Tips from Transformers - Tip #3

Looking at the big picture can often be intimidating when it comes to losing weight/getting fit. There are several of us on my Transformers team who need and want to lose a lot of weight (30 lbs or more). If you have a lot of weight to lose, realistically, it could be a long road ahead until your reach your goal weight. We have discussed breaking our goals up into more manageable pieces (three 10lbs benchmarks, for example). More than one of us had heard or read that it is important to reward yourself throughout your weight loss journey to stay motivated. First, you have to set up your short-term and long-term goals. These goals should be personal and focus on the things you need the most improvement on.

So I set my fitness goals as well as my ultimate weight loss goal (90 lbs). One of my fitness goals was to attend yoga weekly. I'm not the best "stretcher" in the world so I figured I could use the help in that area as well as for general relaxation/stress relief. I've probably attended about 60% of the time since July. Luckily the classes are included as part of my membership so I don't have to pay extra (and don't have to feel guilty if I miss a class). One of my other fitness goals was to start weight lifting again and do it consistently. I lost about 35 lbs on the Atkin's diet in 1999 but I didn't manage to keep all the weight off for more than 5 years because I didn't change any of my exercise habits. I didn't want to make that mistake again. In addition to my fitness goals, I also set weight loss goals in 15 lbs increments. That breaks my total into 6 more manageable steps and then I set up rewards for myself when I achieve each of them. I would also like to mention that I discussed these goals with my husband so we could agree on something that wouldn't strain the family finances. See below for my list.

15lbs - Manicure/Pedicure (had a gift certificate) - Achieved 10/27/09

30lbs - Massage

45lbs - Book or CD

60lbs - Massage

75lbs - Victoria's Secret Undies or Bras

90lbs - Trip to Washington, DC with Dan

I'll keep you posted as I achieve these goals!

Weight Loss Tips from the Transformers - Tip #1

Every Friday my Biggest Loser team meets for 15-20 minutes to talk about our progress, our stumbling blocks, etc. We also talk about our weekend plans - especially anything revolving around food - and help each other strategize. So here's the first installment in the tips and ideas that came out of one of our meetings.

1. The book "Eat This, Not That" helps to simplify making better choices.

That tip is from Nancy - she and her husband dine out frequently - and she thinks the book has helped her make better choices at restaurants. She keeps it at her desk and we are free to browse through it at any time. I used it to look up some info on Red Lobster a few weeks ago. Here's my tip for you - avoid the Cheddar Bay Biscuits at all cost if you are dining at Red Lobster. 150 calories each (and who can eat just one??) and 350 mg of sodium EACH. I know other teammates have found a few surprises by glancing through the book (both negative and positive surprises).

Wish me luck!

So today we started a "Biggest Loser" competition at work - the nice part is that you can compete as an individual or as part of a team. We only have two weigh-ins over the 12 weeks - at the beginning and at the end (first week of November) and we each took a "Before" photo. I'm on a team ("The Transformers") from my department. We have had one meeting so far to discuss our goals (mine is to lose 20 lbs during these 3 months) and talk about strategies and tips. Most of them I already knew but it's helpful to be reminded. I'll post some of them in future. I also think it's helpful to have fans encouraging you - I bet there are studies to prove it too. I really would like to win (Hello?!! There's a $150 gift card per person for the winning individual and winning team members) but I'm not sure how driven my teammates are. I'm continuing on my path of morning cardio workouts and afternoon weight lifting routines Monday through Friday and yoga on Sunday.