"Choices" - Weigh In Week 12

Starting Weight: 242 lbs
Current Weight: 213 lbs
This Week's Results: -6 lbs
Total Results: -29 lbs

Boy, oh, boy, was there insanity going on The Biggest Loser this week!

The week's theme was about choices, hence my title today. There were quite a few bad choices, all apparently made by Tracy. First, she chose to take a 2-pound advantage at weigh in, which resulted in her and Coach Mo to have no support from trainers Bob and Jillian the entire week. Jillian was particularly unhappy with her. Bob and Jillian took an hour from everyone else to counsel Tracy about knee-jerk reactions. Then, after that session, Tracy ignored everything they said, and chose to eat four 100-calorie cupcakes to win control over whose individual weigh-in would count for each team. Basically, she talked to each team member, and whichever member she was asked to have count, she chose the other one and threw everyone under the Greyhound. Great strategy - that is, if you want to alienate yourself from every other person on the ranch; trainers, contestants, as well as probably your teammate. Be careful of your choices; they have long-term consequences.

I'm being critical and judgemental of Tracy, and I don't give a hoot. I was really pulling for her when she collapsed on the beach and was hospitalized for the first about 10 days. She's hardly been there! This was week 3! As Bob said, don't get crazy and immerse yourself in game-play until the end! Jillian would have done her bodily harm if she could've.

The rest of the contestants showed such integrity and team spirit, though. At the physical challenge, they had to tote either one 25-pound container at a time a long distance or two 5-lb containers at a time a short distance, up a large ramp and into a bin. Total weight to move was 125 pounds per person, 250 pounds per two-member team. The winning team got immunity. But, once the green team won, all the other participants continued bringing up their containers until they finished the challenge. What a great choice. Integrity! Just because you don't come in first, keep plugging until you're finished. Team spirit! They were shouting encouragement to the rest of the contestants as they struggled to finish. Afterwards, they all came up on top of the ramp, joined hands, and held up their arms in a celebration of victory.

After weigh-in, thanks to Tracy's machinations, it was down to red team Antoine and Sean and orange team Danny and Shay. Antoine and Sean asked to let them go home, rather than the orange team. Shay was a basket-case. She grew up in foster care and lost her mom to drug addiction at an early age, and is always been struggling with self-appreciation and her weight. She was the record heaviest person ever on The Biggest Loser when she started. She asked the group not to send her home; she wasn't ready, and I think said she'd be lost if they let her leave. She talked about always being alone, and digging herself out of the dirt, and was just heartbreaking to watch.

Because of their sacrifice, Antoine and Sean went home. During the aftermath interviews, they had both lost over 100 pounds and were getting healthier and stronger. Sean, a youth pastor, and his wife are expecting a baby girl any day now and are going to name her Jillian. Antoine, a loan officer (I think), and single man, is in love with Alexandra, the contestant from week 1 that was eliminated! God is amazing in how He works out our messes to the greater good!

I saw and heard God all through this episode, in Tracy's bad choices actually working out for Antoine and Sean. Tracy's lost any credibility she might have had with the others, though. She lost 11 POUNDS this week. No one applauded or congratulated her. I hope she wasn't surprised, after her betrayal of everyone, including her teammate Mo. I saw God when Allen told Shay, "You never have to face any challenge alone." I heard God when Abby was told she had a tibial stress fracture and she said, "I'm not gonna lay down," on alternate exercising to stay in the game.

Satan is the master of distraction! He places these challenges in front of us. He dangles temptations that look like smart choices in the short term, but are actually HORRIBLE options in the long term. Tracy had control of the game this week, but she's going to pay in following weeks because I believe everyone is going to go out of their way to avoid her. I think Jillian will actually go after her! Tracy's got her own bugaboo this next week, because she has a muscle injury that will keep her out of the gym... Coincidence? Karma? Either way, she is reaping the "benefits" of her choices, as do we all.

Jesus didn't lay down. He sacrificed Himself so we could lay down our sorrows and troubles on Him. He gave us EVERYTHING; we who are nothing without Him. Our Father takes our bad decisions and hurtful words, and turns them around to the good. Oh, not when we would have Him do it; it may take seconds or years for Him to finish it out. But I believe He does finish everything. After all, He is the Beginning and the End, all praise to the Lord!

I'm praying for GOOD choices this week. One of my choices (and privileges) this week is that I'm going to be at The Joy FM radio station on Thursday, October 1, for the kickoff of the Sharathon fundraiser, from 6 to noon. I'll be answering phones and taking pledges, and I hope I'm busier than a bee swarm (HInt! HInt!) with a potfull of spilled honey.

Sailing, Sailing... Weigh In Week 11

Starting Weight: 242 lbs
Current Weight: 219 lbs
This Week's Results: + 5 lbs
Total Results: -23 lbs


Carl, Lindsay, Scott, Phoebe, Pierson, Lindsay's nanny Kacey, Kacey's sister Kelcey, Kacey's son Jeremiah, and I all went on a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, this past weekend. We left from the port of Tampa on Thursday and returned on Monday.

We had a pretty good time! Lindsay, having a HUGE amount of energy, did lots and lots of things with Scott and the babies on board as well as taking an excursion in to Cozumel to Playa Mia (or something like that), on our day in port in Mexico. Carl and I kept to the duty-free shops right at the port itself, having already "done" Cozumel several years ago.

Lindsay was very impressed (and not in a good way) with how the people live there, outside of the tourist area. They somehow got off the main drag and saw some houses that were open to the casual observer, and she saw flimsy one-roomed shacks, hammocks rather than beds, and tiny spaces for large numbers of people in one dwelling. She also said that everything was very dirty (I remember that too), and there were huge iguanas just wandering around the streets. She said she has a new appreciation for the material things that we have in this country, even though we are currently so economically tight. That's the good thing about international travel, whether its on a mission trip or a vacation, you get to see how the rest of the world lives. After all, there's no place like home.

The cruise line employees also opened our eyes as well. We met staff that were thrilled to be on board ship, and had been under contract several times, as well as others who couldn't wait to serve out their time and return home. We met people from the Ukraine, Germany, Peru, India, Australia, England, and just all over the world.

. . . Did I keep to my plan? Well, yes, if you know that I altered my plan! My goal on the cruise was to maybe gain 5 pounds, which I did. Coming off of the flu that I'd been fighting for basically the past two weeks, and the expected gain from that, I think I did not too bad. Although I never visited the gym, Carl and I walked the ship a few times each day. I was still coming off the flu thing the first couple of days on board, so I was very, very careful with what I ate or drank during that time. Good thing, I didn't sample the chocolate melting cake until maybe dinner night 3. Carl and I even danced our last night, and tried to get Phoebe to join us.

Don't ask me what the expression on my face has to do with the invitation, 'cause I'm sure I don't know!

Time to get back to reality, though. Emilio isn't here to serve me the most excellent chocolate melting cake ever in the world, or to bring me the rolls he found out were my favorite from day one. I wish Iwayans was here to turn down my bed and leave me chocolates on the pillows. I miss the cabana boys, too, who fetched us drinks anytime we looked in their direction. I miss the sensation that time wasn't moving, just the boat. I miss that Carl had to go back on the road the very next morning, after having him with me 24/7 (well, more like 24/5!).

But, I have stuff to do as far as getting and staying healthy, and November 13 will be here before we know it. So, back to the job hunt and daily life!

My prayer for you this week is that you are keeping to your goals, or if you've fallen off the wagon, please get back on it and keep trotting along! Call me next week at the station, 'cause I'll be taking pledges for The Joy FM Sharathon next Thursday and Friday mornings.

Do NOT Try This At Home! Weigh-In Week 10

Starting Weight: 242 lbs

Current Weight: 214 lbs

This week's results: -13 lbs (*)

Total Results: -28 lbs (again, *)

I have commented before, somewhat smugly, I am sure, that if one could begin a diet on day 1, and have all the desired weight gone by say, day 7, we'd all be dieting, we'd all be thin and healthy, and we'd all probably be self-righteous, sanctimonious prigs! "Prigs," Mom, not "Pigs"!

Well, I didn't lose all my weight in one week, but my immune system sure tried hard! I've been down with a stomach virus (and by "down" I mean I may as well have been fertilizing daisies) which began its insidious way into my digestive system last Friday.

I won't get into the nastiest of details, let's just say I couldn't keep any food down or inside my body in any way. Body aches, chills, but interestingly no fever, dizziness, nausea, the whole Pepto Bismol jingle thingie. I couldn't keep any medication down, either, and I quit trying by Tuesday, so I actually saved money this week not only in groceries but in drugs as well.

Exercise? Well, I did several wind-sprints to the bathroom, but I don't think they count. I'm giving myself the weekend to get over it all and start fresh on Monday. Michelle won't know what to do with me.

In the past week, well, since Sunday, I've had 4 or 5 graham crackers, about a dozen Saltines, maybe 32 ounces of chicken broth, ginger ale (the real stuff WITH sugar), and 3 vanilla wafers (a huge mistake). This morning I had a slice of wheat toast, dry, with a little sugar free fruit spread on it. I'm going to splurge today and get some take-out won-ton soup without the won-tons! Yum. I'm still afraid to eat much of anything. Lindsay made crockpot lasagna last night, which was the first food cooking I've smelled that didn't make me miserable.

Here's the (*): The only bad thing about losing so much weight so fast is that I know it isn't "real" - how could it be? I lost lots and lots of water weight, but I don't feel like I "earned" it. So, next week I am expecting a gain. Don't be surprised!

Anyway, God is good, I'm feeling better, I might even get to pick up my final paycheck from the ex-boss today (yes, I'm still unemployed), and maybe catch up on my laundry. Doing the split-pea soup scene from The Exorcist has sure taken its toll on my supply of fresh sheets.

God love ya'll! My prayer for you is that none of you get this stomach virus. Have a great weekend.

From Friends to Impulsivity (Is that a word, Bill?) Weigh-In Week 9

Starting Weight 242 lbs (7/13/09)
Current Weight 223 lbs
This Week's Results -3 lbs
Total Results -19 lbs

"Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other, gold."

I gratefully accepted an invitation to come to The Joy FM studios and do a live interview with The Morning Cruise, also known as Dave Cruse, Bill Martin, and Carmen Brown, on Wednesday morning. They are such a blessing to me, as well as so many other people in the station's listening area.

The gang on The Morning Cruise are such a good audience - they laugh at everything I say that my family either roll their eyes, or heave a huge sigh and go on as though I didn't say anything at all. I like that in my friends!

Speaking of friends, my best friend, Helen-Ann, and her husband, Dave, are going on a little weekend get-away. I hope they have a wonderful time. I've written about Helen-Ann before; she is like my other half when it comes to girlfriends. She helps me to think outside of my own personal box, so to speak. We get emotional about the same stuff, like contemporary worship, our kids and grandkids (her first is due in November!), music, faith stories, our husbands (Dave is my surrogate spouse, when Carl's out of town and the other 3 of us go do stuff together), injustice, our childhoods, you know, girlfriend stuff. But Helen-Ann comes at things from a slightly different angle than I do, so her slant on a subject may be a little to the left or right of me, but we always end up at the same place together. Helen-Ann always gives me something to mull over. She is very patient, although I don't think she would agree with me about that. I tend to verbally barrel over people; my brain is always running lickety-split, and I feel like I have to leap in with the first thought that comes into my mind... Helen-Ann does not. I am very impulsive. Helen-Ann is very deliberate in speech and action.

I'm sure Carl's reading this and nodding his head vigorously until his Bluetooth falls off his ear. He has chided me many times in the past for being impulsive and leaping off the robust rampart of reason straight down into the abyss of assumption. Did you like that turn of phrase? I just made it up!

Speaking of being impulsive, I think this little character trait (some would say flaw) of mine is what has assisted me with some of my weight gain issues in the past. I have been known to whisk junk food into a grocery cart while shopping with other family members (even as a child!) and no one ever was the wiser until we got home. I've hidden food in my bedroom to save for later. I've pretended "someone else" ate the last 2/3 of a bag of potato chips. I've rolled candy bar wrappers in toilet paper so no one would look TOO closely at my trash (you never know what you're gonna get), and I've flat out lied about how long ago it was that I went to Wendy's when the evidence (trash) was found in my vehicle. These are all signs that I have an eating disorder... well, color me DUH!

Being impulsive is self-destructive and can become an overwhelming problem if you let it. I mentioned Wednesday morning, when I lost my job last Thursday, I started peeling one of my fingernails. I've never had natural nails as long as they currently are, without them splitting and tearing. This is one of the signs that a low thyroid problem may exist. Anyway, I started by peeling off my left pinkie nail as kind of a nervous reaction to being laid off. I recognized that what I was doing was self-destructive, and I was able to stop myself after losing only that one nail. Back in the day, I would have continued mindlessly tearing off all of them until all I had were two hands of nothing but pink nail beds. This time, it couldn't have been more different. This time, Someone helped me stop myself. There was anther Power at work beside my own.

If you recognize yourself in what I just said, you are SO not alone. You are not losing your mind, and you are NOT a freak! You just have a personality snarl that you need to unravel. Get it out in the light (where everything needs to be!) so you can look at it and untangle it!

I have to tell ya'll thank you, before I get any further. Thank you, so very much. Thank you for your emotional support, thank you for reading my blog, thank you for listening to me on the radio, and just plain thank you! I feel your prayers lifting me up, and I am so grateful for them all. Thank you, Michelle, for so generously offering me your time and knowledge. Thank you, Dave, Bill, and Carmen, for the moral support! I know you don't think it adds up to much, but it means the world to me.

Carmen said a few times Wednesday that she prayed if it was God's will, for her to stay in this central southwest Florida community for the rest of her days. I second that emotion!

This is my prayer: Ya'll have a safe, peaceful, contented Labor Day weekend. And if you have to work during the holiday, thank the Lord for your job. I'm still hunting, and can't wait until I can start whining about "having to go to work"!