Just thought I would start a thread for those who are entering the National Body Challenge. I don't have a weigh in store nearby so will be participating via the internet. Got a message today saying that the response to the challenge had been overwhelming (Duh! Who'd have guessed ) and to expect LONG LINES at the weigh-in locations!!!!! I am very curious to see what kind of diet guidelines,meal plans and menues are given. I have a feeling it will be the same old lowfat stuff! Anyone else planning to check it out? We can all post our experiences here (just hearing about the weigh-ins should be interesting!)
KAT

Hi Kat,
I got the same email. Is that all I had to do to sign up or did you do something different? There is nota weigh-in station around me either. I really enjoyed watching the show last year when I could get my turn at the tv, lol. Talk to you soon
Sheila

From what I understand, all you have to do to enter online is sign up and give your e-mail. It stated that more info would be sent via email this week-end (week-end of Jan.10). The response has been so huge, though that we will see what actually arrives! I got the impression that those entering online would still get menues and meal plans. Curious to see what they are like
KAT

I weighed in this morning and got my kit. I only waited for about an hour and a half...not too bad.

Well! I think I figured out how you lose weight with the Challenge online! You starve to death trying to navigate the web site and wait (sometimes 3-4 min.)for pages to load After almost 2 hours, I finally got my meal plan but it was anything but low carb! Spent another 20 minutes trying to change my preferences (they say you can taylor the plan to fit low carb) but it would not let me set preferences below 100 carbs/day! SO I guess this will not work with Induction! I had to howl at the food choices....thought I was reading menu for breakfast and it ended up being the list for the WHOLE DAY!! There is a place where you can ask questions of your "diet coach" and I sent a question asking about the carb. problem. I'm sure with the millions of people trying to do this thing that he will get right back to me !!! But I'll let you know if he does give me an answer. Would still like to hear from any others who are doing the challenge online and maybe we can get some tips from the ones who got the actual Weight Loss Kit about changing carb counts!

MY GOALS

lose 10 lbs by end of challenge (155lbs by April 5,2004)
walk 1/2 mi. daily
attend water aerobics class 2xweek

My wife, Wendi, and I drove almost two hours to the weigh-in at Easton, Ohio, which is a suburb -- very nice one at that -- of Columbus. When we got there, the temperature was below freezing and the line was long. We went in to watch the final episode of The Lord of the Rings, and went back and the line was considerably shorter. We waited about 20 minutes to weigh-in. A gentleman told us that the response was greater than they anticipated, and they would send us the kits.

We were also told, once inside dieticians/nutritionists would talk to us. The only thing anbody said to either of us was, "Please step on the scale."

I weighed in at 312, however, that was clothes and shoes. That's not how I typically weigh here at the house. The clothing etc. added eight pounds. So, I was 304 according to how I weigh in, and the next day I was 310/302.

I plan on following a low carb diet (to everyone's surprise on these boards) and taking Reliv nutritional supplements. I have not followed a strict low-carb diet since May/June. I originally lost about 52 pounds, and then gained 10 pounds back over the eight-month lay off.

I am interested to see how the Reliv products and low carb diet work together. I have been taking the products for almost four months (just so there is truth in advertising, my wife and I sell these), and it has helped to take my cravings away. But what I don't know is if the carbohydrates in one of the products (17g) will affect it.

At any rate, I was down 2 pounds the first day, and I hope there is more good news to report.

Best wishes all,

Bobby Warren

I am definetly on the challenge from a fitness perspective and started working out at Bally's yesterday. There was no catch or gimmick to the membership as far as I can tell. The kits themselves had a food journal, some weight loss offers, a measuring tape, a hat, some lip balm. Nothing too specific on food guidelines. We only weighed in and did body fat at the location I was at. I am down a pound since Saturday.
I tried the website out but did not care for the lag. I saw a couple of menus and thought they were more low fat. I plan to just continue making my own diet with about 40 carbs a day in it and working out. I am planning on adding a Whey protein shake this week, to take post workout.

On Monday, I dropped another 4 pounds, making it a total of 6 in the first two days. I have never experienced a 4-pound drop in my life and cannot tell you what I did that resulted in such a drop, unless it has been the fiber moving everything out.

I began wondering if the supplements were helping, but on Tuesday and Wednesday I went up a half pound and 1.5 pounds, respectively, despite following the low carb plan completely.

As I mentioned earlier, I have not been on a strict low carb diet in about eight months. Yet, when I got serious about it again with the national challenge, giving up the carbs has been no problem. Even with the supplements (and the 17g of carbs in one of them), I am getting that taste in my mouth like before, which others indicated happens when you go into ketosis. Also with the supplements, I have not had the headaches that I had the first time I went on a low carb.

What do you think about weighing everyday? I like the feedback, whether I am up or down. I just want to know where I am.

I wish everyone well with the challenge and with life.

Bobby Warren

So glad to hear you're making progress! I have a question though. Are you following the basic Atkins plan? Induction? Or did you manage to get your personalized meal plan taylored to low carb through the Challenge? I was extremely frustrated trying to access and navigate the National Body Challenge online stuff and never did get any meal plans that were anywhere near low carb.! If you were able to do this, please let us know HOW!! Personally, I am getting the feeling that after the big BANG of this Challenge, they had such overwhelming response to it that the whole thing is breaking down!

Like I said, there was progress the first couple of days, then sort of a stand still. We have a digital scale, and right now it needs batteries, so I do not have the latest feedback on my progress (which kills me, I want know!!).

As with my first go-round with a LC diet, I didn't follow any specific plan. I liked aspects of Atkins and Protein Power and just ate what I wanted to within reason. I have never followed the induction phase, and usually keep my carb count to around 30g to 40g per day, but this is not done with any exactness. I read labels to find out if a particular food is a really good LC food, a moderate one or high one. Right now, I'm trying to eat only really good LC foods, though I have been known to enjoy more than my fair share of cashews.

As far as an eating plan goes, I eat an EAS low carb bar for breakfast (I get them at Wal-Mart) and take my supplements. For lunch and dinner, I try to have a meat and vegetable and maybe include a salad (along with my supplements).

What I like to do is cook a pork roast and beef roast in the same pan, season it well -- remember, nothing with me is exact, I get it from my mother. I'll put garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, tarragon, southwest seasonings, etc. and cook it slowly overnight (from about 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) at 250 degrees. (I cover the roasting pan with tin foil.) Then, in the morning I will take a fork and shred the meat and mix it together. It is great for taco salads. The nice thing is that there is meat readily available in the fridge when I am hungry. Let's face it, a LC diet takes a lot of work, and I am not always industrious.

About the Web site, I have only visited the site to find the location of the nearest weigh-in station. (I still have not received my kit. Your thoughts that the whole thing is breaking down might be on the money.)

When I was updating my profile the other day to reflect changes in weight, I noticed that I first signed up on this forum on Jan. 23, 2003, so I am coming upon my first anniversary. I am really grateful for those people who had the vision to put this site in action and for all of the contributors who share their thoughts, successes, failures and challenges.

With all the negative stuff I heard about LC diets when I first embarked on this journey, I don't know that I would have had the resolve to stay the course without this site. The information provided and the help afforded is invaluable. In part because of this site, I lost 42 pounds in 2003 after years of putting on 10 to 14 pounds annually.

Isn't this site great?

Bobby

Yes, Bobby, I totally agree with you about this site! I have only been doing LC for a short time and have admittedly been having problems with Induction. I feel sure I would have given up long ago if not for the support and information in this place! The whole site is so well organized and easy to navigate! One of the most "user friendly" places on the web IMHO ! I am also kind of using the National Challenge as a time line for myself and some of the tips they offer on the site are good. Just not able to use their "personalized" meal plans ! Keep up the good work and stay in touch! Kat

From what I understood they are supposed to send those of us who dont have a weigh in location a password to get into their site. Wasnt their weigh in supposed to be yesterday too. I couldnt get in without the password to put in my weight.

Well, the first week of the challenge is behind us. I came in at 8.5 pounds down. Because we weighed in with clothes at the challenge, I made sure I was wearing the same thing today when I weighed.

I was 312 at the weigh-in, and 303.5 today. As I mentioned before, my typical weigh-in does not include so many articles of clothing or accessories. So, I find myself weighing in twice. The normal weigh has me at 297.5 pounds.

At any rate, the official numbers are 8.5 pounds, and I am pleased, but puzzled. I had such a quick drop the first two days, it was unbelievable (6 pounds), so it has been a drop of 2.5 pounds over the past five days. That's probably a more realistic number for me, given the amount of carbs in my supplements.

But, I feel good about week one and look forward to the next 11. I hope everyone else is happy with their progress.

Best wishes,

Bobby

Way to go, Bobby! You must be doing SOMETHING right! How about posting some of what you eat on your journal page ...maybe it will help...I'm only down 1 lb. and in the same 5 lb range I have been bouncing around in for the last year!! AAARRrrrrr If you think you have hit a plateau, you might check out the "tips and stalls" thread. Lots of good info there! Good Luck! Kat

I'll start a journal, but I need help on doing it.

Here is a quick overview of that first week.

After the challenge weigh-in, my wife and I went to Texas Road House. We had the six oz. sirloin with chili (it has no beans, steak and chiles) and a salad ... no croutons. I ended up eating one of their rolls (a major accomplishment for me, I usually eat four).

On Sunday, for dinner I had meatball parmagiana (store-bought meatballs, about 1g carbs each ... had about nine or 10); a bacon-wrapped hot dog and some sugar-free ice cream.

Monday night I made some stir-fry pork with a frozen bag of stir-fry veggies.

Tuesday night I had some hot wings and cheese.

Mainly, it has been meat, salad, veggies, nuts (a lot of dry roasted, some smoked almonds) and cheese (sharp cheddar and hot pepper).

In December, I wasn't pleased with my weight. It just kept increasing slowly, but steadily. I decided that after the holidays, it was back to a low carb diet. When I heard about the challenge, it was, "OK, after the Jan. 10 weigh-in, it's back to the low carb diet."

I cannot explain it, but after the weigh-in, following the low-carb diet has not been a problem. Yesterday, while watching my beloved New England Patriots (I grew up in Revere, Mass.) march onto victory over NFL Co-MVP Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, my brother-in-law had crackers, chips, veggies, dip, meat and cheese. I ate very little meat and moderate amounts of veggies, dip and cheese. I was not tempted at all by the high-carb offerings, which I cannot say was always the case.

I usually eat an EAS low-carb bar for breakfast because I do not want to spend a lot of time figuring out what to eat. Most days it does a fair job of holding me off until lunch.

For lunch it is usually a salad and some meat. But as I mentioned earlier, my diet is basically meat, salad, maybe some veggies (usually broccoli), nuts and cheese.

And, I am one who does not measure things out. I cannot tell you how many ounces of pork I ate, etc.

We'll see what week two holds. I cannot believe it will be the same. I am hoping that I can average 3 pounds a week for the remaining 11 weeks of the challenge.

My wife said she dropped two pounds this first week.

So, let me know how to get the journal started, and I'll give it a try.

Bobby

p.s. I eat the nuts as snacks throughout the day. While I eat what I consider a lot of nuts, I usually have hunger pangs by the time I eat lunch and dinner. That is another difference, I am eating because I am hungry, not because it is time to eat.