self discipline and I think if I publicly blog about it, I may take more responsibility for my choices and be more likely to do something about it.

What else can I do to help myself? I'm deciding right now I've just got to get to bed earlier so that even if I am waking up several times in the night to help Koen, I won't be as exhausted when it is time to get up for a run. After all, I'm not trying to get up extremely early in the morning.

Moving on... the half marathon Meagan and I are participating in, is a week from Saturday. I am excited and really looking forward to it. Overall, my training has been going very well. I did a 12 mile run a couple of Saturdays ago. That is the longest I've ran at one period of time before and I was really pleased. I felt great the whole time and really enjoyed myself. I could have been happier with a shorter time, though I still feel good about how I did considering I went uphill a good amount of the time and I didn't feel exhausted at the end.

I've been experimenting with energy boosters that are available to runners. They have things such as small packages of gels and gummies that are all designed to give you more energy. Some of them are loaded with caffeine and others are not. Some sounds extremely disgusting and others, not so much. The gel I've had is definitely something to get use to. The texture is the weirdest part, as well as I have yet to find a flavor that I really enjoy. Though I tried some things that are much like a fruit snack and so far, I prefer them much more. They tasted like a simple strawberry fruit snack and I like having something that I'm familiar with and actually enjoyed the flavor of. I've only tried these things out a couple of times for a couple of my long runs. I expect I'll take something for the half marathon as well, just in case I feel I need it along the way.

Ok, I better be going. Especially if I plan on getting to bed somewhat earlier tonight! I will keep you all updated as far as how the half marathon goes and being better at running as I should.

I hope you are all still working on living healthy lives full of nutrition, regular healthy activity, and happiness. Remember that we are all still here for each other.

I did it!

2010-07-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

I just ran 5k and feeling pretty good about it. I know, this is small change for some of you, but I'm still proud of myself.

Something I learned trying to get back into running shape since Isla, eat before you run! I've known this for awhile but haven't really put much thought into it. Well anyhow, I started running after Isla came, and I was having a terrible time, getting major cramps, feeling horrible....then I remembered that I needed to eat an hour or more before I went jogging. What a difference it has made. I've learned an apple isn't enough, I need a bit more than that, and it needs to be good energy food. Anyhow, you all probably know this already, but just in case not, I hope this helps. :)

Bodily Family Biggest Loser RESULTS

2010-07-06T15:36:00.000-07:00

Great job to everyone that participated! Our family has gone a long way since we began our challenge in January. I am so proud of everyone and of the hard work that we each put forth. Though we each had our ups and downs and found ourselves gaining weight in some weeks, we truly did an awesome job. Together, we have lost OVER 111.6 lbs!!! This number doesn't include Brad's, Jeremy's, Meagan's, or Josh's number. I can see a difference in the after photos for each of us that did them and it's great! I want to truly thank everyone that participated and congratulate you each on your success!!!

Though our family challenge has come to an end, I give you each a new challenge... Keep it Up! Healthy living isn't just for those who are trying to lose weight and hit a particular number, it is for everyone and it should never stop. So I urge us all to continue to exercise regularly and to eat nutritionally. You CAN do it! And please remember, we are FAMILY. We are here for each other and will continue to support one another. We can still talk openly to each other about our failures and our successes, our frustrations and motivations. Keep talking and lets continue to work TOGETHER and help one another achieve our healthy living goals and maintain them!

Our Winner is Kristin: Lost 38.6 lbs (22.81%)

Second Place- Dad: Lost 23.2 lbs (12.31%)

Third Place- Danielle: Lost 16.8 lbs (9.60%)

Fourth Place- Mom: Lost 15.2 lbs (8.84%)

The Final Results:

Week 24 Weigh In (ONE MORE WEEK!)

2010-06-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Week 23 Weigh In

2010-06-20T22:02:00.001-07:00

Week 22 Weigh In

2010-06-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Week 21 Weigh In

2010-06-06T14:14:00.001-07:00

Week 20 Weigh In

2010-05-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Week 19 Weigh In

2010-05-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Week 18 Weigh In

2010-05-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

Week 17 Weigh In

2010-05-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

Week 16 Weigh In

2010-05-02T15:39:00.001-07:00

Week 15 Weigh In

2010-04-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

William's Runnin' & Strollin' 5K

2010-04-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

We ran our family 5K today and it went great! Each of us did wonderful. The weather was perfect for our event. Koen came in first, beating both of his parents too. Way to go bud!

Week 14 Weigh In

2010-04-18T19:29:00.001-07:00

14 to 8!

2010-04-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

I learned earlier in the week that I had reached my goal of fitting into size 8 jeans! Some have asked me if I'll make a new goal of fitting into a size 6 or not. I'm just going to continue doing what I've been doing and if my body gets smaller, then great!

Thanks Danielle for encouraging me to try some new pants. I was nervous to try a new size in case of finding disappointment.

Week 13 Weigh In

2010-04-11T17:09:00.001-07:00

Week 12 Weigh In

2010-04-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

5K Challenge

2010-03-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

Alright Gang, Spring has arrived and warmer weather is trying to creep in. I think it's time we've all given ourselves an extra challenge. So here it is. I am challenging each of you to participate in a 5k walk, jog, or stroll (for the youngins). I know each of us can do it!

This would be a wonderful family activity for family home evening or any other time of the week. Whether you choose to do a race put on by an organization in your community or do your own family race is fine. You can go to the America's Running Routes site to map out your own trail.

I'm encouraging everyone to complete this challenge before the end of April! Trust me, it can be fun and done!

Here are a few rules:

Walk or jog in a 5K by the end of April.
Take pictures (at least one) so that we can post them on the blog
Have Fun!

I'm looking forward to hearing about the races!!!

Need some ideas to make a family 5K a bit more fun? Here's a few:

Pass out ribbons after everyone finishes
Have a picnic afterwards
Do your 5K on a greenbelt or in a park (somewhere pretty)
Encourage each other while you go

Week 11 Weigh In

2010-03-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

Week 10 Weigh In

2010-03-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Delay

2010-03-23T01:49:00.000-07:00

I GREATLY apologize for the delay of the weigh in stats! I will have them posted later today (Tuesday). I planned on posting as usual on Sunday even though we were in California, but it turned out that we didn't have internet access as we expected. We arrived home at 2:00 am this morning and am now headed off to bed. I did not forget!!! Again, I am SUPER SORRY!!!

WARNING!!!

2010-03-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Let this be a warning for everyone!! When you only run twice and that's all for your weekly exercises. When you don't pay attention to your caloric intake daily like you had been. THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN! Let this be a reminder that even after the final weigh in, we still need to manage ourselves. I didn't count my calories once this week, I hardly worked out AND I participated in our ward chili and dessert cook off with an extra pie eating contest at the end. This morning I feel gross and physically un healthy. Now instead of woe is me about it, I'm starting again TODAY!

Week 9 Weigh In

2010-03-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

Week 8 Weigh In

2010-03-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

Great Job Jon!

2010-03-05T07:29:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to say awesome job to Jon! Last night, despite the big snowflakes that were coming down, he ran 8.7 miles in 1hr and 50 mins straight! (And his route included some good hills too!) His original goal was to run a 7 mile route he had planned, but he surpassed it! Great job!!! The furthest he had ran straight before was 5 miles. He did a wonderful job!

BMI

2010-02-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some numbers that may keep us inspired to keep pushing and stay off the couch; let's be honest, the Winter Olympics really aren't that cool anyways. Plus, after playing one game with this family I can't help but think that everyone of us has a little competitiveness running through our veins. If this was the end of the Olympics and we all went home tonight I would have to say fantastic job to Kristin on getting the Gold.

I can't help but think that we are going to be blessed for our desires to take care of these bodies we have on loan right now. Imagine bringing a rental car back with a flat tire, cracked windshield and a long deep scratch on the side of the car. Hope you bought the insurance! Now what if we brought a spare tire and too much junk in our trunk back? Wonder what that will cost us? ;)

Click HERE to find your BMI (Body Mass Index). Since weight can be a little misleading, the BMI will show you if you're healthy or need to work a bit more.

-JOSH-

Week 7 Weigh In

2010-02-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

Psssssst.... My Weight Loss "Secrets"

2010-02-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

So I thought I would just list the things that I am doing to help me reach my goal in losing weight and gaining healthy habits. Though I can't guarantee everything I do is the best strategy for everyone, they seem to be helping me and can maybe help others too.

These are in no particular order:

1. Sunday Cheat Day - I allow myself one day a week where I can have junk food without limits. I like Sunday because its a day where I won't go out to the store or a fast food place to buy any junk food; I'm limited to whatever I may have in the house. I also like that it's at the beginning of the week... allowing myself a whole week to work off whatever I may have ate. This rule is meant to be a temporary one for me. I feel that as I learn to crave sweets less and love nutritional foods more, I will have more self-discipline and control in the future. Note... I do also have exceptions, such as my baby shower was not on a Sunday.

2. Daily Exercise - Though I can't say that I have this down pat yet... I am trying to get in at least 30 mins of some form of exercise each day. I do sometimes miss a day, but I don't beat myself up for it either. I take it one day at a time and know I can do better tomorrow or better than I did yesterday. Sometimes when I miss a day, I try to exercise twice the next day to make up for it. Also, if I exercise for an hour one day, that is not an excuse to not exercise the next. My goal is to get into the HABIT of exercising each day and learn to love it. Exercise is not meant to be a chore.

3. Breakfast - I haven't always been great at having breakfast each morning and I still miss a morning every once and a while. But for the most part, I eat something each morning. Sometimes I have a bowl of frosted shredded mini wheats. (Yes frosted.) I feel good about eating them because I'm eating shredded wheat, which is good and a good amount of milk. I end up having more milk with that cereal than most because they soak it up so much! Sometimes I have a delicious, tasty fruit smoothy. This seems to be the best way for me to get some fruit into my body, as well as some milk! (Many of you know I do not care for either milk or fruit.) My smoothies usually consists of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, frozen orange juice, milk, and sometimes a little bit of vanilla extract. Yummmm! It's like dessert in the A.M.! Other times, I may cook myself two or three scrambled eggs, or if I'm really in a hurry, I may only get a piece of wheat toast for breakfast. One piece of toast probably isn't the best thing for breakfast, but I figure it's still better than nothing at all.

4. Eat Often - I'm sure most if not all of us have heard that we should eat often. Well, it's true and it definitely helps. I am eating more often now than I was when I was working an 8-5 office job and easily gaining more weight. Sure I try not to eat an entire Olive Garden dinner portion each time I eat, I try to keep my portions small. But it keeps me from feeling starved throughout the day and stuffing myself when I eat because I've been waiting so long. Eating small portions throughout the day keeps me going and feeling good throughout my day. I've found that I do more quickly get hungry now, but, I need a whole lot less food to satisfy me.

5. Portion Control - I am still working on this one. I believe I've always had HUGE portions. And I probably could easily still eat huge portions if I wanted too. But I've been trying hard to have a lot smaller portion sizes at dinner time and not go back for seconds either. Though, I do love have big portions of my veggies! I love veggies and I have no guilt when my veggie portion is the same size or larger than my main entree. And I definitely have nothing against getting seconds of that good stuff! But besides the veggies, I am trying to cut my huge dinner portions so they are much closer to what I believe they should be. As I've done this, I've found my body get use to eating smaller amounts and therefore, more easily being satisfied without having to eat the entire cow.

6. Veggies at Every Dinner - When Jon and I first got married, our dinners consistently rotated between plain pasta with parmesan cheese, plain white rice with shredded cheddar cheese, one version of parmesan chicken, or Little Caesar's Pepperoni pizza with breadsticks. There were no sides of any kind, it was just that. Our plates would be filled with nothing but plain pasta or rice, or one piece of chicken. Did I easily get sick of that food or what?! Anyway, as you can see, our meals were not very nutritional. Veggies were very rarely ever on our shopping list. Well, thanks to an "Eat Well, Live Well" challenge I participated in through my last job, Jon and I almost always have some kind of veggies at dinner now. (Thankfully our dinner menu has dramatically expanded past plain pasta, rice, chicken, and Little Caesar's since then too.) Veggies can be very filling and definitely adds good nutrition that our body needs.

7. Dance to the Music - When I go jogging, I find it very helpful to listen to music as I go. It is extremely helpful if I allow myself to get lost in the music too and sort of dance to it. I "dance" by shaking my head a tad or bouncing my arms a little more to the beat. Stuff like that. I don't care what people driving by may think either because at least I'm out there exercising!

8. Go Slow - I am personally a very SLOW jogger. I've been taught several times that you should exercise at a pace that allows you to still carry on a conversation. As well as I like to go at a pace that is comfortable and easy for me to go at. I don't like feeling exhausted quickly or out of breath. If I end a jog totally out of breath, that usually makes me feel worse and more out shape because I feel that I probably should have done it without being out of breath. haha So I go at a slow, steady pace. I know that the more often I go, the stronger and better I'll get and I'll start to speed up on my own. Again, who cares if I'm slow. At least I'm out there doing it!

9. Think Positive & Praise Yourself - I think it's important to praise ourselves for the good work we're doing. I know it's frustrating to work hard and feel like we're not getting the results we want or as quickly as we want. To beat down on ourselves and feel frustrated will only have a negative effect. I believe it's pretty natural to want to do more of something though that ends in a rewarding result. So if your praise yourself (or even others) for getting out and exercising, I think it becomes easier to do again. Once you do reach a goal or milestone, reward yourself (with something other than junk food - that would be like "one step forward and two steps back")! Whether it's that you've finally exercised each day this week, past that stinkin number on the scale or fit into a new pair of jeans, do something out of the ordinary and fun, or even relaxing to tell yourself, "good job!".

10. Weight is ONLY a Number - I remind myself that my weight is truly nothing more than a number and it does not define me. I am not going to feel bad just because I weigh 10 pounds more than "Skinny Suzie" down the street. An overweight man could weigh 200lbs while another man who is extremely fit could also weigh 200lbs. Sure I have numbers that I know I shouldn't and don't want to weigh, but I also don't have a specific weight that I want to be. I will measure my success more by how good I feel (as well as I would like to at least fit into a size 8 again. haha)

11. PRAY - This is an extremely helpful "strategy" for me. I regularly ask my Heavenly Father to strengthen me and bless me with discipline, motivation, and determination. I ask him to help me to learn to like healthier foods and to not crave junk foods so much. I ask him to help me to not overeat and to be satisfied with what I do eat. I ask him to help me make healthy living a habit for me and to enjoy it so that I can better take care of the body he blessed me with and teach my kids to take care of their bodies too. I know that Heavenly Father will help me.

Ok, so if you've actually made it to the end of this long posting, CONGRATULATIONS! Please, everyone share any weight lost "secrets" or really strategies that you may have. I suggest doing so in a separate post so that it's more likely others will read it.

Week 6 Weigh In

2010-02-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

America's Running Routes

2010-02-15T18:14:00.001-08:00

I came across a great site today. You can map out a route that you like to jog and it will tell you what the distance of that route is. You can also find routes that other runner's enjoy. So if you're interested in finding a new route and want some good suggestions for your area, you can see where other people in the area like to go as well. I've added the link to the right of the blog, but you can also click here.

Step 1...

2010-02-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

COMPLETE!! I passed the first step to training for a 10K; I needed to be able to run 30 minutes without stopping. The wonderful thing for me was that I still felt like I could keep going :), motherhood called though and that is number 1!!

Now on to Step 2 which is a 10 week training schedule! A goal of mine is to get back to 6 minutes per mile. I don't think that is unrealistic so we'll see if I'm crazy or not!

Happy exercising!

Week 5 Weigh In

2010-02-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

Don't just talk about it, JUST DO IT!

2010-02-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

Alright here it is! Every year in May, Idaho does the "Great Potato Marathon" including 1/2 marathon, 10k, 5k, and kids runs. I already started running daily with a group from my ward and one of the ladies is a marathon runner and she's helping me train the right way. I'm registering as soon as the 2011 year is available so WHO'S WITH ME? I've talked about it for years and this is it, no more "later when I'm not so over weight". I can already tell a diffrence in my strenghting and running level so I know I can do this in a year.

Misunderstood

2010-02-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

Just in case some of you notice the change in Week 4's rankings and numbers, the percentages Brad was sending me were his total percentage lost from the beginning of our challenge and I thought they were his weekly percentages. I've updated the numbers now.

I still want to say great job to EVERYONE! It is wonderful to see everybody strive for healthy living and I believe we are all making great progress in doing so. Keep it up!

Change this week

2010-02-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

Alright, so I came from the top of the list to the very bottom this last week. It's a bummer. But hey, I guess not every week can be an amazing week. That's alright. I just hope that even with this next week being a "short week", I can have a loss at the next weigh in. I guess we'll see what happens.

But I really wanted to say good job to everyone! Especially Brad!!! It looks like everyone is really doing a great job!

Week 4 Weigh In

2010-02-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

Week 3 Weigh In

2010-01-31T15:44:00.000-08:00

Minor set back...

2010-01-29T20:57:00.000-08:00

Sadly, I was stricken with what I am pretty sure was the Swine Flu; considering it was by far the worst flu I have ever endured. Needless to say I have not been able to do my workouts very well. I tried yoga a couple nights ago, but I couldn't last very long, and last night I did some light weight lifting. Tonight however was Plyometrics, which is a lot of leg work and jumping around.

The flu must have really drained my strength because I was pretty tired half way through the work out.

So don't count on high numbers from me this week. However I have already noticed a thinning effect in Josh, and both of us feel great...now that the flu is gone that is. And really, if Josh and I are doing our job right, we should in fact be GAINING weight rather then losing, since there should be muscle building going on. So here is to hoping that we can stay at the bottom of the list! :) Except for I have no need to bulk up so hopefully I'm not gaining too much ;)

I'm back in the game!!!

Pound for Pound Challenge

2010-01-24T19:08:00.001-08:00

I meant to mention this at the beginning of our challenge, so I apologize for being two weeks late.

If you haven't visited the "Pound for Pound" site yet, I encourage you to click on the link to the right. The Biggest Loser show is encouraging America to shed pounds to feed the hungry. In short, for every pound you pledge to lose, a pound of food will be donated. The only cost you pay is the weight you're already wanting to get rid of.
So I too, encourage each of you to set a goal and make a pledge for the pound for pound challenge. It is very easy to do!

Oh... the Pound for Pound challenge ends shortly before our family challenge ends. So please pledge what you think you'll lose by June 30, 2010.

Week 2 Weigh In

2010-01-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

Week 1 Weigh In

2010-01-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

So...

2010-01-17T18:57:00.001-08:00

I'm dying to hear the results for the first week!! Post soon, please!!

Starting Weight

2010-01-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

The challenge has officially begun! So put on your leg warmers and sweat bands and lets get going!

Our starting numbers are...

Dad: 188.4
Mom: 172
Kevin: 163
Brad: TBA
Danielle: 175
Jeremy: 150.4
Jeff: 245
Meagan: 118
Josh: 164
Kristin: 169.2
Jon: 169.2

Next week will be our first week sharing our percentage of lost weight. Good luck to everyone!

Welcome to the Challenge!

2010-01-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

Whether your goal is to lose 5 lbs, 50 lbs, or even just tone up your body, we are so excited to have you working with us! Its wonderful to see a family come together and support each other in living a healthier life.

Each week, we'll weigh ourselves and at least share the percentage of weight lost from the previous weeks weigh in. I will not show actual pounds for those who are not comfortable with it, but only the percentage. The list on the right of the blog will be updated with the rankings of who lost the largest percent of weight in the previous week.

Throughout our challenge, everyone is encouraged to share any tips or advice of things that may work for them. You may be able to help others with something they've been having a hard time with. Also, don't be afraid to post about any questions or frustrations you may be having. Someone else could help. I'm sure many of us are to feel a little less motivated at times or frustrated about things. If you share those with us, you as well as others will be able to see that we're not alone, we are in this together. (That may sound cheesy, but I believe it is true.)

I'll post a weekly tip on the right of the blog. I'm obviously not a nutrition or fitness guru, so these tips are coming from the Biggest Loser Show's site, not from me.

We are excited and wish everyone luck in the challenge and in achieving their own personal goals!