Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday?

Full on recipe swap :), girls! Share your favorites that you haven’t shared with us yet. Share something you found recently that you are going to give it a shot soon. Any delish new snacks you’ve tried?

For breakfasts, I’ve been enjoying a lot of instant oatmeal (strawberries & cream is my fav) or an egg sandwich on whole wheat bread w/ fat-free Kraft mayo & pepper. This week I have been LOVING the late morning snack of a sliced Laughing Cow babybel cheese round on top of 7 reduced fat Triscuits (Thank you, Amy F. & Sarah F., for the idea!!!!). Yoplait fat free yogurts are always great (white chocolate strawberry is my fav). And I’ve been good w/ getting in my cold glasses of water the last 3 days, which is UNHEARD of for me- so yay! For dinners this week, we had asparagus frittatta for dinner Monday night, which we’ve had a few times before (recipe below), and it was so yummy. I ate a quarter of the dish and my hubby ate three quarters of it :). Last night I made chicken noodle soup by boiling 3 chicken breasts in a bit of water (then setting one aside in a baggie in the fridge for the hubby’s spinach salad today), slicing, then tossing in 12 ounces of Reames frozen homestyle egg noodles. Way simple but it hit the spot. Tonight I’m going to try this Brussels sprout slaw recipe (recipe below). I also tossed below a dessert/appetizer recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Bites for entertaining that I made last week- favorite of mine! I can’t wait to hear all your recipes and give them a shot!

Natalie Coughlin’s Asparagus Frittatta (from Fitness Magazine):  Difference is I double the freshly shredded parmesan and only use one package of asparagus instead of two (the Target brand Archer Farms frozen steam in the bag kind works great- but I’ve also used Fresh before- just takes longer to cook). Hubby likes it w/ Frank’s Hot Sauce as a condiment.  You could really toss any veggie in there that you want- I'm sure mushrooms, onions, or peppers would be good!

Brussels Sprouts Slaw w/ Mustard Dressing & Maple-Glazed Pecans (from Epicurious.com)

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites (don’t know where it’s originally from but it’s on lots of sites) Difference is I use fat-free cream cheese and no lemon peel.

Tuesday's Motivation

Good morning, beautiful ladies :)  Not post-savvy this morning- sorry if you got multiple emails on the post being made! hehe  I am feeling tremendously better, full of energy, and fueled up w/ good eating and workout habits.  I am pushing for BIG happy results this week :)  It's amazing how healthy foods, workouts, and sleeping can boost your mood so much!

Today's post comes from Valerie- who pretty much rocks my world.  Here's her post on the Marshmallow Study all about Self Mastery:

If you’re thinking about the marshmallow and how delicious it is, then you’re going to eat it,” Mischel says. “The key is to avoid thinking about it in the first place.”

"This is a link to a story in the New Yorker about kids who were given a marshmallow and told if they didn't eat it they could get a 2nd one after 15 minutes. The result was that most could not wait and those who could were good at everything else in life. No surprise. However, The kids who could wait and not eat the marshmallow were able to do so because they had a method to distract them from eating the marshmallow.

No one can just sit and stare at a marshmellow and not eat it. That is impossible. The way to avoid eating it is to sing a song, or pretend it is a cloud.

With simple training, a few lessons on metacognition (the science of thinking about how to think) children were able to dramatically improve their waiting time.

I used to run 50mile ultramarathons, my last race was over 2 years ago. I am trying to get back into shape to do a 30 mile race this spring, and the distance running is daunting. I have been thinking about the psychology of running great distances lately. As I remember it, the way I got myself to do those was to break up the distance, focus on the podcasts I would have on the IPOD, and other wise distract myself from the physical discomfort of the exercise.

When I am trying to lose weight this week, I am going to avoid eating junk food by not having it in the house, earmarking it for the kids' lunches, and distracting myself by focusing on the TV I get to watch every evening after my healthy dinner. It is comforting to know that it is not really just a matter of "will power" but also a matter of strategy and controlling ones environment."

So what do you guys think?  What conclusions would you draw from the Marshmallow Study for your own weight loss and fitness goals?

Monday Check-In

End of Week 2, Beginning of Week 3
How are you doing?! 
Share w/ us your updates- how much you're up or down- changes you've noticed- encouragement & love for us to make this coming week stellar!  I could use a little extra positive energy so share away all your successes and joys PLEASE :)

Next Monday will be the half way point in our challenge, our measurement day, and the start of the next side-challenge (which will be much more lighthearted, positive, and easy than this last one- sorry if this week was high pressure, gals- not the best idea for a side-challenge!). 

Feel Good Friday

Good morning! On Wednesday afternoon, I had the chance to attend a conference with Dr. Robert Cooper, a renowned neuroscientist turned Fortune-100 business coach. He is actually my boss’s mentor. It was neat to hear all of his insights about how the brain works, how each of us is hardwired for one thing but then defaults to other things, how the brain is a forgetting instrument but how we can make changes and differences in our thought processes in increase our innovation in half the time. He’s the author of a book called Get Out of Your Own Way, which is one I plan on reading sometime soon.


One section of his presentation was all about metabolism, which I think really applies to our blog! He has teams of researchers dedicated to various research fields and projects for him. One such team is dedicated to researching just metabolism, the MetRev© team. They have discovered through their research a list of the following MetRev© Metabolic Prompts, or in other words, things that increase your metabolism, burning more calories resting:

• Breathing/Posture (Take deep breathes more often, increase the flow of oxygen, don’t cock your head to the side or forward when sitting or reading b/c 30% of your collective intelligence is determined by your shoulder to head position, decreasing the flow of oxygen and blood)

• Bright Light (Looking 5 seconds at a light will raise your metabolism 30% for the following hour, change your light often)

• Smart Snacks (smart snacks and light meals aren’t universal and what works for one doesn’t work for another, if you LOVE a snack then it doubles your metabolic rate, so if you hate rice cakes, don’t force yourself to eat them! Find a healthy snack you love to eat)

• Light Meals (higher protein adds mental alertness, complex carbs add mental calmness, fruits and veggies are mentally neutral, high fat foods are mentally fatiguing)

• Muscle Toning (our muscle fibers are metabolic furnaces)

• Physical Activity (exercise makes you sleep deeper)

• Hot Spices (I was thinking about this last night when Abrey was describing her way too firey dinner she made- hehehe)

• Ice-cold Water (the key here is SIPPING, if you sip 6 glasses of ice-cold water a day, you’ll burn 226.7 extra calories per day average, and the preferred place your body pulls calories from to heat the water within your stomach before it can be absorbed/digested is the belly fat)

• Non-Hurtful Humor

• Work-to-Home Transition

• Cool Temperature for Sleeping (1-5 am is the critical time for deep sleep, you’ll sleep deeper if it’s cooler in your bedroom, healing process of your muscles speeds up, metabolism roars, better recovery)



All of these things dial in your senses more and increase your metabolism. Another interesting tid bit was that half of all arguments are hunger related. Keep that at bay w/ the almost constant light snacking, or at least feed the one you’re about to fight with. Jk



What do you guys thing of that? I for one am really going to implement the cooler sleeping temperature, the ice cold water sipping, and looking at lights once in a while!!!!!!  Though maybe I won't go to the extreme of making an ice bed... :)

Feel the Burn Thursday

Hellooooo :)  How are you ladies all doing?  So the name of the game with workouts in my opinion is perseverance.  How many times have we all started workout regimes, they only last a week, and then you peter out?!  It takes your body six weeks to begin to develop a good habit, so we're never giving our body the CHANCE it deserves if we don't stick to something for at least six weeks.  Give it a try with this 10 in 6 challenge.  Our bodies are so amazing.  They can do so much.  They are more powerful and able to endure and succeed than we give them credit for.  Don't take for granted the gift of our bodies.  Here are some fun perseverance quotes that I found- think of them in light of how our fitness journeys are marathons not sprints:

• "I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature." -John D. Rockefeller.
• "Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves." -Dale Carnegie
• "Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain." -Author Unknown
• "The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground." -Author Unknown
• "Fall seven times, stand up eight." -Japanese Proverb
• "He conquers who endures." -Persius
• "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." -Albert Einstein
• "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them." -G.B. Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893
• "The drops of rain make a hole in the stone not by violence but by oft falling." -Lucretius
• "If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking." -Buddhist Saying
• "Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down." -Charles F. Kettering
• "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable." -Thomas Foxwell Buxton
• "Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second." -William James
• "Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." -Earl Nightingale
• "Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go." -William Feather
• "Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before." -Jacob A. Riis
• "Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries." -John Albert Michener
• “How long should you try? Until.” -Jim Rohn
• “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” -Benjamin Franklin
• “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other” -Walter Elliott

What workouts have you been doing this week and what do you have planned for this weekend?  Every little bit helps, even just fitting in an extra minute or two of moving around during your usual day.

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday?

Good morning!  :)  I hope you all are making it a beautiful day.  So, pulling from Lance's comment yesterday that the more knowledge you have concerning your challenges, the more successful you'll be at pulling yourself through them with flying colors, here's a little Nutrition 101 for you that I've spent some time looking up.  Some may be common sense, some may be news, and ALL of it definitely needs your input, knowledge, and help to complete b/c I am no expert.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Water 101: Drink LOTS of water. The old addage is 8 glasses (one glass being commonly defined as 8 ounces).  A newer article that I found interesting has a calculator for determining the right amount of water for you to aim for each day, dependent upon gender and weight.  I think we'd all be doing just fine to aim for somewhere between the two.  Just do the best you can :)  Benefits of cold water drinking include:

• Revving up your metabolism to burn more calories,
• Eleviating/preventing headaches, migraines, chronic fatigue, and depression,
• Lessening the burden on our kidneys to flush out body toxins,
• Decreasing the risk of heart attacks,
• Maintainnig good digestion for better utilization of the nutrients you consume resulting in more energy,
• Relaxing and invigorating the body,
• Easing joint pain,
• and Preventing overeating when we subconsciously are driven to eat more to gain the necessary water supply (b/c we can confuse the thirst feeling with the hunger feeling).

How do you get in your water each day?

Protein 101:  Eat LOTS of it.  According to this runners' diet article, if you want to lose weight, about 25% of the calories you consume each day should be from protein sources, and furthermore clumped to just after your workout.  Benefits of getting in your daily protein include:

• Making you feel fuller for longer,
• Helping to build and maintain lean muscle mass,
• and Repairing your micro-tears in your muscles following a workout.

How do you get in your protein each day?

Fiber 101:  According to a different runners' diet article, fiber is important to keep in your diet.  It's found mostly in veggies, beans, and whole grains.  Having fiber too close to a workout, though, might cause side stitches or a bloated feeling.  It's best to have it during restful periods of your day.  Benefits of getting in your daily fiber include:

• Making you feel fuller for longer by slowing your digestive process, which also gives your body a steadier stream of nutrient absorption,
• Filling you up with few calories,
• Taking longer to eat,
• and Keeping your colon healthy and thus preventing colon cancer and digestive disorders.

How do you get in your fiber each day?

Carbohydrates 101:  Carbs are the biggest source of fuel for our bodies.  But as much as I'd like to have 100% of my food be carbs, according to this runners' diet article, if you want to lose weight, about 50% of the calories you consume each day should be from carbs, and furthermore clumped to right around the time you're going to be active. Benefits of getting your carbs include:

• Giving you the energy to sustain you during your workouts

Fats 101:  Losing weight doesn't mean cutting all fats.  Again, supposedly up to 25% of your calories should be from healthy fat sources, but they're best consumed during your restful times of the day.  Benefits of fats include:

• Slowing your digestion down to make you feel fuller longer

Sodium 101:  We've been warned to watch our sodium/salt intake, keep it minimal.  There are some good things and some bad things to sodium.   It seems that many processed foods that are low-calorie are also high in sodium b/c the put the sodium in there to compensate for the lack of natural flavor.  Sodium does these things:

• Increases water weight gain, a.k.a. feeling & looking bloated,
• Increases your chances of high blood pressure which leads to a whole host of other problems including increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke, and
• Increases urinary calcium, a.k.a. calcium leaving your body instead of benefiting your bones.

But don't write sodium out completely, because a light amount of sodium is still important for high-intensity workouts and preventing dehydration.  Here are a couple of articles: 1 & 2.

Now I'm very excited to hear all your knowledge, tips, tricks, snacks, & meals you've been preparing this week!!!!  Share away :)

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, wonderwomen :)

Today's musings are based on three recent things in my life have all centered around living life ALIVE.  First, a family friend passed away last night (Jeanie on this challenge knows him, too), earlier than he should have left this life.   Second, I finished an audio book over our long weekend of driving, Lance Armstrong's story "It's Not About The Bike." He battled and won against cancer and all medical odds, and won the Tour de France (just one time when this book was written) as a greater appreciator of life and human capacity.  Third, I ran a marathon last Saturday, and amongst all the crazy and funny things I heard there, I liked best at the very beginning before we started running when an announcer was commenting on the brisk weather saying, "It's mornings like this that you know you're alive."

Life life ALIVE!  Don't sleep through life, don't procrastinate things you've always wanted to do, don't throw away time being complacent, frumpy, overweight, lazy, or unhappy.  Change something.  Do something to make it unmistakable to yourself that you are ALIVE! 

Here's an excerpt from the very end of Lance's story, and it talks about cancer survival, but think of it in light of this challenge and the fight for our fitness, health, and longevity: “The definition of courage is a quality of spirit that enables one to encounter danger with firmness and without fear…Children have higher cure rates…Adults know too much about failure. They’re more cynical and resigned, fearful….If children have the ability to ignore odds and percentages, maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other chance is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: Give up or fight like hell…anything’s possible…you have to believe and you have to fight…by fight I mean arm yourself with all the available information…the more informed and empowered patient has a better chance at long term survival…What if I had lost?...I still believe I would have gained something in the struggle…In what time I had left, I would have been a more complete, intelligent, and compassionate man, and therefore more alive. The one thing the illness has convinced me of beyond all doubt, more than any experience I’ve had as an athlete, is that we are much better than we know. We have unrealized capacities that sometimes only emerge in a crisis. So if there is a purpose to the suffering that is cancer, it is this: it is meant to improve us.”

From that, I take away the message that we can be overweight, lazy, come up with excuses, become resigned to the fact that we'll always be the way we've always been, think being fit is for other people and we'll just never acheive that OR we can "fight like hell," learn everything we can about our bodies, exercise, nutrition, and live each day with positive hope, energy, faith, and belief.  "WE ARE MUCH BETTER THAN WE KNOW. WE HAVE UNREALIZED CAPACITIES."  Yes, it's hard to day in and day out watch what we eat and find the energy to blast away calories in sweat sessions.  But you are better than you know.  You decide each day if you're going to resign or fight.  Experience and savor every second of life. Be more complete.  Be more alive.  Thank you for fighting with me!  Love you all :)  Make it a fantastic week in the challenge!  What are you going to do this week to wake up your body and show it you're alive? :)

Monday Check-In

Good morning, Ladies!  How was your weekend?  Share with us how much you're up or down in weight and any changes you've noticed.  I can't wait to hear how you all did in your first week!

Also, today's going to start the first side-challenge :) Here it is: There are 13 active participants this time around in the 10 in 6 challenge (I haven't heard from Kim for her info and I haven't heard from Jessie if she'd like to continue from last challenge, so these two aren't counted in the 13).  If, as an entire group of 13 active participants, we collectively lose 26 lbs total (2 lbs per person average), then I'll send you something special in the mail as a prize :)  Yes, I stole this fair and square from BL, but I don't care.  I think 2 lbs for each of us this coming week is definitely do-able.  Your fellow challengers depend on you!  You can do it! Push it extra hard!

Happy Weekend!

Sorry today's posting is out late- my hubby and I are in the car right
now on our way up to Lake Superior for the weekend. I am running in my
first marathon tomorrow morning! Mixed emotions of course, but I am so
excited!

It makes me think about how each of our journeys to our fit selves is
a marathon. Like I said a couple days ago and like Abby said on BL
this week, "it's not a sprint; it's a marathon." I just keep thinking
of that over and over. Think about it- you have the support of your
friends, it's a hard undertaking, it takes courage, and it is
intimidating. A lot of people talk about having that same goal as you,
but very few will have the determination and fight inside to undertake
it. Along the journey, if you take off too fast, you'll lose steam
later in in the race and might not finish strong. You have to
constantly feed yourself the whole time- food fuel during the race and
positive/emotional/support fuel during our weight loss journey. You
will hit seemingly insurmountable walls when uou feel like quiting and
it will take an extra umpf to get over them. BUT, the hardest part of
it all in my opinion is just deciding to do it and lace up your
running shoes. AND guess what?!? You already did that! You did the
hardest part! You started the journey! You laced up your shoes! You
decided to undertake the challenge! You decided to hit your goals!
You decided to show your body you are the master of it- not it the
master of you! I am so proud of all of you :) Keep your chin up. It
is a marathon, not a sprint. The goal is endurance and slow steady
progress. The woman who sticks with it the longest will hit her goal.
And I KNOW that can be each of you :)

What are your thoughts on that?

Feel the Burn Thursday!

Good morning, Ladies!  What have you been doing this week and what do you have planned for this weekend for torching those calories and melting chub!?! Share with us your workouts.

This Active.com article 3 Ways to Make Every Workout Fun touts the importance of mixing things up and making workouts fun so that you will stick to them.  "Whether exercise is your passion or just a means of staying healthy, it's important to find ways to enjoy every workout. Try something new--you never know what might work for you."

1. Find a workout buddy (I think we're "virtual" workout buddies here on this blog!)
2. Add variety to your workouts
3. Set a goal for each workout

I am going to be sending an email of info to those of you who live in my local area for a free one week trial at a fitness bootcamp next week that I'm going to check out. 

Keep on truckin' and keep on blasting those calories!  Every little bit helps :)  So I know he's no exercise guru, but this cool quote I came across yesterday, think about it in light of this 10 in 6 challenge: "Nothing happens by itself...it all will come your way, once you understand that you have to make it come your way, by your own exertion." - Ben Stein.  Its up to you, beautiful ladies!  Only YOU can make you hit your goals!  You can do :)

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday?

Snacking helps you lose weight?  Seriously?! Seriously.  Check out this Mayo Clinic article and this Runners World article that shows how and why it's important to eat often and lightly if you want to lose weight.  Here are the benefits to snacking lightly and in moderation all day long, as opposed to the yo-yo of huge meals and interrim starvation:

• Helps manage hunger
• Helps reduce bingeing
• Conducive to grab-and-go busy schedules
• Supply body with constant energy instead of valleys and troughs
• Spread calories evenly through the day
• Fuels you up for workouts
• Helps you get in a wide variety of nutrients
• Sustain blood sugar levels (which reduces cravings)
• Keeps metabolism revved up high (which burns more calories)

Need some new healthy snack ideas that are around 100-200 calories and packed w/ nutrients & energy?  There are so many suggestions out there, including great suggestions in these: Glamour-8 Snacks to Eat for Weight Loss, Women's Health- Weight Loss Snacks, Yahoo Health- Best Snacks for Weight Loss, The Healthy Snacks Blog, and Shape- Grab-and-Go Snacks.

• Fresh broccoli or cauliflower w/ fat free ranch dressing
• Almonds
• Fresh or frozen berries
• Fat free or light yogurt
• Hummus w/ whole wheat pita chips
• Hummus w/ carrot or celery sticks
• Half an avocado
• Cherry tomatoes
• Laughing Cow cheese rounds
• Mini-bag of microwave kettle corn or popcorn
• Mini Clif bar
• Handful of cereal or granola
• Kashi bars
• One packet of instant oatmeal
• Whole wheat roll
• Fat free, sugar free chocolate pudding or mousse
• Little chocolate milk chug
• Protein shake
• Banana
• Fresh pineapple cubes
• Skinny Cow mint chocolate ice cream sandwich
• 10 Olives
• Half an english muffin w/ marmalade
• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Hard-boiled egg or egg whites
• Edamame
• Whole dill pickles
• Smartfood popcorn clusters

What are your favorite healthy snacks??? I can't wait to see them all! I posted the pics of my absolute favs on here :)

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, beautiful ladies :) A huge part about being successful in hitting weight loss goals is attributable to being motivated, obviously.  Read through this fun list of 20 Weight Loss Motivation Tips.  Does one strike you particularly strong- something that if you did it now would help you stay on track? Share it with us! 

Zero in on #1 for today's post: "Weight loss motivation is all about desire rather than willpower...List all your reasons for wanting to lose weight, or stay healthy and slim."  Share with us your reasons and your motivation!

Amy F. had a wonderful FB status last night that she exclaimed she CAN have willpower :)  You all CAN have willpower!  Have a phenomenal day today, ladies!

First Day :)

Ready to hit the ground running? You ladies are all going to do great :)  I am very excited! First thing first, this blog is to encourage positivity in hitting our goals. Please make comments as encouraging as you can. If you're having a horribly rotten day, then we'd love it if you would just skip that day and comment the next day; no problem, we all go through that. Second, first thing this morning log into your My Fitness Pal free profile, click on check-in, and enter in today's weight and other body measurements (customizable for which ones you want to track). You'll want to do this after you use the restroom and before you eat breakfast if possible. Check out the "How to Accurately Weight and Measure Yourself" link on the left sidebar. This is your starting point. Second, track what you eat and track what you burn off in exercise in the My Fitness Pal profile. We'll only weigh in once per week and we'll only measure once every three weeks.
Here's a little Metabolism 101 lesson for us: Your body has a base metabolic rate that is the amount of calories your body naturally burns just by breathing in and out each day, pumping your heart, operating bodily functions, etc. There are additional calories your body requires just in normal walking around in everyday life (why MFP asks if you're usually sedentary, moderately active, etc.).   These things contribute to the goal of net calories that MFP determines (diff for each of us) with our stated weight loss goal.  Whatever you burn above the net calorie goal you eat.  The basics of losing weight is that you burn more calories than you take in (a.k.a. calorie deficit). The more complicated explanation of losing weight is that different behaviors, foods, and workouts lend themselves to increasing the rate at which you burn calories (metabolism) or some foods will burn faster and more efficiently than other foods or will sustain your energy for longer than other foods, etc. We'll talk more about that later. So this being day one, just try to, in the words of Abby from the Biggest Loser, "Watch your calories. Keep moving. It works."
Google metabolism and weight loss then share with us what you learn or already knew about how to pump up our metabolisms and make them burn more efficiently! We are calling the crash cart to rescue our sleepy metabolisms and make them amped up and ready to rock this next six weeks! I know you all can do this challenge and hit your goals if you DECIDE you can and DECIDE to challenge your excuses and DECIDE to do whatever hard work it takes to make it happen :)

Join Our Next Ten in Six Challenge!

The Ten in Six Challenge is a friendly & free blog support group for positive women looking to lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks (or other fitness goals). The idea is there is a post each day with an article, study, quote, tip, discussion starter, etc. and then the particpants in the challenge will comment on it daily or as often as possible. We hold each other accountable to our stated goals and committments. We cheer each other on, offer support during each other's challenges, answer each other's questions, share our ideas and tricks, and celebrate our collective successes. Each time someone comments, you will be emailed it, thus keeping our challenge and healthy encouragement at the forefront of your thoughts throughout each day. This next Ten in Six Challenge will run from Monday 10/5 through Monday 11/16. Generally, Monday mornings are check-ins, Tuesdays are about motivation, Wednesdays are snack and recipe swapping, Thursday are about workouts, and Fridays are about motivation. There is nothing about fad diets here, it's just slow go lifestyle changes of watching calories and burning calories.

Interested in possibly joining our challenge? We'd love to have you! Check out the set up instructions below:

1. Create a free personal profile on the My Fitness Pal website. This is what you'll use to enter in your goals, weight, measurements, calories consumed, calories burned, etc. If you already have a profile, zero it out by deleting the past weight measurements.

2. When you're in the My Fitness Pal profile, click on the tab that's called "Tools." Then click on the link in the middle of the page that says "Get Your Personalized Weight Loss Badge Now." Then the second badge on the left from the top, copy & paste that code to me in an email.

3. Email me (sarah.a.weight at hotmail dot com) your name, badge code, and what you want in your little bio on the right side bar. I'd love to see what your favorite workout is, what your favorite healthy snack is, what your goal for this challenge is, and what your reward will be when you succeed (non-food). Also let me know if you want your email address added to the blog so that whenever another challenger posts, it goes straight into your email inbox (I would suggest this b/c it keeps the challenge at the forefront of your mind). I am however limited to 10 email addresses, so first come first serve.

4. On the morning of Monday, October 5th, log into your My Fitness Pal profile and enter your starting weight and all the starting measurements you want to (read the instructions for the link on the left of the blog that says "How to Accurately Weight & Measure Yourself"). Start tracking calories consumed & calories burned through workouts. Check in daily to the blog here to let us know how it's going, what you're up to, share your successes & encouragement, etc. I'll ask for specific things in the posts for you to add your comment on or to check-in on, too.

Other things to note: Weights will be private (unless you want to share) b/c we'll just be reporting how much weight and how many inches we drop; no one will know the starting #s. No references to last names for security purposes please, or neighborhoods you live in, or which trail you're going to be running on at a specific time in the future, etc. Just be smart. I don't want to have to go private with the blog. Let me know your favorite songs on your workout play list and I'll add them to the workout playlist playing at the bottom of the blog. I will also be doing 2 side challenges (one the second week and one the fourth week) for fun prizes. New this Ten in Six is the topics cloud over on the left sidebar- click on any of the topics and it will take you to a list of the posts that discuss that topic. The bigger the font on it, the more posts there are about that topic.

If you were on the last Ten in Six Challenge and want to continue, just remember to zero out your info & send me any updates you want to your bio and what your new reward is going to be :)

If you were on the last Ten in Six Challenge and DON'T want to continue, just let me know and I'll delete off your bio, badge, & email address for comments posted.

So go out and get all your girlfriends, moms, sisters, etc. to jump on the challenge here and decide now to challenge their excuses and reach the fitness goals they want to hit! I am so excited for this to start up a fresh round :) Let me know if something's unclear in the instructions above.

Final Check-in!

It's the final check-in! Sad to say the 10 in 6 Challenge is over, but I want to thank all of you awesome ladies for helping and encouraging one another in each of our personal goals. Great work!

Let us know how much you're up or down in weight or measurements. If you didn't get the results you wanted, what are you going to do to change it up for next time? If you did get the results you wanted, how do you feel about it?

We'll have this week off from posting, but please be passing the word along to any of your girlfriends, sisters, moms, aunts, etc. that you want to participate with us in the next round which will start next Monday, October 5th. I'll post instructions & explanations tomorrow for that purpose.

Again, amazing job, everyone! You should be really really proud of yourselves! Let us know how that "reward" goes :)

Feel Good Friday

Good morning, ladies! Check out this article on losing weight during stressful times and let me know what you have planned for this weekend to "calm your mind."

Stress and Weight Gain

This was my favorite part: "If you're facing twin battles against stress and weight, calming your mind should be your first priority, Gluck says. "Addressing stress would be more effective than going on a diet," she says."

Keep up the hard work thoughout the weekend! You ladies all push me to do my best :) Thanks for everything!

Feel the Burn Thursday!

Yeah! Last Chance Workout :) Well, you're going to have lots more workouts, but ya know, amp it up in the last week of this challenge- you can do it! So what workouts are on the radar this week? Laura, have you gotten in any swims lately? Jessie, how's boot camp going? Linds, are you fitting in more-active-than-usual everyday activities w/ the girls? Nicki, I heard you got in a run last night- good for you! Kristin, how's the workout routine w/ the studying routine going? Tara, any fun classes you've done this week? Val, how have your runs been this week? Jamie, are you getting excited for your sprint triathalon coming up in two weeks? Sarah F, any fun interval walks around the neighborhood? Meghan, any more long bike rides? Shanda and Michele, have you found any "me" time amidst the busy-ness? Take care of yourselves! This picture's for you, Linds! :)

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday!

I hope you all were busy doing active and healthy things last night :) I loved Abby's comment on Biggest Loser last night- something to the effect of "you keep moving, and you keep counting calories, and it works." Their basic idea is the same as ours...minus the f-bombs and 10 hour cardio routines :) Did any of you learn any good food ideas from their kitchen lesson? I want to try the fresh raspberries w/ dark chocolate sauce drizzle. Or the pineapple chunks skewered and grilled. Yum! So what have you been eating this week? Any fun new recipes?

So I haven't made this in a few months, but I ate this a ton in the spring. So yummy! I pulled it off the My Fitness Pal recipe forum, but I believe it is from Cooking Light originally. I added a few comments as did the MFP girl who posted it this spring.



Meatloaf in a Mug
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon onion soup mix
1/4 pound lean ground beef (this is key- it's got to be the leanest possible so there's no grease in the cup)
Additional ketchup, optional

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the milk, ketchup, oats and soup mix. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Pat into a microwave-safe mug or custard cup coated with cooking spray.

Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160°; drain (I didn't need to drain b/c I got 98% lean meat).

Let stand for 3 minutes. Serve with additional ketchup if desired.

Yield: 1 serving.

Nutrition Facts
One serving: (calculated without additional ketchup) Calories: 248 Fat: 10 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Cholesterol: 72 mg Sodium: 440 mg Carbohydrate: 14 g Fiber: 1 g Protein: 24 g Diabetic Exchange: 3 lean meat, 1 starch.

Tips:
-"Was out of ketchup so I used cocktail sauce! Might do that permanently! The horseradish in it is great with meatloaf!"
-"Used extremely lean ground turkey and there wasn't any grease left in the bottom...so nice..."
-"Didn't trust my mugs in the microwave so I just made it in a one-cup pyrex measuring cup. Didn't look as great but it worked perfectly."
-"Think I'll quadruple this recipe and cook one mug while I line 3 other mugs with plastic wrap and freeze them. When frozen I'll bag them up and save them for a rainy day!"
Edited by ChubbyBunny on Tue 03/10/09 10:02 AM

For me, I didn't freeze them, but I did make 4 at a time (buy 1 lb ground beef or turkey & split into 4 portions), cook them all, and cover and put in the fridge. We would eat them before the end of the week. This recipe is so yummy! And it helps w/ portion control. If you've got a big family, there are also lots of recipes out there for meatloaf "muffins" or meatloaf made in a muffin tin and baked which would get accross the same portion control idea but on a family scale.

Can't wait to hear about all your yummies :)

Tuesday Motivation

"I've forgotten what I've started fighting for" is more than just an REO Speedwagon song :) Do you remember what you are fighting for in this challenge in deciding to take on your bad habits and excuses?

Sarah: To lose weight and feel sexier, more confident, and healthier
Sarah F: To reprogram her brain to reprioritize exercise, to tone up her legs
Nicole: To lose weight to feel better in her own skin again, to teach her kids a healthy lifestyle
Linds: To maintain her weight, exercise regularly, get toned, and eat healthily
Jessie: To get back into her playing-sports-every-day-body, exercise 3x a week, eat healthy foods
Kristin: To feel strong, healthy, and confident, to develop good eating and exericse habits so it's easier to keep good study habits
Valerie: To lose weight and be able to run a 4 hour marathon again
Meghan: To lose weight to look and feel better, to take better care of herself so she can take better care of those she loves
Jamie: To lose weight and keep running half marathons
Michele: To lose weight
Shanda: To lose weight to have the energy she used to have
Laura: To lose weight to fit into her pre-baby jeans
Tara: To lose weight and not eat fast food anymore

All of us have noble causes we're fighting for. YOU are worth improving and strengthening! YOU are worth all the time and effort you've been putting in the last 5 weeks. YOU deserve to hit your goals. No one is going to change you but you. Don't be afraid of the sweat sessions this week, pushing it hard, eating lots of healthy veggies, fitting in extra workouts, and just loving yourself.



Sometime today, close your eyes for a minute and visualize your goals above being achieved. Dream in HD :) Imagine you having hit your goal. How do you feel? How do you look? How is your energy? How does that affect other aspects of your life and relationships? How is your confidence? Are you smiling? Are you doing things you weren't able to do previously? Are you happy?

Monday Check-In

How did this last week go for you? Did you hit your weekly goal? Let us know how much you're up or down and any changes that you've noticed or felt.

Also, let us know how you've been getting your 8 glasses of water! We haven't heard how any of you are doing on that since the first week of this challenge.



If you're sick or have a cold, you might feel it derails your progress, but check out this Cold Guide that links to other articles about what to eat, how exercise can help keep away the cold & flu or jumpstart your immune system if you already have a cold, and how moderate 20-30 min workouts with a cold are fine. Hope you feel better soon, Nicole & Michele! (Michele's had a cold for the last 3 weeks!)

Are you ladies ready for the last week of this Ten in Six Challenge? It's the LAST CHANCE WORKOUT from Biggest Loser :) You all can do it. Push extra hard & be extra good this week. Hit your goals and be proud of yourselves! You can do it!