In the loopy world of blogs, this is the first post you'll see. For us, it's the last.

From the time this blog launched with several contributors, it has always been in a bit of a gerrymandered space between the sports and health worlds, with some transportation and food thrown in.

We've lost some voices in the year since then, so it's with some relief that those of us still active move to Picture of Health this month. We hope you'll come with us so we won't have to miss you.

It's been fun. Thanks for all the comments!

Photo credit: Getty Images

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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 Last time I posted here, I wrote about my intent to be “zen” about numbers for a while and just focus on moving for the sake of moving and eating good things for the sake of eating good things.
 
Now, several weeks later, it’s probably time to reassess: My weight’s up about a pound and a half … and what’s that? My waist measurement is up 2 inches? That’s curious.
 
Oh, there’s a factor that hasn’t been mentioned here yet. Turns out I am pregnant, which is, to put it mildly, a surprise – or else I sure wouldn’t have agreed to talk publicly about my weight and measurements for the year!
 
So, yes, I had promised to be back quickly and post more, but I was prohibited from exercising for a while, and I’ve basically been eating whatever seems palatable at any given moment, which has been 1) constantly changing and 2) not particularly healthy. There was no way I could post without there being a giant elephant in the corner of the entry raising questions, and I wasn't ready to go public until now.
 
I’m thankful for my time put into this challenge at the beginning of the year for a variety of reasons, but in particular it’s nice to be into my second trimester and still weighing less than my previous pre-pregnancy weight.
 
Anyway, that’s where I’ve been. As for Kevin and Steve, I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure they don’t have the same excuse.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 19 Update: Sarah" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Weight is now at 246, which is back to my lowest since we began the challenge at the beginning of the year. I survived the Easter candy onslaught and pretty much have my diet redisciplined.

The biggest change over the past couple of weeks has been that I moved my morning workouts outside. That coincided with our adoption of a 2-year-old dog that’s part chocolate lab, part Harley-Davidson. The dog, Cece, is very high energy and needs the walks. That dovetails nicely with the fact that I’m very low energy and need the walks.

Getting off the treadmill and outdoors has been a welcome change. I’m still going the same distance in about the same amount of time. But instead of hanging onto the rails of the treadmill so I don’t fall, I’m getting a little bit of an upper-body workout by hanging on as Cece tries her best to have me share in her quest to chase birds, squirrels, deer, dogs and neighbors as we circle the block. Good dog.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 16 update: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Here's Kevin:

Weight 270. This wasn’t a good week for weighting myself. To my disappointment, I have gained 1½ pounds since last week. But who’s counting the ½ pound.

In the past, I would gain weight and not know why or maybe not care. Since we started this Fitness Challenge, I have learned to count calories, consume a balance diet, exercise daily and run more stairs than I care to do.

My diet this week was great. I fell short of my goal because of the lack of time to exercise. Benjamin Franklin once said, “You may delay, but time will not."

So I really don’t have an excuse for not exercising. So far this week I have not missed a day (after missing three days last week).

I'm sorry for the short blog post this week, but I didn’t have enough time.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Here's Steve:

Not a great week for the diet.  I gained two pounds – up to 248 – and I have nobody to blame but myself.  And the guy who was giving away the free chocolate-covered Peeps.  And my kids for leaving leftover pizza sitting around.  

OK, it’s all my fault.  I really suffered a discipline breakdown the past few days and now I’m paying for it.  Fortunately, I’m aware of it and made myself crawl back on the scale to confront it.  I’m back on program now, but if you see me hanging around any Easter baskets this coming weekend, you have my permission to tackle me before I sneak another Peep.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Yet again, we three dieters had similar outcomes despite our various approaches. Gains for all! At least we can commiserate together. Here's my report:

For me, it was a slight gain -- .2 pounds, putting me at 157.2. After a HUGE Passover meal and testing this Matzah Brickle recipe, I'm kind of surprised it wasn't more.

I'm still pondering whether to start a specific exercise plan (a la P90X or Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred) or restarting a new 100-Day Challenge. My work schedule is going through a sea change starting next week, as my husband's mobilization approaches, so I figure I should get through that before deciding.

The only other thing to report this week is that, after thinking about it and talking about it all year, I decided to drop my Coke Zero habit. I'm on the fifth day and headache-free. I'm subbing one cup of hot black tea with agave nectar for the soda, and so far, so good. It's been more about breaking the habit than combating a craving. When I walk into the cafeteria, my Pavlovian instinct is to walk to the soda case, but so far, I haven't felt like I'm dying for the flavor of soda.

The upside, too, is that I've been drinking a lot more water.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Here's Kevin's report:

Weight: 268.5. I lost another 1/2 pound this past week. This was a good week for me. I meet a nutritionist at a health food store while shopping. I told him about my fitness challenge and my goals and he created a meal plan for me to follow. Eat five small meals throughout the day, with two of the meals being a piece of fruit and cottage cheese or a protein shake (I prefer the latter). These were the same words that the Ravens nutritionist Sue James told me during an interviewe last year, but at that time I wasn’t planning to lose weight. This isn’t rocket science, it’s just simple math. You need to burn more calories than you consume. Eating more frequently has been shown to boost your metabolism and help you lose weight.

I have also added another exercise routine to my day. Once a day, I run up the stairs from the first floor to the sixth floor in The Baltimore Sun building. The first couple of times I couldn’t complete the task, but now I can make it up all 6 floors. I haven’t had the courage or strength to run back down the stairs, so I walk. Which is better than taking the elevator.
 

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Here's Steve:

My colleague and fellow dieter Sarah suggested we get new photos taken since we’re now 100 days into our fitness challenge. 

Damn – I knew I should have passed on those Oreos. 

Just kidding.  That’s courtesy of a smartphone app called fatbooth.  It modifies a regular photo and makes your face look a little chin heavy.  Shake the phone and it reverts to the original photo.  Ah, if only in the real world would the pounds come off with a simple shake. 

Last week I didn’t list my weight because I’d just returned from several days on the road for work and quite frankly, had forgotten to do my weigh in.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I finally stepped back onto the scale, but it was good news. I was down to 246,  which is the second straight week I’ve shown a modest loss since stalling out in the upper 240s for more than a month. 

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 14 update: Steve" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Sunday, Kevin, Steve and I hit 100 days into this very public fitness challenge we've been participating in.

To mark the milestone (or maybe it was because we were tired of looking at our before pictures week after week), we took some updated photos.

To refresh your memory, here is us at the beginning of the year:

And here we are yesterday:

 I think everyone's looking a bit leaner! After this was taken, we all high-fived each other. (OK, that's not true.)

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 14 update: Sarah" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Here's a quick update from Steve, who was traveling for most of the week:

Good news – I went to Florida this week. Bad news – it was a business trip. Good news – I ate mostly healthy (salads and seafood). Bad news – I ate a lot of weird stuff (flight schedules not matching up to meal times, last night’s dinner was cashews and wasabi peas). Good news – I kept up with my workouts while on the road. Bad news – I haven’t weighed in for a few days and forgot about filing my post until just now, so don’t have this week’s weight or measurements.

Another routine-busting week, but I think I came through it mostly okay. Will have the numbers next week.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I'm impressed with how well Kevin has been doing with avoiding sweets and fatty foods. His words about perseverance are definitely resonating. Here's Kevin:

Weight 269. Hooray. I lost 1 pound from last week. The goal of the fitness challenge isn’t losing weight, but getting in better physical shape. But I can’t help but feel good about my progress when I look at the scale and see I’ve lost some weight. I realize it’s my perseverance and not my hope that helps me achieve my goals.

American author H. Jackson Brown, best known for his inspirational books, once said, “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins, not through strength but by perseverance.”

When I took on this challenge, I knew I wouldn’t achieve it overnight, but through perseverance. It’s a daily lifestyle change that’s changing my life.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 13 Update: Kevin" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Leeann is home sick today, so I'm taking on posting duties for this week's fitness challenge posts. Without further ado, here's me:

Finally, finally, some movement on the scale! I weighed in this morning at 157.8, down .6 from last week (well, the whole month, really), and now less than a pound from my first 10 pounds lost. Keeping me from running around going “I WANT MY 10 POUNDS!” like the kid from “Better Off Dead” screaming about his $2 is that we did finally take measurements again. There were some changes, but in some cases, not exactly the ones I might have expected.

In the past two months, I’ve lost another half-inch from my waist, another inch from my thighs and a half-inch from my forearms, all of which was exciting. I have felt some changes in how my clothes fit, so I was a little surprised to see no change in my hip measurement. And I was less than thrilled, but not that shocked based on how I’ve built muscle in the past, to see another half-inch gained on my calves. I don’t know quite what to think about my upper arm measurement. After the first month, I had shown a 1.5-inch gain there, and we measured a bunch of times trying to figure out what had happened. So we figured we’d just mismeasured on Jan. 1. But this time, the measurement came out as 12 inches, which was back to the original number from January. So … something is screwy there, but I’m not going to worry about it too much.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 13 Update: Sarah" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Weight 270. My weight hasn't changed in weeks, but I know what I'm doing wrong. Last week I followed the advice of my fellow fitness challenge member Steve. I downloaded an app to my iPhone for counting calories and charting my workouts.

The app suggested that I consume no more than 1,730 calories a day to achieve my weight-loss goal in six months. For the first four days, I went over 1,400 calories with breakfast and lunch alone. So, I changed my diet to eat five smaller meals throughout the day. I must do a better job at calorie counting and working toward my goal.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge update week 12: Kevin" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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I am thinking it is about time for us to do our measurements again because yet again my weight is the same (158.6), but I feel different. Some of my clothes are starting to fit a little bit looser. People (even ones who haven’t been reading the blog) have mentioned that I am looking thinner. That helps assuage the ego even when the scale isn’t budging. I also found this great podcast  that follows the Couch to 5K program. I did it the first time the other night when I got home early enough to run outside, and it was totally doable and still felt like an accomplishment, if that makes sense. (The first week alternates 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking.)

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge update week 12: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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The needle has moved, and done so in the right direction. After nearly a month of being stuck at 248, I lost a pound. Celebrate small victories! A couple of weeks ago I started logging my meals. I wasn’t eating anything I shouldn’t. But the food diary did reveal a couple of things I was able to tweak.

First, I found that when I ate a light early in the day and a heavier meal at dinner, my morning weigh in was usually a rude awakening. When I turned things around and had a heartier breakfast (heavy on proteins, very light on carbs), a decent lunch (mostly salads) and a lighter dinner, my weight was either the same or slightly less in the mornings.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge update week 12: Steve" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Weight 270. I made the mistake of not weighting myself last week. So, I don’t know if I have gained a pound or lost several pounds. If you ask me, I would take the latter.

This week I tried to substitute three days of working out just with bands and free weights instead of doing P90X. My body was happy about the change, but my conscience is getting the best of me. So I’m back to the routine of using P90X.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge update week 11: Kevin" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Let’s just get this over with quickly. Weight: no change. My attempts to refocus last week did not exactly go as planned. Other things that got in the way: a couple of taste tests at work (the hazards of being food editor), two parties and a wedding this weekend, and my husband’s discovery of a truly awesome hamantaschen recipe for Purim.

Of course, had I shown more self-control in the face of these situations, it would have been different. But I justified indulgences with promises of harder workouts, promises to myself that I broke. Grr.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge update week 11: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Okay, so I’m still at 248 lbs. for what, the third or fourth week in a row? Big deal. I’m not gaining weight and I’m still working out and eating healthy, so no need to freak out. I figure the weight will start to fall again at some point if I continue to behave.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge update week 11: Steve" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Once again, all of our challengers have written about their similar experiences. I know that they write their posts before they talk to one another about how their week as gone. It's fascinating that they all are in similar places on the weight-loss journey. Here's Kevin:

I’m not sure if I gained a pound this week or lost a pound. I decided to boycott the scale because I had a bad week of eating. I attended a movie this weekend and indulged in too much popcorn with butter. I also ate too many pasta dishes this week. OK, I know I have gained a pound or two, but as the old saying goes “what you don’t know won’t hurt you.”

So, I will ignore the scale this week.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge update week 10: Kevin" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I, like Sarah, had a disrupted week. I went to New York for the weekend and had one of my favorite things ever – Korean fried chicken. I ate nearly my body weight in the soy ginger drummies. Sigh. Now, here's Sarah:

I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record with all my “I’m trying to get my routine back” posts. But that’s what I’m continuing to work on after yet another disrupted week, this one by 10 days of home renovations and a nasty cold. That’s why it’s a lifestyle change, right? Because when is life normal anyway?

This week I didn’t get completely derailed by all the craziness. I was much more consistent with my back exercises (and my chiropractor noted some improvements at my appointment Tuesday, yay!), I did a couple of higher-intensity workouts (including an hour on the bike one night and my first kettle bell video), and my eating was decent. Even “more water, less Coke Zero” went OK.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge update week 10: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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In this week's post Steve discusses fat clothes and skinny clothes. Ya, I have a full wardrobe in a variety of sizes and several closets dedicated to housing it all. Here's Steve:

I seem to be stuck on 248 pounds. I’m a little disheartened because I’m not losing the 1-2 pounds a week that I did the first month and a half of the challenge. But then again, I’m not gaining weight either. Just sort of sitting here at 248.

In the meantime, my closet has become a battleground of fat clothes versus skinny clothes. I had lost just enough since the beginning of the year to start flirting with some of the shirts and pants that I had outgrown during the past couple of years. Some I can now fit into (with effort) and I’m close to adding those back into the wardrobe rotation. But with my weight not budging for the past couple of weeks, I haven’t yet relegated my big, baggy clothes to the back of the rack just yet.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge update week 10: Steve" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Kevin has been doing a great job with this challenge. He's done remarkably well with staying away from the fast food. Here's Kevin:

I can finally say that I weigh in the 260 range. I weigh 269 pounds, which I haven’t seen on the scale for several years. I started the fitness challenge at 288 pounds, so by my calculation, I’m down 19 pounds.

I can finally see my belt buckle, now that may not mean much to some but I’m really proud of that. I’m sorry, I'm getting a little emotional, give me a minute and talk amongst yourselves. OK, all kidding aside, this challenge has really been great for my health. According to research from Wake Forest University, one pound of weight lost equates to four pounds of reduced pressure exerted on each knee.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge week 9 update: Kevin" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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This week Sarah tells us about her struggle to stick with her plan while away at a funeral. I think most of us struggle with emotional eating and making good choices when you're out of your routine. Sarah proves that even if you have several bad days, you can get back on track. Here's Sarah:

What a rough couple of weeks. My grandfather passed away near the end of February, and I made a last-minute trip to Texas to attend his funeral and be with my family. Making good food choices was about the last thing on my mind, and honestly, for two days, we were in a tiny town that shut down very early every night, so we were frequent patrons of the nearby Whataburger. I’d actually consider it a victory that we managed to eat at all during that time.

Once we were back at my dad and stepmom’s house, we were mostly eating restaurant meals because grocery shopping had fallen by the wayside. (Plus, I had to have real Mexican food for once!)

I had good intentions with exercise. I packed lighter than probably ever in my life, and I only brought two pairs of shoes -- black high heels and my running shoes. I squeezed in a couple of sets of my back exercises, but the only other exercise I got was sprinting from one end of Terminal D to one end of Terminal C in the Atlanta airport on the way home. But hey, it’s possible I wouldn’t have made it on the plane in time if not for my workouts the past couple of months. (It was really close.)

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge week 9 update: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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I'm pretty sure we all know how Steve feels. Here's Steve:

The damn scale. I know it’s there waiting for me every morning. And I know I can’t sneak anything by it. If I eat a bad snack, it will know. If I eat too late at night, it will know. Miss a workout, it knows. As much as I’ve grown to fear and hate it, I’ve also grown to respect it. It’s like that little good angel sitting on one shoulder who guilts me back on course after the little bad pizza angel on the other shoulder tries to convince me that one slice won’t hurt anything.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge week 9 update: Steve" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Week 8 brings us to an interesting crossroads. This week the only update I got was from Steve. Sarah had a death in the family so she was out of town for several days. Kevin is part of the video team and I have a feeling that the long hours left him with little energy for writing. I'll harass him this week to ensure that we get a post next week. Thanks Steve for sharing what it's like to try to maintain a new routine when you go on vacation.

Here's Steve: Making some readjustments to things in the wake of my return from the road trip. As much as I did some things right (maintained the workout routine, ate lots of fruit and salads), I did more than enough to derail things. This week’s weigh in is 248.5. That’s two pounds higher than when I left for Atlanta, and two pounds lighter than when I got back.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 8 update: Steve" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Here's Kevin, who did a lot better than I did when it comes to cake around the office the past week:

Weight 270. I didn’t lose a pound this week and I know why. No, this isn’t going to be a psychiatrist's couch moment or my top 10 reasons why I didn’t lose weight this week. No excuses, no complaints. I just didn’t get it done.

Several weeks ago, I wrote, “The only person that can stop me from losing weight is ME.” I never wrote a truer statement.
 
My normal schedule is to work out six days a week, but last week I missed three days. I just didn’t do it. I tried to make up for the days I missed by working out twice as hard. Note to self: Don’t ever try that again are you trying to kill me? OK, I got that out of my system.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 7 Update: Kevin" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Here's Steve:

Week 7 –  I just got home from a week on the road, a trip that was long, fun and blessed with good weather and the first baseball of the season.  For my birthday, my wife had presented me with one of the best presents ever.  She flew me to Louisville to hook up with my best friend – who is also our son’s Godfather – and then we drove down to Atlanta, where our son’s college baseball team opened its season.
 
A boys’ weekend in the south presents all sorts of temptations for anyone, much less someone like me trying to lose weight and raise my fitness level.  But I feel I did pretty well. I managed to get my workout in every morning except the final day when I chose to sleep in a little longer before the final leg of our drive home.  Breakfasts most mornings were melons and bran cereal.  Most lunches and many dinners were salads, although I did eat a couple of ballpark hot dogs.  The worst thing I ate was some dinner pizza on the first night of the trip. 

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 7 update: Steve" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I'm posting this week's fitness challenge reports for Leeann, who is again swamped. (Hey, have you noticed all the awesome video around the site? That's thanks in large part to her -- and Kevin and Steve, too, among others) Anyway, here's my report:

I was shocked to weigh in this week at 158.4, another 1.2 down since last week. Weirdly, that’s two weeks in a row of inconsistent eating and exercise and a whole lotta stress, and two weeks in a row of my biggest losses.

I’m certainly not complaining, but it’s a little tough to stay motivated when mediocre effort is yielding better results than more concentrated effort did.

But I know that even though weight loss is a garbage in-garbage out scenario, the scale isn’t a perfect reflection of what’s going on with my body; it’s just one aspect of a much bigger picture. So last night I refocused (at least a little) and did my most intense workout in several days. And after one of us in my house finally had time to go to the grocery store on Monday (Note: That’d be the one of us who actually had the day off), I brought my lunch and snacks today.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 7 update: Sarah" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Weight 270. I have lost another 1½ pounds, for a grand total of 18 pounds.

I’m maintaining part of my diet, but I’m starting to notice that I’m not eating as many vegetables as in previous weeks. But the part that I’m still most proud of is my boycott of fast food.

I have found many advantages to eliminating fast foods in my diet, but only one disadvantage.

Advantages:

• Fast food may lead to insulin resistance in some people, and this could be the beginning signs for type 2 diabetes.

• Many fast-food items are high in sodium.

• If you look at the amount of calories in a typical fast-food meal, it would be the only meal you would need for the day. And eating one meal a day is very unhealthy.

• I find by eliminating fast food, I don’t eat in my car. So I vacuum the car less.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 6 update: Kevin" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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From Sarah: What a week. The past few days have been emotionally stressful and extraordinarily busy, not a fantastic combination. My eating choices suffered (too many restaurant meals, among other things), and I missed a couple of workouts too.

Weirdly, I still find myself down 1.2 pounds -- at 159.6 -- and into the 150s, which is exciting. That said, my body is often a few days behind, so I’m not celebrating too much just yet.

I learned a big lesson this weekend: I have to build cooking into my schedule. My husband was gone at drill, and I crammed a ton of errands into Saturday and Sunday (thanks to a mostly compliant toddler), but not grocery shopping or cooking. The result is I don’t have leftovers for easy work lunches and I’m running out of grab-and-go snacks, too. I’ll have to take care of that some evening soon.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 6 update: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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From Steve: Week 6 – Dropped 1.5 pounds and am down to 246.5, which makes an 11-pound loss since the first of the year. Lots and lots of salads this week, which was good because the veggies are an important component of my program. Plus it wasn’t too hard since I loaded them up with toppings – mostly healthy – so that they filled me up. The things that wound up riding atop my greens included chicken, cheeses, raisins, nuts and eggs. I tend toward an oil-and-vinegar dressing most of the time but opted for blue cheese with two of the meals. I probably could have cut a little fat from the toppings, but I’m satisfied with the outcome.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 6 update: Steve" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Here's Kevin:

Weight 272½. That’s right, I’m counting the half-pound as well. I feel like a 6-year-old kid, when they correct you about their age by saying, "I’m 6½" and not just "6." I’m starting to realize that I need to work harder on my diet. I should have lost more weight by now.
 
If you are not losing weight at the rate you would like, it has to be one of two things. Either your intake (the amount of calories you are consuming) or your output (the amount of calories you’re burning).
 
I believe in my case it’s the intake. I have dramatically changed my diet by eliminating fast food and breads. But I need to change the portions of my meals. Spread them throughout the day and not fall back into the three meals-a-day routine.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 5 Update: Kevin" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Here's Steve:

Week 5 - I finally broke through the 250-pound barrier this week, with a weigh-in of 248.  That’s a two-pound drop for the week and 9.5 pounds lost since the challenge began.

This week I also saw Dr. A. for the first time since we started the challenge.  I was a little unsure how she would react to this since I hadn’t consulted her before beginning.  Back in 2003 when I did the Atkins Diet, I saw her a couple of months into the program after I’d lost about 30 pounds.  She was happy about the weight loss, but a little freaked out when I told her I was doing Atkins.  However, all my levels were good and that somewhat mitigated her reaction.  This time when I explained that the approach was little more than behaving myself – cutting out junk foods, limiting portions, eating more veggies and fruits, drinking lots of water, not eating late at night and getting more exercise – she was fully on board.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 5 Update: Steve " »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Leeann is swamped today, so I'm helping out by posting the fitness challenge updates. And I'm taking advantage and posting mine first! Leeann and I were talking yesterday about how funny it is that even with very different approaches to this challenge, Steve and Kevin and I seem to struggle with several of the same issues at the same time. Here's, well, me:

My weight this week? 160.8. My scale measures in .2 increments, but for the purposes of this challenge, I’ve been rounding to the nearest .5. (Something about the .2s just seems a little too obsessive.)

But this time, it’s important because that .2 is a breakthrough -- I’m finally below my pre-pregnancy weight of 161, a number I haven’t seen since some time in 2007. Now it really feels like I’m getting somewhere. My goal here is not to fixate on the numbers -- it’s to feel better and be healthier and get stronger. Even so, this feels like a victory, and it’s one that I am savoring.

I’m finding that for me, this challenge really is about finding a balance. I don’t have to be super-intense every day. I don’t have to eat “perfectly” (whatever that is) every day. I need to be mindful of my choices, incorporate more movement into my daily life, and not use any and every excuse to justify a treat. I have been doing these things since Jan. 1, and I can feel the difference. John Bingham, who started the 100 Days Challenge that I am participating in, posted early on that he realized he was putting too much pressure on himself to work out hard. Here are his words on the subject:

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 5 Update: Sarah" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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By the way, the guys will have their measurements in next week. Now, here's Kevin:

Weight 274. This is the first week that I have not lost a pound. I was feeling a little discourage, but one of my coworkers reminded me that the key is to lose fat and build muscle. If I’m building muscle, it can weight as much as the fat that I’m losing. I shouldn’t measure my progress in terms of weight lost, but by the amount of inches I lose each week. That was nice of her.

OK, back to reality. I skipped one workout last week, substituting a day of shoveling snow as my workout for the day. Going forward, I will not compromise on my workout routine and stick to my plan.

As for my eating habits, my boycott of fast food, aka fatfood continues. But I think I’m addicted to beef jerky. A good source of protein and only 130 calories per serving, but I need to watch my salt and sugar intake.

Continue reading "Week 4 fitness update: Kevin" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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I can empathize with Sarah this week. I did my fair share of "snow eating." I didn't actually eat the frosty white stuff. Instead, I ate all kinds of comfort food. For me, that means carbs, carbs and some more carbs. Here's Sarah:

Mere moments after last week’s post went up, recounting what an awesome week I’d been having, the wheels fell off big time. Thanks to the snowstorm, I got stuck downtown Wednesday, and I had a delayed hotel dinner that was the first misstep (turkey sandwich, not bad, and fries, boo) among several. The next morning, I stopped by the hotel deli for breakfast and without thinking got a bagel sandwich with egg, cheese and bacon. The mindless eating continued at lunch, when I went to the cafeteria and defaulted to my former it’s-too-crowded-so-I’ll-just-grab-something-fast choice: a slice of pizza and a package of cookies. Bleh.

I could feel myself on a bit of a backslide -- weather-related stress brings out comfort eating in all of us, right? -- and I put a stop to it then and there. (Well, after eating the pizza and cookies.) I made a declaration about it on Facebook, and a couple of people exhorted me to cut myself some slack. But I promise, I wasn’t beating myself up over a piece of pizza or some fries -- I was reacting to the feeling that an old pattern was emerging and I wanted to stop it. And I did, mostly. So that? That was good.

I learned another food lesson while spending the day with my toddler Sunday. I let both of us get overtired and over-hungry and we landed at the absolute wrong place at Arundel Mills, Johnny Rockets. I didn’t do too much damage, but it was not my best move ever. So: bring snacks, plan ahead, and read the map a little more closely were the lessons of that day.

Continue reading "Week 4 fitness update: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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This fitness challenge post is something we can all relate to. How do you stick to your new lifestyle when you're presented with holidays, special occasions and other excuses to eat things that aren't good for you? Steve has one answer:

Week four - birthday week. This one had me worried from the start, but I did okay. With the cravings for sweets gone, I told my wife to go ahead and get a cake for everyone else to enjoy. But she felt the temptation might have been a little too strong, so this year’s celebration was cakeless. However, perhaps the first-ever birthday cheese made an appearance (see photo).

Continue reading "Week 4 fitness update: Steve" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Here's Kevin: Weight 274. Maintaining my diet is starting to become harder. As a consumer, we are inundated everyday with advertising coupons, commercials and catchy jingles. Advertising is intended to persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to purchase or take some action upon products, ideas or services. I’m almost certain there is a reason I received a litany of fast food coupons this week in the mail. This is the prime time most new gym memberships are canceled and most diets and New Year's resolutions are broken.

Now, if you’re wondering why I write about such struggles, it’s because I realize there are people just like myself who need to know they’re not alone in the battle of the bulge. So if we know that we’re being tricked everyday by ad agencies to consume such products, knowing is half the battle.

Continue reading "Week 3 fitness update: Kevin" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Here's Sarah:

Are we really 25 days in to this thing? I guess so. That means, provided I get to my workout tonight (Tuesday), which I will, that I’m a quarter of the way through my 100 Days Challenge. It’s going fast! But they say that three weeks is what it takes to create a new habit, and we’re past that point, so good for us.

On the exercise front, things are going well. No missed workouts, a couple of tougher ones (intervals on the exercise bike and one session of P90X plyometrics -- thanks for the inspiration, Kevin!), and a few breakthroughs. Since we’ve owned this bike, I’ve wished it had a level 1.5, with 1 being a tad too easy and 2 being a tad too challenging, so I’ve alternated between the two. But this week, I had a nearly-hourlong session at level 2 and never switched it down. Even the day after doing plyo (jump training), I knocked it down to level 1 for just a couple of minutes’ break toward the end. And also, I survived plyo. And I liked it. So this week confirmed the idea that I can increase the intensity and be OK. Still babying my shoulder and upper back, so I’ve gone really light on arm work, but I’m seeing a new doc on Thursday (edited to add: provided this snow doesn't get out of control) and hoping for a breakthrough on that, too.

Continue reading "Week 3 fitness update: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 6:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Week three of the fitness challenge was a bit more, well, challenging for our participants. Here's Steve:

The third week ended with another two-pound drop. I’m at 251.5, but this week had its challenges. Last week’s post noted how I was finally fitting everything into my routine. Well, this week the routine was blown to bits by a weekend trip, a holiday and a couple of school snow delays. The trip out of town last weekend was just a short drive up to New Jersey to visit my brother. Short as it was, it knocked out one workout and sent me into the following work week exhausted. I did pretty well with food choices, though. My sister-in-law prepared a chicken and asparagus dish that fit into my regimen. Two meals out where I was disciplined with my choices (a salad at one place, a chicken and veggie wrap at another). However, I did sneak a couple (possibly more) of nacho chips while watching the football playoff games.

Continue reading "Week 3 fitness update: Steve" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Kevin and I have a lot in common when it comes to food cravings. He explains this week about how he never craves healthy food, such as celery. Hmm...I'm with him on that. I really love food and so I try to make healthy food that tastes good. Who wants to eat a plain stalk of celery? Here's Kevin:

Weight 276. So far, I’m down 12 pounds from my original starting weight. I’m encouraged with my progress, but not totally satisfied. I also realize that I must have patience because I didn’t gain this weight overnight so I’m not going to lose it overnight. On Monday night, I watched a new show on the A&E channel, titled “Heavy.” This is a docudrama that follows 22 individuals with life-threatening health issues due to obesity. Even though I don’t have as much weight to lose as these individuals, I really identify with the struggles that they face every day. I know that I need food to survive, but the right food is the key. I notice that I don’t crave healthy foods; I never say I have a taste for baby spinach or I just can’t go to bed without some celery. It’s always unhealthy food. One of the participants on the show said, “The only person that can stop you from losing weight is you.”

Continue reading "Week 2 fitness update: Kevin" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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It's interesting how during week two everyone is talking about the same challenges.  It seems that one of the hardest parts of the Fitness Challenge is working exercise into an already busy schedule. Here's Sarah:

Week two was tougher than week one. A bad confluence of events -- deadlines keeping me at work later than usual plus running out of reflux medicine -- led to two days of stomachaches and one missed workout. Bleh. I made up the exercise over the weekend for sure, but my plans of ramping up the intensity didn't really come to pass, other than a few tougher intervals on the bike. But this coming week? It's happening.

Food-wise, things went pretty well. I braved the cafeteria once, which would have been OK, but a toasted wheat roll for my grilled chicken turned into a buttered white roll somewhere in the making. Bringing lunch is definitely a better option for me. I made a ton of food this weekend so I'd be prepared: Crock-pot salsa chicken and black bean soup have been on the menu for a couple of days.

Continue reading "Week 2 fitness update: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Our fitness challenge participants share some of their struggles this week as they try to get into a new healthier routine.  Here's Steve:

End of week two and I’m down 4.5 pounds to 253. I’m satisfied with the nice, slow pace of losing just a pound or two a week. At the rate of two pounds a week, my calculations tell me that I will weigh zero pounds by June 19, 2013.

Seriously, though, I’m starting to feel that the cravings are passing and that I’m settling into a good routine. I’m wedging the one-mile treadmill workout into most (five out of seven this week) mornings in between an early burst of work and getting lunches packed for everyone. And I haven’t decided whether it’s imagined or just wishful thinking, but it does seem that my clothes are just a tad less snug, even though it’s been less than five pounds that I’ve lost so far.

Continue reading "Week 2 fitness update: Steve" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Kevin and I spend a good deal of time covering the Ravens. This week we found ourselves out at their training facility around lunch time. We decided to stop for something on the way back to the office. Keep in mind, Sonic is right on the way. Kevin and I have stopped there a few times. I must admit, I brought it up as a lunch option to see what he'd say. His suggestion ... let's go to the Whole Foods salad bar. I think he's definitely committed to this change in lifestyle. Here's Kevin:

Weight 279. This has been the most fun I have had losing weight ever. I have received such encouraging words from so many people, especially from those who have tried P90X. It’s like a fraternity. Keep the positive emails coming.

It’s also encouraging to see the results of my training. I have gone down one loop on my belt. Yes.

In the past, I have found it easy to lose the first 20 pounds. It’s pounds 21 and on that have been the hold up.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 1 update: Kevin" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Sarah and I have been impressed with all the supportive comments left on this blog. I have been inspired by our participants. Inspired enough to try to lose the 10 to 15 pounds that have crept on over the past few months of holiday eating. As Sarah points out below, it's not easy when your workplace is filled with food. Here's Sarah:

Ten days in, and this 2011 fitness challenge is off to a good start. I’m down 2.5 pounds (to 164.5), which is less than I was hoping for but more than enough. But I guess it’s possible I overestimated how much of my start number was water weight from New Year’s Eve indulgences.

I’m 10 percent of the way into the 100 Days Challenge and haven’t missed a day, though some days have been better workouts than others. Still, I’ve done at least 30 minutes of “intentional movement” each day since we started, and I haven’t hurt myself beyond a tweaked calf muscle for a day after failing to stretch enough. Lesson learned. I’ve also tracked calories consistently and made that goal every day so far.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 1 update: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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It's already been a week since our 2011 Fitness Challenge participants started working toward their goals. On about Day 2, I noticed that Steve was walking around the office with his head at an odd angle and a grimace. I'll let him explain what happened. Here's Steve:

End of week one and mostly satisfied with the results. The good – down to 255 (a 2.5-pound weight loss), 5 out of 7 days on the treadmill, and I stuck to my nothing-after-8-p.m. eating restriction. No cookies (big win), no sugars (yea!) and a very limited amount of carbs (one meal with some whole-grain bread, a little brown rice early in the week). Loaded up with veggies, fish, chicken and gallons of water.

The bad – still fighting with cravings. I was achingly aware of the generosity of my co-workers this past week when I’d walk by complimentary boxes of doughnuts and assorted other snacks they brought in to share. This isn’t anything new in our newsroom, and that's among the reasons I’m now trying to lose weight. But it was a little alarming how often I felt my hand reacting to the gravitational pull of doughnuts as I walked by. I’m hoping that after another couple of weeks purging the cravings, these freebie foods will be invisible to me.

Continue reading "Fitness Challenge Week 1 update: Steve" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Kevin and I work closely together at The Sun. We mostly cover the Ravens, but, really, Kevin loves any sport. He's also the MMA blogger. He works long hours because he's able to do a little bit of everything, from illustration to video editing. He also rarely says no to anyone who asks him for help. He was also the one who harassed me the most about getting this fitness challenge started. He's told me several times how much he's looking forward to changing his lifestyle. Here's Kevin:

Continue reading "2011 Fitness Challenge: Kevin" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Sarah is the food editor at The Sun as well as the Reality TV blogger. In addition, she's the busy mother of a 2 year old. She's also maybe the most nervous about having her weight and measurements out there for the world to see. What woman isn't? I know I would be. She's also very committed to her goals and is excited about the extra public accountability. Here's Sarah:

Continue reading "2011 Fitness Challenge: Sarah" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
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With the start of the new year, our focus often turns to those areas in our life that need improvement. For many or us, that usually involves fitness and diet. In the spirit of that, a few of my coworkers have agreed to let us follow them as they work toward new health goals this year. Each week we'll check in with Steve, Sarah and Kevin to see how they're doing. We'll follow their successes and their struggles. I think it's very brave of them to be so open. When I asked them to include their weights and measurements, they barely flinched. I'll post their fitness profiles throughout today. Let's start out with Steve. He's the director of multimedia at The Sun.

Continue reading "2011 Fitness Challenge" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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