May, 2008

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve blogged about The Biggest Loser Meal plan — but I do have great excuses! Okay, I won’t bore you with my sad tales, except to say that I’ve more or less stayed with the plan since I last wrote. If we’re at home, we eat The Biggest Loser Meal Plan foods, if eating out I stick to small, sensible meals. I’m down another 2.5 lbs, so that makes six pounds in about a month. Less than I thought I would lose, but still six pounds lighter than I was in April.

The meals rotate on a four week schedule, so we’ve had a taste of everything. Some weeks were better than others, with all weeks very heavy on chicken. Out of ten lunch/dinners 5 – 6 were chicken.

Cooking the Meals
How hard can it be? Boil for 9- 12 minutes is the recommended method, but microwaving is also given as an option. Unfortunately, some of the foods can be a bit tricky to get just right. I’ve yet to have a good turkey dinner, the meat always turns out tough or dry. Surprisingly, cooking a steak in a plastic bag was delicious. My best results were cooking the meat portion of the meal in the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes, then separately cooking the vegetables for approximately 3 minutes, a bit of trial and error.

Winners and Losers
The majority of the meals continued to be both tasty and filling, but there were some real winners and a few clear losers. The past two weeks shaped up like this:

Winners

• Apple Berry Nut Muffin (80 calories) — The muffins looked like small, hard rocks, but were delicious.
• Omelet w/Veggie Sausage Patties (260 calories)
• Blackened Chicken Breast (265 calories)
• Sirloin Steak in a Sweet Paprika Sauce (406 calories)
• Lasagna Rollatini (390 calories)
• Chicken Marsala (420 calories)

Losers

• Strawberry Danish (110 calories) — It was like eating air!
• Turkey (310 calories) — Several different turkey meals, didn’t like any of them.
• Tequila Shrimp (450 calories) — Winner of the Worst Meal Award!

Customer Service
The delivery problems were never resolved and apparently delivery dates cannot be changed even if you whine and beg. The food continued to arrive on Saturdays and since there will be times during the next month that I might not be around on the weekend, as per my last blog, I’ve canceled the plan. There are about ten days of meals in the freezer and after those are finished, a decision will be made on whether I’ll start the plan up again.

Bottom Line
The foods are delicious, much better than I thought a diet meal plan would taste. Sure there were a few losers, but only a few.

The plan seems to be geared towards the person who already “knows” about dieting. There is certainly no hand-holding — a good thing as far as I’m concerned. But I what I would like to see are suggestions on additional snacks/beverages that complement the plan. Orange juice in the morning? Fruit as a mid-morning snack? A green salad with dinner? Several sheets of instructions, descriptions and menus are included with delivery, one sheet with snack/meal suggestions would be a welcome addition.

Stay tuned for the next report after five weeks on The Biggest Loser Meal Plan.

Hello DietsInReview readers! I feel that I’ve done you a disservice by bringing so much hype about the changes in my life with losing some unwanted pounds and being more active, and then not talking about it for the past few weeks.

I’ve done a lot of traveling during the past month, all of which was set and ready to sabotage me. While I indulged here and there, I maintained for the most part. I’m pleased to say that after nearly two months, I’ve lost seven pounds total and dropped two points off my BMI. That’s about a pound a week, and I’m honestly really happy with it. Weight loss should be gradual, to maintain your health. I wasn’t expecting to drop my 15 pound goal in a month, and it’s exciting to know I’m half way there!

Starting:
Weight: 143
BMI: 25.5

Current:
Weight 136
BMI: 23.3

I’m in the gym at least three days a week, and really push myself to do five. When I just can’t seem to get there, I try to take the dog on a long, brisk walk, now that it’s warmer I’ve been doing a lot of laps in the pool and I can do my crunches anywhere I choose. My workouts are fun because they’re never the same twice- a lot of mixing with lunges, the fitness ball, treadmill, elliptical, bike, triceps, hamstrings, weights, squats and so on. In the beginning, it was such a chore; now, I honestly look forward to it and miss it on the days I don’t go.

I kind of catch myself making up excuses to be more active- I walk where I usually wouldn’t, I take the the stairs two at a time to my third floor office, I park in the furthest spot at the grocery store, waiting for planes I wander the terminal instead of sitting. On a recent trip to New York, I walked for an hour, nearly 40 blocks, across Central Park rather than taking the taxi (flip flops are not advised) for three days!

I feel fantastic, better than I have in a long time. I’ve never been a big scale watcher, so it’s exciting that clothes are fitting really well. My husband is fearing a big shopping trip! So far this summer I’ve felt more comfortable in my bathing suit than I have in a long time, and looking forward to making that look even better.

As far as eating goes, I’m really proud of the healthy diet I have. This is a subject I’d like to share more with you, and plan to do so in another post focused on food this week.

I’m proof that small, steady and progressive changes can make a serious difference. One of the things that I think has helped me so far, is that I didn’t wake up one morning and declare that I was on a diet and that I was going to change my entire lifestyle in one day. About a year ago I started taking a hard look at the way I eat and finding opportunities to introduce healthier options. Once I felt comfortable in my eating, I started introducing more exercise. All of these changes accumulated to the point that this is simply the way I live, and will continue to live. Trust me, there is still more weight to lose, still more changes to make. From where I stand right now, I’m really happy overall.

I hope that some of this is of help to those of you ready to make important changes for your health, too. It’s never too late to get started- and remember, there’s nothing wrong with pacing yourself.

Of course, the majority of women benefit greatly from exercising throughout their pregnancies. You definitely need to discuss your exercise plans with your doctor or other health care provider early on to make a few adjustments to your normal exercise routine.

Depending on your work-out preference, I recommend swimming (shallow water to avoid too much pressure), water aerobics, biking, walking, pilates, or any combination of cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises. Avoid bouncing or jarring activities, leaping, prolonged exercise, or any movement that puts the body in a compromised position. A few typical activities to avoid are: contact sports, skiing or snowboarding, horseback riding, or scuba diving.

Benefits:

Feel Better

Look Better

Prepare Body For Birth Process

Regain Pre-Pregnancy Body More Quickly

Just a few of our top recipe picks for the holiday. They promise to be tasty and take the guilt out of Memorial Weekend.

Grilled Rosemary Chicken – A savory, roasted flavor. 4 Weight Watchers Points, 194 Calories, 1g Carbs.

Grilled Pork Roast – Be patient with this one, that slow-cooked flavor is worth the wait. 5 Weight Watchers Points, 228 Calories, 0g Carbs.

Grilled Red Snapper with Herb Pesto – The bold pesto flavor is a perfect compliment. 4.5 Weight Watchers Points, 189 Calories, 7g Carbs.

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