My Plate

This is a neat website whether you just want to find out how many calories are in something (I ate 1/2 a quesadilla burger last night @ Applebees and found the calories for it on here...ug) or what to actually try adding it all to a plate, it's a great resource. Try the plate option...there's a bar that shows how many calories you have eaten and how many you have left for the day. Great tracker!

Check out the site: http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/

Hungry Girl's Fat-Burning Foods

Today's Hungry Girl's e-newsletter had some great info on fat burning foods. Check it out HERE. I also like the grocery shopping list link found HERE. Sign up for the Hungry Girl's e-newsletter HERE or check out the website HERE for daily inspiration and ideas about healthy foods.

Results for Week 1

Congrats team!

We lost 14 pounds altogether!

Here are the percentage stats:

Snacking

"The Biggest Loser 30 Day Jump Start " recommends two snacks per day to speed up metabolism, for a total of around 1,500 a day. Here are some of the snack ideas from the book:

fruits

veggies

string cheese

huumus

pb n j- wheat bread, nat pb, sugar free spread

smoothies made from ff greek style yogurt

2 T almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews

cottage cheese

2 oz sliced turkey or chx breast

hard boiled eggs

3 olives

turkey sandwich in wheat

mini bran muffins

tye crackers w/laughing cow cheese

salsa w chips made from corn tortillas-baked w cumin

almond butter

granola

raisins

whole grain pitas- bake w seasonings

4 shrimp w cocktail sauce

Weigh In # 2 January 6th

Week #2 Weigh In! Post it as a comment.
I'll post the percentage results tomorrow.

Reminder: The weigh ins in between the first and last can be without a witness and at any point in the day.

Be inspired! The Biggest Loser's new season starts tonight!

The show has been very motivating to me. Check it out the first show of the season tonight on channel 12 at 7:00!

Exercise Check!

Have you worked out today? How many times have you worked out this week and for how long? What have you been doing to stay active? Today is the last day before weigh in! Make that "last chance workout" count before weigh in tomorrow!

Exercise Info from www.familydoctor.org:

How much exercise do I need?

A good goal for many people is to work up to exercising 4 to 6 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Remember, though, that exercise has so many health benefits that any amount is better than none.

Here are some tips that will help you start and stick with an exercise program:

Choose something you like to do. Make sure it suits you physically, too. For instance, swimming is easier on arthritic joints.
Get a partner. Exercising with a friend or relative can make it more fun.
Vary your routine. You may be less likely to get bored or injured if you change your exercise routine. Walk one day. Bicycle the next. Consider activities like dancing and racquet sports, and even chores like vacuuming or mowing the lawn.
Choose a comfortable time of day. Don't work out too soon after eating or when it's too hot or cold outside. Wait until later in the day if you're too stiff in the morning.
Don't get discouraged. It can take weeks or months before you notice some of the changes from exercise, such as weight loss.
Forget "no pain, no gain." While a little soreness is normal after you first start exercising, pain isn't. Take a break if you hurt or if you are injured.
Make exercise fun. Read, listen to music or watch TV while riding a stationary bicycle, for example. Find fun things to do, like taking a walk through the zoo. Go dancing. Learn how to play a sport you enjoy, such as tennis.

Making exercise a habit

Stick to a regular time every day.
Sign a contract committing yourself to exercise.
Put "exercise appointments" on your calendar.
Keep a daily log or diary of your exercise activities.
Check your progress. Can you walk a certain distance faster now than when you began exercising? Or is your heart rate slower now?
Ask your doctor to write a prescription for your exercise program, such as what type of exercise to do, how often to exercise and for how long.
Think about joining a health club. The cost gives some people an incentive to exercise regularly.

Benefits of regular exercise

Reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity
Keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible, which makes it easier to move around
Reduces some of the effects of aging
Contributes to your mental well-being and helps treat depression
Helps relieve stress and anxiety
Increases your energy and endurance
Helps you sleep better
Helps you maintain a normal weight by increasing your metabolism (the rate you burn calories)

Food Log

Are you keeping a food log? Let's comment on what we've eaten today so far, or feel free to log about yesterday.

Here's some great info from dietblog.com:

Six Reasons to Keep a Food Diary

One of the factors which I credit most strongly with helping me to lose weight was keeping a food diary. Jim's written on Diet Blog before about how to keep a food diary and why, but I suspect there are plenty of dieters who think it's not worth the effort. Here's my five top reasons to write down what you eat:

Account for all those 'little extras' Many people eat healthily at mealtimes, but snack poorly in between. If you're aiming to lose a pound a week, just a few extras (eg. a can of coke, a cookie and a packet of crisps) during the day prevents you from seeing results on the scales.
Writing down everything you eat demonstrates the cost of those 'occasional' nibbles...
Know when you can afford to treat yourself Conversely, keeping track of your food intake over the course of a day or a week gives you the freedom to enjoy a treat once in a while - guilt-free. If you know you've got calories to spare for the day, and no chocolate has passed your lips for six days, you can indulge yourself!
Be aware of when you're eating Keeping a food diary highlights patterns, showing if you overeat at particular times. Perhaps you binge late at night, because you've been eating too little all day? Or perhaps you graze constantly? If you don't keep a food diary because you have no hope of remembering everything you eat ... you may need to change your habits.
Fight 'portion creep' Those of us who've been dieting or maintaining for a long time often get used to "eyeballing" portions rather than weighing everything out. But if your weight loss has plateaued, or if those pounds are edging back on, keeping a diary means you need to weigh your foods. That "medium" portion of pasta or rice might be bigger than you think...
See your habits changing It can be motivational to look back on a food diary from a few months or even years ago and see how your nutritional choices have changed. Perhaps you've curbed your chocolate habit, or maybe you now eat proper meals instead of junk-food snacks. And if you're having a bad day, flicking back to a "perfect" week in your diary is encouraging: if you did it once, you can do it again!
Boost your self-control Knowing you have to write down everything you eat makes you think twice about that donut, or that second plateful at a buffet. Even if you're the only person who'll see your diary, recording your food intake is a very easy way to improve your self-control.

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Water Check!!

How much water have you drank today? You should be getting eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day!

Water is your body's principal chemical component, making up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. If a person is dehydrated their body compensates by retaining excess water as a protective measure. This alone is responsible for some excess weight. As well, a dehydrated person's metabolism is significantly lower than a normally hydrated person. Dehydration is responsible for many people's feelings of fatigue. Many people have lost their sense of thirst and mistake it for hunger. Drinking a glass of water will usually greatly reduce any false hunger pangs. Water is the number one most important thing to address when it comes to losing weight, because water actually increases your body's ability to metabolize fat.

How many glasses have you had today??