Tuesday, July 13, 2010

from ALifeLesOrdinary... "A 'BIG' Moment"

I conduct all of our first round interviews in our business. Some people will hire anyone, I will not. One of the questions that has always stuck out to me is question number 6. Who is your hero? 97.9% of the time I get Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle or Grandparent. And when I ask why, I usually get the same response. "They've always been there for me." LAME! Shouldn't a hero be someone who inspires greatness in you? I think it's a tough question and every time I ask it I wonder who I would say.

A few weeks ago I was in Atlanta for business and Alison Sweeney *tweeted* an invite to go work out with she and Jillian in Atlanta. I assumed that they'd be working out downtown and I'd be a good 20 miles from where all the magic was happening. For grins I googled it, and would you believe my luck... they were 4 miles down the same street I was staying on! What? I called Justin and he said, "DUH! You have to go!" The opportunity to work out with the work out person I most look up to? It was MY moment and I had to take it!


So what was actually going on was Biggest Loser was shooting their first episode of Season 10 & invited the community to come out for a workout and show taping. They shot various parts of the episode around the country. They introduced 3 potential BL's and had them compete for 2 spots on the show. Jillian led the entire group in a work out and when I say led I'm saying that when I was doing push-ups my hands were basically touching her shoes and I was praying to the virgin Mary tattoo on her ankle! I expected there to be 1,000s and 1,000s of people there, but there were maybe 175?




Filming a show is a huge undertaking, so there was a lot of waiting around, but I was a woman with time and my iPhone {excuse the poor quality of the photos} on & in my hands, so I was in for the long hall. They interviewed people who were future cast hopefuls and asked how BL had inspired the crowd. BL inspired me to run a Half Marathon {which I'll be doing again this September!}.


First things first ~ Alison Sweeney runs out! Haven't we all been loving Ali since she was chunky Sami on Days? She was TINY in person and so engaging with the crowd. Also, she had on the cutest nude wedges ever and I can't quit thinking about them and looking for them!



Then out came Jillian and the workout started immediately, so I snapped a pic before she came over and camped out by me. Jillian seems very HARD and LOUD on BL, but it was definitely more of a playful "yell" during the filming.



Yes, the workout was HARD! For those of you who have ever done one of Jillian's work out video's, it was like doing one of her videos on fast forward. 10 minutes and I was pouring sweat and panting! So, if you've been wishing and hoping you could get trained by Jillian I suggest you put her video on fast forward and try to keep up!



Then the potential contestants came out to tell their story and weigh in before the competition. Which was the first 2 to complete a mile would be immediately escorted to the ranch. There were limos outside, but I have no idea where they were really going.

Before anyone came out the director said, "I'm not sure how many of you have stepped on the scale lately, but I'm sure most of you haven't stepped on the scale in front of strangers. Please be respectful." Then he genuinely choked up. It was just as emotional in person as it is on your couch. You can't edit that kind of emotion in to a reality tv show... it's just there.

Ali tweeting how excited she was to meet me in person. Y'all all saw that tweet, right?

My turn on the scale! Thankfully, with NO cameras (but my own), NO sound affects, and NO actual weight being posted!

I didn't get to take my picture with Jillian, but I got a good picture of who Jillian is. I think there's a lot of "acting" in these situations and putting on for the camera, but cameras rolling or not...Jillian loves her work and her mission is to make your life better. I was amazed at how genuine she is and how truly un-judgmental she is. Is un-judgmental a word? I left that day with much deeper appreciation for Bob & Jillian and what they do on the Biggest Loser and to everyone being inspired at home. I also left with my answer to the interview question if I ever get asked.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

GNC Total Lean Lean Shake, Swiss Chocolate, Chocolate

Ry's Rating: 4 STARS ****

I've been drinking this for breakfast for the past 2 weeks and have lost 3 pounds. On the box they want you to use it twice a day but I'm not one of those people that can have a shake for breakfast and a shake for lunch. It keeps me full and it's very helpful that it has all the protein and minerals you need in one day. I think it makes a great breakfast and I think I will continue to try all the flavors. If your wanting something to keep you satisfied until lunch, try this I think you ll like it.

+++++++

***Proven effective for weight loss
***Supports lean muscle mass and a healthy metabolism
***Proven to reduce cholesterol

GNC Lean Shake is complete with well-balanced ratios of high quality protein, vitamins, minerals and fat. Proven effective for weight loss, Lean Shake can also help reduce cholesterol and support lean muscle mass and a healthy metabolism. When used in conjunction with the provided meal and exercise plan, this delicious oat-based shake can help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goals. It features a patented fiber-rich blend that increases your feeling of fullness and satiety so you eat less and wait longer between meals. This combination of functionally-specific fibers includes oat beta-glucan. Oat beta-glucan is a naturally occurring and powerful soluble fiber found in oat bran; it is known as a low-glycemic fiber that supports normal, healthy blood glucose levels. Oat bran and fiber have slower and more sustained effect on blood sugar and energy levels than when consuming high-glycemic carbohydrates food such as pastries, breads or pasta.