Vegetarian sandwich twist

I ran across an intriguing recipe while searching the Cooking Light website for vegetarian options.

Packing your own lunch is both healthy and economical. Yet, the same old turkey or ham sandwich can be boring after a week or so. I've tried dressing up these sandwiches with different greens such as spinach or arugula. I've used different condiments like spicy mustard, hummus, or pesto. Yet, sometimes I still want something different.

Vegetarian sandwiches have been fairly unsatisfying for me in the past. Bread with a bunch of green stuff just isn't tasty. Mushroom or eggplant is a bit more substantial in bread but can be soggy or slimy.

I plan to try this white beans, pesto, and roasted red peppers sandwich recipe. I think it will fit the bill for healthy, vegetarian, and most importantly interesting.

Church Changes Man into a Runner

Most changes decided in church are spiritual. But, I found this inspiring story of a man who made a decision to change his health and fitness from a pastor's challenge.

This story had further relevance to me as I look forward to a 5K next weekend. My 5K is a small community 5K that includes a children's 1 mile fun run which is a great way for the entire family to create a fitness habit.

The 3.1 mile 5K is a good, attainable goal that even people without much running motivation or ability can realize benefit. There are numerous couch to 5K guides  available.


The Spring weather is an inviting time to try something new in your fitness and weight loss journey. It doesn't matter if you run, run/walk, or walk the race. I encourage you to consider training for a 5K run. The goals for average folks like us for a 5K is to enjoy the moment and savor the achievement.

Below are links to the couch to fitnesss apps for 5K to cough for iphone or android phones. Please get checked by your doctor before starting any type of training if you have any concerns about being medically able to train for a  5K.

iphone couch to 5K app

android couch to 5K app 

Biggest Loser Hawaii Show Recap

I can't lose weight on vacation

My first reaction to this week's excuse - Why would I want to lose weight on vacation? 

The relevance of whether or not most people want to lose weight on vacation aside, the episode offered a chance for contestants and viewers to enjoy beautiful beach views of Oahu.

Biggest Loser Contestants learn to surf with Soul Surfer

Contestant had an inspiring visit from Soul Surfer, Bethany Hamilton. She offered encouragement and a chance to learn to surf.

Challenges and workouts 

We are treated to two challenges during the episode. I love the mental challenges! The practical knowledge tested in these challenges is key in my opinion to long term success . The nutrition info challenge was won by Chris who gained a 1 lb advantage.

The physical challenge was a classic elimination style race that we've seen before. In this challenge, hawaiian leis were put on an opposing team member's tiki to eliminate him or her. Wrassler Kim was first eliminated. Conda and Jeremy's teamwork gave Conda the win and immunity.

I'm baffled why Conda didn't have more people trying to take her out. She doesn't seem very likeable or trustworthy on the show. I can only assume she isn't seen as a longterm threat or that the folks actually like her.

Few workouts scenes were shown in this episode. I did absolutely love Bob's ocean swimming workout followed by the beach workout. The guy astounds me with his creativity.

Drama from "Wrassler Kim"

 A lot of the show focused on Kim. I understand that the show places a lot of stress on people, but she seems way too upset about Emily's departure from the show. I think the woman is getting a bit too intense and paranoid. In the end, this show is about an extreme way to reclaim health.

Season 13 Contestants Nasty Bullies?

Kim certainly is honest about not liking any of the contestants left. Bob Harper also weighs in on season 13 contestants. 

However, Kim doesn't make "Bob's nice list" in the story.

There is an interesting scene with Pastor Mark reaching out to Kim with hints at an alliance. My cynical side says this is gameplay.

My verdict is still out on whether or not Kim is basically a good person. I wouldn't be surprised if she is one of the people who walked out at the mutiny.

Aloha Nurse Kim

Nurse Kim and her daughter, Megan fall below the yellow line at the weigh-in. It is no surprise that Mom asks to be sent home.

The elimination was disrupted by Wrassler Kim having an Aqua team momment. Just like Daphne and Adrien, she can't keep her mouth shut.

No excuses, the weather is too bad to workout today

Got a practical experience with the bad weather excuse this morning. I woke up, and it was raining pretty hard. Motivation to head to the gym was low.

But, I didn't let that excuse stop me from moving forward with my goal to lift up my fitness. AND, you shouldn't let this excuse break your focus either.

VARIETY and OPTIONS

I like to think of fitness as a buffet of options. You can choose the type, location, and intensity of the workout to fit the day and situation.

Try what I do when faced with low time or low motivation. Create a small workout space in your house and stock it with some basic equipment like a set of dumbbells or  resistance bands.

Use a workout video series. You can buy many workout videos for cheap. I used one of Beach Body 10 minute trainers this morning. I was able to get a decent, quick workout using just my body weight.

Start the week off with a workout. Any effort in the direction of better fitness is a positive step for your health.

Breaking unhealthy excuses

This season's Biggest Loser is about excuses. Old habits are hard to break, and excuses are the enablers of unhealthy habits.

I found this link on twitter and found the article from the site zenhabits.net very motivating. I share with you Five Excuses that Keep You Unhealthy.

Enjoy and get motivated to make a change!

I can't do it on my own

Spring Break

Been catching up on TV including back-episodes of Alcatraz. Still not sure if I like the show that well. It seems slow without a lot of interest. It is also pretty dark. 

Checked out the Biggest Loser for this week earlier today. The episode was bittersweet to me. On one hand, I find all the drama a big turnoff for this season. The level is drama is dropping off some, but my opinion of season 13 contestants is tainted. Also, I know the drama will resume once NBC has to deal with the cast mutiny issue. 

Reward Challenge 

This week's challenge was fairly straightforward physical challenge with contestants pulling against each other on ice. Some cooperation and game play was seen on the part of Chris and Mark. 

Conda gets the most visible reward from the challenge and decides to take "Wrassler Kim" on a shopping spree. Jessica Simpson makes a guest appearance to promote her new Fashion Star show. 

Elimination 

It was a shame to see Emily's elimination. However, it was quite a twist to see her moving forward on dreams of singing. We get a quick cameo from past winner Olivia helping Emily pursue her dream. 

Use the salad entree to bust the weight

Biggest Loser Turkey Salad 

Greens + meat = salad entree!

Salad no longer has to be a boring side to a main meal. There are so many options now to dress up salads with a sensible portion of meat to create a healthy, satisfying meal. A salad meal can be a great stand-alone meal that can fill you up, give you vital nutrients, and manage your daily calorie count.

The key for using salad entrees is control of the ingredients, dressing, and dressing amount. You  want to be very cautious when adding cheese, croutons, or nuts to a salad as these ingredients can add calories quickly.

Dressing should be very light such as a vinaigrette style. Consider putting the dressing on the side for dipping greens and meats.

Biggest Loser has a taste of the island turkey salad recipe as shown above.  

Eating out when counting calories is not out of bounds using a salad entree option. You will need to review ingredients and may need to customize the salad order. Most importantly, pull the dressing off the salad and put it on the side.

Pei Wei has a very healthy chopped asian salad that comes in at 200 calories without the dressing.

BL Recap Moving out of the Comfort Zone

Twist of the week: Trainer Switch

Black team trains with Dolvett, and Bob gets the Red team. The black team, especially Emily, struggled with the change. Chris's anxiety also continues.

Bob puts a whipping on the Red Team who took it in stride Bob's work-out serves up a heaping helping of burpees. Yes, Burpees are effective, but I hate them too.

Ballet dancing for a work-out, intriguing. It was funny watching the Black Team's reaction. Dolvett was just the cutest in tights. It was truly an out of the comfort zone moment.

Buddy's Story

I was very touched by Buddy's story. It is so hard to hear stories of infant death and all the stresses, emotional and financial. Buddy always appears to be a classy, honest guy. It would be nice if he was the Biggest Loser.

Alliances and Mudpit Challenge

 The black team women begin forming alliances banding the women together.

The mudpit challenge was down & dirty for a 2 lb advantage which was won by the team.


Cassandra Eliminated 

Cassandra eliminated for the week

Sad to see the Black team women lose the weigh-in. I was surprised to see Cassandra get voted off.

What are they doing now...Biggest Loser Bill Germanakos

Season 4 winner Bill Germanakos

After checking up on Michael Ventrella, I got curious and decided to look into some other former contestants.

Bill Germanakos and his brother Jim were twins on season 4. Bill won Biggest Loser for that season. He and his brother seem to be staying on the path. They have a website, weight loss twins, offering motivation and health tips.

Bill is active on twitter @BiggestLoser4BG. He has not been very happy with all the drama and lack of major weight loss. 


It is always great to see BL contestants who take their experience and keep going in a positive direction after leaving the show. I think Bill stands as a sharp contrast to the winners from the first three seasons with his longterm success.

Healthy Breakfast to start the day off

Cooking Light Breakfast Parfait 

Eating breakfast is a very important part of a game plan for better health. Eating breakfast has a number of benefits including:

• Energy to start the day 
• Control of hunger later in the day
• Maintaining metabolic rate 

Eighty percent of people who kept weight off long term reported eating breakfast. With that kind of data, why wouldn't you eat breakfast? 

However, the breakfast that you choose is very important. Here are a few recipes for a healthy breakfast start for the day courtesy of Cooking Light. 

A little cooking effort on your part can have big payouts. 

Biggest Loser Contestant Go Home for this Week's Show

Eighteen Days Home 


Contestants were sent home for 18 days during this week's show. I thought it was a refreshing change from all the game-play and drama that has happened over the last few weeks.

There was a chance to see a personal side of all the players and learn more about them. There was also the opportunity to see how they confronted temptations of food while at home. For the most part, everyone did a good job.

Challenge and Immunity

A rowing challenge for $10,000 cash was won by Chism.

The biggest reward for this week's episode was immunity from elimination for those who lost 5% weight. Almost the entire group met and conquered the challenge with only three people falling short. Even those who fell short didn't do that poorly.

The immunity challenge really highlights what "laser-beam focus" on diet and exercise can accomplish in even a short period of time.

Chism Elimination 

The black team lost the weigh-in, and Chism was the only person on the team without immunity. It was an emotional time for everyone. You could tell that Chism was liked by everyone on the team.

I think his elimination also brings into focus the theme of No Excuses. He did a good job at home, but the job wasn't quite enough for immunity. He accepted the consequences with making excuses and is now moving on in a positive direction.