It has been 9 weeks of Dieting and the Challenge has come to an end.  The Participants lost a combined total of 169.7 lbs in 9 weeks!
Below find the rating scale that the participants used along with the scale used by nutritionists Thomas Roe and Whitney Barns. 

The participants answered these questions about their respective diets:

1.       What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.

A-     I will definitely stay on the diet,

B-      I will return to this diet when I need to lose weight

C-      I may do this diet again

D-     Probably not likely

F-       I would never do this diet again

 

2.       How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?

A-     The diet was extremely easy to maintain

B-      The diet was fairly easy to maintain, I slipped up now and again

C-      The diet was difficult at times, I had some trouble following it

D-     I slipped up a lot on the diet

F---It was extremely difficult

3.       How cost effective was this diet?

A-     It wasn't expensive to maintain the diet

B-      There were a few instances that I spent more than usual on food for this diet

C-      There were major items in this diet that were expensive

D-     I wouldn't be able to afford this diet over an extended period

F---This diet was too expensive for me

4.       How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?

A-     I felt amazing on this diet! I had tons of energy

B-      I felt normal on the diet

C-      I was sometimes tired, sluggish, hungry

D-     I was often tired, sluggish, hungry

F--- I had no energy, I felt sick

 

5.       How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?

A-     I would recommend this diet to all my friends with 100% confidence

B-      I would recommend this diet to friends, in general, most people could do the diet successfully

C-      I would recommend it to certain people, but it's not for everyone

D-     I wouldn't recommend it to very many people

F---I would NEVER recommend this diet

The nutritionists graded their diet based on the scale below:



1.       What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-     I will definitely stay on the diet,
B-      I will return to this diet when I need to lose weight
C-      I may do this diet again
D-     Probably not likely
F-       I would never do this diet again
 
2.       How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
A-     The diet was extremely easy to maintain
B-      The diet was fairly easy to maintain, I slipped up now and again
C-      The diet was difficult at times, I had some trouble following it
D-     I slipped up a lot on the diet
F---It was extremely difficult
 
3.       How cost effective was this diet?
A-     It wasn't expensive to maintain the diet
B-      There were a few instances that I spent more than usual on food for this diet
C-      There were major items in this diet that were expensive
D-     I wouldn't be able to afford this diet over an extended period
F---This diet was too expensive for me

4.       How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
A-     I felt amazing on this diet! I had tons of energy
B-      I felt normal on the diet
C-      I was sometimes tired, sluggish, hungry
D-     I was often tired, sluggish, hungry
F--- I had no energy, I felt sick
 
5.       How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
A-     I would recommend this diet to all my friends with 100% confidence
B-      I would recommend this diet to friends, in general, most people could do the diet successfully
C-      I would recommend it to certain people, but it's not for everyone
D-     I wouldn't recommend it to very many people
F---I would NEVER recommend this diet










All of the Participants agree that they have learned about portion control, using a hunger scale to determine their hunger level and most of all being accountable.  Both of the diets received very high grades.  They both teach healthy eating habits which can clearly be the foundation for a healthier lifestyle in the future.  Overall Diet Face Off 2 was a great success!

Stay tuned for our next Diet Face Off !

read more

Seth
Total Weight Lost: 22 Pounds


Read Seth's final blog

Seth's grades:

1.         What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-         I will definitely stay on the diet,

2.         How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
B-         The diet was fairly easy to maintain, I slipped up now and again

3.         How cost effective was this diet?
A-         It wasn't expensive to maintain the diet

4.         How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
A-         I felt amazing on this diet! I had tons of energy

5.         How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
A-         I would recommend this diet to all my friends with 100% confidence

Total Points = 19

Whitney's Grades:

1.         Percentage of weight lost by contestant
A-         10 percent

2.         Overall "healthiness" of plan
B-          Limited or excluded some foods

3.         Ease of plan
C-          Easy to follow when eating at home and preparing your own meals, but difficult to eat out

4.         Happiness of contestant on the plan
B-          Pretty happy and optimistic

5.         Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
B-          Probably, but may need to make some sacrifices

Total Points = 15

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Renee
Total Weight Lost: 18 Pounds



Watch Renee's final video blog.

1.         What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-         I will definitely stay on the diet,

2.         How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
B-         The diet was fairly easy to maintain, I slipped up now and again

3.         How cost effective was this diet?
A-         It wasn't expensive to maintain the diet

4.         How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
B-         I felt normal on the diet

5.         How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
A-         I would recommend this diet to all my friends with 100% confidence

Total Points = 18

Whitney's grades

1.         Percentage of weight lost by contestant
A-         8 percent

2.         Overall "healthiness" of plan
B-         Limited or excluded some foods

3.         Ease of plan
C-         Easy to follow when eating at home and preparing your own meals, but difficult to eat out

4.         Happiness of contestant on the plan
B-         Pretty happy and optimistic

5.         Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
B-         Probably, but may need to make some sacrifices

Total Points = 15

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Megan
Total Weight Lost: 8.4 Pounds

Watch Megan's final video blog.

Megan's Grades:

1.         What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-         I will definitely stay on the diet,

2.         How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
B-         The diet was fairly easy to maintain, I slipped up now and again

3.         How cost effective was this diet?
B-         There were a few instances that I spent more than usual on food for this diet

4.         How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
A-         I felt amazing on this diet! I had tons of energy

5.         How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
A-         I would recommend this diet to friends, in general, most people could do the diet

Total Points = 18

Whitney's grades

1.         Percentage of weight lost by contestant
C-         4 percent

2.         Overall "healthiness" of plan
B-         Limited or excluded some foods

3.         Ease of plan
C-         Easy to follow when eating at home and preparing your own meals, but difficult to eat out

4.         Happiness of contestant on the plan
B-         Pretty happy and optimistic

5.         Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
B-         Probably, but may need to make some sacrifices

Total Points = 14

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kai
Total Weight Lost: 12.1



Watch Kai's final video blog.

Kai's Grades:

1.         What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-         I will definitely stay on the diet,

2.         How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
A-         The diet was extremely easy to maintain

3.         How cost effective was this diet?
A-         It wasn't expensive to maintain the diet

4.         How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
A-         I felt amazing on this diet! I had tons of energy

5.         How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
A-         I would recommend this diet to all my friends with 100% confidence

Total Points = 20

Whitney's grades

1.         Percentage of weight lost by contestant
A-         9 percent

2.         Overall "healthiness" of plan
B-         Limited or excluded some foods

3.         Ease of plan
C-         Easy to follow when eating at home and preparing your own meals, but difficult to eat out

4.         Happiness of contestant on the plan
B-         Pretty happy and optimistic

5.         Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
B-         Probably, but may need to make some sacrifices

Total Points = 15

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carolyn
Total Weight Lost:


Watch Carolyn's final video blog.

Carolyn's Grades:

1.         What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-         I will definitely stay on the diet to lose the last 35 pounds I have to lose, and will most likely incorporate this diet into the rest of my life

2.       How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
A-         The diet was extremely easy to maintain: I'd give it an A minus, because although it was fairly easy for me, there were foods we were asked to give up that may be hard for some people - although, the pay off is totally worth it! I was not hungry except when I was supposed to be.

3.       How cost effective was this diet?
B-      There were a few instances that I spent more than usual on food for this diet.

Examples of this are whole wheat bread (although you can find cheap bread, too), some foods that have no partially hydrogenated oils, and some snacks that are more expensive than, say, chips.

4.       How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
A-         I felt amazing on this diet! I had tons of energy- especially when I was consistent about eating snacks and exercising!

5.       How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
A-     I would recommend this diet to all my friends with 100% confidence- and have already many times!

This diet would be especially helpful to someone who really wants to modify their eating habits to be more healthy. It's a gentle, gradual change to more healthful foods.

Total Points = 19

Whitney's grades

1.         Percentage of weight lost by contestant
A-         6 percen

2.         Overall "healthiness" of plan
B-         Limited or excluded some foods

3.         Ease of plan
C-         Easy to follow when eating at home and preparing your own meals, but difficult to eat out

4.         Happiness of contestant on the plan
B-         Pretty happy and optimistic

5.         Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
B-         Probably, but may need to make some sacrifices

Total = 15

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check back for the final blog to get the overall grades.

read more

Susan
Total Weight Lost: 18.6

Read more about Susan's weight loss experience in her final blog.

Susan's Grades:

1.     What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-    I will definitely stay on the diet.

2.     How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
B-    The diet was fairly easy to maintain, I slipped up now and again

3.     How cost effective was this diet?
A-    It wasn't expensive to maintain the diet

4.     How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
A-    I felt amazing on this diet! I had tons of energy

5.     How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
A-    I would recommend this diet to all my friends with 100 percent confidence

Total Points = 19

Thomas'  grades:

1.     Percentage of weight lost by contestant
A- 7.8 Percent

2.     Overall "healthiness" of plan
A- Included foods from every food group and encouraged fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and heart healthy fat

3.     Ease of plan
B-  Usually pretty easy, but may have to be choosier when eating out

4.     Happiness of contestant on the plan
A- Ecstatic!  Loves it!

5.   Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
A-  Absolutely! 

Total Points = 19

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ruth
Total Weight Lost: 12.6


Watch Ruth's final video blog.

Ruth's Grades:

 

1.     What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-    I will definitely stay on the diet.

2.     How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
B-    The diet was fairly easy to maintain, I slipped up now and again

3.     How cost effective was this diet?
A-    It wasn't expensive to maintain the diet

4.     How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
B-    I felt normal on the diet

5.     How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
A-    I would recommend this diet to all my friends with 100 percent confidence

Total Points = 18

Thomas'  grades:

1.     Percentage of weight lost by contestant
C-    4.97 Percent

2.     Overall "healthiness" of plan
A-    Included foods from every food group and encouraged fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and heart healthy fat

3.     Ease of plan
B-    Usually pretty easy, but may have to be choosier when eating out

4.     Happiness of contestant on the plan
A-    Ecstatic!  Loves it!

5.     Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
A-    Absolutely!  

Total Points = 20

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peter
Total Weight Loss: 17.1


Read Peter's final blog.

Peter's Grades:

1.     What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-    I will definitely stay on the diet.

2.     How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
C-    The diet was difficult at times, I had some trouble following it

3.     How cost effective was this diet?
B-    There were a few instances that I spent more than usual on food for this diet

4.     How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
C-    I was sometimes tired, sluggish, hungry

5.     How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
B-    I would recommend this diet to friends, in general, most people could do the diet successfully

Total Points = 14

Thomas'  grades:

1.     Percentage of weight lost by contestant
A-    7.1 Percent

2.     Overall "healthiness" of plan
A-    Included foods from every food group and encouraged fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and heart healthy fat

3.     Ease of plan
B-    Usually pretty easy, but may have to be choosier when eating out

4.     Happiness of contestant on the plan
B-    Pretty happy and optimistic

5.     Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
B-   Probably, but may need to make some sacrifices  

Total Points = 17

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kim
Total Weight Lost: 7.4 Pounds


Read Kim's final blog.

Kim's Grades:

1.     What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-    I will definitely stay on the diet.

2.     How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
B-    The diet was fairly easy to maintain, I slipped up now and again

3.     How cost effective was this diet?
A-    It wasn't expensive to maintain the diet

4.     How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
A-    I felt amazing on this diet! I had tons of energy

5.     How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
A-    I would recommend this diet to all my friends with 100 percent confidence

Total Points = 19

Thomas'  grades:

1.     Percentage of weight lost by contestant
C-    4.97 Percent

2.     Overall "healthiness" of plan
A-    Included foods from every food group and encouraged fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and heart healthy fat

3.     Ease of plan
B-    Usually pretty easy, but may have to be choosier when eating out

4.     Happiness of contestant on the plan
A-    Ecstatic!  Loves it!

5.   Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
A-    Absolutely! 

Total Points = 17

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John
Total Weight Lost: 27.2


Read John's final blog.

John's Grades:

1.     What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-    I will definitely stay on the diet.

2.     How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
A-         The diet was extremely easy to maintain

3.     How cost effective was this diet?
A-    It wasn't expensive to maintain the diet

4.     How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
A-    I felt amazing on this diet! I had tons of energy

5.     How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
A-    I would recommend this diet to all my friends with 100 percent confidence

Total Points = 20

Thomas' Grades:

1.     Percentage of weight lost by contestant
A-    9.2 Percent

2.     Overall "healthiness" of plan
A-    Included foods from every food group and encouraged fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and heart healthy fat

3.     Ease of plan
B-    Usually pretty easy, but may have to be choosier when eating out

4.     Happiness of contestant on the plan
A-    Ecstatic!  Loves it!

5.   Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
A-    Absolutely! 

Total Points = 20

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brad
Total Weight Lost: 13 Pounds


Watch Brad's final video blog.

Brad's Grades:

1.     What is the likelihood that you would continue this diet.
A-    I will definitely stay on the diet.

2.     How would you rate the difficulty of the diet? Were you hungry often? Was the food terrible?
B-    The diet was fairly easy to maintain, I slipped up now and again

3.     How cost effective was this diet?
C-    There were major items in this diet that were expensive

4.     How would you rate your overall health? Energy level, quality of life?
B-    I felt normal on the diet

5.     How likely are you to recommend this diet to a friend?
B-    I would recommend this diet to friends, in general, most people could do the diet successfully

Total Points = 15

Thomas' Grades

1.     Percentage of weight lost by contestant
B-    5.6 Percent

2.     Overall "healthiness" of plan
A-    Included foods from every food group and encouraged fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and heart healthy fat

3.     Ease of plan
B-    Usually pretty easy, but may have to be choosier when eating out

4.     Happiness of contestant on the plan
B-    Pretty happy and optimistic

5.   Likelihood that this plan can become a lifestyle
A-    Absolutely! 

Total Points = 17

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read the final blog to see the overall results.

read more

 

Looking at all of the Participant’s activity (Food and Fitness), this week I am going to address everyone as a group.

 

As you know I am the Nutritionist for the Weight Watchers Team.  I decided to study the Best Life Diet so that I could make a more informed assessment of each Participant and the diet that they are on.

 

Weight Watchers and Best Life really are very similar in that they are both designed so that people make gradual changes to transform their old eating and exercise habits into new ones that will be the foundation for their lifetime of eating from this time forward.

read more

Seth:  - 2 lbs this week

Seth’s doing really well with Phase 2 of the BLD: he’s eating smaller portions and allowing himself to stop eating before he’s full—a key part of Phase 2. Seth’s doing so well he even started to do a wardrobe makeover (wink wink). Lookin’ good Seth, keep it up!

Carolyn:  - 1.5 lbs this week

Carolyn had good weight loss, but a rough week…we all know the sadness that comes with losing a family member, like your best doggie friend and we wish you the best L.  Sounds like you’re doing well with the timing of meals and keeping the emotional treats pretty under control, I’m proud of you! Like Carolyn said, she let go of her planned meals and didn’t exercise during those few hard days, but she’s stepping it up with Phase 2 now, so we’ll see her emotional turnaround next week!

read more

Susan:
Weight loss this week 3 lbs
Total in 4 weeks: 12.4 
Great to see you’ve set weekly goals at WW meetings and have hit your mark, amazingly great job! Glad to see your food choices have included more fruits and veggies and that you’re planning out your meals in advance and packaging them for travel I know work can sometimes be a little overwhelming, but stay focused and committed to exercise each day for at least 30-45 minutes. On the subject of exercise, switch up your fitness routine to avoid boredom or falling into a rut. (e.g. walking, jogging, swimming, dancing etc.). Keep up the great work - you’re averaging a loss of 3 pounds per week!   read more

Peter and Seth 
I think what it comes down to with these two are the basics – food intake and exercise.Seth‘s workouts are incredibly intense – Peter has started to hit the gym three days a week.Peter has noticed how his healthy food choices and his vigorous exercise routine have made a distinct effect on his weight loss.Seth has admitted he needs to stay away from fried foods.  Peter is also going to be giving the Momentum plan a whirl – which I believe will be amazing.The competition between these two is there – they are both doing the right things most of the time, the proof will be in the scale as numbers never hide the truth. 

Kim and Carolyn 
Overall, Kim just might pull ahead because of her age and that she is training really hard for the wedding which is in 6 weeks.Smart food choices (un-processed, natural, fresh foods) will assist whoever takes the lead.Carolyn has been being diligent to the Best Life Diet which is so fantastic – perseverance pays off; let’s see what happens next week.

Ruth and Megan Honestly this is about food. Ruth is making healthier choices – while I don’t like her eating the Dream Dinners items – she is eating a lot of veggies and really counting her points well. Megan starts most of her days with almost 500 calories from Tim Horton’s- Megan needs to understand the importance of better food choices (as do many of the Participants). For Ruth to stay ahead she will need to add more fitness and continue using the Momentum plan.Megan could up her weight loss by eating cleaner; especially because she is younger than Ruth she has the benefit of a young metabolism. 

Brad and Pollie 
Well despite the obvious difference in gender – I think Pollie’s calorie goal is set a bit high.She also needs to be burning more, well actually they both do.Caloric Burn is very misleading; Pollie might want to invest in a heart rate monitor to get an accurate read of calories burned. Brad could take the lead if he chose to eat cleaner, and eat from the Filling Foods list instead of eating fast food and sweets – trust me avoiding sweets is a huge challenge for me! 

Susan and Renee 
This one is tough for me to assess – Renee does not have a lot of foods logged.Susan is logging her foods and working in fitness when she can in her busy schedule.From the weight Susan has lost I think it is clear that tracking your food daily really makes a difference! 

John and Kai 
Honestly I think these two are head to head.I would love to see John really exercise; I think he would drop weight very quickly.For Kai, if he were to eat more fruits and veggies, and more whole grains and less processed foods his weight could quickly drop too. 

After reviewing the week end Daily Plate entries I feel a majority of the participants do not have a good grasp on food choices or a full understanding of caloric burn in relation to exercise.  Making healthier food choices is crucial to leading a healthier lifestyle and achieving your weight loss goals.  In addition, I recommend a heart rate monitor for all of you so that you will have an accurate read on how many calories you really are burning – which will also help you to learn about your exertion level – work out effort.

-Thomas  read more

Seth:  Lost 4 lbs. this week
Seth moved on to Phase 2 and kicked up his workout routine another notch—GOOD JOB! He’s sticking to the BLD recommendations for food timing, amounts and fullness factors. Seth even gets the pleasure of dipping into some of his forbidden foods using his extra snack calories! Seth has a lot support at home in sticking to his diet, a strong motivator for sticking to your guns when it comes to cravings and decision making. Everyone should find friends, family, or something of the sort to help keep themselves on track!

Carolyn: Lost 1 lb. this week
Despite all the temptations a family get-away can hold, Carolyn STILL managed to lose a lb thanks to family support, making healthy food choices when out and maintaining physical activity! Like Seth, she’s learning how to choose appropriate foods while eating out, allowing her to feel comfortable with her new lifestyle in the “real world”, YAY! I’m glad you’re showing it’s definitely doable—men and women alike!

Megan: Gained 1.4 lbs. this week
Although Megan gained some weight this week, she’s still down from when she started. Like a few other participants, Megan’s ready to take on the challenge of Phase 2 this week, so we’ll see how her weight changes with that. I would recommend trying to stick to your estimated needs now, which will help to achieve weight loss while gaining muscle mass through your workouts. Also, try increasing your fruits and veggies—this will help to cut back on some of the saturated fats and sodium that may creep into the diet from snacks, convenience foods, etc! Keep it up!

Kai: Lost 2.6 lbs. this week
Kai beat his weekly goal of 2.5 lb loss per week! AND, what a great feeling to be dusting off the small clothes from the back shelf—talk about recession-style wardrobe updates (wink wink)! By now you’re well into the beginning of Phase 2, stepping up to the challenge of increasing your structure and workout while on a family vacay—someone’s seriously up for a challenge, but we all know you’ll do wonderfully with it!  You’ve finally gotten to the point in your workouts where you’re mentally committed and physically able to do anything with your workouts—that’s such an accomplishment, I hope you’re very proud of yourself. Hopefully the trails are nice and long and the poolside drinks don’t put you off track—but, as you already know, balance is everything, so the increased workouts will work wonders for you. Have fun and keep strong!

Renee:  Lost 3 lbs. this week
Renee had some health complications these past few weeks, but she’s doing better with the BLD recommendations. She lost a few lbs this week, although not so much from the exercise I think, so don’t any of you all out there get any ideas! She’s transitioning her workouts into longer walks, lowering the impact because of her recent medical hang-ups, but definitely not letting them become excuses!! SO proud of you for this! We all wish you a speedy recovery and know you’ll be out there kickin’ calorie butt out there in no time!

 

I can honestly say everyone I've heard from this week is doing a great job, you guys are really stepping up to the plate and facing personal challenges. I didn't see written or video blogs from some of our team this week---let's make sure to play catch-up and keep everyone up to date on how you're doing! I love seeing all the words of encouragement on eachother's blogs, keep your team support strong!

 

read more

Susan: Lost 1.4 lbs this week
After reading your end of week summary and reviewing your week of food choices I’m pleased you are introducing more fruit into your daily choices and now let’s focus on veggies too.  I really hope your goals for this week regarding DFO is DAILY water consumption and exercise. It’s important to constantly shock and challenge the body’s memory and metabolism. The easiest way to do this is drinking more water, exercise and food choice alternatives.

By drinking more water (3-4 liters a day) you will flush the body of toxins and get the feeling of being full w/out having eaten wasted snacks out of boredom or habit.

By adding at least 30-45 minutes of exercise a day you are burning more calories and challenging the body’s metabolism and keeping it active w/out “holding” onto food as a fat resource and burning it instead.

Your food choices should vary day to day and within the same food group so you don’t establish a routine or fall into a diet rut. For example, vary your fruit choices each day but make it part of your morning breakfast, at lunch mix up the salad choices and at dinner a protein and veggie every meal.

John: Lost 1.2 lbs this week
Vegas has odds 5 to 1 that you’ll be two-fisting that pizza and burger by weeks end… Don’t do it! You’ve done so well since DFO2 started and you should reward yourself with the knowledge and feeling of accomplishment to your will power and commitment to living a better life. Hang in there you’re kicking butt.

Glad you’re still attending the WW meetings with Ruth as it’s important to have the support of your wife who’s also your DFO team member. After reviewing your Daily Plate for the last week I’d like you to focus on drinking more water, adding fruit to your breakfast and veggies to your dinner. In addition, make plans ahead of time for exercise each day with Ruth. Two birds w/ one stone - time with your wife and exercising.

Ruth: Lost 1.4 lbs this week
Glad you and John had fun in Palm Springs, a much needed vacation I’m sure. In addition, I’m glad to see you were able to get some exercise in and still maintain healthy food choices at meal time. As we approach the half way point of DFO 2, I’d like you to reflect on what has worked and what didn’t over the past few weeks and think about ways to modify and build for success.  Keep it up!

Peter: Lost 3lbs this week
Peter!  Check you out!!! You’ve inspired me, I mean it. I know how hard it is to walk away from a pastry buffet or nice plate of pasta but you did it and you should stand tall and proud. What’s more you’ve stayed committed to exercise and your weekly WW meetings. Atta boy!

Have a great vacation and really use this time to focus on exercise, food choices and enjoying the opportunity with family.

Kim: Lost .6lbs this week
Six weeks ‘til wedding bliss and you’re staying focused and killing it at the gym. It’s amazing to watch your transformation in each of the circuits I’ve put you through. It’s not just about your training but also your food choices, stay committed and WE WILL hit your weight loss goal by wedding day.

I think by know you understand the importance of diet as it plays 90% of the battle in weight loss and toning. You have consistently trained 5-6 days a week and you’re seeing the scale move and clothes fitting loosely… Keep it up and let’s spend the next week focusing on food choices as we hit the half way point of Diet Face Off 2.

Brad: Lost 0 lbs this week
Glad to see you’ve meet with a personal trainer at the gym and remember you don’t always have purchase a package of sessions, pay for 1 or 2 and spread it out over the month to get new ideas and train on your own.

It’s natural to have slip ups or even skip a work-out; you just don’t want it to become a habit or routine. One of the many values WW meetings provide is a way for you not to reinvent the wheel and pay attention to success stories and get ideas for your quest. Keep up the great work and stay committed to your goals.

PS- Nice plug on the movie, interesting choice for someone looking to make better food choices… Amazing what goes into the foods we love right?

In summary

I want to begin by applauding all of you on your commitment, efforts and desire to lead a better life both in food choices and adding exercise to your daily lives.

I’ve noticed a similar pattern in all of your Daily Plate food entries as well as something I battle with my current clients:  Food choices

After years of being in the health business I’ve come to realize that diet is 90% of the battle in weight mgt/loss.  In addition, as much as you work out or do sit-ups you’ll never have that flat stomach as long as your daily caloric intake exceeds your daily caloric burn.

I’d like to offer a suggestion and challenge to all of you (and anyone reading this blog) to cut out the following for 7 days:

• Alcohol,
  
• High Fat Dairy
• Low Fiber white flour products (white rice, white/bleached bread, pasta, muffins, bagels, etc),
  
• Refined sugars - (Doughnuts, cookies, candy, ice cream and non-diet sodas, there are also refined sugars in many food items you would not  be aware of crackers, canned soups, salad dressings)
• Fast Food, chips, etc.
• 
  

I challenge you all to eat healthy, fresh, fiber rich foods.  Scroll over this for a link to the Weight Watchers Filling Foods, all the foods on this list are, low fat, full of fiber, unprocessed, and very filling - not to mention delicious. These foods are what we should all be focusing on. 

I will be taking this challenge myself.  Starting Monday, I will be eating only items on the WW Filling Foods list.  

I challenge you in the DFO2 and those watching to participate in this challenge – 7 days!

Take notice to how you feel and respond each day. You’ll still be able to make choices within the WW guidelines but it will be a more effective and informative choice. 

In Addition, this will give you something different to write about in your blog and I think you’ll find with 30-45 minutes of exercise you’ll notice a drop in pounds and feel more energized each day.

read more

Carolyn: Up ½ lb, but overall still down 3 lbs.

No weight loss this week, but Carolyn’s holding strong to her belief that she’ll lose the weight and body fat percentage goal she hopes to while mostly following the lifestyle — just don’t relax so much that you let it go for too long (I know I’ve been a victim (?) of that before!) You’re doing a great job of substituting healthier snacks for the household snacks she had before — even the kids are enjoying the changes! I’m happy that you’ve realized the habitual connection you had with your pre-bedtime snack/drink and you’re working hard and breaking the habit! That’s a tough habit for many to break; I do the same thing with the tea (hot or iced) in place of snacks late at night, good job!

Seth: Lost 2 lbs this week

Doing great with meal planning and keeping bad food choices out of the diet. Seth’s ready to start Phase 2 of The Best Life Diet—portion control, refraining from eating before the fullness sets in. Seth’s words to the interested, “Start the diet—you don’t have to buy the book, just give up fried foods and start eating healthy”—haha, now we know what’s Seth’s arch enemy was! Speaking of enemies –you found a healthy, tasty alternative at your favorite fast food, a grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat, IMPRESSIVE! Good job Seth!

Megan: Lost 2.4 lbs this week

Megan competed in her 10k road race this last weekend!! She ran a total of about 40 mins and finished in 1 hour 32 mins with no shin splint pain—excellent work! Megan I’m so happy you’re continuing your workouts full strength even after the race, I can see how happy you are, keep it up! There were a few boo-boos with trans fat, but what matters is that you didn’t go into them knowingly and now you’re more aware. You’re doing very well with your exercise and when you’re ready, it sounds like a great idea for you to move on to Phase 2 of exercise (and get ready for your next race ;) )

Kai: Lost 2 lbs., goal 2.5 lbs, but still right up there.

Kai went to some social gatherings and enjoyed a few cold ones—don’t feel alone Kai, I think everyone’s feeling the job stress right now! And THANK YOU KAI for recommending that everyone track their calories using the daily plate tracker on your phones! The tilapia fish tacos are a great idea, everyone should something weekly to learn more healthy foods to keep around after the challenge ends

Renee: Lost 2 lbs this week

Ooo Renee, what will we ever do with you!? Just kidding, we all wish you well! I KNOW you’ve had a rough week…a few too many stitches and whatnot if you know what I mean! You’ve been doing extremely well, you’re so motivated and we’re all rooting for your speedy recovery, get well soon and get back to your goals when it’s safe. Keep eating well so you heal well and ride strong!   ;-D

Pollie: Lost 1.4 lbs this week

Pollie went home to her family this last weekend and unwound without the “pleasures” of technology…but was mindful of her food intake and thought she did “OK”. You still had weight loss, Pollie, so you must have done some things right! I’m happy that you took the initiative to find another boot camp for when your current one ends—if it takes being held accountable to someone for you to get your workouts in, DO IT!  On that note, keep up the food diary, another way to be held accountable.  And I’m sure you can “survive” any boot camp, just remember that you’re strong, driven, and exercising for your health!

Great job everyone! There was, overall, less weight loss this week with people having social events, but I know everyone will jump back on the wagon this week and stay within calories needs and challenge themselves to hardcore workouts. Don’t forget to check out Thomas’ video blog this week for great lower body exercises that you can even do at home!!

read more