Week #6 Results

For the most part, we had a difficult weight loss week.  But many of you were just as determined as ever to get those points.  Here are the Week 6 team results:

1st Place - ORANGE
2nd Place - BLUE
3rd Place - GREEN
4th Place -RED

The following amazing people lost at least 2 pounds last week: Holli Westwood, Lindsay Gardner, Lindsay Wilson, Stacy Chandler, and Stephanie Probst.  I am very impressed with your efforts.  Unfortunately, we dropped to just 65% of us getting at least 95% of our weekly points, but I'm sure we will all do better next week!  Only two weeks to go.  Let's make these our best weeks yet!

Week #7 Bonus Challenge

INCREASE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES!

Now that the presents are unwrapped and lunch has been devoured, I can sit down and focus on getting next week's bonus challenge posted for you.  Sorry I am late getting this on the blog.

I recently spent some time looking over the US dietary guidelines found at mypyramid.gov.  If you click on the MyPyramid Plan link in the left column of this website, I think most of you will find that five fruits/vegetables per day is a good start, but not as much as is recommended.  This week, your bonus points are going to be earned by consuming additional servings of fruits or vegetables.  After you eat your five fruits/veggies each day, you will earn 1 point for the 6th fruit or vegetable, and 2 points each for the 7th and the 8th servings of fruits or vegetables you eat up to 5 possible bonus points per day.  Bonus challenge points are available every day this week for 35 possible points.

I have received requests to grant leniency to the 9 p.m. rule on New Year's Eve.  I know that extenuating circumstances arise in real life, and we need to be able to make adjustments to compensate for them.  Here is my final decision: I will allow you to have your 9 p.m. points on New Year's Eve even if you eat late.  However, to get those points, you must exercise on both Friday and Saturday for a full hour or more each day.  You don't get any extra exercise points, but you may have your 9 p.m. points if you fulfill these requirements.  Have a safe and happy New Year!

Week #5 Results

Everyone is really hitting it hard, with 85% of you getting at least 95% of your points.  I love seeing all the effort and determination going into living the daily habits of this sensible lifestyle.  Last week, the team point totals brought these results:

1st Place - BLUE
2nd Place - GREEN
3rd Place - ORANGE
4th Place - RED

Congratulations to the following people who lost at least 2 pounds last week: Adrianne Wilson, Cheryl Hoskinson, J. Clark Gardner, Larry Wilson, Lindsay Gardner, Lynette Wilson, Marci Waite, Natalie Williamsen, Stacy Chandler, Traci Taylor, and Wendy Gardner.

I hope all of you have a very safe, healthy, and merry Christmas this week.  Don't lose sight of your long-term goals just because of the holiday.

Week #6 Bonus Challenge

REDUCE STRESS!

As we face Christmas at the end of the week, the list of things to do seems to get longer and longer.  We can easily get overwhelmed and stressed out trying to finish up everything we want to accomplish.  When we are stressed, our hormones do funny things and sometimes we turn to food to console ourselves.  The result is that we often gain weight when we are under stress.  This week your bonus challenge is to take a break and spend 15 minutes each day doing something to reduce stress.  Here are some suggestions from health experts: deep breathing, yoga, muscle relaxation, writing in a journal, making and prioritizing a to-do list, participating in a relaxing hobby, meditation, prayer, aromatherapy, soft music, positive self-talk, practicing gratitude, taking a hot bath, laughing really hard, reading scriptures, volunteering.  I know that sleeping and exercise are both great stress-relievers, but for purposes of this bonus challenge, neither or those will count.  Each day that you spend at least 15 minutes reducing stress, you get 5 points for 35 possible bonus challenge points this week.

Congratulations to Valerie Hendricks and Justin Hendricks on the birth of their 6 lb. 14 oz. baby girl on Wednesday.

Week #4 Results

We had another close week, with only 80 points between first and last place and 77% of you getting at least 95% of your weekly points. We had quite a shake-up in scores. Without further ado, here are this week's team standings:

1st Place - ORANGE
2nd Place -BLUE
3rd Place - RED
4th Place - GREEN

Lots of inches were shed in the first half of the competition.  The following people lost at least 4 total inches from their waist and hips: Amanda Billman, Barbara Gaston, J Clark Gardner, Jeff Spencer, Kandace Lewis, Katie Kennedy, Kevin Hathaway, Larry Wilson, Stacy Chandler, Tiffany Hamilton, Tony Potts, and Tracie Spencer.

We can't forget about all the people who lost at least 2 pounds this week: Barbara Gaston, Christine Foley, Larry Wilson, Lisa Armstrong, Lynette Wilson, Nicole Potts, Stacy Chandler, Tony Potts, and Tracie Spencer.   We are half way through the competition and a few of you are obviously reducing your commitment level.  Don't give up now.  The biggest temptations of the season are coming up with Christmas and New Year's upon us.  Resisting the urge to indulge in all the tasty treats will result in a great feeling of personal accomplishment.


 

POINT REPORT REMINDER

When reporting your points today, please report inches points in addition to the weekly, bonus, and weight points that you've been reporting.  You get 10 points per inch or 5 points per half inch lost from your waist and hips since your starting measurements at the beginning of the competition.  Please continue to leave the weight loss % field blank until the final point report after week 8.

Week #5 Bonus Challenge

ELIMINATE YOUR FAVORITE INDULGENCE!

After a few weeks on this sensible lifestyle challenge, we have all figured out how to eat around the rules.  You know what I mean.  We aren't being totally healthy, but we aren't losing any points, either.  So this week, you get to decide what your favorite little indulgence is, and you get to live without it for one week.  I couldn't name all of the possibilities, but I will list a few options I've thought of.  Maybe you have a particular bad habit such as eating second helpings when you aren't hungry, finishing off your kids' meals, munching while distracted, or eating on the run.  Maybe you snack too much between meals or after dinner.  Maybe eating out is sabotaging your healthy lifestyle.  Perhaps your body would be better off without a particular food because you can't seem to resist it: soda pop, margarine/butter, nuts, mayonnaise, granola bars, french fries, caffeine, cheese, chips/crackers, salad dressings, bread, sugar cereals.  Or maybe entire groups of foods are your nemesis such as those containing white flour or sugar/corn syrup.  I don't know what's preventing you from being really healthy, but you know yourself best to decide what it is.  When choosing what you'll eliminate, don't be too easy on yourself, but also don't make it impossible.  And remember that you only have to live without it for one week.  This week you get 7 points for telling a team member what you're eliminating and 4 points per day that you successfully live without your favorite indulgence for a total of 35 possible bonus points.

Week #3 Results

I don't even know how to describe how intense this competition is becoming.  Every week the results get tighter, and this week there was only a 60 point spread between 1st and 4th place.  I know that sounds like a lot of points, but when teams are scoring around 2400 points in a week, do you realize how quickly 60 points can be made?  That's less than 5 points per team member separating the last place team from coming in first.  That's only one day's bonus points, or a half pound of weight loss, or one day of fruits/veggies.  Every single point counts for every player every day of every week.  Don't think that your points don't matter, because I can attest that they do.  And the overall point totals are just as close.  So here are the results for week 3:

1st place - BLUE
2nd place - GREEN
3rd place - ORANGE
4th place - RED

43 participants, or 83% of you, got at least 95% of your weekly points.  Almost everyone is giving 100% to this health challenge.  Don't be the person to let your team down.  And don't let yourself down, either.  I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from people who are enjoying being in control when faced with temptation.  Isn't that a wonderful feeling to know that food doesn't rule your life?  I am so proud of all of you.  And I send my congratulations to the big weight losers this week: Mary Ann Lyons and Julie Jacobson both lost at least 3 pounds.  An additional 12 competitors lost at least 2 pounds this week.  Way to go, everyone!  After seeing your high weekly scores and weight loss points, I am once again inspired to give my all and keep up with your efforts.  Keep at it!

Week #4 Bonus Challenge

INCREASE ACTIVITY!

Last week we concentrated on the calories we eat.  This week we will focus on the calories we burn.  Both calories in and calories out factor into weight loss or gain.  So, this week we will try to increase our physical activity each day to burn more calories.  Each day that you do 15 extra minutes of physical activity, you get 5 points for 35 possible bonus points this week.

You could do 15 more minutes of exercise to get your points, but that's not really the idea I'm going for.  I would like you to find opportunities to be more active in your everyday life.  Think of toning exercises while waiting for dinner to cook, taking the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator, parking at the far corner of the parking lot, wrestling with the kids, doing some vigorous housework, shoveling the walks, dancing to the music that's playing, etc.  The options are truly endless.  There are no rules to what counts and what doesn't, so I don't need daily emails from you asking if a particular activity counts or not.  Just be reasonable: if you are getting your heart rate up or strengthening your muscles, it probably works.  The 15 minutes DO NOT need to be consecutive, just cumulative throughout the day.  And the bonus points are available EVERY day this week, not just on the 5 days you exercise.  Now go out there and get active!

Week #2 Results

Thanksgiving was a killer.  That was obvious from the weight points reported this week.  But I am happy to announce that more than 80% of you got at least 95% of your weekly points last week.  I know how much better I felt only eating dessert on Thanksgiving Day, instead of the whole weekend.  I was grateful to have some rules to stick to.  The team results for week 2 were amazingly close with only 100 points separating first and last place.  What I'm telling you is that every point counts.

1st Place - GREEN
2nd Place - BLUE
3rd Place - ORANGE
4th Place - RED

As I already mentioned, the weight loss wasn't quite as stellar this week, but just maintaining during Thanksgiving week is a feat in itself.  Congratulations to the 38 participants who lost or maintained their weight this week!  And a big round of applause goes out to the following people who lost at least 2 pounds this week: Barbara Gaston, Julie Jacobson, Karla Cubillas, Larry Wilson, Nikki MacDonald, Stacy Chandler, and Travis Elder.  I think one of the toughest weeks is behind us.  Now get back on track this week as you log your food intake.

One quick reminder to those who participated in my last challenge: the maximum sweets points each week is only 30 (not 35 like last time).  Please report your points accordingly.

I hope all of you have a healthy and fit December!

Week #3 Bonus Challenge

FOOD JOURNAL!

During the last challenge, I waited until 3/4 of the way through to do this bonus.  But I feel like this one is so beneficial that it's a skill some of you may want to learn soon and a habit you may want to implement more often than when you're forced to do it as a bonus challenge. 

Weight loss/gain is truly a result of calories in vs. calories out.  I will never forget something a dietitian said a number of years ago on a news report I was watching, "A person can lose weight eating nothing but snickers bars, and someone can gain weight eating nothing but healthy food." This fall, I was reading an article about a nutrition professor at Kansas State University who ate nothing but junk food (and one serving of vegetables) each day for a month. The interesting part for me is that he had lost 7 pounds in the first couple weeks. You must realize, however, that he was monitoring his caloric intake closely and limiting it to 1800 calories per day. I'm not condoning the consumption of junk food. I am merely pointing out that this Sensible Lifestyle Challenge increases your chance at successfully losing weight, but it does not guarantee the results you want. That is achieved by keeping your caloric intake to a level that is right for you, no matter whether you're eating healthy food or junk food. Here are two links to websites that can give you an idea of how many calories your body burns each day: option 1 (in the bottom right of the webpage) or option 2.  If you eat more calories than you burn, you will probably gain weight.  If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you should lose weight. To lose one pound in a week, you would have to eat 500 calories less than you burn each day. That can be achieved by reducing your calorie intake or increasing your activity duration / intensity.

So am I asking you to count your calories? Absolutely not. I find calorie counting to be very tedious and annoying. And quantifying whether or not you ate moderate portion sizes is impossible. This week you will report your food intake (and drinks containing calories) each day to at least one member of your team. Every day that you report your food journal to a team member, you get 5 points for a total of 35 possible bonus points this week. You need to report what you ate and how much of it you ate. Here's an example:

Breakfast:
2 pieces whole wheat toast, 1 T. butter and 2 T. strawberry jam
2 hard boiled eggs, no yolk

Snack:
1/2 cup baby carrots dipped in 1 T. ranch dressing

Lunch:
1 cup vegetable soup with 8 saltine crackers
1 cup fresh spinach with 1/4 c. dried cranberries and 2 T. vinaigrette dressing

Snack:
1 medium banana and a 6 oz. light yogurt

Dinner
1 medium baked potato with 1 cup chili
1 piece of cornbread
1/2 cup grapes

Perhaps if you have to account to someone about what you're eating, you'll think twice about what or how much you eat. If you were wondering, the food listed above totals approximately 2000 calories. Sometimes when I start to lose perspective of how much I should be eating to lose weight, I think about the show The Biggest Loser. When I consider that those people are exercising 8 hours every day, only eating about 1400 calories per day, and seeing an average of 5 pounds of weight loss per week, I am reminded that I shouldn't expect huge results when I'm not putting in that kind of effort. Also, please remember that if your daily caloric intake drops below about 1200-1300 calories, your body will think it is starving and start storing all the energy it can, causing you to gain weight. And lastly, our bodies are not machines or calculators that always give the same result with the same input. Human bodies are unpredictable and require a lot of trial and error to figure out what works. One person's recipe for success may not yield the same results for you.

This week when you are keeping a food journal, you may want to estimate in your head how many calories you think you are eating and then do an actual tally of your calories one or two of the days to see if you are in touch with your true caloric intake. That is not required, but it might give you some insight into the results you're seeing. If you want to know the nutritional information about a particular food you eat that doesn't have a food label, try this website and enter the food into the search box at the top. If you want to know the nutritional information of a recipe you make, try this website and it will do a complete recipe analysis for you. There are tons of great online resources for health, fitness, and nutrition. I've listed the links to a few below. Please be wise with how you pursue weight loss. Slow and steady wins the race!

MyPyramid.gov
SELF Nutrition Data
Calorie King
The Daily Plate
Spark People
Cooking Light
Eating Well
The Couch-to-5K Running Plan
Exercise TV
Workoutz.com
Free Dieting
Weight Loss Institute
MSN Health
WebMD Health

Week #1 Results

I was so happy to see the point reports come in this week.  I am especially grateful to be back on track with my eating and exercise, as I had gotten quite lazy recently.  And it looks like all of you are taking this seriously, too - 88% of participants got at least 95% of the weekly points this week.  That doesn't leave much room for laziness and indulgence!  Results were close, but here's how the team rankings fell for Week 1:

1st Place - BLUE
2nd Place - ORANGE
3rd Place - GREEN
4th Place - RED

Congratulations to the big weight losers as well.  23 participants (or 44% of you) lost at least three pounds. Incredible! But the following people (alphabetically by first name) lost at least 4 pounds: Chad Stegelmeier, Holli Westwood, Jeff Spencer, Julie Jacobson, Kevin Hathaway, Lisa Armstrong, Lynette Wilson, Nicole Potts, Stacy Chandler, Suzanne Holloway, Tiffany Hamilton, and Wayne Billman.  I am pleased with the strong effort that so many of you are making.  Stay committed through the Thanksgiving weekend, and you won't be disappointed with yourself.

Week #2 Bonus Challenge

EAT BREAKFAST!

This ought to be really simple.  Eat breakfast every day this week to get all of your bonus challenge points.  Many Americans skip breakfast, but eating breakfast has been proven in multiple studies to be instrumental in helping people to lose weight and keep it off.  Eating breakfast gets your metabolism going, it prevents bingeing later in the day, it promotes even distribution of calorie intake throughout the day, it gives you energy prompting increased physical activity, and those who eat breakfast tend to make healthier food choices throughout the day.  For more information about breakfast's importance, try reading one of these articles from WebMD, the Mayo Clinic, or CBS News.  Each day this week that you eat breakfast, you get 5 points for 35 possible bonus points.

Week #1 Bonus Challenge

PREPARE FOR SUCCESS!

This week's bonus challenge has four parts:

1) Take a "before" picture--5 points
You don't have to show anyone, so put on something that shows your body. Take a couple shots from different angles, and you may be surprised when you look back at how far you've come.

2) Make goal(s) and determine reward(s)--10 points
Decide what you want to achieve in the short or long term: run a race, lose "x" pounds, fit into those pants you bought six years ago, dunk a basketball, etc. Then decide on your NON-FOOD reward when you reach your goal: tickets to a game or show, new jeans, a manicure, a trip, etc.

3) Get ready for your healthy lifestyle--10 points
Think of at least two things you need to do to successfully live a sensible lifestyle: throw away your stash of junk food, stock the kitchen with healthy snacks, put the treadmill where you can use it, dig the exercise videos out of the box in the basement, get some shoes that support your feet, schedule a time with your exercise buddy or babysitter, etc. Then put into action the things that come to mind.

4) Report to a teammate--10 points
Report your goal(s), reward(s) and at least two preparations you made for your healthy lifestyle to one or more members of your team.

You get the points for each part of the bonus challenge you complete before midnight on Sunday night, November 21.

THE TEAMS

Are you ready to get started?  Here are your teams:

RED TEAM

Annaka Elder
Travis Elder
Barbara Gaston
Tiffany Hamilton
Trenna Howell
Julie Jacobson
Katie Kennedy
Nicole Potts
Tony Potts
Stephanie Probst
Chad Stegelmeier
Desiree Stegelmeier
Tonja Wade

GREEN TEAM

Amy Bateman
Mary Brenneman
Karla Cubillas
Christine Foley
Cheryl Hoskinson
Nikki MacDonald
Natausha Medellin
Traci Taylor
Marci Waite
Adrianne Wilson
Lindsay Wilson
Lynette Wilson
Larry Wilson

BLUE TEAM

Stacy Chandler
J Clark Gardner
Lindsay Gardner
Wendy Gardner
Kali Hathaway
Kevin Hathaway
Justin Hendricks
Valerie Hendricks
Suzanne Holloway
Mary Ann Lyons
Peggy Nelson
Dianne Nichols
Anita Slaugh

ORANGE TEAM

Kari Armstrong
Lisa Armstrong
Amanda Billman
Wayne Billman
Denise Clegg
Diana Lewis
Kandace Lewis
Briana Livingston
Jill Scott
Jeff Spencer
Tracie Spencer
Holli Westwood
Natalie Williamsen

Sometime before the end of the weekend, I will be sending an email with your point tracking spreadsheets as well as a team email containing the email addresses of your teammates.  If you have not received these emails before the contest starts on Monday, please contact me right away because I probably have your email address wrong.

THE RULES

This is a competition to motivate participants to live a healthier lifestyle. It is open to anyone age 14 or older who sincerely wants to establish habits that promote overall wellness.

DATES:
This will be an 8-week challenge starting November 15, 2010, and ending on January 10, 2011. You must commit to the full eight weeks and be prepared to give your health a serious effort.

COST:
Each participant will pay $30 upfront to do the challenge. I must have a firm commitment via email from each participant by Friday, October 29, and the money must be sent to me and postmarked no later than Saturday, October 30 (or hand delivered to me by November 1), to give me a little time to organize teams.

Although it costs $30, you may earn back more than half of your money by getting 95% of your "weekly points." For each week that you get at least 128 or more of your weekly points, you will get back $2, for a possible refund of $16, even if your team doesn't win the competition or win that week. You must earn back at least $4 for me to go to the effort to cut you a refund check.

WHAT YOU NEED:
You will need a scale. Weight loss can be tracked in whole pounds or down to the tenth of a pound, if your scale allows that option. You will need a method to measure your waist and hips. That could be a tape measure or a string you wrap around yourself and measure with a ruler. And you will need an internet connection. I will do almost all of my communication with you through this blog. You will report your points for the previous week through the blog on Mondays, I will post the previous week's winner on Wednesdays, and I will post your next week's challenge on the blog on Fridays. Other questions or comments can be directed to me most easily by email. Other than that, Excel on your computer will be helpful because I will send you a spreadsheet just before the competition starts to easily track your points, weight, and inches. If you don't have Excel, that isn't a problem but you may need to ask more questions to make sure you're scoring properly.

POINTS:
There are a few ways you earn points, so read thoroughly:

WEEKLY POINTS--Each Monday you will report your weekly points in six categories totaling 135 possible points.

1. Exercise: You can earn up to 35 points each week for exercise. You earn 5 points for doing 30 minutes of exercise and 7 points for doing 45 minutes of exercise up to 5 days per week. If you do more than 45 minutes of exercise or more than 5 days per week, WAY TO GO! But you do not get any additional points, and you can't carry the points or minutes over to future days or weeks of exercise. 7 points x 5 days = 35 points possible each week

2. Sweets: You can earn up to 30 points each week for not eating sweets. Each day that you eat no sweets, you get 5 points up to 6 days per week. Each day that you eat one sweet, you get 2 points. If you eat two or more sweets in a day, you get 0 points. What constitutes a sweet? Brownies, cookies, cake, ice cream, candy, donuts, or anything sweet that's preventing you from being healthy. HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE THAT EACH WEEK YOU GET ONE "SWEETS DAY" THAT DOES NOT COUNT AGAINST YOUR POINTS! Special occasions do not get extra free sweets, so use your free day accordingly. If you don't use your sweets day, you do not get any additional points.  5 points x 6 days = 30 points possible each week

3. Fruits/Vegetables: Each day that you eat at least 5 fruits or vegetables, you get 3 points. Each day that 3 or more of those are vegetables, you get 5 points. Generally speaking, one serving is approximately 1/2 cup, although leafy greens are approximately double that and dried fruits are about half that much. 5 points x 7 days = 35 points possible each week

4. Water: Each day that you drink at least 64 ounces of water, you get 2 points. 2 points x 7 days = 14 points possible each week

5. 9 p.m.: Each day that you stop eating before 9 p.m., you get 2 points. 2 points x 7 days = 14 points possible each week

6. Team: Each day that you are in contact with a team member by any method (email, phone, blog, text, voice mail, telegram, Facebook, U.S. Postal Service, etc.) you get 1 point. Through personal experience I've found that encouraging, motivating, sharing experiences, and staying accountable to others helps us to be more successful as individuals and as teams. 1 point x 7 days = 7 points possible each week

WEIGHT LOSS POINTS--Each week you will report your weight loss points. Please do your initial and weekly weigh-ins at approximately the same time and under the same circumstances each week (empty/full stomach, before/after exercise, etc.) First you must decide which of the following two plans you want to do:

1. Weight Loss Plan: If you are trying to lose weight, you will choose the "Weight Loss Plan." At the end of each week when you weigh in, you will get 5 points for maintaining your lowest previous weight and 10 points for each whole pound and 1 point per tenth of a pound you have lost beyond your lowest previous weight. For instance, if you gained weight, you will report 0 points, AND you don't get any weight loss or maintenance points in future weeks until you return to the lowest weight you had already achieved. If you maintained your previous lowest weight, you report 5 points. If you lost one pound, you would get 5 points for maintaining plus 10 points for that pound, so you would report 15 points.  If you lost 2.1 pounds, you get 21 points plus 5 maintenance points, so you would report 26 weight points.

2. Weight Maintenance Plan: If you are trying to maintain a healthy weight which you have already achieved OR if you are pregnant, you will choose the "Weight Maintenance Plan." This challenge is for EVERYONE trying to be healthy, not just those trying to lose weight. So if you are maintaining your weight, you must decide what weight you are maintaining, and for each week that you are at or below that weight, you get 15 points. If you go over that weight, you get 0. If you are pregnant, please don't worry about the scale, but you must get at least 121 weekly points (90%) to get your 15 weight points per week.

BONUS POINTS--Each Friday I will post a bonus challenge to push you a little further or get you thinking about your health a little bit more. Each week the bonus challenge is worth 35 points. I will give instructions how to score your bonus with the challenge instructions.

INCHES POINTS--At the start of the competition and again at the end of week 4 and week 8, you will measure your waist and your hips. For each 1/2 inch you have lost at weeks 4 and 8, you will get 5 points.

WEIGHT LOSS % POINTS--At the end of week 8, you will report your weight loss percentage points. You will get 1 point per 0.1% weight loss. For instance, if I lost 4.8% of my body weight during this competition, I would get 48 points. I will give instructions later on, but it is calculated by taking the total pounds lost divided by your starting weight times 100 to get your weight loss %.

POINT REPORTING:
You will report your points at the end of each completed week (on Mondays) to me via the "Report Points" section of the blog. Points must be reported by 10 p.m. on Monday night. I will deduct 15 points from your team's total for each person who reports late. If your points are not reported when I declare a weekly winner on Wednesday morning, your points from that week will not count at all.

When I declare the team that wins each week, I will NOT be posting the points each team reported. Weekly results are not cumulative from previous weeks. At the very end of the competition, you will get to see the point grand totals, and I will rank the teams and declare an overall winner.

I want to add here that the way to win this competition is not by being on the team that loses the most weight. It is to get your entire team to commit to getting perfect or almost perfect weekly points. One team member not giving his or her very best can lead to the whole team losing because of that person's low points.  Also, I ask that everyone please be honest in your point reporting. Your integrity is not worth a few points, and your health will reflect your commitment to living the rules of this competition.

WINNERS:
Obviously, everyone wins when you implement these sensible lifestyle habits. But at the end of the competition, I will award money to the person who gets the highest point total (weekly points only), the person with the highest percentage of weight loss, and each member of the team with the highest point grand total.

ARE YOU READY TO PARTICIPATE?
If you want to participate, please contact me by email as soon as possible (no later than October 29) and send your money to me right away (no later than October 30). I am not limiting the number of participants, so get your friends and family involved. When you email me, I need some information from you:

1. Your first and last name
2. The email address you want to use throughout this competition
3. Your mailing address (to send your money at the end of the competition)
4. Which weight plan you are doing
5. If you are on the weight loss plan, I need to know how much weight you need to lose to get to your  goal weight (not the weight you hope to lose in these eight weeks, but the amount of weight you should lose to be a healthy you)
6. One or two people you would like to be teamed up with (I will do my best to honor teammate requests)

MY CONTACT INFORMATION:
Kali Hathaway (FYI: my first name is pronounced KAY-lee)
1005 Ada Ave.
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
kalihathaway@yahoo.com
(208)552-9750

Week #8 & Final Results

I am so grateful to all of you for letting me be part of your journey to a healthier you.  I am proud of everyone who gave this challenge his or her best effort during the last eight weeks.  We saw some amazing results, so let's get to them:

First, the week 8 results were great!  35 of you got 95% or more of your weekly points.  Three people lost at least 4 pounds: CINDY WILKINSON, JEREMIAH MARTIN, and SHAUNA MARTIN!  And the three pound losers were Ben Heiner, J. Clark Gardner, Suzanne Holloway, and Trenna Howell.  I'm very happy to see the strong commitment at the end.

Week 8 Team Results:
1st Place - GREEN
2nd Place - PURPLE
3rd Place - BLUE
4th Place - RED
5th Place - ORANGE

Those who lost at least 4 inches in the last four weeks were Amy Bateman, Anita Slaugh, Ben Heiner, Jeanette Jorgensen, Katie Jennings, Romi Kimball, Shauna Martin, Stacy Chandler, and Trenna Howell.

Now, on to the final results.  The final team standings and point totals are:
1st Place - GREEN (17,042)
2nd Place - PURPLE (16,076)
3rd Place - RED (15,651)
4th Place - BLUE (15,437)
5th Place - ORANGE (13,438)

The person who lost the biggest percentage of body weight in the last eight weeks was BEN HEINER with 14.5%!!!!  Absolutely Amazing!  I also want to mention a few others who lost a significant amount of weight: Jeremiah Martin (13.2%), Shauna Martin (12.8%), Stacy Chandler (12.8%), Tiffany Hamilton (11.8%), Desiree Stegelmeier (9.8%), Mary Ann Lyons (9.7%), Trenna Howell (9.3%), Amy Bateman (9.3%), and Thurman Heiner (9.1%).

There was a four-way tie for the highest total of the weekly scores for the last eight weeks.  The following four people all had perfect weekly scores: Kali Hathaway, Mandie Borg, Stacy Chandler, and Tiffany Hamilton.

Many of you showed such tremendous dedication.  I appreciate your efforts to motivate one another, which helped me to stay disciplined as well.  I wish you all the best.  Thanks for participating.  I've loved every minute of it.

LAST POINT REPORT!!!

Thank you to everyone for participating in this Sensible Lifestyle Challenge with me.  I have had a very motivated eight weeks, and I hope you've all had a good experience as well.

As you prepare to make your final point report tomorrow (Monday, October 4), please remember that you will be reporting points in every category of the point reporting form, including inches and weight loss percentage.  When you measure inches, you get 5 points per half inch (10 points per whole inch) lost since your last measurement at the four week mark.  Your weight loss percentage is cumulative for the whole competition.  To calculate it manually, take your total pounds lost during the competition divided by your starting weight times 1000.  For instance, if I started at 160 and now weigh 153, I would take 7 divided by 160 times 1000 and get 43.75.  I would round up to 44 points and report 44 for weight loss percentage points.  I hope this is all clear.  If there is any uncertainty, please send an email or ask in the comments section of the point report.

Some of you have mentioned in person, on your point reports, and in emails that you plan to do the next challenge starting in mid-November.  I have been so focused on this challenge that I haven't yet started keeping track of the participants for next round.  If you want to participate, please send a separate email to me for that purpose.  I will post the new rules and dates on the blog by October 10.  If you know people who would be interested in joining next time, please refer them to the blog and have them email me as well.  I will need money postmarked by October 30 or delivered in person to me by November 1 (no exceptions).  The cost will again be $30.

I plan to have the results from this challenge posted on Wednesday and the checks mailed out by Saturday.  Most of you will be receiving money for getting 95% of your weekly points, and some of you will get additional money for winning various categories.  You are all amazing, and I have loved being part of your journey to a healthier you.  I look forward to seeing some awesome numbers in your point reports tomorrow!

Week #7 Results

I know eight weeks is a long time, but I have seen a huge drop in points the last two weeks.  Please do yourselves a favor and push hard this week right up to the end.  Last week we dropped to only 30 participants getting 95% of their weekly points.  The team results from last week look like this:

1st Place - GREEN
2nd Place - PURPLE
3rd Place - RED
4th Place - BLUE
5th Place - ORANGE

Don't get discouraged with the lack of weight loss.  Getting to your healthy weight (and maintaining that weight) is a marathon, not a sprint.  Nobody lost 4 pounds last week.  The only 3 pound loser was SHAUNA MARTIN!  And our two pound losers last week were Anita Slaugh, Ben Heiner, Mary Ann Lyons, Stacy Chandler, Tiffany Hamilton, and Trenna Howell.  I am proud of all of you for making the changes necessary to participate in this challenge.  When these eight weeks are done, stay focused on your health.  Use moderation in your food choices and portion sizes.  Exercise regularly and with intensity.  Don't allow yourself to lose all control just because you don't have to account to your team anymore.  Stick with the sensible lifestyle habits you've established over the last two months, and you will eventually see the results you desire.

Week #8 Bonus Challenge

PERFECT POINTS = BONUS POINTS

Well, here we are at the end of our Sensible Lifestyle Challenge.  This is the last bonus challenge you will face before these eight weeks of healthy living come to an end.  I really want everyone to keep working hard right up to the very last day.  So this week, it's simple: Each day that you get perfect points, you get 5 bonus points for 35 possible bonus challenge points this week.  Obviously, you don't lose your bonus points on the two days you don't exercise, but if you only exercise four days next week, you will lose your bonus points at least one day for not getting your full exercise points on the day you should have exercised.  You still get your free sweet, and weight points don't affect whether or not you get your bonus points.  I hope it seems as simple and clear as it really is.

This part doesn't get you any additional points, but I want you to go back to thinking about the week #1 bonus challenge.  Account to yourself regarding the goals you set.  Did you reach any short- or long-term goals?  If so, have you properly rewarded yourself?  If not, what's it going to take to reach them?  More time, more effort?  How about that "before" picture?  Is it time to take an "after" picture and do a little comparison?  Where do you want to go from here?  Are you going to revert to the life you were living before you started on this journey with me?  Or, are you going to try to maintain some or all of these habits long-term, perhaps for a lifetime?  Are you going to join me on November 15 for another 8-week Sensible Lifestyle Challenge to get through the holidays?  What are you going to do to keep yourself on track and not gain back the weight you've lost?  Think about your plans for the future and where you see your health in 3 months, 1 year, or even 5 years.  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  Make a plan and stick with it.  Life is full of pain.  Will yours be the pain of discipline or the pain of regret?


Quotes of the Week:

"Defeat is simply a signal to press onward." --Helen Keller

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hand on." --Franklin D. Roosevelt

Week #6 Results

Some people are pushing really hard to reach their goals here at the end. Others have obviously given up. This week 33 participants still got 95% or more of their weekly points. I'm glad some of you are giving your health all you've got. Before I post the team standings, I want to say that I'm shocked Purple Team didn't get first place after I saw that everyone on that team got at least 95% of her points this week. Unfortunately, Purple Team also had a really slow week for weight loss, so Red and Green eeked it out over them. But, WOW!, it was a close one!

1st Place - GREEN
2nd Place - RED
3rd Place - PURPLE
4th Place - BLUE
5th Place - ORANGE

I am so happy to announce that LYNETTE WILSON was the only person to lose at least 4 pounds last week! A big WAHOO for Lynette! Three pound losers were Natalie Heiner and Stacy Chandler! How do they keep losing that kind of weight? I know they're putting in some significant effort to get those kind of results! I want to congratulate everyone on sticking with this. I know it's getting harder as we get close to the end. Push yourself for these last two weeks. You're almost there!

So, on to another note, a few people have hinted at wondering whether I will organize another challenge when this one ends. In fact, I will start my next 8-week challenge on November 15. I know you might be so anxious to be done with this one that starting another challenge is probably the last thing you want to do. But after a few weeks off, you may change your tune and want to join me to get through the holidays. I need money to me by November 1 if you want to participate. As always, anyone is welcome, even those who haven't participated before. Also, I will be making two adjustments to the rules: 1) You may track your weight to the tenth of a pound and get partial points for partial pounds lost, and 2) You may have one sweets DAY per week instead of one sweet per week (So, if you want to eat that whole pan of brownies AND that half gallon of ice cream, go right ahead as long as it's all on one day and you don't eat any sweets the rest of the week). Think it over. I'll be posting more information a little later on. Have a great, RESTFUL week!

Week #7 Bonus Challenge

ADEQUATE SLEEP!

As our lives get busier, the first thing to go is a good night's sleep. Adding daily exercise to your schedule has perhaps cut into that rest even more. But adequate sleep has a direct correlation with weight loss, and insufficient rest has been shown to cause weight gain. Who can dispute that sleep deprivation messes with our moods and cravings in a negative way? Were you aware that it also negatively affects hormones, appetite, and metabolism? If you're still not convinced, you can read some of the following articles to understand a little more of the research behind these assertions:

The Importance of Sleep for Weight Loss
Sleep Deprivation Tied to Weight Gain
Sleep May Be Factor in Weight Control
The Link Between Sleep and Weight Loss
Is Your Diet Being Sabotaged By Your Sleeping Habits?
Will Better Sleep Help You Avoid Extra Pounds?
Want to Lose Weight? Get Some Sleep
Video: Q&A with Dr. Manny--How Many Hours of Sleep Do We Need?

You may not agree with the claims, but if you want your bonus points this week, you have to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Each night that you get at least 7 hours of sleep, you get 5 bonus points for 35 possible bonus challenge points this week. I know I'm going to get all sorts of questions about what counts and what exceptions there are. I'll try to be brief but thorough:

1. Your sleep time must be at least 7 consecutive hours devoted entirely to sleeping.
2. Naps in the daytime do not make up for time missed sleeping at night.
3. If you have to get up to tend to a child, use the restroom, etc. in the night, you do not have to deduct that time from your sleeping time.
4. If you can't fall asleep or wake up before it's been seven hours, you don't have to deduct that time from your sleeping time as long as you are not doing "anything else" (see next sentence) to prevent you from sleeping. You may not read a book, turn on the television or the light, write in your journal, or do ANYTHING other than rest in your bed with the light off if you want it to count toward your sleep time.
5. I don't care if Sunday night or Monday night is the night that counts for Monday's bonus points, but make a choice and be consistent all week about which night you're using for each day's bonus points.

Hopefully I have covered any questions you have about what fits within the guidelines of the bonus challenge. I know some of you get by just fine on 5 or 6 hours. But I am going with the research here, and the studies say that 7 to 9 hours are best for most adults. This is going to require some serious planning for some people (like me). Give it a shot and see if getting enough sleep makes a difference for you.


Quotes of the Week:

"I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them." --John Stuart Mill

"Success is getting and achieving what you want. Happiness is wanting and being content with what you get." --Bernard Meltzer

Week #5 Results

Last week there was one point reporting error, and I want to congratulate Trenna Howell for losing 4 inches.

This week I saw a lot of people getting fewer points than usual. Still, 35 of you got at least 95% of your weekly points. I know the "NO SUGAR" bonus challenge was a killer. It seems that sugar is added to almost everything! Luckily, we have that one behind us and we can move on this week to our food journals, which are hopefully improving your awareness of what and how much you eat. The scores this week were exceptionally close, just 10 points separating 2nd and 4th place, and the green team certainly didn't run away with it this week, either. This competition is still any team's victory for the taking, so continue to get all your points right up to the end--only three more weeks. Your team and your body will thank you.

1st place - GREEN
2nd place - PURPLE
3rd place - RED
4th place - BLUE
5th place - ORANGE

The only people to lose 4 or more pounds this week were BEN HEINER and JEANETTE JORGENSEN!!! But since I'm into recognizing accomplishments, I'll also list those who lost 3 pounds this week: Briana Livingston, Katie Jennings, Larry Wilson, Lisa Armstrong, Lorraine Hathaway, Megan Rigby, and Traci Taylor. I am thrilled to see you all getting some nice pay-offs for your hard work. Push yourselves all the way to the end, and don't give up. Just three weeks to go!

Week #6 Bonus Challenge

FOOD JOURNAL!

I have been trying to talk myself out of doing a third consecutive food-related bonus challenge. However, I feel like this one is needed right now, and the other bonus challenges will have to wait.

I know that some of you are feeling frustrated at the lack of results (weight loss) when you are being perfect at all of the lifestyle habits. I will never forget something a dietitian said a number of years ago on a news report I was watching, "A person can lose weight eating nothing but snickers bars, and someone can gain weight eating nothing but healthy food." Yesterday I was reading an article about a nutrition professor at Kansas State University who is currently eating nothing but junk food (and one serving of vegetables) each day for a month. The interesting part for me is that he has lost 7 pounds since August 25 when he started the experiment. You must realize, however, that he is monitoring his caloric intake and limiting it to 1800 calories per day. I'm not condoning the consumption of junk food. I am merely pointing out that this Sensible Lifestyle Challenge increases your chance at successfully losing weight, but it does not guarantee the results you want. That is achieved by using portion control and keeping your caloric intake to a level that is right for you, no matter whether you're eating healthy food or junk food. Here are two links to websites that can give you an idea of your optimal caloric intake: option 1 (in the bottom right of the webpage) or option 2.

So am I asking you to count your calories? Absolutely not. I find calorie counting to be very tedious and annoying. And quantifying whether or not you ate moderate portion sizes is impossible. This week you will report your food intake (and drinks containing calories) each day to at least one member of your team. Every day that you report your food journal to a team member, you get 5 points for a total of 35 possible bonus points this week. You need to report what you ate and how much of it you ate. Here's an example:

Breakfast:
2 pieces whole wheat toast, 1 T. butter and 2 T. strawberry jam
2 hard boiled eggs, no yolk

Snack:
1/2 cup baby carrots dipped in 1 T. ranch dressing

Lunch:
1 cup vegetable soup with 8 saltine crackers
1 cup fresh spinach with 1/4 c. dried cranberries and 2 T. vinaigrette dressing

Snack:
1 medium banana and a 6 oz. Yoplait light yogurt

Dinner
1 medium baked potato with 1 cup canned chili
1 piece of cornbread
1/2 cup grapes

Perhaps if you have to account to someone about what you're eating, you'll think twice about what or how much you eat. If you were wondering, the food listed above totals approximately 2000 calories. Sometimes when I start to lose perspective of how much I should be eating to lose weight, I think about the show The Biggest Loser. When I consider that those people are exercising 8 hours every day, only eating about 1400 calories per day, and seeing an average of 5 pounds of weight loss per week, I am reminded that I shouldn't expect huge results when I'm not putting in that kind of effort. Also, please remember that if your daily caloric intake drops below about 1300 calories, your body will think it is starving and start storing all the energy it can, causing you to gain weight. And lastly, our bodies are not machines or calculators that always give the same result with the same input. Human bodies are unpredictable and require a lot of trial and error to figure out what works. One person's recipe for success may not yield the same results for you.

This week when you are keeping a food journal, you may want to estimate in your head how many calories you think you are eating and then do an actual tally of your calories one or two of the days to see if you are in touch with your true caloric intake. That is not required, but it might give you some insight into why you aren't seeing the results you desire. If you want to know the nutritional information about a particular food you eat that doesn't have a food label, try this website and enter the food into the search box at the top. If you want to know the nutritional information of a recipe you make, try this website and it will do a complete recipe analysis for you. There are tons of great online resources for health, fitness, and nutrition. I've listed the links to a few below. Please be wise with how you pursue weight loss. Slow and steady wins the race!

MyPyramid.gov
SELF Nutrition Data
Calorie King
The Daily Plate
Spark People
Cooking Light
Eating Well
The Couch-to-5K Running Plan
Exercise TV
Workoutz.com
Free Dieting
Weight Loss Institute
MSN Health
WebMD Health


Quotes of the Week:

"Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance." --Samuel Johnson

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Week #4 Results

As the weight loss tapers off more each week, I know how frustrating a healthy lifestyle can be when you are giving your all and not seeing the desired results. 38 of you got 95% of your weekly points. You are all staying very committed, and I am very proud of all of you for giving so much effort. Stay strong!

This weekend I was asked about the weekly results. They are the team weekly totals, not cumulative totals. So the standings this week are for the point reports for week 4. And here they are:

1st place - GREEN
2nd place - PURPLE
3rd place - RED
4th place - BLUE
5th place - ORANGE


Those who lost 4 pounds or more this week were Ben Heiner, Jeremiah Martin, and Stacy Chandler. I was thrilled to see all the inches reports this week. I'm happy to report that even some who haven't lost much weight over the last four weeks have lost significant inches. The following people lost 4 inches or more: Aryssa Taylor, Ben Heiner, J. Clark Gardner, Jeremiah Martin, Katie Jennings, Lindsay Gardner, Lindsay Wilson, Mandie Borg, Mary Brenneman, Stacy Chandler, and Tiffany Hamilton. All I can say is WOW!

Report Your Inches This Week

It is the end of week 4, so you need to do another waist and hip measurement and report "Inches Points" with your point report this week. You get 5 points for each half inch lost from your waist and hips. I know this can be a problem for those who are out of town for the holiday. You may be away from your computer and not have access to your starting measurements, or you may not have your tape measure with you. Whatever the case, I am going to allow point reports to be made through Tuesday (9/7) at noon to hopefully allow everyone a chance to get "Inches Points" correctly reported. Have a wonderful Labor Day!

Week #5 Bonus Challenge

SUGAR ELIMINATION!

This week I was reading an online article about sugar addiction. I concluded that this is a legitimate problem for me. Although we are all doing great to eliminate the sweets and treats, sometimes we don't realize just how much sugar we are still eating in our diets each day. It is found in mayonnaise, peanut butter, soups, salad dressings, sauces, cereal, bread, energy/granola bars, canned/frozen foods, even V8, and the list is endless. So this week, we will try to eliminate sugar from our diets.

Each day that you do not consume any foods containing sugar, brown sugar, or corn syrup as one of its ingredients, you get 5 points for 35 possible bonus points. Read food labels carefully to prevent an accidental loss of your points. You do not lose any bonus points for eating your one free treat.

Perhaps my favorite statement from the above referenced article is this: "Once you have cleared sugar from your system, your taste buds will become more sensitive, and these whole natural foods will taste sweeter and more satisfying." Personally, I have noticed a difference in how good healthy foods, such as simple fruits and vegetables, taste to me now that I'm eating far less sugar. And maybe this statement explains exactly why. Let's give it a shot this week!


Side Notes:

• We welcome Shauna Thompson to the Orange Team and wish Donna Brunner well as she leaves the competition to deal with a back injury.
  

• The rules of this competition do not change on Fast Sunday. Plan your meals and water intake accordingly.

Quotes of the Week:

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew." --Saint Francis de Sales

"Develop the winning edge; small differences in your performance can lead to large differences in your results." --Brian Tracy

Week #3 Results

You all had another stellar week. The weight loss is tapering off, but points are still high, with 39 of you getting 95% or more of your weekly points. This week, the teams have switched around their standings a good bit:

1st place - PURPLE
2nd place - BLUE
3rd place - RED
4th place - GREEN
5th place - ORANGE

The big weight losers with 4 pounds or more lost last week are Amy Bateman, Desiree Stegelmeier, Larry Wilson, Mary Brenneman, Stacy Chandler, and Suzanne Holloway. Fantastic job to all of you.

Week #4 Bonus Challenge

FRUIT/VEGETABLE DIVERSITY!

Last week we changed our exercise routines. This week we'll change our eating routines. When you're trying to get in five fruits or vegetables every day, sometimes it's easy to get in a rut of what works best: strawberries with breakfast, a salad for lunch, baby carrots for snack, etc. You know what you like and it's working for you to get your fruits and vegetables in, so why mess with a good thing, right? Well, this time of year there are so many fruits and vegetables in season that it's a perfect time to try a little fruit and vegetable diversity.

Break out of your comfort zone and buy some fruits or vegetables you don't eat on a regular basis. Or, try a new way of preparing an old favorite. Get creative and enjoy something a little different each day this week. Each day that at least one of your servings of fruits or vegetables is a little out of the ordinary for you, you get 5 points (for a total of 35 possible bonus points).


Quotes of the week:

"Goals should always be made to a point that will make us reach and strain." --Spencer W. Kimball

"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd druther not." --Mark Twain

Week #2 Results

Everyone did very well again last week. 39 of you got 95% of your weekly points. I am happy to see so many people committed to doing the things each day that promote better health.

Here are the week #2 total team point results:
1st place - GREEN
2nd place - BLUE
3rd place - PURPLE
4th place - RED
5th place - ORANGE

I will say again what I said when I posted the rules: "The way to win this competition is not by being on the team that loses the most weight. It is to get your entire team to commit to getting perfect or almost perfect weekly points. ...One team member not giving his or her very best can lead to the whole team losing because of that person's low points." With only 11 participants getting lower than 95% of their weekly points this week, I think it's safe to say that if you are one of those 11 people, you are your team's weak link. Step it up and your team will appreciate you for it.

If your team is not winning, I hope you are still feeling good about the progress you are making in your personal health efforts. Committing to living these principles is quite empowering for me, and I want all of you to have that same experience. Give it your all every day, and you will eventually reach your goals. Back to something I said when I posted the rules again, "Everyone wins when you implement these sensible lifestyle habits."

Now on to the people who lost the most weight last week. As expected, weight loss tapers off dramatically after the first week, but we still had six people lose 4 pounds or more: Ben Heiner, Jeremiah Martin, Lindsay Wilson, Mary Ann Lyons, Natalie Heiner, and Stacy Chandler. Excellent job.

Keep up the hard work, everyone.

ATTENTION, PLEASE READ!

EVERYONE READ BEFORE REPORTING POINTS TODAY!

If you are using the spreadsheet to track your points, please check to make sure that you are using the correct spreadsheet. When I sent the attachments with your team announcements, there were two spreadsheets, one called "Sensible Lifestyle Challenge - Weight Loss" and the other called "Sensible Lifestyle Challenge - Weight Maintenance." If you are on the weight loss plan but are accidentally using the weight maintenance spreadsheet, your weight points will be capped at 15 even if you lose more than one pound in a week. I know of two participants who were using the wrong one. One of them caught the discrepancy before I posted results and we made the adjustment, but the other just realized the problem last night. If you were using the wrong spreadsheet and reported your weight points incorrectly last week, please specify the correct weight points in the "Comments/Questions" field when you report your points to me today. I will make the adjustment to last week's points so we have everything straight from here on out.

That being said, I want to congratulate Megan Rigby for losing 4 or more pounds last week. Her extra points actually put BLUE team into second place for last week's standings.

Thank you for dealing with the bonus challenge last week. I know it was a pain to sit down and get out a plate for every bite, but it is definitely something that I need to work on personally. I hope you're all having fun and keeping each other motivated. Health is a personal thing, but I feel like it's easier to make the right health choices when we are accountable and encouraging to one another. Keep working hard this week. Consistently living sensibly is the key to overall wellness. You can do it!

Week #3 Bonus Challenge

EXERCISE DIVERSITY!

After a couple weeks of this sensible lifestyle challenge, we are all getting pretty comfortable with our exercise routines. Some love walking outside, others like their exercise DVDs. Maybe you like basketball or racquetball to get your blood pumping. But our bodies thrive on diversity. I was reading recently that our physical fitness is a combination of many factors including endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance. Are you working on improving your body's fitness in all those areas?

If you want your bonus challenge points this week, you are going to switch it up a bit. This week you are required to do at least 2 hours of endurance, 1 hour of strength, and 30 minutes of flexibility exercises. You can do a little of each one every time you exercise, or you can devote your entire exercise time each day to one discipline. You decide. For each half hour of required exercises you do, you get 5 bonus points for a total of 35 possible bonus points this week.

Let me break it down:
5 points for each half hour of endurance up to 20 points
5 points for each half hour of strength up to 10 points
5 points for one half hour of flexibility up to 5 points


Quotes of the Week:

"Energy and persistence conquer all things." --Benjamin Franklin

"People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to." --George Allen

Week #1 Results

Thank you, everyone, for reporting your points on time. We have some serious competitors, and this is going to be a tight race. In fact, 38 of you got 95% of your points and will be getting $2 back for all of your efforts last week. I am very impressed with how dedicated everyone has been so far.

Here's how the team scores broke out:
1st place - GREEN
2nd place - RED
3rd place - BLUE
4th place - PURPLE
5th place - ORANGE

The most amazing thing to me, however, was the individual weight loss. I think that anyone who loses at least 4 pounds in a week has accomplished a major feat. Well, 19 of you accomplished that last week (alphabetically by first name): Adrianne Wilson, Amy Bateman, Anita Slaugh, Ben Heiner, Cindy Wilkinson, Jeremiah Martin, Larry Wilson, Lindsay Gardner, Lorraine Hathaway, Mary Ann Lyons, Nicole Potts, Romi Kimball, Ryan Waite, Shauna Martin, Stacy Chandler, Suzanne Holloway, Teneille Averett, Tiffany Hamilton, and Trenna Howell. WOW! Fabulous job!

To those who didn't lose more than a pound or two, please remember that consistency pays off. This health challenge is not a diet. It is a combination of habits that make up a sensible lifestyle. We are aiming for long-term wellness, not another yo-yo diet plan. In seven months of health challenges, I was never listed as one of the people who lost the most weight in a week. But I still was able to reach my goals by consistently living these principles. You can do it, too. Keep at it, and your results will come.

Point Reporting Instructions

Today is the first day to report points. You must report your points before 10 p.m. so you don't incur point penalties for your team. You will report how many points you accumulated over the last seven days in the weekly points categories, the bonus challenge, and weight loss or weight maintenance.

For the weekly points and bonus points, use the notes you made on your tally sheet to enter the correct numbers into the yellow boxes on the Week 1 tab of the spreadsheet. Or, if you are not using the spreadsheet, manually add up your points from the last week in each category: exercise, sweets, fruits/veg, etc.

Weigh yourself this morning at approximately the same time and under the same circumstances as last Monday, and record that number in the appropriate yellow box on the Week 1 tab of the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet should properly calculate your weight points. If you are not using the spreadsheet, see The Rules for guidelines to calculate your weight points. Remember that if you lost weight, you get 5 points for maintaining plus 10 points for each pound lost.

You will not need to measure again for inches lost until the end of Week 4 of the competition.

Go to the Report Points tab at the top of the blog next to the Home tab. Click your team color, then fill in all the required information on the point reporting form from the blue boxes on your spreadsheet or from your notes on the tally sheet. For the date/time box, click the calendar next to the box, then click today's date, and it will automatically fill in the date and time for you. Leave the Inches Points empty until weeks 4 and 8, and leave the Weight Loss % points empty until week 8. To leave those boxes empty, press the tab button to skip to the next entry field. You don't have to make comments or ask questions, but that box is available for you to do so if desired. Click the Submit Points box, and the Data Added Successfully message should appear. The form will clear, and you are done submitting points. If you need to submit points for a spouse or teammate, you can do so at that time. If you want to go back to the blog, use the Back button on your browser.

Any other questions about point reporting or the challenge in general can be directed to me through email, and I will try to respond promptly today. You are all doing so well on this challenge. Keep it up.

Week #2 Bonus Challenge

NO MINDLESS EATING!

This week you must follow one simple rule. Every bite of food you eat must be from a bowl or plate with no distractions. This rule has two parts:

1) Food must be eaten from a bowl or plate -- You must serve food, including snacks, onto your bowl or plate so you can see all the food you plan to eat before taking a bite of it. You may not eat from a storage container, serving bowl, cooking pan, bag, box, can, someone else's plate, directly from the fridge / cupboard / countertop / table, etc.

2) No distractions while eating -- Sit down and just enjoy your food. You must not eat while doing something else such as talking on the phone, watching a show, sitting at your computer, reading a book, fixing a meal, driving a vehicle, standing up, feeding a baby, cleaning up, studying, etc.

I hope it's obvious that this week we are avoiding the extra calories and poor food choices that result from eating without thinking. Each day this week that you make it through the whole day without breaking the rule, you get 5 points for 35 possible bonus points.


Quotes of the week:

"The successful person has the habit of doing things failures don't like to do. They don't like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose." --E.M. Gray

"...by small and simple things are great things brought to pass..." --Alma 37:6

THE TEAMS

Alright, everyone! Here's the lineup:

PURPLE TEAM
Lisa Armstrong
Teneille Averett
Mandie Borg
Trenna Howell
Jeanette Jorgensen
Briana Livingston
Natausha Medellin
Desiree Stegelmeier
Traci Taylor
Aryssa Taylor

ORANGE TEAM
Tasha Bishop
Mike Brunner
Donna Brunner
Lindsay Gardner
J. Clark Gardner
Suzanne Holloway
Chris Koehler
Nicole Potts
Tony Potts
Shara Zollinger

BLUE TEAM
Amy Bateman
Ben Heiner
Thurman Heiner
Natalie Heiner
Heather Lewis
Morgan Lewis
Megan Rigby
Marci Waite
Ryan Waite
Cindy Wilkinson

GREEN TEAM
Stacy Chandler
Tiffany Hamilton
Kali Hathaway
Lorraine Hathaway
Romi Kimball
Rex Lewis
Vicky Lewis
Diana Lewis
Shauna Martin
Jeremiah Martin

RED TEAM
Mary Brenneman
Katie Jennings
Mary Ann Lyons
Kathy Malcom
Karalee Slaugh
Anita Slaugh
Lynette Wilson
Larry Wilson
Adrianne Wilson
Lindsay Wilson

I hope, if you requested a teammate, that you got one of your choices. If you do not get an email from me by Sunday night (August 8) with your team's email addresses and the spreadsheet you are to use, I probably have your email address written down incorrectly. Email me as soon as possible so I can get it straightened out and get you in touch with your teammates. Good luck, everyone!

Week #1 Bonus Challenge

PREPARE FOR SUCCESS!

This week's bonus challenge has four parts:

1) Take a "before" picture--5 points
You don't have to show anyone, so put on something that shows your body. Take a couple shots from different angles, and you may be surprised when you look back at how far you've come.

2) Make goal(s) and determine reward(s)--10 points
Decide what you want to achieve in the short or long term: run a race, lose "x" pounds, fit into those pants you bought six years ago, dunk a basketball, etc. Then decide on your NON-FOOD reward when you reach your goal: tickets to a game or show, new jeans, a manicure, a trip, etc.

3) Get ready for your healthy lifestyle--10 points
Think of at least two things you need to do to successfully live a sensible lifestyle: throw away your stash of junk food, stock the kitchen with healthy snacks, put the treadmill where you can use it, dig the exercise videos out of the box in the basement, get some shoes that support your feet, schedule a time with your exercise buddy or babysitter, etc. Then put into action the things that come to mind.

4) Report to a teammate--10 points
Report your goal(s), reward(s) and at least two preparations you made for your healthy lifestyle to one or more members of your team.

You get the points for each part of the challenge you complete before August 16.


Quotes of the week:

"Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement."

"Who aims at excellence will be above mediocrity; who aims at mediocrity will be far short of it."

THE RULES

This is a competition to motivate participants to live a healthier lifestyle. It is open to anyone age 14 or older who sincerely wants to establish habits that promote overall wellness.

DATES:
This will be an 8-week challenge starting August 9, 2010, and ending on October 4, 2010. You must commit to the full eight weeks.

COST:
Each participant will pay $30 upfront to do the challenge. I must have a firm commitment from each participant by Tuesday, August 3, and the money must be sent to me and postmarked no later than Wednesday, August 4, to give me a little time to organize teams.

Although it costs $30, you may earn back more than half of your money by getting 95% of your "weekly points." For each week that you get at least 133 or more of your weekly points, you will get back $2, for a possible refund of $16, even if your team doesn't win the competition or win that week. You must earn back at least $4 for me to go to the effort to cut you a refund check.

WHAT YOU NEED:
You will need a simple scale (no need for a scale that measures tenths of a pound). You will keep track of your weight loss in whole pounds for this competition. You will need a method to measure your waist and hips. That could be a tape measure or a string you wrap around yourself and measure with a ruler. And you will need an internet connection. I will do almost all of my communication with you through this blog. You will report your points for the previous week through the blog on Mondays, I will post the previous week's winner on Wednesdays, and I will post your next week's challenge on the blog on Fridays. Other questions or comments can be directed to me most easily by email. Other than that, Excel on your computer will be helpful because I will send you a spreadsheet just before the competition starts to easily track your points, weight, and inches. If you don't have Excel, you may need to ask more questions to make sure you're scoring properly.

POINTS:
There are a few ways you earn points, so read thoroughly:

WEEKLY POINTS--Each week you will report your points in six categories totaling 140 possible points.

1. Exercise: You can earn up to 35 points each week for exercise. You earn 5 points for doing 30 minutes of exercise and 7 points for doing 45 minutes of exercise up to 5 days per week. If you do more than 45 minutes of exercise or more than 5 days per week, WAY TO GO! But you do not get any additional points, and you can't carry the points or minutes over to future days or weeks of exercise. 7 points x 5 days = 35 points possible each week

2. Sweets: You can earn up to 35 points each week for not eating sweets. Each day that you eat no sweets, you get 5 points. Each day that you eat one sweet, you get 2 points. If you eat two or more sweets in a day, you get 0 points. What constitutes a sweet? Brownies, cookies, cake, ice cream, candy, donuts, or anything sweet that's preventing you from being healthy. HOWEVER, EACH WEEK YOU GET ONE FREE SWEET THAT DOES NOT COUNT AGAINST YOUR POINTS! Special occasions do not get extra free sweets, so use your free treat accordingly. 5 points x 7 days = 35 points possible each week

3. Fruits/Vegetables: Each day that you eat at least 5 fruits or vegetables, you get 3 points. Each day that 3 or more or those are vegetables, you get 5 points. Generally speaking, one serving is approximately 1/2 cup, although leafy greens are approximately double that and dried fruits are about half that much. 5 points x 7 days = 35 points possible each week

4. Water: Each day that you drink at least 64 ounces of water, you get 2 points. 2 points x 7 days = 14 points possible each week

5. 9 p.m.: Each day that you stop eating before 9 p.m., you get 2 points. 2 points x 7 days = 14 points possible each week

6. Team: Each day that you are in contact with a team member by any method (email, phone, blog, text, voice mail, telegram, Facebook, U.S. Postal Service, etc.) you get 1 point. As we encourage, motivate, share experiences, and stay accountable, we are more successful as individuals and as teams. 1 point x 7 days = 7 points possible each week

WEIGHT LOSS POINTS--Each week you will report your weight loss points to me. Please do your initial and weekly weigh-ins at approximately the same time and under the same circumstances each week (empty/full stomach, before/after exercise, etc.) First you must decide which of the following two plans you want to do:

1. Weight Loss Plan: If you are trying to lose weight, you will choose the "Weight Loss Plan." Each week when you weigh in, you will get 5 points for maintaining your lowest previous weight and 10 points for each pound you have lost beyond your lowest previous weight. For instance, if you gained weight, you report 0 points, AND you don't get any weight loss or maintenance points in future weeks until you return to the lowest weight you had already achieved. If you maintained your previous lowest weight, you report 5 points. And if you lost a pound, you would get 5 points for maintaining plus 10 points for that pound, so you would report 15 points.

2. Weight Maintenance Plan: If you are trying to maintain a healthy weight which you have already achieved OR if you are pregnant, you will choose the "Weight Maintenance Plan." This challenge is for EVERYONE trying to be healthy, not just those trying to lose weight. So if you are maintaining your weight, you must decide what weight you are maintaining, and for each week that you are at or below that weight, you get 15 points. If you go over that weight, you get 0. If you are pregnant, please don't worry about the scale, but you must get at least 126 weekly points (90%) to get your 15 weight points per week.

BONUS POINTS--Each Friday I will post a bonus challenge to push you a little further or get you thinking about your health a little bit more. Each week the bonus challenge is worth 35 points. I will give instructions how to score your bonus with the challenge instructions.

INCHES POINTS--At the start of the competition and again at the end of week 4 and week 8, you will measure your waist and your hips. For each 1/2 inch you have lost at weeks 4 & 8, you will get 5 points.

WEIGHT LOSS % POINTS--At the end of week 8, you will report your weight loss percentage points. You will get 1 point per 0.1% weight loss. For instance, if I lost 4.8% of my body weight during this competition, I would get 48 points. I will give instructions later on, but it is calculated by taking the total pounds lost divided by your starting weight times 100 to get your weight loss %.

POINT REPORTING:
When I figure everything out on this blog, you will be able to report your points each Monday to me via the blog. Points must be reported by 10 p.m. on Monday night. I will deduct 15 points from your team's total for each person who reports late. If your points are not reported when I declare a weekly winner on Wednesday morning, your points from that week will not count at all.

When I declare the team that wins each week, I will NOT be posting the points each team reported. At the very end of the competition, you will get to see the point grand totals.

I want to add here that the way to win this competition is not by being on the team that loses the most weight. It is to get your entire team to commit to getting perfect or almost perfect weekly points. Everyone, please be honest in your point reporting. One team member not giving his or her very best can lead to the whole team losing because of that person's low points.

WINNERS:
Obviously, everyone wins when you implement these sensible lifestyle habits. But at the end of the competition, I will award money to the person who gets the highest point total (weekly points only), the person with the highest percentage of weight loss, and each member of the team with the highest point grand total.

ARE YOU READY TO PARTICIPATE?
If you want to participate, please contact my by email as soon as possible and send your money to me right away. I am not limiting the number of participants, so get your friends and family involved. When you email me, I need some information from you:

1. Your first and last name
2. The email address you want to use throughout this competition
3. Your mailing address (to send your money at the end of the competition)
4. Which weight plan you are doing
5. If you are on the weight loss plan, I need to know how much weight you need to lose to get to your final goal weight--think of the weight you are in your dreams (so I can make fair teams)
6. One or two people you would like to be teamed up with (sorry, no guarantees)

MY CONTACT INFORMATION:
Kali Hathaway (FYI: my first name is pronounced KAY-lee)
1005 Ada Ave.
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
kalihathaway@yahoo.com
(208)552-9750