First Weigh-in Newsletter

Here's a copy of the newsletter for our first weigh-in.

Fall 2010 Weight Loss Challenge Newsletter

Issue 2

Today’s the Day!

Today is weigh-in day. Hopefully everyone had fun over Labor Day weekend. See Christy to weigh-in—Let’s get started!

Housekeeping Items

We will contribute five dollars each payday to the jackpot

Our prizes will be:

Grand Prize Winner (Highest percentage of weight loss) will receive 80% of total jackpot

Runner-up (Second highest percentage of weight loss) will receive 20% of total jackpot

First 10 (First person to lose 10% of their body weight) will receive a special gift

Quick Weight Loss Tips

When it comes to finding quick weight loss diet tips that work, selecting your foods for your diet can be a real balancing act. You have to lose some of what you’ve grown accustomed to and add some items that may be new to you. Here are some quick weight loss tips that experts recommend to promote weight loss.

Quick Weight Loss Tips #1 – Reduce fat.

With regard to fat, the research is clear: Diets too high in fat promote overweight and obesity. You should strive to consume no more than 25 percent of your calories from fat – and that fat should the “non-saturated” type.

Quick Weight Loss Tips # 2 – Don’t be so sweet.

Numerous studies have linked table sugar to increased calorie consumption. While sugar doesn’t do as much dietary damage as fat, you’ll find that when you eat sweets, you simply want to eat more… of everything. Not only that, but sugar also makes your body excrete chromium, and chromium is a mineral that helps your body build calorie-burning lean tissue – so you want to keep your chromium levels up.

Quick Weight Loss Tips #3 – Drink up.

“If people want to keep their nutrients in balance, they need to drink plenty of plain, unflavored water every day,” says Judy Dodd, R.D., past president of the American Dietetic Association. Water not only acts as a solvent for many vitamins and minerals but also is responsible for carrying nutrients into and wastes out of cells, so the body functions properly. As a rule of thumb, you should drink a half-ounce of water for every pound of body weight daily, unless you’re very active, in which case you should increase your water intake to two-thirds of an ounce per pound of body weight daily. So if you weigh 100 pounds, you should drink 50 ounces of water a day as a minimum

Quick Weight Loss Tips #4 – Fill up on fiber.

You can curb your hunger by increasing your intake of dietary fiber, which is filling, so you feel full but eat less. For these diet tips, experts recommend eating more fruits, vegetables and wholegrain cereals.

Quick Weight Loss Tips #5 – Get treatment for food allergies.

Some researchers believe that being overweight is the result of people craving foods that they are allergic to. For these people, weight loss is extremely difficult until they figure out what those trigger foods are and eliminate them from their diets.

“There are specific food allergies that trigger uncontrollable craving and bingeing,” says Joseph D. Beasley, M.D., director of Comprehensive Medical Care in Amityville, New York. “It’s a common problem in overeaters.”

If you suspect that food allergies might be part of your problem, ask your doctor to help you identify the offending items. Your doctor may recommend that you see an allergy specialist.

Quick Weight Loss Tips#6 - Get fit

Last, but not least...but MOST IMPORTANT! Exercise, Exercise, Exercise. Start out slow and work your way up. Join a gym or buy weights or other equipment for your home. Bike riding and taking long walks are great. Get fit.

Featured Recipe:

MYM Fudge Brownies

From The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook by Jillian Michaels

Nutritional Info

• Fat: 2.3g
• Carbohydrates: 16.6g
• Calories: 85.0
• Protein: 1.2g

Ingredients

Olive Oil Spray for pan
2/3 cup mild honey (preferably organic)
1/3 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup white, whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 TBSP olive oil
1 large egg, at room temp
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Makes 16 (2") brownies

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8-inch square pan with olive oil. Set aside.

Place the honey in a large glass-measuring cup, Microwave on high power until the honey is runny and just bubbling, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the cocoa and stir with a fork until well combined. Let cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, place the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until well combined.

In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk together until well blended. Add the honey-cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir until no traces of flour remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until the surface looks dry around the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it; about 25 min. Do not over bake. Place the plan on a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing into 16 squares. (Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days.)

Number of Servings: 16

Catching Up

I has been too long since I posted. Let's see what's been happening.

First the weight-loss challenge has begun! The trash can in the break room was full of Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice boxes today! It's the "dash for the cash"!

I am writing a weekly newsletter for the challenge. It contains info about the challenge, health and fitness, tips and recipes. I'll post them here soon.

I did manage to lose a pound the first week. I was so afraid that I would gain or not lose that first week. It's amazing how some people start a new program and lose seven pounds the first week. Not me! Never! Even when I kill myself at the gym. I have done Zumba, Masala Bhangra, 30-Day Shred and my Tworkout with my Twitter pals. Normally I am starving after Zumba, but today I was so exhausted that I wasn't hungry until about 90 minutes after the class.

I went back to Arkansas Labor Day weekend. I had a great visit with my cousin, met some of my cousin's friends, and saw a lot of old friends that I hadn't seen in a long time. I really needed that boost. It really makes you feel good when you go home and everyone is glad to see you and think you look good even when you've put on a few pounds.

I'm still trying out new recipes. This week was Split-Pea Soup. The peas were purchased in the bulk food section of Sprouts and I finally put together the soup. When I decide to make something and I don't have a recipe, I usually "Google" the recipe and take the ingredients that I like from each recipe. The soup is easy. You need dried split-peas (I used the green ones.), chicken broth, water, onions, carrots,celery and some type of meat (I used ham shanks.) I added a packet of Sazon seasoning and threw it all in the Crock-Pot. (I love, love, love my Crock-Pot!). I also threw in a bay leaf and a pinch of fresh thyme. At the end of cooking, puree 3/4 of the soup (or as much as your blender will safely hold) then return it to the pot. It's yummy!

I love muffins. I was one of those people who would eat a large muffin and then scream when I realized how many calories they contained. I have been addicted to Jillian Michaels' Banana Blueberry Muffins from the Master Your Metabolism Cookbook. Now I'm on the Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins that I found on food.com. I had a little help eating them so I had to make a second batch!

Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 3 medium very ripe bananas (I freeze overripe bananas and thaw them for baking and smoothies.)
• 1 eggs (I use All-Whites)
• 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk or 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar or 1/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or 1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
• 1 1/2 cups flour or 3/4 cup white flour and 3/4 cup white whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup quick oats
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 -3 tablespoons chocolate chips (This amount is not nearly enough!)
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (More is you like nuts; omit if you don't)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly coat 12 muffin tin liners with cooking spray and place in muffin tin.
3. In large bowl, mash bananas with fork.
4. Whisk in egg, milk, granulated sugar, and brown sugar and applesauce.
   
5. In separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.
6. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and combine well.
7. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
8. Spoon equal amounts of batter into 12 muffin cups. I use fold muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray.
   
9. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool slightly in pan, then remove to wire rack.

The original nutrition info was: Calories 167, Fat 1.2, Fiber 1.2mg. I added the applesauce, oats, and extra chocolate chip but I haven't run the recipe through recipe builder for final nutritional info.

It's time to get my rest. That is another challenge!!

Motivation

Earlier today Tracy and I were discussing our weight loss goals and we realized we need motivation. Not just fitting in our clothes or being healthy but there is one thing that will motivate people to do anything.......MONEY! Hence, the birth of our new 12-week challenge in our office.

So far, we have seven co-workers on board. We will weigh-in weekly. (Weights will be confidential.) We will also pay a small weigh-in fee each payday. At the end of the challenge, the person with the highest percentage of weight loss wins. We are also considering other prizes for the top winners and maybe something for the first person to lose 10% of their starting weight.

We will have a weekly e-mail newsletter and some type of stickers for each weigh-in.

I guess I'll have to make those Banana Blueberry Muffins (from Jillian Michaels' Master Your Metabolism Cookbook.) for everyone. (I'm addicted to them.)

I can't wait!!

I'm Back!

I'm back OP. That's Weight Watchers lingo for "on program". This is the ONLY way I can be successful in losing this weight and maintaining any weight loss. I can still incorporate other plans ie, more whole grains, organic whenever possible, but I was just lost without the Points. Even journaling with calories did not work for me.

I can't afford the meetings right now. (I opted for a gym membership instead.) Since I'm Lifetime I don't have to re-enroll but I do have to pay when I weigh-in if I am over two pounds over my goal weight. I do have the tools that I need and I have a lot of on-line pals who are going through the same daily food and exercise struggles.

I also need to blog more and journal whenever I need to "get it out". I have so many projects that I would like to do but I get tired and just never get around to it. At least this is the number one project and I'm starting today!

Still Struggling

I am still struggling. I just can't control the food. This is totally insane. I have all of the tools but I just cannot get the job done.
I reviewed some of my old Weight Watchers journals. I lost weight but I ate too much junk and processed foods. Now I am trying to eat healthier but I am eating too much. Yes, you can get fat on "healthy food". If I can just integrate my healthier approach into my points and not be hungry all of the time, I'll be successful.
Of course, I am also frustrated because I have lost so much ground; not just with my weight but with my endurance. I am not as fit as I was a year ago and it really bugs me. I don't even think I am as fit as I was this past spring. Every time I tried to increase my intensity I either got sick or suffered an injury.
Hopefully, writing more will help and I am keeping a food journal again so wish me luck!

Money

I am trying to decide whether to sign up for one of the services that pays you to place ads on your blog. I'm not sure it would be worth it and easy to get rid of if I don't like it. Hopefully I could have some input into which ads I would get. I would not be happy to have questionable ads on my blog.

Mini-Update

I am so far behind with this blog. I've am still fighting the eating demons. I have started a couple of challenges (Awesome August and Down and Dirty with 30 Day Shred) and I think that will help.
I have to get this weight off and get my strength back.

I am still trying new recipes each week so I have a lot of catching up to do.