ONLY 5 WEEKS TO GO!

Unsuspectingly, Mark pulls his way to the top this week and wins the $5.00 bonus prize. Congratulations, Mark!

As a group we managed to lose another 13lbs. Not quite as well as in week one when we lost a whopping 27lbs, but still respectable.

Jon Stodola leads the race but John Ellis is nipping at his heels. It’s still early enough to be anyone’s game. Good luck!

By the way; what’s your favorite healthy snack?

THE BEST WAY TO LOSE YOUR MIDDLE - CUTTING CARBS OR FAT?

Which should you cut back on first if you want to trim belly fat -- carbs or fat?

You might think that dietary fat goes straight to your middle, but research suggests that too many empty carbs is really the first thing to do your belly in.

Dueling Diets
In a study, healthy overweight men and women went on two consecutive 8-week diet interventions. The first diet period was focused on weight maintenance and the second aimed for weight reduction by cutting calories. Through each phase, the participants followed either a reduced-fat or a reduced-carbohydrate diet. When all was said and done, both groups lost weight. But it turned out that the group on the reduced-carb diet -- which, incidentally, also focused on quality, low-glycemic-index carbs -- lost 11 percent more deep belly fat compared with the group on the low-fat diet. Plus, the low-carb group lost more fat mass overall.

(Try these quick and simple low-carb recipes.)

Jon Stodola wins the first two week bonus dollars ($10) for a combined total of 22 points - WAY TO GO!

After a magnificent start in week one we fell off by 15 points this week. Let's see if we can beet our week one total of 122 points as a team.

Weekly Tip: Jon Stodola is using www.livestrong.com to track calories. "It's been extremely helpful in actually seeing what I need to do verses just feeling good about what I eat." "If I get towards the end of the day and I've consumed more than I should have, I go for an extra run, walk or Rollerblade to keep the net calorie intake below MY recommended amount."

HOLIDAY CHICKEN SALAD

Here's a nice cool dish for a warm summer night.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise with paprika and seasoned salt. Blend in dried cranberries, celery, bell pepper, onion, and nuts. Add chopped chicken, and mix well. Season with black pepper to taste. Chill 1 hour.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 208 | Total Fat: 16.5g | Cholesterol: 42mg

THE BEST START EVER!

The group lost a cobined 27lbs this week. Way to go!!! A special congratulations to Tom and Dan for leading the pack, and thank you for giving us all a chance to win the bonus dollars from week 1.

Note: Please report your points as soon as possible so they can be posted online Sunday night.

If you have an idea for a blog post – i.e. stories, recipes, pictures, etc. please feel free to send them my way. I’m happy to put them up for all to see. Don't forget to provide tips, tricks or trash talk by commenting on any of the posts. To get things started, tell us what your favorite exercise is (keep it clean).

Make Your Favorite Recipes Heart-Healthy

A steaming bowl of pasta alfredo for dinner followed by your mom's famous gooey chocolate chip cookies for dessert? Your favorite guilty-pleasure meal. You know you shouldn't eat those treats very often, or your waistline and health will pay the price. But what if there was a way to indulge in your favorite treats without all the sugar, fat … and guilt?

Follow these simple tips to turn your favorite fattening recipes into healthy meals you can make every week, without sacrificing taste.

• Lower the sugar. You can usually reduce sugar by one-third without making a noticeable difference to the original recipe. So if a recipe says 1 cup sugar, use 2/3 cup. To enhance the flavor, spice things up with vanilla, cinnamon or nutmeg.

• Reduce the fat. For baking, use 2 tablespoons of fat per cup of flour. You can usually reduce the fat by a third without making significant changes to the recipe. Also, opt for heart-healthier fats when you can. Choose olive oil over butter. Skim milk will work in most recipes that call for whole milk.

• Cut the salt. Salt is crucial in baking, so don't cut it out there, but most other recipes can do with much less salt. Aim to cut your intake in half, and replace it with your favorite herbs and spices.

• Make substitutions. Replace some of the flour in a recipe with whole wheat flour (up to half). Use non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream, or non-fat ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. Instead of two whole eggs, use one whole egg and four egg whites. Bulk up pasta dishes with more vegetables and use less pasta and meat.

You don't have to give up on your favorites! Get into the kitchen and get creative. It's easy to give your recipes a heart-healthy makeover.

Healthier Country Garden Alfredo Serves 6.
Ingredients:
1 16-oz. package frozen mixed vegetables
12 oz. egg noodles
1 8-oz. package reduced fat cream cheese, cubed and softened
1 cup reduced-fat milk
½ cup sliced green onion
2 teaspoons garlic and herb seasoning
Cook noodles according to package directions.
In last 4 minutes of boiling, add frozen vegetables to boiling noodles.
Drain noodles/vegetable mix; set aside and keep warm.
In separate saucepan, add milk, cream cheese and seasonings.
Heat until cream cheese is thoroughly melted.
Toss hot noodles, green onions and sauce.

Source: www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.

Summer Slim-Down

The summer is a great time for getting outside. Whether you're into biking, walking, running or playing games with friends and fmaily, it's just easier to get out and exercise. Summer is also a time for BBQs, family gathering and trips to the cabin - all of which include gorging on your favorite meals and eating tasty deserts. I for one have done more eating than exercising this summer and feel it's time for a little Weight08 motivation.

The next round of Weight08 will begin Friday, July 22nd. This is both the official weigh-in date and first day to earn exercise points. Up for a little change? We're going to try a couple different things this round:

1. We're going to shorten it from 12 to 8 weeks. (The competition period will run July 22nd - September 16th.)


2. We're going to sweeten the pot. Entry fees will increase to $20 (due ASAP). We will keep the same weekly pay-ins for the lowest three point earners ($3, $2 and $1 respectively).


3. More ways to earn - $5 will be awarded to the top point earner each week. If there is a tie, that money will carry over to the following week and the person with the highest two-week total will earn both. (You must report your points by Sunday to be eligible for these bonus bucks.)

Please let me know by Wednesday, July 20th if you are interested in participaing. As alwasy, please feel free to invite friends, family and co-workers. The more people around you focused on eating better and exercising the better you'll do.

P.S. A regular (12-week) round is tentatively scheduled for this fall (October 14th - January 6th).