Dani Dishes 8-26-13

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I drop TWO HUGE announcements on you guys regarding my next fitness goal for 2014 and new sponsorship!! :) :)  

Dani Dishes 8-19-13

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I remind myself (and you) that is it okay to be frustrated when a moment on your weight loss/fitness/running journey doesn't live up to expectation! BUT make sure to then immediately step back and look at the journey as a whole for overall appreciation! Product Of The Week: Boom Chica Pop

Hungry Girl's Orange You Glad? Chicken

This recipe actually appeared in Hungry Girl's Daily email on February 28, 2012. And since that date we have made this recipe AT LEAST five times.

It is absolutely amazing ... and easy to do, which makes it even better! :)

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Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe (about 1 cup) Calories: 284 Fat: 2g Sodium: 910mg Carbs: 26g Fiber: 2g Sugars: 8.5g Protein: 37g

PointsPlus® value 7*

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Ingredients: 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour 10 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces 1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper 1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original) 1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth 1 tbsp. cornstarch 1 1/2 tbsp. low-sugar orange marmalade 1 1/2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar 1 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated) 1 tbsp. reduced-sodium/lite soy sauce 1 tsp. chopped garlic 1 tsp. chopped ginger Dash red pepper flakes 2 tbsp. chopped scallions

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Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Place flour in a wide bowl.

Place chicken in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Top with egg substitute and toss to coat.

One at a time, shake chicken pieces to remove excess egg and coat with flour. Evenly lay chicken pieces on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

In a medium bowl, whisk broth with cornstarch until cornstarch has dissolved. Add marmalade, vinegar, sweetener, and soy sauce, and thoroughly whisk.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Cook and stir garlic and ginger until slightly softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth mixture and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until well mixed and slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat, add chicken, and toss to coat. Serve topped with scallions and enjoy!

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

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We have doubled (serving 4 people) and even tripled (serving six people) this recipe and it was just as delish as the single (serving 2 people) version!!

Last night, we paired it with a cup of brown rice so that the whole plate below was 12 PP ... and worth EVERY point. It was absolutely delicious!

My Latest Tattoo!

Tattoos - to me - tell a story. Every tattoo I have means something different to me and has its own back story. Now many people say they ended up with their tattoo after a night of drinking with friends or on a dare. That's Not Me! A ton of thought went into each thing I put on my body.

Hello! These things last forever.

Or until you have thousands of dollars to get them removed. :P

I promise there will be a whole different post explaining the meaning behind these 5 tattoos, but today is all about #6.

Since early 2013, I knew I wanted to get another tattoo on my left foot. I needed my tattoos to be symmetric. What can I say? :P

I had a general idea of what I wanted, but told myself I would get it following the Boston Marathon. I knew the tattoo would pay homage to my fitness/weight-loss journey to date.

But what exactly to do was eluding me. I had a few ideas, but not a concrete plan.

With the events of the Boston Marathon, the tattoo idea kind of went by the wayside. But, once the triathlon became my main focus, I knew the tattoo would have to happen soon after that.

A triathlon had never been on my radar so completing that would take my fitness journey to a new level.

The week after the tri (which was August 4) the design came to me. I knew exactly what I wanted on my left foot. I turned to the best designer I know - my wife - to get the idea from my mind to paper.

She didn't disappoint. She showed me what she came up with and it was SPOT ON! :)

Once I had the design, which I kept a secret, I had to find the right tattoo parlor to go to.

I reached out to 3 or 4 shops before I found the one.

Empire Tattoo in Somerville, MA - just a mile or so from my house.

Photo Courtesy Empire Tattoo

I actually found them when they liked a picture of mine on Instagram - thanks Social Media!!

After emailing back and forth, I went in for a consultation with tattoo artists Amanda Abbott on Sunday (August 11) and knew immediately that this was the right studio and artist.

Amanda actually shed over 70 pounds herself recently ... Hello instant connection!!

We showed her the design and she was on board. We made an appointment for just over 48 hours later - Tuesday (August 13) at 3pm.

I was PSYCHED. I would've done it right then and there if she had had time. :P

On Monday (August 12), I made sure to get a nice fresh pedicure. I mean I was really doing it for Amanda. No one should have to endure staring at "runner feet."

Did I convince you all that the pedicure was a necessity? Good!

Before I knew it, it was Tuesday and I was walking through the door of Empire Tattoo. The shop is clean and each tattoo artist has their own little booth (with a door) to work in. I liked not being so out in the open like some tattoo parlors set-up.

I was calm, cool and collected which let me know this was exactly what I should be doing.

Amanda was a true professional and made the whole process painless.

Her booth was really warm and inviting with walls covered in artwork she did herself. There were some truly gorgeous pieces. The tattoo only took about 45-50 minutes to do and we chatted the whole time.

So are you ready to see the finished product?

IT'S PERFECT!!!!

Now you probably want to know I came up with it?

I used to watch The Biggest Loser religiously back in the day and there was a specific episode where Bob Harper told a contestant to "Stand Up And Finish What You Started." Ohhh boy did that stick with me.

So when I started my weight loss and running journey, I used that statement over and over again. It really became my mantra. I even added it to my GoSportID bracelet as a reminder.

I knew that I needed "Finish What You Started" as the centerpiece of the tattoo.

I owe huge props to a blog reader that actually noticed that the font for it is actually the same as the blog header font. I'm sorry to admit I didn't pick up on that. My wife is one clever lady isn't she? ;)

I think the top of the tattoo is pretty obvious - they represent the half marathons (13.1), triathlon (swim, bike, run) and marathons (26.2) I have conquered ... and will continue to conquer thanks to the changes I have made over the past 4+ years. :)

And finally the date - 4-15-13 - a date that will forever be engrained in my mind. For those that don't know it is the date of this year's Boston Marathon. I was lucky to cross the Finish Line that day just 1 minute before the bombs went off so I was able to Finish What I Started that day. Yet so many of my friends were not.

Oh! And to answer the biggest question - it really didn't hurt. The only spot that really hurt would be the little biker and runner dudes right on the top of my foot. The rest of the tattoo just felt kind of annoying rather than painful. Does that make sense?

There it is. My 6th and probably most meaningful tattoo I have.

And now I am symmetrical - 2 wrists, 2 ankles and 2 feet. ;)

So if you are in the Boston-Somerville-Cambridge area, I cannot recommend Empire Tattoo - and Amanda Abbott in particular - enough if you are looking to get some ink done yourself.

Tell 'em I sent ya!

***

Do you have any tattoos of your own? Does it hold a special place in your heart?

Have you checked out #Assembled in Somerville?

Are you in or around the Somerville, MA area? If so, I highly recommend coming over our way and checking out the uber-local Assembled, the Handmade Arts Market at Assembly Row. It offers local artisans, music and some pretty darn delicious food trucks - if you ask me. ;)

Did I also mention free admission??

I have the pleasure of living right across the street from the Assembly Row area, which most people know as the area of Somerville that has the Christmas Tree Shops. :P Whatever landmark you need to use is fine, but I think that gives most people an idea of where in the city this is located.

Assembly Row is nestled between the Sullivan Square and Wellington stops on the Orange Line, but does offer ample free parking if you are stopping by while out and about.

There is a booth (pictured above) where you can catch what Assembly Row should look like when it is completed next year with outlet shops, restaurants and a movie theater. They are even getting their very own orange line stop (Yes closer to my house!)

They actually shut down a portion of the through street to hold the event. The info booth sort of acts as the separator between the artist booths and the food trucks. It makes it flow nicely.

One one end of the street are all the amazing vendors - think Etsy type products! :)

I am always impressed with such creative people so this area of the market always inspires me. There are folks out there selling art work, clothing, bird feeders, hand painted stemware, woodwork, home-made delicacies and so much more.

I loved this wine rack, but unfortunately we do not have the decor to pull it off.

Can you tell there was a theme to my shopping? ;)

Books made in to pocketbooks! How creative. I wish I was cool enough to come up with things like that. I'm just glad there are people out there than can ... and do! :)

And then I caught the cutest dress in the corner of my eye and knew I had to grab it for my 'niece' Joanna.

The booth was adorably designed all around ... I mean hello great use of sidewalk chalk!

 Sarah Joyce Designs and company easily won for cutest booth of the day! (She was sharing the booth with another designer)

The Black and Red Lady Bug Pillow case Dress would be mine!!

How freakin' adorable will Joanna look in this? I didn't care that it was a size too big. I had to buy it. :)

Then as we continued around the booths my other half spotted something she just had to have.

There were a lot of cute things at this booth, but the thing she had to have was a piece of stemware.

Yup,  a beer stein with a painted mustache on it ... and matching shot glass!

The big decision then was ... which mustache to pick! The tough choices in life... :P

The booths were all amazing and I made sure to stop at each to really appreciate all the time and hard work that went into these pieces.

After seeing such amazing artists and passing tent after tent of yummy fudges, popcorn and BBQ sauces,

it was time to hit up the food side of the market!

They had about half a dozen picnic table set up in the middle of the street with the 4 food trucks spread out on either side.

It was wicked hard to decide which truck to try, but we finally picked the Away Cafe!

We decided on the Sausage Basil Onion (left) and the Smoked Pulled Pork (right).

Boy was the decision tough - drunken chicken sounds pretty fantastic - but these were DELICIOUS!!!

And we were lucky that on August 3rd the Dock Dogs were performing!

The pups were adorable and some were making jumps for the first time. A little stage fright for a few, which made it even cuter when they finally did get in the water.

Do you like the pup I had the honor of standing next to during the performance?

Jealous of his hair, right?

***

So make sure if you find yourself in the Somerville area on a Saturday between 11-4 be sure to stop on by Assembled ... I promise it won't disappoint. Plus, it feels good to support, shop and eat local!!

Weekly Workout Wind Up (8/1-7/13)

Well the triathlon FINALLY happened!! YAY!! It was absolutely amazing to accomplish a feat I never thought I would. I decided to take a full REST DAY - okay I did a lot of walking around, but no workout - the day before the race and I think it was a great idea. I woke up Sunday feeling refreshed and ready to rock! :)  

Thursday, August 1: BRICK Workout (5.1-Mile Bike and 2-Mile Run)

Friday, August 2: 4-Mile Run

Saturday, August 3: REST DAY

Sunday, August 4: Boston Triathlon (Sprint)

 

Monday, August 5: 5-Mile Run and 45-Minute Spin

Tuesday, August 6: Harvard Stadium Stairs (25 sections) and 1,300-Meter Swim Session

Wednesday, August 7: 5-Mile Run and Session with Lindsey (Walk to & from gym, 35 min Stairmaster and 30 min Elliptical)

 

Let the Dopey Challenge training continue! 

Boston Triathlon ... aka My First Tri

Ahhh-MAZING!!

Oh did you want more of a recap?

Well then let's do it! :)

I think everyone knows I was a tad wicked nervous for my first triathlon. I mean check out my T-minus 12 hours post for the jist.

I mean Hello look at all the numbers attached to this one race.

So let's get right to it!!

***

5am - Alarm Goes Off

I sprang out of bed. I knew I had laid out all my clothes the night before, but there was still so much to do before we had to leave the house. I let the dogs out so they could take care of business while I hectically got ready and attached the bike to the bike rack (which I thankfully put on the car the night before). Sometimes being slightly OCD can help one out on the morning of the race.

After leaving the house without my Garmin on the morning of the Boston Marathon, I made sure to check that I had that about 17 times before we left the house.

I had my big bag of stuff for the transition and I made sure the wife had her back-up ready with extra clothes, snacks and any other odds and ends we would need that morning.

We met my dad on the porch and...

5:40am - We are out the door

I was told by my Triathlon coaches (and fellow Tedy's Team members) Jackie and Cat to be on site by 6:15am for the 7:45am start time because there is so much more to account for before the race than a regular running race.

Since my dad and wife were getting up so early for me, I made sure we stopped at Dunkins on the way to the race. They deserved and needed the caffeine. :P

In the car I felt oddly calm. This is extremely weird for me before a race, but I was hoping to take it as a good sign. Also I knew as soon as I was on the site of the race, it would be a whole different ballgame.

6:15am-ish - We pull into a parking space

Annddd cue the butterflies. As we pull into a parking space, I start to see the other athletes with their professional bikes and looking like they knew what they were doing. In my head panic. I wanted to turn around and leave. But wait a minute. Not happening. I freakin' worked my butt off to be there too so self pull up your spandex shorts and get out there.

(Timing after this is a blur so time to go general with titles ;))

Pre-Race

The air was crisp, the sun was shining and the water looked calm - one gorgeous Boston morning! We really couldn't ask for better weather conditions.

I headed over to the transition area to get my bike checked and to set up my area. Thankfully I had watched some transition videos on Youtube the day before so I had a better idea of what I was supposed to do. I also took a picture as people suggested so I could go back after the race and see what I would change - if anything.

After racking my bike and getting everything in place, I realized that Ace Wheelworks (where I bought my bike) had tents set up and were putting air in people's tires for free. So I went back in and got my bike. I didn't want any chances of getting a flat just because the tire wasn't filled up enough. Tires perfect and back to the transition area Roxie went.

I stopped a volunteer to ask exactly how the transition would work - where do we enter from the swim, how do we exit, etc. I wasn't taking any chances of doing something incorrectly and getting slapped with a penalty.

Well by this time there was still well over an hour before the race so I went with my dad and the wife to find a location for them to set up camp for awhile. Since Tori was two weeks post-knee surgery, we needed to make sure she could sit as much as possible.

I nibbled slowly on my KIND bar, which was delish (Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt)... Mmmmm!!

I went to hit up the port-a-potty and finally ran into people I knew. Yay! Chelsea and Ally, who I both knew through twitter but had just met on Wednesday in person, were also first-time triathlete folks so it was great to share this experience with them.

Chatting with them and seeing familiar faces calmed my nerves before heading back to see my crew.

The transition area closed at 7:30am so I needed to make sure I got back in there in plenty of time to get my wetsuit, swimcap and goggles for the swim. I also had to pop my ENERGYBits then or I wouldn't have them and that wasn't happening.

Around 7:15ish, I bid farewell to my dad and wife (trying not to cry) and headed into the transition area. I was walking over to my bike when I noticed a familiar face. It was my friend Howley, who I probably hadn't seen in a good 6-7 years. She was there doing the tri relay as friends needed someone to do the bike portion. Again, seeing a familiar face distracted me from the nerves.

I made it back to my bike, grabbed my necessary tools, gave the transition area one more check over and was off to the beach for the pre-race meeting with the officials.

I decided to walk through the water to get to the pre-race meeting. It was starting to get hotter while in the wetsuit and I wanted to see how the water temp felt. It was calming to be in the water. I was ready for the race to start, but we still had a good 40 minutes or so until my wave would set off. I was in the women's 25-34 heat which was Wave 5 of 10.

Thankfully I found Chelsea, Ally, other Zoom Multisport friends and Cat from Tedy's Team on the sand near the start area. It felt good to be near people I knew. Are we sensing a theme here?

Before I knew it, the National Anthem was playing and Wave 1 (Elite Athletes) was getting in position. There would be 2 minutes between Wave 1 and Wave 2 then 6 minutes between the rest of the waves. There were 10 waves in total with novice being the final group.

I thought about putting myself in the novice division, but felt I was a strong enough swimmer to be with my age group.

Swim - 1/2 Mile

Robin had told me to line up near the front of the wave because of my practice swim times, but I ended up being about 1/3 of the way back. I readjusted once I saw the division included the mid-to-late 20s as well. I assumed they would all be faster than me so I wiggled my way back. (Hindsight? Stupid decision)

All of a sudden they were counting down, in my head I just said: "Like Tedy said - it's the party! Have fun!" and we were off.

It is a running start, which means you run from the sand into the water to about your knees/low thighs then start swimming.

As soon as I started swimming, I instantly got kicked in the face. I thought - okay got that out of the way - let's get it. I had remembered Robin saying in the Ironman she swam on the outside to avoid getting kicked so I did try to find myself a little niche in the water to avoid people ... which was challenging.

I felt as if I was swimming in place. I didn't feel like I was making good time. I tried sighting as best I could, but still found myself drifting while swimming.

But, at no point did I feel tired. BONUS!

I am thankful I did a test swim in the water before the race so I had an idea of what to use for guide points.

Before I knew it we were making the final turn (we swam in a trapezoidal pattern) to the shore. I kept reminding myself to swim until my hands swept the bottom of the water THEN get up and start running.

My dad was able to catch me "gracefully" exiting the water. Man those rocks felt like needles under the feet.

Total Time: 16:35 Pace: 1:53/100 yds Overall Place: 175/630 Division: 12/52

***

Transition 1

Time: 1:51.1

This was my first attempt at taking the wetsuit off quickly (should probably practice that more for next time).

I tried to make the switch as methodical as possible. I used my mini towel to wipe off my wet/sandy feet and quickly put on my shoes/sneakers. Yes I raced sans clip medals/bike shoes because I wasn't comfortable enough on the bike yet.

I also made sure to click my bike helmet on as soon as I put it on since you can be penalized for an unclicked helmet.

I actually more my bike/run outfit under my wetsuit so I didn't have to do any wardrobe change. It was actually a great idea because the weather was heating up but the damp singlet kept me cool on the next two legs of the race.

***

Bike

By far this is my weakest part of the race and the one I dreaded the most. The goal for this leg was to not fall off the bike. Do you like how I set big goals for myself. ;)

But seriously after talking to Robin (sensing another theme with this ;)) we decided that my goal was to keep my bike pace around 17-19 mph.

The bike portion was 9 miles, which is short for most sprint tris - but perfectly fine for me.

I merged onto the bike portion (it was a loop which you had to complete twice) so I had to be aware of other bikers completing their second loop.

The bike portion and run portion were on the same road with the runners separated on the right by cones. There are so many rules about passing and not drafting on the bike that I felt like I had no idea what I was doing.

I remembered them saying if you were going to pass you had 15 seconds and had to get 3 bike lengths ahead of the person/person being passed had to drop back 3 bike lengths.

I did my best to follow the rules, but really I was just focused on not falling.

I slowed down on the turns as those scare the crap outta me (again fear of falling). But I felt pretty comfortable out on the course since it was nice and flat AND I was able to cheer for some people I knew already on the run portion.

I just kept looking down at my cyclometer to make sure I was staying on point ... and shockingly I was!!! WOO HOO!

I also had to wipe my nose/mouth still from the swim, but I haven't mastered that taking the hands off the handlebars thing yet so I finally wiped my nose as I slowed for a turn. Sexy I know. :P

As I finished up the second loop, I was instructed to go to the right back to the transition area. I realized that my friend Cat was right in front of me.

They even had a line drawn on the ground telling you where to dismount the bike. Score!

I know I would've biked faster with 1) more practice and 2) actual bike shoes/clips - but that is for later events. (foreshadowing?)

Total Time: 28:57 Pace: 18.2 MPH (just what we wanted!!!) Overall Place: 388/630 (can we tell it's my weakest area) Division: 30/52

***

Transition 2

Time: 1:21.2

I followed Cat right into the transition area...

This was a pretty simple transition for me since I didn't have to change shoes like most people. I just made sure to put my race belt, which displayed my bib for the run, on first because you NEEDED it to finish. I popped a couple sport beans, fixed my hair, put on my Sparkly Soul headband, took a hit of Nuun Hydration water I had mixed, put on my running shades (thank goodness I made the last minute decision to bring them) and was off.

***

Run

I started my Garmin late because I had no idea when the run was actually supposed to start. Oops. Thankfully I asked someone once on the course what they had and realized I was about .1 mile off from everyone else. Okay doing that math would also help distract me during the run.

I had been looking forward to the run all day (did I seriously just write that? :P) and felt great to be on the pavement.

There were cones separating the runners and the bikers on the street. The cones seemed to leave a really narrow running area so I ended up passing people on the left and entering the bike area. Thankfully bikers were giving enough room for runners to do this successfully.

It was great having the run be and out and back set up because I was able to high five some friends on the course, while simultaneously cheering for friends doing the bike portion.

Win-win-win! :0)

My goal was to keep a sub 8:15/8:20 pace. I didn't know how the legs would feel for the 4.4-mile run and the weather was getting warmer and warmer so I wanted a realistic pace. (Also how is this my "realistic" pace? How times change!)

My shoes and socks felt damp still from my not-totally-dried feet so it felt a little heavy lifting the feet. Also the timer that goes around your ankle felt like a police ankle bracelet (not like I've ever worn one). I could feel it on my leg, but tried to zone it out.

There are no headphones on this course so I had been training without music for a couple weeks and it paid off. I was really able to zone out on the mileage and focus on taking the whole experience in.

SouthBoston is a beautiful part of the city and it was a perfect day. I had a great time cheering on other runners as we moved along.

There were two water stations on the course so I made sure to drink water at both AND take an additional cup to pour on my head.

At the turnaround point, I started getting sad - the race was going to be over in less than 2 miles. Wow! My firs triathlon would be in the books. I had no idea of my time, but I knew I was having a blast and didn't want it to end.

So I soaked in every step I took.

Around Mile 3, I thought I wasn't going to make it. I saw a lot of people walking and thought I could too. But my inner voice screamed HELL NO! I was not about to start walking.

I was going to give it everything I had on that course then I could walk. So I just kept trucking along. I smiled at other runners, I cheered for people struggling and I freakin' ran. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.

There it was - the Mile 4 marker. We had just .4 left.

It was time to give it all I had. I just willed my legs to keep moving forward and to NOT let anyone pass me. I was going to pick people off it I could, but I would hold strong.

Total Time: 36:16 Pace: 8:15 min/mile Overall Place: 255/630 Division: 15/52

***

I'M A TRIATHLETE!

As I approached the Finish Line, the announcer said "Dani Holmes-Kirk from Somerville, MA" and in my head I said "is officially a triathlete!" :)

I couldn't stop smiling.

I swam. I biked. I ran.

Final Stats

It was everything I could've imagined and more.

Could you tell I was a little excited?

I can't even put into words how excited I was crossing that line and picking up my Finisher's Pint Glass. Not a medal, but better than nothing!!

I immediately started thinking about how I would do things different the next time, but quickly banished those thoughts. It was time to relish in the now.

I owe a big thanks to my dad and wife for getting up at 5am and coming to watch me in person. Bigger thanks to my mom who stayed back home to make sure someone was with the pups.

I spotted my favorite sign from the course and the designer let me take a pic.

Please note I am smiling because I love the sign NOT because I did what is written on the sign. :P

I was able to get some water in my pint glass right after receiving it, but then bottled water was nowhere to be found. Are you serious? I grabbed a banana, but looked all around and no water anywhere. Planning FAIL!!

The post-race celebration was sponsored by Michelob Ultra (BOO!) so we decided to head home. I would recommend a local race go with a local brew (Harpoon, Sam Adams, etc) to celebrate rather than a blah beer like Michelob Ultra. I bought Slumbrew so I could have my own party at home. :)

I headed back into the transition area to clean up my stuff. I was really pleased with how I set up my transition area.

I wish I had been able to meet up with more people afterwards - thankfully I did see some ZOOM folks and Tedy's Team folks - but I forgot to take any group photos. Oops!

I really can't thank ZOOM Multisport enough for welcoming me into their group. I thank Robin, Hank, Tara, Darcie, Jackie, Cat, Greg, Lisa and so many others for letting me text or FB you with numerous questions/pictures/thoughts during training and race prep.

So the question remains: will I do this again?

HELL YEAH!!

I'm ready for the next adventure as I go from morbidly obese couch potato to Boston Marathon Finisher to Triathlete to ???

Dani Dishes 8-5-13

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I thank you all for your Triathlon support and share how I've switched up my tracking methods (still WW of course!)!! :) Product Of The Week: Yasso Greek Yogurt Pops

Dani Dishes 7-29-13

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I talk about planning and how important it is for my weight loss, weight maintenance and fitness journeys!! Product Of The Week: Alex and Ani Bracelets

An Interview With The Biggest Loser's Fa Cousins (Part 1)

"If I could just get on the Biggest Loser, my life would begin and I would finally lose the weight" - me on numerous occasions while watching The Biggest Loser and eating pizza/french fries. Please tell me I wasn't alone in this vision?

Well, there have now been 14 seasons of The Biggest Loser and hundreds of people who were lucky enough to make the show and have their lives filmed and changed forever.

Ever wonder what it was like to be ON the Biggest Loser Ranch?

Well, I was lucky enough to interview a pair of cousins who had that honor ... Sione and Filipe Fa.

Do you remember them? If you know anything about the Biggest Loser how could you not?

The Fa cousins joined the cast of Season 7 of the Biggest Loser not to "save their lives," but to inspire people - especially members of their Polynesian community. The duo combined to shed 281 pounds.

I wanted to break this interview into a couple parts and for me, the most important was: once the cameras stopped rolling (aka THE AFTER)!

For any of us that have embarked on a weight loss journey, we find that maintenance ends up being a whole beast of its own. After getting rid of the weight, we sometimes think it will be all rainbows and unicorns, but it isn't always that way.

And even past Biggest Loser contestants are susceptible to that.

Within eight months of the Season 7 finale, Sione had gained back 60 lbs and used it as a wake-up call.

"After the show, I think we were coming off that 6-8 hour workout day and trying to go back to normal life. You can't workout 6-8 hours and you can't work out that strict regiment. You have to work and get time with family. It's just not realistic," Sione said. "We were messed up in the head. I remember the first time we got a workout in after coming home it was 1.5 hour long and we felt like we were failures because we didn’t do the right amount."

So how did Sione take charge of his life and take the weight back off? By NOT stressing about being a certain number on the scale or a certain pant size. He took the focus off of a number and he dropped about 80% of the weight again. But this time he the weight loss was slow and steady.

"I'm just gonna take it each day at a time because I know what I need to do today. I reminded myself that I am working towards long-term goal," Sione remarked. "What can I do to get myself there? Stop stressing where I would be in a week or a month ... I can eat right today and get my workout in today ... and wherever I am going to be will be."

Besides inspiring thousands of people by sharing his story, Sione became a trainer at the Biggest Loser Resort in Utah. Instead of keeping the focus on the number of pounds a guest wants to lose, Sione helps them change the focus to the long-term health/fitness goals.

But, what happened to Filipe?

Filipe didn't have his wake-up call after a 60-pound weight gain. His came after he put back 119 of the 135 lbs he lost on the show.

Many wonder how could this happen?

"Maintenance was so difficult, especially maintaining the finale weight," Filipe revealed. "The biggest misconception after the Finale was I got here and now deserve to treat myself, but not just for a meal but for a full week. I think people can relate the thought of getting in a good workout meant that we deserve something good and delicious. That good is not often a healthy choice."

After starting to back out of Biggest Loser alumni events and Finales and hearing how worried his son was that he would die early, Filipe decided it was time to make a change.

And there was Sione and the Biggest Loser Resort waiting to lend him a helping hand. This time he would be on a Biggest Loser Ranch without the cameras and without the pressure to stay another week.

Longtime Biggest Loser sponsor Walgreens heard of the Fa cousins planned and offered yet another avenue of help.

Walgreen’s dedication to helping people “get, stay, and live well” through their Way to Well Commitment program inspired an eight episode web series on NBC.com centered on you guessed it - the Fa cousins.

During the 3.5 months the series covered (which aired in early 2013), Filipe lost 49 lbs and said goodbye to the 300's - which was his goal for the series. From recent pictures it looks as if he is continuing on a path of healthy eating and exercise, while I do not know his exact weight at this moment. But as Sione says, this journey is about more than a number on the scale.

“The biggest difference in Filipe is that he’s got his confidence back,” Sione said. “It’s OK to mess up and admit you’ve fallen off. You don’t have to hide.”

It just goes to show that we can all stumble, we can all fall, we can all gain some of the weight back, but it's what you do when you pick yourself back up that truly defines us.

You can find Filipe and Sione on Twitter constantly motivating the community at large!!

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Stay tuned for Part 2 where Filipe and Sione share more about life on the Biggest Loser Ranch.