I had a blast talking with Dr. Huizenga tonight; he checked up on my maintanance plan, gave me some great advice and some great ideas for my work with teens as a youth pastor. But that’s not the important part. As some of you already know, Dr. Huizenga’s book, “Where did all the fat go?” documents how Biggest Loser contestants actually lose the weight so rapidly. It’s the only thing out there that actually spells out the plan put together by the Doctor behind the show. If you’re not familiar with him, he specializes in sports medicine, was one of the doctors for the Raiders football team, president of the NFL physicians association, and the Doctor behind shows like Biggest Loser, Bravo’s Workout, and American Gladiator. The man knows his stuff. I certainly owe much of my good health to his expertise and the plan detailed in this book!
My original review of his book can be found here. The interview below is based on the questions YOU asked based on reading his book here. We spoke for about twenty minutes and got through some of the toughest questions; I’ll try to answer some of the other ones that I feel confident answering on this post in the next few days. If you’re curious about Dexa and Idexa (a more accurate and detailed scan) scans, check out my before and after scans here. Finally, here’s the interview! To listen to it, just click the link below. To save it to your computer, right click and select “save target as” to download it to your computer!
Dr. Huizenga answers questions from readers of his book, “Where did all the fat go?” Recorded May 27th with Matthew McNutt using Skype (I’m such a nerd).
*** EDIT *** Oops! I forgot to post a winner of the Biggest Loser Recipe Book! Like I said before, it’s purely subjective and all that, but I think Dr. H enjoyed the question from Molly about the timing of having the anabolic shakes the most. I know he happens to be particularly passionate about them since it’s his own creation. Plus, ya gotta give her credit for coming up with almost half the questions! : ) So Molly, email me your address and I’ll pop it into the mail for you!
Matthew McNutt 
Thank you so much Matt for having this interview with Dr. H. It looks like I'm going to have to search a little harder to find the fat free ricotta cheese! I also loved what you said at the end about how this change is going to be so beneficial for your children. I've noticed my own kids over the past 6 weeks that I've been doing this diet have started to change their eating habits. They ask me if certain foods are healthy; they ask what the foods are good for (blueberries are good for fighting illness because they have antioxidants, etc). This is exactly what I needed, and my family deserved.
Molly
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Molly, I don't know what part of the country you are in. But I found fat-free ricotta at a regional grocery chain in their store brand. I didn't find it in a national brand though. It was Giant Eagle brand. So maybe try a smaller chain like that?
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I'm in the West (Utah to be exact). Is Giant Eagle the brand of the ricotta cheese, or the name of the store?
Thanks for the input. I'll do some research. I'd really like to try his shakes instead of doing just the plain whey protein, but it's been a quick substitute that seems to be working.
How long have you been on the plan? I'm at the end of week 6 and have lost 16 pounds, and 5% body fat (I did my second bod pod yesterday!). I'm LOVING this! How are you doing with it all? I'd love to have a little support group with others who are on this journey.
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Molly,
I'm in Utah too. I found some FF Ricotta at Albertson's. I don't recall the brand and I just threw the container out. It was red and green. I found it across from the deli where they have the prepared veggie trays and fruit bowls and specialty cheeses.
t
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You're kidding! I tried Albertsons and they said they didn't have it. Maybe it has to be ordered special by the dairy department or something because the guy I talked to said he never ordered it and wouldn't do a special order for just me.
I'll have to call around to a few different Albertsons. Thanks Teresa!
I'm kind of bouncing around with my weight right now. I've been as high as 193 and as low as 185 all within the past week! I'm looking forward to tomorrow to work out (and trust me, THAT is a miracle in and of itself!)
Good luck to everybody else on the plan this week!
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Hi Everyone! I'm on day 3 of Dr. H's plan and although I'm absolutely in pain, I am really sticking to it. Matt-this site is great! I have learned so much that I really thank you. I loved the interview with Dr. H-very helpful. Some of you asked the exact same questions I had!
Matt-I am a bit confused on something and wondering if you can help. I feel like I'm spending hours recording my calories. I just printed Weight Loss Journal to try that out. Besides Calories (which I'm doing) Are we supposed to record percentages of Protein, Carb, and Fat? Also, I have to admit i'm getting a little bored and need to make my food a little interesting but I'm afraid to "go outside the box" and not sure what other things I can have. For example, if I have enough calories to spare, can I have another serving of protein? Or, if I have extra calories am I only supposed to have say more veggies, or another fruit (even if I've had my minimum)? I saw in the organic market today "fat free refried black beans" which looked appealing to me. a serving is 1/2 cup and 80 calories, is that ok? I want to do this right, but I also want to make sure to keep it interesting!
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Hey Heather, thanks for checking things out! Counting calories at first is a HUGE pain. After a few weeks, though, it starts getting a lot less time consuming because you'll start to know how many calories things are so you won't have to keep looking them up – which is the ultimate goal; not only controlling your eating, but knowing what is in the food. I never bothered with the protein/carb/fat percentages, but I'm a little lazy. I did make sure I always got enough servings of dairy, protein, whole grains, veggies and fruits every day, and that kept me on track. If you have extra calories, you can have more protein or veggies or even a treat. Ultimately, if you stay in your calories you could eat only junk and you'd still lose weight … but you wouldn't feel good and you wouldn't be very healthy. The point is to be healthy in how you're eating, getting the right balance, and if you still have calories to spare you can have some more, or you can reward yourself a little. Find a good cookbook, too; the Biggest Loser cookbook has a ton of VERY simple, easy to make recipes and it even gives you the calorie counts on each dish. Makes it VERY easy to use. : )
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Thanks so much Matt! I JUST ordered the BL Cookbook. I like to make things interesting and right now I'm needing to "spice" up my variety. I just want to make sure that I'm doing things the right way. Just like you, I'm making sure I have my minimum protein, whole grain, fruit and veggies, but I often want to make things more interesting with recipes, and wasn't sure if I could. You're an inspiration and thank you for your feedback!
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Kind of a novel (sorry!) – I really wanted to share a few words…
I started the Wow! Program 5 weeks ago…I am into my 5th week now and have lost 17 pounds. Although the last few weeks have been more of a struggle and some days I feel discouraged, the results keep me going. Not that I am an expert by any means, but I thought I would share my personal experiences and lessons learned in the hopes that something shared might be of help to others.
Fitting 2 hour sof exercise in can be a struggle. If I miss an exercise in the morning because I over slept or one in the evening because I have a meeting, I mentally motivate myself to start again the next day. One of my biggest challenges is keeping motivated and not becoming defeated. It became quickly evident that the keys to success with this program (for me) are preparing ahead, getting enough sleep, making sure to always include a carb and protein in each meal/snack, and no matter what keep chipping away at the ultimate goal. Every Sunday I make sure to go to the market, come home and prep my food for the week. We cook our proteins, vegetables and grains then weigh/measure them out and put them in serving size baggies or whole meals in a Tupperware for the week (I bought a simple scale and weigh everything). This has been instrumental in not “caving in” for non-calorie controlled options when I come home starving or forget to pack my lunch the night before for food at work. We have gotten really creative with what we cook and have come up with some really great and quick meals. Variety and flavor is very important to me. Regular snacks have been imperative in fending off the hunger and keeping me energized. During the first week I noticed that if I didn’t plan properly and only had a carb for a snack, I would be starving in an hour or so. When I added in a small protein such as a baby belle light cheese or a hard boiled egg I felt totally satisfied and sustained. If I find I have some extra calories to play with I will definitely have a little “treat” – maybe a serving of frozen yogurt or some cheddar flavored rice cakes (or whatever I am in the mood for!).
I am not a very structured person, but I made sure to plan out the meals for the week to help keep me inline with my calorie requirements. At first this was a daunting task, but it is amazing how much I have already learned and my ability to look at food and know what a serving is and how many calories are in them. I bought the calorie king pocket book and that thing is a life saver! The couple of times I have had to eat out this book has been a great tool.
While my weight loss has fluctuated…some weeks loosing 5 pounds, some only 1, I am determined to just keep chipping away at it. Time is going to go by contrary to my actions…I figure it is better to keep going on the down slope, even if sometimes slow, rather than end up in the same predicament feeling hopeless.
I really feel that finding support and realizing that it takes hard work to do what we are set out to do is critical. I know that I have to find little forms of motivation (including this site!) to keep the momentum going. At first Dr. H’s book got me excited and kept me going…now I am striving for new inspiration to keep me motivated. I just ordered the book “positively ageless” that Matt recommended from the nutritionist, Cheryl Norberg. Any new tools to be a slimmer, healthier me is worth a shot! In all honesty it is great to hear from others that are engaged in the Wow! Program. I love hearing your stories and am more than willing to share mine. For anyone considering this program – just get the book and read it. It is truthful, inspiring and really works. Matt – I very much appreciate you taking the time to ask Dr. H our questions and offer your personal feedback and experience. I feel like I am in on this great secret and am somehow networked in to this whole Biggest Loser/Dr. H experience. Thank you!
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Hey Erin! I found your story very helpful. I feel the same way. I'm on day 5 and you're right…I'm very focused because I just started. I think this network that Matt started, will really help us pull through the end! Like you, I'm also preparing and portioning things out. I like how you pre-cook things though-that's a great idea. However, I must say I'm getting very bored with food and need to discover some good recipes. I can't take another night of grilled lean meat and steamed veggies. I'm having a tough time getting all my vegetables in too. I need some creative ways to add them into my day. I'm still waiting for my Bod Pod test so I'm guestimating on my calories (took the average of the woman that weighed same as me, in Dr. H book). I'm waiting for the Bod Pod testing site to call me back and schedule. I can't find anything on the Dexa Scan and where those are done. So, I'll be relieved to learn those results. I think I'm going to need this site to get through the tough times that will be ahead! But, there's one thing I keep telling myself "you HAVE to do this, you have no other options, you need to lose this weight!". I literally say that over and over in my head all day.
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Yea, yea, yea!!!
I love reading about what other people are doing. I really do think we should get some sort of support group going for people on this plan. I'm in week 7 now of the plan (started April 21) and have lost 17 pounds. This has been the toughest week for me as far as snacking goes (it's also "that time" so I'm giving myself some slack). It's also the first week that I've missed two of my afternoon workouts. I've tried to make up for it in the mornings by working out for an hour and a half, and this morning I did two hours just in case things got crazy this evening.
My knees have started to bother me a bit and so I bought some glucosamine and hopefully that will start to help. I've been doing a lot of elliptical, treadmill (at an incline), weights, swimming and biking. Even though that's a lot of variety I find that I'm still getting a little bit bored. I've been renting movies and putting them on my ipod and I think over the past few weeks I've watched about 10 movies….that has been fun. I can't imagine working out now without something to watch that is engaging.
As far as eating goes: I've made the pita pizzas (those are awesome) and we do a lot of chicken and salmon. We did shish-kabobs last night with pineapple, red peppers, yellow peppers and chicken on the grill. That was great too. A great way to get your veggies in is to take a bunch of sliced veggies with you in the car. I take carrots, sliced peppers (green, red and yellow). I also started adding alfalfa sprouts to my wrap sandwich (those are really good too) with banana peppers and sweet/hot mustard. I'm a big fan of squash and found that spaghetti squash has a lot less calories than other types and it's great with some "I can't believe it's not butter" spray. If you like spinach that is a great way to get in a bunch of vegetables because it cooks down so small that you can get a TON into your diet right there (I put a little lemon juice and salt on it). I never seem to have a problem fitting in the fruit—I put blueberries on my Kashi cereal in the morning and then usually have an apple with some skinny cow cheese wedges for a snack in the afternoon. I also love having strawberries around. I used to buy the packages and the strawberries would end up going bad, but now I'm eating so many of them that they are usually gone in just a day or two (my kids are loving those too).
Do you guys have kids? Are you noticing that they are wanting more healthy things to eat as well? My kids have actually asked when we were having salmon again (with corn on the cob of course). I've caught my daughter on a number of times sneaking into the fridge to eat my "light and fit" yogurts. Also, I used to make cookies every week (and end up eating half or more of them), and we have only made cookies once in the past 7 weeks. We made them up, I let the kids eat 3 each and I ate 1 1/2 cookies and then we quickly delivered them to some neighbors.
I'd love to know some of the things that you guys are doing to keep motivated. I've been passing the book around to my neighbors as they've been commenting on my weight loss. I have a great friend who has started the plan with me and another one who is reading the book right now and will hopefully jump on board as well. I find that talking about the book helps to keep me motivated.
Thanks for sharing!
(oh, and by the way….I found the ricotta cheese!!!!! A friend of mine brought it to me the other day and said "Merry Christmas")
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Hey ya'll!
I used to post to this site all the time, before Season 6 got cast.
I have had Dr. H's book for a while now, but just TODAY, for some reason unknown to me, I woke up and thought "Today's the day."
SO…I started the "diet" and working out…well…SORT OF. LOL
I only got in about an hour and 1/2 of exercise.
In fact, I just drank my anabolic shake.
I feel SO good today. I hope I can keep going.
I've been changing what my kids eat too…my 4 year old son LOVES fruit and veggies. (thank goodness) He is happy anytime I bring home healthy food.
My other son, my 6 year old, isn't so into it. 🙂 But he does ok for a 6 year old. 🙂 I just make better choices for him, I think.
No chips, cokes or candy in here.
He does like goldfish and chicken nuggets though, so instead of buying normal chicken nuggets, I just buy the Tyson diced grilled chicken and they kids love it.
It makes me happy to see them wanting to eat healthier too.
What makes me want to do this is MANY THINGS.
For ONE, I used to be an aerobics instructor AND a personal trainer.
I lost 70 pounds before doing that job.
Worked for about 3 years, then quit due to illness.
Suddenly, weight piled on and never stopped and I'm at my heaviest EVER EVER EVER.
(260!!!)
I'm ashamed when I see old clients of mine! Can you imagine?! LOL
So…to crap with that…I'm back fighting for my life like the rest of you.
WE CAN DO IT, right? 😉
So I look forward to keeping in touch with all of you.
I hope I can lose 17 pounds by the 5 week mark. That is AWESOME!! GOOD JOB YA'LL!
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OOOH and that danged Ricotta Cheese…I can't find it ANYWHERE either!!!
Trust me, I've searched!
All I can find is part SKIM.
Where do you find it?!
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I think what finally happened is a few of us asked Albertsons to carry the Ricotta Cheese and enough of us bugged the dairy guy that he ordered it. We've been buying the little containers 3-4 at a time and I think that lets him know that we are serious about buying it.
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Yeah, Molly! I'm glad you found the ricotta. I appreciate hearing all of your stories. I'm on week 5 as well and down 19.2 pounds. WAHOO.
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Ok Ya'll…I need some help with this book…I'm so confused…
We're supposed to work out 2 hours a day right?
But we're also supposed to get in those push/pull exercises as well.
My question is, do those count as part of your 2 hours of working out?
Today I walked/did elliptical for an hour.
Could I do another hour of push and pull stuff and complete my 2 hours, or do I need to walk another hour and THEN do the exercises?
Dumb question, I know, but I'm confused. 🙂 LOL
Thanks!!
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Bethany – it's a great question! : ) It's two hours of exercise and the push pull stuff would count as a part of the two hours. Ultimately the goal is doing an hour in the morning and an hour at night; some of it cardio, some of it muscle building (push pull), so however you split it up, that's great!
Everyone – I LOVE the stories! You guys are doing amazing!!! Keep it up! Those are FANTASTIC results for just a handful of weeks!
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From what I understood the push/pull exercises count as part of your two hours. So I do the weights (which take me about 1/2 hour) and then I do 1/2 hour of cardio.
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OH…well will do then! 🙂 thank you Matt and Molly. 🙂
Today has been a really hard day for me. Not sure why, but I'm STARVING ALL THE TIME!
I'm eating what I'm supposed to, but I can tell I'm about a half inch away from a binge…on DAY THREE?! ALREADY?!
I haven't given in.
I'm getting on my gym clothes right now, but I have to say, it's been a hard day.
I think I need to get more sleep. That would help.
Thanks for the info ya'll!
Matt, you are AWESOME for doing this site…I can't tell you how much I and MANY others appreciate you setting this up AND monitoring it! 🙂
OH and Matt… SO would it be ok then to do, say, an hour of cardio in the morning…Then an hour of Push/Pull exercises at night???
Just curious. 🙂
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Hi! Actually Bethany, I wrote it down from the book. He says 1 hour walk/jog every morning for an hour. To make sure you do at least 4 miles to make it an hour of fat burn (even if it's over an hour). then on Monday/Wed/Friday do a 1/2 hour of cardio and PPT. Then Tuesday evenings do an hour of recreational activity or cardio. On Saturday he recommends a 2.5-3 hour recreational activity (he mentions hike with family in the book). You take one day off so there's 6 days of exercise. Does this help?
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That does help Alexa. 🙂 thanks…
I think I'm doing it wrong, but at least I'm moving for 2 hours a day. 🙂 LOL
I just did an hour of walking and 30 min. of weights….Hoping to get in another walk this evening.
Having my shake right now. I'm tired. 🙂 Anyone else exhausted??? 🙂
How do I change the little face graphic next to my name? LOL
I hate to be "sad" all the time. lol
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I have to say that I haven't had the major problem of being starving, but I am exhausted almost all the time. I've been getting about 7.5 hours of sleep a night and usually end up crashing around 9:30 pm. I've been getting up around 5-5:30 and working out for 1-1.5 hours in the morning. Some mornings I do two hours because I just know that afternoon is going to be crazy and I won't be able to get the extra hour in.
This past week I just let myself eat whatever I wanted (It was also my daughter's birthday so we had cake around all the time). I didn't freak out about it and weighed myself this morning and was still at the same weight. I listened to Matt's Boothbay meeting where he talked about "failure" and it was so great. I'd highly recommend listening to it. I've always been the type that if I fall of the wagon I stay off. This time is different. I'm not going to do this "diet" thing perfectly, but I am going to perfectly continue the diet. Does that make sense? I'm sticking to it even if I slip up, and that makes me feel great instead of freaking out with impending doom every time I even THINK about eating something not healthy.
I missed my shake this afternoon. I seem to always forget my afternoon shake…..I know it's because the kids are there, neighbors are out, the baby is wanting me, etc. In the morning I get home from working out before anybody else is even awake and I head straight to the fridge and have no problem remembering. I need to do better with that.
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First of all, let me say how great it is to hear from other people who are taking part in this program. I feel like we are all in on this fantastic secret! (Although I am sharing it with as many people as I can!)
It certainly isn’t an easy, quick fix program. You clearly have to work for it, even when it is REALLY hard, but the bottom line is that it works. I know that is what keeps me going even if I “fall of the wagon” or just feel plain exhausted. I definitely agree with the exhausted comments above. I am getting up at 4:45 am to fit in a workout before work – that is probably the toughest part of this whole thing. I just can’t seem to get to sleep early enough to not suffer! It seems like I really need about 9 hours of sleep to feel really good. Plus my workouts in the mornings are never as good as the ones in the evening. There are mornings that I oversleep and can only fit in a half hour. I figure it’s better than nothing at all. Even on a bad week it is so much more than I have done in a very long time (if ever). As for hunger – the first week was really hard. I felt like I was only allowed to eat such a small amount, especially after adding in the shakes. That is when I got really conscious about what I was eating when I did eat. I found that pairing a protein with a carb was essential in feeling satisfied. I also found that having smaller quantities of filling food (such as brown rice with a little feta sprinkled on it along with chicken and lots of veggies) earlier in the day really helped me curb my hunger. I pretty much have my shake in the morning, an egg on a whole grain waffle OR yogurt and Kashi for breakfast, some kind of protein and a carb for a mid-morning snack (such as a serving of fruit and cheese or an egg), then for lunch I have my biggest meal (Like having dinner for lunch). I make sure to then have a mid-afternoon snack before my next workout. That way once I work out and have another shake, I am really not hungry. If I find I am, then I will have another snack size meal. When I adhere to the schedule I really feel pretty good. Occasionally I have a “hungry” day…but I really do think it’s more in my head than anything. If I am truly hungry, I eat. If I go a little over my calorie goal, I don’t feel guilty. It’s better than feeling starving all the time and then really overeating or breaking down for something junky.
Dr. H says to go for a walk/jog in the mornings – which hasn’t really been working for me. I am a single parent and I really don’t like leaving her sleeping while I go out of the house. Instead I have been doing the Biggest Loser Workout Videos which are great! They really get my heart rate going and I can push myself as hard as I can (at least for now). Plus I live in Florida and it is already terribly hot in the morning! I’m not sure if Dr. H would say that is an okay tradeoff. Is there a certain payoff for walking outdoors in particular or will any cardio do?
Theresa – Congratulations on an AMAZING weight loss! That is something to be really proud of.
In all honesty, congratulations to everyone who is doing this! We should all be proud of ourselves for taking control of our lives, following some great advice, and reaching out to others for support. I am so excited to see where we are all at in another 5 weeks.
Maybe on Monday morning we can share our weight loss with each other (even if it’s a bad week!)? It can be the “Dr. H Wow! Group”
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Erin,
I think your idea is awesome. I wish there was some way to enter in your data and do a little graph or something (but I'm not that tech savvy). I've been doing the bod-pod tests at the end of the past two months and that has been a great accountability test for myself, but I'd love to be able to "weigh-in".
I've noticed a few other people saying the same sentiments, but it makes me feel a little closer to the Biggest Loser phenomenon to be doing this with other people who love the show. (And we don't get eliminated!!!)
Count me in Erin!
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I am creating a Google Group for the program participants…we can try that out so we don't bog down Matt's site. This way you can also put pictures, links, etc. Would that be of interest?
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Totally!
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Hi All!
I have created a Google Group for the “Where Did All the Fat Go?” Wow! Program. I thought it might be a good place to support each other through the program without bogging down Matt’s site.
Matt – I hope you will visit the group on there too!
If you are interested, Go to http://groups.google.com
In the search bar, type in “Where Did All the Fat Go?”
It will pull up the new discussion group. Feel free to check it out and even add the group. I would love your feedback!
Thanks,
Erin
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Hi All!
I have created a Google Group for the “Where Did All the Fat Go?” Wow! Program. I thought it might be a good place to support each other through the program without bogging down Matt’s site.
Matt – I hope you will visit the group on there too!
If you are interested, Go to Google groups In the search bar, type in “Where Did All the Fat Go?”
It will pull up the new discussion group. Feel free to check it out and even add the group. I would love your feedback!
Let's see how this goes!
Erin
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I set up the Google Group for Where Did All the Fat GO? I tried to send the info but it hasn't posted. I will try now and see if it will let me post at all. Hopefully you can all check it out and see if its a good addition to Matt's site.
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Erin, I'm totally in!!! that's great!
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Erin, how do we get to your group?
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Ready for this?
Just found out I'm pregnant.
I've been doing the program for 8 1/2 weeks, lost 20 pounds, and was on such an awesome roll. I'm happy I'm pregnant (this will be #4 for us), but a little devastated that this will put a major damper on my weight loss. The good thing is that I've been working out so hard for so long that I've built up a good momentum to continue to work out while pregnant, just not as intensely as before.
I'm still going to be extremely careful to eat well, not just count this as my free ticket to the buffet table.
Literally I just found out about 1/2 hour ago and after telling my husband and my best friend (who is also pregnant) I'm coming to you guys. I don't want my weight loss journey to end, so I'll just put it on hold for a while and I'm going to stick around to see how everybody is doing and to keep my own mental momentum going.
I'm off to bed (I am still getting up in the morning to work out!!!)
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To get to the Google Group page go to: http://groups.google.com/group/losing-it-right
I look forward to seeing you all on there!
Molly – congratulations! That is so exciting. I have no doubt that you will stay healthy while pregnant. Plus you will have a great program to start once the baby arrives! Thanks for sharing with us.
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To get to the Google Group page go to Google, select groups, type in Where Did All the Fat Go? and the page should be the first option.
I look forward to seeing you all on there!
Molly – congratulations! That is so exciting. I have no doubt that you will stay healthy while pregnant. Plus you will have a great program to start once the baby arrives! Thanks for sharing with us.
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First of all, MOLLY!! CONGRATS!!! 🙂 That is awesome news!!!
Ya know, after reading your posts, you and I sound alot alike!
In fact, I'm even scared I might be pregnant, but can't take a test for another week…ugh.
Remember not to do too much too soon…use this time to create that precious little one. 🙂 Again, congrats!!!
ERIN- Count me in!! I would LOVE a group! Let me know how to get there and get in, when it's all ready, if you don't mind. 🙂 I can't wait!
I'm so glad other people are exhausted and starving. LOL
Me too! In fact, I sat down today to write about it, but found your posts already answering my questions. 🙂
I have noticed if I eat the eggs for breakfast, I'm not hungry much of the day at all.
After my workout though, I'm ravenous!
I drink my shake.
I have to say, I'm not a morning person AT ALL.
Plus I have 2 boys at home (6 and 4), so I'm not going to wake up early and work out with them here.
The video was a good idea Erin, but either way, I'm NOT a morning person! LOL
INstead, I've been doing 1 and 1/2- 2 hours at night…
By the time I drink my shake and get a shower, I basically fall out.
Is that normal? LOL
OH and Molly…Don't lose heart girl!
Remember you can take it easy and do normal walking and still keep control of your pregnancy weight.
With my first son, I gained 45-50 pounds!
I knew better and was more careful with my 2nd and just gained 25.
Of course, I'm already overweight to begin with, so I didn't have to gain much, but still.
Just keep walking and light weight lifting (with supervision from a trainer if possible) and you'll be good to go once baby arrives. 🙂
Question for all…
How much does everyone weigh right now???
I can tell you, I was at 259 last I checked…yeah…basically 260.
I've never weighed that much in my life.
I was just 235 about 6 months ago.
It's just awful…but thank GOD for this site…thanks to Dr. H and his book!!!
I hope to lose this month!!!
How much do ya'll have to lose?
My goal for right now is 162, so basically I need a 100 pound loss.
Sometimes I feel like it's impossible, but I know that with you're help and motivation, it's possible! 🙂 I Just have to do the work…ugh
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Thank you so much you guys. I cried myself to sleep last night and when I got up to work out this morning I was so downtrodden. I did work out, took the long way home while I cried again, and came home. My kids are still asleep, my husband is still asleep, but I'm going to figure this out. Your words of encouragement mean so much to me.
I'm going to do all I can to be healthy this time around while pregnant. With my first I gained 40 pounds, my second 22, and my third 17. I weigh 185 right now (I was 221 last October, lost 16 pounds over 7 months, started the Dr. H. program and lost 20 in 8 1/2 weeks). So Here I am at 185. I'm sure you can imagine how hard it is to get within 25 pounds of my goal and have it wiped out from under me. But I'm going to keep a positive attitude and stay as healthy as I can and then get back into it hard core after the baby comes.
Thanks again you guys, you have no idea what your words mean to me this morning.
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Molly! That's awesome! I know it can be overwhelming, but it doesn't need to be the same kind of health struggle as in the past. You are already eating in a much healthier way – which is great for you AND the baby. Keep up the exercise – just don't do anything your doctor doesn't want you to do. If you use the same kind of dedication you have been using, you should be able to keep your weight under control, be in much better shape for the delivery, and have a better rebound afterwards. It is doable – it can be overwhelming, but don't let it bring it you down. Just keep coming at it with the same energy and attitude that you've had for the last couple months!
For everyone kind of reeling from the shock of adjusting to the workouts and new way of eating … just remember that your body resists change. We don't like it. My first month was MISERABLE. I was sore all the time, tired, drained, overwhelmed … but it gets easier. Somewhere around week five I started feeling REALLY good. As I got stronger and healthier, I felt better and better. It doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen – this isn't the way you'll feel the whole time you're trying to lose the weight! Your bodies will adjust!
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Molly you should be very proud of yourself. I have confidence in you, you seem like you've really changed your lifestyle and are in the right mindset.
I'm so exhausted. The past two days my workouts have been very lame. I just feel like someone took a vile and drained all the energy out of me. And this is only Week 2! I'm not going to let myself get dissapointed (even though I am dissapointed) because I have to keep focused that I'm putting forth the effort. Also, I'm dealing with a foot injury (before starting this) and haven't been able to do the walk/jogs. Everytime I try…i just haven't been able to push. But I really want to because Dr. H believes in it so much! So I"m having to do on the Eliptical.
My hat goes off to all you mom's. I don't know how you do it! I have a supporting husband and a demanding full time job, and I'm barely keeping it together!
Matt your post really helped because you shared that the first month was really hard and it got better around week 5! I'm looking forward to that moment!!!
I haven't been able to get a Body Composition Test. There is only one place in my state that does Bod Pod tests for the public. Well it's a University, I called over a week ago and the woman said "i'll have one of the Graduate Students call you back when they come in" Well they must be on break! I've google searched the Dexa Scan and nothing comes up-not sure where to get one of those. I really want to make sure I'm eating the right amount of calories (what I'm doing now is I averaged the amount of calories of the Women At Home Contestants at my weight, in the book).
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Alexa,
After I did my bod pod test I found that I was only off by about 50 calories or so by doing the same thing that you did by averaging the numbers from the people in the book. I think that's the right way to do it until you get a true test.
I've done a lot of reading about being pregnant/healthy eating/exercising/etc. and the conclusion that I've come to is that I'm SOO glad that I started the plan a while ago because now my body has built up a tolerance for the exercise and I can continue to work out (maybe not two hours a day, but I'm planning on doing 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours in the morning).
I've definetly been eating more healthy and I plan on continuing that. I bought some of the Greek style yogurt today and also some soy chips and snacked on those this afternoon and that was great. (Thanks for the link to the BL dietician for reminding me of Greek Yogurt).
I also bought some hummus to snack on tomorrow with some baby carrots (I think that was in the book as a good protein snack). I figure that I am training myself to eat well and showing my kids by example that eating well is a lifelong commitment and not just a fad.
Oh, and by the way, the mindset shift happened today and now I'm totally excited to have this baby!
I'll be up working out with you all tomorrow morning!!!
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You're amazing Molly! I've not had children yet. The thought scares me because I know I will be successful at this program and lose all my weight-I just have to. My husband and I would like children someday. I'm going to need YOUR HELP when that time finally comes for me to get pregnant. I don't want to throw it all away and become obese again!
Thanks for the Bod Pod info. Hopefully when the University opens up again, I'll get a phone call/test!!
Matt, I"ve got a question for ya. I've been hearing from people that you should have 1 "cheat day" (obviously in moderation). A few years ago my brother did the 'Body for Life' program which was very similar to this, and it did have a "cheat day". I even remember Bob saying on last season "we let the contestants have one day where we let them eat whatever they want". I've been wondering about this because there is no mention of this in Dr. H's book. I'm wondering if there's truth to this. I've been told that it helps you avoid binge's. What's your thoughts? I'm sort of afraid to, but I want to make sure I do this successful and if it means splurging every once in a while….should I?
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Alexa – I remember the episode where Bob said that; I laughed pretty hard because the short answer is that there is no such thing as a cheat day on the ranch! That's a quick ticket to getting voted off! I actually blogged about cheat days and that episode here: http://mattmcnutt.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/cheat-…
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phhheeeeewwwwww thanks for that, you cleared up my mind!!!
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So can I ask when you really stop being sore? I mean I remember when I joined a particular gym a few years ago and did this amazing class they had the first time. The next three days I was so sore I could hardly walk… when does that amount of soreness go away? I don't know how to push through it and exersize again.
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I was pretty sore for a solid three or four weeks … and then the workouts started getting fun. Even though I still pushed myself really hard, my body finally adjusted to and accepted the new demands being made on it. Just power through those first few weeks when your body is resisting the change and then it will get easier!
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Well today I had my body fat percentage measured in the water at UNMC. Oh my gosh. It is 46.3!!!! I weighed a little less than I thought though which was cool. But still, if I want to get to 23% .. which I think is the norm for women then I literally have to lose HALF. I'm stoked though. Within a week I'm going to see a dietician so I can get help on how to count calories properly, how to read labels, etc. and I should be set to start my Biggest Loser journey at home. I am so happy Matt that you posted about this book. I had never heard of it before. I cannot wait to start, although I'm extremely nervous that I won't follow through. Lots of prayers please!
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Ok – so I started the exercise portion of Where did all the fat go this week. I wanted to start the eating portion as much as I could without having already set up the ability to count all those calories. Actually, counting the calories isn't that hard it is the portion of those calories that need to go to protien, fat & carbs.
Anyway, so I have been really, really hungry. Like I have been fasting for a day hungry. I have don't other programs before that worked and been slightly hungry but, I want to eat everything in sight after I exercise and yes, I am drinking the shakes.
Any advice on this because trying to just eat the right things is not working right now.
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I also have some questions about the exercise intensity. Let me explain how I have looked at exercise intensity. A few years ago I had a successful 12 weeks on the Body for Life program. The aerobic exercise was 20 min. of high intensity interval training 3 x per week with 3 x per week of strength training. I lost 40 lbs. The intensity during cardio was 5-10, 10 being the I almost can't speak and if I do this for more than one minute I will collapse.
Where did all the fat go:
AM cardio is supposed to be intense exercise for 1 hour. I have a hard time looking at what I am doing as very intense, though I need to go thru 32 oz of water to keep from getting thirsty. I set myself at a pace that is as intense as I can keep it for 60 minutes. Sometimes I have to start taking it down a notch after about 40 minutes to keep going. I know what we see on the BL is edited so I am assuming that when I see people being pushed to do was I would consider a 10 it is probably the end of their exercise and they haven't been at that level the entire time. I am on the Elliptical for now but, if I were on the treadmill (which I am using in the afternoon) there is no way that I could average 4.5 mph for 60 minutes or even 4.0 mph for 60 minutes. And I am not as overweight as some, especially the guys on the show. I need to lose about 110 lbs.
So how intense is it really supposed to be? Am I cheating by using the elliptical because I don't need to finish the mandatory 4 miles for it to count? It takes me about 40 minutes to finish 2 miles and by then my ankles shins and feet can take no more.
PM Cardio is described as either aerobic exercise or activity with the family. I have one child who is three so I can't really do anything with family the gives me much of a workout. I am assuming that the afternoon cardio does not have to be quite as intense. I am currently going to the gym to get that exercise in but, I do a lower heart rate cardio than in the morning. I try to spend part of it on the treadmill though.
I know I am being picky about the details but, I want this to be as effective as possible. I don't want to invest the time and money and be doing something that reduces my weight loss.
Thanks,
Kristin
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change my gaming life. I now dont’ think Let me to spend as many doing what I use to do, I may be a little more fashion mindful or maybe just chat with more girls but still find out how to balance existence a bit.
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