Big changes for my friend A

A and I met each other through work almost 10 years ago. Wow! We're the same age and we served on a committee together. We've seen each other through thick and thin and I'm very proud of that. Six years ago she watched me leave my job and move out east to get married and she stood by me. She must have had mixed feelings (as I do now) watching me go. But as strange as life is, I moved back a year later and she was there to help me celebrate and readjust to life in Colorado. She even DROVE to my wedding in Iowa (with our other good friend C) - across Nebraska twice in one weekend. Now that's friendship!

So now I get to see her move to a new state, start a new job, begin a new chapter in her life. I'm very happy for her and these new things are really a blessing in her life. But I am a little bit sad for me. Love you girl!

Weight Loss Tips from the Transformers - Tip #2

2. Don't eat after 6:00pm weekdays, 7:00pm weekends

This tip came from Kathy and it's a hard one for me to adhere to - especially during the week. I don't get home from the gym until 6pm and we usually eat right away but still! Once I'm done eating dinner I do try not to snack before bed. I usually fill up my water bottle and drink at least 16 oz before I go to bed. I still think it's a good tip but not always attainable.

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).

Think of Rocky on the steps

So today when I stepped on the scale I had lost 10 lbs. Can you believe it? Me neither...

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.

So I've got a rather big mountain to climb...

Granted it's a figurative mountain - not a REAL fourteener that Colorado is famous for.

So, Internet, I've decided to lose 90 lbs. Yes, that was Nine Zero. I'm going to need some support from all of you over the next year+. I've lost 6 lbs so far (after 4 weeks) and am very happy about my progress so far. Four weeks ago I bought a BodyBugg. It's a small device that is like an armband but it tracks my steps and calories burned. I track what I eat and then enter it into a website that compares them. It helps me set goals based on my size and weight loss goal. I was already going to the gym at least five days a week to do cardio. Plus I had made a decision to go to yoga class at least once a week for a year. Once I had used the BodyBugg for about two weeks (and realized that I was burning enough calories), I had a friend meet me at the gym (she's a former trainer) and help me redesign my workout routine. For the past week and a half I've been going to the gym twice a day (before and after work). I now do my cardio in the morning and I lift weights in the evening. And I still go to yoga once a week.

Yummy summer salad - this one is a keeper

Rice, Black Bean, and Corn Salad
Ingredients
1 cup cold cooked brown rice
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

Dressing
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine rice, corn, bell pepper, celery, beans, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno.

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, lime juice, oil and salt. Pour over the rice mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least 1 hour. Makes 4 servings.

PER SERVING: (scant 1 cup): 119 Cal, 4g fat, 1g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 0mg Chol, 197mg Sod., 19g Carb, 3g Fib, 3g Prot, 21mg Calc.