Nice work Colossal. Amazing what getting out there will do for you, isn't it?

I last weighed myself probably in March or April, and came in around 194. I've had people telling me I've lost weight, but I feel like I'm pretty close to the same. A season of swimming and biking, and a little running(injured like Colossal), and I weighed myself today at 179. My goal has always been to get back to high school weight of 177. Now that I'm pretty muc there, I'm adjusting the goals.

Question for Lauren or others: This may have been a rationalization for carrying more weight, but I have always said since I have the build of a running back than a runner, that I would automatically carry more weight. Would a better plan be to look at finding out body fat % first before setting a goal weight? I'm 5'8", and when I saw my weight today, I started wondering if 165 would be a possible long term weight, but then I also have to wonder if I have 14 pounds more that I can lose. How would you suggest going about this?

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"I can endure more pain than anyone you've ever met. That's why I can beat anyone I've ever met." Steve Prefontaine, Without Limits

After a terrible weekend of eating (but it was race weekend) I am so ready to start this! I just got back from Wild Oats and did my whole week of organic/ no processed food/ no sugar added shopping. It was really easy at Wild Oats since everything they sell is super duper healthy. Not cheap, though. So now I am making a giant pot of chili to eat at night this week.

I put a few recipes on our site. I definitely recommend the chili because it is low calorie, filling, and easy to make.

Good luck with week 1 everyone!

Jodi

good recipes! thanks

Thanks. Well it's a little misleading, I was 240 with about 16-18% BF as I was involved in football and rugby in HS/College. Very big into lifting. The handle comes from that, My quads used to be so big that I had a hard time running because they would rub together so much, they each were over 28". I hit my HS Senior weight of 185 this year while training for LP. I've also seen my times come down quite a bit in those three years though, and hoping to continue the trend next year!

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OK, I'm in. I added myself and hopefully didn't mess anything else up in the process!

 "This may have been a rationalization for carrying more weight, but I have always said since I have the build of a running back than a runner, that I would automatically carry more weight. Would a better plan be to look at finding out body fat % first before setting a goal weight? I'm 5'8", and when I saw my weight today, I started wondering if 165 would be a possible long term weight, but then I also have to wonder if I have 14 pounds more that I can lose. How would you suggest going about this? "

I have always said that "weight" (on a scale) means nothing -- especially for people who have huge bones and solid muscle vs. people who are light and tiny naturally. If you come from (say) healthy German sheep-herder stock [of genetics], you will never be a tiny light Japanese person. You must choose goals consistant with your genetic body structure....... In addition, water weight (especially filled glycogen stores) are pretty heavy also. Bodyfat levels are a better indicator for your fitness.

That being said, that doesn't mean you can't drop bodyfat which you've added over the years from bad habits and the natural aging process.

Getting your BF% tested is a great idea - this can be done cheaply enough by a qualified person at a sports dept of a college or a facility which has calipers (not the BF 'scale'). Calipers and/or hydrostatic weighing (for BF) are best methods; those BF 'scales' (which measure impedance) are not accurate.

I know others who are naturally bigger also - denser. Thicker bones. Massive muscle bellies. These will make you THINK you are overweight because you cannot be easily compared with others. However, if you know you have bodyfat yet to go, it's truly better to set your sights on dropping the fat than thinking of the scale itself as your enemy.

Additionally (if you want more information), the worse you eat the more your body wants to hold onto bodyfat. I have my theories about this, but mostly I think it's a combination of hormonal responses (too much sugar makes the insulin-response system shut down and then store fat, plus adrenal overload doing the same thing) plus the body unable to process highly-refined and highly-'additive' "lab-food" (food simulations created in a lab -- sold as your next Lean Cuisine meal or whatever...)

This is why I have been highly advocating whole foods for this challenge. In short, your body can process whole foods -- and the more it does that, the less it can process the "lab-foods".

This is a long answer to say, check your bodyfat first and move from there -- or set a quality arbitrary [weight] number as a goal but don't think that's the be-all and end-all. Your goal is truly BEHAVIOR (and habit) CHANGE, and the by-product will be your 'weight loss' (fat loss).

Lauren

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Lauren Muney
certified physical fitness trainer
certified health coach
wellcoach
http://www.physicalmind.com

There is no escape from your life... solve the problems and get on with it.

"Just tell her you love her and you think she kicks ass" ~AndrewinNH

"I'm moving [Lauren] to guru status" ~Last Tri in 83

I was just at wild oats yesterday too, seems like the place to be, a little better than whole foods market IMO.

I dont think everything is that more expensive, I have found that after checking prices I buy probably more than half the stuff here rather than publix. For instance, couscous and whole rice by the pound is cheaper, soy milk is cheaper and they usually have the light flavored ones, pinnaple and some fruits are less expensive too. I think you have to take some time comparing items and then its just becomes rutine.

Peace

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"Bros b4 Hos, man" House MD

Team Aquaphor 06-08

Lauren,

question re: whole foods. How does Hummus rank? I know its chick peas, tahini, etc..but does it count? I love the stuff, and though I think It's "healthy", i find I have little control with the party containers, prob. shouldn't keep it in the fridge. However, is it in the whole foods category?



thanks

"How does Hummus rank? I know its chick peas, tahini, etc..but does it count? I love the stuff, and though I think It's "healthy", i find I have little control with the party containers, prob. shouldn't keep it in the fridge. However, is it in the whole foods category? "

Hummus is usually just ground chick peas, tahini olive oil and spices. Seems great to me, and I like it also. Even if it's prepared in a grocery store, it rarely (if ever) has addditional ingredients. Seems fine to me. Chick peas are a good portein, if I remember, and it's also a carb.

Watch what you dip into it. Preferred dipping: veggies.

Lauren

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Lauren Muney
certified physical fitness trainer
certified health coach
wellcoach
http://www.physicalmind.com

There is no escape from your life... solve the problems and get on with it.

"Just tell her you love her and you think she kicks ass" ~AndrewinNH

"I'm moving [Lauren] to guru status" ~Last Tri in 83

thanks-much appreciated. (veggies it is).

I've got a question about training/race nutrition...in an effort to get away from the high fructose corn syrup, i've been using the organic Clif bar products (the gel blocks and Mojo bars) instead of the powerbar products that i've used in the past. These have an ingredient called 'organic brown rice syrup.' is this analgous to/better than/worse than the high fructose corn syrup? Does it count as a 'processed' sugar?

I realize that for the contest refined carbs are allowed for training/racing, but is it something to stay away from or use sparingly throughout the rest of the day?

thanks,

chris