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pete thomas' biggest loser team

Challenge Dates: 01/09/10 thru 07/15/10

You probably know me as the guy who won $100K on NBC?s The Biggest Loser by shedding 185 pounds in nine months. As awesome as that was, I'm even more excited by the fact that I've kept the weight off for several years now, and I feel GREAT! I?d love for you to join my strategy discussion and support team here on HealthyWage (it's free). I believe the secret to losing weight FAST and keeping it off FOREVER lies in focusing on three critical areas: Mastering your Mind, Managing your Mouth and Multiplying your Muscles. What are you waiting for? Let's do it!

Visit Pete's Complete HealthyWage blog for even more tips and discussion.

Fast Food Is My Favorite Food – February 1, 2010

A recent article revealed that most people know fast food is unhealthy, but choose to eat it anyway. The people interviewed for the article gave all sorts of reasons, including the perceived convenience and cheapness of fast food, and dislike of cooking.

As a recovering "fast food–aholic," I recognize that I held onto each of the reasons cited at one point in my life. I knew that fast food was mostly bad, but I never modified my behavior because I really did not know all the facts or how to correctly apply the facts I did know. Things have changed. Here are my two cents on the topic.

Price
I was recently talking with a Casting Director for The Biggest Loser about this. It's amazing how many of us potential contestants use the price argument as an excuse to eat fast food, and how easy it is to rebut with simple facts. We big folk like our lies!

A head of lettuce costs approx .93 cents, here in Michigan. Add bell peppers, other healthy toppings, light dressings etc., and the cost per "man size" serving is still really low. A 1/4 lb of lean ground beef is $1.00---when it is NOT on sale.

I could really talk a lot more about price, but we'll have to save that for later. I should mention that ‘bad’ foods generate an insulin response that usually cause us to eat more food. So the cumulative cost of eating bad food can easily be much more expensive than eating healthy. Plus, a higher price tag can sometimes lead to a slower, smarter shopping experience, as a friend of mine explained to me recently. He said that when he shops at Whole Foods he has to pay closer attention to what he puts in his basket because the prices are higher. As a consequence he buys less junk food!

Taste
No one I know likes a plain baked potato without something on it. Who likes a patty of ground beef without the bun, ketchup, mustard, onions etc.? We all modify our foods to make them tastier. Similar tastes can be obtained at home with a little experimentation. For example, a baked potato tastes great with butter spray and salsa. Why not eat your potato with 96% lean ground beef in a low carb/low cal wrap (I like La Tortilla Factory Tortillas) with low-carb ketchup and chopped onions. This stuff tastes great! Good tasting food is possible, and fast food is not exactly gourmet anyway!

Time
Side-dishes take almost no prep time when you consider frozen or canned vegetables and the like. So I spend a couple of hours on the weekend preparing the meats for my week and then I store them in baggies and prep my salads and sides each day. It really can be "fast food."

Now, to be honest, packing lunch does take advanced planning, but I love my new life, so it's been worth taking the minimal effort. Also, I know that maintaining my health is easier then getting it back.

Fast Food Alternatives
The other night, while on the way to Starbucks, I had a serious hunger craving. Instead of hitting the drive-through, I stopped in the local grocery store and bought a couple pints of Strawberries and some baked chicken from the deli. At other times, I have bought a couple of huge apples and some chicken, turkey or corn beef slices at ninety calories per package. It is always cheaper than Fast Food and almost as quick.

Fast Food Options
To be honest, I still go to a fast food restaurant a couple times per week when I have not done my grocery shopping---but now I simply make better choices. At McDonald’s, I like to get the Grilled Chicken Asian Salad with Low-Fat Balsamic dressing and a large Diet Coke or water. I love the McDonald's nutritional website since it allows me to adjust individual parts of my meal.

What are your thoughts and feelings about fast food? Do you have a love-hate relationship with it? If I see your post, I'll try to respond!

This article was re-printed from a blog post over at www.WinningMan.com.

join the discussion!

radsing, 9 days ago

Boy, my bad typing gets so much worse at 2:00 a.m. below will should be win.

radsing, 9 days ago

I know that I won't will 100K but I will be so happy if I can just not outweigh most of the men at my family reunion next year. I a 5' 1" and morbidly obese. Short term goal - to just be a little less morbidly obese this week. I have to lose 80 lbs. to just be considered obese. Actually glad no one will be reading these posts because I am being WAY more honest than if I thought even one person was going to see this. Had LOTS of fun tonight. Had dessert then dessert tonight. Yea! and I'm OK. See you tomorrow!

radsing, 9 days ago

Good day today. My personal challenge is to NOT step on the scale until next week. I have done the ...weigh myself-get happy-evacuate my bladder-weigh myself again-the number goes up so I go to the refridgerator tango. Don't want to do that this time. So now I have 1 day in a row. woo, woo, woo!!!

radsing, 10 days ago

I realize that the challenge is over but I hope people are still chatting. I need support. Family reunion next year. Need to lose a lot of weight. Just started exercising. I know how to eat but it's difficult. Wish me loss!

mrs. woods, 1 month ago

Hi pete, my name is Latasha and i have an african american women's phsyic if you know what I mean. i have'nt any problem loosing weight it's just keeping the weight off. However, If you can do i can too. I will continue to eat right and walk these pounds off. I want to look and feel healthy so that i can live to see my four children's children graduate college.

tlcook, 2 months ago

Just joined the challenge. Hi Pete

Frynche, 2 months ago

I have gotten some of my bad habits under control...no more soda's! It was hard but its been a year and a half since I had one. I also measure portions and count calories. I cook ahead and freeze foods in order to stay on track. I just need a gym buddy! I hate the gym and especially alone! But no one here is in my area! Guess I will keep looking and trying....

Frynche, 2 months ago

Looking to join a group but don't know which one to join. Had surgery about 6 months ago and have picked up a few pounds. Desperately trying to lose them! This is probably my last try.

alinchik, 3 months ago

iI am struggling pls help.. I am still 185 but I am freightened to go up.. I feel like I am losing it.. Please somebody anybody talk to me and make me start going down again.. Thanks

annwild, 4 months ago

It is difficult to pass up fast food with children. I love fast food too, especially fries! However, I know I needed to stop eating so much fast food. So we watched Supersize me with Morgan, after I watched it, I had my children watch it. There was so much information in that documentary that was helpful to our family in making the choice to eat out less.

time2doit!, 5 months ago

It's too, too tempting...I know that there are healthy options at FF places; however, those options just don't come out of my mouth when I am ordering at the drive-thru.

SnowFlake, 5 months ago

I do not eat fast food..........it is something my dh and I do not eat. Plus the meat at any place does not fall into the "permisable" category for us. My biggest down fall is the sweet stuff...cakes, cookies, pies, all that stuff

BigJim, 5 months ago

Pete, Wendy's Chili is also a smart food option. My wife lost a lot of weight doing WW and eating Wendy's Chili

Diana, 5 months ago

Pete you can go one step further in fast food pricing is sneaky, they have the $1.00 leader item, but try to order separate things and you will be looking at an $8.00 lunch

Diana, 5 months ago

I feel kid of guilty I haven ot checked Pete page in a couple days and now he has all this neat stuff posted. I have to be more observant!!!!

Diana, 5 months ago

Too bad I don't proof read my stuff.

IamSucceed, 5 months ago

Hi Pete!! So nice to see you!!

time2doit!, 5 months ago

I've purchased the 30 Jump Start -Biggest Loser. Now, I ready to make out my grocery list for week1. I would like it if the book included such lists it would really help make the process even more idiot proof! 80 lbs. to lose and it's time to do it!

Diana, 6 months ago

Pete,I love the line you have Mastering your Mind, Managing your Mouth and Multiplying your Muscles. It is so true. Hopefully your weight lose success will motivate lots of people on this site.

Bob, 6 months ago

Pete thanks for the tips.. I will be waiting for more

BG, 6 months ago

Hi Group, just joined today and looking for others in Northern Calif. This group looks great. I lost a LOT of weight two years ago, but regained it when my child had a life threatening illness. If there are other stress eatters I would love to hear tips to change that behavior!

stasia1982, 6 months ago

Hi BG! I am from Southern OR - there are not many people from around here on the site, but I love it! I hope your child is healthy now. I am a stress eater like you and have the hardest time when I try to stop... I am really trying to loose weight so I can run and play with my kids- and just to show them how to be healthy... Good luck to you!

Diana, 6 months ago

Hi Pete, This sounds corny but, when I put ham in a sandwich, I always use deli style 99% fat free, but the kicker is that when I put it on the sandwich I don't lay it on I put it on like in a deli, sort of a pile. I know it sounds dumb, but it looks like I have a bigger sandwich.