Calling all weight loss bloggers!!!  When I started this blog a couple of years ago I came across the Biggest Loser Blog Edition (BLBE), a weight loss competition among weight loss bloggers themed around the popular NBC show, the Biggest Loser.

Sadly, I didn’t make it through the full 16 weigh ins.  I did however meet (virtually) a lot of great people, several had already lost significant amounts of weight, while others were still looking to get started.  Several of the links I had to their blogs are dead, the sites are gone, the bloggers off the grid.

I know AngieAllTheWay (as far as I know, the creator of the BLBE) is still going strong since her blog shows that she recently had a child and is thinking of starting back on Weight Watchers with their new ProPoint system.  But what about Just Jen, HotchPotchery, or A Cake for a Wife?

I don’t remember if I met Ronie through BLBE or not, but she is still blogging away at Ronie’s Weigh – and even has a popular vlog.  It appears that she has also started a weight loss blogging community at Blog to Lose – with over 4000 members currently – WOW!

Recently @GymMama has been encouraging me in my running efforts on twitter – I’m not sure if she has a weight loss effort underway or not, but she does blog about life.

According to the last post on BLBE (May 14, 2009):

This was a long challenge and it was very hard to keep up with, so if and when there is another one, it won’t be until after a much needed break

This is the part where I usually boo and hiss, but I understand how difficult it can be to keep ‘real life’ going and blog – so adding a weight loss blogging competition to the mix must have been difficult.  If BLBE never rises again, I’m still grateful to Angie for hosting it and all the people I met along the way that encouraged me as I got started on this crazy IQA ride!

If you are a weight loss blogger and happened by – even if you have never been a part of the BLBE – I would love to hear from you!  Leave me a comment or send me an email!

Finisher?

I ran the 12Ks of Christmas race yesterday and when I crossed the finish line I was given the 12Ks of Christmas ™ FINISHER 2010 badge.  Right there on the badge it reads: Finisher.  I’m not sure how I feel about that.

Its difficult to explain the mix of emotions that are swimming around my head right now.  When they handed it to me it was accompanied by a candy cane and to be honest, I thought the badge was just a second piece of candy.  When the little girl handed it to me, I only took it to be polite; I almost didn’t.

The last thing I wanted after running 7 and a half miles was a piece of candy to carry.  Actually, it wasn’t until several minutes later that I looked down and saw what she had given me.  Finisher?  The thought never occurred to me that I wouldn’t finish the race.

Despite the name of my blog, quitting isn’t something I consider to be part of my character.  I named the blog “I Quit… Again!” but the idea in my head was more of “I failed… Again!”.  The difference is subtle, but its there.  I’ve thought of weight lose failure like you might think about pole vaulter trying to vault 22 feet high with a 16 ft pole.  She will fail in the attempt, but only because she never had a real shot to begin with.  Recent introspective thoughts have me rethinking that one.

When I opened my eyes this morning, the first thing I saw was this badge – and that word – FINISHER.  It doesn’t read WINNER… just FINISHER.  Am I a finisher?  Or a Quitter? Or a Failure? Or a Success Story unfolding?  Is this the first finish of many finishes?

I was watching this week’s Biggest Loser; the one where the last four contestants run the Biggest Loser Marathon.  These guys and girls were ~100lbs heavier just a few months before the episode was filmed, and now they are running 26.2 miles!  I’ve been asked by friends on Facebook, how did I get started running and what did I do to get in good enough shape to run races.  The best answer I could give came from Biggest Loser contestant, Frado this week when he said, “get up, take a step, then walk, then jog, then run a mile – you can do this”.

FINISHER.  I think I like that.  I am a FINISHER.  What about your journey?  What are you doing to lose weight? Are you going to finish what you started?  Are you a FINISHER?

You may have noticed that I’m taking more time to blog over the last few weeks.  Looking over my blog posts over the last two years has been very insightful but one of the things I noticed was that I only blog when I’m doing well.  There are long pauses between posts during times when I was gaining weight or just not focusing on weight loss.

During some of those dark times, I was greatful for other weight loss bloggers out there who kept posting even while I was silent.  One of the blogs I enjoyed two years ago was Roni’s Weigh.  The thing I enjoy most about her site today is that she has kept blogging even after having lost her weight.  In fact, the tag line on her site includes The “After” story continues. . . I love that!

In her latest vlog post, she answers a few questions from her readers:

• Binge Eating Help/Solution
• Lowering the Grocery Bill
• Feeding the Bottomless Pit
• Changing the shape of your legs by running?
• Holiday Eating Advice

I enjoyed her willingness to be completely open with her journey and taking time to help people that are still on a journey.  This one caught my attention because I started running over a month ago and I have noticed a change in the shape of my legs since – but in Roni’s answer to that question, she shares that she “still” has cottage cheese legs.

I think having more blogs and vlogs like Roni’s are one of the best parts of the web!  I doubt she will ever see this post, but if you do Roni – Thanks for putting yourself out there for the benefit of the rest of us (and if you don’t mind sharing – what software are you using to record, edit, and post your videos???)