While competing as one of 10 national contestants in Seattle Sutton's 2010 Slim Down Challenge, I've been impressed by the plan's menu and the variety of recipes and food included.
Like my nine competitors, both men and women of all ages, I'm also restricted to just 1,200 calories a day of provided fresh meals from Seattle Sutton Healthy Eating. Of that 1,200, a total of 200 calories of each day's allowance comes from the two glasses of skim milk I have to drink.
And so far, I'm on the right track. Following my first week's 12 pound loss, for my second week, I lost another six pounds, just as two of my competitors did. My first week of weight loss was astonishing. This week, only one other contestant, Paul, lost more, managing to lose seven pounds.
Now, back to the food provided on the Seattle Sutton plan.
I knew this might not be a plan for picky eaters.
Having grown up on a farm, I learned early on not to be picky. And now as someone who writes about food each week for my job, I've learned to try new things and enjoy culinary creativity. (Although, thank goodness there's not any sushi, BLECH, on Seattle's menu.)
So, for example, a recent dinner included turkey meatloaf, with plain, lightly salted/seasoned sauerkraut cabbage. Beets were a recent side served with a lunch. And one of the recent fruits served as a side with a pepperjack soy burger was Jicama, also called the Mexican potato. It's a large root vegetable with a white crunchy flesh. In texture, and to a lesser extent in taste, it is very similar to the water chestnut. The cabbage and beets were fine by me, but Jicama, which reminded me of "breadfruit," wasn't my cup of tea.
But as Seattle told all of the contestants at our first meeting: "And if there's something featured in some of your meals that you don't like. Eat it anyway!"
So far, some of my favorite meals have included some of the breakfast casseroles featuring ground turkey sausage and a yummy pumpkin flax seed and dried blueberry cereal. A terrific recent lunch with a bib spinach leaf salad with toasted pecans, mandarin oranges, Swiss cheese and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing was just like a similar offering at the Marshall Field's Walnut Room in Chicago.
For an update of how all of the contestants are doing and their complete biographies, visit seattlesutton.com.
Next week, I will share some of the details of this plan's dos and don'ts for snacks.
And until then, it's just weight and see...
Phil's Progress
Goal Weight: 178
Starting "weigh-in" weight: 230
Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 212
Total loss to date in two weeks: 18 pounds
So Who's in the lead for Weight Loss?
1. Philip Potempa, 39, Chicago, Ill. - - Start Weight 230 - - Ideal Weight 178 - - Weight as of 1/11/10 Monday weigh-in: 218 - - Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 212 - - This week's loss: 6 pounds
* Total loss to date: 18 pounds
2. Denise Akande, 50, Hazel Crest, Ill..- - Start Weight: 201 - - Ideal Weight: 145 - - Weight as of 1/11/10 Monday weigh-in: 188.5 - - Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 184.1 - - This week's loss: 4.4 pounds
* Total loss to date: 16.9 pounds
3. Tim Gallivan, 51, Aurora, Ill. - - Start Weight: 297 - - Ideal Weight: 185 - - Weight as of 1/11/10 Monday
weigh-in: 287 - - Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 282 - - This week's loss: 5 pounds
* Total loss to date: 15 pounds
4. Paul Quaglia, 40, Westmont, Ill. - - Start Weight: 200 - - Ideal Weight: 158 - - Weight as of 1/11/10 Monday weigh-in: 192- - Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 185 - - This week's loss: 7 pounds
* Total loss to date: 15 pounds
5. Michael Koch, 41, Spring Grove, Ill. - - Start Weight: 219 - - Ideal Weight: 180 - - Weight as of 1/11/10 Monday weigh-in: 215.5 - - Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 209.5 - - This week's loss: 6 pounds
* Total loss to date: 9.5 pounds
6. Heidi Wolfrom, 23, Chicago - - Start Weight: 187- - Ideal Weight: 140 - - Weight as of 1/11/10 Monday
weigh-in: 185 - - Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 179 - - This week's loss: 6 pounds
* Total loss to date: 8 pounds
7. Martha Ibarra, 61, Chicago, Ill. - - Start Weight: 215 - - Ideal Weight: 166 - - Weight as of 1/11/10 Monday
weigh-in: 214 - - Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 210 - - This week's loss: 4 pounds
* Total loss to date: 5 pounds
8. Donna Nelson, 64, Bloomingdale, Ill. - - Start Weight: 194 - - Ideal Weight: 135 - - Weight as of 1/11/10 Monday weigh-in: 190.6 - - Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 189.2 - - This week's loss: 1.4 pounds
* Total loss to date: 4.8 pounds
9. Andrea Lasticly, 46, Flossmoor, Ill. - - Start Weight: 201 - - Ideal Weight: 168 - - Weight as of 1/11/10 Monday weigh-in: 197.8 - - Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 196.7 - - This week's loss: 1.1 pounds
* Total loss to date: 4.3 pounds
10. Linda Russell, 50, Palatine, Ill. - - Start Weight: 155 - - Ideal Weight: 130 - - Weight as of 1/11/10 Monday weigh-in: 152 - - Weight as of 1/18/10 Monday weigh-in: 151.2 - - This week's loss: .8 pounds
* Total loss to date: 3.8 pounds
Check out next week's Update to see how all of the contestants measured up for Week #3 of the Seattle Sutton's 2010 Slim Down Challenge!
