New Years Eve Eating Tips

NEW 12-week Challenge kicks off JAN. 2nd

I know, I know... you're still shopping for last minutes Christmas gifts for under the tree. The holiday cocktail parties are still in full swing and you haven't even had a moment to think about your New Years Eve plans.... right? Who wants to think about the dreaded holiday pounds you may have put on between Thanksgiving and today?
Well, eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we will D-I-E-T! A new healthy lifestyle for 2012! Just a heads up that the next BIGGEST LOSER TURLOCK 12-week New Years Challenge kicks off Monday, January 2, 2012. That's in just 2 weeks.
CLICK HERE to download or print our Challenge flier and then put it up at work or pass it around the table after dessert on Christmas and talk your family into commiting with you! What ever you do, share it with someone, and then BE HERE on JANUARY 2nd between 4pm and 6pm to kick off the New Year healthy!

5 Tips to Prevent Holiday Overeating

An abundance of food and sweets, and the added stress of increased obligations during the holidays, challenge even the best weight loss intentions. Here are five strategies to help you prevent overeating and enjoy a holiday filled with peace and well-being.

1) Pause and Breathe

Your breath is a simple and powerful coping tool. If you generally use food to manage your feelings, stop and breathe at the first sign of emotional unease.

Try this: breath in deeply, hold your breath slightly, and then release. Repeating these simple steps helps you calm and settle yourself. By feeling more grounded, you can then make more conscious, rather than mindless, food choices.

2) A Powerful Question

Ask yourself: "How do I want to feel one hour (or one day) from now?"

This question helps you anticipate the results of your choices. Do you want to contaminate the next hour or day of your life with guilt and regret, or do you want to feel strong and confident?

For example, before entering a holiday party imagine how you want to feel as you drive home. Or, when observing an array of foods at a holiday buffet, imagine how you want to feel one hour later. This question helps you link to a positive mental image and guides you to make confident choices. Repeat this question often.


3) Carry a Symbol of Inspiration

Find a special object to help you feel grounded and inspired this holiday
season. For example, you may like crystals or stones, have a symbol of your faith to wear as a necklace, or a special ornament to hang on a Christmas tree.

When you find your special object, imbue it with the qualities you want to possess. For example, while holding your object, say to yourself: "This crystal symbolizes my strength and confidence. I make wise choices."

As the holidays approach, keep your object visible and easily accessible. When feeling triggered, hold onto or look at your object as a reminder of your
strength.


4) Write a Supportive Note

Buy a beautiful card and, as your own best friend, write yourself an encouraging note of unconditional love and support.

Praise yourself. Review your goals. Include in your note reminders to use specific coping strategies to manage overeating. Keep your note with you during holiday celebrations. When you feel the impulse to overeat, find a private space and read your note. You'll find comfort in knowing that support is only a note card away.

5) Forgiveness

For some, the holidays may include challenging family interactions and painful memories which can trigger emotional eating. As difficult as this may be, do the best you can to enter those situations with a forgiving state of mind. This will help you maintain a healthy boundary and release toxic emotions that can lead to overeating.

Likewise, forgive yourself. Being accepting and gentle with yourself helps you confidently manage holiday stress and emotional eating triggers. The tendency to be upset with yourself for overeating melts away when you accept you did the best you could and let it go.

 

By Diane Petrella, MSW

And the Results are in....

Peter Perez, you are Turlock's Biggest Loser! Peter has won $1461.50 by losing 22.8% of his body weight over the past 10 weeks! Congratulations!

Overall, our group of 91 participants lost a total of 961 lbs... an average of 10.5 lbs per person... hows the saying go...? "A pound a week, that's all we ask?"

33 of you lost over 10 lbs!
20 of you lost over 15 lbs!
12 of you lost over 20 lbs!
6 of you lost over   30lbs!
3 of you lost over   40 lbs!
1 of you lost over   50 lbs!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Happy Thanksgiving! We return again on January 2nd with a NEW Biggest Loser Challenge!

Holiday Maintenance Challenge

Biggest Loser Turlock is offering a 6 week Holiday Maintenance Challenge to those of you who want a little bit of accountability during the Christmas Season. Let's face it, we all know what lies ahead... Family gatherings, Office Parties, Pumpkin Pie, Turkey, Prime Rib, Christmas Cookies...all your holiday favorites....

The goal of the Biggest Loser Holiday Challenge is to increase awareness of what you eat and how it affects your weight. The Challenge is not to LOSE WEIGHT, but to MAINTAIN. Therefore, participants are allowed to actually GAIN up to 1lb over Christmas and still WIN! You do not have to weigh-in, though we will offer one weigh-in if you choose to come by and see how you are doing.

CHALLENGE BEGINS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21st and ENDS MONDAY, JANUARY 2nd.

Cost is $20
If you've gained more than 1lb on January 2nd, you forfeit your $20.

If you gained 1lb or less, stayed the same, or lost weight by January 2nd YOU WIN!

Winners get their $20.00 refunded to them PLUS an equal share of all the fees forfeited by those who gained over 1lb.

Please review the flier for this event by CLICKING HERE.

To participate, you must weigh-in this MONDAY NOVEMBER 21st between the hours of 5:30-6:30am or 4:00pm-6:30pm

Monte Vista Chapel , WJB

FREE The Biggest Loser Workout Music!

 

FREE The Biggest Loser Workout Music!

Head on over HERE to download your FREE The Biggest Loser & Subway Workout Mix – Wake Up and Workout!

Songs Include:

• 1) “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green
• 2) “Just a Dream” by Nelly
• 3) “The Time (Dirty Bit)” by Black Eyed Peas
• 4) “We R Who We R” by Ke$ha
• 5) “DJ Got Us Fallin In Love Again” by Usher feat. Pitbull
• 6) “Whats My Name” by Rihanna feat. Drake

Top 6 Fitness Myths and Truths

Don't Believe These Tall Tales!
Would your friends lie to you? They just might be...

This time of year is all about starting fresh—new goals, solid plans, better habits. You probably have a new exercise routine to help you reach your weight loss and fitness goals. Along the way, whether in the gym, reading the latest books, or talking with your friends, you’ll hear a lot of advice about exercise—not all of which is true.

There are several common misconceptions about exercise and weight loss, but don’t let yourself be fooled! Here are the Top 6 Fitness Myths and the Truths that debunk them:

Myth #1: You can take weight off of specific body parts by doing exercises that target those areas.

Truth: This concept is called "spot training" and unfortunately, it doesn’t burn fat. When you lose weight, you are unable to choose the area in which the reduction will occur. Your body predetermines which fat stores it will use. For example, doing sit-ups will strengthen you abs but will not take the fat off of your stomach. Similarly, an activity like running burns fat all over your body, not just your legs. You can, however, compliment a balanced exercise program with a selection of weight training exercises to gradually lose weight and tone the body.

Myth #2: Women who lift weights will bulk up.

Truth: While on a weight lifting program, the right hormones (testosterone) are necessary in order to bulk up. Women’s testosterone levels are much lower than men’s, so in most cases, they are not capable of building large muscles. In fact, since muscle takes up less room than fat, women tend to lose inches when they strength train. So in addition to the physical benefits (increased metabolism, decreased risk of osteoporosis, increased strength), strength training will help you slim down too!

Myth #3: If you can’t exercise hard and often, there’s really no point.

Truth: Even moderate activity is shown to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you don’t have 30 minutes in your day to exercise, try splitting it up into 10-minute segments instead. Everyone can find 10 minutes to spare sometime during the day! There are simple things you can do to increase your activity without having to go to the gym: take the stairs instead of the elevator, jump rope or do body weight exercises (push ups, crunches) at commercial breaks, take a short walk after lunch. Remember that any exercise is better than none!

Myth #4: Performing abdominal exercises will give you a flat stomach.

Truth: This is similar to Myth #1 above. The fact is, the only way to get a flat stomach is to strip away the fat around the midsection. This is accomplished by doing cardio/aerobic exercise (to burn calories), strength training (to increase metabolism) and following a proper diet. Abdominal exercises will help to build muscle in your midsection, but you will never see the muscle definition unless the fat in this area is stripped away.

Myth #5: You will burn more fat if you exercise longer at a lower intensity.

Truth: The most important factor in exercise and weight control is not the percentage of fat calories burned, but the total calories burned during the activity. The faster you walk, bike or swim, for example, the more calories you use per minute. Although you will be burning fewer "fat calories", you will be burning more total calories, and in turn, will lose more weight.

Myth #6: No pain, no gain!

Truth: Exercise should not be painful! At the height of your workout, you should be sweating and breathing hard. You should not be so out of breath that you cannot answer a question, but should not be so comfortable that you can carry on a full conversation. That’s how you know you are working at a good level. It’s important to distinguish between muscle fatigue (feeling "the burn") and muscle/joint pain (sharp and uncomfortable pain during movement). Pain is your body’s way of telling you that you’re doing something wrong. Listen to your body. If it’s painful, stop!


There’s a lot of fitness information out there- some reliable, some not. The important thing is to ask questions. If you don’t understand something or question the source, ask a qualified fitness professional for their advice. Sticking to the truths of these myths will keep you healthy, injury-free, and on track to meeting your fitness goals.
 -- By Jen Mueller, Certified Personal Trainer