Thank you for the tour of Hugo's Alan. There were a few things that I learned that I didn't know til now.

Having fun with team Blue!

I am having so much fun! Thank you Kevin for a great work out last night! I kept myself positive and had a great time! Thank you Chris for the awesome advice:) Thanks Laura for the pics! We really do have an awesome team! I am so proud of my new friends! Keep up the hard work! MJ

I love my Team!!!

I just have to say that I really love being apart of Team BLUE because when I couldn't take part in group training because I had not been feeling well for the past few days (don't worry I am all better now!) they let me take the role of 2nd trainer and take pictures of them. It really cheered me up!! Thanks so much guys!!! Here are a few pictures from Team Blue's Group Training!! Enjoy!!

Dedication is vital!!

A little coordination is Key!! Way to go JULIE Week 2 BIGGEST LOSER!!

And the ability to laugh at yourself!!!

Don't be afraid to bear down to get the job done!!

A little explaining is needed for this one.. MJ brought her recorder for interviews and she keeps it in a bright blue bag.. She wanted to keep it safe so she gave it to Kevin to protect it.. and I was there to capture him with his pretty blue bag!!!

Keep up the great work Team BLUE!!!

Things Not To Eat...

After a week where I didn't make any losses at all, the first thing I did is ask myself what did I do differently? I was working out the same, so I figured it was diet related!

I made the amazing discovery that overdoing pasta is very bad for me. This may not be a revelation to many, but it took me going backwards through my diet to see what had changed. After my son's benefit, we had leftover spaghetti, so down the hatch it went!

So, I made myself accountable and took pasta out of my diet this week to see if it would make a difference. BINGO! If you aren't making progress, write down everything that goes in.

Also did you know that diet pop is LOADED with sodium? It makes you retain fluids...just so you know. It may say zero calories, but the salt is not good.

There is an app out there that you can get through the itunes store called "Lose It!" it is free, and lets you set your goals and keep track of your input and exercise. Super easy to run...and great to keep you accountable!

Way to go Julie and Kevin our fearless leader from TEAM BLUE!!

Josh Jones

Special Thanks

Special thanks going out to Laura Schostag for putting all our things together at Center Court Fitness Club!! Thanks for all the great work!

Thank you to Leighton Broadcast, especially Kerri Drees, for promoting such a great concept in the community. Thank you to all the sponsors and donations put forth to make this event huge!!

Great work, everyone!

Great Team!!

I love our team, and they are working very hard. Even though my team is working so hard, I can see some frustration and disappointment in the results. As one of my team mates stated, "Slow and Steady wins the race!" Keep that in mind, and at the same time, stay positive, stay motivated, stay dedicated. Keep a vision of where you want to be at the end result, and don't lose that vision. Believe in yourself! And keep on believing! Walt Disney didn't build Disney World overnight. And it came with a huge vision, people believing in him, and not giving up!!!

Our theme this week is "Climb Every Mountain..." That means we are cycling through hills, climbing on treadmills and ellipticals, and doing whatever we can to get our legs working hard.

I feel a great week coming on, and as dedicated and hard working as my team is, I feel that it is out time to see the big winner. Watch out, here we come!!!

your Biggest Loser t-shirts

are you wearing yours when you work out?

I just want to give a big thanks to my trainer Tyler. He works me hard but keeps me motivated to do my best. I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I put on a pair of pants that USED to be tight on my hips and legs. Hmmmmm, there must be something to all those lunges and squats. Thank you Tyler for pushing me when I think I cant do it. To the rest of my team...GO GREEN.

Fun Working out Pictures!!!

Who ever said that working out isn't fun?!?! Here are some fun pictures that prove that working out is fun!! ENJOY!!

Team Green Member Kerri feeling the burn while working out with trainer Tyler Soli

Team Red is really having fun while working out with trainer Jen..

Check back soon for more pictures!!

Week 2 Winners!!!

Weekly winner: Julie Christian- Team BLUE 5 % of total body weight


Weekly Team winner: Tie  BLUE TEAM with Kevin Rost & Team Yellow with Chris Langei

Total pounds lost for week 2: 176.5
Total pounds lost: 393.50

so with HUGOS pound per pound match, that's 393.50 pounds of food donated to the local food shelf for week 1 & 2

Julie Christian won $25 at the Ski and Bike Shop, $25 at Natures Country Store, half hour message from Salon Seva and $10 at Quiznos


Weekly Team winners Trainer also wins: $15 at Quiznos and a 1/2 hour facial or 1/2 hour massage from Salon Seva! Congrats to Kevin Rost Team BLUE trainer!

Good Thing Tyler is the BEST trainer ever!

Tami and Kerri HAD to taste 9 different Girl Scout cookie deserts and enjoyed every minute! They were just samples, good thing! Our favorite was the Mint Delights! We are so thankful Tyler is such a good Personal Trainer! Thanks Tyler!

Low Cal Recipes

I had low cal Beef Stroganoff with fat free sour cream & wheat noodles last night and it was delicious! Also for lunch today I brought tuna with a tablespoon(actually a little less than that) of olive oil light mayo and for flavor i put in salsa starter (chopped tomato, onion, cilantro & jalapeno) stuff (in the vegi section in Hugos)in and it gives it so much flavor, put it on 100 cal bread or the 80 cal bread even better and you have a delicious healthy lunch!! I also did the same thing with crab flakes for crab salad it was yummy! Kerri ate it all!!!:) Have a happy, healthy week!! MJ

I just want to say everyone is working really hard and I am VERY PROUD of all my team members!!! I really want this to become lifestyle, not a fad for everyone participating in the greater grand forks biggest loser! I also want everyone to STAY OFF the scales until weigh inns! Don't get down if your weight doesn't fluctuate the way you were hoping. Keep working hard and eating right and your goals will be achieved! Once again great job everyone and keep up the hard work!
Team Green (Tyler Soli)

Im having a hard time with the workouts, I really hate to work out by myself. The days that I work out with Tyler are good because I have someone there to push me and to make me stick with it. Then again maybe its not just that because I do work out at home by myself on the Wii Fit, I think I find some of the machines at the fitness center intimidating and some I just really dont know how to use. If anyone else is having this problem and wants a workout buddy let me know. Im free any day except Wednesday after 5:00pm.

Healthy Eating Choices

Congratulations to all that have lost weight so far! I am hoping in week 3 to be less sore and more in shape!! It feels good when your pants aren't so tight!! I have also started using healthier Delicious recipes that I have received from coworkers! Denny has a yummy soup that I made and loved! And Kerri also has a recipe for a yummy healthy soup that i will throw in the crockpot this week! Please let me know if you would like a copy of these recipes. I also found some great ones on Foodnetwork.com! Just type in low calorie or low fat recipes and there is a ton out there!! I am making a low cal Beef Stroganoff tonite and I will let you know how that tasted:) I have also had a chance to talk with Chris this week (the head cheese of Trainers) and she had some awesome advice! Being positive always!!! If you say you won't or can't then you don't! But if you say I will and I can then you will have tons more results!!! It's not word for word but this is my interpretation and from this point forward I am going to implement in my workouts and get better results!! I hope it works for you too!! MJ
PS-Team Blue is ready to rock another teams world with a challenge! Volleyball anyone?!!

Why are some days harder?

Why is it that random things go through your head when you cant sleep? There are two main things on my mind...my new job and biggest loser....mainly biggest loser. From one day to the next its different. Most days I just have to remind myself that I joined for one reason and that seems to be enough...then the next it doesnt seem good enough..the power of 29 years of tasting and eating what I want seems to override common sense. Example of this would be ooey gooey caraml rolls from Valley Dairy..trust me when I say that they are good and oh so addicting..knowing that I cant have em cuz they literally have 1400 calories makes me want them more... I know there are healthy alternatives doesnt help either. I try to remind myslef that Im doing this for a better, longer life, to set good examples for my 6 year old, to lose the weight my body has held onto for so long. Ive tried calling in reinforcments but it nudges me in the back of my mind...just this one time and you can excercise it off...one caramel roll once in a blue moon wont hurt..yeah right...Ill have one to satisfy the carving and go off to the gym but what happens when it becomes a regular occurance??? Its not just the one craving either..it starts with one that day and progesses to more and if I cave then id be at the gym all day everyday...is this why diets fail?? why people cant quit smoking and drinking? I know that if I overcome it, it'll get easier with time..but that really doesn't help me today..lol...Ive tried the healthy alternatives..Ive tried the suggestions...try eating a piece of gum since it tricks the brain, drinking tons of water to remain full or half glass of skim milk...I ate a whole thing of celery the other day trying to make myself full and then working out for an hour that day to take my mind off them...it should have gotten easier now that I dont work there and have the temptation but I think Ive gone mad...I had a dream today while resting with my daughter about scarfing down the sticky mess of a caramel roll and woke up literally drooling...so the pay off is rewarding I know but tell that to my tummy that's trying to override the brain....

Sorry bout the ramble, its just that I cant sleep and had to write it down to get it out of my head(fingers crossed)...it amazes me what random things will go through your head when you are tossing for an hour or more trying to fall a sleep...logic's there but that doesn't make it easier on my tummy..lol.

Sleep sweet all,
Amanda W.
Orange Team

Go Team RED!

We have finished our second successful week. Everyone is working hard and starting to see results. The results might not come as fast as they do on TV but we do live in the real world, not on a ranch.

This is why I became a personal trainer and this is why I love my job! I can't wait to see what the next six weeks bring and what everyone will accomplish over the next few months. The transformations will be fun and I feel lucky to be a part of Team Red's journey.

Keep up the hard work and keep moving!

Jen Oakland - Trainer for Team Red

Have you ever had a piece of equipment that was intimidating and thought to yourself "There's no way I can do this." I encountered it in Thursday's workout. I don't know the technical term for that piece of equipment. { Its the one where your hands grip the handles, forearms on the pads and using only your stomach muscles, you pull your knees up into a 90 degree angle.} I've fondly named it the "Beast" As I approached it, my first thought was "I can't do it, its too hard for me." I struggled to get out two lifts and finally surrendered in defeat. But, not for long, as my goal is to overcome and defeat the "Beast".

RECIPE IDEAS HERE

How to Make Your Own Whey Protein Bars

The two things you’ll need for sure are some whey protein powder and a binding agent to hold it together. The most rudimentary protein mixture is simply whey protein powder combined with natural peanut or other nut butter (which gives you additional protein). This has a taste and texture rather like halvah. But I find it a bit crumbly, personally. So I decided to add another binding agent and another flour-like substance to give it a bit of body.

Basic ingredient 1: flour. You don’t need to use normal flour, I find that Oats will do just the job.
Basic ingredient 2: protein powder. Your choice here of whatever flavor you prefer. I find vanilla works well but you can get Double Chocolate to give it a nice extra flavour.
Basic ingredient 3: peanut or another nut butter. Personally I find that I prefer the nut butters to regular peanut butter. They give the bars a more interesting taste.
You will combine these in an approximately 1:1:1 ratio, but the exact quantity will depend on how much you want to make, what texture you like, and what else you combine with the mix. What you’re aiming for is a mixture that holds itself together, like cookie dough, without being overly gooey.
Basic process:
Step 1: Whiz the grain in the food processor until it’s a flour. Remove about one-third to half of a cup of it from the food processor and set it aside. I do this instead of leaving it in the food processor because I never know whether I’m going to add too much binding agent later in the process, and end up with something too gooey because I don’t have more flour to dump in. It doesn’t seem to work if you add just whey powder later on, so I save a little of the flour, just in case.
Step 2: Dump in the whey protein powder and zip that in the processor for a second till the flour and powder are combined.
Step 3: Add the nut butter a little at a time, blending between additions, until the mixture has the texture of cookie dough and holds its shape when pressed together.
Step 4: Either lay out a sheet of wax paper on the counter or on the cookie sheet, or line the roasting pan with it.
Step 5: Dump the mix on some wax paper. You can cover it with another sheet of wax paper and roll or pat it out into the desired thickness, or you can just press it into the roasting pan with your hands. Cover with another sheet of wax paper or saran wrap if it fits better on top of the pan.
Step 6: Put the thing into the freezer. Chill for a few hours.
Step 7: When nicely frozen, remove and cut into bars of desired size. Wrap each bar individually in wax paper. I like to wrap a few then put them into a container or plastic bag which I then put back into the freezer. Keep the bars chilled until just before eating, if possible. You don’t need to be overly fastidious about this (i.e. you could leave one in your bag for an afternoon), but staying cold helps the bars keep their shape, and keeps them from going bad. I keep mine in the freezer then grab one out on my way to work and keep it in the fridge at work. If you want to be able to eat them immediately after retrieving them from the cooler, you may want to just refrigerate them instead of freezing.

There are lots of things you can do with the basic recipe to spruce it up a bit.

The first thing I like to do is add a banana to the mix in step 3 to make the texture a little chewier. Adding any kind of fruit puree or a banana will give the bars a moister, chewier texture. More than one banana seems to make it too gooey so try to avoide that.
In Step 1, I also often add dry spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. Here you can also add nuts or seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Just grind them up with the flour. Walnuts and pumpkin seeds will add omega-3s, and Brazil nuts will add selenium (an antioxidant).
In Step 3, you can add dried fruit and/or a wee shot of vanilla. Just remember in the second case that you’ll need a little extra flour to compensate for the added liquid.
In Step 5, you can use foil muffin cups instead of wax paper/cake pan and just press the mix into the muffin cups. This will give you a relatively consistently sized “protein cookie” instead and if you leave the “cookie” in the muffin cup, you don’t have to worry so much about it getting squished.
To figure out the nutritional breakdown (i.e. calories, fat, protein, carbs), just total up everything you put in, and divide by the number of bars you made (assuming you made the bars more or less the same size).

Homemade Protein Bars Recipe #2

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 scoops protein powder

1 egg whites or 1 egg

2 tablespoon orange juice and water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup raisins, dried fruit (cranberries) or dieters trail mix (almonds,flax seed or sunflower seeds)

2 tablespoon wheat germ and fiber

Sugar free syrup (this gets the mix to a sticky consistency about 2-3 tablespoons)

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Line baking dish with non-stick butter flavored Pam spray. In a large metal bowl, mix all the ingredients until the oats are well coated (sticky). Spread the mix onto the pan and press down to make it flat so you can separate them into 10 protein bars later. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, cut them apart and allow to cool before wrapping.

The bars can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Use these as a afternoon snack, they are a good protein/carb/fat balanced meal!

Team Greenberg's Friday Challenge!!

Every friday after Healthy Creations Team Greenberg is given a challenge to complete. Sometimes it's more physical like 10 miles on the bike.. Well this week they were challenged to take part in a ZUMBA dance class.

Alittle coordination is required..

Now they have gotten it down!

Finally by the 3rd picture they realized what was going on!! Good Job Team Greenberg!!