Thoughts on Biggest Loser Season 9 Ep 6

One of the bonus videos for The Biggest Loser showed Melissa talking with Ashley in the ranch kitchen cavalierly admitting she was eating badly at the Oly Training Center, and not paying attention to her calories and not using the online food tracking program they are all to be using.

It seemed to shock Ashley, for whom this is no game. That girl (pink) is seriously in need of regaining her health.

What scares me is that Melissa (red team) and her ‘integrity’ is that she is a lawyer back home.

Also, the whole thing about Lance not coming home until he is 250 pounds is not about his health. They have made it plain from the first eps that he cannot return to his lucrative deep sea diving work until his weight gets back there.

So one way or the other for Melissa, it’s about the money. And I also think she wanted to go home.

It’s clear she does not see herself as overweight or having a problem from everything she says about everyone else in her interviews.

I wonder how Lance will do without Lady Macbeth around. Notice he sunk to the ground in terror when he saw she had gained a pound? I’ve never seen anyone on this show do that before.

In other topics, I was so happy to see Miggy (green) so happy and pleasant. I think 2 things: she operates better without her daughter around, and that she must have been in some chronic pain from the mass and cyst that were removed when they took out her appendix.

Miggy probably was having low levels of infection for a long time. Her fear of ‘weakness’ likely had her denying her physical pain. That would make anyone irritable/grumpy/defensive all the time. Her whole body posture now is of a new woman.

It remains to be seen though, if she will have friends on the ranch, besides Michael. When she was celebrating on the scale, no one seemed to really give a heck about her being so thrilled. There was polite clapping while she spun around in joy. It was kind of a sad moment. And when she hugged Jillian and picked her up, Jillian’s face spoke a few volumes of distaste. Either Jillian is sick of being picked up by contestants (why do they all do that to her?) or she really doesn’t care much for Miggy.

I liked that Bob saw a return to yoga lately for the contestants. We only know what the producers show on screen, so we don’t know if Bob has been doing yoga with people in the last few seasons as much as before, but I am always happy to see the contestants learning how to go within for balance and strength.

Caring for myself with a Healthy Habits List

I have this deal worked out that if I do everything on my Healthy List, I get a treat. If I do a few things on the list a get a smaller treat.

I created this idea of the last four days because I realized I work best on a rewards-based system. My first thought was that I would get one dollar for accomplishing at least one thing from my list, a dollar a day. Or that I would get $5 if I did EVERYTHING on my list that day.

That way I would earn either $30 or $150 in a month, give or take, if I stay with this.

The problem was, where would the money come from? I couldn’t pay myself - i have no money. So then i asked hubby if he would pay me. He said he would if he had any money, but he didn’t either. I thought of my mom but didn’t want to bother her with this.

We decided I needed a sponsor.

I didn’t feel like asking people to give me money so I could give myself incentive to do good things for myself, so I had to wrack my brains for some other reward.

I settled on massages. Dan agreed that he would do one minute of massage on the body part of my choice if I tackled some of the things on my list, and five full minutes (timed) if I get everything checked off.

So far I earned (and received) a one minute jaw massage for yesterday and a five minute foot massage for the day before. Today I am working on getting my entire list accomplished and will be able to earn my five minutes - maybe for a neck rub.

Here is my Healthy List: (daily tasks)

• Pushups
• Hanging on the chinup bar
• Crunches
• a Yoga sequence or stretching
• 5 minutes Meditation
• at least 15 minutes of something that lifts my Heart Rate
• Hydrate
• Take my Vitamins
• Take my Medications
• have Veggies in at least one meal
• have Protein in at least one meal
• have a serving of Fruit, or the equivalent of antioxidants
• Put powdered Fiber in at least one beverage
• Floss teeth
• Exfoliate and Moisturize face and neck
• Do one thing to Pamper myself or provide Me Time

So far this has been a very good list for me. I make sure to set my timer to go off every half hour when I am working at my desk, so I can remember to get a few of these things done.

The One Thing For Me item is variable. One day I read a book in bed during the day. Today I took a nice long bath with scented salts. It could also be getting a pedicure, buying myself something nice, going to a thrift store or walking around down town, being artsy or crafty, working on my Vision Board, enjoying a sunset or looking at stars…whatever little item that isn’t otherwise on any to-do list that will help decrease my stress levels.

What do people think of my idea? I am really hopeful this will encourage attention and accountability to healthy habits for me.

What Do You Have in Your Home Gym?

I love working out at home. It’s so much easier to keep up with fitness when it’s in the comfort of my own living room, in front of MY TV, with good sound, temperature control and all the comforts of home. I don’t have to worry about what I am wearing (I can work out in my pajamas if i want to), I am not bothered by other people and their sweat/germs, I don’t have to wait for equipment, I don’t have to drive anywhere, and it’s far cheaper to own something than rent something, which is in essence what you are doing at a gym.

My home gym set up: In the livingroom, we have a treadmill and skiing type machine, yoga/stetch mats (also yoga block and strap), two twist boards, pullup/crunches bar, a weighted medicine ball, hand weights, a fitness ball, ab roller, a jump rope, a stretch rope for resistance training, boxing gloves and various workout DVDs (yoga, trance dance, tai chi, chi gong, Tae bo). While we watch TV each night we climb on our machines and work out. I’d love to add a punching bag and a Wii Fit system.

These are all things we’ve added to the mix over time. We use them all. I love having these options at home, in front of my own TV/DVD player (if I am watching something, I can’t get bored). We hardly even just sit there on the couch like vegetables. Even just stretching is making good use of our TV time.

I also have my walking, running and hiking shoes by the door. I count that as home gym stuff too.

If someone was just starting out, and didn’t have much room, I’d suggest getting a twist board (under ten dollars at Amazon.com), a yoga mat, a weighted ball (4 or 6 pounds is plenty), very light hand weights (1 or 3 pounds), and some DVDs with movement training that interests you (martial arts? kickboxing? yoga? Jane Fonda doing aerobics?). I’d suggest getting a used treadmill from Craigslist for $100, or a cycle machine (used these can be like $20).

Or go the Wii route and not worry about getting anything else.  Between all the fitness choices they’ve added, you get your whole virtual gym covered.

Do you have any home fitness equipment? Do you use it? what would you have in your perfect home gym?

Starting to Meditate - Five Minutes a Day

I am trying to practice mindfulness in my life, but it’s tough when I constantly keep myself occupied with so many projects and interests. The days fly by and I only get any real alone time in the bathtub and on walks.

So I have been trying to meditate each day for five minutes. I know that is a short time, but it’s a good start for me. I don’t think I could really sit there still with empty thoughts for an hour or even half hour at this time. So for me, five minutes is a triumph.

I asked DH to do it with me each day. He figures he can take five minutes from his time to do something nice with me, so this was our third attempt today.

Each time I set up the timer for five minutes and sit quietly, I am surprised how quickly the time goes by. I always thought meditating would be soooo slooooooow and five minutes would seem like an hour.

So I am happy to report I am really enjoying this small time-out each day. I sit on a small pillow on my yoga mat, cross legged with my hands palm-up on my knees. Dan just sits near me and quietly stretches. I have a small Buddha set up nearby with some candles and incense, and also some smooth stones to hold if I want them.

I am thinking about making my own meditation pillow from some scrap fabrics at the thrift store, and also finding some meditation music to download.

Does anyone meditate? What do you do, set up, listen to, state at a candle, whatever? Eyes open, closed? Do you chant, think a mantra, try to empty your mind? Do you listen to music, have a sacred space set up, or combine meditation with yoga?

Or do people find the idea of meditating intimidating? I know I always did. That’s why I am am starting with small expectations. I want to set myself up for success.

It’s Fun When Authors Link to Your Reviews

I love it when authors whose books I review link to me. Or comment on my site. I do the happy dance and then show my husband, who acts suitably impressed.

• Here is the link back I just found on Anne Cushman’s author website for my review of Enlightenment for Idiots:

Enlightenment for Idiots - News & Events page:

~  “…I could have traveled with Amanda and Devi Das stumbling for enlightenment for years.”

• Previously, Debra Gallant commented on my review of her Book Fear and Yoga in New Jersey:

Thanks for the nice review. I especially liked this insight: You can taste the sense of squeaky-clean New Jersey suburbia - and understand the price people pay to maintain such outward “perfection.”

• And lest you think only yoga authors keep track of who reviews them, here is the nice comment I got on my review of Blogging for Dummies from author Susannah Gardner:

hi jill,thanks for the great write-up of blogging for dummies — i really appreciate it and i’m glad you are finding it useful :)  - susannah.

What is extra cool is I met Susannah recently, at the IzeaFest Blog Expo 08, where she was speaker. She graciously granted me an interview, which I will post shortly.

It’s strangely fun for me to get a shoutout from an author. Realistically, I know it’s not a big deal - I am an author myself (Arizona Off the Beaten Path, 4th and 5th editions). Some of my best friends are authors. But still. Everybody likes to be noticed.

Mindful Yoga…

Here is my review of the yoga “workbook” Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life:

http://jillflorio.com/77_yoga_mindful-yoga-mindful-life-book

Even though the text was not what i was expecting, I am glad to have stumbled over it in my library. I think that later on, when I really want to dive into the yoga sutras, 8 limbed path, etc, I will buy the book and highlight things as I mentioned in my website review above (posted on JillFlorio.com).

I am just not ready yet to be a student of the yogic path. But When that time comes, I’ll want to keep this book on my yoga shelf for reference. Right now I am more consumed with learning the poses (asanas) than picking up philosophy.

If you are doing yoga, are you more interested in the physical poses or the spiritual path?

New Yoga Obsession

I have been so excited about yoga that I almost can’t stand it. I am working on reviewing all options for yoga classes up here in the mountains on CrestlineLiving.com (my website about Crestline, CA, my wonderful town).

It’s been a bit hard to DO the yoga every day since we ripped up the floor; it’s so unappealing to lie down on the dirty plywood and have to move the furniture around all the time. I really need to sit down and take a good look at the living room. Plan out how to make this area work for all the things we do up there - yoga, tai chi, watch TV, read, workout, use our laptops, have visitors sit down. It’s more of a rec room than anything else. Maybe we should forget the idea of even having a living room. Hmmm.

I am also dreaming about creating a dedicated yoga/mediation area, something very Zen-like, with a bamboo floor, huge view windows and large boulders as a sort of sand-less Zen garden for meditation (and maybe to even sit on). The Zen room would have room for two people to do yoga and tai chi at once.