Weekly Weigh In: Snowed In

I haven't left my apartment since Wednesday evening. I'm lucky that for my job, I can work from home 3 days a week and that I really just need to be there physically twice a week. I've been working off my patootie on a paper for an upcoming conference (which is due to the discussant on February 10... 11 days and counting). Seriously people, I watched Lost and the Biggest Loser with my laptop open, working on my data! Also, since I've not been going in the office, I obviously haven't been going to the gym. I haven't been since Monday. That doesn't mean that I haven't been using my videos and starting up the 30 Day Shred again!

And... drumroll please... that brings me to my ONE pound loss that I had for the week! Ta da! I think most of it has to do with paying attention to my diet rather than all the exercise I've been getting in. So, three weeks into my Ten Pounds in Ten Weeks Challenge, I've lost 2.2 pounds, which averages out to about 3/4 of a pound per week. Not to shabby :) I think that eating right and exercising does a lot for your self esteem as well. I've been feeling fat lately (could you tell from my last post?), but knowing that I'm taking the time to eat right and to make time to work my body at the gym (or at home) makes me feel good about myself.

So, my goal for next week will be another movement down on the scale (woot!) and to keep it up with my healthy eating. I'm going to a Super Bowl party on Sunday, but I promise not to indulge. After all... there is always celery associated with wings right? I'll just concentrate on the green stuff :)

Pilates Punishment

I don't think I've told you all, but I've started doing Pilates twice a week. It's a lot more difficult than I remember it to be. When I lived in Tallahassee, I used to go to a women's only gym with a friend's girlfriend. She was into going to yoga and pilates classes, while I was trying to peel off the pounds by hitting the cardio machines. However, I did go to yoga and pilates with her. Pilates was difficult, but I remember being able to do planks, side planks and all sorts of different things.



Granted, that was about 5 years ago. And (while I know I'm not 105 years old) there is a difference between being in your early 20s and now in my (sniff sniff) late twenties. So, when I went to Pilates for the first time a few weeks ago, I didn't think it was so bad. We did a lot of core work, and it was fine. When I went back for Friday's class, our instructor told us to get foam rollers and some gadget that was an exercise band with wrist and ankle attachments. To me, it looked like something completely from the Inquisition. Was I going to be put on the rack? And then bound and quartered?



My main nemesis is the side plank. I get along fine with the front plank. No problem at all. But get over onto that side, and I'm all sorts of wobbly and uncoordinated. I feel like my instructor looks at me like, honey, you're a big girl, you can't do it all at once. (I believe her exact words to me when I asked her for help with the side plank after class was "you're new. you can't expect to run a marathon tomorrow if you've never run before in your life.") I want to scream "I'm in the best shape I've ever been in my life!!! Yes I'm still a big girl, but I *should* be able to do this!!" I guess that's why Pilates frustrates me so much. I hang in the back with the "Plus-25 crowd" which ranges from those of us in our late 20s and early 30s to some women who are easily in their 50s and 60s, while the front of the classroom is filled with 18-22 year olds that weigh all of 95 pounds. They can bend and stretch and balance with no problems. Drives me crazy.



But it just makes me want to get stronger and practice that side plank every friggin day!

Biggest Loser: It's a Trap!

Okay, while I did watch BL last night, I'm having a hard time recalling specific details. So, you'll just have to help me out in the comments section. I was working while watching... and I'll be bogged down with work until Valentine's Day. Lucky, lucky me :)

Bob's team felt betrayed by Jillian's team, because they voted Damien off last week instead of Joelle. Filipe was wound up: If you want to play the game, let's play the game! Bob did some team building exercises with them and everyone was happy. Except... we got to visit their partners at home. Um, excuse me David? You're smoking AND pigging out? Laura? Partying it up in Miami Beach? Your friends on campus will be pissed when they find out.

Ali shows up with another NFL themed challenge (how lucky were they to get Kurt Warner... not knowing the Cards would be in the Super Bowl). It was a cooking challenge with that Australian hottie Curtis Stone, who hosts Take Home Chef on TLC. Now that's not an offer I'd argue with :) They had to guess the calorie content of fatty Super Bowl foods like chicken wings and seven layer dip. Then, Helen, Kristin, and Dan competed to have Curtis visit their partners who are at home plus a 2 pound advantage in the first couples weigh in. Dan won, and Curtis went to visit David in SC. At this point, I'm getting so annoyed at any BL product placement. They are just sooooooooo fake! (hey guys! don't eat that oatmeal! quaker's not a sponsor any more, even though we pushed it big time last season! eat fiber one instead!!!!!)

Their challenge was similar to the one they did last season with Steve Young and Jerry Rice... run footballs to each other's bins, fill them up, and the contestant gets disqualified. Helen won, beating Joelle (!!), and was able to guarantee that she and her daughter will be back next week.

Before the weigh in began, Ali had a surprise for everyone... their partners were back already! But would they stay? After the weigh ins, the brown team and Dan (orange) were in the bottom two. Ron, the Brown dad, cried, saying don't take this experience away from my son. David, on the other hand, was like, eh, you need to send me home, I don't care. Yeah, you probably want some more smokes and wings, no? At the voting table, I was so worried that the Brown Team would be going, but I'm glad that some people (Tara and Felipe) reemed David for his "I don't care" attitude. But wow... DANIEL!!! He lost 101 pounds since he's been home. He actually looks like a different person. He should be very proud of himself, since he obviously doesn't have the support of his teammate.

Next week... first 10 minutes, the at-home contestants weigh in. Let the fur fly! WOOO!!!!

Note to Self

Yesterday, I went to the gym after mass to do some cardio and strength training. I picked up some sort of US/People/Hello! type magazine, and was looking through it while I worked on the elliptical. Finally, I got to a story on Jenny McCarthy. Say what you will about her, but you do have to give her major props for losing weight on WW. Anyway, she said something that resonated with me and is now a part of my "note to self" for the week: Weight loss is 90% eating and 10% exercise. She said, "I can be a toned fat person or a toned thin person. It depends on what I eat." Amen! I haven't been paying much attention to food lately (work stress... ugh!). That's what I'm going to focus on for the week.

Weekly Weigh In: Not Going Anywhere

I can't believe that I hardly blogged this week. I've been really focused on work, especially since I have a conference coming up in two and a half weeks. That being said, I did awesome with my workouts this week. I took a day off on Tuesday, but other than that, I've been at the gym every day. I've had a little difficulty with my runs now that I bumped it up to two intervals of eight minutes running and five minutes walking. About half way through my second set yesterday, I got the worst side cramp and had to walk for about 30 seconds. Ugh. Don't you hate when that happens?

I didn't lose any weight this week, but I maintained. I'm happy with that, mainly because cooking has been such a pain in the butt. Mondays and Wednesdays are my late teaching nights, and I usually just have leftovers. But even on days that I have time to cook, I'm kind of in a rut. I put in a lot during the day that I'm kind of exhausted when I get home. I full admit to having a "grazing" dinner on Tuesday night, even though I had the time to cook something. However, I'm starting to turn a lot to soups and sandwiches as meals, just because they are easy and healthy. Do you ever get into a rut with your cooking? Or find yourself completely lacking motivation to face the stove? What do to you to move past that and yet still maintain your healthy lifestyle? I've also started weight training again, so I think that has contributed to the non-movement of my scale this week.

Hope you have a good weekend!

Mind Games

I've started weight training again, and it is so tiring :) I'd say it's been a good six or seven weeks since I picked up a weight or did a lunge. On Sunday, E and I decided to start our strength training along with our C25K. We did some weights, lunges, squats, and crunches. I was tired afterwards, but not really sore. Monday, we went to Pilates and did a C25K run (still repeating W5D1). Since it was a holiday, I went home and worked from my couch while watching Rocky II (the only Philadelphian athlete who never disappoints... hint hint Eagles defense). When I tried to get up to get a drink... OMG. I. Was. So. Sore. I ended up working from my couch for the rest of the day and popping two Tylenol before I went to bed. I almost didn't work out yesterday, but I figured that something is better than nothing. So, I did the strength training workout from the Biggest Loser Vol. 1 DVD. I felt a lot better doing something... and I definitely wasn't sore this morning.

We've been moving along on our journey back in the C25K. Since it has been so long since I've run, I've been repeating lots of days. And trust me: three intervals of 5 minutes of running followed by three minutes of walking is ALOT if you haven't run in seven weeks. Today, we decided to progress and move onto W5D2, which is two intervals of 8 minute runs and 5 minute walks. I didn't think I was going to make it through the runs, and yet, I did. Part of it was that E and I switched our running positions. I had been running on the outside lane and E on the inside. In running on the outside, I felt that I was always trying to catch her, that I was going too slow, etc. I told her it was messing with my head, and that's why I was so out of breath while I was running. After our first interval, she totally got what I was saying... there's just something about that outside lane that makes you go crazy... all the speeding up and slowing down to pass people that are walking, going around the corners make you fall behind... it's a big old mind game! We're planning on next Friday being our long 20 minute run... ugh. It seems so far away, and yet, I know we can do it!

Biggest Loser Update

I'm sorry to inform those of you who want my usual Wednesday BL commentary. Sorry kids, but I'm too busy watching the Neighborhood Ball on ABC. This week, Michelle Obama's dress (oh, yeah, and our new president) ranks higher than the BL. I promise to be all caught up for next week's show :)

Something New: Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

As I promised, I will be trying out one new recipe per week. It helps me out in a way, since I don't get home until 6:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays and by the time I do get home, I'm starving. So, I'm planning on making these new recipes on the weekend, in order to have leftovers later in the week. This week, I tried the Hungry Little Catepillar's Chicken with Caramelized Onions. I added the mushrooms :)

Chicken and Caramelized Onion and Mushrooms:

1 onion, cut into large pieces

1 cup of mushrooms, sliced

1-2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tsp. butter or oil

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/2 - 1 tsp. basil

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet over med-high heat, add the onions to heated butter/oil. When onions are beginning to become translucent (cooked through, about 5-10 min) add the chicken broth. Cook, stirring, until the broth has fully evaporated. (about 10 min) Add the mushrooms Add the vinegar, and continue to stir until vinegar has fully evaporated. (another 5-10 minutes) The onions should be dark brown and limp. Remove onions from a pan to the serving plate.Add the chicken to the skillet (do not clean it - broth/vinegar residue flavors the chicken) and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil. Cook until chicken is cooked through. If onions have cooled, you can add them back to the skillet for a minute or two to re-heat them. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings if you only use 1 chicken breast (like me!).

I served it with brown rice to cut some of the sharpness in the onions from the balsamic vinegar. What did it look like? Voila! And it tasted great. The only thing I would warn is that it does take time to make this meal... it certainly isn't a quick stirfry.

Total Frustration

I received a phone call yesterday from my mom... she was really concerned about my aunt. My aunt is extremely obese for her frame. I think her BMI is somewhere close to 60 (if you need a reference, obesity starts at a BMI of 30). Anyway, throughout her life, she's had her ups and downs with her weight. About four or five years ago, she got down to a healthy weight, but unfortunately, a series of surgeries plus quitting smoking has made her bounce back up in her weight, making her get to her highest weight ever. I've tried to help her, especially since my own BMI was about 45 when I started losing weight, but her response to everything is that it may have worked for me, but I'm younger than her, I exercise, etc.

So, my mom calls me yesterday to tell me that my aunt went to her family doctor for a check up and that, in response to her weight gain, her doctor said, "Well, there's nothing else we can do for you. You should go get a lap band or gastric bypass surgery. That's the only way you'll lose weight." And like my mom, I was FURIOUS at this doctor. How can you tell someone that's the ONLY way they'll lose weight? I'm not saying that my aunt gained weight out of the blue. Obviously there are things that contributed to her gaining weight, including her own bad habits. But for a doctor to have this defeatist attitude, that this "quick fix" of gastric bypass will solve all my aunt's problems... it disgusts me. Gastric bypass is a last resort for many people. But before you get to this point, you try things: why not send her to a nutritionist or even a therapist to talk through her food issues? Why is it this "all or nothing" attitude?

I admit that when I was tipping the scales at 230 (I think closer to 240 if we're being honest... I never weighed myself when I was really heavy), I thought about how I would never be able to lose that weight. That I would probably just keep getting bigger and bigger. How I would never be able to have kids, because how could my body handle being a 300 pound pregnant lady? Once in a while, the idea of a lap band or gastric bypass would find its way in my mind. But finally, I got to the point where something in me snapped. I didn't want to live life as an obese American. I wanted to be thin, healthy, and to be able to shop in stores that weren't called "Lane Bryant".

But I think all of us who have been on this weight loss journey experienced this kind of epiphany, something that made us start eating better and moving our bodies. What happens when someone doesn't reach that point? What can we do to get them there? Unfortunately, I'm finding out the hard way that you can't do anything. I've tried with my aunt, I've actually written down what I eat and what I avoid for her (there is no magic recipe, but this is what works for me), I've encouraged her to not give up (which is SO important)... but I am so frustrated. It makes me sad to know that she's seriously considering some form of gastric bypass even though she was completely against the surgery for many years. I'm not saying gastric bypass is bad. It's a surgery, and like any surgery, there are possible issues. I'm concerned about her getting through the surgery, possible complications, etc. I just wish she wouldn't give up so easily on other methods of weight loss that don't involve anesthesia.

Run for your life!!

I know that it's been a theme on some blogs lately... exercise for your life, make it a part of your life, live longer, etc. But no, the title of this blog is somewhat literal. E and I went for a run at the gym again yesterday. Except, we didn't go at 7AM... well, at least I didn't go at 7AM. At 7AM it was -6 degrees. I went at 4PM when it was a balmy 6 degrees above zero. I figured, it's cold, it's Friday, there can't be that many students around. Wow, I couldn't have been more wrong.

There were herds of boys running on the track. HERDS. And they were running with no rhyme or reason. It seemed that a lot of them were running to be the fastest on the track and be damned who was in their way. There was no attention paid to the signs that said 'slower runners stay on the outside of the track, while faster runners stay inside'. These boys were just running all over the track, and almost running over people to be the fastest. I'll say, it's enough motivation to make me get up early in the morning and get my butt on the track to run with the "old" folks, not the young testosterone-y bunch!

As for my run, I did Week 5 Day 1 of C25K again... 5 minute runs with 3 minute walks. Still getting winded. Boy, am I out of shape! But sticking with it will help me over this hump instead of just giving up completely. I'm also going to start weight training again today. Little by little, I'll get back to the shape I was in prior to my Christmas binge!

Weekly Weigh In: Shake those Maracas!!!

My first week back on track and I lost 1.2 pounds. I know, y'all are going to hate me for this, but I am a little disappointed. My eating didn't go as smoothly as I would have hoped, and I feel that this held me back a bit in the numbers game this week. So, I won't sit here and pout like a Biggest Loser contestant. Instead, I'm going to tell you a trick I'm going to use this year. I'm going to focus on 10 pounds in 10 weeks. Doctors will tell you that losing a pound a week is good... the slower you go, the more likely you are to keep the weight off. So, I'm looking at small steps... 10 pounds at a time. Therefore, I'm changing my ticker up on top and moving my long-term stats off the page. When I reach a milestone, trust me, I'll let you know :) I'm still keeping track of those via Excel.

On another note, I fully admit to being obsessed with the movie Dirty Dancing. I've loved that movie since I was 10 years old, when my tap class did a routine to "Do You Love Me" and I was introduced to the world of Johnny Castle. This year, I had a hard time finding a replacement for my trusty workout calendar that I keep on my fridge... until I found an official Dirty Dancing calendar. There are pictures from the movie and quotes too. This month, it's Baby's infamous "I carried a watermelon?!?" line. I thought I was in love until I found this on a recent Target excursion:

You seriously do not realize how close I was to spending a portion of the gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket on the OFFICIAL Dirty Dancing workout. How awesome does this thing look? And the preview that Amazon has up looks fun. I'm adding it to my netflix list as I type this. I'll let you know how much I enjoy it!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

I think everyone in the country (even my friends in Tallahassee!) could agree that it is mighty cold. So cold that I spent the morning catching up on work emails, paperwork, etc, in my pajamas, slurping down hot hot coffee. Is it wrong that I keep looking at weather.com and saying, okay Saturday will be back in the 30s. I can handle the 30s! I can handle the 20s! What I can't handle is single digit weather!!

So, even though it's cold outside, I've been staying on top of my gym going. It helps to have a gym buddy. However, on Tuesday, I went to the new gym by myself. Oh, that was an experience. Like I said, my new gym is the rec center on campus. I'm definitely not old, but I'm a good 10 years older than some of the kids that go there. Since I could only sign up between the hours of 10AM and 6PM, I figure I'd go at 10ish, work out and then come home. I found myself an elliptical and settled in for the next 45 minutes. Who knew it would be so amusing to watch the New Year's resolution crowd kick in?

There was a girl on another elliptical wearing the TIGHTEST clothing I've ever seen. Her racerback top was about two sizes too small. She wasn't a big girl, but she definitely wasn't a twig either. And you can tell she was self-conscious because she kept tugging at her shirt. Oh, goodness. Then, the same pair of 18 year olds kept walking around, waiting for two machines next to each other to open up. I don't know... when I go to the gym, I have an in and out mentality. Get on a machine, do my 45 minutes, and I'm done. I wish I had the time these girls did to waste walking around, waiting for two contiguous machines to be open. Then, my favorite: The "we're so in love" couples. These bf/gf combos are also looking for machines together. The guy constantly offers his lady some water, making sure she's okay, blah blah blah. But do they get much work done? They're too busy BEING together for that nonsense!

I'm excited about my run tomorrow morning because I'll be able to use my NEW running shoes. When I was home, I was refitted for shoes, because I had a suspicion that my shoes were too big (hence the blisters on my instep). I was right. The guy who runs the running store apologized for whoever put me in those sneakers... he said that he had hired a new guy right around the time that I was fitted, and he suspected it was him. Makes me kind of hesitant to go back to that store, but at least I have an idea of what kind of shoe I should be looking for, even on my own. Anyway, I bought a pair of Brooks this time, just to try some other brand out. I'll let you know about the maiden run on Friday :)

Biggest Loser Couples: Bleep Bleep Bleep!!!

Things have been going well with me so far this week. Yesterday, I officially signed up at the gym. Yay! I did 45 minutes on the elliptical and went home. Last night, E and I agreed to meet at the gym at 7AM, but we woke up to 12 degree weather and a bit of ice/snow on our cars. Are you kidding me? I got up for this? We ended up meeting at 7:15, but still we GOT there. We did Day One of Week Five from the C25K program. Let's just say that we're going to have to do it over again. The runs are 5 minutes long, with a 3 minute walk in between. The first five minutes were fine. The second and third runs? Oy... I had the worst cramp on my right side. But I pushed through it. I just kept thinking of Bob yelling at me :)

Speaking of, ahem... time for some BL analysis!!

Joelle just ticked me off from the beginning. Ali approached the contestants with a temptation: Take $5K and walk away from the game. Seriously, girlfriend, you thought $5K was going to turn your life around? And this show (and Bob) isn't? Grr... Ali then raised the ante from $5K to $10K to $15K. Joelle was the ONLY ONE who seriously considered it. And it ticked everyone off.

Next they faced their challenge: They had to kayak to shore and then hike up a hill (it was a mountain, but they only went up a little hill of it). Blaine (Black Team) and Tara (Green Team) were in the lead. I loved how Blaine kept shouting back at her. Ali called it egging her on, but really, Blaine was challenging her and encouraging her to keep going. Who knew she would pull it off and WIN immunity for the week? I know Blaine didn't!! Then, the contestants came in, one by one, some winning a phone call home, others just glad that they didn't get the one pound penalty. At the end, it was Daniel (Orange Team) and Jerry (White Team)... the heaviest contestant vs. the oldest contestant. Jerry ended up making it in ahead of Daniel, but at the same time, I was so touched that Blaine, Tara, and Helen (Pink Team) come back down to help Daniel all the way up the hill. Awesome job of bringing the spirit back to the BL guys!

Then, there was the official Bob freaks out moment. (and yes, I found Bob to be super hot, cussing a storm up... ah, passion) Joelle was half-assing her workouts all day. And Bob got pissed, just like he has every right to be. You're on the ranch, supposedly WANTING to be there, and you don't put in the effort. WTF? I was waiting for a Bob's team mutiny... I want to know who shouted "stop thinking about yourself! think of us!" when they had to do the sprints for the third time after Joelle jumped early. I'm starting to think that Carla was right about not wanting to leave Joelle on the ranch. I'd be pissed if my friend ruined it for me too.

So, the weigh in... Joelle was thisclose to being in the bottom two, but because of his one pound penalty, Daniel was under the line with Jerry. Okay, I wanted to cry at this point. The two people who needed to be on the ranch the most were in danger of leaving. I completely understand why the contestants decided to keep Daniel instead of Jerry... Daniel needs to LEARN so much more than Jerry does. But at the same time Jerry is so inspiring. But wait! What about the where are they now segment? Jerry lost 80+ pounds!! And looks AMAZING (as does Estella! Can't forget about her!) But I love the fact that the two of them put their noses to the grindstone and did it... all by themselves. Great job guys!

Ugh, more Joelle drama next week. I hope she doesn't turn into this season's Vicky. Your thoughts?

And the year begins...

For some people, the year begins on January 1st. Not for me. The first day of the year starts on the first day of the semester, which for me is today. I could use this post to rant about the ten pounds I gained over break (and the three of them that I already lost), but I won't. Instead, I'm going to take the time to put some 2009 goals out there.

1) Live Healthier: This includes eating better (which I did not do over break) and going to the gym consistently. I've decided to join a new gym this year, the student rec center, which I tried out last night. I love it. It is bright and airy, which my old gym wasn't. It also has a bunch of classes and new things (climbing wall anyone?) that I want to try out. I want healthy living to be exciting, not mundane.

2) Try one new recipe a week: I subscribe to a lot of magazines, and there are always these great recipes in there that I rip out, but never get around to making. Seriously! They fill a binder up on my bookshelf. It reminds me of that Queen Latifah movie "Last Holiday": She had this book of possibilities, which included recipes she never got around to making. That's me. I think they look scrumptious, but I don't really know. So, I'm going to try one new recipe out a week and share it with you!

3) Focus on my weight loss goals: Looking back on 2008, it was a good year. I lost 30 pounds (before I gained back 10 of them). But, in looking at my weight loss record, I lost 20 pounds between January and May... and then gained and lost and gained the same 10 pounds from May to December. What the heck? I think the second half of the year was pure laziness on my part. I ate what I wanted, didn't track, didn't do much of anything regarding healthy eating. Instead, I wanted exercise to cover it all. I know that doesn't work. So, instead of saying the cliche "2009 is the year where I lose the rest of my weight", I'm going to say that 2009 is the year where I pay more attention to what goes in my mouth.

4) Run a 5K: Oh, you'll be so disappointed. I didn't run the 5K on New Year's Eve. First, a couple ice storms disrupted my training. Trust me, I walked over to my aunt's house one day and realized how many people DON'T clean their sidewalks (after I fell on my booty a few times... no worries, it has plenty of padding). Then, a couple (okay, a couple dozen) cookies disrupted my training. THEN, one of my very best friends from college came to visit me and left on New Year's Eve at 2PM. The race was at 1. Notice the laziness? Oh, well. 2009 is the year I will run a 5K. I promise! I even got new running shoes!

5) Be Positive: Sometimes I get really down about my weight loss progress. But you've lost 40+ pounds, you say! Yes, you're right. I did. And I've kept it off. However, thinking back to that May-December 2008 trend I had, it really sucked. So, I'm going to focus on being positive about this journey I am on. I'm going to think about all the things I'll be able to do with my new body. (5Ks? Skiing? Shopping for cute clothes without worrying about size?) I'm in the process of putting together a vision board to help me on this journey as well as some other more personal goals I have.

So, there you have it. A new year brings about new chances and new beginnings. We can dwell on what we didn't do in the past, but it's so much easier to just look to the future.

Biggest Loser Couples: Meet the Couples... or Not

Okay, I fully admit to not taking close notes last night on the BL, mainly because my mom and I were talking the whole time and I was also texting E through the whole thing. But overall, here are some thoughts.

I am so glad (kind of) that White Team dude didn't pass out from Jillian working him too hard. That was seriously my biggest fear, because lots of people think that Jillian and Bob push these people too hard. I mean, I didn't enjoy watching him pass out, but at the same time... he made himself pass out from his own workout. Wow. I also mentioned that I was watching with my mom, who will be turning 62 years young next week. In looking at Jerry and Estella, I told my mom that even though she is out of shape and overweight, there are people who are in a much worse position than her. I really think that last night's show motivated her to start moving. Y'know, when there isn't ice on the ground, which seems a constant here in my hometown over the holiday.

I seriously can't believe how young some of these contestants are... and how big they allowed themselves to get. Seriously. Makes me thankful that I had my wakeup call while I was in the mid-200s (wow, did I just say that?) instead of letting myself get into the 300s. Oh, and if I was the last

Teams I like: The Blue Team (cousins), The Yellow Team (sisters), The Black Team (cousins), The Red Team (the engaged couple), and the Green Team (former models). Teams I don't like: The Silver Team (more on that later), The Purple Team (seriously? you picked Bob over Jillian? J trains WINNERS...), The Brown Team (don't like the dad). The rest? No opinion just yet....

I am seriously upset about the twist, where each team (minus the Brown and Black teams) had to send ONE person home. This is just dumb beyond belief because there are people who NEED to be on that ranch. They ALL need to be on the ranch, and to send them home right away, it's like not even giving them a chance. Also, the Silver Team kind of drove me crazy. Right away, Carla seems like a game player. She threatened Joelle when they were discussing the split in the room, and then at the table, she said that this was a real test of their friendship. Um, Joelle, you'd better lose weight and get Carla back to the ranch or she won't be your friend anymore. Nice.

Sorry that I didn't give you a more complete update... but I am enjoying my last few days at home. NBC made it easier for me by splitting the teams, less names to remember :)

Happy 2009!!!

I've been meaning to write a 2008 wrap up post (which I've thoroughly enjoyed all of yours!) but I've been too busy relaxing these past two weeks! I promise to get around to it sometime today or tomorrow... but until then: WHO'S READY FOR THE BIGGEST LOSER COUPLES STARTING TUESDAY NIGHT?????

I know I am :)