BIGGEST LOSER "6' WEEK ELEVEN

“It’s all in your head.” Has anyone ever told you that? Whether you were feeling sick, frustrated with something, or even depressed—perhaps you’ve even thought it yourself.

Sometimes it is. There’s quite a bit of evidence suggesting many illnesses have a psychosomatic component. Or at least the cure does. When they treat test groups with actual medicines and placebo’s (fake medicine), a surprising number of people actually improve on the placebo.

It might mean that they were about to get better anyway. But if they really believe the “medicine” is going to help them, sometimes it works. This is called the “placebo effect.” I think it goes deeper than just the mind (which is already pretty deep). I think it gets down to the level of the heart—perhaps our spirit. And it can work for us—or against us.

The bible gets into this. “As a man thinketh, so is he.” In the gospels, Jesus said if we’ve just thought about it in our heart, it’s the same as if we’ve actually done it. We do things that become patterns that can take years to get rid of, if ever.

And the consequences can be devastating. Try to resist that thing. It’s tough. Think about it long enough and you’re probably going to do it, whether it’s cookies, smoking, or even a sexual addiction.

But the concept applies to good things, too. Remember, as you think—so you are. That’s why the bible tells you to “think on these things” and by the “renewing of your mind.” Start thinking differently. You’ve got to quit thinking “you can’t do it, so why bother?” Instead, you need to start getting around people who are doing it, or have done it, so some of that can rub off on your spirit.

That’s why it’s helpful to go to the gym, or join a group like the Biggest Losers. It’s still a struggle—you’re just not struggling alone, and that helps. Lions look for the stray animal that’s grazing away from the herd. They’re easy pickings. Stay with the pack and you’ll find safety and support when the lion comes. You’ll win some battles and at some point you’ll start thinking, “maybe I can.” Then it turns to “I know I can do this.”

Sometimes we need a little more help, too, especially when we’ve got years of programming to undo. Whenever I’ve felt over my head (frequently), I’ve asked God for help and he’s never let me down. Sometimes the answer takes awhile, or isn’t what I expected, but he’s never failed to help me out.

If you’re struggling with something, my best advice is to ask God to help you figure it out. Ask him to help you understand why you do what you do. Often, our problems stem from things that have happened to us long ago, even as children.
Sometimes we need to heal old wounds that we’re really just putting Band-Aids on. Once the real issue is dealt with, things often take care of themselves. It can be a little painful, but it’s worth it, especially if you really want things to change.

That brings up another point. In the end, you’ve got to actually really want to change. Not just lip service, knowing “you need to do it.” Quit kidding yourself. We like doing what we do. If you don’t want to change, you might as well just eat up, light up, drink up, or whatever else, because in the end, you’ll keep sabotaging your efforts. Real change takes guts. It takes a commitment. And it’s going to be painful.

So it’s got to be more painful to not change, then to do all the stuff you’re going to have to do to get there, or you won’t stick it out. Find reasons to change. Big ones—things worth fighting for. This is a big deal. God’s on your side. Start thinking like this, and who can be against you?

First place this week was a tie between Dawn Hopper and Pam Kelly, each losing 1.8% of their body weight. Dawn lost 3.4 lbs and Pam lost 4.2 lbs, winning the $20 Wal-Mart gift card from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance and the free massage from Bridgett’s Therapeutic Massage.

Third place went to Teri Dennis who lost 1.7% of her body weight and 3.3 lbs. Fourth place went to Judy Rush, losing 1.6% and 2.4 lbs, and fifth place went to Bill Lewis, with 1.3% and 2.6 lbs.

BIGGEST LOSER “7”

Next week we’ll have the final results from Biggest Loser “6.” It’s also time to get signed up for Biggest Loser “7” which starts this Saturday, March 28th at 10:00 am. It’s $50 to participate in the Saturday morning weigh-ins and workouts during the 12 weeks.

You don’t have to be a member at our place, but you really need to be a member somewhere, like the YMCA, Curves or have access to a gym at work. It’s tough for most people to get it done at home, and if you don’t have the right equipment it’s almost impossible. Don’t forget the safety in numbers. Remember the lions?

The deadline to register is this Friday, March 27th. This spring, let’s do this together!

BIGGEST LOSER "6' WEEK TEN

This week, twenty people got to experience some basic Kick Boxing for their Friday night workout. They learned how to jab, cross, and throw a left hook, while bobbing and weaving and hitting targets held by their partner. They also learned how to throw a low-line round kick, also called an angle kick to their opponent’s leg.

A great cardio workout, Kick Boxing can become a strength workout too when throwing in other exercises between rounds, like pushups, pull-ups, or body squats. The resistance felt when hitting targets makes it even better. Plus anytime you get to hit things, it’s great for relieving stress! Finally, training like this where you’re actually dodging things and learning how to move and put power on a target is very real and practical.

The group also learned some new Level 3 exercises to start using in their regular routines: EZ Bar Deadlift-Curl-Press; Dumb-bell Clean & Presses; and Kettle Bell Swings. Each exercise uses the entire body, including Pushing, Pulling, and Lower Body muscles. As a result, a very efficient yet complete workout can be built around them.

Basically, you’d pick one of the exercises and do 4-5 sets, with assorted other core exercises thrown in between. Another great alternative is to do a set of the primary exercise and then run ¼ mile on the treadmill at a brisk pace, and so on. Or, you could do a set, and then a round of Kick Boxing on the heavy bag, and so on.

Two weeks to go, and we’re starting to see people wavering in their staying power. Although they lasted much longer this time then ever before, we’re still looking at a significant drop in the number of people making the weigh-in (41 out of the original 60). And only 20 made the workout. It’s too bad, because everyone seemed to have a great time.

My hat’s off to the group that’s left, including those with other commitments Friday night, but who are still involved. And I know some others have had to quit due to some serious health challenges. It can be tough. It’s also springtime.

It’s one thing to start an exercise program. It’s quite another to commit to 12 weeks, including a Friday night weigh-in and workout, which I’ll admit isn’t the most convenient time for most people.

That’s why we’re making a change for Biggest Loser “7,” and moving to Saturday mornings. The first meeting of Biggest Loser “7” will be Saturday, March 28th at 10:00 am. Hopefully, it will be a good idea.

Like when we changed to a 24 hour gym, it made it more convenient for most people and we saw quite an increase in the number of people that could make it into the gym. I’m guessing we’ll be able to have more activities outside on Saturday mornings too, since it will be daytime as well as warming up!

So come up and get registered for Biggest Loser “7.” The cost is $50 to participate in the weekly weigh-in and workout for 12 weeks. You don’t have to have a membership to get involved, but you should have a membership somewhere, like at the YMCA, Curves, or another gym, or enough equipment at home to get your workouts in.

Next week, I’ll talk about some of the other issues involved in losing weight and getting in shape. Things that go deeper than just eating right and exercising smart. For now, this week’s winner was Bill Lewis, back on top for the fifth time out of ten weeks. Bill lost 3.0% of his body weight and 6.0 lbs and won a $20 Wal-Mart gift card from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance. He also won a massage from Bridgett’s Therapeutic Massage.

Second place went to Janet Tyler who lost 2.4% of her body weight and 3.8 lbs. Third place went to Pam Kelly who lost 1.6% of her body weight and 4.0 lbs. See you in the gym!

BIGGEST LOSER "6' WEEK NINE

In week one, the participants started on the machines to build some base strength and just get moving. After a month, they progressed to free weight exercises with dumbbells and the exercise balls. Working with dumbbells, they used more stabilizer muscles to do the movements, and also their core muscles more.

Last week, after two months of training, it was time for some new exercises. Called compound exercises, these exercises take two or three familiar exercises, and combine them into one movement.

Compound movements require even more core strength to keep the body stabilized. They also demand much more oxygen since more muscles are working at the same time. This is why you might not be breathing hard after a set of bicep curls, or shoulder presses, or even lunges. But if you combine the three into a walking lunge-curl-press, you’ll find yourself winded right away. Or, do a squat and shoulder-press together, and see how quickly you gas.

WALKING LUNGE-CURL-PRESS
Take two dumbbells, and holding one in each hand, do a walking lunge forward until your front leg is bent 90° and your back knee is bent toward the floor with your heel up. Then, keeping your body posture straight, curl the dumbbells up with your biceps, and then turn them around as you shoulder-press them up over head until the sides are touching. Then, slowly lower them, and then un-curl them downward before taking another full walking lunge step. Use your stomach and side muscles to try and keep your upper body completely straight, resisting the side-to-side forces trying to pull you off balance.

THRUSTERS
Take two dumbbells, and holding one in each hand up on your shoulders, place your feet about shoulder width apart. Squat backward while keeping your knees from moving. (Most people make the mistake of letting their knees come forward during the squat which puts too much pressure on the knee joint.) A good way to practice this is simply sitting backward onto a chair and then getting back up. You also want to keep your upper body from bending forward, by keeping your back arched and looking upward. From the squat, use your hips and legs to get back up. You should feel it just as much in your butt and hamstrings as you do in your quads. On the way up, shoulder press the dumbbells overhead, rotating them until the sides are touching. Then lower them as you go back into the squat position.

LEVEL 3 WORKOUTS
Once you have the exercises down, use them as the basis of your workout. That’s what we did Friday night. They did four rounds of Walking Lunge-Curl-Press, combined with a couple exercises on the exercise ball.

We split the group in half, with one group doing the Walking L-C-P up and down the floor one time. Meanwhile, the other half was doing Ab Crunches on the Ball. Then they rotated.

For the second round, group one did another set of Walking L-C-P while group two did Pikes on the ball, where their hands were in a pushup position on the floor and their feet or shins were on the ball. Then, keeping their legs straight, they lifted their buns in the air.

Round three was a third set of Walking L-C-P and a new exercise on the ball where they held a smaller medicine ball and rotated from side to side. By now, things were getting harder.

In round four, both groups did a final set of Walking L-C-P. They also did a fourth exercise on the ball. With their feet or shins on the ball, they pulled their knees in and out while staying in that pushup position.

The whole workout took just under 30 minutes, and everyone was wiped out. They’d used a tremendous amount of energy because so many muscles were working at the same time. Their core was hammered because it had to work hard to maintain their posture.

Even though it was quite a strength workout, it also felt like a cardio workout, and they were all breathing pretty hard at the end of each round. Finally, a lot of calories will be burned long after the workout (called the after-burn effect).

The next workout could be structured a similar way, but using Thrusters and Pull-ups instead. There’s no limit to the amount of variety in workouts this way, and they’ll make you a lean machine, with tremendous endurance and a ripped body if you’re also watching what you eat.

THIS WEEK’S WINNERS
Things slowed down quite a bit weight loss wise this week. Quite a few people broke even or lost just a half a pound or so, but that’s to be expected in week nine. That’s why I like to shake things up and have them do different activities and change up their workouts.

First place went to Judy Rush, who lost 2.2% of her body weight and 3.4 lbs. Judy had to leave, so she’ll get her $20 gift card from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance later, along with a free massage from Bridgett’s Therapeutic Massage.

Second place went to Jessica Fiscus, who lost 2.0% of her body weight and 3.8 lbs which was the most pounds lost this week. Third place went to Melissa Bradley, who lost 1.7% of her body weight and 3.4 lbs, for a clean sweep by the ladies!

Next week, we’ll talk about some of the other problems facing people struggling with weight loss. Right now, I’ve got to get to the gym!

BIGGEST LOSER "6' WEEK EIGHT

48 people made this week’s weigh-in. I’m pretty sure another four or five are still active, so that puts us at around 52 or 53 out of the original 60. That’s still pretty good for the eighth week. Typically we’d be down a third or even half by now, so something’s different this time. People are sticking it out longer.

One thing that’s helping is that some have hooked up with a buddy. Their buddy calls to make sure they’re going to go workout and then calls to check in afterward. Sometimes they meet at the gym and workout together.

Making changes like eating right and exercising smart is tough for some people. Old habits are hard to break. New ones are tough to make. If you’re not extremely self-motivated, it helps to have someone who can provide that motivation for you. Most people work harder when working out with a partner. It’s a biblical principle. “Two are better than one” and “a cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

If you’re one of the ones that can do it on your own, you have a special gift. You are self motivated. But this gift isn’t just for you alone. I think we’re supposed to share it. You can motivate others too. Everyone needs to be fit and healthy, right?

Let’s say that 50 people finish Biggest Loser “6” and have made real and lasting changes. They know what to do and how to do it. They also decide to help one other person do it too. What if each of those 50 people took one person and mentored them this year? If someone didn’t stick with it, then they found someone else to help. If all 50 did it, by the end of the year, you’d have 100 people.

Next year the first 50 mentor a new group of 50 and the second group mentors 50 more. By the end of the year, that’s 200 people eating right and exercising smart. Then the following year you did it again, and then again. By the 9th year, we’d exceed the population of Paris. By the 12th or 13th year, we’d be reaching the equivalent of bigger cities. By the 22nd year, we’d be reaching billions. Obesity as we know it would be extinct!

I guess that might be a little ambitious, but I’m seeing it every day. People are bringing friends and family members and teaching them what to do and how to do it. It helps them keep coming and gets another group of people started at the same time. What could we really do if more got on board? How about you?

Two people tied for first place this week, both losing 3.1% of their body weight. Heidi Walls lost 4.2 lbs and Randy Weir lost 6.4 lbs. Heidi had to leave, so Randy won the $20 Wal-Mart gift card from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance and the 30 minute massage from Bridgett’s Therapeutic Massage.

3rd Place went to Gary Goodman, who lost 2.8% of his body weight and 5.4 lbs. They were followed by Katy Kennedy, Bill Lewis, and Brian Bradley, all losing 4.6 lbs, and Jennifer Bowers, who lost 4.0 lbs.

Here are the results for the first 8 weeks so far. We’d like to see an average of a pound a week. But there are a lot of things that you have to factor in, like fitness levels, medications and medical conditions, injuries and forced time off. Even half a pound a week can be good in those circumstances and sometimes, just staying even is a good thing.

% lbs
1. Bill Lewis 19.5 50.2
2. Gary Goodman 12.6 27.6
3. Randy Weir 11.9 28.2
4. John Sanchez 10.4 25.7
5. Dawn Hopper 10.2 21.8
6. Brian Bradley 9.9 23.8
7. Chad Cline 9.5 21.8
8. Brenda Lilley 7.7 14.2
9. Erika Hollis 7.7 13.4
10. Erin Hutchison 7.6 15.4
11. Michele Everetts 7.3 17.4
12. Katy Kennedy 6.9 14.6
13. Shawn Bowers 6.6 19.4
14. Tony Peel 5.7 16.8
15. Ken McConkey 5.6 20.0
16. Chris Redman 4.9 12.8
17. Carol Cline 4.8 9.8
18. Janet Tyler 4.8 7.8
19. Heidi Walls 4.8 6.8
20. Kim Arbuckle 4.7 7.6
21. Penny Duzan 4.4 8.0
22. Jessica Fiscus 4.3 8.6
23. Haley Sanders 4.3 10.6
24. Angela Griffin 4.2 8.8
25. Echo Johnson 4.2 7.8
26. Kathy Kennedy 4.2 5.4
27. Sue Sheerhan 4.1 8.7
28. Shirley Fiscus 4.0 8.0
29. Bridgett Trover 3.9 7.2
30. Dale Anderson 3.9 9.6
31. Margo Yeargin 3.8 6.4
32. Beth Robertson 3.3 5.6
33. Tracy Rush 3.2 7.4
34. George Griffin 2.7 5.8
35. Jean McConkey 2.7 5.0
36. Teri Dennis 2.6 5.2
37. Tim Meyers 2.2 5.7
38. Chad Robertson 2.1 5.0
39. Cheryl Redman 2.1 4.0
40. Pam Kelly 2.0 5.0
41. Melissa Bradley 1.9 4.0
42. Renee Colvin 1.8 3.4
43. DeeAnn Green 1.6 2.2
44. Pam Waller 1.1 3.0
45. Judy Rush .009 1.4
46. Jennifer Bowers .004 0.8
47. Casey Redman .0 0
48. Mike Givens .0 0

BIGGEST LOSER "6' WEEK SEVEN

Five people missed the weigh-in this week. Out of the original 60 people, it looks like 56 are still hanging in there. And that’s good because we’re coming down to crunch time.

There’s something about the one and two month barriers. It’s a psychological barrier, but it’s real and almost a tangible thing. That’s why we try to get people to commit mentally to a 12 week program.

Three months is long enough to see significant results AND create new habits that are likely to last. Anything less and I get a little nervous. But even six months or a year doesn’t guarantee long term success.

I know a couple people who’ve lost quite a bit of weight. For some reason, they lost focus and quit working out. They also stopped watching what they ate. Quicker then you’d expect, they put most of the weight back on. Now they’re working hard to lose it all over again.

We’re creatures of habit. Under pressure, we’ll default to what we’ve done the most. Even though we lose the fat, our bodies still have those empty fat cells, just waiting to fill them up again.

Eating right and exercising smart has to become a life-style—something you think about and do daily. If you can do that, you can keep it off forever. But you have to be serious about it and consistent in your approach.

One group that’s serious about it is the guys from the Fire Department. If you see the truck outside, don’t get concerned (unless they’re in full turn-out gear with axes in their hands). What’s going on is that they’ve made fitness a priority for the department.

That makes sense. Think about it. When they’re fighting a fire, they’re wearing gear that weighs around 100 lbs. If they’re going inside, they’re also on an oxygen bottle. Under high stress and exertion, respiration goes way up, and it doesn’t take long to go through their supply. That means they’ll have to turn around, leave and get another one.

If they’re in shape, though, they can last longer on the same amount of oxygen which might just save someone’s life someday. They’ll be able to stay in there longer and keep looking for us. And once they find us, they’ve got to be strong enough to pick us up and get us out—after they’ve already been exerting themselves—under high stress conditions!

Something else I didn’t know was that the majority of firefighters die from heart attacks—during or just after a fire. But if they’re in the gym working on their cardio, they’ll have stronger hearts, and hopefully be able to prevent that from happening to them—after they’ve saved you and me.

Some of the guys are even working out with me and my Level IV groups. That’s some tough training, but it will get them in the best shape of their lives. The goal is to be as lean as we can be, as strong as we can be, and be able to keep going when others would have to stop or slow down.

The workouts were originally designed for mixed martial art (MMA) fighters that have to go full bore for three five-minute rounds. Then cops figured out it prepared them for when they have to go all out in a foot pursuit or to gain control of a goofball resisting arrest, or worse, trying to attack them. I train this way for both of those reasons.

We already talked about the benefits to firefighters, but normal Joes (and Janes) benefit from these workouts too. They get lean and mean, feel great, and everything else becomes easier. If you’re new and just starting out, you simply modify the workout by using lighter weights, less intensity, and taking more rest breaks.

After a 10 minute cardio warm-up, the full body workouts take about 20-30 minutes, three days a week. They’re always different, so you never know what to expect. This keeps it interesting, plus the body responds very well when you keep changing the workouts.

It’s also nice to workout with a group doing the same thing. Everyone’s suffering together, and you all tend to get more out of it. This concept is so important we talked about it with the Biggest Losers, too. Having a buddy helps both of you push yourselves harder.

That brings us to this week’s Biggest Loser. Erika Hollis was back on her game with a weight loss of 4.1% and 6.6 lbs. She’d gained a little weight last week but fixed the problem this week, losing everything she’d put on, plus a little more to boot. Erika won a $20 Wal-Mart gift card from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance, and also a 30 minute massage from Bridgett’s Therapeutic Massage.

Second place went to DeeAnn Green, who lost 3.0% of her body weight and 4.0 lbs. Third place went to Bill Lewis, who lost 2.3% of his body weight and another 4.8 lbs. Next week, we’ll have the two-month rundown and I’ll post everyone’s weight loss after eight weeks.

BIGGEST LOSER "6' WEEK SIX

Well we’ve made it halfway through the twelve weeks. Although eight people missed the weigh-in on Friday night, I know at least five of them are still with us.

One guy called it in and said “don’t count me out.” Another’s working hard on the high school play. I think two are out of town, and one gal was sick. That makes three I’m not sure about. So far, 59 out of the original 60 have stuck with it. We’ll see next week.

We’ve talked a lot about the different distractions that can sidetrack you when you’re trying to make lifestyle changes like this. In the end, it’s your ability to work around things that will make you successful.

Trips are going to come up, so you need to find a way to work out while you’re on the road. My first choice is always to find a local fitness center. You might have to pay a day rate (usually around $10) but sometimes you can get a free visit.

I like fitness centers, because they’ll have all the stuff I’ll need. If one’s not available, I’ll try the hotel—often they’ll have a small workout room. Usually, it’s just a treadmill and bike, but once in awhile they’ll have some weights, too.

If neither is available, I fall back on my “hotel” workout. I’ll do a set of pushups, body squats, and then sit-ups. Then I’ll take off down the hallway, out the exit door, up the steps, back through that hallway, out that exit door, and down the steps to the original floor.

If I’m feeling especially froggy, I’ll do a couple flights. Sometimes, I’ll be at an Inn where the stairs are on the outside of the building. Then, I’ll run around the top floor, go down the steps, do the next floor, and so on.

Once I’ve made a circuit or two, I’ll go back in the room and do another set of pushups, body squats, and sit-ups and then head back out down the hallway. It doesn’t take too many circuits to get a pretty good workout and 20-30 minutes in. Not bad for being on the road.

A couple years ago, I was with my wife down in Branson, MO for a TV appearance on a small syndicated show. They had me there when my book “Bodies-in-Balance: How to Eat Right and Exercise Smart” first came out.

Branson is very hilly, and they put us in this hotel that was closed for the season. I think they rolled the sidewalks up too. It was a little weird being the only people at the hotel. It was kind of like that Steven King movie where they were at that resort that was closed for the winter. I was half expecting to see “Jack” come through the door with an axe.

Well the hotel was at the upper end of this one monster hill with some other hotels (all closed) at the other end. There was this big half mile dip in the road between them. It was so steep you could feel your ears pop when you drove down it.

So I decided I’d run down the hill and up the other side to those other hotels and then run back. I’m always up for challenges, and was curious to see how many times I could do it.

The first one wasn’t so bad. I was able to keep running, but had to slow way down to make it up the other end. Coming back, it was the same thing. I barely made it back up to our hotel, and by then, I’d only run a little more than a mile.

Being a little dense, I wondered if I could do it again. Of course, going down the hill was pretty easy, but you kind of had to slow yourself down so you wouldn’t pick up too much speed. That’s harder than you’d think, and you really feel it in your legs.

This time I had to walk the last couple hundred feet to get to the top of the hill. By then my legs felt like I’d, well, trudged up a huge hill, and I was pretty winded.

Going back was brutal. I’d way underestimated the effects of running up and down hills that big. That time I made it about halfway back up (about ¼ of a mile) and had to walk the rest of the way.

Normally I’d run 2 miles in 20 minutes or less, but that day, it took me almost a half hour to do the two laps there and back. I got my workout in, but boy were my legs shot!

Closer to home, in the Friday night workout, they learned their second free weight routine. It switches up some of the exercises and they’ll be using it for the next two weeks.

I showed them how to mix the two sets of each exercise with the Ab Routine and core exercises to keep the intensity up. Later, we’ll combine the two workouts. For now, here’s their Free Weight Workout #2:

1. Walking Lunges – Legs, Hips and Core
2. Pec Flys on the Ball – Chest and Arms
3. Bent Leg Deadlifts – Legs, Hips and lower back (this was in workout #1)
4. Pullovers on the Ball – Upper Back, Chest and Arms
5. Shoulder Press – Shoulders and Triceps
6. Bicep Curls – Biceps and Forearms
7. Tricep Kickbacks -- Triceps
8. Ab Routine #1-5: Crunches with Knees Bent; with Legs up in the air; crossing over to one side; crossing to the other side; and Leg Lifts.

Our winner this week was Michele Everetts, who lost 2.3% of her body weight and an amazing 5.0 lbs. She won a $20 Wal-Mart gift card from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance. Michele also won a well-deserved certificate for a massage from Bridgett’s Therapeutic Massage.

Second place went to Gary Goodman who lost 1.9% of his body weight and 3.7 lbs. Third place went to a surprised Katy Kennedy, who lost 1.7% of her body weight and 3.4 lbs.

BIGGEST LOSER "6' WEEK FIVE

Week Five has come and gone and I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop. We started with 60 people and still have 59 people participating.

The usual dropout rate bothered me so much that I made a big deal about it in Week One. We covered all the things that come up, like getting sick, injured, other conflicts, and even disappointment due to failed expectations.

I’ve found that if people make it through week eight, they’ll stick to the end. So we’ve got two to three more critical weeks. If they can focus on the big picture and their long term goals, I think we’re in for a very strong finish.

Focusing on your goals instead of your distractions is always a good strategy. Things are always going to come up. Life will always intrude, no matter what you’re trying to do.

When it does, you’ve got to sit back, and take a deep breath. If you just hang in there, the distractions are going to come and go. The important thing is to remember where you’re going.

It’s like the wagon train that rolled through town back in the frontier days. Everyone would get all excited, and the dogs would yip and yap and run around trying to nip at the wheels. Sooner or later, the dogs would get tired of yapping. You can’t let the little things distract you.

I experience that even now, with real dogs when I’m out running. They defend their territory and make lots of noise, but if you keep on going, sooner or later, they get tired and turn back.

There are several participants that have been sick in the last couple of weeks, but they’ve taken pains to let me know they’re still in the game. This is exactly the attitude that will make them successful.

We have a gal that was also in Biggest Loser “2.” We’d just gotten started when she fell down seriously injuring her wrist. She said that in the emergency room, she was more upset about not being able to workout then the actual injury.

It took her a year to recuperate, and she still doesn’t have full function in her wrist. So instead of doing pushups, she does more body squats. That’s a woman who’s going to get what she wants.

It’s that kind of inner drive I’m talking about. You need to cultivate it and learn how to use it. Figure out what you want and make a decision that nothing’s going to keep you from getting it.

Come up with important reasons why you need to do it. Those reasons have to be strong enough to outweigh the pain you’re going to experience along the way.

If it’s to drop 40 pounds, then you have to make up your mind that that’s what you’re going to do. One way or another you’re going to do it. It’s coming off. Even if it takes a year. Even if you have to slow down for one of life’s distractions, you’re going to do it.

If you get knocked down, you get right back up. You might be a little wiser, a little smarter for the experience, but you get back up. This is the stuff that success is made of.

I tell people the reason they made me a “Master” of martial arts a couple years ago was not because I was the best student or instructor (although I’m no slouch either). It’s because I never quit. I just outlasted everyone. Twenty seven years later, I’m still doing it. Do something long enough and you’ll go a long way.

Sometimes I’ll overhear people talking about someone working out at the gym… “she’s so thin.” Well yeah. She’s walked two miles a day for years, plus weights three times a week. What do you expect?

If you’ve been waiting to get in gear this year, you better quit waiting and make a decision to get going. A twelve of your new year is already gone. Before you know it, it’ll be summer. Then Christmas, and another year will pass you by.

Don’t let this happen to you. Make a decision and take some action. And then take a lesson from our latest group of Biggest Losers, and keep at it.

Our winner this week was Shawn Bowers, who stepped it up big-time to lose 3.0% of his body weight and a crazy 8.1 lbs, knocking Bill out of the top spot. He’d said that someone needed to step up and do it. That someone was him!

Shawn’s preparing for a mini-marathon and ran 8 miles last weekend. He won a $20 Wal-Mart gift card from our friends at Terry Elston State Farm Insurance and also a 30 minute massage from Bridgett’s Therapeutic Massage.

Second place went to Tim Meyers, who finally found his stride this week, losing 2.1% of his body weight and 5.3 lbs. Third place went to Bill Lewis, who still lost 2.0% of his body weight and a respectable 4.4 lbs.

BIGGEST LOSER "6' WEEK FOUR

Well we’ve finished the first month and retention is still at an all time high. Out of the original sixty who started, we were down only one last week. Out of the remaining 59 participants, 54 made the Friday night weigh-in.

Of the five who were missing, two gals were home sick, one guy was working and the other was away at All State for a singing performance. Only one was in question. That means we’re still at 58 or 59 people.

The workout was tough but they were ready for it after a month of training. Promising not to have them do any Burpees, I still found a way to make it tougher. They did 50 Jumping Jacks, followed by a minute of Mountain-Climbers. Then they did both again, and then again. After that, it was Hops, Monkey drills, and Partner drills up and down the floor.

Then they learned a bunch of abs exercises: Crunches with knees bent; Crunches with legs straight up in the air; Crunches crossing to one side and then the other; Leg Raises; the Plank; the Plank from side to side; and finally, the Banana-man Superman combo.

Finally, we finished with 25 body squats. The workout lasted exactly 30 minutes, and a good time was had by all. The goal was to teach them new things they could throw into their regular routines to spice things up.

It also showed them how to workout if they ever had to be away from the gym, traveling for example. Stuff like that is easy to do in a hotel room if you can’t find a fitness center.

I also taught them how to make the transition to free weights. Machines guide the motion, and give leverage advantages. Free weights force you to perform the movements without guidance, activating more stabilizer muscles. They also work your core more.

They learned the first basic free weight routine which does movements previously done on machines with dumbbells and an exercise ball instead. The whole point is to shake things up so their bodies keep responding.

1. Body Squat—replaces the Leg Press and Leg Extension Machines
2. Chest Press on Ball—replaces the Bench Press Machine
3. Dead Lift—replaces the Leg Press, Leg Curl, and Lower Back Machines
4. Single Arm Row—replaces the Seated Row Machine
5. Shoulder Press—replaces the Shoulder Press Machine
6. Overhead Press—replaces the Triceps Machine
7. Single Arm Curl—replaces the Biceps Machine
8. Ab Crunches on Ball—replaces the Ab Machine
9. Ball Twist—a new one that works the oblique muscles (sides)

The routine should be done from start to finish, without stopping. As with the machines, they should do 12-15 repetitions on each exercise. If they couldn’t do that many reps, they should use a slightly lighter weight. If 15 reps were too easy, next time they should go up to the next weight.

The first time, one rotation of each exercise is fine. After that, they should do the routine twice, working up to three times. The goal is to keep moving and never stop. The exercises are arranged in an order to let you do that.

I call it “active-rest.” While one muscle group is resting, the other is working. This keeps you moving, burning more calories in the process. They’ll do this routine for two weeks and then learn another. After that, they’ll start combining the two.

Our week one winner was once again Bill Lewis, for a clean sweep for the first four weeks. He lost 2.9% of his body weight and another 6.4 lbs, for a total of 34.2 lbs in a month.

He joked that we should just take several pictures so we could keep using them every time he wins. I told him I want to see the differences from picture to picture. The others said they were going to start sending him donuts.

Bill had finished in second place in a couple Biggest Losers last year, losing almost 100 lbs. Then he took some time off and skipped a couple. Somewhere along the way he got off track and in his own words, “didn’t exercise and ate what I wanted,” putting over sixty pounds back on.

Our bodies are interesting this way. We can lose the fat, but don’t ever lose the fat cell. The fat is just removed, kind of “shrink wrapping” it down. It’s still there waiting, though, and if you start over eating, or even just quit working out, your body will quickly put it back on.

So for Bill, it’s bitter sweet. He’s losing the weight big-time, but he’s having to do it all again. This means that when you make changes, you need to make them for life. Eating right and exercising smart is a life-long habit.

Bill received a $20 Wal-Mart gift card from Terry Elston and our friends at State Farm Insurance. He also received a $20 gift card from our local Subway store.

Second place went to Judy Rush, who lost 2.5% of her body weight and 3.8 lbs. Third place went to a delighted Penny Ogle, who lost 1.7% of her body weight and 4.0 lbs. She actually tied with Dale Anderson, who also lost 1.7% and 4.0 lbs.

Our goal is to lose at least a pound a week, which is good. Two pounds a week is great, and three or more is awesome. Don’t forget that even if you haven’t lost much, you still need to ask yourself how you feel, and how are your clothes fitting.

Those things often precede more substantial weight loss. Often times, weight change lags behind. Personally, I think the biggest accomplishment sometimes is sticking with it even when you don’t have the results you want.

Too often, people quit due to discouragement. That’s like being a mile from your destination and deciding to turn around and go back, because the trip took too long.

Stick with it, and sooner or later, you’ll get what you want. Here are the results from the first month for everyone that made the weigh-in.

Name Age % lbs
1. Bill Lewis 68 13.3 34.2
2. Gary Goodman 62 7.3 16.1
3. Chad Cline 33 6.9 15.8
4. John Sanchez 41 6.7 16.5
5. Roger Hopper 49 6.3 13.8
6. Randy Weir 53 5.9 14.0
7. Dawn Hopper 37 5.8 12.4
8. Judy Rush 52 5.6 8.8
9. Ken McConkey 35 5.4 19.0
10. Erin Hutchison 29 5.2 10.6
11. Michele Everetts 34 5.0 12.0
12. Brian Bradley 42 5.0 12.0
13. Brenda Lilley 64 5.0 9.2
14. Erika Hollis 36 4.6 8.0
15. Tony Peel 49 4.4 13.0
16. Shawn Bowers 35 4.2 12.4
17. Christiana Jones 20 4.0 11.0
18. Shirley Fiscus 50 4.0 8.0
19. Carol Cline 30 3.8 7.8
20. Gracie Petrowsky 57 3.6 6.2
21. Heidi Walls 39 3.5 5.0
22. Chris Redman 48 3.5 9.2
23. Peter Petrowsky 66 3.4 7.6
24. Katy Kennedy 22 3.4 7.2
25. Echo Johnson 22 3.4 7.2
26. Melissa Bradley 30 3.3 6.8
27. Dale Anderson 57 3.3 8.2
28. Tracy Rush 38 3.2 7.4
29. Penny Ogle 55 3.2 7.5
30. William Jones 40 3.1 12.8
31. Dawn Jones 42 2.9 6.8
32. Eve Givens 48 2.9 6.6
33. Bridgett Trover 50 2.7 4.4
34. Janet Tyler 50 2.7 4.4
35. Haley Sanders 27 2.7 6.6
36. Renee Colvin 50 2.4 4.6
37. Cheryl Redman 53 2.4 4.6
38. Jessica Fiscus 22 2.3 4.6
39. Margo Yeargin 50 2.2 3.6
40. Beth Robertson 37 2.0 3.4
41. Penny Duzan 48 2.0 3.6
42. Angela Griffin 42 1.9 4.0
43. Pam Waller 42 1.8 4.8
44. Kathy Kennedy 50 1.7 2.2
45. Kim Arbuckle 39 1.6 2.6
46. Teri Dennis 57 1.5 3.0
47. Sue Sheerhan 45 1.4 3.0
48. George Griffin 47 1.4 3.0
49. Jennifer Bowers 35 1.3 2.6
50. DeeAnn Green 40 1.2 1.6
51. Chad Robertson 36 .06 1.4
52. Pam Kelly 40 .00 0.0
53. Casey Redman 23 -.06 -1.4
54. Tim Meyers 40 -.07 -1.9

BIGGEST LOSER "6' WEEK THREE

It was another good week for retention for Biggest Loser “6.” The way it works is if someone misses two Friday night’s in a row, we drop them from the rolls. So far, we’ve lost only one!

In six Biggest Losers, this is by far the best start ever. We’re really trying to get people to understand the power of committing to a thing and sticking to it. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easily—you have to work for it. It’s the same when losing the fat. You’ve got to eat right and exercise smart.

The workout was tougher this time. After walking for 10-15 minutes as a warm-up, they did five rounds of “grappling” where two people grab each other and try to push and move them around for a minute. After each round, they dropped down and did a minute of partner setups.

Then they were introduced to Burpee’s—a wicked exercise where you drop down, do a push-up, hop back up, and jump up with your toes off the ground. It’s a very demanding exercise because you’re using your entire body.

They did 5 sets of 5 Burpees. By the end of the 12-weeks, they’ll be able to do all 25 Burpees in a row (but it will still be tough). Finally, they walked another 5 minutes as a cool-down.

Their assignment for next week on the machines is to do 2 paired machines back to back, without stopping. For example, doing the Bench Press (pushing) and Seated Row (pulling) back to back, repeating 2 or 3 times before moving on to the next pair.

These are called super-sets, and will really raise the intensity of their workouts. They’ll do this for a week before we introduce free weights at the end of week four.

On the food side of things, by now, most of the participants are aware of their “minimum.” This is the minimum number of calories to live, called basal metabolic rate (BMR). I’ve found that “minimum” seems to help people understand it’s an amount never to go below.

When I meet them, nine out of ten women don’t hit it, and perhaps half of the guys. Some are still having trouble hitting their minimum. Until they do, it will be very difficult to lose weight. At that point, most weight loss is either muscle or water.

When you don’t hit your minimum, somehow, your body thinks it needs to preserve fat. Once you hit it, though, your body will “relax,” and allow you to start using fat for fuel.

For most women, it’s usually between 1,300 and 1,400 calories, and never below 1,200. For guys, it’s usually around 1,800 calories. To feel better and have plenty of energy, most women need to be around 1,650, and guys need to be around 2,400.

Once we got them thinking about the amount of food they needed to eat, we talked about the quality of food. To operate at our best, we need to be eating three healthy meals, and 2-3 healthy snacks.

Every meal should have a source of Protein, Starch, and Fruits or Greens. We tend to eat too little Protein, too much Starch, and almost no Fruits and Greens!

Protein
Sources of Protein include low fat dairy products like skim or 2% milk, low fat yogurt, or low fat cottage cheese. Other sources include fish, poultry (chicken and turkey), lean cuts of beef and pork, nuts, and some beans. You can also eat soy products and protein shakes.

The purpose of protein is building muscle and bone. Make sure you get a full serving of protein at every meal, and try to get at least a half serving of protein in every snack.

Starch
Starches are way misunderstood. Entire diets tell you to avoid these like the plague. One problem though. Starches are your best source of long-lasting energy.

Because they’re a complex carbohydrate, starches take your body longer to break down, giving you a long-lasting source of fuel, which is their main purpose.

Quality starches include whole wheat or multi-grain breads and cereals, oats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, some beans, corn, long grain wild rice, and whole wheat pastas.

In this country, we way over-do starches, but make sure to get one at every meal for long-lasting energy. It will fuel your workouts and the rest of your day, too.

Fruits & Greens
These are pretty simple to figure out. We don’t eat near enough of these, and as a result, miss out on lots of vitamins and minerals, which is their main purpose. They also provide us quick energy, and lots of fiber.

In case you haven’t seen them for awhile, you can find them in the produce section. Spend some time there and fill up your cart—you’ll feel better in just a day or two.

Snacks should be a combination of carbs and protein. The carbs will give you the fuel you need to get through your workouts and to your next meal. The protein will continue helping you build healthy muscle and bone.

A good plan is to shop that way. Ask yourself what your protein will be, what the starch will be, and what fruits or greens you’re going to have with it. Start eating this way, and you’ll feel better within just a couple days.

Finally, we talked a little bit about fats. If you’re eating the way I described, then you just need to eat low-fat foods, avoid foods cooked in vegetable oils, going with stir-fry and olive oil instead. Everyone should also take Omega-3 fish oil capsules every day.

This week’s winner was once again Bill Lewis, who lost another 3.0% of his body weight and 6.8 lbs. Bill won a Wal-Mart gift certificate provided by our friends at Terry Elston’s State Farm Insurance. In just three weeks, Bill has lost 27.8 lbs.

Second place went to Shawn Bowers with an impressive 2.7% of his body weight and 7.5 lbs, and third place went to Ken McConkey who lost 2.3% of his body weight and 7.7 lbs.

JUST GET STARTED--AGAIN!

56 people made the weigh-in Friday night. We had four people missing—at least two couldn’t be there, but are still active. That’s pretty good for week two.

As you know, half the people always seem to find a reason to stop any type of diet or exercise program. So we’ve been spending a lot of time talking about how to keep going, even when things get tough.

The first and most important thing is to just get started. You can think about it, talk about it, but if you don’t actually start, nothing happens. You’ve got to actually do it. Just get started.

Once you’ve done that, the next most important thing is to keep getting started—each and every day. Things are going to come up. Life is going to intrude and knock you back. It’s tough. That’s why you need to keep getting started—again, and then again.

Do that enough times, and pretty soon you’ve got a habit going. Experts say it takes at least 21 times to make a habit. What we tend to forget is that if we stop going 21 times in a row, it’s now a habit to not go.

If you want to get what you want, you need to keep getting started. Make it a habit to get in the gym. When you don’t feel like it, just get started. When one part of your body aches, just get started again and go in and work around it. Do what you can. Keep getting started.

When you absolutely can’t get to the gym, work out at home. Go for a walk or for a jog. If the weather is too cold, do jumping jacks, pushups, sit-ups and body squats in your living room. Do sets of 10 or 20 and see how many rounds you can do.

Get out that old Richard Simmons tape. Actually use that equipment you’ve got down in your basement. Do something. Keep moving. Keep getting started.

When something happens to throw your eating off track, fix it and move on. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Don’t use it as an excuse to just throw all that progress under the bus. Keep getting started with that too.

You know the old saying “slow and steady wins the race.” The turtle kept getting started, one plodding step at a time. It might not have been as fast as the rabbit, but the rabbit got burned out and quit altogether.

I like to do things a little faster sometimes—to get a better workout, and burn more calories—but I’m all over the steady part. It means that you keep moving forward. Keep working toward the goal. Staying focused on what you really want. Having a plan, and working the plan.

They used to say about Texas Rangers: “There’s no stopping a man who knows he’s in the right, and keeps on a-coming.” That’s what we need. That type of commitment. That sense of purpose and destiny in the things we do.

Attach that type of energy and emotion to your program, and you’ll get what you want. Have that working for you, and you’ll keep getting started.

This week, at least 56 out of 60 people kept getting started, and we turned it up in the Friday night workout too. Last week, they did 5 sets of 10 pushups, 10 sit-ups and 10 body squats—for a total of 50 each.

This time around, they did 60 each, but in a different way. The first thing was that instead of sitting waiting for things to get started, I had them get up and start walking or jogging around the room. This will be a staple from now on. There will be no more sitting. They’ll be moving.

Then they did 20 pushups, 20 sit-ups and walking lunges up and down the room. The second time, they did 20 more pushups and sit-ups and walking lunges backward.

Finally, they did their last 20 pushups, sit-ups, and then hopped around the perimeter of the room—probably 40 hops—great exercise!

After that, we did 3 rounds of sumo-wrestling—pushing each other to try to get them off balance. That’s harder than you think! Finally, they “ran the dots” and ended with stretching.

The goal is to keep giving them more and more ideas and things to work into their daily routines. Next week, we’ll turn it up again—but they’ll be ready for it.

The human body is fearfully and wonderfully made—it will respond to the work by getting leaner and stronger, and ready for the next time. That’s perfect, because we’re going to keep getting started.

The winner of Week Two was Bill Lewis, again. Last week he lost 13 pounds. This week, he lost 3.1% of his body weight and 7.4 lbs. Bill won a $20 Wal-Mart gift certificate from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance.

Terry and State Farm also provided pedometers to all the participants. I’m hoping to tell you how many miles everyone is covering before we finish Biggest Loser “6.”

Bill also won a $20 gift card from our local Subway who just came on board as a weekly sponsor, too. My wife and I always have a “Subway night,” and it’s always a good choice for a quick, healthy meal.

Second place went to Dawn Hopper, who lost 2.3% of her body weight and 4.8 lbs. Third place went to Peter Petrowsky, who lost 2.0% of his body weight and 4.4 lbs. Peter (age 66) and Bill (age 68) are going a long way to prove that anyone can do this.

No picture this week—we’ve got to remember to have a camera—but we’ll get one next week for you. I’ll also tell you about the food part of things. Until then, just get started—again. And keep getting started.

FAT IS FAT, WHEREVER YOU FIND IT!

Last year I turned 46. It was quite a surprise because for some reason, I’d spent the entire previous year thinking I was already 46. So I was thinking I was turning 47 until someone set me straight.

It was kind of like having a reverse birthday. I got to be 46 all over again (only this time it was for real). Some people do it on purpose. I wish I were that smart.

It was a tough year in some other ways, because things really tightened up in the economy. Fortunately, we’d already been tightening up in our budget.

The year before, we’d finally decided to quit buying things we couldn’t afford. If we couldn’t pay for it, we couldn’t afford it, so we wouldn’t get it. We’d quit spending, and by the end of last year, finally paid the last of them off, along with the Explorer, and a small business loan.

It wasn’t easy. We’d had to make some tough decisions, putting things off until the timing was better. I slashed payroll and started moping floors and cleaning toilets again.

As it turns out, that’s pretty good for the soul. Keeps you humble. It’s hard to feel like a big shot, when you have to go clean up after someone took a big… um, you know what I mean.

Meanwhile, we started with the smallest bill, and one by one, worked our way through them, getting rid of all those minimum payments. That made even more room in the budget, and finally we were taking big hunks out of the bigger bills.

It took a lot of hard work, but we stayed focused on the goal—to be debt free. We’re not there yet, but things are a lot better. Now it takes about half the money to make budget than it used to take. It’s a lot more fun when you don’t have to rob Peter to pay Paul all the time.

Anyone can do it, too. Just pick up Dave Ramsey’s book “The Total Money Makeover” and start following his baby steps. It will change your life.

I think handling your finances correctly is a lot like getting in shape. Some people are carrying too much fat on their bodies. I was carrying too much fat in our finances—in the form of credit card debts, car payments, and business debt.

Just like being too heavy can cause new problems like diabetes and heart disease, excessive debt put such strain on our finances that we got further and further behind. It almost became terminal.

Clearly, a radical procedure was necessary, so we had what Dave calls a plasectomy—cutting up the cards and mailing them all back. We also had to seriously change our buying habits. If we didn’t need it, we didn’t get it. If we needed it, but didn’t have the cash, we still didn’t get it.

Sometimes we almost feel entitled to things. If we want it, we get it, even if we don’t have the money. It’s the American way. But that’s what’s thrown our country into the recent mortgage crisis. I think it’s why a lot of us our fat, too.

Now, we’re much more cautious about buying “stuff” we don’t really need. My wife and I rediscovered the library. Did you know you can actually check out and read books there that you don’t have to buy?

I also discovered the Goodwill store—my wife was already their best customer. Right now, everything I have on (except my tennis shoes) came from there, including my socks and underwear. Don’t worry, the underwear was brand new—and still in the bag.

We stopped having trash picked up out at the house, and every other day or so, I bring trash in town to my dumpster. Why have two, when we didn’t fill up either one? It saved almost $400 a year.

If you want to call me, you’ll have to call my cell, because we’re saving about $900 a year after dropping our land line phone. I started selling the extra firewood I cut in my spare time and worked weekends as a police officer.

It’s kind of like someone who needs to lose a hundred pounds to be healthy and has lost the first 50. It took a lot of changes. They had to start making better choices about eating right and exercising every day.

Now, they’re feeling better and have a lot more breathing room. They’re not there yet, but they’re well on their way. Now they know how to do it so it’s just a matter of time before they lose the other 50. Same with us.

Some people put the weight back on. I don’t ever want to get back into debt like that. To keep that from happening, I’m going to continue to work the plan. If we want it, we’ll save for it.

We’re going to run lean and mean, because fat is fat, wherever you find it. In my case, it was sloppy, excessive debt. We’ve had to work pretty hard to run that extra weight off. How about you? Is there any fat in your life you need to work off?

Sixty other people thought so as they weighed in for Biggest Loser “6” at the end of Week One. Over half of them lost more than 1% of their body weight, which is an amazing start. The average weight loss was 3.38 pounds!

First place went to the returning Bill Lewis, 68, who lost a crazy 5.6% of his body weight and 13.6 pounds. He’s pretty motivated, because after doing Biggest Loser “3” and “4” with us, he took a hiatus and had quite a set-back.

In his words, he “stopped working out and ate what he wanted.” Now he’s back to fix that, and is off to a very good start. I think he’d tell you that he’s a good example of both what to do, and what not to do. I’m pretty sure that this time, he’ll make it permanent.

Bill won a $20 Wal-Mart gift card from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance. Terry and State Farm also gave all the participants special pedometers to help them with their workouts!

Second place went to Gary Goodman, 66, who lost 3.7% of his body weight and 7.8 pounds. Third place went to the ever-present Ericka Hollis, 36, who’s looking great, and lost another 3.6% of her body weight and 6.0 pounds.

TIPS FOR THE NEW YEAR

We just started Biggest Loser “6” with 58 people. It’s not too late to jump in if you catch me right away. If you’re a regular reader, you know we usually end up with half the people that we started with. I’m hoping to change that this time.

There are quite a few repeat “Losers” doing it again for one reason or another. So many that we’re calling this one Biggest Loser “6” All Stars. I know they’ll stick, because they’ve done it before. Now they’ll get even better results.

Some want to keep making progress, and know they need the structure and support. Others have put some weight back on and want to get things back on track. That’s not unusual. It’s so common, there’s a name for it: “The Yo-Yo Syndrome.”

Usually, it’s because they either go back to eating the way they used to, or they’ve quit working out. Sometimes, it’s both. That can be a disaster. It has to become a lifestyle change if you’re going to be successful in the long run.

Here are some tips that can help you accomplish your goals this New Year. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, but it will help get you started. Next week, I’ll give you the roster and results from week one.

1. What Do You Want? Be specific. Most people don’t just leave for vacation without knowing the destination. You’ve got to know where you’re going. It’s O.K. if this isn’t too precise—we can hone in on the details late. What do you really want?

2. Why Do You Want It? It’s important to have reasons why, because it’s going to be pretty easy to come up with reasons why not to when things start getting difficult. Your “got to” has to be bigger than your “want to.” If it’s important enough, you’ll find a way to do it.

3. How Bad Do You Want It? This is important too. If it’s low priority, it’s likely to get bumped when life starts intruding. You’ve got to really want to do it. Here’s where I think people miss it. They want it, but not bad enough to put up with the pain and inconvenience. They don’t stick, because they don’t want it bad enough.

4. Give It Priority. What’s the most important thing that you want to do or change? Let’s focus on that one. Always keep it in the back of your mind that this is the one thing that you want to make sure you finish. You have to finish it.

5. Find Out How. Figure out what you’re going to have to do, and how to do it. Get help. If it’s losing 50 pounds, how quickly do you want to do it? Do you have the time to devote 12-24 weeks to it, twice a day? Or are you comfortable with slowing it down and using the whole year to get there? Are you willing to work that hard?

6. Get With Like-Minded People. There’s safety in numbers. Have a support system. Most people push harder in my group workouts then they do on their own. It’s motivating to see other people all focused on the same goal.

7. Tell People. It helps you stay accountable. If you tell someone, you’re more likely to follow through because they’re going to be watching you. That’s another reason people often do better in groups.

8. Just Get Started. At some point, the talk has to stop, and you’ve got to take action. You can want to do it for a long time, but it doesn’t happen until you actually do it. After you’ve done the research and figured out a good plan, do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Buy some workout shoes.

9. Start Easy. Start easy but keep turning it up. Every day, do a little bit more to get you closer to your goal. Write down what you do—it will encourage you when you look back. And if you have a day or two where nothing’s written down, you’ll realize you need to get back into the game.

10. Stay focused. Don’t let anything get you off track. Remember, this was the one thing that you not only wanted to do, but felt you had to do. Stay the course. When life intrudes, deal with it, and then find a way to keep moving forward. Keep thinking about the end result, which is you getting what you want.

11. It’s O.K. when you make a mistake. Heck, I make at least one every day. If you ask my wife, it might be more. Cut yourself some slack. Forgive yourself. It’s tough enough, without beating yourself up all the time.

12. Get Back Up. Everybody gets knocked down. Winners find a way to get back up. If you have an injury, work around it. If your schedule suddenly changes, figure out how to get it done anyway. If you have a couple bad days, get back with the program.

13. Remind Yourself Why. Keep the big picture in mind. Why are you really doing this? Here’s where the rubber meets the road. When it gets tough, and it will, if you have a bigger “have to” then your reasons are for quitting, you’ll be able to stick it out, and get what you want.

14. Keep Your Commitments. Even to yourself. If you say you’re going to do it, do it. Stay consistent in your efforts. Keep at it.

15. Encourage Others. I’ve found that when I help others reach their goals, I reach mine. A team of horses can pull a much heavier load than just one.

16. Finish What You Started. This is such a huge problem in today’s fast food, get it now, culture. We want it now, and when we don’t get it, we tend to quit and move on to the next thing. Refuse to be a quitter. If you let yourself down that way, everyone else suffers too. Like that great philosopher-comedian says: “Git er done.”

17. Give Thanks. No one does anything in a vacuum. Other people help. Some encourage—some motivate. Thank them. Thank God.

18. Enjoy It. This one’s a little hard for me. I’m so goal-oriented and focused on the end result. Then I get depressed when it’s over because there isn’t something to do anymore. I need to learn to enjoy the journey. I also need to learn to enjoy the destination more.

19. Keep It Going. Come up with a plan to keep the progress you’ve made. In military terms, you want to keep the ground you’ve fought for. Don’t be a yo-yo.

20. Set New Goals. There’s always more to do, and it helps you stay young.

A NEW YEAR -- WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE?

I was getting a workout on the treadmill last week. While I like running outside, it’s more convenient—and much more comfortable running inside this time of year.

As a pretty new runner with just three years under my belt, I’ve just not been able to muster up the dogged determination that you see in some runners. You know, the ones with all the cold weather gear, dogged determination, and really fast times.

But that’s O.K. I’m fine with it. Besides, I have a few treadmills, so I might as well use them! So you probably won’t see me out on the road until March when the weather breaks.

It does get a little boring when I do the long runs on the weekend, but that’s where the TV comes in handy. On the shorter runs during the week, it’s not bad at all. Especially when doing interval training which keeps your attention.

So there I was, silently stalking through the tall wet grass, intently listening for any sound of the dangerous predator—my senses heightened, for it could strike at any moment…whoops, that’s another story.

So there I was, walking and warming up with my training partner, as we getting ready to do some speed intervals. On the other side, one of my clients was getting on a treadmill too.

She stepped up, hit the button and started jogging. I looked at her and said, “Wow.” She said “not bad for a sixty-five year old.” She was right. I was impressed. I think Josh was too.

This is a woman who had difficulty walking a quarter mile not too many months ago. Now she’s running. Sure, it wasn’t all that fast, but it was fast for her and she was running.

She took away all our excuses. Her goal is to be able to jog all the way around the quarter mile track displayed on the treadmill. I did suggest she walk a bit to get warmed up before running—to help avoid injuries.

I’ve noticed that there are really two groups of people—and I admit I’m generalizing. The first group is people that seem to be able to get and stay fit. I think they’ve simply decided that they’re going to be healthier, so they just do what it takes and get there.

It might not be easy for them, especially early on, but they do it anyway. They might have to lose some weight. Perhaps they already have. They’ve fought through the aches and pains and are seeing results.

They’ve made a decision to stick with it and you can set your clock by them working out. They are so consistent that you just know they’re going to get what they want.

Often, they’ve been able to cut medicines in half or eliminate them. They’re doing better and things are getting much easier—even doing normal, everyday activities.

The other group has it harder. They’ve waited so long that now, it’s really hard. Sometimes, their bodies won’t even allow them to exercise, due to serious illness.

They have to take more medications, some of which cause more problems. It becomes a worsening cycle that traps them in their own bodies, with a life of pain and frustration.

Meanwhile, the others just keep rolling on. Which group do you think enjoys their life more? Which has a better quality of life? Which doesn’t?

The sad thing is that it is so doable. And getting trapped is so avoidable—especially if you do something about it—sooner, rather than later. And you know what? Even if it’s later, it’s usually not too late.

Most people can do something, even if it’s just coming up and riding the bike. Bob was in his late 70’s, and his wife “dragged him up here” to see if I could do anything with him. He had pretty serious health problems, and his body hurt all the time due to serious arthritis.

Bob’s first day at the gym was one of silent rebellion—I could see it all over his face and body. He told me “I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to exercise, and you’re not gonna make me.”

I said “that’s O.K. Why don’t you just sit here on this exercise bike and watch TV. If you feel like pedaling, that’s fine, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” I left for awhile and when I came back, Bob was pedaling slowly.

He worked up to riding 30 minutes, not once, but twice a day, and lifted some weights too. He took great pride in being my oldest customer and I remember him well. Though we lost him to a serious illness a few years later, I believe he improved the quality of his life while he was here.

Another year has come and gone. A new one’s almost here. What will you do with it? What’s it going to be? Which group will you be in? The group that’s feeling better or the group that’s not?

One thing that might help is Biggest Loser “6” which starts Friday, January 2nd at 6:30 pm.
We have 24 people so far, and you need to be registered by Friday at 1:00 pm. The cost is $50 to participate and you should have a gym membership somewhere. Terry Elston Insurance will be providing the weekly prizes again, and the grand prize this time is a one year fitness membership!

Think of what you could accomplish in 2009. Whether you join Biggest Loser “6’ or not, do something. Get started. It’s not too late. Make it happen. Happy New Year!

BIG THINGS COME A LITTLE AT A TIME

Last week we finished Biggest Loser “5” but the thing I didn’t tell you was the average weight loss for all the participants. Of course the top three had crazy weight loss. Weston lost 57.2 lbs, Erika lost 37.0 lbs, and Logan lost 43.7 lbs.

While we continue to see people losing this much, it’s really the exception rather than the rule. Just like in life, there are always a few people that take it to a different level.

Don’t get me wrong, the others were working pretty hard, too. Just not at their level. First of all, Weston, Erika and Logan were pretty young, and in pretty good shape, so they could push themselves harder. I was told that Weston even did three workouts a day a couple of times.

Once you start feeling better, you can start doing more. Then your workouts can be more intense and you can burn more calories, losing more weight. Now everything gets a little easier, letting you push even harder, burning even more calories and losing even more weight.

I call it the “cycle of success.” Your body starts working for you instead of against you. At first, some people can’t do much. So you won’t lose much weight but you will start feeling better and getting stronger. Then your weight loss can increase.

Another factor is the effect certain medicines have on the body. Medicines for high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, depression, or conditions requiring steroids often have an adverse effect on metabolism—causing weight gain and making it much harder to lose weight.

Even so, it’s still possible to get the job done. It just might be harder for you than for others. When the tough times come, motivation counts for a lot. You’ve got to really want to do this.

In fact, it’s got to be more than that. It’s got to be a “have-to” if you’re really going to be successful. Like a salmon swimming up stream, you don’t have any choice in the matter. You’ve just “got” to do it.

If you have that kind of drive, you’ll be able to push yourself more. You’ll also stick when it counts. The person that sticks will always do more than the one who starts and stops all the time.

It’s tough losing weight. A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. You have to work really hard to burn that off so some people feel like it’s just too much work so they quit trying. What a shame, because almost everyone can burn 3,500 calories in a week—a little at a time.

There was a pair of ladies in their 50’s that made tremendous gains during the program. They even ended up jogging for a couple minutes at a time. They also participated in some really tough workouts there at the end.

Both will tell you that they never dreamed that they could work that hard. But each week they got a little stronger, lost a little more weight, and could do a little bit more. By the end, they were running short distances on the treadmill. They’ve also signed up for the next Biggest Loser. I think they have this thing figured out.

Two other gals told me that jogging was hurting their knees too much, but there at the end, they figured out that they could do the elliptical without pain. In those last two weeks, their weight loss really jumped up.

Another had serious back trouble for years and had to limit the exercises she did. Her strategy was doing more of the things she could do. It worked for her.

After you’ve made the decision to start, and made the daily decision to stick with it, there’s still one more thing. You have to have a realistic goal.

A poll of the 21 participants at the end showed that most wanted to lose 20 lbs, and a few wanted to lose 25 or more. In Biggest Loser “6” we’ll ask everyone up front what their goal is.

Something I keep saying, and just like getting women to hit their “minimum” calories, it’s hard to get people to believe me. Losing a pound a week is good. Two pounds a week is great, and three or more is fantastic.

That means that a 12 week program should net you 12 pounds, if everything goes right. 24 pounds in 12 weeks would be great. Anything more than that would be fantastic. We had 3 people in the “fantastic” category.

The total average weight loss for the 21 was 18 ¼ lbs. If you throw out the top three results, the average for the other 18 people that made the final weigh-in was 13.6 lbs.

This means the average was pretty good. For some people, the weight loss was better than good—it was almost great. For those three, it was outstanding. Keep in mind that all of them wanted to lose more.

In the end, it comes down to realizing you have a problem and then deciding to do something about it. Then you have to get started, set a realistic short-term goal, and work toward that goal.

You have to be dedicated, persistent, and pick your way through the minefields that appear along the way—and they will. At the end of that time period, evaluate how things went.

Then set a new short-term goal designed to get you to the bigger, long-term goal. There’s not a single person I’ve ever met that couldn’t get where they wanted, if they were willing to do what it took for just one year.

Think of it. A year of hard work, but you’re feeling better each day. You’re losing more weight each month, and looking better too. Six months have gone by and now you’re feeling great. You’ve got a spring in your step, and you’re well on your way.

After nine months, people don’t recognize you. They tell you that you look sick, because of all the weight you’ve lost (that’s pretty ironic). Your jogging—maybe even running a 5K. You’re lifting more weight, and have muscles showing up all over.

Your metabolism is humming along, making you a fat burner even standing still. You’ve had to buy new clothes—several times. After a year, you’ve completely transformed yourself. You’re a new, healthy person physically and mentally, too. It’s completely doable.

Biggest Loser “6” starts Friday, January 2nd. We’ve already got 10 people signed up, and you have to be registered before the end of the year—we’ll be too busy that night to mess with that.

It costs $50 to participate and you don’t have to be a member at my gym, although you should be a member somewhere, because you’re going to be working out all the time, right?

2008 has come and gone, and 2009 will go quickly too. A year will pass whatever you do. So what will you accomplish this next year? You can accomplish big things too—a little at a time. Let’s do this together.

BIGGEST LOSER "5" WEEK TWELVE

This week we have the final results from Biggest Loser “5.” Before we get to that, I want to finish a conversation we started a couple weeks ago.

Sometimes we do things we shouldn’t, even though we know better. Think about all those things we do that we shouldn’t. We also have a hard time doing what we know we need to do.

We talked about being honest when we have a problem, inside of hiding and making excuses. That’s the first step to true recovery. The next step is to go get some help. Sometimes it needs to be spiritual help.

I’ve never been disappointed when I’ve asked God for help. It might take some time, and sometimes the answer isn’t always what I thought it would be—but he’s never let me down.
Once you’ve got that going for you, things get a lot easier. This brings me to the last thing I talked about with the group on Friday night.

The Apostle Paul told the Romans we need to be transformed by the “renewing of our minds.” What it means is that we can change, if we can change our thought process.

Most battles start in our minds. Think about something long enough and you’ll do it, even when you know better. You’ll simply talk yourself into it.

One of Solomon’s proverbs says “as we think, so we are.” This works both ways—whether we’re thinking about things that can hurt us, or things that can help us.

Paul also told the Philippians to quit thinking about bad things and to start thinking about good things. He called them things that were “true and honorable” or “excellent and worthy of praise.”

We have to reprogram our thinking. Instead of thinking negative thoughts, start thinking about something more positive. Instead of thinking about what’s tempting you, start thinking about how it would be to be free.

This works. Some time ago, I was outside running while trying to come to terms with a tough spot I was in that involved trusting God’s provision.

The enemy wanted me to believe God was letting me fail, and was showing me all the bad things that were going to happen. But I was reminded of this verse from Psalms: “My God is a very present help in trouble.”

While I ran, I also started saying this one from Philippians: “My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory.” After a couple miles, it was like a cloud had lifted.

I had more faith. Things were going to be alright. Because I’d studied those verses a little, and put them in my mind, they were there for me when I needed them.

I know it sounds simplistic, but it works. If you’re struggling with something, you need to see what God has to say about it. Then, start thinking that way. Think those thoughts.

Let’s get to the results. We started with 53 people, but just 21 finished. Another 8 to 10 people were still active but missed the weigh-in. So we helped at least 30 people that I know of. That’s the way I’m going to think about it.

Our winner for Week 12 was Steve Jones, who just completed his second Biggest Loser. Steve lost 2.1% of his body weight and 4.4 lbs and won a $20 Walmart gift card from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance.

Our overall winner was Weston Hughes, who lost another 3.6 lbs this week for a grand total of 19.9% of his body weight and an amazing 57.2 lbs in just 12 weeks. Weston won the $250 grand prize provided by Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance!

2nd place went to Erika Hollis, who finished with a total weight loss of 17.8% of her body weight and an outstanding 37.0 lbs—the most ever lost by a woman in our five Biggest Loser contests. Erika pushed herself like crazy, and won $150 from Terry Elston for all her hard work.

3rd place went to Logan Graves (I call him Horton), who finished with a total weight loss of 14.2% of his body weight, and 43.7 lbs. At 17, Logan was the youngest participant we’ve ever had, and won $100 for his college fund from Terry Elston. His performance here was as great as it was on the stage last spring.

Remember that even though these three set the bar pretty high, there’s a healthy way of looking at this for the rest of them. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, healthy weight loss is between 1-2 lbs a week.

I preach that one pound a week is good, two pounds a week is great, and three pounds or more is fantastic. I’m proud of everyone who participated, and as far as I’m concerned, they’re all winners.

Keep that in mind while you’re also thinking about getting involved in Biggest Loser “6” which starts January 2nd. You have to sign up before the end of the year, but why not demonstrate your commitment to change and sign up now. Think about it.

1. Weston Hughes 19.9 % 57.2 lbs
2. Erika Hollis 17.8 % 37.0 lbs
3. Logan Graves 14.2 % 43.7 lbs
4. Carol Cline 10.2 % 23.2 lbs
5. Gayle Dailey 9.3 % 13.4 lbs
6. Margo Yeargin 8.7 % 16.2 lbs
7. Dan Lynch 8.5% 20.1 lbs
8. Kelly Lynch 8.4 % 15.0 lbs
9. Jean McConkey 8.3 % 16.6 lbs
10. Steve Jones 7.6 % 16.9 lbs
11. Teri Dennis 7.3 % 16.1 lbs
12. Sue Sheeran 6.7 % 14.8 lbs
13. John Rigdon 6.5 % 13.3 lbs
14. Shawn Bowers 5.8 % 16.7 lbs
15. Melissa Bradley 5.5 % 11.6 lbs
16. Brant Walls 5.5 % 14.2 lbs
17. Renee Colvin 5.5 % 10.6 lbs
18. Heidi Walls 4.8 % 7.0 lbs
19. Shirley Fiscus 3.4 % 6.8 lbs
20. Pam Ogle 3.1 % 7.2 lbs
21. Pam Kelly 2.2 % 5.6 lbs

BIGGEST LOSER "5" WEEK ELEVEN

Last week we talked about how life-long struggles and how early childhood “cookies for comfort” still affect me today. There are often deep reasons why we do the things we do. This week I want to go back even further. Let’s go back to the Garden.

Remember in the beginning when Adam and Eve stood naked and unashamed? They used to walk with God in the cool of the evening. After the fall, when they chose sin and pride over obedience, what did they do?

“At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves.” Genesis 3:7.

They’d been told not to eat the fruit of the tree or they’d surely die. It couldn’t have been a physical death or they’d have died right then.

It had to be a different type of death, a spiritual one. And the consequences still plague us today. “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” Proverbs 16:25.

That evening, when God came to walk with them, they became afraid and hid in the trees. “The Lord God called to Adam, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” Genesis 3:8-10.

We hide things instinctively. What’s a child do when caught with something? It’s in our nature, since the day when Adam fell. All of us are born into sin, and we’re still hiding today.

And what happens when we get caught? Like Adam, we make excuses. “Yes,” Adam admitted, “but it was the woman you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12.

When God asked Eve “How could you do such a thing?” she did the same. “The serpent tricked me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” Genesis 3:13.

Both did it. Both were guilty. And just like them, we’re still making excuses for things we’ve done, or things we’re doing. Like how we’re eating or take care of ourselves.

But can we really hide from God? Does he not know what’s going on? “People may think they are doing what is right, but the Lord examines the heart.” Proverbs 21:2.

He not only knows, but loves us anyway, in spite of our sin. Even in the garden, he was planning to get us back.

We’ve got to quit hiding. And we’ve got to quit making excuses. It’s time to take responsibility for the things we’re doing.

If you’ve let your appetites run out of control, you may be facing the consequences of those decisions right now. It could be as simple as having a sugar addiction that’s led to obesity. Or it might be a lack of discipline and overeating that’s holding you back.

Maybe you still smoke, or need a drink or two every night to relax. Maybe you’re getting up every night, wolfing down everything in sight, and can’t seem to stop.

Other destructive behaviors can include sexual addictions like Internet porn, or sleeping around. All are ways of being unfaithful to yourself, your spouse, and to God.

Those addictions may seem out of place here, but the root cause is the same. We’re trying to fill needs that we have, but we’re taking the easy way out.

Eating right takes a little work and discipline, but it’s easier to eat fast foods. Doing some healthy exercise every day takes commitment, but it’s easier to make excuses.

A healthy, fulfilling sexual relationship with your spouse takes commitment and work, but it’s easier to go for quick satisfaction, without a real relationship.

No courage or commitment is required with a computer monitor. You don’t have to woo it or live a life of loving sacrifice for it. All you have to do is look at it. It’s a sad epidemic these days, and it’s taking the easy way out.

Just like with getting right with God, we need to admit that things are wrong. Then, we have to want to change, to truly want to turn away from these things. Then and only then, can God can give us the power we need to make changes.

But we don’t do it. We don’t even get close to the power we need. We don’t study long enough to learn how to do it. We try and fail and finally just quit trying. Sound familiar? Think diets and failed exercise programs.

I mean, come on, some of the things we do? We’re so deceived that we’ll ask a blessing on food we know we shouldn’t be eating.

Every day we make choices that are an offense to God, even in our thoughts. And in those moments when we’re being honest, we know it too.

In Romans, we’re told to present our bodies “as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Do we live like that? Like our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I don’t think so. So why do we do it? Why can’t we live right? Paul told the Colossians “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the evil powers of this world. So why do you keep on following rules of the world?”

He went on to say, “These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline, but they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person’s evil thoughts and desires.”

No wonder diets usually fail. No wonder so many people give up after starting a fitness program. No wonder we fall at the slightest temptation. The usual rules have no effect!

We’ve been using the wrong weapons, in the wrong places. We’ve been trying to fight this battle the wrong way. Next week, I’ll tell you about a different way to fight the battle.

Our biggest loser this week was Weston Hughes, who got back on track by losing 2.3% of his body weight and 5.4 lbs. Weston has lost a total of 53.6 lbs so far, and won a $20 gift card to Joe’s Pizza from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance.

Second place went to Shawn Bowers, also back on track, losing 2.0% of his body weight and 5.4 lbs. Third place went to Gayle Dailey, who lost 1.8 % of her body weight and 2.4 lbs. In fourth place was Carol Cline, who lost 1.7% of her body weight and 3.6 lbs, and fifth place went to Erika Hollis, consistent as always, losing 1.4% of her body weight and 2.4 lbs.

Don’t forget to get signed up for Biggest Loser “6” right now. It costs $50 to participate, and will help you get 2009 going right. Next week we’ll have the final results for Biggest Loser “5” so stay tuned!

BIGGEST LOSER "5" WEEK TEN

This week we showed a “lucky 7” people how to turn it up again. They were the ones who made the Friday night workout. Basically, we took their Level III workouts (compound exercises that use more than just one part of the body), and combined them with abs and cardio intervals for a really intense workout.

Each exercise takes about a minute, so you’ve got a minute of the primary exercise, a minute of abs, and then 2 minutes cardio. That’s four minutes total per round. We did three exercises, two times each, for a total of six rounds. That’s 24 minutes of work, not counting the time it takes to move from one room to the other and get on the treadmill.

When the weather’s nice, we’ll just step out the back door and run around the block which is just about ¼ mile. Since it’s too cold now, everyone alternates so while some were running, others were doing the work in the back. Of course if you’re on your own, it’s pretty easy going back and forth. Here’s a description of how to perform the exercises.

· THRUSTERS: Holding dumbbells (DB) on shoulders, perform a correct squat, sitting backward until your bottom touches an exercise ball or bench; then using your hips and legs, keeping your back arched, straighten back up and thrust both DB up until your arms are straight overhead. Lower the DB to shoulders and repeat.

· WALKING LUNGE, CURL, PRESS: While letting two DB hang down at your sides, take a walking lunging step forward until your front knee is over your toes on your front foot; your back knee should be quite bent but not touching the floor and you should be balancing on the ball of your foot. While staying in that unstable position, curl both DB up together and then rotate them, while pressing them overhead. Lower them, uncurl them, and then take another walking lunging step forward and repeat.

· DEADLIFT, CURL, PRESS: With knees slightly bent, reach down and pick up two DB that were placed at your feet. After straightening up, curl them together, and then rotate and press them both overhead. Lower them, uncurl them, and touch them back to the floor. Repeat.

· AB ROUTINE #1-6: 1) Crunches with knees bent 2) Crunches with legs straight up in air 3) Crunches with one leg bent and other crossed; come up and touch elbow to knee 4) Same thing on opposite side 5) Straight Leg Lifts (raise legs up and down about 12 inches, as fast as possible 6) Pilates Crunches (bring knees to chest, then lower upper body and legs, repeat).

· CARDIO: Ideally, this would be jogging or running on the treadmill at a not quite comfortable pace slightly faster than your regular running pace for 400 meters or ¼ mile (one lap around the football field). Once you get in shape, that will take somewhere between 1:45 and 2:30. For an extra challenge, we also like to increase the pace of the 400 each time. To introduce the concept, we just had them do 2 minutes of cardio. People with knee issues used the elliptical or the exercise bike.

1. Thrusters, AB Routine #1, 2 minutes cardio
2. Thrusters, AB Routine #2, 2 minutes cardio
3. Walking Lunge, Curl, Press, AB Routine #3, 2 minutes cardio
4. Walking Lunge, Curl, Press, AB Routine #4, 2 minutes cardio
5. Deadlift, Curl, Press, AB Routine #5, 2 minutes cardio
6. Standing Deadlift, Curl, Press, AB Routine #6, 2 minutes cardio

We also started talking about some sensitive issues. Eating right and exercising smart will change your life, but you can be out of balance in other ways. In fact, those other areas might be hurting you more than you know.

Let's just lay it all out. If you really want to turn this thing around, sometimes you've got to go a little deeper. What happens when working hard is not enough? Once in awhile, losing weight is easy. Usually it's not, same as with any other problems we face.

We want to, we've tried to, but somehow things never seem to change. What's going on? The things we want to do, we can't seem to do. The things we don't want to do, somehow, we keep doing them.

The Apostle Paul said the same thing in the Bible, in the book of Romans: “I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead I do the very thing I hate.” Romans 7:15. Sound familiar?

What we have to do, is look at why we do what we do. Our problems aren't always physical—many times they have deeper roots; sometimes even spiritual ones. Right now I just know some hearts and minds are clanging shut, but if we want real hope, maybe we need to go back and take a look.

My earliest memory is at the age of four as we were moving from Chicago into our new house in Angola, Indiana. I’m sitting at the top of the steps, eating what appear to be Oreo’s (although I’m not sure they were that brand).

Moves are pretty noteworthy for kids, and I seem to remember being given cookies so I’d sit up there out of the way, while they brought stuff in. Not a terrible experience, but is it any wonder I find comfort in crunchy cookies, especially Oreo’s—forty years later?

It’s not bad for me to eat cookies, as long as I’m not eating too many. I’ll just burn them off. But a good strategy is to not have any in the house. Failing that, it’s better if they’re my wife’s special oatmeal, raisin, walnut, whole-wheat, super-duper snacker cookies.

Still, there are those times when the Oreo’s are there and they’re hard to resist. It’s good to know that maybe it’s not all just me. Perhaps there’s something else going on. Maybe we need to go back even further. We’ll look at this next week.

Of the 17 people that weighed in (which I chalk up to the holiday weekend), our biggest loser was a two way tie between Weston Hughes and Teri Dennis, who both lost 1.2% of their body weight and 2.9 lbs and 2.4 lbs respectively.

Teri received a $20 Walmart gift card from our friends at Terry Elston State Farm Insurance. Second place went to went to Erika Hollis, who lost 1.1% of her body weight and 2.0 lbs.

BIGGEST LOSER "5" WEEK NINE

Week nine is in the books, leaving us with three weeks to go in the 12-week contest. So far, Weston has lost the most weight at 45.3 lbs, followed by Logan at 38.8 lbs, and Erika at 30.6 lbs. If we look at percentage of weight loss, Erika is slightly ahead of Logan.

We also have a couple new records going on. Weston has a chance to move ahead of Josh’s 57.6 lb record from Biggest Loser “4.” So far, he’s been losing 5 lbs a week and if he stays on track, he could top 60 lbs.

Erika has also moved just in front of our former leading lady, Shirley who lost 30.4 lbs in “Biggest Loser “2.” Unless she has a couple really bad weeks, she’ll continue to set new records. She also has a chance to win the whole thing if Weston slips up. It will be interesting to watch.

You might start thinking about getting involved in Biggest Loser “6” which begins on Friday, January 2nd. Don’t wait to make the resolution. Sign up now and ensure your spot. Its $50 to participate and you don’t have to be a member.

We had 21 people participate in the Friday night workout. This week, it was all about showing them how to increase the intensity of the weight routine by using compound movements like thrusters, where you take a squat and a dumbbell shoulder press and combine them into one movement.

Holding the dumbbells in your hands up at your shoulders, execute a correct squat, sitting backward until your buns touch a ball placed behind you. As you use your hips and legs to drive yourself back upward, you also extend the weights with your arms overhead. Be careful to keep your upper body as straight as possible, keeping your back arched and looking upward.

If you’ll recall, Level I training on the machines provides basic strength and a foundation. Level II training replaces the machines with dumbbells, and using more stabilizer muscles.

Compound movements like thrusters are what I call Level III training, because they use much more energy—try them, you’ll see. You’ll also work your core muscles more, because you have to transfer the power from your lower body to your upper body.

The group did some other Level III exercises during the workout. In fact, everything they did was a compound movement. They also never stopped moving, once they started—another principle of Level III training.

They did walking lunges and DB curls, where holding dumbbells, you take a long step forward so that your front knee is over your toes, and your back knee is bent, and your back foot is heel up. This is a very unstable position (which is the whole idea), and at that time, you curl and un-curl the two dumbbells. Then you take another step, curl, and so on.

Holding pushup position on the exercise ball was a “big hit” with the group. Pushup position is tough enough, but with your lower legs or feet on a stability ball, it’s quite a challenge. Your upper body and legs are fatiguing, trying to hold you up, and your core is screaming while you try to maintain the position.

Some more difficult variations included bringing knees to chest, and then the mother of all core exercises—pikes on the ball. In this one, you keep your legs straight, lifting your buns in the air, until you are holding your upper body at a 90 degree bend, almost straight up and down.

In between these compound movements, the group also did side twists with the medicine ball, and wood choppers, where you bring the ball from the floor in a squatted position, overhead, while twisting to one side, back down, and then up again to the other side. With a heavy enough ball, this can be quite a bit of work.

All these exercises have one thing in common: they work several parts of the body, and your core. The goal is to replace the single exercises with compound movements for the next three weeks, keeping the intensity high.

This week’s winner was Gayle Dailey again. Having recently had a birthday, this feisty 60 year old is our oldest competitor, but you wouldn’t know it, watching her work out. Gayle lost 2.2% of her body weight and a total of 3.0 lbs. She won a $20 Joes gift card from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance.

Second place went to Weston Hughes, who lost 2.1% of his body weight and 5.1 lbs. Third place was a tie between Erika Hollis and Kelli Stidham who both lost 1.6% of their body weight and 2.8 lbs and 4.0 lbs respectively.

The best personal story for the week came from Shawn, who was out hunting that morning with his dad. For those of you who don’t following hunting, Friday was the first day of shotgun season and even though he didn’t make it into the gym, he got his workout in several ways.

Shawn told me climbing trees and putting up stands used to be much harder. That morning, he got a nice buck and had to drag it up out of a ravine. He said that last year at this time, he probably couldn’t have done it. Now, 70 lbs lighter, it was still hard work, but he was able to do it. This eating right and working out stuff works!

Next week they’ll do a different Level III workout and I’ll tell you about it. We’ll also get into some of the other issues that make weight loss difficult sometimes, and a politically incorrect (biblical) approach to dealing with them. Right now, I’ve got to go split up the rest of my wood pile. Good thing I’ve been working out.