WEEK 14 FINAL RESULTS!

CONGRATS to Bill, DonK, Keir, Lindsay and Merrily for meeting their goals this week! WAHOOO!! :)

THE OVERALL WINNER IS DonK in all three categories. GREAT JOB DON... his goal was to lose 20 pounds... and he lost 21.5. WAY TO GO Don! (his pants are too loose!)

If there are any of you that want to try this again... we might start in January. Be 'GOOD' over the holidays... and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Tiffany

WEEK 13 RESULTS! ...ONE week left!

Good morning everyone! :) The results for Week 13 are as follows: DonK, Keir and Loretta MET THEIR GOALS! WAHOO! :) I'm still waiting to hear from Shelly and Lindsay... so this could change.
OVERALL... DonK is in the lead for most pounds lost, highest % lost and most times met goal. Loretta is on his tail for getting most times met goal! GO MOM!

SO a few of you have said that you want to start over... weekly incentive goals... to not give in week to week..?? EMAIL me if you want to do another round..?? I *THINK* that a shorter period of time is better...?? For me, I felt like I could wait til the end to lose my measly 15 pounds... so I didn't try hard in the first part... then at the end, there was too much going on, traveling, halloween, etc... that I failed anyway... EMAIL ME IF YOU ARE IN FOR ROUND TWO!!?? Same rules? Same entry fee? LET ME KNOW! tiffoulk@aol.com :)

WEEK 12 and VOTE RESULTS!!

OK... thank you for your votes! The results are:
4 NOs
2 "either way, but leaning towards NO"
2 OK with allowing 0 as a goal, but limited.
2 people didn't vote.

So the votes were kind of close... so as Keeper of the Foulk Family Biggest Loser Blog... and with ya'll's input... I'm making an executive decision here! :)

Minimum weekly weight loss goal is 1 pound. (You may still choose 0 as your goal, but you will not qualify for meeting a goal.)

BEING THAT THIS IS A WEIGHT LOSS COMPETITION... (not maintainence) we need to set a loss goal... 0 is not losing. Yes, times get tough for all of us... but that's when we set our loss goal at 1... bear down to work even harder to make better decisions... leading us to be healthier overall.

Sorry we didn't work this kink out from the begining... if we do this again... we will know for next time. We have discovered that it has been a rough time of year to lose... swimsuit season is just behind us... and the holidays are right in front of us... no motivation to lose!? If anything... most of us have maintained a good weight instead of GAINING!! ...so CONGRATS!

THERE ARE TWO WEEKS LEFT!! MAKE THEM COUNT! IT IS STILL ANYONE'S GAME HERE!!!

This week... NO ONE met their goals! I still haven't heard from Lindsay and Shelly... so this may change.
OVERALL STANDINGS... DonK is in the lead for most pounds lost, highest % of weight lost and most times met goal.
**AGAIN** ...it is still anyone's game though... Lindsay is right behind DonK in %... and Loretta is right behind DonK in times met goal. MAKE THIS WEEK COUNT!

WEEK 11 RESULTS...

This week, several people made their goals! DonF, DonK, Keir, Loretta, Merrily and Tiffany made their goals! GREAT JOB FOLKS!! haha
The overall standlings... DonK leads in all three categories... most weight lost, highest % weight lost and most times met goal.

WEEK 10 RESULTS... JUST FOUR WEEKS LEFT!

THIS WEEK DonF, Lindsay and Keir met their goals! WAHOO!
WEEK 10 STANDINGS: DonK has the MOST pounds lost, the highest % lost and the most times met goal. Lindsay is not far behind in the % category. Just FOUR weeks left! CRUNCH TIME! WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN 4 WEEKS! LET'S GET IT DONE!

FRIDAY October 23, 2009: FEELING GOOD

Find the Middle Ground
What's your favorite treat? Come on, now — if you could eat your way out of a room filled with one kind of food, what would it be? Cake? Chocolate? Cheese? Ice cream? When you know that you can never stop at just one bite of ice cream, it's tempting to swear off that food forever — especially now that you're focused on improving your health, diet, and physique. But as many of us have found out from experience, labeling something "forbidden" makes it all the more appealing!
A critical step in renouncing the destructive all-or-nothing mind-set is knowing how to walk the line between self-denial and self-indulgence. It's the middle ground that offers the best foundation on which to build your new life. Denying yourself little pleasures such as an occasional glass of wine or a chocolate truffle will only make you feel deprived, frustrated, and ultimately hopeless about maintaining your discipline. A temptation is a lot less powerful if it isn't totally forbidden. This is where moderation comes in.
There is room for all foods, no matter how "bad" they are; it's just a matter of being conscious of and careful about how often and how much. It's fine to have a piece of cake now and then — just not every day, and not the whole cake.
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
There's Always an Alternative

Okay, I understand — you really can't control yourself around a trigger food, like chocolate. One tiny bite is never enough. Before you blink, that entire jumbo-sized bar is gone. In that case, find an alternative that satisfies your craving for salt, sugar, or fat but doesn't do as much damage as the real thing. For example, if your weakness is potato chips, try having some air-popped popcorn as a snack instead. Trust me — in time you'll adapt so that small amounts of trigger foods will not set you off on an all-night binge.
**** *** ***
Hey guys, I think we are all doing great for losing and also for continuing to return and report! We are not going to fail as long as we keep on trying. So, is anyone else interested in 1) Continuing after we hit our end date and give out the prize and start over again? 2) Trying a weekly incentive so we don't put off our efforts to the next week?
Any ideas on a weekly incentive? Mabey a virtual dollar (or real) could be sent to the winners for the week from the bottom 5-6 people? hmmm. I got the idea watching the Biggest Loser, which is so inspiring we should all DVR it, they have immunities, challenges and weekly rewards... just a thought.
Good Luck everyone!
Merrily

WEEK 9 RESULTS!!

This week, FOUR people met their goals! WAHOO! DonK, Keir, Merrily and Tiffany!
For the OVERALL STANDINGS... DonK is in the lead for all three categories.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE... MAKE IT A GOOD WEEK!

WEEK 8 RESULTS!! JUST SIX WEEKS LEFT!

BIG HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DONS!!! They are the only two that met their goals this week!! DonK lost 1 pound and DonF lost THREE POUNDS! WAHOO! :) Keep it up PEOPLE! Me on the other hand... gained TWO lbs last week and since weigh in 2 days ago, I've managed to put on another 3 pounds... been eating birthday cake and cupcakes for 6 days now... IT's GONE NOW THOUGH! WATCH OUT!!!
The OVERALL STANDINGS: DonK is still in the lead with most pounds lost, is still in the lead for highest % lost and is TIED with Loretta for most times met goal!

It's been tough, I KNOW... but I also know that we have ALL lost weight before... and we CAN do it again!

LET'S DO IT! COME ON!! It's a new week... start FRESH... START FRESH each meal if you have to!

NEVER GIVE UP!

WHAT DO YOU WANT BY THE END OF THESE LAST SIX WEEKS??? MAKE IT HAPPEN!

WRITE IT DOWN... and it WILL happen!

Week 7 RESULTS... WE ARE HALFWAY!

HI LOSERS! (I truly mean that in a GOOD WAY!) :) OK LOSERS... let's NOT LOSE sight of why we paid our $50 into this competition! WE WANT TO BE HEALTHY!!! Let's do this! Let's make some changes! WE CAN DO IT! I went to the gym today... the 1st time in 3 weeks! OUCH! But I AM going again tomorrow!!

For the WEEK 7 Results... Mom and I TIED for Biggest Loser this week! We both met our goal of losing 1 pound! GREAT JOB MOM AND ME! =) Several of you didn't meet your loss goal... BUT... you didn't GAIN! THAT'S AWESOME DAMAGE CONTROL! KEEP IT UP! For those that did gain... DON'T LET IT GET THE BEST OF YOU... try again this week... we always get a new week to try again... we always get a new day to make better decisions... EVERY MEAL DURING EACH DAY COUNTS!

As for the RUNNING TOTALS... DonK is in the lead for most pounds lost AND highest % of weight lost... although Lindsay is not far behind him! LORETTA is winning for MOST TIMES MET HER GOAL! :)

What's this chart going to look like next week with our NEW MOTIVATION for the 2nd half of our competition!!???

It's still anyone's win at this point!

LET'S DO THIS!

WEEK 6 RESULTS... ALMOST HALFWAY!!

Hey there! SORRY it has taken me so long to get this post done... AND we have weight in again in JUST THREE DAYS! ...make these last few days COUNT!!!

BIG SHOUT OUT TO MY DAD!! WAHOOO!! He met AND PASSED his goal this week... BY MORE THAN DOUBLE!! He was the Biggest Loser this week! GREAT JOB Lindsay... she met her goal! ...I haven't heard from Shelly yet. As for the rest of us... we need some more dedication! =)

OVERALL STANDINGS: DonK is in the lead for most pounds lost AND highest % lost... and is TIED with Loretta for most times met goal... AS A GROUP, We've lost 37.3 pounds!

COME ON GUYS... make these THREE days count before our next weigh in... WE ARE HALFWAY DONE WITH THE BIGGEST LOSER... LET'S MAKE IT COUNT... WE CAN DO IT!

The question is: HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT??

WEEK 5 RESULTS..... COME ON GUYS!

It's been ANOTHER tough week...

BIG HUGE CONGRATS TO MOM WHO MET & PASSED HER GOAL! WAHOOO! GREAT JOB Uncle Bill and DonK for going in the right direction! :)

As for the rest of us... let's break the madness... make some changes... so we can SEE SOME RESULTS!! :)

WE CAN DO THIS!! If you think it, write it down, committ to it, YOU CAN DO IT!

Week 4 Results!

It's been another TOUGH WEEK for most of us! Only two people met their goal this week. GREAT JOB KEIR for being our biggest loser this week!! WAHOO! HE LOST A WHOPPING 4.8 pounds! GREAT JOB UNCLE BILL FOR LOSING 3 pounds!
DonK is still in the lead for most pounds lost... and is tied with Merrily for % of pounds lost... AND has met his goal most...
COME ON everyone.... let's make it a great week!

Monday September 14, 2009

I'm Back On TV and You Can Enter the Challenge This Week!
Yes, The Biggest Loser is premiering tomorrow night, but you can catch me on TV before that. Today I'll be on Rachael Ray for her block party — check your local listings! Then tomorrow morning, I'll be live on the TODAY Show. Also tomorrow, I'm going to start taking sign-ups for my "Give Me 20" Challenge — are you in? Learn more now!

SUCCESS STRATEGIES

Key Relationships
We all have different emotional triggers — positive AND negative — when it comes to relationships in our lives. As you know, I consider these three key relationships crucial to your new, healthy lifestyle: a partner in crime, a role model, and a fan.
Take time to evaluate and plan your strategy and support needed with different triggers. Start by just writing down the triggers you notice that affect your behaviors. Then set a coping skill in place.

While it's wonderful if you can get this kind of support at home, sometimes that's not the easiest place to turn when you're making these major changes. So many of my teammates have found the Message Boards to be an essential source of advice about their journey.

JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Stand Up for Yourself

It's not always easy to confront people who are sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. Sometimes they'll listen to you and be able to change their behavior, but often their behavior has more to do with their own need for approval than with your need for support. No matter what their response, it's up to you to stay firm and hold your ground. At the end of the day, your health is your responsibility and you will enjoy and reap the benefits. It is worth every effort you make.

Healing

JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Healing the Whole Person

When Jill started eating right and exercising, she didn't just make changes on the outside; she changed on the inside as well. Her health problems cleared up, she had more energy, and she found healthier ways to deal with stress. Her hard work paid off not just with a thinner, fitter body, but with a happier, more active, more productive life. Remember: This is not just about weight loss. It's about living your life to your fullest potential.

SUCCESS STORIES: Jill (age 61)

Jill Proves You Can Lose Weight After 60
Many people blame their weight on their age. They think that as they get older, or after they go through menopause, they no longer have the ability to change their bodies. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Just take the example of Jill, a 61-year-old who conquered her emotional eating habit and used my online program to lose 60 pounds,* to get the lean, trim body she'd wanted for years, and to improve her quality of life.
Jillian taught me that working out with weights is necessary to really change your body, and she's right. I've been at this weight before, but I've never been at my current size; I'm at least a size smaller than I was the last time I weighed 148 pounds. This program has really changed my body, and not just by weight loss. I have realized that I'm a stress eater, and now I exercise to take care of stress instead. For the first time, I've reached my weight-loss goal and have kept doing the work to maintain it.
Even though I'm 61, I feel as if I'm 30. My most recent sleep apnea and cholesterol evaluations showed huge improvements, and my acid reflux has disappeared. This time it's a lifestyle change, not just a diet. I want to live a long, healthy life, and I can see how my health has changed since I've been working out and losing weight. That's the motivation that makes this time different, that makes my changes permanent. I have more energy and a renewed love of life, and I look forward to a healthy, active lifestyle for many years to come

Week 3 Results UPDATED!! :)

HOT OFF THE PRESS! :) Shelly's information has been added! Here it is... the final Week 3 Standings!

Week 3 RESULTS!

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE! :) I'm still waiting to hear from Shelly... but this is what I have so far! It's been a TOUGH WEEK for me and several of you!! SERIOUSLY... I'm getting my act together RIGHT NOW... in fact... I've ALREADY DONE my workout video this morning!! WAHOO! Come on... let's do this!

GREAT JOB to DonK for being our TOP # of LBS Loser AND most times MET GOAL Loser! GREAT JOB to Merrily for being our TOP % Loser as of Week 3. WHOOT! WHOOT! :) Watch out... cuz I'm coming back with a vengance... no more bad weeks for me!!! :) IT'S ON! SERIOUSLY!!

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY tips

Friday September 04, 2009
Hi, Merrily Carter!
FRIDAY: FEELING GOOD

How to Break Bad Habits
Old habits die hard, but the good news is that they do die. Don't lose hope or beat yourself up over it if you're having trouble breaking bad habits. It's not that easy to change your ways. Just keep plugging away.
Start by replacing old habits with new ones. The key is to learn how to take care of yourself and pamper yourself in ways that are life affirming rather than self-destructive. Learn how to deal with sabotaging emotions by establishing some healthy patterns of behavior and investing in your physical and emotional well-being.
If you judge yourself every time you're in front of a mirror, try focusing on the things you love about yourself. When was the last time you looked in the mirror and told yourself how great your features are and how beautiful you look?
If you're constantly looking to the media for stories about celebrity diets and weight loss, try finding more realistic role models — everyday people who've lost weight or achieved other goals similar to yours. They will be the most inspiring. Start paying attention to people you know.
If you tend to blow off your workouts until your vacation rolls around — or there's some other event, like a wedding, lighting a fire under you — ease yourself back into your daily workouts. Without commitment, you won't be able to achieve the goals you truly desire. Put your life in perspective. Everything is a choice — from how you feel when you wake up in the morning to whether or not you floss your teeth at night. To make the right choices, you need to ask the right questions: What is my true goal, and how are the choices I'm making going to help me achieve that goal?
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Be Proud Now

Don't wait until you reach your ultimate goal to pat yourself on the back — be proud now! Just taking the first step — signing up for this program and reaching out for help — is something to be proud of. And every achievement along the way should be rewarded. You deserve it!

No eating after dinner! Are you up for the challenge?

Quick Links
Weigh In
Update Your Food Log
Record Your Measurements
Write in Your Fitness Diary
Get the Latest From the Wellness Team
Read Jillian's Blog
Find an Online Buddy
Measure Calories Burned
Share Your Success Story

Log In Now
MY PROGRAM TODAY
Today's Meals
Browse Our Newsletters

WEEK 2 RESULTS!

It's been a tough week for about half of us... and the other half are doing great!

THINK of the results you want... and constantly remind yourselves what you need to do to get there... :) KEEP IT UP... plenty of time left to catch up and pass the others! FOCUS!

Tuesday August 25, 2009

TUESDAY TIP: YOUR METABOLISM 101
from Jillian Michaels Biggest Loser Trainer

5 Ways to Calm Hunger Pangs
Do you start getting hunger pangs at 11:50 a.m. in anticipation of lunch? We've all been there. The cause is the hormone ghrelin; released when the stomach is empty, it sets off a chain reaction in the body to make you hungry. In general, you want to keep levels of ghrelin low during the day so you can keep hunger in check. Apart from an empty stomach, there are several factors that can raise ghrelin levels, including drinking alcohol, eating too few calories, and eating greasy, fatty foods. Here are some strategies that will help you manage these triggers and keep your ghrelin levels from rising:
Have a substantial breakfast. One study showed that people who ate a higher-calorie breakfast produced 33 percent less ghrelin throughout the day and felt satisfied for a longer period of time. Try a whole-wheat English muffin with organic peanut butter, a cup of strawberries, and some low-fat yogurt.
Choose complex carbs and get more fiber. Insulin and ghrelin go hand in hand. When insulin goes up after you eat, ghrelin goes down. If you eat the wrong kind of carbohydrates — refined carbs such as white bread and pasta — your blood sugar rises dramatically. In response, your body releases a surge of insulin to clear that sugar from the bloodstream. The insulin does its job very efficiently, and the resulting low blood sugar causes hunger sooner. These constant blood sugar ups and downs can wreak havoc on your metabolism, so it's best to eat complex carbs and fiber, which delay the release of sugar into the bloodstream so that insulin levels are kept stable and you feel full longer.
Eat on a schedule. Research has found that ghrelin levels rise and fall at your usual mealtimes, so eating on a schedule prevents spikes in ghrelin. If you're running errands and are away from the kitchen at one of your typical mealtimes, carry a small bag of almonds or other nuts with you — you can eat a little something to keep your stomach satisfied until you can get home and have a real meal.
Emphasize high-volume, low-calorie foods. Levels of ghrelin remain high until food stretches the walls of your stomach, making you feel full. High-volume, low-calorie foods, such as salads and soups, reduce ghrelin levels long before you've overeaten. All green veggies and any foods with a high water content count as high-volume, low-calorie foods.
Eat protein. Protein-rich foods can also suppress ghrelin levels — they help create a long-lasting feeling of fullness. Try adding whey protein to a low-calorie smoothie. (If you're sensitive to gluten, just be sure to check the ingredients list; some whey protein products contain gluten.) One study found that whey brought about a prolonged suppression of ghrelin.
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
No Food Before Bed

For most of your day, the object is to keep ghrelin levels low — you don't need any extra diet-endangering hunger! But at night, you do want ghrelin levels to rise. Your body requires ghrelin to move effectively through all the necessary phases of sleep. Without the proper progression, you won't get to stage 4 sleep — the phase of deep sleep, during which you get a big pulse of growth hormone — or to the REM sleep that helps protect levels of leptin, the hormone that tells your brain you're full. To keep ghrelin levels up at night, don't eat after 9 p.m. Close down that kitchen after dinner and get restful sleep!

WEEK 1 RESULTS!

This chart shows everyone's Week 1 results & Week 2 goals. Names are in alphabetical order.

This chart currently reflects Week 1 since that's all we've done... but will be a running total. Names are listed in the order of highest # and % of lbs lost.

Everyone so far is headed in the right direction... even if you didn't meet your goal. KEEP IT UP!

WHY MONDAYS? ...and ACTION ITEMS.

Some of you may ask WHY I chose Mondays as our weigh in day...?? Well, I just finished doing a Biggest Loser with a few people from my ward here... and our weigh-in days were on Fridays. I tended to have BAD weekends (over eat) knowing that I had several days ahead of me to work at it before weigh-in day... so basically 'trashing' all of Sat & Sun. When I did Weight Watchers... my group weighed in on Mondays... which made you a LOT more conscious of your eating choices over the weekend! Weekdays tend to be easier when you have a set routine... and typically... people eat out more on the weekends..?? We'll see if this logic makes sense. :)

ACTIONS:
1. SEND ME YOUR MONEY ...except if you are a "non-money participant". (these people participate, but are not eligible to win the money at the end) We want everyone to join who wants to! Invite others to join through the end of this week!
2. Click on the link to become an author if you have not yet... so you still have access to it when I make this blog private. :)
3. Ask me if you have questions on how to do that.

WELCOME Don K and Don F... who joined us this afternoon! :D

Starting TODAY!

It's MONDAY! I have everyone's info! I decided to not post everyone's actual weights... just pounds lost.

You still need to email me your weight and the next week's goal on Monday mornings so that I can keep track.

Don K, Don F and Keir have joined us... if you find anyone else that wants to join... let's allow that through the end of this week!

Good luck everyone... remember that we get things that we really want.

JUST FIVE DAYS UNTIL WE START LOSING!!!

Come'on Losers!! Lets get more people to join! Just a few more days until we start... the more people that join... the more money to be won! :)

ACTION:
1. Send me your $50 entry fee, my home address is in the email.
2. Sign in to our blog so that you can comment and post. (let me know if you have any questions)
3. Send me (email or text) on Monday morning your starting weight.

...but get more people to join! We can all be healthier together! :)

Lets Lose!
Tiffany

Welcome to the Foulk Family's Biggest Loser Blog!

At the request of several... we are going to do a Biggest Loser competition within our family. Non-family members can participate. Ask as many people as you want to if they want to join in on the healthy fun! The MORE that enter, the MORE money there is to win!

We are still determining the official rules... and I would like your input here:

FIRST:
How to calculate the Biggest Loser.

Biggest Loser could be the one who:
1. loses the most pounds.
2. loses the highest percentage of weight (is this fair if some have less to lose than others)?
3. meets their weekly weight loss goal (calculated by % of goal loss vs. actual loss)
4. Other ideas?

SECOND:
I think the 'Entry Fee' should be $50 to get you personally motivated to work hard to win the money... and keep in mind that if you don't win the money, you are still winning by getting healthy!

THIRD:
Should we have 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners? More prize money to go around?

FOURTH:
Should we divide the competition into 2 groups? A higher starting weight group and a lower starting weight group? If so, what weight will divide the higher and lower starting weight groups?

FIFTH:
Should men be in their own group and women be in their own group?

SIXTH:
Everyone will weigh in on their own scales... it doesn't matter if our scales are calibrated differently... just use the same scale each week when you report your weekly weights to me.

SEVENTH:
Is everyone OK with your weight being posted on this blog? I can make it private so that others that are not in our competition can't view it. I don't care if ya'll see my weight... but some are sensitive to that and maybe we should post just loss and not weights? We can also make it private from strangers...

EIGHTH:
Everyone needs to post each week how they are doing/feeling. You need to let us know what is working or not working for you as far as eating and exercise. You can post on Sundays or something... you pick a day that works for you... you can post daily. Up to you.

NINTH:
I will be The Master Poster to post the group's weekly results. You will all post comments on those results and post your comments on what you are doing that is making you successful... or what things are giving you challenges.

TENTH:
Go get people to join... everyone will send me their $50 to join... we will officially start with our first weigh in on Monday, August 17th. Email me your weight each Monday morning to tiffoulk@aol.com. You can also text it to my cell phone at 801-879-2277.

Our Biggest Loser competition will end on Monday, November 23rd, the Monday before THANKSGIVING! Thats 14 weeks I think... PLENTY of time to get healthy! :)

Give me some of your thoughts...!! :)

JUST DO IT!