AND THE WINNER IS......

.....Amber with a 6.72% weight loss in 8 weeks.  CONGRATS, Amber!!  Your hard work paid off!!

Here are the total results:
Amber = 6.72% loss
Alisha = 4.22% loss
Linda = 3.6% loss
Heather = 2.46% loss

In total you all lost 30.1 pounds.  I'm very proud of these results.  Just look at what you can accomplish in 8 short weeks.  I hope you all keep up the good work!!

End of the Competition

The end is near......You still have a few days to work your ass off (literally!!).  I hope everyone is doing well and that the end of the competition is fulfilling.

Week 7 Weigh In

The competition is winding down.  Who will the lucky winner be? 

Week 6 Weigh In Results

Week 6 results are in. 

So to recap....Alisha lost 1.3%.  Linda lost 1%.  Amber lost 0.6%.  Heather lost 0.3%. 

Great job girls!!!  Keep up the good work and kick butt next week!

P.S.  I don't know if this helps or not...but I thought I would put some things in to perspective.  It's not about what your numbers are one week.  It's about what your numbers are in combination with other weeks.  A "bad" week shouldn't be a set back.  It should be more reason to press on and try harder the next week.

Facts:
I have been trying to lose weight for 44 weeks.  I have lost a total of 43.6 pounds.  That averages about a pound a week.  Some weeks I even gained, but not many.  Some weeks I lost more than a pound.  Some weeks I lost less.  So, just keep in mind......that if you just keep focused, time is truly your friend.  Don't expect it to happen today, because if it did, it would come back.  It's a lifestyle change.  In total, so far, I have lost 25% of my body fat.  I hadn't totalled that up until today.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Keep up the great work and know that you are helping yourself even if the numbers are not as big as you want.  They are never as big as I want.  haha  But, I have sure learned patience in the last 44 weeks!  I know each and every one of you can meet your health/fitness goals. 

Week 5 Weigh In Results

Week 5 results are in. 

So to recap....Amber lost 0.4%.  Linda lost 0.1%.  Alisha stayed the same.  Heather gained 0.5%. 

It can be anyone's game at this point.  Let's all crack down the last 3 weeks and have some good numbers!

Saw this on Yahoo's homepage today

This is good stuff.

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/summerliving/what-you-re-doing-wrong-at-the-gym-2492181/

Nutrition Guidelines: Getting Started

Today at the gym, in between sets, I started browsing their board.  They had posted this article.  It really has some great things in it.  It came from http://www.everydayhealth.com/.  This is an AWESOME site:

Diet pills, fad diets, foods to boycott, foods to eat exclusively. With all the crazy diet advice out there, do you even remember the basics of healthy eating? Get rid of the clutter when it comes to diets, and use basic good nutrition guidelines and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Pyramid as your framework for healthy eating.

Food Groups and Healthy Nutrition: Today’s Food Pyramid
So how do we know what healthy meals should look like? The USDA is responsible for publishing nutritional guidelines for healthy eating based on ongoing research. While most of the general recommendations haven't changed over the years, there have been a few adjustments.
One change is a slight increase in the recommended number of fruits and vegetables. Women need at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day, while men need at least nine. "We just know there's so much good stuff in fruits and vegetables," including essential nutrients and fiber, says Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, a nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Ky. Carbohydrates are also an important part of a healthy diet, contrary to many popular fad diets being touted today.

Food Groups and Healthy Nutrition: USDA Recommendations
Here are details about the USDA's recommended nutritional guidelines to follow for a healthy eating plan:

• Focus on fruits and vegetables: Get seven to nine fruits and vegetables each day.
• Go for low-fat dairy: Consume at least three cups of low-fat or fat-free milk each day or the equivalent in cheese, yogurt, or other calcium-rich foods.
• Choose whole grains: Get at least six to eight servings of whole grains each day.
• Steer clear of trans and saturated fats, sodium (salt), sugars, and cholesterol: Limit fat to only about 20 to 35 percent of total calorie intake and avoid trans and saturated fats.
• Choose lean proteins: Get about 15 percent of your calories from chicken without the skin, fish, beans, and legumes.

Food Groups and Healthy Nutrition: Guidelines to Get You Going
Here are some other tips to help you develop a healthy eating plan. If you keep these general nutrition rules in mind, you'll be on the right track toward healthy eating for life:

• Pay attention to portion control; quantities depend on whether you’re trying to lose or maintain weight. In most restaurants, an appetizer serving is often closer to an appropriate serving size than an entrée.
• Always drink plenty of water.
• Vary your food choices to make sure you get a wide variety of vitamins and other nutrients and to avoid boredom.
• Know the recommended daily calorie intake for your age, weight, height, activity level, and gender.
• Don't deprive yourself of foods you love; just enjoy them in moderation.

Start thinking about the basics of diet and nutrition again, and make nutritional guidelines part of your everyday life. It won't be a diet, it won't be a fad, and it definitely won't be temporary. It will be your new healthy lifestyle, and when you think, "What's for dinner?" the answer will naturally be a healthy choice