Stewart Family Healthy Living

Red light, Green light!

2010-10-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

I saw this on TV the other day and I thought it was rather wise. Go to this link http://studio5.ksl.com/to check it out MUCH, MUCH MORE! I know a lot of this is common sense, but obviously we need a regular reminder or we wouldn't have a problem.

Red,Yellow, Green

Green light foods are okay all the time. You have a green light to eat them (in the correct serving size). These foods are GOOD FOR YOU!

Vegetables
Fruits
Water
Beans and legumes
Whole grains

Yellow light foods are foods that you need to precede with caution. These are usually your proteins. They tend to be higher in fat and calories. Ensure proper SERVING SIZE!

Milk/dairy
Meats
Nuts
Fish

Red light foods are a treat and should be eaten rarely if at all. These are foods that are high in fat, sugar, salt etc. These foods ARE BAD FOR YOU.

Juice (I know, what about 100% fruit juice, no sugar added? If you have this in the correct portion size, it's not bad for you but too many calories too easily)

Cake
French Fries
Potato Chips
Doughnuts

Categorizing food is not always easy but this can sometimes help steer you in the right
direction.

This is directly from the Studio 5 site, but PLEASE go read it! It talks a lot about many other things that are important to our health!

Until next time! Good luck and enjoy your new color coded foods! :)

Like it!

2010-09-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”

- Maya Angelou

I am sure you can all guess why I picked this quote! In order to have a healthy lifestyle and be successful with it you first have to enjoy it. Have you ever been just over the top successful with something that you didn't enjoy doing? I for one have not. While this whole healthy lifestyle business may seem like a pain and at times miserable, wouldn't it be easier if we enjoyed doing it?

Here is my tip for the week: first off discover something you enjoy. Like an evening stroll or if you like cooking, try a new recipe that offers healthy alternative's . Maybe you enjoy working out, try a new workout video. For me it is going running in the mornings with my neighbors. It gets me up and going, gives me a chance to socialize away from my kids and it gets checked off my to do list quite early in the day! For you it may be something entirely different.
FIND OUT WHAT THAT IS and DO IT!

I know that when I like myself I typically feel better about pretty much everything in my life. Have you ever heard it takes three weeks or 21 days to make something a habit? Here we are in the middle of week 3, hows your habit coming along?

So, here is to good, healthy habits and liking ourselves!

Welcome Back!

2010-09-09T20:49:00.001-07:00

WELCOME...back to the Stewart Family Face off, and to those of you joining us for the first time WELCOME! I hope you are all ready to gear up for a good old healthy lifestyle! It is my hope that through this competition we will be able to help each other reach some pretty important goals and lifestyle changes. If we all support and encourage one another it can't be that bad right?!

This is our road...it is long, windy, uphill and at times ugly! But, picture the view from the top!!! Imagine what you can see, what you had to overcome and how accomplished you feel once you reach the end of the road!

"You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough"

I chose this quote because I feel that there is a lot of truth in it. "Work" doesn't just mean in a daily go to work get paid sense, it can apply to all aspects of our life. If we are living healthy and strong we will be able to the things we want to do instead of watching from the sidelines while everyone else does the things we want to do. I truly believe if we work hard we will be blessed and see the fruits of our labors. It takes time to notice change but persistence and continuity will help us reach success! Remember, picture the view from the top!!! Good Luck!

Love you all,
Rachel

You Never Know When...

2009-06-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

I really have nothing to blog about, but I figured since there is a point offered for commenting on the blog I should at least attempt to write something you may want to comment on. So here it goes...

My friend at work recently started to implement an exercise routine into her schedule. You can imagine and all know how you feel after a 10 hour work day, how hard it is to get up and do something. She currently attends ZUMBA 3-4 days a week. She said that since she has been doing this (about 2 months) she has lost 6lbs and has found that she really enjoys it! ZUMBA is big thing in SLC right now, it is some sort of dance class but it works you hard! She gave me the credit for her new found "hobby." She said that our family competition and the fact that I was trying so hard while at work to stick to it and actually try to exercise, inspired her to do something to improve her life. She loves it and says she feels so much better!

I just thought that I would share that. I think it is interesting how while we are trying to improve our own lives we can actually improve the lives of those around us, sometimes without knowing. Hopefully that can be our inspiration for this week.

Have a good week everyone!

Ready...GO!

2009-06-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Okay here we go! I hope you are all ready and geared up for ROUND 2!
Good luck to an awesome week 1!

Results

2009-05-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

Okay here they are...

Even missing a week of numbers D'Team to beat WINS! They have the highest numbers.

The person with most individual points is, you guessed it Karl. You should be getting your money soon! :)

The standings are as follows:

1st place D'Team to beat with 2518 total points averaging 839.33 per person
2nd place The Golden Girls with 3248 total points averaging 812 per person
3rd place Christine's Crushers with 2015 total points averaging 671.67 per person
4th place The A Team with 1972 total points averaging 657.33 per person

Congratulations to the D'team to beat! I hope you all enjoyed this comp! I'm looking forward to starting again! :) Have a fabulous Memorial Weekend!

2009-05-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

So I SUCK at blogging! Sorry!

Here's the deal...some of you have expressed interest in continuing with some form of the competition. So we did some revisions and this is what we have come up with:

Weight loss: 2 points per pound lost (no more than 10pts per week!)
Cardio Exercise: 1 point for every 30 min (max 3pts per day!)
Weights/toning/stretching: 1 point for every 20 min, (max 2pts per day)
5 fruits/veggies: 1 point (@ least 3 FRESH fruits/veg)
Abstaining from carbonation: 1 point
Abstaining from alcohol, caffeine, tobacco: 1 point
Not eating after 8PM: 1 point
No sugary treats: 1 point
Drinking 48-64oz water: 1 point
Taking daily multi-vitamin: 1 point
6.5-8 hrs of sleep: 1 point
Commenting on the blog: 1 point (max 2 pts per week)
Turning points in ON TIME: 1 point
Abstaining from fried foods (french fries, burgers, fried chicken etc): 1 point
Maintaining a food diary/log: 1 point

This is a proposed point system, if you have any input let me know and we will adjust accordingly! We thought we would start the first week in June, so if you are interested let me know ASAP! We can also assign new teams or keep them as is depending on who is going to continue!

I hope to post the winners this week but haven't received everyone's points. I am very proud of all of you for at least sticking to the program, even if you didn't meet your goal you worked toward it and that is an accomplishment in itself! I hope that if you proceed with this again, we can all work a little harder and truly meet our goals and our healthier lifestyles!

Food for Thought!

2009-04-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

I attended a weight loss class with my dad this week at The Heart and Lung Institute of Utah. I learned some very valuable information that I thought would be fun to share with all of you. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Exercise!
The minimum amount of exercise required for weight loss is 30 minutes! That seems unrealistic some days I know, but the up side is that new research shows that 10 minute sessions 3 times a day are just as good as one 30 minute session.

Cardio exercise should be done 3-5 days a week to achieve weight loss and later to maintain.

Combining cardio exercise with resistance training (weight lifting) will help you lose weight and makes your aerobic exercise more effective.

Resistance training should be done 2-4 days a week for 20-30 minutes.

Try resistance bands, they are awesome! The are inexpensive and easy to store. You don't have to have a free weight set to do resistance training. I just bought my dad some bands at Walmart, they were $15 for a set of 3 different weights and it came with a workout video and exercise chart. I highly recommend these. B and I use them often.

As you build muscle you will burn more calories because more muscle tissue=more calories burned! The other advantage to resistance training, it not only builds muscle but bones too! It helps prevent Osteoporosis and gives your metabolism a boost!

Keep a diary!
Keeping a food diary has been proven to help you eat less and lose weight. It will help you keep track of exactly what you are eating. Sometimes we forget about that doughnut we had a 6am but our diary won't.

Lose weight slowly!
Healthy weight loss should be about 1-2 pounds per week. Fat loss is achieved best when weight is slow!

1lb of weight = 3500 calories. In order to lose weight you need to cut 500 calories from your DAILY diet. That could mean one less can of soda (250 calories) + 250 calories burned (30 min on the treadmill) By cutting out those calories (500 per day) you should lose about 1lb a week!

Watch your portions!
Portion sizes today are 2 times as big as they were 25 years ago! Skip the supersize and go small! Fat has 9 calories per gram! Protein and carbs have only 4 calories per gram! So stay away from fat and head toward the protein!

Stay focused on healthy not thin!
As we improve our eating habits and other healthy habits, our bodies will change. Don't get discouraged when the scale says the same number it said last week! Your body is noticing a difference if you are eating better and exercising!

Get support!
Hello people, that is what this whole thing is! We are all rooting for each other in a friendly competition! Lean on your support systems for encouragement to exercise, eat better and obtain a healthier lifestyle!

2009-04-20T12:15:00.001-07:00

Okay so the gift card wasn't as big of an incentive as I thought it may be. However the good news is we are still trying to beat our all time highs. For every week here on out, if you beat your previous high you get double points. This way it really is anyone's game. Think of what 100 points could do for your team?! Then think of what you are going to do with all the money you just won at the end of this thing!

Good luck!

2009-04-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here is current post of everyone's points!

The A team 500

D'Team to Beat 614.33

The Golden Girls 560.25

Christine's Crushers 484.25

I think the Golden Girls could make a real run for it and take over! Let's see what you can do this week ladies!

I know it's hard especially at this point, but we have already done over 90 days of this thing, lets finish it out strong! Good luck and work it!

On a side note I just wanted to mention that the winner of this weeks competition will be determined by the person who obtains the greatest points above their original high week. So if you beat your all time high by 3 points but someone else beats theirs by 15, that person wins. Let me know if you have questions. Start thinking where you want that Gift Card to. :)

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!!!

2009-04-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

We are so close to this....

Lets NOT finish like this...

Rather lets feel like this...

( and look like that too. :) Look at those abs!)

Alright we are in the final month of this thing and I really think if we step it up we could do some real damage! So we are going to try to beat our all time high! This should be plenty of notice! It will start on Monday, April 13.

Take that week to beat yourself into the ground, with exercise, healthy eating etc. Lets see who can get some seriously high numbers. I am still offering a restaurant card for the winner so lets see what we can do! If it goes well I say we do it again the next week. Do whatever it takes, post a picture of some hot jeans you want to fit in on your mirror, or a cruise ship because you are going on a trip, or a swimming suit you want to purchase or the number of your goal weight. ANYTHING to get you moving and motivated! I am also proposing you get to double your total number of points for the week if and ONLY if you BEAT your previous ALL time high. Lets give it a shot! Good luck and PLEASE COMMENT!

HELLO! Where is everyone?

2009-04-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Listen up people! I am starting to assume that we have ALL given up. Leave me a comment on the blog, so that we can decide where to go from here! Michelle and I are in on the Restaurant Gift Card for beating high points, haven't heard from the rest of you. Let me know what you think. Also thanks to those of you who have sent in your points! I will check the blog on Wednesday to see what the response is. I will also have an updated points sheet available and hopefully something to motivate us all! Lets get crackin!

2009-03-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

Okay people! I fear this picture resembles us all! It is time to get back to the program! First off let me apologize for the lack of blogging on my part. I haven't had much to blog about and I am missing points from several of you for several weeks, so I haven't had any team stats to post. I too have been in a slump but lets face it, there are 50+ days left and have some serious work to do. Summer is just around the corner and if we want to look somewhat decent in the local pool, or in our fabulous summer clothes we need to get back to work!!!

To rejuvenate us all I propose a new twist! I think we need to try to beat our all time high in points. I was thinking it would be fun to reward the winner with a gift card to a restaurant or something. Maybe we could all donate a dollar or so to a separate pool and with that money we will buy the gift card. PLUS, that's right PLUS, everyone gets double points if they beat their all time high! Let me know what you think! I am hoping we can do this starting next week so get commenting!

I can't wait to hear what you all think, I hope this will kick us in to gear!

*I will be sending you an email of the latest spreadsheet, please look over it and send me your numbers if they are missing! Thanks and much love to you all!

Point Totals...Finally!

2009-03-09T07:04:00.001-07:00

I know you have all been waiting for this for sometime, here are the team standings as of now!

*The totals are based on points from (2/9/09-2/23/09)

The A Team 124.67

D'team to Beat 140

Golden Girls 134

Christine's Crushers 88.2

Combined with previous weeks points...

The A Team 350

D'team to Beat 404.67

Golden Girls 357.75

Christine's Crushers 245

It looks like we all have some catching up to do with D'team to Beat! It's looking good between The A Team and the Golden Girls! Way to go guys, keep it up! Good luck. I have already received the numbers for the Golden Girls for the week of March 1 and they are GOOD! Can't wait to see the rest! Love you all and have a good week!

2009-03-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

I heard from two of you about how you are feeling a little bit discouraged and how it is hard to keep going. I thought I would share this with you all in hopes of emitting some energy!

I think it is important to remember this is a LIFESTYLE change! Changes take time, it is a gradual process and bad habits are hard to break. But isn't that why we are all in this thing, we ALL have some bad habits we need to drop?! We need to take baby steps and forget about the giant leaps! Changes don't happen over night, or in a month people! Lets set some little goals, and once we reach them celebrate the moment and find in that the motivation to continue!

Let me share my story with you...

I recently had a date with the girl doctor, you know that ever so fun yearly visit! I had a certain weight that I wanted to be when I went in because I KNEW that they would either put me on the dreaded scale or ask me the dreaded number! I am happy to report that I reached that weight! It is NOT the weight I want to be when we are done with this comp, but it was a mini goal that I set with-in a larger one. I can't tell you how good it felt to tell the nurse the number I wanted (on the way to wanting) instead of her telling me what I did not want to hear! That provided some serious motivation for me!

For two years now I have wanted to run in The Race for the Cure in SLC. It is not a marathon, only a 5k so I think I have a shot at completing it. Last year I dang near registered but decided I had spent too much time on the coach rather than in my running shoes. So I shied away and didn't run! This year one of my goals f0r this comp was to finally run in the race! I have been running on my treadmill faithfully since January. When I started I couldn't even run a mile, or even a half mile. Now I can dang near run two with out stopping. I am averaging about 6-8 miles a week. That doesn't sound like much but comparing it to before when it is 0, it is quite a feat! I only run 3-4 days a week for a half an hour enough time to get my point! I do something else on the off days. The race isn't until May so I think my training is paying off! I am excited for the race and for seeing the change in both my commitment and endurance! When I finish a two mile run or even a mile, I feel so good that I have come this far in just a month. My goal by the end of March is to be able to run 2.5 miles without stopping. Just another mini goal with in a larger goal! Each time I finish my run I feel motivated to go even farther next time.

I share this with you because we may have set these GRAND goals that seem impossible to reach. Let me assure they are not impossible! We just have to push ourselves and celebrate the minor accomplishments. If we do this, imagine the feeling when you reach the actual goal itself! Don't be discouraged, keep pushing yourself further and harder. It is OK to have a bad week or even weeks. Just kick it up a notch or two the next week! Most importantly remember even a little goal is a goal reached. No matter how big or small YOU did it, YOU reached it, YOU accomplished it!

*I had to post that picture at the top, because those are my running shoes! Ha! I thought it was funny that that picture came up and they just happened to be the exact same ones as mine!

Tell me what your thinkin'

2009-03-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I for one totally sucked at double point weight loss week! I would still like to do something fun to spice up the competition so let me know what your thoughts are. Diane suggested that maybe we get bonus points for beating our all time high. For example if your best week you had 50 points, if you could step it up and get 55-60, beating your previous high, then you would earn double points. Tell me what you think!

Also, I am sorry the totals didn't get posted last week, but they will be up this week as soon as I have everyone's points (with or without Grant). You guys are all doing great and I really appreciate your hard work and efforts!

I hope everyone has a good week. I will try to post something more interesting in the next couple of days. In the meantime, take a look at this weeks quote. Remember, you can only do the best with what you have!

2009-02-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

I want to take a minute to discuss the quote of the week. It is totally lame that it is by Cher, but looking beyond that there is some real insight to be found. Ha! I think sometimes we get so discouraged when we don't notice any changes as soon as we would like that we may have our eyes open and looking for the "quick fix" such as the HCG injections, gastric bypass, Alli, and any other number of weight loss aides. But we need to remember it is a gradual process, a lifestyle change that will allow us to be healthy and look good, without the crutch of a weight loss supplement.

For example: One of my good friends and dear neighbor just told me this story today! Her husband is now on his third round of HCG injections. I asked her why, assuming it was all a part of the process. It isn't. She said it is because he won't maintain his weight, so when he gets back up he returns to the HCG to help him lose the weight again. She quickly informed me that he hasn't changed his lifestyle so once the diet is done he returns to his same eating habits and thus the weight returns.

I thought it was something worth discussing because at this stage in the game we all get a little frustrated with how things are progressing. Remember the road to success is always under construction, it takes time to make a change. Good luck and remember this week is still double point week for weight loss. Look for the team totals Wednesday! :)

2009-02-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

And this my friends is what I am talking about!!!

This is exactly the kind of interaction we need on the blog. It makes it so much funner! I have loved reading everyone's thoughts! It has been really entertaining! Sounds like the Stewart family might have a weakness for Boston Baked Beans. The Ball family (Brandon) has a weakness for sugar cookies, go ahead and mail him some. I can promise it will only help you because he WILL eat them! Thanks to those who got a google account, aren't you glad you can comment for everyone to see rather than just think it?! Good job everyone I am lovin' it!

BTW, I never got Grants numbers and now they are out of town. So if it is ok, I will just post team totals next week for both weeks. You should have all received the spread sheet, if you didn't send me an email.

Are you ready for this?

2009-02-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

If anyone is still reading the blog, I hope you are or you won't hear about this weeks awesome twist, than this is for you. For those of you who don't, your bad and your loss! I hope you are all prepared, the next 2 weeks may be a bit tough!

For the next TWO weeks you will receive DOUBLE POINTS for weight loss. That's right for every ONE POUND you get FOUR POINTS! This may be a really good incentive for some, or just a pain I am not sure. I am hoping an incentive. Hopefully this will help keep people interested. The blog comments are dwindling, and some points are shrinking, so with this weeks challenge I hope to spice it up a bit and re-motivate everyone!

PLEASE don't be afraid to talk about your progress, your challenges, your success, what drives you etc. This blog is for everyone participating and it is only our family that reads it. I think it will help not only you but the other participants to succeed if they can hear how others are doing. If you don't have a google account (CHRISTINE) get one, it honestly takes seconds and then you can comment on every one's blogs. If you are unsure how to get one, shoot me an email and I will help you. If you have any ideas or desires on how to shake up the comp and make it more exciting here and there, let me know. I am happy to include anything!

Good Luck this week and have fun racking up the double points!

Week 5

2009-02-13T07:56:00.000-08:00

Here are the totals for week 5!

The A-Team 46

Team D 49

The Golden Girls 45.5

Christine's Crushers 39.4

Combined from previous...

The A-Team 225.33

Team D 264.67

The Golden Girls 223.75

Christine's Crushers 171.50

Everyone is pretty close, it is really any one's game, except for my team! I am looking for a new one, does anyone want an extra team mate??? :) I am kidding!

Look for an exciting TWIST to the game to be posted Monday (no it's not getting me on your team ;)) But it's a good one and I think it will SpICe things up!

I hope you all know just how much I love you and how proud I am of all of your efforts! Have a good weekend and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

The look of SUCCESS!

2009-02-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

By now we are all well into this competition and hopefully noticing some changes in our bodies. A number of you have commented either to me or through the blog that you have lost weight. Sometimes it gets frustrating because 1 pound sure doesn't seem like much, but lets take minute and put things in perspective. 1 pound is FOUR cubes of butter, an entire box. It is about 2 medium sized apples, it is 1/5 of a bag of sugar, it is a really, really big hamburger. My point here is that we should be proud of ourselves for every pound that we lose. Sometimes that one pound can take a lot of HARD work to sweat off, but it is well worth it. Next time you pull out a box of butter, remember how many of those boxes you have lost and be proud of your hard work! I am proud of you all and would love to combine all of our boxes to see just how much success we have had! :)

*Thanks Diane for the comparison to butter! It really put things in perspective for me.

Week 4

2009-02-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

At Last...

Team A has officially chosen a team name, they are now The A-TEAM. From that popular 80's show with a number of catch phrases. The A-TEAM has chosen their most famous catch phrase to be..."I love it when it's Sunday" (no exercise and almost always a treat). Some of their other favorites are "Diane's on the treadmill," and "I aint given up no diet DEW!!!"

I love it guys! It really shows that you are trying to have fun with the whole comp thing. So we now have The Golden Girls, The A-Team, Christine's Crushers (which we may have cursed ourselves with) and Team D!

For those of you haven't noticed the counter on the top right hand side of the blog, take a look. We are almost at a pivotal point. We have almost broken the hundred day marker! That's right in less than twenty four hours we will have less than 100 days left. 100 days to be healthier, happier, smarter and thinner!

And now what you have all been waiting for....the team totals!

The A-Team...42.67

The Golden Girls...44

Team D...53.67

Christine's Crushers...41

Combined with previous weeks...

The A-Team...181.33

The Golden Girls...178.25

Team D...215.67

Christine's Crushers...138.67

A little behind...

2009-02-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I am sorry that the team totals are not posted yet. I have everyone's numbers I just haven't had the time to add them up yet. I had to work extra this week and I have had some other stuff going on, so I apologize for the delay. Look for a new post on Friday! :)

This and that...

2009-01-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

I know that it is hard for some of the full-time workers to get the point for exercise. So, here's a thought...

The recommended amount of daily steps is about 10,000. I am thinking that if you get a pedometer, (you can pick one up at Wal-mart, Target etc for about $10-$20) and reach the recommended 10,000 steps, you can get the exercise point. Let me know what you think.

I think it will also show you how much you are or are not already walking. I think it's a simple solution to get a hard point. :) Also, there have been some questions as to exactly just what a sweet treat is. If you go to dinner and pick up a dinner mint on the way out, I hardly classify that as a sweet treat. If you have some jam on your toast, well that is hardly a cookie. I am going to define a sweet treat as anything loaded with sugar, like a hot fudge sundae or a cookie or something of the pastry, candy bar nature. Use your own judgement here, but be careful because too much jam and too many mints can = some serious calories which just turn into pounds!

Week 3

2009-01-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

Congratulations on another fabulous week! I haven't heard from anyone regarding the making of Team D so I am going to assume that all is well. Team B has chosen a name and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! They are The Golden Girls! They chose their name, from the words of Aunt Sue, "I have two children who think they are "the golden child" and a mother who is golden." I LOVE it! Way to go!

Here are the totals for week 3:

Team A 46

The Golden Girls 45.5

Christine's Crushers 46.6

Team D 54.3

Combined with the previous weeks;

Team A 138.67

The Golden Girls 134.25

Christine's Crushers 104.50

Team D 162.00

Team D is smoking hot! You all had great numbers last week and just think we are halfway through week 4! Keep it up!

Team D?

2009-01-26T11:55:00.000-08:00

We have been thinking about making one more team. How you ask? Well, we are thinking about splitting up Team A into two teams. This way we may increase the level f competitiveness and try to focus the teams on families, thus the main support system. If anyone is against this please let me know asap. This is merely for competition purposes. The proposed Teams would now be;

Team A Garth, Diane, Tegan

Team B Dixie, Susan, Michelle, Chey

Christine's Crushers Christine, Grant, Brandon, Rachel, & Kamille

Team D Karl, Ellen, Caycee

If you fell that Christine's Crusher should also be split up, let me know. I want input and most of all I want everyone to feel included!

*If you like the lameness of Team A, Team B etc, that's fine, but seriously guys. I know we have a little more personality than that, spice it up and give your team a rockin' name!

Words of Inspiration!

2009-01-26T11:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is for all of you who have made some progress in the weight loss area of the competition. If you are like me and have lost little weight (even though you have given up your FAVORITE beverage, soda) and need a little bit of a pick-me-up lets hope that some of our fellow competitors can give us that needed inspiration. If you are losing weight PLEASE post a comment and tell us about it. Share something enlightening that will make us want to keep going! We want to hear from you! Post even if you aren't losing weight, we want to know what kind of progress you are making.

Thanks everyone!

Week 2

2009-01-21T10:48:00.001-08:00

Here are this weeks Team Totals!

Team A 47.5

Team B 42.75

Christine's Crushers 46.2

Combined with last weeks numbers, that leaves the team standings as follows;

Team A 100.1

Team B 89

Christine's Crushers 78.8.

Good job everyone! Keep up the hard work. I know it's not always fun, but think of the end result!

We can all be happy, healthy and fit! Oh yeah!!!

Weight Loss & Points

2009-01-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

There have been a few questions regarding weight loss and points.

You earn 2 points for very 1 pound that you lose. However, if you lose a pound and then gain it back, you can NOT count that point again if you lose the pound again.

For example: Week 1 your weight was 130 lbs, by the end of week 1 you weighed 129 lbs and receive 2 points. Week 2 you start out at 129 lbs but by the end of week 2 you weigh 130 lbs again. If you lose that pound either during the week or before the start of week 3 making your week 3 starting weight 129, you CAN NOT count that as 2 points. You receive NO points, because you had already lost the weight and received the points at an earlier point in the game. Sorry Charlie, but it's only fair!

Good Luck this week! I am still waiting on few numbers from last week look for the new team totals soon. I am really proud of ALL of you, we are really pulling in some strong numbers! KEEP IT UP!

2009-01-14T10:55:00.000-08:00

5 a DaY!

Sometimes it can get confusing as to just exactly what a serving size is. Here are some helpful hints to aid you in your 5 a day success!

(There are a lot of helpful hints at www.slimfast.com and www.weightwatchers.com. Those sites also contain some healthy recipes. I will try some and post them if them if they are any good.)

Serving sizes:

1/2 cup cooked vegetables = 1 serving
1/2 cup raw vegetables = 1 serving

1 med fruit (4oz or about the size of a baseball) = 1 serving
1/2 cup fresh cut up, frozen or canned fruit (in natural syrup) = 1 serving
1 banana = 2 servings

1 cup leafy greens = 1 serving

***Remember FIVE servings equals ONE point!***

2009-01-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

Here the team totals for week 1:

TEAM A 52.6

TEAM B 46.25

CHRISTINE'S CRUSHERS...or not 32.6

*Remember we are taking the total number of points from each team member, adding them together and dividing by the number of people on each team to get the points for the week. Kamille's numbers are now factored in to last weeks totals. I'm still not sure about Nick.

And so it BEGINS!

2009-01-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome fellow competitors!

My goal with this blog is to;

make it a little more private for our family, (that way all my friends, neighbors etc, won't gander at your weekly numbers),
act as a source of valuable information,
inform you all of each teams success
allow you to make comments/questions about your week etc.
and finally to encourage and excite you all!

I am really excited to get going on this! It is something that as a family, though on separate teams, we can achieve and obtain a healthy and happy lifestyle. I know this is a bit CHEESY but I really want to motivate everyone and hopefully KEEP everyone motivated! I will have a link to this blog through my blog (http://www.thetraintrax.blogspot.com/) Let's start our first week with some Rockin' team names. Feel free to either email me or post it on the blog. As of now the teams are as follows

Team A: Garth, Diane, Tegan, Karl, Ellen, Casey

Team B: Dixie, Susan, Michelle, Cheyanna

Team C: Grant, Christine, Brandon, Rachel, Nick, Kamille

Because the teams are not even (both in men and children) We will be dividing the total number of points earned by each team member by the number of people on the team, and taking the average to award points. I will also post individual points. Good Luck and BRING IT!

Love you all!!!