What Happens After You Leave?

So often people wonder if a short visit to the resort is enough to get them on the right track of weight loss and health. People wonder, "if I get a jumpstart, can I finish at home? Will it be worth the investment? Can it really change my life?"

I can sit here all day and tell you YES to all of those questions, but of course I am going to say that. Don't take it from me, take it from our past guests. I was really excited to see the progress of my friend, Keith, who I met at our Malibu resort in December. He stayed a couple of weeks and it was amazing to see what he accomplished then, but to see how far he has come since then makes me want to cry! He is human just like the rest of us so I'm sure he has still faced and fought temptations, self-doubts, highs and lows, but he hasn't stopped. Look how far he has come in just six months. Anyone can do this, you just need the right tools.

XOXO

SARAH

BLR YEAR OF YOU Winner Chuck Pollock

BLR YEAR OF YOU Winner Chuck Pollock completed his third week at our Malibu Resort this past weekend.  Below, Chuck shares his thoughts as he approaches the beginning of his final week, as well as a video blog he shot on his morning hike yesterday. 




3 Weeks Down and 1 To Go! 


Well I completed week 3 yesterday, all in all a pretty good week!  I definitely have noticed a major improvement with the hikes compared to my first week.  And in the gym I have increased the intensity and turned it up a bit.


So on Monday is our evaluation hike to determine which van and which hiking group we will be in for the week.  So for the first time I felt great on the hike, and was actually near the front of the group.  Now don't get me wrong, my motto is I don't care if I'm first, or if I'm last because we all are doing the hike, and we all are completing the hike, it's not a competition, but I definitely felt good and wanted to step it up a notch.  So approximately 3 miles in I start to feel a hot spot on the back of my left ankle, but adjusted my shoe and continued on.  It got worse, so near the top of the mountain I stopped and took off the shoe and sock and noticed a skin tear which was pretty large (maybe the size of a quarter).  And let me tell you it hurt pretty bad.  So it got cleaned and bandaged up, but it kept me out of the hike for the next two days. Well I actually was pretty pissed about this, after all this is the best burn of the day, but I made the best of a bad situation and hit the gym both mornings while the groups where out hiking.  By Thursday, I was back on track and marched on. 


So our day ended yesterday, and today is the day to say goodbyes to the people leaving.  And as I put it to everyone when it was my turn to speak at graduation, the band is broken up as of today.  The last 2 people of the original group of friends that embraced mem and looked out for me since my first day here are leaving.  Today is a kind of emotional day again for me.  I'm going to make the best of it, and I know I must continue on, but like I stated in a previous blog, this journey is about me and learning to look out for myself for once in my life.  I will just relax today and take a nice ride and gather my thoughts for a few hours.  And I will probably hit the gym tonight as I get ready to tackle my final week here where I started this journey called the rest of my life. 

Chuck is making us proud.  He's putting 100% effort into the program; never giving up and not making excuses.  We're excited to see his progress in his fourth and final week.

If you have encouraging words for Chuck in his final week, please feel free to share them.  He'd love to hear from you! ROCK ON CHUCK!

Cheers to health in life,

Amanda

Sarah's "Aha" Moment of the Week!

Wow, we have been MIA for a long time and I must admit that I have missed writing to you all! There have been a lot of changes in my personal life that have kept me away but they are exciting changes! My husband and I were chosen to adopt a sweet baby girl due next month. Three weeks after we found out that the birth mom had chosen us, we found out that I was pregnant as well! After years and years of trying, losing over 100 pounds to be healthy enough to carry a child, tons of infertility treatments including two cycles of IVF which both failed it finally happened on our own! So we have two baby girls coming our way very soon!

Because I will become a full time mom to two babies very close in age, we have had to relocate for a better job opportunity for my husband. So I have been busy packing up our house, moving, and unpacking. But we are settling down and getting ready for our new additions. Luckily I will get to stay connected with you all through our social media for just a little while longer!

I had an interesting experience a few days ago that I wanted to share. I was out and about running errands and needed to stop for a quick lunch. Out of all of my options I decided that Subway was the best. There was a woman in front of me that ordered a 6" sandwich. The young man behind the counter informed her that she could make it a $5 footlong and it would only cost her .40 more. To my surprise she declined. "Are you kidding me?" I thought to myself. I couldn't believe it! She could DOUBLE her purchase for .40 and she said no. To me it was a no brainer! That is a lot more food for very little. I couldn't help myself and I had to ask her why she chose to not upgrade and even offered her .40 if she needed. Her response changed my perspective forever.

"Haha, thank you but I don't need forty cents. I just don't need the other 6" of the sandwich. And if I bought it just because it is a great deal then I would most likely be tempted to eat it, but those are extra calories I don't need. I would rather spend less and be satisfied than spend more and feel terrible after. But thank you."

I was stunned. I felt sheepish, to be honest, because she was completely right and I had never thought of it that way! Why spend more just because you end up getting way more food than you need? You ended spending more money, eating more calories, and feeling way worse about yourself. My dad taught me to compare cost per ounce since I was a little girl and this mindset of having to get the best "bang for my buck" has actually been worse for me in cases like this.

I found this experience very eye-opening and I'm glad it happened. Is it just me or has anyone else ever thought this way? I hope this helps open more eyes than just mine!

XOXO

SARAH

"Biggest Loser" Season 13 Finale

Earlier this week on Tuesday was the Season 13 Finale of NBC's "The Biggest Loser".  For any of you that watched the show this season, you may be aware of a unique season that involved a bit more drama and controversy.  But one thing remained unchanged, the success of the contestants.  The finale of Season 13, like those that proceeded, was inspiring! 


The contestant transformations were unbelievably beautiful; both on the outside and the inside!  Every "Biggest Loser" finale is a "Biggest Loser" family reunion.  Here is a look into how current and past "BL" contestants are doing.  I think you'll agree, they all look GREAT!  

BLR Malibu Hiking Director TJ with former BL Sam Poueu

Host Alison Sweeney

BL Trainers Dolvett Quince & Bob Harper

Chism weighs in

Nancy weighs in

Cassandra weighs in

Ben weighs in

Daphne weighs in

Waiting for their turn to hit the scale

Adrian weighs in

Emily weighs in

Megan weighs in

Kimmy weighs in

Gail weighs in

Lauren weighs in

JEREMY WINS!

BLR Utah trainer Sione Fa with Red Team Roy & Christine

Sione Fa with Orange Team Cassandra & Nancy 

Sione Fa with Aqua Team Adrian & Daphne 

Sione Fa with Purple Team Kimmy & Megan

Sione Fa with Pink Team Member Emily 

Sione Fa with Bob Harper 

BLR Malibu Marketing Coordinator Amanda Fitz (ME) with Dolvett Quince

BL Season 13 Winner Jeremy with former BL contestant Courtney Crozier

Sione Fa with BL Season 13 Winner Jeremy 

BLR YEAR OF YOU Winner Rob Cohn & me

BLR YEAR OF YOU Winners Mary Cisco & Chuck Pollock

BL former contestants Jerry & Estella Hayes 

(love them!)

Former BL Contestants (twins) Dan & Don Evans and Ruben Hernandez 

BLR former guests & Malibu Hiking Director TJ with Kim. 

(She looks AMAZING!)

Me & Conda (She is stunning & so nice) 

Former BL contestants Ramon Medeiros, Courtney Rainville, Jessica Limpert & TJ

Former BL contestants Patrick House (Season 10 Winner), Ruben Hernandez & Frado Dentin 

Former BL contestant "Boston" Johnny Forger 

Former BL contestants Olivia Ward (Season 11 Winner) & Ruben Hernandez

Former BL contestants Jessica Limpert & Ramon Medeiros

(They're adorable!)

BLR contestants Ron & Christine

(They look Great!)

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into what was an inspiring and beautiful evening!  Congratulations to ALL "Biggest Loser" contestants, past & present. 

Cheers to health in life, 

Amanda Fitz

5 Easy Ways to Survive the Grocery Store

Our Utah dietician Amanda helps us with some tips for the grocery store. I know I get stressed out sometimes trying to survive a shopping trip, and these tips definitely help! 

XOXO

SARAH

1. Never Go Hungry

                  If you want a recipe for disaster, step foot into a grocery store with an empty stomach. Suddenly, you’ll forget that you were going to prepare salmon and asparagus for dinner and go straight for the snacks and frozen pizza. Planning to shop after a meal is always the best idea, but if you are on a sudden time crunch, try to get something sustainable (yogurt, string cheese, bread/peanut butter) in your belly before hitting the store. 

2. Make a List

                  And check it twice! Shopping with a list allows you to prepare meals for a week and greatly reduces the chance that your fruits or veggies will go bad during the week. It also prevents you from buying foods you already have in your pantry. Ex) Day 1: English Muffin with egg, cheese, tomato, and spinach; Day 2: Spinach Salad; Day 3: Stir-Fry with chicken, brown rice, spinach, and frozen veggies; Day 4: Brown rice pilaf with spinach, tomato, and black beans

3. Peruse the Perimeter

                  Grocery stores make it easy on us. Almost all of them are organized where our fresh fruits and veggies, fresh meats, and dairy products are around the perimeter of the store. Now, I definitely feel like aisle shopping is necessary for whole grains, beans, and frozen fruits/veggies. But other than that, we are generally just picking up foods with much less nutrition than along the perimeter.  In general, make your cart look like your plate: half veggies and fruit, a quarter whole grains, and a quarter lean proteins.

4. Read Labels

            How else will you know what you’re getting? Be sure to check out how many servings are in the item you’re buying and look for a whole, short ingredient list. Remember, even though the product is brown or says “no high fructose corn syrup” doesn’t mean it is a health food! Check for other added sugars and look for “whole grain flour” on your labels while avoiding partially hydrogenated oils and artificial sweeteners. It is easy to label read when we’re perimeter shopping since we have so few items with labels!

5. Shop Once a Week

            If we’re shopping only once a month then what is usually happening? We’re losing produce that’s going bad (or not buying it), we’re eating out a lot, or buying lots of processed foods with a long shelf life. Shopping once a week, with a list, can greatly decrease your waste and food cost. Also, if you have kids, find a babysitter and have this as enjoyable time away from the kids or date night with your loved one! Make it fun!

-Amand Turner

BLR YEAR OF YOU Update

As most of you know, weekends at the BLR are busy, and bittersweet.  It's at this time that we bid adue to parting guests and say hello to new, incoming guests.  Here's what happened this weekend at BLR Malibu...




On Saturday, our second 'YEAR OF YOU' Winner Lyndee Hugen completed her four-week stay at The Biggest Loser Resort Malibu and departed back home to Iowa.  It's two days later and, like our first YOY Winner Monk Wells, she is already dearly missed.  In her four weeks at BLR Lyndee lost 18 pounds, 14 inches off her hips, waist & chest, and 3.2% body fat.  




Continue to follow Lyndee on her personal blog here: 
http://fattofitinthe515.blogspot.com  




"Winning!! Most amazing experience ever." - Lyndee Hugen 



Sunday, our third 'YOY' Winner Chuck Pollock arrived to our Malibu Resort from Rhode Island.  Today, Chuck begins his first full day of our program and will be with us for the next four-weeks.  


We are so excited to welcome him here and we hope you follow his journey!

Follow Chuck on his personal blog here: 

http://chuckpollock.blogspot.com 

Be sure to check in for details on Chuck's journey at the BLR and for updates on Lyndee and Monk's progress at home.

Cheers to health in life, 

Amanda 

BLR Top Smartphone Apps for Health & Fitness

Smartphones.  These days, just about everyone has one.  What makes smartphones so fantastic are the variety of applications available for download that provide access to information at the touch of your fingertip.  Some apps can really make life easy.  Suri on the other hand, she's debatable. 


For those of you with iPhones, Androids or BlackBerries, here is a list of some of our favorite health, fitness and exercise apps. 


***Please note: not all apps listed below are available on Android or BlackBerry smartphones. 

MyFoodFacts 

($1.99)

We recommend this app for anyone that suffers from food allergies. With this app you can: 
~Get alerts you if the product you are scanning contains any  

   potential allergens or allergen derivatives.
~Scan any product and get an easy to read, searchable list of                                

   ingredients information instantly.      

~Personalize MyFoodFacts to your specific food allergens. 

NutriSleuth 

($4.99)

Similar app to MyFoodFacts. For those with food allergies. 

iMapyMyFitness 

(free)

This app uses your GPS to track your outdoor workouts. Once you start the app, it tracks your time, distance, pace, speed, elevation and more. 

~Real-time tracking & an interactive map so you can see where you've been.
~The ability to view your workout history online.
~Manually enter workout information for other cardio or strength training 

   workouts.
~Tweet your workouts to friends on Twitter.
~Voice feedback on things like distance, pace or speed.
The company also offers apps for running, cycling and walking.

Tap & Track (Calorie Counter) 

($3.99)

Tap & Track offers tons of features for people who want to track everything from food calories to exercise.  They offer an extensive food database with 300,000 food items and 700 restaurants, while the workout database has over 180 exercises. This app is that it works offline, so you don't need an internet connection to search the food database, and it also allows you to add foods and build your own recipes. With this app, you can:

~Track calories eaten.
~Track calories burned.
~Track carbs, protein, fat, fiber, sodium, sugar and more.
~Set diet plans and weight loss goals.

Glucose Buddy 

(free)

Tracks glucose readings you enter four times a day, as well as food consumed, exercise, and medication. You can set alarms to remind you to take the glucose readings.

Nike+GPS

($1.99)

Improve your performance with one of the world's most popular running apps.  Track your pace and route with the iPhone's GPS and accelerometer, even pinpoint where you slowed down and sped up. 

CyclemeterGPS

($2.99)

Go faster and farther by monitoring the time, location, distance, elevation and speed of your rides.  This full-featured GPS tracker helps you compete against yourself or other riders. 

Daily Burn

(free)

Achieve your fitness goals by eating and exercising smarter.  Watch your calorie intake with a database of over 350,000 foods and find the perfect workout with detailed exercise videos. 

Trailhead

(free)

Over 300,000 great trails and now in your pocket.  Search by proximity with your phones GPS or by activity to find the best route for your next hike, bike ride or climb. 

GoodFoodHealthyRecipes

($2.99)

Eat better with over 175 healthy recipes right on your phone.  Helpful videos show how to prepare nutritious meals, including 35 delicious dishes that contain less than 200 calories. 

HeartWise 
($0.99)


Let's you enter your blood pressure readings along with your pulse and weight. The app will calculate your average arterial pressure and generate graphs showing fluctuations over time.

SleepCycleAlarmClock 
($0.99)


Finds the best time during a chosen 30-minute period to wake you. You place your phone on a corner of your mattress, secure it under a contour sheet, and allow it to “observe” you for a few nights. Using its built-in motion sensor, the phone gets to know your sleep patterns well enough to find the best moment to wake you.

PocketFirstAid&CPR
($1.99)


From the American Heart Association, offers detailed instructions for assisting accident victims and those who fall ill, including video instructions for performing procedures like CPR or using a cardiac defibrillator. Some of the instructions are too lengthy and intricate to be first used during a crisis, so you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the content first.

MosquitoBuster 
($0.99) 


An extremely simple app that lets you use your phone to replace standard mosquito repellants such as sprays and candles. Turn on the app, and your phone will emit a high-frequency pitch that is inaudible to humans but drives mosquitoes crazy enough to stay away. Solution to mosquito-borne diseases?

Meal Snap
($2.99)


Makes calorie-counting easy and somewhat magical. Use your phone to snap a picture of any food or drink, and the system will automatically identify and provide the estimated caloric breakdown of your meal. Food tracking has never been easier. 

Have we left out any apps that you favor for nutrition and exercise use?  Let us know.  We'd love to hear from you and we hope you get the opportunity to enjoy some of these apps on your smartphone!


Cheers to health in life, 


Amanda