Biggest Loser Inspiration Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

I know I blogged earlier in the year about my small — ok, huge! — obsession with NBC’s hit reality television series, The Biggest Loser, so please forgive me as I dedicate another blog post to this awesome inspiration.

The finale of Season 7 aired last week and proved to be a surprising finish to the 20-week series. Although surprising, the three-hour episode was packed full of 22 contestants who each made drastic and significant changes to their lives and improved their health by leaps and bounds. I sat mesmerized for most of the finale — sometimes laughing and sometimes tearing up —but the entire time being truly inspired by the changes these people have made in their lives. This time was truly different for them, and I can only hope I have the half the courage to make the changes they have.

A small group of friends and I had decided to do our own Biggest Loser competition in conjunction with the show, and the results definitely have paid off. Though I’m sure none of us are exactly where we want to be on our journey to healthy living, we’ve all lost significant amounts of weight and have gotten into better shape. Though I’m still stuck on my plateau, I’ve lost right around 19 pounds. The other players also have made significant changes and truly have worked extraordinarily hard to better their lives. It turns out both the show and our little competition have served as the motivation we all needed to get on the healthy living bandwagon.

I’ve been incredible frustrated the last few weeks as I’ve hit a major weight plateau. However, I think the season finale of this addictive show — silly as it may be — may have been just the motivation I needed. We’ve decided to extend our little competition until June 3 in order to stay motivated.

I’ve got a rough few weeks ahead of me, full of fun end-of-spring festivities. This past weekend I escaped town for a wonderful weekend away with some of my very best friends in one of my most favorite locations. This coming weekend obviously will be full of Indy 500 festivities and traditions. Both weekends full of fun, laughter and good memories — and I’m sure tons of great food, frosty beverages and tons of temptation. Here’s hoping that the inspiration I felt from watching the Season Finale can carry me through the end of my Biggest Loser competition and beyond!

Other Things Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

I lamented today to a coworker about the temporary plateau I’ve hit and the intense frustration it causes me. When I decided to come up for air, she simply asked, “Are you stressed?” I thought for a second and then responded with, “I guess I am.” She smiled and said, “Yep, the stress will get you every time.”

Sometimes, when you get bogged down in the weight loss battle, you forget the other things that count toward living a healthier lifestyle. In addition, sometimes, those other things can pose a problem to our weight loss battle if we don’t give them the attention they deserve.

Three of the main “other things” I struggle with most are:
1) Sleep
2) Taking care of myself when I’m under the weather
3) Dealing with stress

Obviously, independently these are important factors in a healthy lifestyle. In addition, when one or all aren’t addressed, they can all wreak havoc on the weight loss battle. If I’m not getting enough sleep, I’m more prone to skipping a workout or binge eating. If I don’t seek proper medical attention or give my body the vitamins and rest it needs when I’m not feeling well, the same rule applies. Also, for some reason, stress does tend to cause our bodies to hold on to those extra pounds.

For me, the fitness and weight loss portions of the healthy living lifestyle take up the majority of my focus. They are time consuming components. However, I need to be better about remembering my “other things.” Whether it’s the few I listed above or things outside that list, they also are important to a healthy lifestyle.

Tell me what your “other things” are and how you address them without losing your main focus?

Stuck! Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

You remember a few weeks ago when I agreed to start “weighing in” and reporting my current weight loss each week? Did anyone notice that I hadn’t done that for a few weeks? I haven’t been including my little report because I’ve been bobbing around the 19 pound weight loss mark and I can’t seem to move forward! I’m up a pound then down a pound. It turns out I’ve hit a bit of a plateau and it’s making me crazy!

Obviously on any journey we will hit some plateaus. However, on the weight loss journey, plateaus can be especially frustrating. These situations are especially baffling when we haven’t changed our routine at all and have no explanation for why we seem to be stuck. I know that patience is a virtue and that continuing to “keep on keeping on” when we hit these situations is the right answer- however, I’m just not wired that way! I have a few different reactions to these plateaus…

1) Getting very angry
2) Giving up! I figure if I’m going to be stuck here at this weight then I might as well enjoy myself and then I fall head first off the wagon. This often leads to…
3) Extreme frustration both with the situation and at myself for not doing a better job. It’s a vicious cycle!

I know that I need to change up my routine a bit and stay focused on the goal at hand until I pass this rough patch. So - while I try to gather the patience and vision to do that, tell me how you deal with plateaus?

Here’s to hoping the stuck ones are unstuck soon!