Working the Program

How some of the leaders worked the program:

(I don't endorse or recommend any of these methods.  The program is meant to work for your lifestyle.   Usually the winners are pretty extreme and results have shown that it isn't necessary to be this extreme to receive results. I have read that 95% of all people who lose weight - gain it back within a year. My personal belief is that losing weight gradually is the best way to keep it off.  I commend the participants that are extremely diligent, but remember that what works for one may not be ideal for another. But here are a few testimonials for your information.)

Testimonial 1:

We just followed the program perfectly. 

We did the Jillian Michaels DVD's-30 minutes weights in the morning and 30 minutes of cardio a day- 6 days a week. We also did long walks with intervals of running for about 12 miles a week. 

We did no neutral foods the first month. That meant no brown rice, wheat or corn during the week. We made exceptions on Sundays only. Also, we kept our carb's under 75g during the week. We used the "my plate" app to record all of the food we ate. 

If I hit a plateau, I did the Dr. Oz 3 day cleanse. That would always help me get "unstuck". The last few weeks we had more negative and neutral foods, so our weight loss slowed quite a bit. I am doing no neutral foods again and am doing a 5 day cleanse with 3 shakes and 2 snacks of 50 calories a day(still getting about 1300 calories a day). Then I am doing 2 shakes, one small meal, and two 50 calories snacks a day. The last 5 days is one green shake, two small meals, and two snacks of 50 calories each. Really, we had a very competitive team, we all pushed each other.

Testimonial 2:

My wife and I would make an awesome green smoothie in the morning that had at least 2 servings of veggies and 3-4 servings of fruits. It then was pretty easy to get the rest of the servings of fruits and veggies throughout the day. I also tuned up my bike and began riding it to and from work- luckily it's about a 20-25 minute bike ride, so I would get 40-50 total minutes of exercise on those days that I rode my bike. Thank you for having such a great program! 

Testimonial 3:

First 4 weeks
no cheats
excercise 35 min to 45 min
no bread, cereal, crackers, rice, or potatoes
limited fruit and only had it just before 4:00pm
small snacks every 2 hours
first 2 weeks track calories on fitness pal to get a feel on portions and calorie intake, etc
Having a COMPETITIVE team-- I did not want to be the weakest link on the team 

Second 4 weeks

added some wheat bread and brown rice (still limited amounts)
had fiber cereal every other day (usually had an egg and eggwhite with feta cheese on other days)
had my cheats each week(once I had these it did make it harder)
exercised 35-55 min (added variety: swimming, walking, elipital, biking)

favorite snacks/food:
lowfat cottage cheese and pomegranate seeds (I am so sad that they are out of season now) or with mango
veggies and hummas
cauliflower pizza crust for pizza or tacos or wraps
quinoa

Loved the daily and weekly challenges, they took my mind off of just focusing on the food.

Testimonial 4 (mine):

I am by no means a leader in the competition, but I just completed my 3rd challenge and have lost a total of 37 lbs. over the past 10 months.  This is an amazing feat for me.  I have never been able to lose weight consistently and keep it off.  I found that the group participation made a huge difference for me.

The first round I was very careful, I often did not use my weekly freebies, I ate very little to no bread.  I often had vegetables for breakfast and ate mostly a protein and 2 fruits or vegetables for my meals.  (I am a protein person - so I probably ate more than most)  I counted calories with the Lose It app and tried to stay around 1200 calories a day.  I was consistent and increased my exercise as the program progressed.  The 2nd challenge I added in more bread and whole wheat pastas and I did well but not quite as good.  This past challenge my life was very busy and I was not as focused.  I still lost, but at a much slower pace.  Each time the program has worked for me according to my focus and dedication.  I love the challenge and the idea that I can eat a well rounded diet and lose weight and be more healthy.