Diary of a 'Loser' - Feb. 7-13 Published Feb. 28, 2007 By Maj. Richelle Dowdell 36th Wing Public Affairs ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- The 36th Wing Health and Wellness Center is currently conducting "The Biggest Loser" contest. This is an incentive program for people to not only to lose the most weight in a set period of time, but also to obtain fitness. Please join Maj. Richelle Dowdell, 36th Wing Public Affairs office, as she chronicles the journey and challenges of Team G'of Monge' a.k.a. Team Delicious. Keep track of your progress at www.fitday.com. Feb. 7 - Aha! I have finally broken the 148 pound plateau. I have now officially lost 5 pounds and dropped 3 percent body fat. Yippeee!! I managed to get to gym this morning, but had to cut the workout short. I only did 30 minutes on the elliptical and 30 minutes of weights (2 sets vs. 3 sets). At least I went. Seems like life is starting to get in the way of this contest - I didn't have time to cook tonight, so I brought home Subway sandwiches for everyone. Low fat, and somewhat healthy - I still didn't manage to get the full 1,500 calories for the day. I should have had a cookie - or two! Feb. 8 - Very busy day. I didn't make it to the gym in the morning, between the suspenses and the computers not working. I also had my son at work with me. We had lunch at the dining facility - I had a salad and catfish (I eat a lot of fish). I had to stare at my son eating a cheeseburger and fries. Doesn't do much for the willpower. I did manage to go for a run while my kids rode their bikes. My husband seems to have more motivation than I do at this point - and I want to be the biggest loser in our house - not him!! I had grilled catfish, salad and a wheat roll for dinner - oooh only 1287 calories today. I'll do better tomorrow. Feb. 9 - Much better day! I started off with a banana and 16 ounces of water before going to PT. I packed my lunch the night before and even managed to bring in English muffins and fruit for the office. No KFC or Winchells today. I did have a cupcake while celebrating my baby's 6th birthday at school. It was good. We took him to McDonald's that evening. I am so proud I had a Honey Mustard Wrap with a half of shake. My husband had a horrendous fat-laden Chicken Club Sandwich (ha ha ha). McDonald's now has a chart that lists the fat and calorie content for all of their items. You only see it when you're dining in - that's why I go through the drive-thru. I still only ate 1,672 today! Feb. 10 - Saturdays are hard because I don't have much structure to the day - structure allows me to guage my eating. Good news - my beautician said I looked smaller - like I was losing weight. Yippee confirmation it's visibly working. I am generally okay until about 11:30 a.m., after that it's a free for all. Bad news - I didn't do well today. When I added up the calories, I hit 2,100. I guess I shouldn't have eaten the Ben and Jerry's half pint of ice cream. Feb. 11 - I didn't feel good today, but I practiced climbing the wall anyway. That was harder than I thought. I am definitely sticking to the green rocks. I received a nice complement from one of the gym trainers - she noticed that I looked a lot slimmer than when I started a few weeks ago. I smiled like a Cheshire cat - you can't help but feel better after that. My husband cooked dinner - how dare he fry chicken? Feb. 12 - Why do I weigh less the day after I don't work out? I weigh 146.8 pounds today. Date night: Steak and Shake - I only ate half a chicken steak sandwich with cheese, shared some onion rings and a shake. I did drink some water. What can I say? Sometimes you just need some fat in your diet. Feb. 13 - Another day off from the gym. I am starting to feel sluggish. It's the mid-point and my teams motivation is waning. My husband is now working out twice a day - he has lost 12 lbs. It's not over yet. Remember it's not how you start - it's how you end. I have four more weeks to take off a few more pounds. It's about the percentages, baby!