Sprints...

I got to the gym yesterday, and all the treadmills were full. (Don't you HATE that?) So to kill time I got on the elliptical for twenty minutes. When i finally did get on a treadmill, Dancing with the Stars was on...nothing better than looking at those ladies' perfect toned and lean bodies to make you wanna run a little faster! I decided to walk while the show was on, and spring during the commercials. I did this for forty-five minutes and BOY was it a workout....

It wasn't until i looked it up at home that i realized how good sprinting really is for you. Sprinting not only burns HUGE amounts of calories while sprinting, it also keeps your metabolism flying for days after. Here are some of the advantages and tips for sprinting:

Benefits to sprinting:
Sprinting is an amazing exercise period. It is a great tool to help in fat loss, kill stress as well as increasing your metabolic rate for days. On top of all this, sprinting is a great exercise for your hamstrings and can help sculpt and tone those muscles you would kill to have.

How far should I sprint?:
50m-100m sprints to start out. Do upwards of 10 sprints per session. Beginners should probably cut that in half and work their way up to doing progressively more sprints.

How many days a week should I be sprinting?:
The suggested spring time is twice a week. It is imperative you leave enough time for recovery between each day as your muscles will need time to grow and heal. Not only will spreading it out help you recover faster it will also keep your metabolism peaked more evenly and prolong the effect.

Body Lean:
Your body should have a slight forward lean (no more than 4-6°). It is important to note that the angle of lean comes from the ground and not from the waist. The lean is caused by displacing the your center of gravity in the direction they are running and leaning and bending from the waist will interfere with the correct mechanics of sprinting.

Foot Contact:
DO NOT RUN UP ON YOUR TOES!!! The toes offer no power or stability to the runner and if they run on their toes, they will not be able to run fast. Instead, stay on the balls of your feet and push against the ground, but don’t reach and pull toward the ground; this strategy will result in injuries and poor sprinting mechanics and slow times.

Overstriding:
This is the worst and most often misunderstood element of sprinting. Don’t reach and overstride to increase stride length, but rather push against the ground and let the foot land underneath the center of gravity. Any placement of the foot in front of the center of gravity will cause "braking forces" that will result in the body slowing down.

Understriding:
Try to prevent being too quick because too much turnover will cause you to run fast in one place and not much ground will be covered. Remember that quality sprint speed is a combination of stride length and stride frequency and one does not replace the other.

Tension:
Don’t try to power through a race or sprint effort. To run fast, stay relaxed, running tight will result in slower times.

Food Mistakes That Can Get in the Way of Healthy Eating

Food Mistakes That Can Get in the Way of Healthy Eating

I found this great article in Redbook Magazine, hopefully these tips will help you this week!

We all want to eat a healthy diet that helps us feel good and helps prevent chronic diseases. Yet many of us are making food mistakes that can keep us from getting the biggest nutritional bang from our food buck.

Here are some common diet mistakes that even food-savvy consumers make:
Healthy Eating Mistake No. 1: Buying Fresh Produce for the Entire Week
Once fruits and vegetables are harvested, they start losing some of their vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. So keeping them in the crisper all week long can mean robbing yourself of nutrition .Instead, buy fresh produce every few days and supplement it with frozen fruits and vegetables. Frozen produce is harvested at its peak and flash-frozen immediately, which protects the nutrients from breaking down for up to a year in the freezer. Look for frozen produce with no sauces or syrups added.

Healthy Eating Mistake No. 2: Buying Too Much Processed Food
Processed foods tend to have more sodium and saturated fat, and less fiber and nutrients. Instead, start with fresh, whole foods as much as possible. When you do choose convenience products, look for those that contain whole grains (like whole-wheat bread and hot dog buns, whole-grain tortillas, and whole-grain blend pasta), have no trans fat , and are low in saturated fat (like bottled marinara made with olive oil, light salad dressing made with canola or olive oil, and some broth- or tomato-based soups.)

Healthy Eating Mistake No. 3: Eating Out or Ordering Takeout More Often Than Not
"According to our research, the average American adult purchases a meal or snack from a restaurant 5.8 times per week," says Annika Stensson, director of media relations for the National Restaurant Association. Indeed, 46.4% of the American food dollar is spent within the restaurant industry. And much of that goes for takeout: Roughly 58% of restaurant traffic in 2001 was specifically for takeout and delivery, according to National Restaurant Association statistics. One reason to eat more meals is to help prevent obesity . In a recent Agricultural Research Service study of men and women ages 31-50, those who got more of their total calories from conventional fast-food restaurants were likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI).
Of course, cooking at home more often isn't always easy. Here are several strategies that can help keep you from frequenting the drive-through: Start with a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator. Some of my favorite ingredients to have handy for whipping up quick dinners are whole-grain pasta, bottled marinara and pesto sauces, whole-grain tortillas, shredded reduced-fat cheese, and canned refried beans. Get that slow cooker out of hiding and start collecting some slow cooker recipes you want to try. Invest a few minutes in the morning to assemble the ingredients, set the slow cooker on LOW, and leave for work. When you arrive home that evening, dinner is ready to be served. Try some fun and easy dinner options like soup and sandwich night, breakfast for dinner night, pasta night, salad night, baked potato bar night, or homemade pizza night (using whole wheat Boboli crust, whole wheat bagels, or tortillas for the crust).

Healthy Eating Mistake No. 4: Not Taking Advantage of Food Synergy
Do you peel your apples or tomatoes? Do you eat your veggie-rich green salad with fat-free dressing? Do you like to peel and chop your garlic right before adding it into your stir-fry or sauce? If you answered "yes" to any of the above, you are decreasing the availability to your body of important nutrients found in these foods. That's because there are all sorts of relationships between the various components within certain foods and between certain foods, a concept called "food synergy." For example, certain phytochemicals in apple peel account for most of apples' healthy antioxidant activity, so peeling apples isn't the healthiest way to go.
Also, it's a good idea to let your minced or chopped garlic rest for 15 minutes before proceeding with cooking, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. This helps ensure that the enzymatic reaction that begins when garlic is chopped releases as much of the antioxidant allyl sulfur as possible -- and thus maximizes the cancer-fighting benefits. If you're dressing a salad or making a homemade marinara sauce, make sure you include some healthy fats, like avocado or olive oil. Eating a little "good fat" along with your vegetables helps your body absorb healthy phytochemicals, like lycopene from tomatoes and lutein from dark green vegetables. So enjoy your salad with some avocado or a light dressing made with canola or olive oil. And add a drizzle of olive oil when you are whipping up a batch of spaghetti sauce. And when it comes to tomatoes, for maximum nutrient value, don't peel them, and eat them cooked and processed.

Healthy Eating Mistake No. 5: Avoiding High-Fat Plant Foods
The three foods that come to mind are avocados, nuts, and olives, which are relatively high in calories and fat but low in saturated fat. These foods contribute smart fats to our diet, and they come with fiber and phytochemicals, too. Moderation is the key here. So enjoy a quarter of an avocado on sandwiches and in salads, or a handful of nuts as a snack or added to your salad, cereal, or pasta. Use a light drizzle of olive oil in cooking. And add olives to salads, sandwiches, and casseroles, or eat them as a snack.

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, is the "Recipe Doctor" for the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic and the author of numerous books on nutrition and health. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.

Weekly Weigh In

~These are the Virtual Four Fat Chicks~
Ryan- I was shocked when I stepped on the scale this morning, UP 2 pounds! WHAT THE HELL! I didn’t even gain that in VEGAS…I exercised more than I ever have last week which wasn’t everyday more like 4 times, but at least I was trying to be more active and in return…BAM! 2 pounds. I’m hoping it was extra water weight…yeah right! I weighed at the same time I always weigh in so I won’t blame it on water. Maybe Vegas and my Brandi weekend finally caught up with me. It’s discouraging but I must track on!

+2 lbs
Total: -5 lbs (boo hoo hoo boo hoo)

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Lesli ~ Christina predicted after my big lofty work out goal that I would lose 3 lbs this week. HA! No such luck, but girls... I was jumping rope the other day and looked in the mirror, and I'll be damned... I have biceps! I'm starting to see definition and tone in my body which is a fantastic return for my hard work. I also feel lighter and thinner, which is very different from how I used to feel when I'd gorge out on tons o' food & couch time. I would like to share with you my virtual NOW & GOAL pictures. I think the NOW picture is pretty close, except there was no way to pick a double chin and I can't find an exercise that will "cure" it either, but here I am... virtually.

Week: -1

Total: -10

Virtual Me ~ NOW~

Virtual Me ~GOAL~

smaller boobs... boo!
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Allie: Hi guys, Here is my virtual model, hahahaha. Pictures don't lie.

Here is the goal!

Things in my world have been stressed to say the least. I'm buying a house, which in this market isn't easy or fun! But I'm so excited to share with yall once I get moved in. AND, cook delicious healthy meals in my new beautiful kitchen. I have a GAS range, I wanted one of those my whole adult life. Lots of good recipes to come my friends!

I'm closing next week, so can you say crazy busy? I still have lots to get done before I can move in. I'll admit I've been a bad weight watcher. I also haven't bought a new scale. I did set the needle back to 0 and just hope it's somewhat accurate. I'm giving myself this next week "off" cause I know I won't be cooking, or going to the grocery to stock up on a bunch of food that I'll have to move to the new house. So, I'm eating out of the fridge & pantry this week and hopefully not out of too many drive through bags!

Week: +1 lbs. (per bo-janky scale)

Total: -21 lbs.

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Christina: Hello everyone! Here is my virtual model:

Current Weight

Goal weight

Looking at my goal weight picture just gives me goosebumps. I have decided that I am not pushing myself hard enough. I have been hovering around the same weight for the past 3 weeks, and I am convinced it is because I need to step up my game. Though i didn't gain any weight this week, i certainly didn't loose any...and that is the goal... WEIGHT LOSS! I can't wait to show this virtual model next to a real life picture of me, and have the real picture look BETTER!

Week: 0 pounds

Total: -14 pounds

Create Your Own 3D Model

I found this really cool tool on http://www.prevention.com/mvm/main.html

You can compare your current weight side-by-side with your goal weight.

Choose your body type and features, or upload a photo to make your model look exactly like you! You now can avoid dressing room anxiety! Find the best swimsuit styles for your body type. Share your Weight Loss Simulator experience with a friend! Email your model or send to a cell phone.

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I think this is a great idea since most of us hate posting our before and current photo's, I know it was HARD for me and if I would have know about this I wouldn't have opted to do this instead. Here I am...

NOW

Only my belly doesn't look like this! I WISH IT DID!

GOAL (140 lb)

Pizza, Pizza!

Many people think they can't lose weight, because they'd have to end their life long love affair with their food. Admittedly, I was maybe one of those people before I started WeightWatchers, but I have LOVED finding WeightWatchers~friendly versions of my favorites. I'll be the first to admit when the WWF version does not measure up to the old one, but let's face it ~ there is no alternatives that taste quite like REAL cheese & REAL butter & REAL cream. Now, let's GET OVER THAT and move on! Done!

This, however, is a fantastic alternative. Who doesn't love PIZZA? Honestly, of all the people I've ever met, known & loved in my life, I've NEVER met, known or loved anyone that didn't like pizza.

My fellow Fat Chicks & Fabulous Dieters ~ meet Kashi Pizza

This is the Thin Crust Roasted Vegetable Version which includes: Broccoli, Artichoke Hearts, Roasted Red Peppers, Onions & Garlic, Mozzarella & Provolone Cheeses with a Tomato Pesto Suace on a Stone Fired Crust made with Kashi 7 Whole Grains & Sesame with Flax Seed.

Coming in at:

Serving Size = 1/3 of Pizza
Calories: 250
Total Fat: 9g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Weight Watchers Points: 5 per piece or 15 points total

Justin and I have a little secret tradition and I'll confess it... we like to eat pizza on Biggest Loser night. Now I can join him and eat my Kashi pizza and not feel bad for one minute! My other tradition is to run on the treadmill for the first hour of the show, so that racks up activity points and I can enjoy as much of my pizza as I want! I'll be honest, I prefer the original crust, and other fantastic varieties include ~ Roasted Garlic Chicken, Mediterranean, Five Cheese Tomato, Mushroom Trio & Spinach, Tomato Garlic Cheese! YUMMMM!

Want the stats on Justin's pizza?

Serving Size: 1/3 of Pizza
Calories: 400
Fat Grams: 26g
Dietary fiber: 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 10 per piece or 30 for the whole pizza!

He's very lucky to be 6'1 and skinny as a rail! The rest of us will happily stick to our WeightWatchers & exercise!

Fiber One....

I had to go through all of our food posts on the site, and i cannot believe we haven't mentioned this one! I was starving one morning at work and a co-worker gave me one of these bars for breakfast. It is delicious, it totally filled me up and the best part is, one bar is only 2 POINTS!! (3 points for the peanut butter bars). Everyone in the office LOVES them! My favorite flavors are peanut butter and oats and the oats and apple strudel. This is definitely something you need to check out. Lesli has already stressed the importance of fiber in our diets, and this bar gives you 35% of what you need for a days worth. I went straight to the grocery store the next day and bought 4 boxes of them. Try them and let me know what you think!

What kind of scale do you have?

So as you know from Fridays weigh in, my scale is OFF. So, I'm in the market for a new one. Digital of course. So, my question is what kind do you have and what you do like about it?

Weekly Weigh In

Ry-I’m still at 0 pounds after a week of hard work. I know it will come off, matter of fact if I could have lost one more ounce this morning I would be down 1 pound but I didn’t so I’m hoping this weekend it will leave. I feel more motivated than I ever have. I keep playing fishing tournaments over in my head and I don’t want to be a chunk out on the boat, wait! Let me rephrase that, I WONT be a chunk out on the boat! Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

Ryan-0 lbs
Total-7 lbs

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Hey guys, Allie here! I have bad news, my scale flat-lined. Gone. I have the old school kind (non-digital) and something happened on Tuesday...I looked down and the needle was 7 lbs past the zero, in the negative direction, and I don't know where it used to be, so I have no way to know my actual weight. I started this journey December 17th after leaving a doctors appointment and went home that night and set my scale to that exact weight and haven't touched it since then. I was so bummed to see it off by that much. I guess I'll get a new one this weekend and just go with whatever it says?? Does anyone have a better idea? I set it back to 0 and was up 2lbs. So WHO KNOWS what my actual weight is this week!
Week: FLAT LINED
Total: -22??
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Lesli: I've really worked on mentally retraining my brain to not think about the pounds I'm losing {or not losing} and focusing on my diet and exercise. As far as my diet goes, I'm focusing on eating good amounts of fruits & vegetables everyday along with whole grains and a lot of grilled chicken. I have also been working on the water in take. Why is that so hard for me? If you told me to drink 64oz of TEA or COFFEE I could do it easy. And I know that tea and coffee count to some people, but I'm trying to get good at the water, and it's HARD! Also, I kicked my workout goal up a major notch this week! My goal was to work out 10 hours this week! The plan was an hour in the morning for sculpting, yoga & abs and then an hour in the evening for cardio. I can proudly report that as of right now {Thursday @ 7:05pm} I have 7.5 hours under my belt! To be perfectly honest, I don't think my body was physically ready for this amount of work out, because I have been EXHAUSTED, where exercise usually makes me feel better. I will accomplish my goal, but I'm thinking I will scale it back for next week. I was completely flat this week, and while YES losing pounds would be great & would make me so happy, I can tell I'm doing my body good!

Week: 0
Total: -9

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Christina - I told Lesli that i would try to do 5 hours of exercise this week, but that was before i looked at my work schedule...i have been busier than i have been in WEEKS, but i did get in some exercise. I started off really good this week with an intense hip-hop class, and some time with my workout DVDs, but I haven't gotten home before 10pm for the last 3 days! I think all the running around did me some good though, because i did loose another pound. I have two weeks to get down another 4 pounds to reach my goal by April 1st!

Week: -1
Total: -14 pounds

SUMMER IS NEAR!

Disclaimer: While mom was taking this photo she said it doesn't do me justice, I look worse in person...Thanks MOM. You make me feel so good!

I’m posting this picture of me in a bathing suit of what I look like today. This is hard for me since this bathing suit fit perfectly when I first moved to Florida, boy have things changed. I think this will help motivate me to getting fit for the summer. I’m also posting the picture of when I first started, can you tell I’ve lost 7 pounds? I don’t think I see much of a change. That’s why things are changing, I must start exercising faithfully! I do feel better than I ever have. I have more energy and better will power. I want to look good in THIS bathing suit, so my goal Is to wear this in the summer without my love handles hanging off the side. WISH ME LUCK! SUMMER IS AROUND THE CORNER!

BEFORE/NOW

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I promised pictures of the beach last week, so here they are. It was very relaxing and I had a blast. I also walked over 2 hours on the sand and in the water, so I’m sure that burned some calories. Can’t wait to go back!

Comcast Treasures

Hi Fat Chicks Friends! How are your work outs going this week? I have BIG goals for my exercise this week and I plan on meeting my work out goal by weigh in on Friday.


I know that not all of you like to do work out DVDs at home, because you feel silly or there's not enough room, but I am the QUEEN of the work out videos. And for the rest of you that DO-DO work out DVDs my good bloggy friend SIL gave me the best gift a work out DVD queen could ever get!


Do any of you use comcast as your cable provider? Did you know that if you press that "on demand" button at the top of your remote there is a world of fun waiting for you? If you click the sports and fitness button, there is a menu of ANY work out you might ever want to do for any amount of time. For those of you not lucky enough to subscribe to comcast, please allow me to give you some first hand thoughts on the work outs it's let me test.


I have been in the market for some new work outs, and was curious and NOT a netflixer, so this is perfect for me to test out the videos before I go spend or waste good money on them! Hello, trial run!


The first video I had been wanting to try was One-on-One Training with Jackie

The segment that it is featured on Comcast is her core training. OMG ~ MAMACITAS! Are any of you winding down with the 30 Day Shred and need something to take you to the next step I believe that this is your ticket. It is so stinking hard that I have done this workout 3 times and done the modified version and haven't been able to finish many of the moves. Plus, everyone on the video is extremely cut and hot, so it's a little intimidating to keep up! This one will definitely be in my next round of DVD purchases.

The next workout I tried was The Biggest Loser Cardio Max

Now y'all know I love the biggest loser DVDs and the segment I did on this one was good, but seemed a little random. For example, I felt sore the next day, but my lower back was killing me, and I don't think that was the point. BUT on the other hand, I feel extremely motivated to work harder with the biggest loser contestants, because I keep thinking if they can do it, I can do it! Plus, I'm a runner/elliptical girl, so I think I'd rather get the bulk of my cardio from the gym.

And finally, I've been dying to try the Lisa Rinna Dance Body Beautiful

I did the Rumba segment, and it was BAD BAD BAD! Can anyone say Jane Fonda wannabe? If your grandma is looking for a video to do with the gals at the nursing home, then this is for her! I didn't think she was that great of a teacher, and the moves didn't get my heart rate up. Plus, she's a softy and let's face it ~ I need someone who is going to try and KILL me. Sorry Lisa, I'm sticking with Jillian & Jackie!

Have any of you Fat Chicks tried these videos? Let me know what you think and which one you're seeing the best results in!

Weight Watchers Check Up.....

Hello everyone! Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Aren't you so glad that light green beer is only 2 points???!!

Many of us are on the Weight Watchers plan and monitoring it either online or on our own. My first attempt at weight watchers, i attended meetings, and truly felt the benefit of that. I think if mentally i was ready to take the weight off, i would have continued, because i truly enjoyed the information and encouragement i got from them.

I found my old WW notes from meetings, and wanted to share with you/encourage you to do a little checklist to make sure you are getting everything that they suggest you have each day. At meetings, they always stress the importance of completing every part of the plan on a daily basis, so that your body is getting everything it needs to give you the maximum weight loss.

• Fruits/Vegetables - We should all be eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
• Milk: We should be getting in 2 milk/dairy products per day (skim milk, cheese, egg, etc.)
• 2 oils: We all need 2 tablespoons of healthy oil each day. This includes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Canola oil, etc. (this includes cooking with these oils)
• Make sure you are eating whole grains each day
• 6-8 cups of water each day
• Activity: You should be exercising 3-5 days per week. (If you are on the flex plan, on the days that you exercise, you should eat the points that you work off on the same day, to keep your metabolism active)
• TAKE YOUR MULTIVITAMIN EVERY DAY!!!!

Biggest Loser Mania

Are you watching?

Are you a BLACK Jillian fan or lover of the BLUE Bob?

Who is your favorite? Who do you think will win? Who do you want to win?

I think Tara kicks-ass, and is the hardest working.

I love Felipe, he makes me laugh

I think Aubrey needs therapy, she's not wrapped her brain around the "issues" with food. She may lose the weight, but until she realizes why she was fat to begin with, she WILL gain it back.

I keep seeing the previews of Tuesdays HOMECOMING episode & it makes me get the butterflies, very excited!So, now I'm opening the floor up to my fat chick followers, for discussion. Let's chat Biggest Loser!

Weekly Weigh In

Lesli~ Weekly Weigh In Fat Chicks! This week I very much focused on varying my exercise & really bringing it with the amount of time I spent on exercise. According to my calculations I spent around 7-8 hours exercising this week. I alternated from treadmill running for an hour to doing the elliptical for 30 min and accompanying with a work out video. The furthest I ran was 5 miles in one hour and I felt so proud of myself. This week I also started The Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga, and I love it! It's my first experience with yoga, and I think it definitely relaxes me and lifts my mood, but still makes me sweat. Other videos included: Biggest Loser Power Sculpt, Biggest Loser Cardio Max, Jackie One-On-One Core & Lisa Rinna Dance Rumba. Oh and this is great... one night while elliptical~ing I didn't feel like I had gotten enough arms in, so I started making up my own arm routine all while watching Sex and the City the movie. If you've seen this movie you know there are a few X-Rated scenes. If anyone had of walked past and peeked onto my iPhone, they would have DEF thought I was nuts. Whatever gets you moving, right?

Week: -1
Total: -9

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Allie~ Hey! Happy Friday the 13th! Hope everyone had a great week. Mine was fine. I've got some stressful things going on right now, and I'm an emotional eater FOR SURE, and this is one of those times. I feel like I was hungry constantly this week, def munch~ey mouth. Thankfully I still lost a pound. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Can you tell I'm trying to keep a good attitude? :) Happy weekend......until next time!

Week: -1 lb
Total: -22 lbs
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Christina - Hi Everyone!! All in all it was a pretty good week. I didn't eat excessively, and i didn't work out excessively. My goal when i started this journey was to be 18 pounds down by March 1st. Clearly, i didn't make that happen, but i am not discouraged!! I am making a Four Fat Chicks word of honor vow right now....i will make every effort to make this happen by April 1st! For now...i will be happy with the process that i have made.

Week: -1 pounds
Total: -13 pounds

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Ryan-Happy Friday! The beach was a blast yesterday but the bathing suit part was HORRIBLE! It gave me some motivation for the summer! I need to kick it into gear. I'm down 0 pounds this week. I'm ready to loose so I can look decent in a TANKINI :)

Week: 0 lb
Total: 7 lbs

Fun in the Sun

I’m headed to the beach today and I started doing some research on how many calories you burn on the beach. A beach workout combines the fun of a day on the sand with the calorie burning power of a day at the gym. Did you know walking in sand burns 50% more calories than walking on a flat surface? And swimming for 15 minutes burns over a hundred calories. This is good for me, I’m not a huge work out fan and to have something I enjoy so much and burn calories while doing it is great! My goal will be to walk a mile on the seashore…I might even pull out the old badminton rackets if it's not windy.

There’s nothing like being on the water, it’s my thing. I love the smell of the ocean, picking seashells, and laying in the sand. I know I’m lucky to have it so close and I wish I could take everyone with me. Hope everyone enjoys their Thursday.

Ry’s Beach Tip!-Bring a bed sheet to lie on in place of a towel, it gives you more space and it’s easier to shake off the sand. For some reason towels collect sand like a sponge does to water, the sand slides right off a bed sheet.

Hey, you look FABULOUS!

A lot of outfit planning and preparation went into the Vegas trip and one of the most important outfits was the one that would be worn off the plane. The three of us had been working very hard to look fantastic upon arrival. I hadn't seen Allie since November & had NEVER seen Ryan in real life, so this had to be good. I think I finally settled on my outfit about 20 minutes before I was set to walk out the door. I slipped on my brand new skinny jeans paired with magenta heels and a tight sheer off white cowl necked shirt with short puffy sleeves. As for outerwear I wore my champagne colored satin trench coat and over sized over patterned silk scarf.



I felt good. I looked good. I was ready to see my girls.



From the minute we walked through the hotel my friends showered me with compliments. Allie even went as far as to say that I was half my size! While, not true, it was deeply touching and if I think long and hard enough her words come back to me and make me feel warm and fuzzy all over again.



This past weekend my husband and I had family in town that hadn't seen either of us since the first of January. I don't expect people who see me daily to ever say a word, but I had hoped that when said family was in town and the last time they saw me I was 8lbs heavier and a size or 2 larger that they might notice. I guess I didn't necessarily NEED the compliment, but more like I wanted the reaction.



Want to know what they said? "Justin, I can really tell that you're losing weight!" Punch.In.My.Gut. Of course Justin has GAINED weight recently and had just been complaining to me earlier that morning when he saw his reading on the scale.



No matter how many sweet compliments I get from my husband every day or my friends when they see new pictures of me or from those of you that comment to encourage me on Friday it bugs me to death that the mean ones are the ones we remember.



So, look... Ryan took this picture of me in Las Vegas on the first night, and I love it. I look happy & fabulous and I'm learning that the most important opinion about how I look is my own.



And if anyone hasn't told you lately ~ you look FABULOUS, too!

Monday Night Yoga....

A friend and co-worker of mine started a yoga class on Monday nights about a month ago. She would always come back after her class on Tuesday morning, and talk about how much she loved the class, and what a great workout she got. The last time i took yoga, i was 20, completely flexible and took it as a PE elective in college. Needless to say, i was really reluctant about going to this class. Fortunately, my curiosity got the best of me, and i ended up going...i mean, what else was i going to do on a Monday night? I am a hardcore cardio girl....if i don't run, lift weights and do ab work or workout with my trainer, i don't ever feel like i did enough. This was not the case this week....75 minutes of yoga with that downward facing dog will bite you right your flabby butt!

I am so happy i went to this class because it was the best one i have ever taken. I felt challenged, strong, and centered when it was all done. I can admit it now...I am hooked and look forward to being there every Monday night that i can!

To top it all off, the instructor was super cool, informative, patient, and soothing. I have been a bit uptight lately because my life has become so busy recently, and this class totally relaxed me. I am looking forward to working on my flexibility so that i don't struggle through any of the poses, and learning how to breath properly throughout the whole class so that i don't feel like i am going to pass out half way through it!

Are any of you yoga lovers too?

(this is a pic of my instructor......super cool!)

Wii Sports

I played Wii with my nephew last night and boy was it a work-out. We played bowling, tennis, and baseball. My heart rate was elevated, but then we played boxing...............

WOW, it was a total workout! I was sweating and totally out of breath after the 3rd round. I'm sure I'll be sore. Haha. If you have a Wii, but sure and share your favorite game/workout!

Weekly Weigh In

Allie~ Hi Fat Chicks Followers, hope everyone had a great week! I was able to shed the extra Vegas lbs this week, thankfully! But didn't loose any extra, sigh. I still struggled with wanting to eat badly, but was able to curb the cravings. Happy Weekend!

Week -3 lbs
Total -21 lbs
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Lesli ~ this might get long, so bare with me. I've had one of my most frustrating weeks since we started this week. It's been a long time since I felt fat (since starting our weight loss journey) and usually feel very good about the direction I'm heading, but this week I got annoyed. I stayed completely flat and I'm mad. The worst part is not that I ate good or worked out a TON, but that I am a completely SMALLER size in my clothes, but I haven't lost any numbers on the scale in weeks. Now think about that... what is wrong with me? If this situation was reversed and I had lost a ton of weight and still wore my FatChicks size then I'd be pissed too. The thing is, those 2 measly pounds that will put me at 10lbs lost have been on my brain for weeks and I've thought about them and worked hard for them and even had dreams about losing them and it hasn't happened. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGG!

week: 0
total: -8 lbs

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Ryan~Last night I had written a paragraph about me being bad in Vegas and Tallahassee, and I was still at 0, but for some reason it didn't post along with the others this morning. Well, it worked out to my advantage. This morning I stepped on the scale and was down 1 pound! YEAH!! This made me feel so good! I hope to be down 8 more pounds by April 16th, which is the date ALL the fat chicks will meet up! I'm glad it's on the books, It always helps me to have motivation and a goal! Happy weekend!

Week: -1

Total: -7 lbs

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Christina - I gained this week....i am bummed.....but completely motivated for next week.

Week: +2

Total: -12 pounds

How to save points when baking

My sweet tooth is tiny, but ever since my household has grown by 3 I have been in the mood to bake cupcakes, pies, and other sweet treats. I rarely use my kitchen aid mixer, and this weekend I will be dusting it off to make a cake for mom’s birthday. I started searching for healthy baking ideas to help reduce your calorie intake. Did you know if you cut out just 500 calories a day, you will loose one pound a week. Hope these idea’s are helpful.

1. Replace 1 cup all-purpose flour by using 1 cup whole-wheat flour or 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or 7/8 cup all-purpose flour + 2 Tbsp. soy flour.

2. Replace butter milk by using an equal amount of nonfat or low fat yogurt.

3. Replace 1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate by using 3-4 Tbsp. cocoa powder + 1 Tbsp. oil + 1 Tbsp. sugar (for frosting or sauces) or 1/4 cup cocoa (for cakes or cookies)

4. Replace 1 cup chocolate chips by using chopped dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, apricots, cherries (for quick bread and muffins) or chopped nuts.

5. Replace frosting by using sliced fresh fruit or pureed fruit or light dusting of powdered sugar.

6. Replace 1/2 cup of butter/margarine by using 1/4 cup of applesauce + 1/4 cup of canola oil, butter or margarine.

7. Replace 1 egg by using 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute.

8. Replace sweetened condensed milk by using low fat/nonfat sweetened condensed milk.

9. Replace evaporated milk by using evaporated skim milk.

By: Ryan K

Dieting Myths, Questions, and Answers....

Since I have started this weight loss journey, I cannot tell you how many people are giving me advice. I have heard every diet opinon, trick or short cut imaginable. When you get down to the bottom line, you have to pick a plan that works for you. Weight Watchers has been the only weight loss plan that has ever worked for me.....besides the single girl diet which includes dancing all night every night and filling up on diet coke and rum.

I bought a two year subscription to Shape magazine 9 months ago, in an attempt to jump start my weight loss process. Those magazines sat in a pile on my desk, collecting dust until this year when I finally got serious. I find the articles in Shape to be so informative and helpful. I ran across this article from a an issue that was published last summer, and it gave me such great information about dieting myths that you are told. I hope you find it as enlightening as i did!

Your cube mate advises against eating after 8 p.m., a girl from your yoga class swears by the grapefruit diet, and your best friend warns that mixing carbs and protein can pack on the pounds. Sure, you've been hearing diet tips like these from well-meaning people for years, but is there any truth to them? To set the record straight on the most oft-repeated advice, we consulted a team of nutrition experts. They revealed which strategies you should forget and which live up to their get-slim promise.

Q. Will chewing low-cal foods like sugar-free gum and celery help me burn calories?

A. It might, but hardly enough to trigger weight loss. Gum and certain veggies are often called "negative-calorie" foods because they supposedly take more energy for your body to chew or digest than they contain. The negative-calorie myth was put to the test when researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, asked people to chew sugarless gum at a rate of 100 bites per minute. After calculating the energy expended (about 11 calories per hour), they concluded that a person who chomped on a piece every waking hour of the day for a month would lose less than a pound. As for celery? All that crunching does burn energy, but it amounts to less than the 6-calorie stalk contains. The bottom line: If you really want to shed pounds, give your jaw a rest and start moving your body.

Q. Can coffee really rev up my metabolism?

A. It's true: Java can stoke your calorie-burning furnace—provided you drink it black. A study in the journal Metabolism found that the caffeine in two cups of coffee may cause a 145-pound woman to expend up to 50 extra calories over the next four hours. "Caffeine stimulates your nervous system, signaling the body to release a small amount of energy from its fat stores," says lead researcher Paul Arciero, Ph.D., an associate professor of exercise science at Skidmore College. "But stirring in milk, cream, or sugar can cause your insulin levels to rise, which diminishes that metabolic effect." Don't try to accelerate the weightloss process by sipping black coffee all day, though. Arciero recommends not exceeding three cups in a day, as too much caffeine can cause anxiety, nausea, and headaches.

Q. Will eating after 8 p.m. make me gain weight?

A. That all depends. Contrary to popular belief, the snack you have before bedtime won't automatically be stored as fat. "The most important factor affecting your weight is how many total calories you eat each day, not what the clock reads when you eat them," says Suzanne Farrell, R.D., a Denver nutritionist and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
That said, skimping on meals during the day may set you up to overeat at night, which can pack on pounds. A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition found that the less food people ate for breakfast and lunch, the more they ate after sundown-and the higher their total calorie intake for the day."Our brain's satiation mechanism—its way of telling us we're ready—tends to become weaker as the day progresses," says John de Castro, Ph.D., lead study author and a professor of psychology at Sam Houston State University. "That means you may have to eat more in the evening in order to feel full." His research suggests that have having a larger breakfast, a moderate-size lunch, and a smaller dinner can help you consume fewer calories and reduce the temptation to nosh at night.


Q. Would eating carbs, fat, and protein separately help me lose weight?

A. No. While the concept of "food combining," or eating certain nutrients at specific times (and excluding others), has fallen in and out of vogue for decades, there are no proven benefits. The theory is that different food types (proteins, fats, starches, sugars, and acidic foods) require their own digestive enzymes in order to be metabolized properly. Some claim that mixing these groups or eating them at the wrong times could cause digestive issues or weight gain. For advocates of this eating style, having orange juice and scrambled eggs at a sitting, or even a turkey sandwich, is forbidden. To determine if a food-combining diet could confer any health or weight-loss benefits, researchers at University Hospital Geneva in Switzerland put two sets of obese patients on low-calorie diets for six weeks. The first group followed a food-combining plan (eating carbohydrates at one meal and fats and protein at another), while the second ate meals that contained all three nutrients. While both groups took in the same amount of calories, those on the balanced diet actually lost about 3 pounds more than the food-combining group—and lowered their blood pressure to boot.

Q. Will blotting my pizza cut down on calories?

A. It won't soak up all of the fat and calories in your lunch, but it can make a dent. "If you're eating a medium slice of cheese pizza, swabbing it first with a napkin can remove up to 45 calories and 5 grams of fat," says Farrell.But a ll the mopping in the world won't help if you're ordering the wrong kind of pie. A report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., found that stuffed-crust and meat-lovers varieties, which can clock in at 800 calories per slice, contain more than a day's worth of fat and sodium. If you really want to improve the nutritional profile of your pizza, skip the meat toppings and order your pie with extra veggies—like mushrooms , spinach, or broccoli—and half the cheese (which saves about 80 calories and 6 grams of fat per slice). Switching from deep-dish to thin-crust can also slash up to 200 calories and 6 grams of fat.


Q. Does exercising on an empty stomach burn more fat?

A. Yes, but you might not be able to work out as hard as you would if you'd eaten first. Researchers at the University of Ottawa in Canada asked two groups of people to hit the treadmill in the morning until they'd blasted 400 calories. The joggers who skipped breakfast burned 58 percent more fat than those who had eaten a meal before their run. But pre-workout fasting won't necessarily translate into weight loss. "People incorrectly assume that if you're using fat for fuel, it equates to losing body fat," says Nancy Clark, R.D., a sports nutritionist in West Newton, Massachusetts. "But what affects weight loss most is how many calories you've depleted during your workout and if you've sustained a deficit by the day's end." It may sound counterintuitive, but having a 150- to 200-calorie snack at least 30 minutes before your sweat session could help you get slimmer in the long run. A study from Pennsylvania State University found that women who had a mini-meal before their workout were able to exercise up to 16 percent longer than those who drank only water beforehand. Plus, says Clark, women who exercise on empty become so ravenous after they finish that they often end up making poor food choices. Eating a banana or a granola bar before lacing up your sneakers can give you the energy you need to crank up the intensity.

Q. Can foods like cabbage soup and grapefruit help me flush fat?

A. Despite long-standing rumors to the contrary, "there's no science proving that any particular food can burn, melt, or flush away fat," says Donald Hensrud, M.D., an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic. "If a woman loses weight on a grapefruit or cabbage soup plan, it's likely because she has cut calories by restricting her intake to a handful of foods." Hensrud's colleagues at the Mayo Clinic (which is often incorrectly credited with creating both the cabbage soup and grapefruit diets) estimated that people who follow either plan faithfully eat 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day. "You'd almost certainly lose weight eating 1,000 calories of anything, whether it's bananas or potato chips," he says. "But it will be pretty tough to keep the pounds from returning once you return to your normal diet."

Lesli's Mesa Meal

Ok this is the last installment of what 3 of the 4 Fat Chick's ate at Bobby Flay's house. I hope we haven't single handed ruined any of your diets, because after indulging in our fabulous Vegas food it was MAJOR hard for me to get back on the WW bandwagon, but alas... we all have to do what we have to do.

At first glance of the menu I considered the :
NEW MEXICAN SPICED
PORK TENDERLOIN SANDWICH
Grilled Red Onion, Arugula
Ancho-Chile Mayonnaise
+ Southwestern Fries

Then our delightful little waiter informed me that this was a COLD sandwich. Who wants a cold pork tenderloin sandwich? Not this fat chick!

So, I settled on the...

SCRAMBLED EGG ENCHILADAS
Chorizo, Red Chile Sauce + Goat Cheese

with HouseMade Grits

Us Fat Chicks are sharers, and we all took one bite then passed our plates around. I'll admit that after my first bite I loved Allison's best and actually asked her if I could trade her. Thankfully, she said Heck to the NO! I stuck out my enchiladas and they were FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! The red chile sauce absolutely made the dish rich and the goat cheese made is succulent. And being from the south it is a requirement to like grits, and I don't love them, but I knew if anyone could make me love them, Bobby could. He did not disappoint. The were creamy and spicy and delicious.

Actually, when I was talking with the GM after our meal he asked what I thought and my exact words were, "Had it been appropriate, I would have LICKED my plate." You know, it was Vegas... maybe it wouldn't have been THAT inappropriate!

Allie's MESA meal

Allie & Ryan at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, please join me in my fabulous (NON weight watchers) food review

We had such a fabulous brunch at Mesa Grill. See HERE for the full menu.
I started the brunch with a Cactus Pear Iced tea, it had a great flavor but not over powering. It was refreshing and delicious. As my entree I chose Scrambled Eggs Chilaquiles: Roasted Tomatillo sauce, white cheddar cheese & creme fraiche. I really love tomatillo sauce and this was a perfect blend of tart & spicy. The ancho chili sauce was a bit spicier, but the creme fraiche cooled off the heat. The blue-corn tortillas were crunchy and the eggs were perfectly cooked.

Oh and the cheese wasn't bad either, haha!After our DELISH meal, we were able to tour the kitchen (thank you Les!).
Here I am headed upstairs to check out the rotisserie.