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.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
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
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
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, August 23, 2010
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!
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!
Friday, August 20, 2010
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
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
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, August 16, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, August 13, 2010
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
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
Saturday, August 7, 2010
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!
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!
Friday, August 6, 2010
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."
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."
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