WooHoo

Congrats to everyone who lost weight and is feeling ready for the holidays.  Thanks Stephanie, you've motivated us to keep going in 2015.

Molly

Thanks Stephanie!!!!!!!!

Lots of work running the Blog - But it made the challenge fun!!! Thanks to everyone for creating a great environment to encourage and share! I'm a little embarassed that I ended up on the top step of the podium. But I'm not embarassed that I lost!!! I went to the gym last night - logged my food - made the 64 oz of water go down - and am committed to keeping the ground gained and not sliding back for the holidays!!!!

These are the Wranglers I wore in 1980 when I proposed to Tammy.

F. Jeff

Final Results!!!

First off, I just want to say congratulations to everyone that participated in this challenge!  What an amazing group of competitors, the final results literally came down to inches!
14 people sent their final totals and out of those 14 we lost 186.2 pounds and 342.9 inches!  We literally lost a person!!!

And here is what you've all been waiting for:

 Thanks everyone!  Congratulations!

baby steps =)

My favorite actor is Bill Murray, and one of my favorite movies is What About Bob? So when I'm making progress by baby steps- it's an additional win hahah. I'm not at my smallest this week, two weeks back I weighed two pounds less, but that's the way a girl's body works. dang cycles. anyway, almost 5 pounds lost and kept off! and some substantial inches for me! I love the feeling of getting a lil bit healthier and more ready for our cruise in a month and 3 days!

I've loved discovering strength training and HIIT, and getting back to playing soccer- who knew that so many ladies in my ward here would be up for going to a pick up game and we are all thinking about joining up to a league!

Sign me up for the next war! ;)

I am pretty excited about my success! I lost eight pounds and a lot of inches.  I have never tracked inches before but I am glad Stephanie had us do it.  Some weeks I didn't lose on the scale but every week I went down in inches so that kept me motivated. I did pretty good with the exercise portion of the challenge, but I need to work more on the eating.  Particularly the snacking! The late afternoon hits, I am starving, and eat convenient junk. The challenge really shed some light on some of my less than healthy habits and some new ways to deal with them.

I am ready to step it up in 2015!  In the meantime I plan to continue tracking my food and exercising at least 5 days a week (if I write it down I am more likely to do it).  Thanks Stephanie! And happy holidays to everyone!

Before and During Photos

Every four weeks of this challenge I took a picture wearing the same outfit, it was really motivating to see progress each month through the photos.  I'm not going to call these my before and afters because I'm feeling so motivated right now to keep this momentum up and lose another 30...so I'll call this my before and during photos.

Week 1

Week 12

Week 1  

Week 12

That's a lot of inches and 2 pants sizes down...and they ain't never coming back!  Yahoo!!!

Thanks for being such great motivators to me the past 3 months!  At this point I'm planning on starting round 2 around January 12th...I will send out more info. to anyone that is interested after the holiday break.  Recruit a few family members or friends in the meanwhile and we'll be ready to go!

Congrats to everyone on healthier habits!!!

Summing things up!

My goals for this competition that I put in my first post were:

1. Lose 8-10 pounds Accomplished!

2. Visit podiatrist and make a plan to heal my foot. Accomplished!

3. Make sure to include strength training into my workouts 2-3x a week Accomplished! (for the most part)

Thanks to everyone for an awesome challenge, especially Stephanie! Have a wonderful holiday and stay Healthy! 

Here’s an after picture taken with two of my four kids when we went to see “The Nutcracker”

Kudos!

Wow, twelve weeks flew by for me and by the end most of the point requirements were second nature! I'm excited to see how it all turns out on Monday.  Congratulations to everyone for achievements big and small. And THANK-YOU to our fearless leader, Stephanie!!

Well done

Good job to everyone. Good luck to all doing the challenge next time. Happy holidays...now let's all go enjoy a Dr. Pepper!

Three More Days!

Honestly, December has been hard. I sleep enough, exercise enough, drink enough water... It's the sugar that kills me. I'm glad I took a before picture (but it's not modest enough to share,) because I definitely can see some difference. Otherwise I wouldn't believe it. I still have 7 more pounds to get to my goal weight, and I would love to go another round in the beginning of the year! I can also think of a few people who would want to join, if it really does happen. Thanks for the motivation everyone!

Wednesday?

So, just to get an idea of where I was I decided to do a mid-week weigh in on Wednesday. I was SUPER pleased and surprised with what the scale said! I just hope I can keep it there through the end of the week!

I hope everyone is enjoying the 'last week' excitement of a challenge! I've participated in more than my fair share of weight loss competitions and it's always an exciting and somewhat stressful week!

Like a lot of you, I'm also planning to participate in the challenge after the New Year. (God Bless You Stephanie!) I've already begun thinking about my goals for over the break (WHEN WILL WE START THE NEXT ONE??) and the next challenge.

I've decided whatever my ending weight is - I want to be within 2 pounds of that number the beginning of the next challenge. Hopefully the SAME!

I've also committed to weighing myself every few days in order to keep myself in check. (One year I didn't weigh myself for well over a month - until the END of the Holiday Season - and discovered I'd gained 8 pounds. I'm STILL trying to get those 8 pounds off!

I'm going to stay focused on fruits and vegies over the break. I'm also going to SOAK up having my husband around because beginning mid-January he will be leaving for 6 weeks to work out of town. I'm going to focus our family and couple activities on staying active and healthy!!

Good luck for the rest of the week! I'm excited to see our results!!

Skinny Jeans or Spanx??????

I found a pair of white cotton 1978 Wranglers in the closet - they were great in college and I have kept them hoping some day to be thin enough to fit back in them -- Well.... I tried them on the other day and after a little struggle I actually got them to zip up!! They kinda freaked out my wife and daughter-in-law?? I don't how you ladies do it because if you can get into it you will wear it for the evening - I did not last 4 minutes! (sorry - no photo) So now I'm really confused as to what to ask Santa for? To celebrate the challenge I was going to ask Santa for a pair of skinny jeans - but after the college pant episode I don't think it would be appropriate. I'm now thinking about asking for a pair of Spanx for men???? Thanks to everyone for your support and making the challenge fun!!!! Yes Jenni F. is related to a pretty serious family of whack-a-doodles!!! F. Jeff

Cindy's Progress Report

My goals for this challenge were:

1. Lose 20 pounds. --Well, I didn't lose 20 and I'm thinking now that was slightly unrealistic. But I did lose about 14 (and counting) and I'm very happy with that.
2. Eat healthier. --I have definitely improved there. We tried eating low-carb dinners these last 3 months and I think it really helped. More veggies, less rice, pasta, and potatoes. I still love my sweets and learning to enjoy in moderation will be a lifelong struggle for me, I think.
3. Get back into running. --Didn't really do this one. I did do a 5k on the treadmill at the gym once but it was torture and I didn't enjoy it one bit. I am getting back into swimming and I think I'm enjoying that a lot more.
4. Fit into non-maternity clothes. --Yes! I definitely did this one. I have a variety of clothes that fit now and I'm not wearing a single maternity item any more.

Overall I'm happy with the progress I've made during this challenge. I'm far from reaching my long-term goals and I have a lot more work to do, but it feels good to make progress! Thank you Stephanie for all the work you put into organizing and moderating this challenge!! I know it's not easy and takes a lot of your time. I'm sure we all appreciate it. Sign me up for the next one!

Here are a couple before/after shots.

I didn't really take any official "before" shots at the beginning of the challenge so this is the best I could find. 

Current--taken an hour ago!

Please ignore the toothpaste spots on the mirror... :)

Thanks for all the group support everyone! I love reading everyone's posts. Your struggles and successes help me stick with it!

Karen's "End of Story"

I knew it would be a challenge to stay with the program since we would be gone for 3 weeks in the middle.  But I figured any pound lost was a good thing to lose, so I joined anyway.  I came back from our trip weighing exactly what I did when we left, which I was happy about.  We were on buses, planes, and a ship for many hours, which eliminated any regular exercise.  But we did lots of stair climbing, walking on uneven roads, and getting luggage around.  We were warned not to eat anything fresh or unpeeled while in Egypt and Jordan.  So the control I had for food was to not eat too much at the two meals provided, which, unfortunately, consisted of a lot of carbohydrates.  I thought eggs would be a good choice, but found the eggs were quite nasty (don't know what those chickens were fed, but it wasn't Purina!)  Our third meal was snacks brought with us to eat as we traveled, so I ate a lot of 100 calorie packets of nuts and a plethora of KIND bars.  Happily, I did not go up a pant size, still wearing the 14's.  A small success I can cheer about!

Who would have guessed that a jury duty assignment the week after we got home would turn into a five day marathon.  On jury selection day, I reported to the courthouse at 8 am and we sat until 8:30 that night.  My luck seated me in the jury box for the next 5 days.  I was too brain dead to do anything more than walk 2 blocks for lunch and to and from my parking space.  Ugly!  So I finish the challenge still in my size 14 pants, down a total of 7 pounds, very grateful for that much.  I'm ready for another challenge after Christmas!  It has been fun to read about success others are having, it gives you motivation to try and try again.  Thanks everyone.

Week 11 Results and Prize Winner

       Week 11 Results:

1.        Jeff - 1,089

2.       Cindy - 1,088

3.       Jenni F. - 1,084

4.       Stephanie -1,075

5.       Bekki - 1,066

6.  Ally - 1,034.5

7.   Melanie - 1,014

8.       Elise - 1,002

9.   Heather - 992.5

10.   Clark - 949

11.   Molly - 915

12.   LauriAnn - 882.5

13.   Carrie - 811.5

14.  Mary - 630 * waiting for points from week 7 and 8

15.   Ingrid - 376

Week 11 Prize Winner!  $10 CASH just in time for Christmas shopping!

We're down to days!!!  Keep up the good work!

Changes/Challenges

So here goes the last post!! For this challenge because I am in on the second one for sure!

My goals...  I have not reached my weight lose goal yet!  I am hoping to before the next challenge starts. I am almost there......

Personal goals.... One of my personal goals for a week was to not play any games on the iPad.  It stuck.  I found I have more time to (exercise...) clean and spend time with the kids.

My biggest challenge for this challenge....I really wanted to lose inches off my waist. I didn't lose one until last month.  Over the last month I haven't lost very much weight but have lost inches off my waist!!  Please explain...I want both to happen at the same time.

I am just slightly competitive and really wanted to win!!  I am walking away a winner because I have been a loser... I can't believe the amazing results many of you have had!!  Congratulations.  Let's do it again.

Stephanie at the end with the winners I really hope you post a total number of pounds and inches lost by the group.

Thanks for the fun adventure!

I am up for round 2!

     This challenge has been great for me, especially during the holidays! During the season of yummy treats and a lot of food, it has been great for me to take control of my eating habits.  So I am up for round 2!  I love being accountable for my exercise and trying to form other healthy habits.
     For my new workout this week I tried the one that Stephanie posted in her blog post and I really enjoyed it. It wasn't too difficult but I was definitely sore the next day!  Hope everyone enjoys this last week of the challenge!

Call Me Crazy

What have you done for five exercise points?

I'll tell you how important those points are to me.....

I went and visited my sister in Austin, TX this week. Saturday our day was filled with two classes at a local baking shop - cookies and cupcakes. I was scheduled to head right to the airport after the last class.  I did not want to miss out on my exercise points so what did I do while I waited to board the plane? Normally, I would have leisurely sat and read a book or maybe even enjoyed a scoop of Amy's cookies and cream ice cream. Not this time.....no, I walked the halls of the terminal with my purse and carry on in tow.  I timed myself on my Iphone and hoped that the people I passed more than once didn't call security on the crazy lady pacing the terminal.

Five points earned!  Thanks to Stephanie for helping me get through the holidays with weight loss instead of gain!!

New and Used

I have been busy this week trying two new things! One of them is a new swimming stroke. One I have been terrified to try. The other - a craft I've never done. I'm NOT a crafty person - but not necessarily unwilling to try. I've tried my fair share of crafts....just never stuck with one long enough to call it my own. I had a gift from my sister that wasn't really 'my style'. It's a basket - one to display during the holidays. It was meant to be an ornamental display - but generally stayed in my storage room because I didn't know what to do with it and it didn't really go with any of my other decorations. I decided this was the year to tear it apart and make something new with it! Thus....the new from the used! I've spent the last two days learning how to make Christmas wreaths! It's been crazy. One moment I hate the entire process....the next I'm in love with the creation in front of me....and then back to hating the process! hahaha!

So far I have one I like and a few I'm still working on. I guess that's life - right? We always have a few things we like and many more things we are still working on improving!!!

Good luck this week! I know we are all hitting it hard to end strong. Let's stay positive as we take a 'used' body and lifestyle and make them NEW!!

switchfoot

Here's to switching it up and going back to my junior high days when I was on a soccer team hahah
My brother's indoor soccer team needed a girl sub and I jumped on it along with my lil sis.

The game was last night and I am so unbelievably sore. I thought I was more fit with my cardio and weights, but there's something about soccer sprints that really beat me up and get me winded. Loved it. 40 minutes of pushing myself and I'm thinking about signing up for a team next season- it starts in January.

Someone outside my immediate circle noticed my improved physique. My weight may be slow to move, but I'm noticing, my family is noticing, and now, a slight acquaintance! Now I just need a stranger to whistle at me and I'm set. 

totally kidding, but yeah, feels good.

Core ideas, anyone? Maybe I'll bite the bullet and try yoga... I'm just not that coordinated or balanced. Here's to continuing to get out of our comfort zones!

I'm totally in for round 2 Stephanie! December is totally getting the best of me. We have a cookie exchange for Relief Society tonight, and another one on Tuesday. That, coupled with exclusively nursing my baby is making me feel like I need to be at peace with what my body currently looks like, while still working for change. Kudos to all you awesome people with wills of steel!

Round 2 Anyone?

This challenge has been great for me.  I've worked hard and reached all of the goals that I set at the beginning (except riding my bike to Windsor...but that's okay).  I like being accountable to the group, I like trying new things and switching things up.  I want to keep this momentum going, I still have a LONG way to go...and so I have decided to start up another challenge in January.  I don't have all the details yet, but if you are interested please let me know so I can keep you in the loop.  Also, start spreading the word...I'm sure when people are now noticing your results they will ask you what you've been up to and you can tell them all about our little challenge.

For my new workout this week I've tried a few ballet barre workout videos on Youtube.  I've always wanted to try one of these classes, but I don't think there are any in Greeley.  These are good toning workouts, perfect for me this week because I have a crazy cough and my normal cardio isn't working so well with my lungs.  Here are the links if anyone is interested:

Barre Workout
30 minute barre workout

Hope you are all getting more cardio than me this week!

Good News!

I am getting surgery to fix the neuroma in my foot! PLEASE WORK!!! I know it's not a guaranteed fix, but I am hoping.

I thought it was going to be more expensive than we could afford right now, and found out yesterday that it is in fact covered in our benefits. Woot woo!

Hoping to be running, dancing, and hopping around in the new year without a painful foot.

I still need to find a new workout to do this week. I swam, vacuumed & cleaned house, swam again, so . . . I am thinking I might do some online yoga hunting or some such thing.

For those of you that have asked though . . . I really like these workouts called "Peak 10" by Michelle Dozois. If you can find those, give em a shot. They are metabolic circuit training, so a little too jumpy for my current foot situation. But great workouts that keep you engaged and get ya' sweaty.

Also, T25 is awesome! It's only 25 minutes though . . .so not as great for points. But I have done T 25, then P90X Ab ripper and some stretching.

Master Swimming class

For my new class/workout this week I started going to a 6:15 am swim class. Heather talked me into signing up and I think I might be crazy because I am NOT a morning person. I went on Monday morning and today and I loved it!! I was a swimmer in high school and it feels good to swim with a group again. And bonus, when I arrived today I was joined by past and present fitness challenge participants Heather, Elise, and Susan. Working out with friends is always so motivating! It also feels good to get my workout out of the way early in the day. I normally do it late morning or evening, but this before-breakfast thing is pretty cool. It leaves so much more time to get things done later. So aside from being a little tired, it's great. I hope you're all doing well, doing your new workouts and getting ready for Christmas!

Week 10 Results and Prize Winner

       We did it!  We all made it through a holiday pretty much centered on eating!  According to your weekly scores you did pretty well with it too!

       

       Week 10 Results:

1.        Jeff - 990

2.       Cindy - 989

3.       Jenni F. - 985

4.       Stephanie -977

5.       Bekki - 967

6.  Ally - 960.5

7.   Melanie - 915

8.       Elise - 907

9.   Heather - 900.5

10.   Clark - 882

11.   LauriAnn - 853.5

12.   Molly - 752 *waiting for points from week 9

13.   Carrie - 719.5

14.  Mary - 552 * waiting for points from week 7 and 8

17.   Ingrid - 344

       I'm so mad!  Somehow I have forgotten to add my name to the prize drawing the last 3 weeks...just improving all of your odds I guess!  Anyway, here is our Week 10 winner (there's a little twist this week).

Keep up the good work!

Switch it up!!

So switch it up to me means that I get to buy a new exercise video... I live in a small town and already own the ones at the store...  Okay, I have an addiction...  I probably own more exercise DVD's than regular DVD's...(You would think I was skinny or something... I use them all the time!)

So no new DVD...  Any online suggestions??  I tried on line yoga.  It could be addicting if I had more time... it helped me RELAX (not allowed!!).

So please... Tell me what you do??? I like to try new things.

I'm In It To Lose It!!!!

Seems like most got through the Holiday with little damage - I think I ended up losing 1 pound for the week - It was tough being around goooood cooks and great desserts!!!!! Small portions and extra walks. It was fun to see how busy Stephanie is and how she is able to keep up with the Challenge Blog - Also she should get extra credit by avoiding Challenge controversy by ensuring that no one she is related to wins the weekly drawing. Last week I saw Clark double check to see if his name was really in the jar. Then I saw Stephanie open the jar and I could not tell what happened. Clark had a 1 in 8 chance of having his name drawn but Stephanie does do some magic tricks and slight of hand stuff so I wonder if Clark actually had a 0 in 7 chance of having his name drawn????? All I know is the challenge is controversy free - keep it up Steph! Thanks to everyone for the encouragement! F. Jeff

Final Stretch!

I love reading all the posts from our challengers! I too, thought this would have been better stopping at 10 weeks - but am now VERY glad for 2 weeks to recover from some extra treats and finish STRONG! I'm happy with what I've accomplished, but also know I have more to lose!

My Thanksgiving was wonderful. My children and husband, plus four extras who didn't have a place to go (no family in town) so they joined us. We had lots of food and fun! I got to go enjoy the morning outside on a run/walk which was marvelous! I enjoyed the day, the food, the people! It was a wonderful break from the 'norm'. (Except all those dishes...wow...they just kept coming!)

Last night as I set my alarm I was dreading the 'grind' of real life. No more hubby around as much, kids back in school, early morning work outs, etc. Three weeks of early mornings and such, and I believe I may take another short break! My husband takes finals the 11th and I will again enjoy his company (aside from him going to work...but at least there won't be endless studying)! yay!!

This post is kind of random...sorry. I'm happy to be 'back at it' and ready to see the numbers FALL not rise! Happy December to you all!!! Good luck this week!

Nailed it!

I set a goal for myself to lose at least 8 lbs. during this challenge which would solidly get me out of the 140s and this week I did it! Only 5 more lbs. of baby weight to go! I gained a whopping 50 lbs. this pregnancy and was worried it wouldn't come off. I am feeling more confident and motivated now to maintain the fitness level I have achieved and continue to monitor my eating habits.

I know shopping doesn't burn that many calories

But it's got to be more than sitting at home eating leftovers and watching holiday movies, right?

I didn't do the middle of the night black friday thing, but I did shop Friday and Saturday. One day I took my 6-year-old Stella and the next I took my 9-year-old Cole.  They picked out stuff for their siblings and I got great ideas to surprise them. It was fun, and we had some good one on one time.  And my holiday shopping is almost done! Except for my hubby. I never know what to get him . . .

We saw a great play, took the kids to see Big Hero 6, which I loved, went ice skating, played with friends, and have had an overall great time.

Unfortunately we also had a Thanksgiving tarnished by sickness.  My husband came down with acute bronchitis and sinusitis, which then turned into some kind of digestive illness. And then Stella got really sick. She has had a fever on and off for two days, no appetite, red stingy eyes, congestion, headache, fatigue, achy body. Is this the enterovirus? Medical professional out there . . . what do you think?

I am excited for the final two weeks of this competition. Last week I hit my goal weight. This week I didn't go outside of my healthy window . . . despite a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables and pie for breakfast. I will do better this week. That is my personal goal, to eat 3 fruits and 5 vegetable servings a day.

Keep up the good work, all you that have been hanging on!

Been Slacking ....

Hello Everyone.....
well I did not post on here for a while....I was busy with sick babies and life was a little hectic.  Anyway this week I ate A LOT!!!! I am addicted to sweets and I could not resist the pumpkin rolls and pies!!!

Well I plan to get back on track this week and next! Hope everyone has a great week :)

Thanks Giving For Living

Almost exactly one year ago a close colleague and friend of mine was working out at home. He's in his mid-forties, cycles a TON, and is really one of the most fit people I know. As he was doing a long set of Burpees, he started having chest pain. As a medical professional he thought to himself, "That's weird," but it took him over an hour to finally accept that he was likely having a heart attack. Fortunately, he sought the emergency care he needed, and survived, and is now back to cycling like before.

That health scare for him really shook me. I have a family history of cardiovascular disease and I certainly was not living a healthy enough lifestyle to mitigate those risks. That's what really got me started wanting to turn my health life around. Fortunately for me, Steph is patient and encouraging through this process. I'm now down a total of 17 pounds (not all of those dring the challenge) and about 10% of total inches (most of this during the challenge). I have another 15 pounds to go, and would still like to get back to exercising as intensely as I used to (ok, maybe not quite as intense as high school), but I'm back to a healthy BMI and my diet is MUCH improved. This may not completely eliminate my risk factors, but I have a personal belief that blessings from heaven are not limited to just spiritual strength when we are doing our part to improve.

Here's to all of us continuing to work toward our goals. Healthy for the Holidays!

Thanksgiving Week

A few weeks ago I was really thinking I should have made this a 10 week challenge instead of 12...but I'm glad we didn't end Thanksgiving week...let's just say I'm happy for a few more weeks to get back on track before the final weigh-in.
This week has been great though!  We've had a house full of family, wonderful food, and it's been marvelous!  With 3 of us doing this challenge all under one roof there were plenty of exercise buddies and everyone kept moving each day.

F Jeff burned a few extra calories when he handed Caden the high powered hose to help with the car wash.  Let's just say that running from the out of control water fall burns extra calories.                                                                                

On Black Friday I may have missed out on a sleep point, but my Fitbit racked up the steps that night!

Hope you all had a great holiday week!  Now...back on track...starting tomorrow!
       

miracle of the week

Thanks to a challenge of getting work out buddies, my mom went with me to "Vasa Fitness" or whatever gold's gym is called these days. And then yesterday she bought a membership so she can work out with me, which is a HUGE DEAL. It's the first time she's ever gone with me, and the first time she's been really motivated to get strong and fit again. So thanks! Also, saw my neighbor at the gym and we went together the next day. check and check! Oh, and I ran for an hour on Thanksgiving, ate less than I EVER have, and kept my no sweets goal (my day off was Thanksgiving and it was wonderful).

We are going on a cruise in January for the first time ever, and it's gonna be just me and the hubcap. Here's to beach bodies and being the strongest ever soon.

You guys all inspire me and give me some hardcore competition. I may not catch up to ya'll, but thanks for dragging me along with ya hahaha.

Strep

Last year on Thanksgiving I had the stomach flu and spent the day in misery, unable to eat a thing. This year I have strep. Sadly no urgent care clinics were open on Thanksgiving day so I couldn't get my antibiotics until this morning. I did go to a friend's house for the day with my little family and I was able to eat a little, but I'm still annoyed at having another Thanksgiving tarnished by sickness. I wore a bandana around my mouth whenever I got close to anyone and in general I tried to keep my distance so hopefully I didn't infect anyone. It has been so, SO hard to get my exercise in the last few days. With the painful throat I haven't had much desire to eat, which brings headaches and nausea and an overall weak body. But I'm proud of myself for dragging myself to the gym on Wednesday and biking for an hour and playing Wii Sports with my husband yesterday. It probably would have been better for my health to rest than exercise, but no way was I going to lose points on the group goal and exercise yesterday! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, hopefully in better health than I was!!

Thanksgiving Report

I took the day off in the eating department, but I'm back at it again tomorrow.  I did get my sixty minutes of working out done at 6am which caused me to need a nap after our delicious meal.  Hope everyone had a blessed day!

Love me some pie!

My goal this week is to not eat refined sugar or flour, so making delicious pies and cookies tonight without sampling any of the goodies was so hard! Who knew five little points could be such motivation?! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm gonna eat a giant salad first and hopefully have less desire to eat the less-healthy stuff.

Week 9 Results and Prize Winner

Week 9 Results:

I only heard from 12 of you this week!  Yikes!  I hope it is because you are busy 

traveling and spending time with family and not because you've given up!  

Send me your points this week and I will update your score on next week's blog post.

1.        Jeff - 891

2.       Cindy - 890

3.       Jenni F. - 887

4.       Stephanie -879

5.       Bekki - 869

6.  Ally - 862.5

7.   Heather - 806.5

8.   Melanie - 819

9.       Leisel - 782.5

10.   Clark - 802

11.   LauriAnn - 765.5

12.   Ingrid - 312

MAJOR MILESTONE ALERT

Well it happened this week - I hit a Major Milestone!!!! I'm now at the same weight I was when I got married 33 years ago!!!!! I might celebrate with Mile High Mud Pie at Red Robin (I think it contains two days worth of calories) Remember - small portions at Thanksgiving Dinner and eat really slow - and take a walk between dinner and dessert! F. Jeff

Toughest competitor shows up in Vernal

One reason I have loved Healthy for the Holiday is I feel like I am in Vernal UT, and nobody else is but I have support here on line.... However the toughest competitor showed up in Vernal Yesterday and I didn't even know!!!  I thought about sending him a gallon of ice cream...or something.... You know he wouldn't eat it. I really don't want anyone to fail I just am on the competitive side!!

Anyway... Steph posted that you can see a change at 4 weeks and the family can see a change at 8 weeks. Well, I really haven't told my extended family (except my cousin Steph and my uncle Jeff) that I am doing this challenge. So I went to see my mother yesterday and she said Uncle Jeff is here and I want to know what you guys are doing!!  Our toughest competitor must be looking great!!

I am wishing everyone courage and strength over this thanksgiving week.   Never give up on yourself!!!  WE CAN DO IT!!!  I am ready for another 12 weeks!!  Thanks for all the help and the competition....

Helping the Husband

This week I helped my husband with some really time consuming things for work. And I didn't get enough sleep, and I didn't get in extra 15 minutes of exercise 5 days. I stressed about it a little bit, because I'm  close to being in the top 6, and I want to earn some prize money to go toward Christmas. But then I remembered that it's life. Some weeks are gonna be easier than others to do "everything". But it's all good. There are trade-offs and stress isn't good for anybody. So I'm celebrating that I had some quality time with the hubby, and I still did what I could do to be healthy and move every day.

I saw this cool kid on "ellen" this week, and I loved what he said. I love his hard work and his self-acceptance. We shouldn't be so stressed about being "perfect". Celebrate everything we are and all that we do!  Hopefully this link will work.

Kid who lost 160 pounds talks to ellen

I'm excited for Thanksgiving! I plan to log my food that day and keep track of how many calories are in a slice of pumpkin pie. I can enjoy the Thanksgiving yumminess, and do it in moderation.

Party on ya'll!

Holiday Heart Syndrome

Holiday Heart Syndrome is a cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) that occurs after consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, which commonly happens with binge drinking during holiday parties. I know most of you in the challenge and I don't think any of you have any reason to worry about that kind of holiday heart syndrome.

This brings me to another type of Holiday Heart Syndrome...the type that Stephanie apparently is trying to give to all of us! In her email about next week's challenge she mentioned that we could invite a family member to shovel snow with us. Unfortunately, one of the greatest risk factors for a heart attack this time of year is shoveling snow! Upper extremity exertion, mixed with cold temperatures and excessive eating is a recipe for disaster. Of course, the whole point of this challenge is to improve our health, and our hearts are reaping some of the greatest benefits from these efforts...but now Steph is encouraging all of us to invite a family member to join us in a snow shoveling marathon. I, for one, strongly recommend that if you do shovel snow together, perhaps you should take turns and keep a cell phone handy to call 9-1-1. :)

On second thought, how about you all just come shovel our walks while we eat a little pumpkin pie!

Happy shoveling!

Hard Challenge this Week - Thanks Steph!!

So when I saw this weeks challenge I knew what it meant.....

In an earlier post I mentioned my new hot yoga obsession. Yes, I would consider it an obsession. How can it not be? When I finish a workout I can't wait to get back the next day!

So, for the past six weeks or so, I've been doing the 60 minute Express class or the hot Vinyasa Flow. On the schedule each week is also a 90 minute class fashioned after the Bikram yoga classes. You do the same 26 poses as Bikram yoga.....in a heated room, 105 degrees and 40% humidity.

Well, for me it just seemed easier to go to the 90 minute class rather than the 60 and then have to add on 15 minutes at some other time during the day. Tomorrow is my last day and I will have done FIVE 90 minute classes this week. Whoot Whoot!

I'm pretty happy with my accomplishment and thanks goes to Stephanie for really challenging me this week!

Here is a time lapse for your entertainment! Not my class, but it gives you an idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nqa9F2A6Mk

Also, if you live in Colorado I'm inviting you all to come to class next week and that will help me earn my group challenge points for next week. ;)

Move More, Eat Less

I got a Fitbit for my birthday.  The last couple of weeks my personal goal for this challenge has been to get 10,000 steps/day.  That's just under 5 miles per day.  If I walk for my workout this isn't a problem, but when I do other things (which I usually do) I find myself having to get a lot of extra steps at the end of the day to meet my goal.
Wearing this Fitbit has been a good eye opener for me, I consider myself a fairly active person...at least I don't feel like I get to sit down very often.  But I'm realizing that a lot of my household chores and tasks don't add up to a lot of steps, even though I'm on my feet a lot.  A trip to Walmart (one of those bad ones where you have to get something from every far corner of the store) can equal 2,000 steps!
So through this personal goal I've been a lot more mindful about how much I'm moving (aside from my 60 minutes of exercise) each day.  It's hard when it's freezing outside...but I'm trying and hoping it will work!
Keep it moving people!!!

 

Remember

I have to be honest. I can't remember if I already posted this week. I went back to look but my computer is being finicky, so I'm just going to post something to be sure!!

I hope everyone is having a GREAT week getting in some extra exercise minutes! I'm so excited for Thanksgiving week! Not for the food - but because my kids will be home all week! And because my husband who is in grad school and has been incredibly busy will be taking a few days off!! I'm SO excited to sit on the couch with him and watch a movie or two! I'm SO excited to have him be WITH the kids and me as we do some fun activities! I'm SO excited to have him just BE with us! yay!

Not gonna lie! I am excited for the food next week too!! But I'm also excited about the pounds and inches I've lost and determined NOT to let them come back! I am planning the day and week so that the habits I've solidified will hold strong so the 'food' holiday will NOT push me off the track of my healthy, happy and fit lifestyle!!

Winner!!

I hope everyone agrees with me... I love to see who the WINNER is each week.  I think we all are  WINNERS because Stephanie makes such awesome videos!! We are all WINNERS because we are being more healthy!!  I just got an e-mail that says the average American gains 5-8 pounds from November 1 to January 1. I'm not going to be an average American... I am going to be a Healthy for the Holiday LOSER...which makes me a WINNER!

By the way... I think Stephanie and her family should be on School of Rock!!

How Much Longer Steph?

Are we there yet????? "Do this - don't do that- can't you read the signs?" I can not remember what a milk shake tastes like!!!! Made up some great Goose Jerky this week and dried it on the smoker grill - Lean and Organic and a great weight loss aid! Shoveling Snow was a nice break from the Gym as was a 3 hour hike in the snow. Stay Focused!!! Next week will be the big test! F. Jeff

All alone...hmm...

My husband is currently at scouts, taking our 3 year old with him, and I just put the baby down for the night. I was inspired by Melanie's goal to not eat sweets this week so I decided to make it my goal too--no candy, cookies, cake, ice cream, or desserts of any kind this week. Now here I am, home alone (essentially) and a closet of Halloween candy calling my name. It doesn't help that I had to make a double batch of lemon squares to send to scouts tonight and there are a few just sitting on the counter, staring at me. But I'm determined to be strong! I'm gonna go have a bowl of greek yogurt with honey and blueberries and pretend it's a bowl of ice cream.

Stick to your goals, fellow challengers! You are inspiring!!

Addendum

Just an FYI...I made a mistake on the earlier post, the Target gift card up for grabs this week is $10!  So get those 30 exercise points to be in the drawing!

Week 8 Results and Prize Winner

Well done on another week everyone!
Sariah and Ally - I didn't get your scores this week!  My email has been a little weird on my phone so if I somehow missed it please send it again and I'll update the scores!  Thanks!
Week 8 Standings:  (I only posted the points from the people I heard from this week, I will adjust this if more scores come in).

1.        Jeff - 792

2.       Cindy - 791

3.       Jenni F. - 788

4.       Stephanie -781

5.       Bekki - 771

6.       Elise - 751.5

7.   Heather - 723.5

8.   Melanie - 720

9.       Leisel - 706.5

10.   Clark - 706

11.   LauriAnn - 681.5

12.   Molly - 673

13.   Carrie - 605

14.  David - 580

15.   Kimberly - 444.5

16.   Katie - 342

17.   Ingrid - 280

18.   Amber - 173.5

             Week 8 Prize Winner, $5 TCBY gift card!

I've fallen behind the last few weeks on delivering the prizes...they will be in the mail this week to you past winners!  Thanks for being patient with me!

New Week

I'm looking forward to this week. It's getting a little tougher now that the weather isn't so hot to get out and exercise. Perhaps I need to buckle down and get a gym membership to show that I'm serious about this. I guess I need to get creative in working out. I will almost undoubtedly not get the challenge for this week as I struggle to get 1 hour each day of exercise. Maybe this is just rationalization, but I also don't know if its really that good to exercise for an hour and 15 minutes for 6 days. Sounds a bit extreme to me. But this is from someone who struggles to find the point in exercising if there is no competition (like through sports). Oh, and does bocce ball count as exercise? Haha! Good luck to all!

Waters that do more than hydrate

Trying to up my game, I made two "special" jugs of water this week. I lost three pounds without doing anything else special, so maybe it helped?! Here are the recipes I used.


Flat Tummy Water  -With cucumber and ginger


Hot Lemonade  - Lemon with cayenne and honey. Supposedly boosts metabolism.

I forgot!

    Just adding up my points for this past week and I realized I totally forgot to blog! So mad I missed out on those 10 easy points! 10 points is like 2 hours of exercise!
   So I am trying to get it done early this week since we will be heading out of town on Friday for a week.  Anyways I was going to post about one way that helps me get my vegetables in.  I really like to have smoothies for breakfast and I have a lot of different smoothie recipes that are pretty tasty. 
    I really like to add spinach to my smoothies.  Spinach is super healthy and you can't even taste it in the smoothie (although it might make the color really weird).  So it can be a fruit, peanut butter, or pumpkin smoothie and I still like to add that spinach. One of my favorite smoothies is this green chocolate mint smoothie:

 


This smoothie is pretty tasty (a little like chocolate chip, mint ice cream)  and really healthy and my kids even really love it. 

This is what I put in it:

Almond milk (you could use whatever kind of milk)
Plain yogurt or a little protein powder (just whatever I have to add some protein to it).
2-3 handfuls of spinach (I like to pack that spinach in this smoothie!)
Frozen bananas
Ice cubes
Vanilla flavoring
Mint or peppermint flavoring (I like peppermint better)
A little honey to sweeten it. (If I use yogurt I don't put in honey because it already has enough sugar).
A little handful of choc chips -and I put these in at the very end when the smoothie is already blended well together. I throw in the choc chips and blend for a few seconds, just to chop up the choc into little bits.

Rough Week

I was having a rough week this week too.  Friday was especially bad. I was trying to lift weights when my 2 year old went into the baby's room and woke her up. I only got 10 minutes done. Ugh.  Luckily it snowed at least half a foot in Boise that day and the baby took a long afternoon nap so I went out and shoveled for at least 2 hours. It was actually pretty enjoyable knowing that I was getting a good workout in and helping out.  A nice break from weightlifting!

Hopefully this week goes better.

Well...

I haven't been feeling very well this week...so my score won't be awesome.  Hoping to feel better this next week.  Getting a whole 15 minutes extra exercise everyday is not going to be easy!

So . . . .

Going on my 4th week of no significant losses after some great efforts people! When I say significant it's because I can't say I haven't lost at all, because I did go down .2 of a pound. :-/

It wouldn't bug me so bad, but this weight I am stuck at is literally 1.4 pounds above my goal weight, and if I could get to that goal I could start earning 10 points a week to maintain.

I have considered making this weight my new happy to be here goal weight, because I am happy to be here. Feel good, in control, like my wardrobe, and energy levels. But I feel like it's a cheat because I set my goal to be 1.4 pounds lighter than this . . . But I just can't seem to lose!

I am feeling like maybe I'll do a juice cleanse, like Gwyneth Paltrow. But I don't want to do a juice cleanse . . .

Ok, done complaining for the day.

It's not like I'm going to win with you challengers to go up against anyway. But I don't want to give up. I just want to lose stinking 1.4 more pounds!

I can do it . . .