DietTribe Season 2- episode 3- "The Cold Hard Truth"

After last episode's disappointing weight loss, I was wondering how the ladies of DietTribe were going to recover. Sometimes it is really tough to get back on the bandwagon after you've fallen off the turnip truck.

Tiffany, Stephanie, Rita, and Laneesa met at Mary's house to have a sit down and figure out why they were failing. Rita admitted she thought she WAS making healthy snacking choices, when in reality, she was still overindulging. Tiffany thought that the whole process was just going to be EASIER, and when it wasn't, she felt less eager to make a lifestyle change.

The women all agreed they were trying too hard to do this on their own, instead of working as a team. I know that I feel like I can accomplish so much more when I have the accountability and support of a team (like my 30 Day Shred Challenge group! We meet online and on Twitter!). The ladies pledge to one another that they will take this more seriously and they will do it together, as a team.

It is Day 30 of the 120 day regimen, and Jessie meets the ladies in the park for a workout and to give them a new diet plan. The original plan consisted of 1,500 calories per day, and the new plan drops the ladies down an extra 300 calories to 1,200 calories a day. They will also be eating every 2 to 3 hours to kick start their metabolism. I saw the panic in their eyes as they thought about where they were going to get rid of another 300 calories. Jessie explains the need for the calorie drop: because they are having a challenging time sticking to their meal plan, the women are now behind on their weight loss goals. Jessie states they will be on this reduced plan for only two weeks, until they get back on track.

Jessie also gives the women one of the most amazing tools that can help in weight loss and weight control: The CalorieKing Calorie, Fat, and Carbohydrate Counter. This pocket sized book lists the calories in almost anything you can imagine. It also has a huge section of restaurant selections. I own and use this book daily- I find it an invaluable tool for weight loss success and recommend it just for the eye opening- let's just say I might never eat at PF Chang's again.

Day 31: the ladies and Jessie go to the Tri-Zone, a store that specializes in all things triathlon. They get geared up with swim suits, water bottles, bicycles, and helmets to prepare them for their big day. Getting their new gear gets the ladies excited to compete- it is becoming a reality!

They then meet Kelly Clancy, owner and operator of TriDivas, a company that helps train women to compete in triathlons. Kelly has competed in over 100 triathlons. Holy Jeeze. I learned that there are many types of triathlons (did you know that?) and our competitors were going to be in a sprint type triathlon, which is swimming for 0.5 miles, biking for 12.5 miles, and running for 3 miles, which will take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The ladies will begin to train with Kelly and the TriDivas to prepare for their race.

Day 33: the women and Jessie meet the TriDivas for a "brick" workout: biking and running. The ladies will ride 2 laps on their bikes around the park and then run for 10 minutes.

The TriDivas start first, and the the DietTribers take off. They seem to do well on the first cycling lap, and then Laneesa begins to complain. Of course, it would have to be Laneesa. Apparently, she had surgery on her hip when she was younger (she's only 27) and it is giving her problems as she pedals.

Then the ladies hop off their bikes and have to run. This proves to be challenging as their legs feel like jelly. But the TriDivas step in and ENCOURAGE the women TOGETHER, proving that you can do anything when you are part of a group. Laneesa trails at the end, but Jessie steps in and runs with her to help her finish. In a touching moment, Tiffany begins to cry when she completes the race. She realizes that she may be able to do this after all.

Then it is time for the ladies to meet with therapist Stacy Kaiser. Today she has all the ladies put on white paper suits, and then she asks them all who reached their goal in the weigh in. Nobody raises their hands. She then asks the ladies to say the excuses they used to prevent their weight loss, and then write the excuses on the suits so they could see their poor choices. They say things like they don't care, it won't affect them, they are stressed, they are lonely, they need comfort, they didn't know popcorn was fattening (Oh, Rita.).

Laneesa's excuses (doing it on purpose, eating my emotions) were most disturbing to Stacy. We already know that Laneesa hasn't been giving her all, and not just because her hip is bothering her.

The ladies take their excuse suits off and Stacy makes them look at what their excuses have done to their bodies. She makes them look at themselves in the mirror, and recommit to own themselves and the choices that they have made to succeed.

Jessie comes in and takes the ladies to start their pool training, but Laneesa stays behind to have a little one on one time with Stacy. Laneesa has missed a lot of workouts, and when she does come she is often late. She is unhappy with herself, and says she wanted to be fat as a protective shield. Others don't expect as much from you when you are overweight. Laneesa wants to be present, however, and vows to Stacy that she will give 100% from now on.

Day 35: Jessie takes the ladies to the LA Expo for swim training, meeting Diana Nyad, a world record holder for swimming from the Bahamas to Florida. She is here to teach the ladies proper swim technique for their triathlon. And she manages to do something we thought would never happen: she gets Jessie to take off his shirt. You been holding out on us, Jessie!

Day 36: We follow the ladies at home on their new 1,200 calorie diet. Rita shares her knowledge with her kids. Tiffany and Stephanie cook at home together, learning the joy of simplicity. Mary weighs her food and celebrates running 5 minutes continuously on the treadmill. We see all the ladies feeling healthy and bright and being a positive support structure for each other.

Day 38: Stephanie meets one on one with Stacy for some much needed therapy. We have learned in previous episodes that Stephanie had recently gotten a divorce, and now we find out the reason why: her husband cheated on her. Her entire life has been derailed as a result, and she is struggling to find her identity. It is hard to watch her open up to Stacy about her feelings of hurt. She is so used to being "the happy one", and telling everyone that she is okay, that she has pushed her feelings down and tried to ignore them. Those feelings have manifested as Stephanie's weight gain.

Stacy assures her that taking care of herself is not being selfish-taking care of yourself so that you can in turn take care of others is selfless. She asks Stephanie to only speak the truth from now on. She doesn't just have to be "fine".

Day 39: The ladies go to a mixer at a boutique hotel, and Tiffany makes some uncomfortable match making gestures for Stephanie, trying to hook her up with some available bachelors. Although Stephanie is feeling more confident in her own skin, you can tell that she wants her persistent sis to stop being so persistent! Laneesa sends a text message saying that she can't join the ladies for the night out, seeming upset.

Tiffany goes to see her the next day, and Laneesa reveals that she and her boyfriend have broken up. That explains a lot. Laneesa has decided to draw comfort from her friends and family instead of food as she has done in the past. She is ready to sweat it out in the gym!

Day 41: The ladies video journals reveal that they are feeling stronger, healthier, and finally happier. Stephanie reveals that she feels like change is happening for the first time in a long time, and she is ready for it.

Day 42: It is time for the third weigh in. None of the ladies have missed a single workout, they are sticking to the diet plan, and they are feeling super confident.

The team goal for this weigh in is 30 pounds. Will they be able to reach this goal?

Rita steps up first. She started at 177 pounds, and loses 5 pounds, exceeding her goal. Stephanie loses 6 pounds- meeting her goal. Tiffany loses 5 pounds, and is disappointed because she thought she would lose more. But she has the backing of her team. Mary loses 7 pounds, and Laneesa, who only lost 1 pound last weigh in, loses an impressive 13 pounds!

The ladies have lost 36 pounds as a team, and win their weigh in reward- diamond and sapphire pendants. The 5 diamonds on the pendent represent the 5 ladies and the goals they are to reach together as a team.

Jessie sets their team weight loss goal for next weigh in at 30 pounds. With their renewed confidence in themselves, I think there is no way they won't reach all their goals from now on.