Challenge!!!

Our first weigh in is on Friday!! WOWZER!! My hope for this challenge was to give you something that would help you with your results and so... before I say it out loud... I just want to mention that NO ONE EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, HAS DIED.... from not eating sugar. ;o)

So.. here is your challenge! NO SUGAR!! No sugar, or high fructose corn syrup for 1 week! We all know that sugar is not good for us... this is nothing new. I get that sometimes we NEED things... like chocolate ;o) BUT THIS IS ONLY A ONE WEEK CHALLENGE!! Anyone can do it for a week right? It's not like I'm asking you to give up your diet coke! ;o) YET!

Here are some tips for going sugar free. First off, when you read a label you need to be checking out the INGREDIENTS. The word "sugar" on the nutrition label [followed by a number of g's] could actually be referring to natural sweeteners like honey, agave, stevia and THESE things are NOT off limits. They are awesome natural ways to sweeten things and they are good for you!! Check out the list of INGREDIENTS on your labels. If the words SUGAR, CANE SUGAR, or HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP are anywhere on the list BACK AWAY FROM THE item. :o) There are always alternatives here. It is POSSIBLE to buy bread that does not contain these items (usually this would be a honey version of bread) but... if you are having a hard time... count how far down the label the forbidden words are. If they are not one of the first 10 items and you are desperate GO FOR IT! The idea/goal here is to get you reading labels and knowing what's in your food.

I have my own VERY REAL issues with chemical sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose. I am not trying to encourage you IN ANY WAY to become obsessed with "sugar free" treats. Please do not become addicted to splenda because of this challenge. :o) [Here is where I scream at the computer about the evils of these items... but alas...it's your body and you do what you want with your body!]

Good luck to everyone!! Weigh in is THIS FRIDAY!!! Umm??? REALLY??? Who needs some moula? I'm handing it out in 5 days! WAHOO!!! Congrats to everyone who is sticking to this. Look for this weeks entries to be about weigh-ins, rules, and all that jazz!

YOU CAN!

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.
- Norman Vincent Peale

To clarify.

I have had a couple of girls ask about weighing in early. Unfortunately I cannot permit ANY participant to weigh in early for ANY reason. While it may put them at a disadvantage for the current month, it also adds an unfair advantage for the following month. (I.E. 2 extra days to lose weight!)

I am willing to let participants weigh in LATE in order to be eligible for the next months prizes [and overall prizes] but they would not be eligible for the previous months prizes if their weights are not in before the deadline. This is to protect the integrity of the competition as much as possible. Bottom line: If you want to be eligible for prizes you MUST weigh in on the 5th and get the pics to me by the deadline.

Also... the word WEEKLY is used too loosely in the rules. I will clearly define it for FEBRUARY so the March 5th weigh in will go by the clarified rule.

This month any participant who technically blogs "weekly" will be eligible for prizes. Next month the rule will be defined as a: Blog entry WEEKLY with no longer than 8 days between entries, and a minimum of 4 entries per month. Hope this helps.

We are getting down to the wire guys and gals!! BRING IT!!

Wait.. that's not funny.... ;o)

Portions! ;o)

"By now, it probably comes as no surprise that many, if not most people in North America and the UK eat way too much. A plate of food at a restaraunt is on average 4 to 6 times larger than a recommended portion size. At the market, labels tell us about the calories contained in one serving, but even an “individually sized” bottle or package often has three or four servings in it. We are also generally accustomed to finishing whatever is put in front of us at the table. This is defined as “completion compulsion” by researchers, and it causes us to see food as units that need to be ingested in full in order for us to feel full. In fact, studies have shown that people given a small plate of food will feel just as satisfied after a meal compared to people given larger plates of food. Unfortunately, we are psychologically hung up on equating meal satisfaction with eating all the food placed in front of us. And so we are in the grips of an obesity epidemic. However, the solution lies not in trying to live off grapefruits and cabbage soup, but in eating smaller portions of the foods we enjoy. In this way, we can significantly decrease our daily caloric intake without depriving ourselves of the things that add so much color and flavor to life."
WANT TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE?? Check it out HERE.

ReAlLy??

Numbers posted by the National Center for Health Statistics show that more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. It said just under 6 percent are "extremely" obese.
"More than one-third of adults, or over 72 million people, were obese in 2005-2006, the NCHS said in its report.
The numbers are based on a survey of 4,356 adults over the age of 20 who take part in a regular government survey of health, said the NCHS, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Want to read the whole report? Check it out HERE.

Challenge Numero DOS!

Ya'll ready for this?!?!

This weeks challenge is about PORTION SIZES. (I've noticed a couple of gals have been posting about this!!)

I challenge everyone to PAY ATTENTION TO AND CONSUME PROPER PORTION SIZES!! Read your labels! Regardless of what you are eating, it is never as damaging to your goals if you are paying attention to HOW MUCH you are eating. This means if you are going to eat Doritos you should count out 11 chips according to the label. (I would guess that when you fill a bowl with chips and eat them, you are getting at least 3 servings, in this case that would be 420 calories.)

Portion sizes are ABSOLUTELY KEY to weight loss! You can eat TOO MUCH of a good thing. So how do you know that you are eating the right sized portion? Here is a rule of thumb. A proper portion size for a piece of meat is about the size of the palm of your hand 5-6 ozs. [You also can be REALLY good at portion sizes by purchasing a food scale!] A proper portion size for a complex carb or starch is about the size of a cupped hand. (Umm... this means if you must eat mashed potatoes you are getting ONE SMALL SCOOP!! As opposed to filling half the plate! ;o) ) The proper portion size for fruits/veggies is about the size of two cupped hands! And in case you were wondering... The proper portion size for simple sugar carbs is NONE! ;o) But at least read the label and KNOW how many calories/fat g/carbs etc you are eating before you put it in your mouth.

*My suggestion for being successful in this challenge is to WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN!! Everything that goes into your mouth should be measured out. If you are writing it down, it's just a little extra focus/effort on achieving your goal. *

There are a zillion lessons that can be learned by taking on this challenge!! ARE YOU IN?!?!?