National Body Challenge

[cali-croozer]

FYI----tomorrow (Jan 20, 11:59pm est) is the deadline to register for the Discovery Health National Body Challenge. Go to discovery.com/health to register. I wasn't able to spend too much time on the website, but it does look informative and may be of help to some of us. By registering, you also get a free 8 week trial membership to Bally Total Fitness.

 

Anyway, thought I'd pass it along.

[sharonella]

Thanks for the reminder -- I saw it on TV and meant to sign in. There's also a TV program on the Discovery Health Channel, I think!

[ski ninja]

I too signed up for it, I just wish there was a Bally's close by for me to use. I did sign up for eDiets from the web site, it is free until March 12thish. I thought it looked like it could be helpfull. I thought this site might be a source of help and inspiration. Let's keep up the good work!

[adoptmom]

If you get the chance to watch the health challenge shows do so. They are so motivating! Ok, the hollywood version was a bit cheesy but the ones with normal people are just fabulous. Juan Carlos Cruz who has the Calorie Commando show of the food channel was a participant in the first challenge. He lost 75 pounds.

 

I signed up too because it's similiar to what I'm doing now. I like the tools that are available but there's no bally's near us either.

 

Tami

[sharonella]

I just printed out the Fitness & Nutrition Journal. While it has basically all sorts of stuff I already know about healthy dieting (plus info on the TV show, etc.), there are Daily Food & Excercise sheets to fill out. I have dieted every few years since I was 17. I already KNOW the right way to do it. I joined a gym right after Labor Day and, with dieting, I've only managed to lose at total of 15 lbs. For the last month, I have gained & lost the same 5 lbs.

 

This Discovery Challenge is PERFECT TIMING for me. (Although the last episode will be when we're on our cruise!)

 

I think that, even tho after all these years I "know" what to do, I need to write it all down to get back on track. If memory serves, I've usually done better on diets that I document (at least at the beginning). I'm not really into the "calorie counting" bit, but at least I'll really know what's gone into my mouth all day, and I'll be "revisiting" what serving sizes really are!

 

Plus having this forum to chat & get encouragement is really helpful!

[cali-croozer]

 

I think that, even tho after all these years I "know" what to do, I need to write it all down to get back on track. If memory serves, I've usually done better on diets that I document (at least at the beginning). I'm not really into the "calorie counting" bit, but at least I'll really know what's gone into my mouth all day, and I'll be "revisiting" what serving sizes really are!

 

Plus having this forum to chat & get encouragement is really helpful!

 

 

Good luck! Instead of writing things down, I use the Richard Simmons Food Mover. It's a good visual to see how much I've eaten. And portions are important. I don't count calories either, but am aware of what a portion really is. Funny, I bought the Richard Simmons thing on clearance....it had some videos and exercise ropes. I got rid of everything but the Food Mover; it has been very useful to get me back on track when I know I've been eating too much or eating the wrong foods.

[sharonella]

If you get the chance to watch the health challenge shows do so. They are so motivating! Ok, the hollywood version was a bit cheesy but the ones with normal people are just fabulous. Juan Carlos Cruz who has the Calorie Commando show of the food channel was a participant in the first challenge. He lost 75 pounds.

 

I love watching the Body Challenge shows - although this one is not a contest like the other shows.

 

And I really did like the celebrity one - as cheesy as it was :rolleyes: -- Charlene Tilton (from Dallas) was very motivational for me -- she's about my age and, while she was by no means "fat" (I would be SO happy to be at HER starting weight!), I was amazed at how much she was able to change her small frame by reducing her body fat % and increasing her strength in the time alloted for the Challenge. And the two very heavy ones -- I forget their names -- they were awesome! They worked their rumps off -- literally. (I'd love to see a follow up on those two -- see if they were able to continue.) Erik Estrada on the other hand, was a perfect example of what NOT to do when trying to lose weight. :p

 

I caught an episode of Calorie Commando this weekend for the first time. I really liked it! I'll have to watch more!

[adoptmom]

I really liked the lady who won last year's NBC show. I think her name was Karen, but she was an ice skater like me, only much better! :D

 

I need to get back on the webpage and dig around some more. We went skiing today so I definitely have exercise to record!

 

Tami

[sharonella]

I really liked the lady who won last year's NBC show. I think her name was Karen, but she was an ice skater like me, only much better! :D

 

Tami

 

Hi Tami

 

I haven't seen the NBC show - isn't that the one where they get "voted off"? :eek: I found that idea very "offputting", so I never tuned in. Don't get me wrong, I'm not all "touchy feely" and "PC" about being ridiculously careful about "possibly" hurting people's feelings, but I'm not sure how can it be helpful to be trying your hardest to lose weight & be healthy, only to be "voted off"? :p

 

On the other hand, since I haven't seen it, if I hear more good things from "real people" like you (not just the ads on TV or the TV Guide), I could be convinced to check it out if it's ever re-run or there's a new season. It sounds like you found it helpful. :)

[adoptmom]

No, sorry I meant the National Body Challenge and didn't think about the fact that shrotening it was the same as the NBC station. I watched part of Biggest Loser though I dont' think it was on NBC either. Got disgusted with the whole voting off thing. That's not supportive and useful and it was definitely geared so that a man would win.

 

No, the Body challenge show is so much better. Those people were competing for a trip to Hawaii but they were also a team. No voting off. They really supported eachother and they also were judged on many criteria. That included weightloss, mentally working through why they had gotten fat, nutrition and their plans keeping active in the future.

 

Tami

[sharonella]

Oh -- I get it! NBC -- National Body Challenge! :rolleyes:

 

I'm all set to watch tonight, and I've been writing down everything I eat -- I was surprised at how much I was actually eating, once I calculated the calories! (I hate counting calories :p , but I figured for the next few weeks or so, to get back on track, I can do it and it's worth it!)

 

And I think the next few episodes follow individuals (a different person each episode) and what they're doing to lose weight in a healthy way. That's the part I like!

 

I do my weigh in tomorrow at my chiropractor, so I'm hoping.... yesterday I felt like I was skinnier, but today I don't..... we'll find out what the scale says!

[sharonella]

Woohoo! I've lost 5.5 lbs in the last two weeks! I think most of it has been in the last week since I signed up for the National Body Challenge and started writing down everything I eat.

 

cali-croozer -- THANKS SO MUCH for posting here & reminding me about the Nat'l Body Challenge. It feels so great to be back on track!

 

Who else is signed up & has a loss??? I can't be the only one!

 

(If I could just dance like my little penguin friend, I'd be skinny in no time!)

[ski ninja]

I have lost 3 lbs in 1 and 1/2 week, not as lucky as you sharonella, by a sense of accomplishment non-the-less. I have a hard time with the eating part of the plan since I am a carnivor and don't care for veggies at all. I think it is getting easier to motivate myself for exercise and eating right just by thinking of the cruise I will be taking in 2 months.

 

I've tried hanging a bikini in my bathroom where I have to see it everyday as a reminder of what I would like to fit into. That has helped a litte bit. Support from friends and family is always a plus too..

 

Keep up the good work all!

[adoptmom]

Congratulations to sharonella and ski ninja! Great job. We had a rough weekend party-wise so I stayed the same this week. My youngest DD had her party last weekend and then they did the family thing on Sunday. I had hoped that I'd ski off some of that ice cream weight on Monday but no go. Oh well, I'm back to it now. I've done intentional exercise for 28 days straight now and I retake my measurements on the 1st of each month so we'll see.

 

I haven't seen this week's program yet but I dvred it so I hope to get around to it this weekend.

 

sharonella- Next time you get to the chiropractor have him crack you once for me! I'm not sure which I need worse, the C or the massage therapist. My grandma has been in the hospital and now the nursing home and I'm her responsible party right now. The tension of it all has my shoulders squinched up to my ears. :rolleyes:

 

Tami

[sharonella]

Way to go ski ninja! If you're planning on wearing a bikini in two months, you must be WAY closer to your goal weight than I am, and therefore it's harder to lose more than 1 lb a week. So I repeat -- woohoo!

 

I, on the other hand, after bouncing back and forth the same pound or two for the previous 6 weeks, have finally gotten back on track. And I still have 60 lbs to go! No bikini on THIS cruise for me! But I don't let that bother me -- in fact, I'm pretty excited! I actually can see my waist starting to come back!

 

 

And Tami -- let us know what the tape measure says! Even if you ate a little more than you should have this weekend, you'll definitely see the total effect of your month's workouts in your measurements!

 

You definitely have the "weight of the world" on you as your grandma's primary caregiver -- no wonder your shoulders are "squinched". If you're just looking for stress relief, get the massage -- even a 1/2 hour every few weeks would be SO helpful to you. And watch out when you work out, too. When they showed me how to use the machines at my gym, they kept telling me I was clenching/hunching my shoulders a lot, instead of "dropping" them. Then I noticed I was doing it with the free weights, too -- so I really have to pay attention to my form when excercising. And it's made a big difference when I go to the chiropractor -- my upper back doesn't need as much adjustment, and I feel less tension, in general, in my neck! (I spend a lot of time in front of a keyboard at work.)

[adoptmom]

sharonella- It gets worse with my shoulders :( I pulled something in my right one on Sunday while throwing hay to the goats. I still can't sleep very well or turn my head to the right. I'm still getting 12K steps a day but haven't really been able to do much else.

 

I do get massages as often as possible but we're saving our money for our new baby right now. WE have all but one piece of paperwork done now and that is up to the social worker to get finished. Our agency is already getting antsy about getting it done which tells me that things should move very fast once we get them all the paperwork.

 

Not sure what I'm gonna do about Grandma when the baby comes. However, I'm not going to put that off. We already had this in the works before she fell and the paperwork and contract are only good for so long. Ack!

 

I'm still stuck at the same weight I was. I'm not sure what's going on. I was using the e-diets listing for the body challenge and not getting anywhere so I went back over to southbeach. We'll see how that goes. Also today is tapemeasure day but I have to find it. :rolleyes: I'll let you know how that goes.

 

Tami

[sharonella]

Tami

 

Congrats on the baby :D -- but you DO need to take care of yourself! You need to get that shoulder looked at -- sounds muscular, so maybe a massage would be helpful. But a few chiropractic adjustments might fix you up better for the long term.

 

Stress is a big factor when you're having trouble losing weight -- and it sounds like you have plenty -- "bad" stress with grandma & "good" stress with the baby coming. Maybe you need to "worry" less about weight loss & just focus on maintaining your weight & your health for just a few weeks! :rolleyes: Give yourself "permission" to have a plateau -- but don't start to eat more or exercise less, just relax about it for a bit -- let your current "goal" be to stay healthy and maintain what you've done so far, and not lose 10 lbs in February. Let weight loss be MARCH's goal!

 

And I don't want to get your hopes up, but just by relaxing a bit and not focusing so much on weight loss, you may find at the end of the month, you dropped 2-3 lbs anyway! At worst, you'll weigh the same, but FEEL much better!

 

Good luck! Keep us posted!

[CrunkMusicLvr]

My brother and I signed up for the challenge because we thought the Bally membership was a good deal, but my brother checked it out and you are obligated to pay $150. I'm not sure if that money would be refunded, but they have called my brother at least twice to collect the money, even though he never used to facilities.

 

Anyway, good luck to all who are trying to lose weight. I have lost 18 lbs so far, but there's only one month until the cruise! Uh oh, better get moving.

[sharonella]

My brother and I signed up for the challenge because we thought the Bally membership was a good deal, but my brother checked it out and you are obligated to pay $150. I'm not sure if that money would be refunded, but they have called my brother at least twice to collect the money, even though he never used to facilities.

 

Anyway, good luck to all who are trying to lose weight. I have lost 18 lbs so far, but there's only one month until the cruise! Uh oh, better get moving.

 

Hi Shanny

 

You should send an email to the Discovery Health website about Bally -- Free should be free. Maybe he didn't show proof of membership in the Challenge - or bring the coupon (see below)? Or the person he spoke to to set up membership was just clueless? Maybe they got him to sign up for stuff not included in the free basic membership? Or see small print below.

 

I just went to the Discovery Health website. Go here: http://bodychallenge.health.discovery.com/BodyChallenge/GetFitKit.do?cb=1685698003 This brings you to the page for the "free" stuff you get with membership in the National Body Chellenge. Click where it says Bally Total Fitness pass. A pass should pop up - that you can print - with your name already on it - that you are supposed to being to Ballys. The small print says: :eek:

 

In order to redeem: must be at least 18, not a current member, sign guest register and take club tour for location of equipment and directions for assistance prior to using club. No purchase necessary and no obligations required of participant other than as set forth in these terms. Any sale or transfer of this coupon is prohibited. Club rules and some restrictions apply. 8-week trial membership is good for consecutive days beginning January 15, 2005 and ending on March 12, 2005. Trial membership valid at following locations only: Bally Total Fitness, Bally Sports Club, Gorilla Sports and Pinnacle Fitness Clubs. Services, hours and facilities may vary. Approx. retail value: $100 to $250 depending upon location. Additional charges for some services. Coupon must be used during the above dates only. For use at U.S. clubs only. ©2004 Bally Total Fitness Corporation.

 

I hope this is helpful. And I would definitely contact Discovery Health if you think your local Bally "pulled a fast one" on your brother and had him sign something other than what he came in for. (I'm already a member of another gym, so I haven't dealt with Bally personally.)

 

Good luck, and congrats on already losing 18lbs!

[adoptmom]

Yeah- I'd have to agree about contacting someone about Bally's. Perhaps there is someone up the management food chain that your brother can deal with. Obviously whoever signed him up was clueless. Glad I didn't bother with that part as the closest Bally's is 45 minutes away.

 

Things are picking up here. Grandma is being transferred back to the methodist home where she lives no later than Tuesday. I'll still have to be in charge of her bills and all that but the distance will limit me to visiting only once a week. She's looking forward to getting back down there with all her friends and she really needed to get out of the nursinghome.

 

Still no baby news but we do have a new litter of goat babies tonight. They are so cute! Two mommas down and about 6 more to go!

 

Tami

[sharonella]

I already have a gym, but the closest Ballys to me is at least 30 minutes - probably more with traffic & finding a parking space -- I wouldn't have bothered, either. But gym contracts are something you DON'T want to mess with. Once you've signed a contract, they can - and will - report you to a credit agency if you don't pay. This isn't something they should ignore & figure it will "go away".

 

Good news about Grandma & the goats! How's the shoulder feeling? Have you tried one of those Thermalcare (Thermacare?) warming pads? I haven't yet, but I've been seeing ads for them on TV & coupons in the Sunday papers, and they seem like a good idea.

 

I weigh in on Thursday (since that's the day I have my chiro & massage every other week). I "did the math" & compared the gym scale to their scale - Last week I weighed in at the gym, then drove to the chiro & weighed there -- so now I can weigh myself once a week during the body challenge. ANYWAY -- I'm down another 1.5 lbs!! Woohoo!

 

I've been having them check my body fat % once a month at the gym (I'm due next week), and while it has been decreasing, I wish I could say that it's been going down dramatically. But I think I have to do weight training more often to see a more significant difference.

 

Keep us informaed about the baby & everything!

[adoptmom]

I'm still at the same weight, but considering everything is so chaotic at the moment I'm happy with that. Once I get grandma home on Monday that should smooth things out a bit.

 

My shoulder is doing much better. A friend of mine is a massage therapist and homeopathic and she gave me some oil yesterday. 2 drops rubbed into my shoulder (not even a massage!) helped so much. I'm going to have to buy a bottle or two for DH and I.

 

great job on the 1.5 pounds.

 

tami

[sharonella]

Hi Tami

 

Staying the same is great! With all you've been going thru, holding your own weightwise is a feat in itself.

 

That oil sounds great, too -- does it have a name?

[adoptmom]

I'm still holding my own but life has gotten crazier. Grandma was supposed to go back to her home today but she ended up in the hospital on Friday with a UTI, a bowel impaction and vomiting. They got those first two problems solved but she was still getting sick so they did an ultrasound and her gall bladder is causing problems. Ugh! I figure I'll hear from her doctor in the morning that they'll want to do surgery ASAP. She's just miserable and I know if she admits it then it's really bad because she's one who doesn't want anyone to know she's feeling bad.

 

So I guess the body challenge is off for me at the moment. I'm still sticking to my food plan as closely as possible and just hoping to ride this out without a big gain.

 

Tami

[SharleneinTexas]

if you watch the show on Wed night at 10pm est, they give a clue and you can go to the web site and enter to win the weekly prize and it will automatically enter you for the grand prize...........no cruises but the other choices are pretty nice.........:)

 

Sharlene