Healthy & Fit Challenge: Week 11 (WOW!) Check-in

I was so happy today to be able to give away five $25 gift cards to Sephora courtesy of the fine folks at SlimFast who wanted to reward the challengers hard work and dedication to wellness and fitness.  (By the way, if you were one of the seven getting the Slim Fast coupons, you need to send me your mailing address, please...)  Congrats to Andrea, Jessica, Dani, Samantha, and Tiffany - - I'm so happy for you to receive the gift cards but MORESO for you all sticking it out for the 90 (well, 78 to date) Day Challenge!  Be proud of your accomplishments!  Others are sticking in there with you - and we should ALL be proud of how well we've done.

Let's finish STRONG!

Check in by leaving a Comment and, as we move closer to the big holidays, let's support one another to keep working out and mindfully eating and logging our food.  All those nibbles of cookies and candies can really add up and sabotage your good work, so if you bite it, write it! :)

In the next eleven days there are two final giveaways... both are great ones.  If you are vegetarian or enjoy vegetarian foods, please let me know in the comments this week!

Here's to our health and our dedication, friends!

Dream.
Believe.
Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Gift of Fitness & Health Challenge: Week 10 Check-In

Can you believe it?! Here we are in Week 10 of the challenge... only 19 days left, my friends!  Give yourself some love for hanging in!  How are you doing? I am so darn impressed with you who have stuck it through all these weeks.  I know some have fell off and then rejoined and I think that is so great... don't give up.  Keep believing in yourself and get back on the plan and go-baby-go!  Together we can finish stong! 

So how has this past week been for you?  How has the overall Gift of Fitness and Health 90 Day challenge been for your fitness and /or weight goals?  Have you been supported by others in your life or through the blog or on Twitter and Facebook?  Let's hear how you're doing in Comments!

xo

Dream... Believe... Achieve!
Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

Revisiting Slim-Fast... 'cause sometimes you're just too darn busy!

I have been really a bit crazed in the past three weeks or so.  Life is not 'out of control', but life right now is REALLY REALLY busy!  And in one of those indisputable 'law of attraction' moments in my life, the nice folks at Slim-Fast contacted me asking me if I'd like to try their newly formulated products.  Hmmmmm....

I hesitated to accept at first.  I mean, I am all about whole foods and eating local fresh foods and eating healthy!  When I was relearning how to eat last year through the Vtrim Online I remember one of the changes they encouraged in our behaviors was 'don't drink your calories', so accepting Slim-Fast's generous offer didn't feel like a fit to me.

But then life stepped in.  And I realized that I am going to have to move from the town I've been living in for the past 20 years (my choice for financial reasons) and started working hard to move toward that goal.  I began having less and less free time (more on this later in a separate blog post) and began to skip meals and - worse - much worse - began to then be starving hungry by the time I'd finally get home and would eat like a maniac.  THAT is when I revisited the email offer from Slim-Fast and accepted their offer to send me product. (And wait 'til you read on and see how incredibly generous they are not just to me, but to YOU, too!!)



Click to enlarge to see label



Guess what - the old Slim-Fast I remember from when I was in my early 30s (no, I'm NOT saying how long ago that was...lol!) is replaced with this great tasting Slim-Fast in their way cool redesigned bottle.  And - as it claims - it really does leave you feeling full for 3+ hours!  That surprised the heck out of me.  I've tried both the Strawberries 'n Cream and the Creamy Milk Chocolate shakes and both taste great. I remembered the Slim-Fast shakes as having an after-taste but that is long gone.  And the new design on the bottles makes them so easy to pop into your frig and then grab on-the-go. 

If you've been part of the 90 Day Challenge to Health & Fitness, and you've stuck in there and are in the final 30 day stretch with me, I've got a great surprise and giveaway for you, thanks to the folks at Slim-Fast.  They want to reward your dedication for committing to be healthy and fit and have offered me coupons for Slim-Fast product to give to you.  ADDITIONALLY, they've given me a limited number of Sephora gift cards to send to #hlgFitGift challengers who have stayed with the challenge. All you need to do is follow @SlimFast on Twitter or on Facebook and let me know by commenting that you'd like to receive the coupons to try Slim-Fast. If you're already a Slim-Fast fan, I'd like to hear that, too! I'll contact you directly about the Sephora giveaway from Slim-Fast. : )

THANK YOU for being a part of the 90 Day Challenge and hanging in here.  There are still more giveaways coming in this last home stretch. : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

Gift of Fitness Challenge: Week 8 Check-in

Simply put:  We're halfway through the challenge... we have 7 weeks left to our December 24th end date. 

Where are you on your journey for this challenge?  What have you learned about yourself?  How have you changed your habits?  What obstacles have you conquered and what do you still struggle with?  Have you asked others for help?  Have you offered help to others along the way?  Check-in through COMMENTS on how you're doing! :)

Dream.
Believe.
Achieve.

Jan/HealthyLoserGal

Halfway up the mountain! Gift of Fitness Challenge: Week 7 Check-in!

Have you ever gone rock or mountain climbing and you get halfway up to the peak and you look down?  And you stop a moment and think to yourself "Oh, I have climbed halfway, that is really great... I didn't think I would get this far.  Look down there at the base... I could climb down now and still be satisfied... and safe because I know I'll get down there without any difficulties."

Or you can keep climbing up!  You can dig in your heels and plant your feet and reach for your goals and CLIMB to the top... go for the finish... especially when the end is in site.  Does it get easier in the second half of a journey?  Not always.  You may have trained yourself and conditioned yourself during the first half to expect certain obstacles and overcome them.  But, in my experience, there is always something new that will pop up to challenge you, to allow you to test yourself and feel that thrill of reaching a once out-of-site goal.

Let's do this!  Let's finish the rest of this challenge strong and on target.  Remember to write down your goals... revise them if you feel that will help you... believe in yourself... journal your activities and food daily... plan your meals and snacks and exercise... don't waiver from your belief in your own abilities and CELEBRATE every single achievement, large or small.  Every ounce of energy you put into this challenge of fitness and health will come back to you in unmeasurable ways.  You may see 'measurable' results on the scale or the tape measure or in besting personal fitness goals, but you can't see the internal pride you'll feel by keeping promises to yourself.

I'm rooting for you, friends.  And I'm rooting for myself, too.  Let's keep supporting each other and hit the second half of this challenge full throttle! : )

Check-in here for WEEK 7 through the comments... I want to hear your accomplishments and challenges and will be rewarding those of you climbing, stretching, challenging yourself to reach your own goals!

Dream.
Believe.
Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Gift of Fitness Challenge: Week 6 Check-In

Apologies for getting the check-in posted a day late.  I didn't have any power at my home from Saturday night until last night (Monday) due to the freak Nor`easter than blanketed New England with snow and then with fallen trees and power lines!  I did a little happy dance and yelled out 'woohooo!' when the power was restored last night.  I think sleeping in a room that is below 50 degrees is not exactly my cup of tea.  At one point I wondered how many calories I was burning from shivering! ; )

So we're into week six now.  I'm down 8 pounds since the challenge began which I'm happy with.  I know other challengers are doing incredible on their goals and have far exceeded my 8 lbs.  But we need to remember this isn't a competition against one another but a challenge to meet our own expectations and goals that we've set.  And it isn't all about weight loss, fitness is key, too. 

Are you walking, moving, biking, Wii'ing (lol...sounds funny that way, huh?) so you can Move It to Lose It? Check-in below and let me know how you're doing... remember there are incentives coming up for those of you who keep up with the challenge and continue to check in and support and encourage one another.  Also, friends... if you're struggling -- shout out to us and let me and others know you need support.  There is power in numbers.

Here's to our health!

Dream.
Believe.
Achieve!

Jan/HealthyLoserGal

Be Proud of Your Accomplishments!

Does anyone else love the movie "What About Bob?" with Bill Murray?  If you recall the movie, Bob (played by Murray) has many phobias, one is leaving his house... so Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfus) teaches him how to "baby step" to overcome his fears.

Not such bad advice!

I am really so impressed by how far each one of us can come if we just believe in our own selves!  Pushing aside those negative "inside your head tapes" of "I'll never be able to run" or "I can't walk a 5k... am I kidding!?" or "I used to love to play tennis, but I am not in good shape anymore!" and replacing them with "I'm going to run a 5k by year's end" and "I know I can make it to the end of the block without stopping" can help us achieve our goals.

I know I say this a lot but BELIEVE in yourself.  Set a goal for yourself and then Believe you can do what you set out to do.  Don't allow negativity to enter your mind.  Work toward your goal with 'baby steps' and soon, you're going to be so proud of yourself because you will have ACHIEVED your goal!!

Here is a tweet from @suzyscrapbook today on Twitter that illustrates just this:  Running 2mi today I was frustrated that I stopped to walk. Two months ago I couldn't even run for 5min w/o stopping. Progress! #hlgFitGift 

I'm so impressed!  And I know that Eucerin would want YOU, Leslie,  to have the giveaway set of Eucerin Everyday Protection Body Lotion with spf 15 and the Everyday Face Lotion with spf 30 so you can continue your outdoor activities and achieve your goals!  They sent me the same products to use and review this summer and I think they're fantastic!  Eucerin believes in putting the health of your skin first before we head outside. This is a little tiny reward for achieving a goal you'd set for yourself during our 90 Day Gift of Fitness & Health Challenge!  Congrats, friend! :)


Dream! Believe! Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Gift of Fitness & Health Challenge: Week 5 Check-in

Are we having fun yet? : )  This week, in addition to checking in, I'd love to hear if you've been doing anything OUTSIDE that you hadn't done before?  Have you been outside and walking for fitness?  Have you been biking or hiking or roller blading or anything else that has kept your activity up OUT OF DOORS?  Let me know!

And I have been struggling with food this weekend - - - unfortunately there was a ton of food left over from the birthday party I held for my Mom's 85th birthday and I ended up bringing some of it home with me.  (Believe me, I gave away all that I could!)  I should have just tossed it all because I have been nibbling here and there and - - I *cannot* nibble.  Once I get the taste of sweets and know there are more in the house (not candy - - sweets like desserts), then I want more... and MORE!   I'm purging the kitchen tomorrow night (garbage night in town) when I get home from work to get rid of what I don't take to the office in the morning! 

Usually what I do when I feel like I'm going to start eating uncontrolled is go for a walk... but having a need to walk in the late evening when it is pitch black out isn't good!  So I need to come up with an alternative... any suggestions?

Looking forward to reading your comments to see how you're all doing!  Let's make week 5 a really awesome week and keep the momentum going!!  We are SO worth it! : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

Gift of Fitness Challenge: Conair Weight Watchers Scale Winner...

Can I just tell you that when Conair sent me my scale to review I was thrilled! This baby does EVERYTHING and is so darn stylish compared to my old Weight Watchers plain old white scale.  The Conair "Glass Body Analysis Scale" measures not only weight but body fat, body water (this is huge for me because I retain water big time apparently!), bone mass and BMI!  In ONE scale.  Plus it has 4 user memory, a 400 pound capacity, and this cool blue LCD backlight readout!  And that Conair and Weight Watchers agreed to give a second one away (this is their top of the line scale!) to a 90 Day Challenge participant, well, that made it all the sweeter! 

I am soooo impressed by how much everyone is supporting and encouraging one another and how much you all have been checking in.  We don't have to be perfect on this challenge, friends... we just need to be making progress! And we certainly are!  Challengers have lost 1.2 lbs in a week to 10 lbs. over the full nearly four weeks.  Friends are doing activities that they haven't done in years and journaling food, watching portions, reaching out to friends to join them in walks or bike rides or gym trips!  I am really thrilled for everyone.  If you haven't been completely on plan, that is okay... we have two months left.  Start fresh... four days of exercise, journaling, trying new activities, drinking your water, and checking in here and on Twitter and Facebook to support one another.

In reviewing the blog and Facebook and Twitter, I felt that nine ladies really have stood out as far as checking in these past weeks.  Jess Bentley, Pam Schill, Samantha Crowl, Leslie Burnett (Suzi Scrapbook), LilyFluffbottom, Shannon (Augmented Gem), Tiffany Miller (MrsMilli1207), and Melanie Cardell (ff12a)... you ladies ROCK at posting about how you're doing, celebrating successes and challenges, and supporting friends in #hlgFitGift Gift of Fitness & Health Challenge.

And now... without further delay... I put 1-9 into the random number generator and....

Melanie is the winner!!  Congratulations, friend!  I'm really excited for you.  Send me your address on Twitter in DM, would you? Or email me (email is in right column) your info and I'll pass it along to the Conair folks and your scale will be off to you!

Now... if your heart was set on winning the scale, don't despair... prizes, incentives, giveaways in the next four weeks include Sephora Gift Certificates, Slim Fast's new products (they're great, by the way... blog post coming about them!), Eucerin Everyday Protection skin lotion, cookbooks and more! 

I'm so glad to get to know you all a little better during the 90 Day challenge and am just so excited by all the great results both in non-scale victories (i.e., fitting into those jeans you have been wanting to or trying a new class at the gym) and great victories in weight loss and feeling better about yourself overall.  It is wonderful to make a goal and stick to it and see results, isn't it? : )

Dream.
Believe.
Achieve.
Oh yeah, and work hard! ; ) (Then Achieve those dreams!)

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Gift of Fitness Challenge Check-In: Week 4

So how are you doing after three full weeks?  Are you feeling motivated?  What have your non-scale victories (NSVs) been?  What are your challenges to staying on track? 

I'm SO impressed with how you're encouraging one another on the blog and Facebook.  My friends, you are the best!  Believe in yourself and your own abilities every bit as much as you encourage one another!

Dream.

Believe.

Work hard.

Achieve!

Jan/HealthyLoserGal

Gift of Fitness Challenge Check-in: Week #2

Lots of activity on Twitter with #hlgFitGift tweets and it is wonderful to see everyone supporting one another through the good and the difficult!  Thank you for checking in here on the blog, too... let's keep the momentum going and keep commenting below because not everyone is on Twitter and/or Facebook... some of our friends just check in through the blog so let's encourage one another here, too! (And remember there is a GREAT Conair Weight Watchers scale for one person up for grabs... if you're checking in often, you are in the running!)

If you didn't have a great week last week, don't you dare give up!  We've got a long challenge ahead and giving up is not an option.  You don't give up on your family, your kids, your friends in need, do you?  I *know* you don't... then you shouldn't be giving up on your own goals of getting healthy and fit.  I *know* it feels overwhelming sometimes and that pint of Ben & Jerry's is much more familiar than 30 minutes on the treadmill, but guess what?  You signed up for this challenge because you know you need to kick it up a notch (or twenty notches!) and begin to make small steps to feel better about who you are and where you're going.  You *can* do this! :)

I want to live a longer, healthier life.  I want the same for you and this Gift of Fitness and Health Challenge is easy-peasy if you keep a positive outlook and say to yourself that you're worth it and NOTHING is going to stop you.  Not even yourself.  This second week is often a time when you can almost see the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other.  The devil whispers "You've done so well, you can reward yourself with pizza and wings!".  The angel whispers, "You've done so well, let's keep it up and make this a habit, you'll feel soooo great about yourself!".  You're the only one who can make that choice of who to listen to! ; )

You don't need to be perfect.  No one is!  So this can be our motto of the week (along with "Make Results, Not Excuses")...

Progress Not Perfection

High five to you for committing to yourself!

Dream. Believe. (Work hard!) Achieve!
Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

Make RESULTS, Not Excuses!

I absolutely have a crush on Dolvett Quince, the new trainer from Atlanta on Biggest Loser Season 12.  I mean, c'mon! Have you seen the man training people on the Red Team?  Have you checked out those abs and that smile?

To me, though, the most charming thing about this guy is his personality and inspiration.  I am lucky to have sought him out on Twitter a few weeks ago before he had 20K+ followers and tweeted with him a little bit, so today I tweeted and asked him for his okay to use his great quote from last night's show... see below!

So there you go, friends!  We have a theme for the 90 Day Gift of Fitness & Health Challenge.  When you're feeling like you're too tired, don't want to get out of bed to walk or run, don't want to eat healthy when the fast food drive-in is on your way home, think of this:  "Make RESULTS, not excuses!!" 

We CAN do this!

Dream.

Believe.

Work Hard.

Achieve!

Jan/HealthyLoserGal

Gift of Fitness Challenge Check-In: Week #1

Sometimes the first week of the challenge can be the easiest (because we're all fired up to make changes) or the worst (because we're pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones), so no matter which it is for you, let's support one another by using the Comments section to check in. 

How are you doing?  What changes are you making?  What are you learning that you can share with other challengers?

Dream.
Believe.
Work hard.
Achieve.

We CAN do this, friends!  Nothing is in our way but ourselves! :)