Race Report - Gold Nugget Triathlon 2014

I know this isn't a fitness blog, but I had a great experience at a race today and wanted to share, in hopes that it might inspire someone else to try something out of their comfort zone!

Alaska has an awesome women's triathlon called the Gold Nugget, and it's well-known to be super friendly toward beginners. I'm used to running, and started kicking around the idea of a triathlon last year, but not until the race was already sold out. This year I was ready for registration and got in (before it sold out in 9 minutes)! I was nervous about the swimming and biking, since I hadn't really been swimming since I took a class in college 15 years ago, and I hadn't biked since I was a kid. But I love having a goal to work toward, so I took on the challenge and started working!

The distances were (in this order): 500 yd. swim, 12.1 mile bike, and a 4.1 mile run. I trained through the winter at the gym and the indoor pool, and got outside as soon as the snow cleared (April). It was hard to estimate what a good goal would be since I'd never done one before, and I originally shot for 2 hours, 30 minutes, knowing that it would be easily doable. As my training went on, and I looked at previous years' results, I started to wonder if I could actually go under two hours. While the biggest thing was just to finish and have a great time, I really started to have my heart set on that 2 hour mark. And, I'm proud to say, I beat it by quite a bit, with a time of 1:50! I almost had to let out a little scream in the race results tent when I saw it.

The Good
*Meeting my goal time, of course!
*I was really happy with my training leading up to the race. Between working full-time, and 3 kids in various sports and activities, it was really challenging to fit in enough workouts. I had to be really creative, getting up early in the morning, swimming laps while my kids had swim lessons, etc. Not to mention that there are NO triathlon training programs that take into account that the ground will be covered in snow until the month before the race. But I used what I knew about running training programs, and wrote myself something that I felt like worked really well for me.
*The race itself. Everything was organized so well, the volunteers and organizers were super friendly, the other racers were supportive - you couldn't ask for better energy in a race. It was amazing. The ages of the racers ranged from 9-76, and women of every size and shape.
*I also had a crazy awesome run. All this cross-training has really helped my run times, and I ran some of my best miles ever.
*Seeing my family there, cheering me on! I also had several friends and family members in the race throughout the day, and it was fun to see them and cheer them on.

The Bad
*Someone posted a picture of a black bear on the bike course the night before the race. Uh, can you say nerves?! And, reading the race reports coming in on the Facebook page, it seems that more than one person SAW black bears on the course today! Ack! Gotta love Alaska!
*I had shin splints in the two weeks leading up to the race, along with some crazy busy weeks at work. I knew I had to lay low and mostly stay off my feet for the shin splints, but it made me really anxious that my body would just forget all the training I had spent months on. It didn't, but it caused me a lot of anxiety in the days before the race.
*Okay, I know this sounds like I have turned into a true Alaskan, but it was actually a *touch* too hot for me out on the course today. We've been uncharacteristically warm here lately (over 70 degrees), and I was super hot on the run. Felt like California! Of course, it's better than the alternative, and I'm sure in future years I'll look back longingly on this 72 degree day!

The Ugly
*I forgot my sunglasses AND my racing belt/bib (my number) at my first transition!!!! The racing instructions said you HAD to have your racing bib for the run, so I spent a LONG hour on my bike having nightmares of what they would do when I got to the run and didn't have it (answer: nothing, but it was a lot of stress).

And that's it! I've had so many people say they could NEVER do a triathlon, but it was really encouraging to see women of all ages and fitness levels out there on the course today! Most people could do most beginner-level races with a few months of training, so start exploring what's in your area and try something new this summer!

When to Get Off the Merry-Go-Round

Does anyone else go through this cycle? This is me, constantly. I was always a chubby kid growing up, and about 4 years ago, I was at an all-time high with my weight. I was unhappy, I lost about 30 pounds, and now... I'm here. I'm not overweight, I'm not thin. I'm just.... average, I guess.

But I am constantly going through the cycle above. I'll gain a little bit of weight, and commit myself to being healthy and fit, eating right. I'll be super super disciplined, and count calories, exercise, etc., and the scale doesn't budge. So then it all seems pointless. Or, I lose a pound or two, and then I reason that my weight is actually fine. I'm a mother, I like my curves, I like my body, I'm just going to maintain. But then maintenance quickly spirals into eating whatever I want, the pounds pack back on, my clothes don't fit, and then we start again.

I think a perfect world, for me, would consist of never weighing myself, and just focusing on reaching fitness goals, trying different classes, events, races, and routines, and just eating more cleanly and having a healthy lifestyle. Wouldn't that just be the ideal? It sounds so easy!

I want to just do one or the other. Decide I'm going to keep going, and be disciplined about getting there, or be honest with myself that this is an acceptable weight for me, and stop beating myself up about it. How do you decide when you're done?

Product Review: Jillian Michaels Body Revolution vs. Insanity

I know that many of us (myself included), make fitness-related goals around this time of year! I wanted to share a review for a product I've been using, Jillian Michaels Body Revolution, and compare it to the Insanity workout, which we did last year. This post was in no way sponsored by either company - I just wanted to share my experiences!

Images Via

Background
Body Revolution and Insanity are both multi-disk programs designed to last several months, which focus mainly on strength training, but also some cardio. Body Revolution is currently on Amazon for $90, and comes with 15 disks, while Insanity is $145 for 10 disks, and both have 4.5 star ratings on Amazon. They each come with an eating plan, which I did not follow for either program, so I won't comment on that part here. I believe both are designed for people who already have a moderate level of fitness and want to focus on toning - I would not consider either of these to be programs for beginners. If you're looking for a good beginner's program, I would highly recommend Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred.

Difficulty Level
Body Revolution starts out easy, and gets progressively more difficult. In fact, the first few DVDs of Body Revolution seemed downright simple. It wasn't until the day after when I could feel the burn! It was really easy for me to get in a routine and stay motivated when the initial routines weren't too challenging, but felt effective at the same time. Every two weeks you move up a level and the exercises get more difficult. I am currently on disks 9 & 10 and the workouts are HARD.

Insanity had me struggling from Day 1. In fact, my daughter walked in while my husband and I were suffering through the first day and remarked, "Um, I think this workout might be too hard for you guys." I work out fairly regularly, and consider myself to be in pretty good shape, so I thought I would be fine. For me, Insanity was hard to stick with because it was so difficult, and I ended up giving up eventually. I think I lasted about 4 weeks.

Length
Body Revolution - 30 minutes each
Insanity - 30-80 minutes each

Results and Final Opinions
While the built-in fitness test with Insanity helped prove that I was getting more and more fit, I didn't really stick with it long enough to see noticeable results. With Body Revolution, I did not see a significant amount of weight loss. Part of this, I believe, was due to the fact that I was not adjusting my eating in an attempt to lose weight, and part of it was because I was gaining muscle mass. However, I did take measurements before I started the program, and a month into it, and I had lost a cumulative FIVE inches off my thighs, hips, and waist! I could also see noticeable definition in my arms, stomach, and booty.

While I know there are many people who are true devotees to Insanity and other Beachbody products, to me the time commitment and intensity level did not suit my lifestyle. On the other hand, with a quick 30 minutes at a time and so many DVDs to choose from, I can see myself continuing to use the Body Revolution videos for many years to come.

Bottom Line
Bite the bullet - the $100 for Body Revolution is totally worth it!

Tips on Getting Fit & Healthy: Getting Started

I've spent the last 2.5 years trying to lose weight. Well, the past 20 years, honestly. But 2.5 years ago, I decided to get serious about making changes. So I thought this month, while we're all thinking about our health, I'd share with you some of the tips that have helped me lose 35 pounds so far. I'm not a nutritionist, personal trainer, or an expert of any sort, but I always love hearing from other people what works for them, so I thought I'd return the favor and talk about some of the things that have worked for me! Throughout the rest of the month, I'll share some Healthy Changes that I've made that have helped me on my personal journey.

Here are some pictures from summer 2010, and a recent one I had my husband take just for this post! I still have changes I would like to make, but I'm proud of what I've done so far. When I moved to Alaska in 2010, I was no longer fitting into my size 12 pants, and now I can easily fit into an 8, sometimes even a 6.

BEFORE:

I'm in the purple shirt, obviously

 

AFTER:

Along the way, I have tried lots of things - Family Fitness Challenges, Weight Watchers, My Fitness Pal, and just "trying to be better." Here are some of the things that worked for me. In this post I'll focus on 5 things that I had to change in the beginning - to mentally get to where I needed to me, and to be able to transition from a fairly unhealthy diet to incorporate more water, fruits, and veggies.

1. No More Excuses
I had a few excuses about why I was overweight. First, I told myself, it was really unreasonable to expect a mother of 3 kids to get to the 90-110 lbs. listed as a healthy body weight for my height. Second, pretty much every woman in my family has a fairly curvy figure, and carries some extra weight around the stomach. So... can't fight genetics, right? Third, I'm a working mom! Working moms don't have time to exercise and eat healthy! Totally unreasonable!

When I sat down and got really honest with myself, those were all just excuses. While 90-110 lbs. probably isn't all that reasonable for me, that doesn't mean that I should just add an extra 50 lbs. to that without a second thought. Will I ever weigh 100 lbs.? Probably not. But just because I'm not going to hit that target doesn't mean any other weight is equally okay. First obstacle - just an excuse. And is every woman in my family overweight? Well, no. Actually, the more I thought about, the more I realized that I was actually one of the heaviest ones. There were lots and lots of women in my family who weren't heavy. Some who were quite thin, actually. Second obstacle - just an excuse. And as for my time constraints? Mmmmmm.... I managed to waste several hours per night on the internet without feeling pressed for time. So... it's not that I didn't have the time, I just didn't want to spend it on exercising.

Other moms in my height range manage to be fit and healthy. Other moms in my family manage to be fit and healthy. And other moms that work manage to be fit and healthy. And if other moms can do it, why can't I?

That was the beginning. No more excuses, I decided. I was popping out of my size 12 pants, and not really in a financial situation to buy new ones. This was it - the moment of change. And with any successful weight loss, you have to have that moment. Confront your "reasons" for not losing weight. Are they legitimate, or are they excuses? Honestly? For many, there are legitimate health issues causing weight gain. But for most of us? That's not the case. I had to be brutally honest with myself, and make some hard decisions as a result.

2. Take Before Pictures
This is hard. No one loves to see unflattering pictures of themselves, and we tend to stay out of the way if pictures are being taken when we know we are overweight. But when you really get serious, take some before pictures. While I passionately hated the pictures I posted above, I am so glad I have them now, because it shows me how far I have come. I still take pictures every so often, just so I can see how my body is changing. Take them Biggest-Loser style, in a sports bra and shorts, and it will be so encouraging to see your waistline get smaller, your love handles disappear, and the chins vanish. If you don't have these pictures, it's easy to think, "Nothing's changing. I'm still fat. I look exactly like I did before." Because change is slow. But when I feel like that, I look at these pictures and recognize that it's not true - I do not look like this anymore, even though some days it feels like I do.

3. Train Your Body to Love Water
Notice I didn't just say "drink water." If you don't drink a lot of water regularly, it can be HARD to start. The two most common excuses I hear (and gave myself) are, "I don't like the way it tastes," and, "I would pee constantly if I drank that much water." I'm here with some good news. The more your body gets used to water, the more you will crave it, and even begin to love it. When I started drinking water, I couldn't even drink more than a few ounces without some sort of flavoring packet added to it. It tasted so nasty to me. But the more I drank, the more I wanted it. Now, two years after I started, I can honestly say that I LOVE water. I crave it. I notice when I don't drink enough of it, because gives me more energy than soda ever did. And, each time I re-commit myself to drinking water, my body goes through an adjustment period of 3-5 days where I am peeing constantly, but eventually my body adjusts. So, if you can't just down a bunch of water, take baby steps. Experiment with adding lime, lemon, orange, or cucumber slices. Buy the Crystal Lite flavor packets. Do what you need to do to START.

4. Allow yourself some fats with your fruits and veggies
I haven't been able to develop the same love for fresh fruits and veggies that I have for water, unfortunately. But I came to realize that if I added some fats to my diet with my fruits and veggies, I was a lot more likely to eat them. Ten baby carrots? Torture. Baby carrots dipped in ranch? Bring it on! Same thing with apples - every day I would pack an apple, but it would never look appealing enough to eat. Finally I brought a container of peanut butter to work, and measured out a half tablespoon at a time, and spread that over my apple as I ate it, I actually looked forward to the snack. With salads, I realized I will not eat just a plain garden salad. But I can eat cups and cups of lettuce and spinach when it's tossed with toasted, sliced almonds, Craisins, and some balsamic dressing.

The key here obviously is moderation. Going through a third cup of ranch dressing or peanut butter is going to negate the effect you're going for. But if you can add in some sort of condiment for 50-100 calories, and it makes you more likely to consume and enjoy produce, I consider that a net positive!

So those are some of the tips that I used in the beginning. I'll post later with other Healthy Changes I made, both mentally and physically. Let's wish each other willpower for our fitness goals in 2013!

Family Fitness Challenge, Part 2

Two years ago, I posted about the first round of the Fitness Challenge my family was doing. Since then, we've done several rounds, and modified it a bit. I think the round we just finished was either our fourth or fifth, and we've tweaked some things each time. So I thought I'd do another post about the changes we've made, in case anyone is interested in doing something like this with their family.

The basic set-up of the challenge has pretty much remained the same. Everyone pays in at the beginning to a Paypal account (usually $30-$40 per person, per round). Then we track daily and weekly points, and the winners at the end split the money. We've done the challenges anywhere from 7 to 10 weeks. In my opinion, 8 weeks is about perfect.

Here is how we do our Healthy Habits points:

Daily Points
*5 servings of fruits/veggies: 2 pts.
*No eating within 2 hours of bedtime: 2 pts.
*Check in with partner via call, text, or Facebook: 2 pts.
*48 oz. water: 2 pts.
*No treats: 2 pts. *You are allowed 1 SMALL treat (the size of your thumb or smaller OR 100 calories worth) per day without losing your 2 points *A treat is defined as candy, cake, cookies, chocolate, pastries, ice cream/frozen yogurt. You may have a reasonably-sized piece of cake on a family member’s birthday or wedding without it counting against your points. Whole fruit popsicles and jello are allowed and not counted as “treats.”*You are allowed one "free day" per week where you can have a treat without it counting against you
Total Daily Points Possible: 68 (10 per day, times 7 days, minus 2 for the "free" treat day)

Weekly Points
Minimum 100 min. of exercise during the week: 10 pts.
Each additional 30 minutes of exercise: 1 pt. (up to 5 additional points)
Weight loss: 1 point for each tenth of a percent of your original weight lost each week, rounded to the tenths place (so if you lost .25% of your original weight in one week, you would get 2.5 points).You can't lose the "same weight" twice, so you have to drop below your previous lowest weight in the challenge to earn weight loss points.

We have a private Facebook page set up to track points, chat, share recipes, etc. We report our points there each week, and on a spreadsheet I set up through Google Docs. At the end of the challenge, we usually have 1-3 overall winners, and 1-2 winners for just straight weight loss. This time we also had a participation prize, just for someone who tracked points all the way to the end, but wasn't one of the leaders.

I have really come to love our Family Fitness Challenges. It's fun to have the moral support of my family members, and it's a fun way to get to know family members who live far away. Not sure if I've left anything out of my description here, but if you have any questions, just leave them in the comments!

Fitness Review: Weight Watchers

Like millions of other women, I am constantly trying to lose weight. I've never been extremely obese, but always 20-30 pounds overweight. My most recent endeavor has been another try on Weight Watchers, so I thought I'd review the program for anyone who was thinking about trying it.

As most people probably know, the premise of the program is that each food has an assigned Points Value based on fat, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. You can either calculate the points yourself if you have the nutrition label handy, or they assign points for say, a flour tortilla, or a chicken breast. You are given a target point total to shoot for each day, and then you have additional "flex points" for the week, which can be evenly divided to give you more daily points, used for "splurges" occasionally, or not used at all. You can also earn Activity Points to supplement your daily points.

PROS

• It helps me prioritize my eating. I am one of those who LOVE food. Having a set amount of points, rather than restricted foods, means that I need to decide if the food I am craving is really worth the points it will use up. I either have the points, or I don't. And if something is high in points, I need to decide whether I will cut back somewhere else, or do more exercise to make up for it.
• Structure. For me it's nearly impossible to just say, "I'll eat better." This makes me track and record everything I eat, and make informed decisions about how I am going to allocate the points in my week.
• No restricted foods. I'm not wanting to give up french fries or chocolate or Chex Mix. With Weight Watchers, I can have them, I just have to be smart about the quantities of my favorite treats.
• Support network. Weight Watchers is a well-known program. At any given moment, I usually have a few friends and family members on the program, so that we can talk, exchange ideas and recipes, and support each other. There is also a HUGE amount of information online.
• Online component. I track all my food, my weekly weigh-ins, and my measurements online. This works well for someone like me who is online all the time!
• Under the newest version of their program, most fruits and vegetables are worth 0 points. This gives me an incentive to choose a healthier option, compared to something that might not be so healthy, but worth the same amount of points under the previous program.
• Diet soda is 0 points. While right now I'm trying to keep soda consumption to a minimum, I love that there's a 0 point beverage other than water.
• It's black and white. It leaves no room for emotional eating, or feeling sorry for yourself. You don't earn extra points for a crappy day at work, or a toddler temper tantrum. You can do your comfort eating, but you'll have to adjust for that down the line.

CONS

• The price. I am doing what I believe is the cheapest option, which is only tracking my points online and not attending meetings, and it is still nearly $20/month.
• Constant calculating. Breakfast and lunch are pretty easy for me, because I don't eat a really varied menu, but it's a hassle to be calculating recipes and food all the time.
• Eating out. I love eating out, but it's difficult to calculate points. For most mainstream restaurants, you can find the points values of the different foods either in the WW booklets or online somewhere. But for local places, it can be difficult to estimate the points for your meal.
• Their website, IMO, is horribly designed. I find the main website hard to navigate. I find the online tracker to be annoying, particularly the search function. Tonight I searched for "milk" and the first result was pudding made with skim milk, followed by buttermilk, followed by chocolate milk, before they finally got around to listing the points values of actual milk. This happens frequently.

 Overall, I really enjoy Weight Watchers. It helps me to be structured and accountable, while still giving me the flexibility to enjoy the favorite foods that keep me sane!

Red Robin Customizer... Awesome!!!!

So I recently started Weight Watchers, making my favorite hobby of going out to eat a lot more complicated. However, keeping little splurges like that in my life is important to me, I just want to be able to plan for it.

So we decided to head to Red Robin for dinner last night, and I looked up the nutritional value before we left. Turns out Red Robin has this AWESOME Customizer website and app where they'll give you the nutritional value of anything on the menu. But the cool part is that you can remove items, and then they'll give you revised nutritional information on your custom creation. So if you love a certain entree, but plan to order it without cheese to save on fat and calories, you can see exactly what you're saving. Or if you switch out the fries for some steamed broccoli (you know, if you're crazy), you can see how that affects the nutritional value as well.

I just about hit the roof, though, when I found out that my go-to entree at Red Robin (the BBQ Chicken Wrap), has 62 grams of fat and 1100 calories! What!?!?! It's the same amount of calories as the cheeseburger with the fried onion strips on it! I don't mind the occasional (or not-so occasional) splurge, but I have been ordering that entree for YEARS because I thought it was on the healthier side. Turns out, according to the Customizer, the cheese alone adds about 20 grams of fat. Ugh! I could have been leaving that off all along - you can't even taste it! But at least now I know.

So it turns out they have a new burger, called the Keep It Simple Burger (under "Other" on the menu, NOT under burgers), that has 570 calories and 24 grams of fat. Still not as good as staying home and eating something actually healthy, but much better than a majority of menu items there at Red Robin (and only 10 WW points compared to like 26 for the wrap!). It was delicious, I felt happy with my out-to-eat splurge, and turns out I saved a ton of fat and calories compared to the "healthier" option I usually order.

Most restaurants have their nutritional information out there somewhere on the internet, so it's always worth a look, but I just particularly loved this app and wanted to share, since it's so hard to estimate substitutions when you're out. Hope someone else can use this and likes it as much as I did!

Good Deal at Target on The Biggest Loser for the Wii!

Next time you're at Target, check to see if they have any Wii games on clearance. Ours had the older version of The Biggest Loser for $7! It was on an endcap facing the back of the store, but luckily the nice Target employee pointed it out to me when I told him I wanted to buy the newer version. Again, it is the OLDER version on clearance for $7, not the new one with the blue cover.

We had rented this version through blockbuster.com and it's pretty cool! You can choose Lower Body, Upper Body, Total Body, Abs, and Yoga. Within each of those categories there are 5 different levels, and within those 5 levels there are several different workouts that last various amounts of time. This game is truly a great workout for many different skill levels - I am in okay shape and I stay at Level 3-4. I tried Level 5 one time and couldn't even make it through the workout. The Yoga is both relaxing and toning - you can definitely feel it the next day. You also don't need any special workout equipment. They just use the resistance of your body for strength training, and it's amazingly effective.

So if you're looking for a great indoor workout, stop by your Target and see if they've got this one for $7! If not, the newer version is only $30, which I think is worth it. It's a great workout for a snowy day!

How-Tuesday! How to Get Started Running

I'm no expert runner, but maybe that's why people feel comfortable asking me how to get started. I actually consider myself an expert at getting started since I take so many breaks. :)

But here's how to do it:
1. Invest in some good gear. Two areas where it's truly worth it to spend the money is with running shoes and sports bras. If possible, go to running store near you. They won't laugh at you, I promise. Many running stores have a treadmill where you run barefoot and they get images of your stride and point you toward the appropriate shoes. Even if yours isn't so high-tech, the employees will watch you walk and tell you whether you over-pronate, under-pronate, or are just a boring normal person. Try on several different pairs, even ones that aren't so cute. But the ones that feel the best, not that are the cheapest, or the pinkest, or a brand you thought you liked. Also, invest in a heavy-duty sports bra if that's something you might need. I tend to buy shoes and sports bras at running specialty stores, and then I'm not as picky about my shirts and shorts - I'll buy those at Target, Old Navy, the running store, or wherever.

2. If your skin chafes together when you try to run, particularly on your inner thighs, you may need some Body Glide. This is kind of like vaseline in deodorant form, and you rub it on the places that chafe before you leave the house. Don't be embarrassed to buy it - most runners I know own this stuff, and it's fabulous.

3. Start with a beginning running program that combines lots of walking with minimal running and moves up from there. Many, many people get injured from starting out too fast (myself included, several times). A program that's widely used is called Couch to 5K. Couch to 5K takes you from being a non-runner to running 3.1 miles in 9 weeks. When you're done with that, set your sights even higher!

4. The best way to stay motivated is to sign up for a race, preferably with a friend. Paying the entry fee will hopefully keep you accountable! One thing I wish I'd known in the beginning is how popular walking is, for any distance from a 5K to a full marathon. I am not a fast runner by any stretch of the imagination, and I am always in the middle of the back, trailed by hundreds of slower runners, joggers, and walkers. Races aren't just for runners, and I promise you won't be last.

5. Start slowly and stay with it. Yes, the first week or so you'll feel like you want to die. But it gets better. And there's nothing more empowering than proving to yourself that you can conquer something new!

Fitness Challenge

Recently my family did a fitness challenge that worked out really well, and I wanted to share the details! It was based upon incorporating healthy habits into our daily routine, and hopefully losing a little weight along the way!

Here's a copy of our rules:
Daily Points
5 servings of fruits/veggies: 2 pts.
No eating within 2 hours of bedtime: 1 pt.
48 oz. water: 2 pts.
No treats: 2 pts. (No points on Sunday – “Free day”)
*You are allowed 1 SMALL treat (the size of your thumb or smaller) per day without losing your 2 points
*A treat is defined as candy, cake, cookies, chocolate, pastries, ice cream/frozen yogurt. You may have a reasonably-sized piece of cake on a family member’s birthday without it counting against your points. Whole fruit popsicles and jello are allowed and not counted as “treats.”
Check in with partner via call, text, or Facebook: 1 pt.

Weekly Points
Minimum 100 min. of exercise during the week: 10 pts.
Each additional 30 minutes of exercise: 1 pt. (up to 5 additional points)
Pounds lost: 10 pts. per pound
Maintain: 2 pts.

Other Points
Inches lost: 10 points per inch around the waist and hips, taken on Nov. 14th and Dec. 19th
Percentage lost: Bonus points at the end of the competition for the percentage of weight lost, 10 points for each percent

We each paid in $35, and then had winners for both Men and Women, along with a Healthy Habits winner, who was the person with the highest number of points that did not include weight loss, for some of our participants who didn't have weight loss as a primary goal.

We had a weekly tracking sheet, and then I had an Excel spreadsheet where I kept track of all the points. I've included the links to those docs at the bottom if anyone would like to download and use them, or look at them to get ideas.

One thing that we're changing with the next round is the winning. We found that pretty much everyone who wasn't a serious contender dropped out quickly. This time around we are doing two separate competitions, one for Healthy Habits and one for Weight Loss, and each of them will have a target (probably 95% of the Healthy Habits points and 10 lbs. in the weight loss challenge). Whoever meets the target splits the pot at the end. Worst case scenario is that everyone succeeds and everyone gets their money back. But really, what we really want is for more people in the family to become healthier, so that "worst case scenario" would still be pretty great.

Overall, the challenge was a great experience. I was amazed to find out for the first time how much better I felt when I drank a lot of water and ate fruits and vegetables. While I've tried to incorporate those things before, I was never able to make it stick. The best side benefit is that I was finally able to cut out drinking soda, a habit I've been trying to kick for years. It wasn't a rule of the competition, but I had to focus so much on drinking water that I didn't drink soda very much at home, and then when I finally did, it just tasted strange to me. We started the competition in October, and I've only had one soda at home since then (although I do still have it at restaurants). But we all agreed that whether or not we won money, it was a good experience, and everyone was happy they participated.

I lost more weight consistently doing this challenge than I have ever had with anything else, including Weight Watchers. And I can honestly say I was hardly ever hungry, trying to get in all the fruits, veggies, and water. It was a very fun and relatively painless way to lose weight, and I'm excited to start the next round!

Anyway, I know there are a lot of people out there with fitness resolutions for New Years, so I thought I'd throw this out there and hopefully someone else will give it a try!

Google Docs:
Weekly Participant Tracking Sheet

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sDewyekzZckE1rpqZUpNdHDIUwkUVMEnBcp6ZuBFv6w/edit?hl=en#

Rules Sheet

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18_X7Hxgb_AA_7iJMdUu34ElNKbDc4i-bH9Y6XY0pupQ/edit?hl=en#

Administrator Tracking Sheet
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Atb5sVLgHJk4dGJ2MmdwRWNqeEZZYm85TmFUbFJEWmc&hl=en#gid=0