AND I QUOTE...

"Every other day, I’ll rev that sucker up to twelve miles an hour and do three five-minute intervals. Running at that speed for that duration doesn’t come naturally to anyone-it’s hideous, absolutely horrible. But by pushing past the pain, you become progressively tougher. You prove to yourself that pain is just that, pain. You can walk away from it afterward knowing that you surpassed a barrier that makes most humans curl into the fetal position and weep for Jesus."

- UFC fighter Forrest Griffin
via Daniel Wright, Biggest Loser Season 8

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

RESPECT YO MAMA

The Biggest Loser was great tonight! Watching the way the mothers on the show cared for their kids reminded me how much I miss my Mama (today would've been her 66th birthday), but also how proud I am of my Mom (that's my step-mother, JoNell), Steph's mom (Cathy), and Steph. Mom gave birth to twelve kids, Cathy to six, and so far, Steph has given birth to one. I know for a fact that all of these mothers would sacrifice everything they could so their children could succeed in all of life's challenges. That's why I love them! And that's exactly what Patti did tonight.

Patti and her daughter, Stephanie (what a great name!) came up for elimination after having lost only seven pounds between them. Week 2 always seems to be the toughest, as I understand it. When they faced the rest of the cast to plead their case as to who should stay on the ranch and who should go home, I saw an incredible display of a mother's love for her child. Without any hesitation, Patti declared that she had a good support system at home and could lose the weight she needed to, but Stephanie didn't have that. She said Stephanie needed to stay on the ranch in order to save her life. For the first time that I can remember, the vote was unanimous. The grey team actually said, "We wouldn't disrespect our Mama, so we won't disrespect Patti's wishes, either." Out of respect for Patti and the apparent kindness she exhibited to all of the contestants, she was able to sacrifice her chance at $250,000 so her daughter could have a chance to live.

Love at its finest.

If you are able, take a moment to let your mom know how much you love and respect her.

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

IT'S LOSING TIME AGAIN

The Biggest Loser is back in full force in another epic battle against obesity!

Before last season - Season 8 - I had never watched an episode. When we learned that our boy, Sean Algaier, was going to be on the show, we just had to watch; Sean's hilarious! We were hooked after the first five minutes, to be sure. By the end of the first episode we had started planning the rest of the semester around the show, making sure to keep our Tuesday nights sacred.

Call us crazy, but The Biggest Loser has sparked a whole new energy and enthusiasm about rebuilding these temples we call bodies. Steph has gotten brutally honest and super-serious about her weight-loss, and she welcomes the rest of the world to join her. I have even been motivated to take up running (did 2.3 miles on the "rolling hills" setting today) and get myself back in shape!

We don't want to get fit to impress anyone (other than each other). We want to get fit to please our Father who gave us these bodies in the first place.

Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

 1 Cor. 6:19-20 (The Message)

It is time for us to stand up, take charge, and become the people God designed us to be.

Who's with us?

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate

HE LOST (and I called it!)

Ladies and Gentlemen, congratulations are in order for the new Biggest Loser, Danny Cahill from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. I am truly amazed at Danny's progress. He went to the show in a last-stitched effort to lose weight and regain life.

His starting weight was 430 pounds. That's two of me plus 60 pounds!

His weight at the finale was 191 pounds.

Danny Cahill lost 239 pounds in seven months!

(By the way, Steph and I totally called it that he would win!)

As amazing as that is, hunger in America is running rampant. One in six Americans is struggling with hunger right now. America! The "land o' plenty" is not proving to be very plentiful to those in deep need. And we thought we had to go to third world countries to find that kind of poverty.

So, what are you going to do to help fix it?

My family and I have joined the Biggest Loser Pound For Pound Challenge. For every pound you pledge to lose through June 30, 2010, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 14¢ to Feeding America® — enough to deliver one pound of groceries to a local food bank. How cool is that?! We have already made our pledges. Click here to make yours.

Peace, Love, and Dark Chocolate (because dark chocolate is healthier!)