Welcome Tributes!

Fatniss here.  Just wanted to say hi and welcome Tributes!!  I'm so proud of all of us for volunteering.  I'm excited to say that we have 23 tributes in this game!  That's just one short of what the movie had!

We are here to push through the peanut butter together.  I want you to know that I have plenty to lose… so look out.  I also want you to know that I hope you lose weight. the game.  Haaa!

I’ve changed over the years.

Too much of this…

 
got me to this…

Peeta is not impressed.

 

That’s why I started this game.  All I’ve been is talk and no action.  I say, “I need to lose weight.  I need to get in shape.”  I’ll behave for a few days, and then I slip back into my old routine.  My pants don’t fit.  My labs are crap.  I’m borderline diabetic and my cholesterol is through the roof.  I thought, perhaps if there is a competition involved, I would have a new kind of motivation. 

This newsletter will be weekly (almost) for the duration of the game.  I will share tips that I have picked up along the way (but have been ignoring lately).  I hope you will send me your tips as well.  Please share healthy recipes too.  In fact, start emailing those to me ASAP.  Oh, and share motivational stuff.  Like those life-changing memes on FB that fill your mind with lofty thoughts while you scroll and scroll.  We will put them here in the weeks to come. 

We will also keep an eye on everyone’s progress in percentage of weight lost, so you all know how you’re doing.  Fight for the cash, but mostly fight for your health.  That way, if you don’t make the cash, you will at least have improved your health.  And that is a win!!  So don’t give up!!!

Did you take pictures of what you ate before the start of the game?  If so, did it tell you anything about your food choices?  Did your food lack color?  Was it balanced? 

You can upload them to picmonkey now and make a collage, and again after you start eating a balanced diet.  Here is the link https://www.picmonkey.com/#collage

I will not ask you for these pictures.  It’s just something you can try out, to really appreciate what your body is trying to absorb nutrients from.

Here is my “before” crapola diet:

That apple in there is just an anomaly.  I have to force myself to eat one.

 
I have had some luck balancing my diet in the past couple days with the following.  I printed one and put it on my fridge:

This is Harvard’s version of the government’s USDA “My Plate” diagram, except Harvard claims theirs is more research-based and less lobbyist-influenced than the one from USDA.  Here is a link to their website with more information on nutrition. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/ 

 

I found this site to be very educational.  Some things I thought I knew about nutrition are actually outdated old facts.  For example, I thought that I should be drinking lots and lots of milk to prevent bone loss.  Not true.  I should be limiting my intake of milk. 

The farmers markets will be disappearing soon, so stock up on good food options.   

Send me your weights every week (If you care to monitor your ranking in the game)!!

Your weekly weight does not need to be a photo unless you find that more convenient.  You can just text it to me.  I REALLY want it by Wednesday afternoon every week, because that is my day off to work on this stuff.  If you are going on vacation, let me know ahead of time, so I won't bug you about it that week.  In fact, I will be on vacation for a week in mid-October, so you will be abandoned by me while I'm painting in Vermont! YESSSSS!!!

Here's how y'all are doing so far... cuz we are just getting started...

Lots of peer pressure here!  It's a game of bloodshed.

 
Please leave comments on this blog.  You can complain about how hard it is, you can share a great recipe, you can boast about what you plan to do with the winnings, or you can share what you have discovered that could help others, etc.  I really look forward to comments from the comedians in our group.  I know you want to win... I'm sure you did the math on how much money is in the pot.  But if you leave a tip like, "I just found out that Reeses PB cups help you lose weight!"  I might not believe you.  ;)

Hope to be seeing less of you!
Luv, Fatniss