Week #8 & Final Results

I am sorry that I couldn't respond individually to all of your comments in your point reports this week.  Many of you had a great time doing this challenge, and I am grateful that you were able to feel some success at being healthy.  I am happy I got through the holidays in a much healthier position than I would have without the challenge.  I, too, have mixed feelings about health challenges.  I am glad to have the rules that keep me exercising regularly and turning down the sweets that I would have no willpower to walk away from otherwise.  Still, I grumble at the challenge because of the restrictions it places on me.  I'm always happy to get to the end of a health challenge to return to "freedom," but I also get scared that I'm going to suddenly lose all self-control when I don't have a team to account to.  I still find myself counting fruits and vegetables and ounces of water, looking at the clock when I consider an evening snack, and thinking about how many days I've exercised, even when I'm not doing a health challenge.  Obviously, these rules are not going to force anyone to be healthy, but I sure get a lot closer to being healthy when I'm following them.  I hope all of you will keep up many of the habits you've formed and use this challenge as a starting point for the rest of your life.  As I've said many times before, being healthy is a marathon, not a sprint.  We all have setbacks, but pick yourself up and move on from them with renewed determination.

Alright, enough of my editorializing.  First I will run through the Week 8 Results, and then I will get to the Final Results.  This week, I saw an amazing surge in commitment with all except 3 participants getting at least 95% of their points (that's over 94% of you).  WOW!  Here are the week 8 team standings:

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

A dozen of you lost at least 2 pounds this week: Anita Slaugh, Cheryl Hoskinson, Jeff Spencer, Julie Jacobson, Karla Cubillas, Larry Wilson, Lindsay Wilson, Mary Ann Brenneman, Stacy Chandler, Tonja Wade, Traci Taylor, and Wendi Gardner.  And a half dozen of you lost at least 4 inches from your waist and hips: Amanda Billman, Jeff Spencer, Lindsay Wilson, Stacy Chandler, Traci Taylor, and Tracie Spencer.  Congratulations!  You all really pushed yourselves to achieve those kind of results.

Now I will move on to the Final Results.  As a group we lost over 450 pounds and 225 inches.  Not bad during the holidays!!!  We had an amazing 10 people tie for the most weekly points with perfect scores for the duration of the challenge: Adrianne Wilson, Briana Livingston, Larry Wilson, Lisa Armstrong, Lynette Wilson, Mary Ann Lyons, Natausha Medellin, Stacy Chandler, Stephanie Probst, and Tiffany Hamilton.  Congratulations to all of you.  We also had a number of people who were within a point or two of perfect scores, and I commend them as well.

Many of you lost a significant percentage of your body weight in the last eight weeks.  I will tell you about the top three: Tiffany Hamilton lost 9.4% of her body weight, Julie Jacobson lost 10.1% of her body weight, and the person with the highest percentage of weight loss is STACY CHANDLER with a mind-boggling 14.0% weight loss this challenge. Fabulous job, ladies!

And now for the Final Team Results:

1st Place - BLUE (20,362 points)
2nd Place - ORANGE (20,058 points)
3rd Place - GREEN (19,911 points)
4th Place - RED (18,870 points)

All of you are winners for participating in this Sensible Lifestyle Challenge.  Thank you for being serious about your health and giving these last eight weeks your full effort.  After some preliminary calculations, I apologize in advance to the winners for the small winnings you will be receiving.  With so many people earning back half of their participation fees and so many winners to divide the remaining money, the winners will not be getting nearly the financial compensation I had anticipated.  However, I hope that the improved health you've achieved and the habits you've formed have been worth all of your efforts.  Thanks for letting me be part of your life for the last eight weeks.  I have enjoyed sharing the many successes you've achieved and goals you've accomplished.  My current plan is to start a challenge again in the summer, and I will let you know when I do.  Now go out there and stay healthy!