Hey Angela, I am glad you have joined us here! Yeah I was posting on another thread before the challenge, but I wanted a place were Red Team members could inspire and motivate each other during the challenge to raise to our best, and after we have WON the challenge which we will, I will post on that thread again. But this place is for Red Team members only and I do see that the Blue Team has followed suit with their own thread for food and exercise. COPYCATS! j/k LOL

That's right BlkBarbie, we are so going to WIN this!

well since ive been vegan for a little while now it isnt that bad, it is hard to go out and eat in a small town and everyone thinks you starve, but i wouldnt be here if that were the situation lol. i havent had any of the fermented tofu before i like tofu in soups, stir frys, scrabbled! i want to try tempeh but just havent had the gutts, i know what i like... it was a hard long journey to figure it out but finally i have!!! o geee


well i never came back to say my exercise day before yesterday, but i did cardio for 30 mins burned 240 some odd calories and then did my ab workout and arms. ask for yesterday i got a little over 1500 calories in, and no exercise i have been tired working grave yard for the first time in a few weeks. it takes a lot out of me. and i think the same will happen today, i will get im sure around 1500 im at 1200 right now but i still have dinner with family... never a place i want to count calories lol. but no exercise today either but im going to try for double the work out tomorrow if i can... i know i can. just get a good nights rest today and im sure ill be dandy! everyone seems to be doing good! i cant wait til this starts i will be more accountable...i think. i know! lol. reassurance hehe.

I was eating tofu burgers for a while but I was gaining weight even though I was exercising and eating low calories. I found out that the tofu we eat here in America is not the same as the kind in Asia; we have unfermented soy, which mimics estrogen which affects some people like me. I now check the labels on everything; you wouldn't believe how much stuff has unfermented soy in it. But once I gave up unfermented soy I was fine and I have come to love the taste of fermented soy. Miso soup is one of my favorite things in the world now. I also found out that Fermented soy, has all these great antioxidants, so its win win.

BTW, Great Job on the eating and exercise!

Hey Red Team. Shout out to all of you from South Korea this morning. I am slightly depressed this morning because I jumped on the scale after my official first week of calorie counting/exercise increase and I didn't lose anything. My scale didn't budge at all. I feel totally discouraged already but I'm definitely not giving up. I already posted my menu plans on here and everyone said they look great. I swear thats all I have been eating. I have also been getting 8-10 glasses of water in a day, plus my vitamins, fish oils, and garlic pills. I'm thinking maybe I just need to kick up the exercise another notch. Anyone have any ideas for at home exercise?

I had the same problem with not losing weight while eating Americanized tofy products. I am a vegetarian, and when I started dieting awhile ago, I was eating only 1200 calories aday and exercising a bunch, yet the scale kept yo-yoing. I finally narrowed it down to my every other day lunch of tofu hot dogs. I only lost 2 pounds a week while eating them, and as soon as I cut out tofu, I started losing 5 or more pounds a week. I didn't make any other changes, so I know that has to be it. Which sucks, because I love the variety eating some of those fake meats gives you....but I like being skinnier better! I will have to try getting more into fermented soy now though, thanks Igetfitnstrong4me!

Well, today has been a tough day as my only car broke down on the side of the freeway...but going with the punches so far I guess. no exercise yet today (can't make it to the gym, lol and I have been too depressed to pull out the Wii or a DVD), but I have been doing good in the diet department:

bfast:
steel cut oats with strawberries, agave and unsweetened applesauce 400

lunch/dinner
onion, cucumber, spinach sauteed with 3 eggs and topped with salsa, 1/2 avocado and 2 slices nf cheese 450
small salad with sprouts and lf dressing 75
garlic crackers 125


Total: 1050

Going to have a small fruit smoothie here in a second which will make my total about 1300 for the day.

Planning on doing 30 day shred here tonight and maybe some ST on the Wii. Will check back in later!

Shan--if you have a library you could check out some DVDs to work out too. Or you could download C25K to your mp3 player and try that if you have one (its free...and if you aren't up to running yet, you could try just fast paced walking for the running parts). Or I think your idea of those hikes is a good idea! Or if you don't have a library there, and you're an illegal pirate like me you can download workout video torrents and just use those for free. I personally like the Biggest Loser workout videos as the people working out aren't all skin and bones to make you feel more self conscious. Plus if you watched the series, then you are familiar with the people and knowing the transformations they made is inspiring to stick with it. Plus Bob is really nice and gives you options if you can't keep up. Not sure what resources there are there in South Korea, so sorry I can't be of more help!

Hey Jessica,

Thanks for the suggestions. I "might be" a pirate. Haha. Where do you find the Biggest Loser videos online? Also, what is the C25K and where do I find it? Thanks so much.

Jessicado22 - Sorry about your car that sucks! But great job on your food and doing a Wii workout, that's fantastic! Yeah I was bummed because as you said the variety of tofu products are great, but leave it to corporate America to screw up a great natural food. I think you will love the fermented tofu it's very good. They have an Asian market near me, they seem to have the most variety.


Shan84 - Don't get discourage , we all have weeks were the scale won't budge and we have kill it with our diet and exercise. You may be retaining water, I become the puff monster near my cycle or if I eat too much salt. I can gain as much as 10 pounds. Well I only workout at home I use a recumberment stationary bike for cardio, it's easy on the joints and it is giving me great legs and bottom. Do you have a place where you can walk outside or can you get a stationary bike or treadmill? I do think stationary bikes are cheaper. Please don't give up, because you are worth it really you are. You can take back your health and life, I know you can.

Today I don't work out, but I did walk 9525 steps.

Shan- give it time. Sometimes our bodies take longer to adjust to our lifestyle changes.

Jessica- sorry to hear about your car. Hope it's fixed soon.

Sounds like everyone had a good OP day. Keep up the GREAT work.

Thanks for the encouraging words everyone. Hope you all have a great weekend. The weekend is almost over here in SK. I did just get my measurements and even though I didn't lose weight this week I did lose 2.5 inches. At least thats something .

Hi everyone! I'll start posting up my food info today or tomorrow.

I did my first 5k yesterday! That was my workout for yesterday. I plan to either bike or run today, or both!

Breakfast
210 3 hard boiled eggs
80 1 slice of bread
100 1 tbsp of butter
40 1/2 cup of pineapple
Total Calories
440

Snack
60 1 apple
Total Calories
60

Lunch
160 2 slices of bread
300 Tuna Salad
Total Calories
460

Snack
60 1 apple
Total Calories
60

Dinner
580 Pasta
Total Calories
580

Snack
52 1 cup of coffee with sugar
83 1 cup of fresh pineapple

Exercise
3 sessions of 45 minutes on the stationary bike at high intensity.

__________________________________________________

Lizzyg - A 5K?!! You totally rock!

CanadaMel - Thems are a lot of steps missy! Great Job!

Shan84 - 2.5 inches that is flipping fantastic! Awesome job!

Thanks, Igetfit And your food for the day sounds good!

I'm at 850 for calories for the day so far, with just breakfast and lunch. I usually eat around 1800 calories.

I walked the dogs for 1.4 miles, and then ran/walked a mile or so on my own. My legs were sore and I have 2 blisters on my feet.

Breakfast was Crunchy Nut cornflakes with skimmed milk

Lunch was 3 Quorn sausages with a third of a pack of mild curry savoury rice

Tea was roast chicken without skin selection of veggies and boiled pototo and gravy

Snacks today have been not so good. 4 biscuits (cookies) 1 small bag of Twiglets. 1 tube of Smarties. 1 pear, 1 clementine, 2 plums.
Drunk 2 litres of water and 4 black coffees.

Nicki

Lizzyg - Thanks I have been trying to get my calories down a few hundred and I think I have found a way. GO RED!!!

Nicki54 - Tomorrow will be a better day. GO RED!!

I'm following the Slimming World regime.

All About Sliming World

What Is Slimming World Food Optimising?

The diet claims that with Food Optimising, you lose weight without hunger. At the beginning of each day the dieter decides if they will be on a green or original day. The system is based on green days having unlimited carbohydrate and limited protein. On a original day the dieters can have unlimited protein and small amounts of carbohydrate. All vegetables are free on Green days, on Red days all are free except potato and similar root veggies. All fruit is free on both Green and Red days.

On a red day 2 selections of a dairy and a fibre have to be eaten. these inclue for example 2 slices of wholemeal bread, and a pint of skimmed milk, brown rice and laughing cow chees triangles. On a green day the fibre selection is changed into a protein one.
The Diet has sins which the dieter can have between 5-15 a day. Sins are Slimming World's effective alternative to calorie and fat counting or WW points. Sins are designed to make sure you can have a small amount of your favorite foods every day. All food that isn't Free has a Sin value.

How Does It Work?

Food Optimising takes account of a food's energy density, its health-giving properties, its ability to satisfy the appetite quickly and its ability to keep us feeling full longer. Using these principles, Food Optimising creates an energy (calorie) deficit which causes the body to draw on its own stores of body fat and convert this to energy. With a sin limit on all high fat or sugary foods this keeps down dierters intake of calories and situated fat.

How Much Weight Do You Lose?

A steady weight loss of 1 to 2lbs per week is recommended by the government health guidelines however people with a lot of weight to lose may have more rapid weight losses in the first few weeks.

Are There Any Possible Side Effects?

Because of the unlimited food some dieters found what when they eventually came off the diet they were accustomed to eating large amounts food. Consequently they put weight back on rapidly if they didn't stick to the diet. Apart from this no other side effects were noted.

I know it sounds complicated but it isn't it just I'm terrible at explaining.

Nicki