Merritt Clubs Blog

I am moving in one week and everything that goes with it has disrupted my routine. Lately I have been fatigued, mostly due to stress. It has not been a surprise to turn around and find I have missed three consecutive days of workouts or that I traded a good run for a stretch on the couch.

Stress is a sneaky siren. Her call has you capsizing into the doldrums with not much hope of rowing yourself out. Although I know that giving into it merely generates more stress, I succumb to her sometimes. Yesterday my husband came home early from work, at 3:30 pm. I had two choices; I knew if I worked quickly I could beat him to the punch, calling "gym!" before he called out "golf!" (think "Shot Gun!" for parents and imagine me putting on my shoes as I hop and bump my way out the front door - leaving husband reaching for golf clubs, mouth open and children with confused expression frozen on face). If I didn't work quickly I would forgo my window of opportunity and gave in to my tired body. I mustered everything in my stressed out downtrodden being and reached for my shoes.... "gym!" I yelled, shocking my family, old dog, new dog and probably half of the neighborhood, beating my poor sweet husband to the coveted front seat of freedom. (This is of course a dramatization- but it is an accurate description of how it feels to win alone time when you have kids.)

So as I pulled on my shoes, hopping out the front door, almost tripping over dogs and adjusting exercise pants which requires tugging and wiggling and looking quite foolish, I made the decision to run the two miles to the gym- leaving my cool comfortable car parked where she stood. HA! I believe the expression most appropriate here hints at a pool and jumping in rather than wading slowly. And so I took a deep breath and jumped feet first into the heat of the day. "Why?!", you ask, "Why would you do that to yourself"? Surely I must have died there on the side of the road and most likely I am typing this today from the great beyond! No. I made it. I ran the whole way and ended up at the gym a sweaty, stinky, thirsty mess.

The point is, I tried. I did it. I ran to the gym after a couple days without a workout and forced myself to demand a couple inches of space among all the other guys and gals and punched out a leg workout. Afterwards, I slowly walked myself home.

The key here is: Just give it a go. Tell yourself twenty minutes, you are only going to commit to twenty minutes and if you're still tired, you'll go home. Usually, if you begin a work out, no matter how tired you believe you are, you'll find your footing along the way and finish it. And even if it is half ass, you will have moved. You will have injected something positive into your stressed out worn out day. You will have Conquered Slacker Mountain and you'll feel better!

There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.
-Henry Ford

Loreli Deleon

Personal Training Manager

Merritt Clubs White Marsh

Week 6!!! Can you believe you made it this far?? Hows it going? How are you feeling? Are you ready to quit? Have you quit? Why the questions huh? Well, next Monday will mark my one year "FINALEversary." This time last year I was on a flight to L.A. to prepare for the live finale episode. This was going to be the last time I would ever step on the Biggest Loser scale (as a contestant) and would show THE WORLD my progress since they last saw me on TV just a month before. What most people did not know was that leading up to that moment, there were weekly check ins that I had to have with the producers and trainers so that they could monitor my progress. As a contestant, I had a choice. I could have lied about what was really going on in Baltimore and tell them what I thought they would want to hear...all the good things of course, because I was so perfect. OR I could be 100% honest about what was happening. Letting them know about my good days, bad days and those UGLY ones we try to forget about. Looking back, I am so glad I chose the honest route....because I was honest about how I was feeling I was able to work through those things with people who could understand and help me get on the right track. There were some things that were happening to my body chemistry that had I not been honest about some things, I would have developed a severe case of gout which if you don't know anything about it, know that you don't want to know about it. So here you are, take advantage of this time to "check in" not only with yourself, but also with your coaches and fellow "Losers." I promise you will so glad you did.

Week 6!!! Can you believe you made it this far?? Hows it going? How are you feeling? Are you ready to quit? Have you quit? Why the questions huh? Well, next Monday will mark my one year "FINALEversary." This time last year I was on a flight to L.A. to prepare for the live finale episode. This was going to be the last time I would ever step on the Biggest Loser scale (as a contestant) and would show THE WORLD my progress since they last saw me on TV just a month before. What most people did not know was that leading up to that moment, there were weekly check ins that I had to have with the producers and trainers so that they could monitor my progress. As a contestant, I had a choice. I could have lied about what was really going on in Baltimore and tell them what I thought they would want to hear...all the good things of course, because I was so perfect. OR I could be 100% honest about what was happening. Letting them know about my good days, bad days and those UGLY ones we try to forget about. Looking back, I am so glad I chose the honest route....because I was honest about how I was feeling I was able to work through those things with people who could understand and help me get on the right track. There were some things that were happening to my body chemistry that had I not been honest about some things, I would have developed a severe case of gout which if you don't know anything about it, know that you don't want to know about it. So here you are, take advantage of this time to "check in" not only with yourself, but also with your coaches and fellow "Losers." I promise you will so glad you did.

4 Ripe Bananas

1 tsp Vanilla

½ tbsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp of pure honey (optional)

2 cups rolled oats

Dark chocolate chips

Chopped nuts, crasins, raisins (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Mash bananas in a medium bowl (some chunks are okay)

Add tsp vanilla

Add 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon

1 tbsp of pure honey

2 cups of quick rolled oats

Mix all of the above with the banana mush

Fold in a handful of dark chocolate chips

Optional: fold in some craisins, raisins, or chopped nuts!

Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray

Drop the mixture with a spoon on the sheet

Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes they should be firm on the outside and soft in the middle

Let cool on sheet for a few minutes before moving to cooling rack to cool completely

Store in airtight container

Bananas may cause them to go a darker brown and should be eaten within 3-5days.

4 Ripe Bananas

1 tsp Vanilla

½ tbsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp of pure honey (optional)

2 cups rolled oats

Dark chocolate chips

Chopped nuts, crasins, raisins (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Mash bananas in a medium bowl (some chunks are okay)

Add tsp vanilla

Add 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon

1 tbsp of pure honey

2 cups of quick rolled oats

Mix all of the above with the banana mush

Fold in a handful of dark chocolate chips

Optional: fold in some craisins, raisins, or chopped nuts!

Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray

Drop the mixture with a spoon on the sheet

Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes they should be firm on the outside and soft in the middle

Let cool on sheet for a few minutes before moving to cooling rack to cool completely

Store in airtight container

Bananas may cause them to go a darker brown and should be eaten within 3-5days.

When I was eliminated from the show (The Biggest Loser) during week 7, I had so many different thoughts going through my mind. After a good nights sleep, a long flight home from L.A. and being reunited with my family and friends, I realized I still had a job to do and that was lose this weight I started losing during production. Fast forward a year and I find myself in the real competition. NBC has wrapped season 15, I have settled back into my life as a professional speaker and college instructor, not to mention being a husband and father. That is the TRUE reality. While I was blessed to be afforded the opportunity to be trained by television personalities in a "state of the art" fitness center, that was a vacation compared to where the true competition is.

As you are embarking on this challenge, remember to keep everything in perspective. One of the biggest lessons I learned while on "The Ranch" was to make sure I celebrate EVERY single victory, no matter how great or small. During an on camera workout, Bob Harper was teaching my team how to do Thrusters. The other four members of my team got to do them with just the bar while he actually made me perform the workout with weight on the bar. This particular part of the workout was 3 rounds for time and I was very discouraged that I was the last person to finish my three rounds. Later that night, while icing following the workout, our athletic trainer Sandy Krum was talking to me about that workout and told me how proud of me he was. I looked at him as if to say, "are you kidding me?" and he IMMEDIATELY retorted that I did a great job! "How?" I asked and he said, "not only did you have the most weight of everyone to lift, but you were able to complete it and last week, that probably would not have been the case. You need to make sure you celebrate all the victories so that you can reflect on them when the times are rough or you need to be encouraged."

While I am not satisfied with where I am physically ( remember I still weighed over 300 pounds during my finale weighin), I look back at who I was a year ago and realize I have come a LONG way. Now, the key is moving onto this next challenge and getting to my goal weight which is going to take time.....but what fun it is going to be along the way.

Hey Biggest Loser Club, yeah, there is a $1,000 prize on the line and who couldn't use an extra $1,000? But remember what the BIGGEST prize is. Yes, for most of us, this is going to be one of the hardest things we have ever done. But there is a reason you signed up and I am almost certain that prize money was a secondary reason. What will your success story be when the April finale comes along? What are the goals you are setting for the next 2 months and how are you going to celebrate your victories (great or small)? I am so honored that I get to take part in this journey with you all....so what are YOU waiting for?!

When I was eliminated from the show (The Biggest Loser) during week 7, I had so many different thoughts going through my mind. After a good nights sleep, a long flight home from L.A. and being reunited with my family and friends, I realized I still had a job to do and that was lose this weight I started losing during production. Fast forward a year and I find myself in the real competition. NBC has wrapped season 15, I have settled back into my life as a professional speaker and college instructor, not to mention being a husband and father. That is the TRUE reality. While I was blessed to be afforded the opportunity to be trained by television personalities in a "state of the art" fitness center, that was a vacation compared to where the true competition is.

As you are embarking on this challenge, remember to keep everything in perspective. One of the biggest lessons I learned while on "The Ranch" was to make sure I celebrate EVERY single victory, no matter how great or small. During an on camera workout, Bob Harper was teaching my team how to do Thrusters. The other four members of my team got to do them with just the bar while he actually made me perform the workout with weight on the bar. This particular part of the workout was 3 rounds for time and I was very discouraged that I was the last person to finish my three rounds. Later that night, while icing following the workout, our athletic trainer Sandy Krum was talking to me about that workout and told me how proud of me he was. I looked at him as if to say, "are you kidding me?" and he IMMEDIATELY retorted that I did a great job! "How?" I asked and he said, "not only did you have the most weight of everyone to lift, but you were able to complete it and last week, that probably would not have been the case. You need to make sure you celebrate all the victories so that you can reflect on them when the times are rough or you need to be encouraged."

While I am not satisfied with where I am physically ( remember I still weighed over 300 pounds during my finale weighin), I look back at who I was a year ago and realize I have come a LONG way. Now, the key is moving onto this next challenge and getting to my goal weight which is going to take time.....but what fun it is going to be along the way.

Hey Biggest Loser Club, yeah, there is a $1,000 prize on the line and who couldn't use an extra $1,000? But remember what the BIGGEST prize is. Yes, for most of us, this is going to be one of the hardest things we have ever done. But there is a reason you signed up and I am almost certain that prize money was a secondary reason. What will your success story be when the April finale comes along? What are the goals you are setting for the next 2 months and how are you going to celebrate your victories (great or small)? I am so honored that I get to take part in this journey with you all....so what are YOU waiting for?!