My Life Saver

I love Orange Julius!!! But I am too cheap to buy them. So when I started watching my calories last year I quickly fell in love with smoothies. Here's my killer recipe! I have one every morning, and it, along with my cereal, make me feel like I'm eating so much!

3/4 cup Dole frozen fruit

1 serving of Whey Protein Powder

4 oz. dannon light yogurt (some fruit variety)

1/2 cup OJ.

It's 270 calories, 37.5 carbs, 30 protein, and 2 fat. Lots of carbs...tis true. That's the fruit and OJ. The protein is almost all the powder, along with 110 calories. And it tastes soooooo stinking good!!!!

Another 5 pounds! Woo Hoo

Meant to update this all week. I lost another 5 pounds last week which takes me to 271. I think the most I got down to last year was 258. I can't wait to surpass that!!! I need to get down to something insane like 229 by the start of April in order to qualify to win the Biggest Loser Championship.

What is that? Another 40+ pounds in two months!!!! I just don't see it happening. that'd be an average of 5 pounds a week. That's a lot. But I'm exericising and eating really well. So we'll see.

The Youth Specialties Biggest Loser Contest

Marko announced through email and then on his blog the start of a new Biggest Loser contest! Marko has gained some pounds (I believe truly in honor of the late great Mike Yacconelli) and he's tired of it.

And I hear it! So Marko and the kind folks at YS are putting together a Biggest Loser Competition (the details of which you can find on Marko's blog) along with loads of prizes. The other cool thing is that Matthew McNutt (super great guy and youth worker) from Biggest Loser Season 3 fame, is going to help with it. McNutt is the man and has a great blog full of tips for losing weight.

Since I'm doing the local competition here, this will help me continue the hard work a little longer. My buddy Sean is doing it as well, and he could easily win it! Although I told him that if there's a tie between himself, Andy (a great youth pastor in Illinois), and Marko, then I think they should all wrestle for it, and I volunteer to film it.

My new cereal trick

In the mornings I eat either one serving or two. I like to have two! There is something about having cereal in the morning, even when I'm limiting my calories.

Anyway, I was using a big bowl for my cereal because I was eating a cup and a half of Total and it's too much for my small bowls. But being in the big bowl....it was just....I dunno....it seemed like I was not getting a lot.

So I switched it out and am using the small bowls and filling them up to the top! I like it cause it's like I'm eating a FULL bowl of cereal and I'm probably shorting myself on both servings. I'm eating less, but it seems like more.

What do you think? Cereal in a small bowl or big bowl? Or if you have any other tips/tricks I'd love to hear them!

Brush with Biggest Loser Fame, part deux

Well, I rushed from work and got there at 10 after 5 pm. Evidently they closed the line at 5 pm, even though they were allegedly going to be there till 6 pm. It was bittersweet. While I felt bad for Jim and Julie, both noticably tired of meeting people (but still great attitudes), I really wanted to say, "Hey!"

I tried to bargain my way into the line, or at least some swag, but it wasn't going to happen. Everyone in line was able to choose either both DVD's or a copy of the new Fitness book. Pretty sweet deal! And although the crew wouldn't part with either of those, they did hook me up with two BL water bottles and, SURPRISE, two packs of EXTRA sugar free gum!

With only one couple left to greet, Julie (without shoes) still gave the coupole a great big hug and Jim was more than happy to meet them and kid around.

One thing I didn't notice in yesterday's setup is that on one side of the booths are the before pictures, and on the other side are the afters. Jim and Julie were standing right next to Bill's before pic, and it looks like Jim took some artistic license during his stay with Bill's pic.

Jim and Julie still look great, and though it's a giant marketing blitz, it's still a pretty cool deal.

4 more pounds!

Down to 276! I still have to average more than 5 lbs every week to win the biggest loser. Man, that is going to be tough!

The Biggest Loser Comes to Wichita

Being a Biggest Loser junkee, when I heard the "show" was coming to Wichita, one of the fattest cities in America, I knew I had to check it out. I took some pics, but I was upstairs. Sorry they aren't better. And no, this isn't me or my family in these pics.

Today "they" were at Town East Mall here in town. The two "stars"? Julie and Jim from last season.

They are at the mall today and tomorrow from 11 am - 6 pm (I think). We got there after 1 pm and man, talk about lines!!! They were set up kind of in four different stations or quadrants with long lines for three of them.

The biggest line, of course, was to meet Jim and Julie. It snaked around and was filled with a bunch of people. Jim and Julie seemed really great. They took pictures with people, gave people hugs, and talked and talked and talked. It didn't seem like there was anyone really pushing the line. People could talk to them as long as they wanted to.

And props to Jim and Julie! With all kinds of people coming up to them, hugging them like long lost friends, they seemed, as long as I was there, to genuinely greet each person with a smile, handshake or hug.

The show had a couple photographers up to take pics of people meeting Jim and Julie. And they had a table of autographed pics from the Finale, along with the two new DVDs (tried to find them afterwards at Best Buy and Target but had no luck) and the new BL training book.

Jim (still looking slim) and Julie (in a slimming black outfit) were autographing the DVDs, book, and pics and it seemed like they were just giving them away to the people who got to meet them. I thought that was pretty cool. I had my whole fam with me and we weren't going to wait 90 minutes, which is why I don't know for sure they were giving them away.

The other stations consisted of three notebook computers set up back to back to back (like a triangle) on a bar table so people could sign up for the Million Pound Match Up. For those of us tired of product placement, you'll appreciate this. What was between all three notebook computers in the center of the table? A big bucket of Wrigley Extra! Neil would have had a hey day!

The other two stations consisted of a table with some staff who were taking people's height, weighing them, etc. The last station was taking the "before" picture.

Pretty cool. I hope I can make it back tomorrow. I have to work so I doubt it. I'd LOVE to get my hands on those two new DVD's and be able to chat with Jim and Julie. Eh, there's always myspace, I suppose.

This has never EVER happenned before!

Tonight Jen and I went on a date and we saved up all of our calories for dinner. We ate out at what may be one of my new fav restaruants, Cheddars.

We split a Texas Cheese Fries, and then I had a rack of ribs with mashed potatoes and southern style green beans, and two croissants with honey butter. Oh....it was sooooo good.

But I couldn't eat all my food. After two weeks of counting calories...I left half the rack and took it home. And...I felt like puking. I was so tempted to bust out some bulemic action, but didn't. but I could see wanting too!

then we went to Cold Stone Creamery, where we'd never gone too before. And I got the smallest Mint Chocolate Chip thing. ah...I love mint!

anyway, I got halfway done and I through in the towel! I love ice cream and I don't think I've ever ordered the smallest size of ice cream and then I couldn't even finish it!

Then, this morning, still stuffed from our HUGE dinner, I could barely force down my breakfast!

And to think I used to eat like this ALL THE TIME! dude!!!

Back to the Biggest Loser

Sorry for the lack of posts....I am alive.

And i"m back to losing weight and working out! There is another constest in town to lose weight. I really blew it last year...and I'm not going to let it pass me by again. I weighed in nearly two weeks ago at 309! Whew! that's a lot of weight!

Last Sunday I was down to 280.

I weigh in every Sunday so I'm pumped to see what week two will bring. If it gets me 5 lbs...I'll be so grateful.

I'm making it one of my major priorities for the next 90 days. Just to see what I can do to get started. Since then, i haven't missed a day at the gym, which has not been easy and I've been counting my calories.

Anyway welcome back!