It's amazing just how many steps we take each day with our daily schedules of both work and recreation.
Those steps add up.
And when keeping track, anyone with a busy lifestyles soon discovers how each person has his or her own "built-in" exercise routine without even realizing it.
Our contestant group competing in the 2010 Seattle Sutton Slim Down Challenge received a small pedometer to click to the waistline to help us become aware of just how active or inactive, we really are during the course of our day-to-day duties.
And remember, this is a group spanning all ages, all of us dining on the same menu of three fresh-prepared provided meals during this 14-week contest period for our 1,200-calorie-a-day meal plan.
This week, I had another three-pound loss, as my fellow contestants continue shedding some impressive pounds as well.
For week six, Tim lost the most with a minus of an astonishing 7 pounds, with Martha not far behind losing 6 pounds this week. And ranking third for big losses this week were Linda, Heidi and Mike, all losing 4 pounds.
Now in lead in total pounds lost to date is Tim, who has lost 35 pounds so far. And I'm second in that line-up with my 32-pound loss.
But for this contest, remember, the folks at Seattle Sutton are factoring the totals to date for our body weight percentage loss, which reveals Paul is still in the actual contest lead having reduced his overall body weight percentage so far by 15 percent. I'm still in second with a 13.91 percent and now Tim is right behind with 11.78 percent.
This week, I received a reader question from Lorraine Lump, of Lowell, asking me if Seattle Sutton can possibly offer an "all vegetarian menu plan option."
To answer your question Lorraine, the Seattle Sutton menu plan is 25 years old and the result of lots of testing, researching and innovations.
As of now, this program does not offer any customized menus, such as "all vegetarian" or "no fish."
I will say that many of the meals are often already meat free.
However, there are so many different classifications of vegetarians, for example some don't eat any meat, but will have dairy.
From my experience, with the exception of a little ground turkey sausage, there's almost never meat for breakfast menus. And many lunch and dinners consist of cheese-filled pasta, veggie burgers, meat-free "sloppy joes" made with vegetable crumbles.
For your request, it sounds like, just from my experience, if you were to opt for the Seattle Sutton plan, you would have to supplement some of your own meals and menu offerings. However, you would need to do so carefully, as to not sacrifice nutrients and a necessary balanced diet.
My advice to you and others with such specific needs, you should contact Paula Marie Heaton, RN, BSN, at Seattle Sutton Healthy Eating at (817) 689-0265.
For an update of how all of the contestants are doing and their complete biographies, visit seattlesutton.com
Next week, I will answer some reader questions about this program's menu and food allergy concerns.
And until then, it's just weight and see...
Phil's Progress
Goal Weight: 178
Starting "weigh-in" weight: 230
Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 198
This week's loss: 3 pounds
Total loss to date in six weeks: 32 pounds
So Who's in the lead just for Weight Loss?
1. 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 - - Weight as of 1/25/10 Monday weigh-in: 277 - - Weight as of 2/01/10 Monday weigh-in: 273 - - Weight as of 2/08/10 Monday weigh-in: 269- -Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 262- - This week's loss: 7 pounds
* Total loss to date: 35 pounds
2. 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 - - Weight as of 1/25/10 Monday weigh-in: 209 - - Weight as of 2/01/10 Monday weigh-in: 204- -Weight as of 2/08/10 Monday weigh-in: 201- - Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 198- - This week's loss: 3 pounds
* Total loss to date: 32 pounds
3. 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 - - Weight as of 1/25/10 Monday weigh-in: 179 - - Weight as of 2/01/10 Monday weigh-in: 176 - - Weight as of 2/08/10 Monday weigh-in: 172.5- -Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 170 - - This week's loss: 2.5 pounds
* Total loss to date: 30 pounds
4. 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 - - Weight as of 1/25/10 Monday weigh-in: 207 - - Weight as of 2/01/10 Monday weigh-in: 204 - - Weight as of 2/08/10 Monday weigh-in: 199.5- -Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 195.5 - - This week's loss: 4 pounds
* Total loss to date: 23.5 pounds
5. 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 - - Weight as of 1/25/10 Monday weigh-in: 184.5 - - Weight as of 2/01/10 Monday weigh-in: 179.9 - - Weight as of 2/08/10 Monday weigh-in: 178.4- -Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 177.7- - This week's loss: .7
* Total loss to date: 23.1 pounds
6. 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 - - Weight as of 1/25/10 Monday weigh-in: 148.4 - - Weight as of 2/01/10 Monday weigh-in: 147 - - Weight as of 2/08/10 Monday weigh-in: 143.1- -Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 139.9 - -This week's loss: 4 pounds
* Total loss to date: 15.9 pounds
7. 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 - - Weight as of 1/25/10 Monday weigh-in: 194 - - - - Weight as of 2/01/10 Monday weigh-in: 191.8 - - Weight as of 2/08/10 Monday weigh-in: 189.8- -Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 187 - -This week's loss: 2.8 pounds
* Total loss to date: 14 pounds
8. 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: 180 - - Weight as of 1/25/10 Monday weigh-in: 179 - - Weight as of 2/01/10 Monday weigh-in: 177.3- -Weight as of 2/08/10 Monday weigh-in: 179- -Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 175 - - This week's loss: 4 pounds
* Total loss to date: 12 pounds
9. 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 - - Weight as of 1/25/10 Monday weigh-in: 188.6 - - Weight as of 2/01/10 Monday weigh-in: 189.2 - - Weight as of 2/08/10 Monday weigh-in: 184.4 - -Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 182.5 - -This week's loss: 1.9 pounds
* Total loss to date: 11.5 pounds
10. 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 - - Weight as of 1/25/10 Monday weigh-in: 212 - - Weight as of 2/01/10 Monday weigh-in: 209 - - Weight as of 2/08/10 Monday weigh-in: 210 - - Weight as of 2/15/10 Monday weigh-in: 204 - -This week's loss: 6 pounds
* Total loss to date: 11 pounds
* Check out next week's Update to see how all of the contestants measured up for Week #7 of the Seattle Sutton's 2010 Slim Down Challenge! And remember, the final winners will be determined by total amount of weight lost, based on body weight percentage.
