Putting It to the Test..

Do any of you watch the TV show "The Biggest Loser"? I absolutely love that show. I couldn't believe how much Ali (the most recent winner) lost over the course of the show. It's incredible the transformations that they go through.

And I've always watched in amazement at the amount of pounds they lose on a weekly basis. Like the last week they were on the BL ranch...Ali went from 146 lbs to 135 lbs and lost 11 lbs in 1 week. I couldn't believe it. And I've always wondered just how realistic losing that much weight really is. What does it take to do something like that?

For those of you that don't know...I joined with some friends from church in a "Biggest Loser" competition. There is a group of about 10 of us that started at the very end of January to do this. So we meet up each week and weigh in...our own little version of the show.

It's actually been a lot of fun and I look forward to getting together for the weigh-ins and talking about our weeks and just hanging out. It's also been a really great help in motivating me to keep on track with all the training I've been doing for this 1/2 marathon coming up.

Last week....after not having such a great weigh-in (thanks to vacation)...I decided I would put the BL numbers to the test and made a goal to drop 12 pounds in 1 week. Insane? maybe. But it couldn't hurt to try.

And I would just like to report that I weighed in at 11.5 lbs lighter this week. So..I was just .5 pounds off from my goal. I don't think anyone really thought I'd be able to do it. So, it felt really good to step on that scale today.

And no - I did not starve myself!! But it took a lot of work. I was working out anywhere from 2 to 3 hours a day. I would run in the mornings and go the gym in the evenings. I ran a total of 27 miles over the course of the week, hit up the elliptical almost every day and also did weight training. As far as food went...I decided for that week that I was going to stick to protein and vegetables only. No carbs....except for my oatmeal that I eat for breakfast every day.

Let's just say I'm happy the week is over. Not that I'm going to be sitting around this week...but I'm looking forward to eating fruit again and maybe getting a little more rest than I did last week.

So...if I can lose 11.5 lbs in one week....even with having a job and other responsibilities....I can see how those on the BL, who do nothing but work out all day long, can pull such high numbers all the time.

But since I have a job...and I like to have time to relax and rest...My goal this week is no where near last weeks... :)