Kristin Steede Blog

So I am currently on day 6 of my 7 day detox and I feel amazing!  I needed to do something to jump start my “Baby Weight” weight loss journey and my friend Jason, who owns Real Wellness Fox Valley, suggested that I do their purification program.  It focuses a lot on getting rid of the toxins in your system and until now I never realized how toxic I was.

I have always classified myself as a food addict.  I would get a craving, usually for something sweet, and that craving would be so strong that I could not resist the temptation.  I would overindulge on sweets and eventually ended up packing on extra pounds.  Now what if this so called “addiction” that I have was actually caused by the chemicals I was putting into my body from consuming processed foods?  Hmmm….I never looked at it that way!

The purification program that I am following right now has me eating all fruits and veggies (preferably organic if possible) along with 2-3 SP Complete shakes a day.  You can eat as much as you want but should eat twice as many veggies as fruit.  On day 8 you start adding in fish and lean meats like chicken and turkey.  I think the actual SP complete program has you adding the meat day 11 but Jason has made some slight changes.  It is my understanding that you can only get the SP Complete products through a health care provider.  If you are not in my area and are interested in this I would recommend checking out the Standard Process (SP) website www.standardprocess.com.

To be honest when I started out I did not know if I would actually make it 7 days with no meat, bread, dairy or caffeine but with a lot of creativity in the kitchen I made it through.  Whats better than the pounds that I am dropping is the fact that I do not have those strong cravings.  I feel like I have control.  I do not remember the last time I cracked open a soda and even with a newborn baby at home I have not touched the coffee pot!  Now that I feel my derailed diet is back on track its time to focus on the exercise.  After months of bed rest and having a child 4 weeks ago…this should be interesting!

I am bursting with excitement.  I am a few short weeks away from my delivery date and life as I know it is about to change forever.  I almost feel like I have been on pause for the last 8 months just waiting for the big day.

After dissecting my Biggest Loser experience there were so many things that I learned about myself through self evaluation.  I learned about my controlling tendencies and how when they start creeping back in my priorities get all mixed up.  I discovered some of my triggers and why I obsessively search the cupboards for food to eat.  I tapped into my eating patterns and realized how important it is for me to have a healthy snack or protein bar on hand at all times so that when my 3 O’clock hunger hits I have no reason to hit the vending machine and make a poor choice.  Self evaluation is a very powerful tool and once you learn to use it to your advantage you would be amazed at how it can help you overcome some obstacles in your life.  This is why I would love to hear from the moms of the world!  You most likely have some of the answers I am looking for and you many not even realize it.

Losing weight and living an active lifestyle is hard without kids…I can’t imagine what it is like with them!  Was losing the baby weight a breeze for you or is your child 5 years old and your still trying to drop the weight?  If you lost the weight without problem…WHY?  What was your secret?  If you are still trying to lose it…WHY?  Why do you feel you have had such a difficult time and what would you have done differently?  EVALUATE YOURSELF!

I have heard it all.  I know how tired I am going to be and how sore I am going to be once this baby arrives but right now my mind is in planning mode.  I am so excited to start this new life, the life I have always dreamed of, and I am excited to take on the challenge of losing this weight again.  I am working on my “plan”  and on my “vision” and your input will not only help me but it may help you as well!

I love The Biggest Loser.  I love how the show inspires and motivates people to change.  For me personally, The Biggest Loser showed me that I had what it took inside myself to change my life but I must say…coming home and actually doing it was not as easy as I thought it would be.  People have said to me time and time again “If I had Jillian or if I had Bob I could (fill in the blank)”  What people do not realize is that we all have Bob’s and Jillian’s in our own home towns!  The fitness and nutrition professionals in your own back yard could potentially be the most untapped resource in your community.  What do you think Bob and Jillian did before securing their spots on the Biggest Loser?  They worked somewhere!

I am very passionate about this topic because I was fortunate enough to find my own “Jillian” a few short miles from where I live.  Only her name wasn’t  Jillian…it was Shana Conradt!  I started working with Shana as soon as I was eliminated from the show.  What some people might not know is when you are eliminated from the show, you barley have enough time to put your weigh in flip flops back on and next thing you know you are sitting on an airplane, scratching your head thinking…now what.  You know you can workout, you know you can eat right but can you put this all together at home.  For me this is where Shana came into play.  She started teaching me how to live this newly discovered lifestyle in a real life environment.  She took me to the grocery store and showed me the difference in my food options and explained why one option was better than the other.  She not only trained me physically but she trained me mentally too.  With her I learned that if I really wanted to help myself I needed to be honest not only with her but with myself too.  When I stepped on the scale and did not see the results we needed, wanted or expected I could not BS my way out of it.  She would also give me priceless catch phrases or mantras to use that would help me get though my day.   One of my personal favorite “Shana mantras” was “A plateau is a frame of mind”.  HOW TRUE IS THAT!  When you are having a rough patch try repeating that to yourself over and over again…it can be pretty powerful.

I did learn a lot while on the show but I feel like I started learning so much more about fitness and nutrition after coming home and working with professionals in my own home town.  I have been very open and honest about my food addiction and in my opinion, finding a variety of good tasting and healthy foods to eat when trying to lose or maintain your weight can be more difficult than the exercise!  That being said, I am so excited that Shana is helping others by sharing her wisdom in a cookbook that will be coming out on August 1st!  The book is called Getting Fit with Food and you can order a copy at www.getfitwithfood.com.  You can also connect with Shana on Facebook by clicking here.

The point of this blog, besides encouraging you to order Shanas book : ), is that if you have been struggling to live a healthier lifestyle please check out all of the resources in your own home town.  You would be surprised who or what you might find once you get aggressive and start looking for it!

Do you ever have a moment when you eat a particular kind of food and it brings back a memory? It happens to me all the time! The other night my husband and I were eating corn on the cob and I said to him “Does this remind you of summer time when you were a kid?” He thought it was strange how I have these food memories all the time. The other day it was warm and sunny outside and it brought me back to a man made swimming hole my sisters and I use to go to during the summers and of course I thought of the lunches my grandma use to prepare for us, cutting our sandwiches in half and buying bomb pops from the concession stand.

His statement really got me thinking. Do all people have food memories or just people who struggle with their weight?  Or perhaps…its just me!    If you have food memories please share them here!

One good day for me feels like an eternity.  One saying that I repeat over and over again in my presentations is that I do not have good days and bad days.  I have good hours and bad hours.  I could wake up in the morning, have a healthy breakfast and a great workout but will I make the same healthy choices at lunch.  I will never understand why living a healthy lifestyle is such a battle for me.  One day I will count out every single cracker and the next day it seems I could care less of how many I am eating.

I guess the point of this is that some days I win some and some days I lose some but regardless of the outcome I never stop fighting.  The only difference between my life before the Biggest Loser and now is the amount of time I allow to pass between fighting to be healthy.  Before the show I would allow bad behaviors and poor habits to go on for days, weeks or months.  Now I may make a bad choice at a meal or have a bad day but I very quickly rally the troops and keep fighting.  Celebrate the small victories, they all add up over time!

I love  speaking at events.  Each presentation is uniquly different because of the people that attend.  I usually get asked a question that makes me either remember something that I may have forgotten or realize something I never thought of.

I was speaking at an event the other weekend and there was a lot of talking about visions.  This week marks the one year anniversary of our Biggest Loser season finale and I have come to the realization that I have neglected my vision.

One day while on the ranch I was having a very hard time and Jillian Michael’s pulled me aside to talk to me.  This was one of the most powerful conversations I would have with another person.  She had asked me what I seen when I closed my eyes and imagined my future.  I could not answer her.  I seen nothing.  She on the other hand could ramble off all of the things she desired.  She had her vision for her future and was working towards making it all come true.  From that moment I began working on my vision.  When it was 10 o’clock at night and I was in the Biggest Loser gym, missing home, I would close my eyes (on the elliptical never on the treadmill) and imagine what my future looked like.  I remember the image clear as day.  It was a beautiful warm sunny day outside.  The sky was as blue as a sapphire and there was not a single cloud in the sky.  There was a blanket laid out on a hilly patch of grass and I was there with my husband and a small child.  It was a powerful vision and it helped me get though some tough times.

I have come to realize that this vision was so powerful that it actually came true.  I wanted to change my life so that I could start a family with my husband and I am overjoyed that we will be having our first child, a son, in less than 12 weeks.  I have also come to realize that I stopped working on my vision.  I had worked and worked and worked to try to make this dream come true that I never seen past it.  Once I had become pregnant my vision went away.  I have discovered that visions, much like attempting to live a healthy lifestyle, require your constant attention.  For months I have felt like I have been struggeling and now I know why…I have lost my vision.  Today I am going to start working on paining the mental picture of my future.

While on the Biggest Loser I had the opportunity to talk to other contestants about their different religious beliefs and I have found myself in religious turmoil.  Being pregnant has even exaggerated the issue.

I was baptised and confirmed Catholic.  As a child I attend church because I “had” to.  As a young adult I was a CEO Catholic (Christmas & Easter Only) and now I barley do that.  I do not feel connected to my religion.  I hear stories of people who enjoy their church.  Going to church fulfills them and completes them.  Should I feel that too?  Is it my fault or is it the wrong religion for me?  I keep hearing the commercials for “Catholics Come Home”  and I swear they are talking to me but there is a big part of me that wants to explore other options.  There is also a part of me that is scared.  I feel that once I commit myself I need to really commit to it.  Someone once told me I needed to pray and I would know but I have even been afraid to do that.

Since coming home from the Biggest Loser I have really struggled with old habits.  There is a part of me that feels I struggle because I do not have god in my life.  There is another part of me who feels that I do not need to go to a church to have god in my life. Then the last part of me, the skeptic in me, feels I do not need religion in my life at all.  To be honest, I feel in my heart that the last part of me does not exist…why would I be writing this if I felt that way?  Why would I be in turmoil if I really felt that way.

Do I baptise my child into a religion I do not feel connected to?  Will finding god help me fill an emptiness inside so I will stop trying to fill that emptiness with food?

I would love to hear your comments on both sides of the issue.  Please no personal attacks on anyone else.  I want to hear from you.  I want to hear what you think.  I want to know why god is important in your life or I want to hear why he is not.

Judi Hodgen-Benson had posted her Biggest Loser Audition video on my Facebook fan page.  I figured the best thing I could do is watch it and give my honest opinion.  I am posting my feedback here hoping it may help others looking to make an audition video.

I have no expert experience in audition videos but after going through the process for season 5, 6 & 7 I can give you my opinions on what I think they are looking for.

I personally thought your video was terrible.  Don’t get me wrong, the stories are very sad and I really do feel sorry for the loss your family has experienced.  I felt like your video was terrible because it was way over edited.  When you are making an audition video you do not want to put any music to it.  Keep in mind, you are auditioning for a TV show.  They want to hear you.  They want to get an idea of who you are and how you come across on camera.  They do not want to listen to songs.  There are actually times in your video when your music cuts over the words in your video.  When contestants are selected for the show they actually use some of your audition footage in the actual show and therefore your music could ruin a great clip.

The casting directors for the show are watching literally thousands of videos and I would think that you have just a few seconds to make a great first impression.  I would have to assume that they are not sitting and watching all 10 minutes of your video.  I would not open your video with any pictures or still shots.  Eliminate the music.  Have someone film for you.  If you are auditioning for a couples edition they are going to want to see how the two of you interact with each other.  In your video I very seldom see you and your mom together.

The story your mother tells about being an emotional eater due to the loss of her daughter (and other family members) is heart wrenching.  She needs to go into more details.  She needs to really tell us her story.  What is being an emotion eater like for her.  If you think about it, you are trying to give viewers at home an idea of what it is like.  Some viewers may not have any idea what “emotional eating” is or what it even means.

To me it seemed like Grandma is reading off of a script.  The Biggest Loser is a reality show.  Grandma is a great addition but have her speak from the heart.  Have Grandma tell it like it really is.  It will have a greater impact.

Judi when you are talking you talk a lot about other people we want to hear more about you.  (Similar to what I say about your mothers story)  I want you to make me feel what it is like living in your life.  You mention the great connections you have made.  I want to hear how your weight has effected those connections.  I want to hear exactly WHAT your weight is holding you back from.  DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS.  I want you to dig deeper than you ever have before.

The friends in your pants is great!   I loved the visual.  Again…I want more details from your friends.  We know they want you on the Biggest Loser.  I would like to hear what they really think about how your weight has effected you (from their perspective).

The day at the lake is pretty much pointless.  I think that perhaps you are trying to show a fun side of your personality but I think the music ruins it.  I would like to hear what is going on.  What type of interaction is taking place between you, your friend and your mother.  When your mother fell I would have loved to hear you laughing hysterically at her (if that is what happened).

Food shots are always great on the Biggest Loser but I think it would help to go into detail about your eating habits.  Explain that it would not be uncommon to come here and eat 4 hot dogs (or what ever you usually eat).

To pretty much sum it up, take out the music.  Do not open with still shots.  Show you and your mother together more often.  Go into greater detail about everything.  Really show and tell us what your life is like.  Go into your feelings.  Your thoughts.  Your frustrations.  What ever it is you may be feeling.  I think it might be helpful to have a good friend come up with a list of tough questions they ask you in an interview style format.  You should not see the questions in advance to eliminate prepared answers.  The friend should not be seen on camera asking them but sitting behind or on the side of the camera.  Repeat the question in your answer and answer from your own perspective.  Example:  “What is it like when you get into your Jeep to drive”  Your response “When I get into my Jeep to drive I ignore the fact that the steering wheel is rubbing against my stomach.”

Most importantly I will NEVER understand why and how I auditioned for season 5 & 6 and still never changed.  I looking into a camera and poured my heart out.  I told them why I needed it.  I told them why I would be good at it.  I told them that I was ready to change and yet when they called me back months later I was still the same person I was when I made the videos.  I will always encourage people to try out for the show but please keep in mind that you are not really looking to be on the Biggest Loser.  You are looking to live a healthier more active life.  You are viewing the Biggest Loser the way to get you there but remember it is not the only way.  There are many roads that can take you there if you want it bad enough!  GOOD LUCK and I hope this has helped!

One of the top questions I receive when speaking at events is “How did you get on the show?”  My answer to that is “I attending an open casting call in Milwaukee, WI for Season 5 of the Biggest Loser!”

If you have dreamed of being on the Biggest Loser I would encourage you to attend a Casting Call if you can make it.

When I was going through the casting process I wanted to know anything and everything about the process.  Thank you to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter you can connect directly with some of the Biggest Loser casting team.  On Twitter I would reccomened following:

@jodicasting, @hollandstriplin, @bnickcasting, @barbinla & @BLcastingteam

The BL Casting Team tweeted this evening “If ur new 2 our tweets B sure 2 ck out casting tips @ youtube.com/blcastingteam, youtube.com/hollywoodlandcasting & youtube.com/bucknroses”

You can also find the BL Casting Team on Facebook under the following names:

Holland Striplin, Barbara Wulff Casting, Brandon Nickens and DJ Feldman

The casing team will be tweeting and updating their Facebook pages while on the road conducting the casting calls.

For information on times and locations of upcoming Biggest Loser casting calls please visit http://www.thebiggestlosercasting.com/

Remember to be yourself.  They have to pick someone for the show….why not you!

I am happy to report that I am definitely adjusting to pregnant life. I am currently in my 17th week of pregnancy…almost to the half way point! The first trimester was a little rough. I was very tired and dealt with a lot of nausea. My second trimester kicked off with a nasty cold. I am so thankful that the cold is gone and my energy level has picked up.
Workouts while pregnant seem different. I think it is more mental than anything.  Every time I go into a jumping jack I think “oh little baby am I hurting you!”.  I know I am not but I cannot help but think it.  I am really focusing on staying active and eating right.  My sister is pregnant and she is dealing with gestational diabetes and I really do not want to get to that point.  I feel so sorry that she is dealing with it.

I have a doctors appointment next week and my ultrasound is two weeks after that.  We are so excited to find out the sex of the baby. I will be counting the days until then!