Showing posts with label Annivesary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Annivesary. Show all posts

And the winner of the Go Sport ID is...


And the winner is:  Marathon Sweetheart who was the second comment in the Go Sport ID giveaway!! Congrats, Brittny - - I know you'll put this to good use!  For those of you who are looking for some inspiration, you should check out Brittny's blog.  She went from overweight and unfit to being a marathon runner WHILE she's studying to be a doctor and is an ambassador for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  This girl is amazing! : )

More giveaways through the remainder of this Awesome August, friends, so don't be disheartened if you didn't win the Go Sport ID!  And, by the way, the Go Sport IDs start for under $20 so they're a really good investment for your own personal health and safety and, if you're like me, peace of mind while out and about!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

PS: If you ever need a random number generated for a giveaway or whatever... I used random.org - so easy! 

Go Sport ID Giveaway ~ Be Safe When You Sweat! :)

I have been so fortunate to meet many really inspiring people along this weight loss and fitness journey.  Kase at Go Sport ID and I have become Twitter friends and it has been great fun to support them in the launch of their business. Please check out the newly launched Go Sport ID website for all of their products.  I am so excited to offer one Healthy Loser Gal blog reader the chance to own this great Go Sport ID in this anniversary giveaway!

As a person who lives alone, I really feel much more secure when I'm out walking or hiking or biking now because I'm wearing one of the Go Sport IDs.  It has my personal info on the inside of the ID (says I'm asthmatic, who to call in emergency, my hospital name) as well as my name and a motivational mantra on the front.  You can actually design it with whatever you would like on the front or back within the constraints of the space allowed.   

The colorful bands allow you to switch up the Go Sport ID to whatever you're wearing as it is very stylish and you could actually wear it all the time if you chose.  One of the things that I like about it, too, is that it is light... it doesn't feel heavy on your wrist when you're exercising.  You don't really notice it is there and, because the band is silicone it is durable and can take your sweat! lol

So how do you win this great giveaway? You 1) leave me a comment below to let me know you're interested  and 2) you follow Go Sport ID on Facebook or Twitter.  That is it! :) 
Thanks for your support on my weight loss and fitness journey, friends!  This weekend and next week there will be giveaways galore, so be sure to check back in on the blog!

Here's to our health!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

Two Year Anniversary Giveaway Wrap-Up

Looking for the HealthyLoserGal Two Year Anniversary Giveaways?? Click on the links below for each individual giveaway and enter all or one! : )  Tonight (Thursday, March 31st) after 11pm the winners will be posted here!

Chris Freytag's CHOOSE THIS! Cookbook full of healthy and simple recipes



Beautiful note cards from Love,MegCards perfect for writing gratitude notes and a journal for keeping track of your goals...

The Natural Vegan Kitchen cookbook


The Biggest Loser DESSERT Cookbook

Cold morning. Warm Coach's Oats. Life Is Good! Anniversary Giveaway #5


I don't know about you and where you live, but we New Englanders have had enough of winter!  It is "spring" officially and yet - on Friday - we're in for more snow. Like half a foot of the white stuff. "Snow" has officially become a four-letter word around here.  But I have to tell you, one thing I'm not tired of that is new to me this winter, is oatmeal and the benefits of it.  I have been a creative fool with the stuff this long, cold winter - in particular, with Coach's Oats! 

As the folks at Coach's Oats will tell you themselves, they have reinvented oatmeal! Their oats have steel cut texture and taste without the wait. Coach's Oats cooks in 3 to 5 minutes and for working gals like me, the little packets slip easily into your laptop bag or purse for breakfast at the office!  And they're delicious! I mix mine with berries or sometimes just add honey and voila! low-fat-happy-belly goodness... All good!  : )
Coach's Oats is celebrating my 2nd year anniversary with me and have been so generous in offering the first four people who comment on this blog post and follow them on Facebook free samples of their delcious oats.  Simply leave a comment here, follow Coach's Oats on FB, and then send me your email address (my email addy is in the right handed column on Healthy Loser Gal  blog)!  So easy, huh? 

Thanks to Lizzy at Coach's Oats for offering the giveaway!  She is an inspiration herself and so much fun on Twitter! :)

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan ~ HealthyLoserGal

Friendship Cards & Dream Journal: Anniversary Giveaway #4

Two years into this journey, there are two things I truly believe have been key to getting me to where I am today: a happier, healthier person who believes in myself!   The first is that you have to have concrete GOALS and write them down in order to accomplish great things.  I wrote about the differences between a wish and a goal back in November and how goals help you concentrate, plan, envision yourself where you want to be... wishes are 'pie in the sky' dreams that usually don't get concrete attention!  

The second thing is just important... you have to have a grateful heart.  Out of gratitude comes positive expression and positive feelings and positive actions and on and on and on.  Being grateful is saying to yourself or someone else "That was really good. Thank you."  or "I'm so glad to know you." or any simple expression of appreciation and love.  Gratitude doesn't need to be flowers sent or jewelry bought or trips given, sometimes the purest form of gratitude can be found in the written word.  Written cards and notes, expression of gratitude can be held onto by the recipient, tucked away in a drawer or a book for a moment when they NEED to feel appreciated.  They open your card or letter and they feel your gratitude and - in that moment - they experience your gratitude a second time. 
I'm really hoping you'll take both journaling and note writing to heart - one helps you be the person you want to be and the other expresses gratitude to someone in your life.  I've coupled a journal and wonderful hand-made note papers by Love, Meg Cards as the 4th Giveaway for this #hlg2Year anniversary giveaway.  Love, Meg Greeting Cards are handcrafted greeting cards, personalized invitations, announcements, scrapbooking and paper craft home decor. The cards that Meg has offered are sooo whimsical and cute - a perfect way to bring a smile to someone's face who receives your note! ; ) 

The journal is small enough to fit easily in a purse or laptop or iPad bag so when inspiration strikes, you can pull it out and go to town on your goals and aspirations... write them down - that is the power of setting goals! : )

If you'd like to be entered in the Love,Meg Cards and journal giveaway then you will only need to:


1) Follow the HealthyLoserGal blog
2) If you're on Twitter or Facebook, follow me in one or both places (I'm @HealthyLoserGal on Twitter and "HealthyLoser Gal" on Facebook)
3) For every giveaway you are entering this week, tweet or post on FB about the #hlg2year giveaways with a link back to healthylosergal.blogspot.com
4) Tell me in the HLG blog comments that you'd like to receive these beautiful cards and the journal and ...Voila! You're entered! :)

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan ~ HealthyLoserGal

Chris Freytag's CHOOSE THIS! Cookbook: Anniversary Giveaway #3

I should be President of the Chris Freytag Fan Club.  Truly.  She is an inspiration in so many ways to me.  First of all - okay - there's the fact that this woman is FIT... have you ever tried to keep up with 10 minutes of this dynamo on ExerciseTV or on one of her DVDs?  Good lord - this Mom of teenagers ROCKS it!  : )

Her yoga dvds are AMAZING.  I do not know how anyone gets into the mind set to do 20 plus minutes of intense (is that wrong to say about yoga... my terminology may be wrong but I hope you know what I mean here...) advanced moves yoga.  But Chris does them, and talks through every move, demonstrating them with a smile on her face! 

Then there is the fact that she is a healthy eater and knows about being busy and having a family and a career.  And now... now she's on QVC often with great tools of the healthy living trade as well as this fabulous cookbook that offers us simple, easy nutritious and DELICIOUS food!  CHOOSE THIS! is a great cookbook and I am thrilled that Chris has offered to send one to the lucky giveaway winner! :)

Click to enlarge - delicious SORBET!
 I love this cookbook - I got it and sat down and read it cover to cover.  Beautifully shot - with the two most important things to me in a good cookbook:  1) nutritional info and 2) easy quick recipes... plus there are little bits scattered throughout that give you insights into Chris and the cool person she is! :) 


Chris can be found on Twitter and Facebook, too, if you'd like to follow her in either place.  She is inspirational, a motivator and a really nice person! :) 

If you'd like to be entered in the CHOOSE THIS! cookbook giveaway (and who wouldn't?!) then you will need to:

1) Follow the HealthyLoserGal blog
2) If you're on Twitter or Facebook, follow me in one or both places (I'm @HealthyLoserGal on Twitter and "HealthyLoser Gal" on Facebook)
3) For every giveaway you are entering this week, tweet or post on FB about the #hlg2year giveaways with a link back to healthylosergal.blogspot.com
4) Tell me in the HLG blog comments why you'd enjoy this cookbook and Voila! You're entered! :)

Good luck, friends... this is an awesome cookbook that I love and I think you will, too! :)
DREAM. BELIEVE. ACHIEVE.
Jan ~ HealthyLoserGal : )

The Natural Vegan Kitchen Cookbook! Anniversary Giveaway #2

When Rick Diamond of Book Publishing Company approached me on Twitter about reviewing vegan books on the blog I thought he may have the wrong gal!  "I'm not vegan," I thought to myself, "heck, I'm not even vegetarian!".  And then I went to his site... and looked at the amazing books he's offering ... and I realized I'm a LOT more into veggies and healthy eating/cooking than I give myself credit for! :)  These simple to follow, fully explained (to the point of a glossary in the back of the book for newbies like me who don't know all the terminology yet!) recipes are all nutritionally broken down and look AMAZING!
I've had over a month to delight in the two vegan cookbooks I'll be offering during the HLG anniversary.  

The first, The Natural Vegan Kitchen, "weaves wholesome, unprocessed foods into dishes so delectable you won’t believe they’re good for you. From nourishing comfort food to elegant celebration fare, these recipes are easy-to-understand and duplicate."  So true!

Click on the pic to enlarge
The Natural Vegan Kitchen author is Christine Waltermyer who runs an East coast Natural Kitchen Cooking School.  Her talents are sung in the Foreward by Rory Freedman, author the The Skinny Bitch who freely admits eating at Burger King used to be her style of life.  No more with Christine's inspiration! : )

Click on the pic to enlarge
In the past year, especially, I have found myself turning more and more to whole foods, natural foods without preservatives or additives.  (Plus, I am a firm believer in the Farm Fresh and Buying Local movements having grown up in rural New York state and knowing small farmers' struggles to stay in business!) I know that this little change in fresh and raw foods has helped my health and vitality.  This cookbook will continue me on the journey with inspiring new ways to 'put things together' that I had never thought about and enjoy the delicious, healthy outcomes! I hope it will give you the same inspiration! : )  I'll share the photos here and let you know what recipes I make from the vegan cookbooks, especially on "Meatless Mondays".

Thanks very much to BookPubCo for offering the cookbooks to HealthyLoserGal blog readers during the Anniversary celebration!

Rules for all the giveaways this week:


1) Follow HealthyLoserGal blog (and if you're entering the giveaway for The Natural Vegan Kitchen, please follow BookPubCo on Facebook or @Rick_Diamond on Twitter)
2) If you're on Twitter or Facebook, follow me in one or both places (I'm @HealthyLoserGal on Twitter and "HealthyLoser Gal" on Facebook, plus have the "Healthy Loser Gal" page there, too!)

3) For every giveaway you are entering, tweet about the #hlg2year giveaways with a link back to healthylosergal.blogspot.com
4) Tell me in the comments why you'd enjoy this cookbook and Voila! You're entered! :)

Click the pic to enlarge


You can enter in all the giveaways this month, but you can only be awarded one. All the separate giveaway winners will be announced on March 31st in a separate post here and it is up to you to get back to me at healthylosergal@yahoo.com by April 6th with your mailing address, etc. : )

Here's to our health & fitness, friends!
Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

I'm proud to be a LOSER! Anniversary Giveaway #1


I am really excited to be able to pass along to you guys - readers of the journey I've been on the past two years now - some great ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAYS this week. 

If you follow me on Twitter (thank you to those of you who do!!), then you know on Tuesday nights between 8-10pm EST you can usually find me tweeting away about the current season of The Biggest Loser.  I know there are plenty of divergent opinions about the show but I unabashedly like and watch it! Some weeks I'll take 30 minutes aside and do step aerobics on the WiiFit during the show so I don't feel too guilty for sitting on my backside while watching their challenges!  :) 

Click to enlarge for Hollie Self's words of advice :)

I've been really fortunate to connect with a few of the past contestants and see they're doing amazingly well "off the ranch" and THAT inspires me all the more.  Over the years, two women from the show have been "my favorites" and they are Hollie Self from Season 4 and Tara Costa from Season 7. I interviewed Hollie on this blog last May and know that today she was running a race in California!  I'm excited to let you know, too, that part of the HLG 2nd Anniversary celebration these next 10 days includes an interview with Tara Costa - who has begun her own foundation to inspire others to live a healthy, active life!   

Comfort food AND healthy! Brown Rice Pudding!

So the first giveaway this week is Chef Devin Alexander's wonderful The Biggest Loser Dessert Cookbook.  My son gave me my copy for Christmas and inscribed the inside with "For Mom, my favorite loser and great chef!" *grin*  I've since made probably six or seven of the desserts and they are 1) easy to make 2) DELICIOUS and 3) low in calories and fat grams.  I love cookbooks that tell you the nutritional info on what you're cooking and this one has that, too! 

Rules for all the giveaways this week:
1) Follow HealthyLoserGal blog
2) If you're on Twitter or Facebook, follow me in one or both places (I'm @HealthyLoserGal on Twitter and "HealthyLoser Gal" on Facebook, plus have the "Healthy Loser Gal" page there, too!)
3) For every giveaway you are entering, tweet about the #hlg2year giveaways with a link back to healthylosergal.blogspot.com
4) Tell me in the comments why you'd enjoy this cookbook and Voila! You're entered! :)

You can enter in all the giveaways this month, but you can only be awarded one. All the separate giveaway winners will be announced on March 31st in a separate post here and it is up to you to get back to me at healthylosergal@yahoo.com by April 6th with your mailing address, etc.  : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Happy 2nd "Dream. Believe. Achieve!" to Me!!! :)


Two years ago, absolutely miserable with who I was, I finally made a COMMITMENT to myself.  I couldn't hide the real me beneath any more outward weight, I wouldn't face disappointments with a pizza box on my lap, ready to be consumed with little thought to how it tasted...

Two years ago, I prayed and asked God to help me find the strength to change the path I was on and help me reclaim "me". 

April 2009 having lost 20 lbs.

God answered my prayers and now, two years later, I can same "I am BLESSED! Sooo very blessed."  Because no matter what other turmoil or drama may encircle me these days, I am solid in knowing I will not turn to food for comfort.  Instead, I'll take a deep breath, remember the lessons I've learned these past months about "calories in and calories out", know that I am strong enough to face anything and get through it without placating myself, my anxieties with food.

I have learned now to turn to friends (often you - my blog, Twitter, and Facebook friends!), to toss on my sweats and hit the YMCA, pop in an exercise DVD, tune into ExerciseTV and find Chris Freytag, or to get out of the house for a long walk. 

This is what I wrote on March 20th, 2009:

Time to become accountable...

Posted by HealthyLoserGal at Friday, March 20, 2009 comments (0)


"I am worth the effort" I say to myself over and over inside my mind. "I am worth it... I can do this... I *WILL* do this...", I repeat in mantra-like reply.


But I haven't been 'doing this' and I continue to start and then stop... self-sabotaging. I mean, what the heck AM I doing? I am closer to 300 lbs. than 200 lbs. And I should not even be near to 200 lbs. But here I am. That's the reality.
I'm 'doing it' and I know - if I can - you can, too!  Since March 2009, I have lost 116 pounds.  I've kept 50 pounds off successfully for over one year and I'm not done yet! : )  My goal now is to get to a healthy, maintainable weight of 160 pounds sometime this summer, hopefully by 4th of July weekend.  I believe in myself, in what I've learned in the past year on the Vtrim Online program, and in the exercise routines that are no longer frightening but second nature.  Who EVER would have thought I would say THAT!?  : )


Dec 2010 - 115 lbs gone!
 So, friends... the coming 10 days of March are my thank you to you for being here with me on the journey.  For confiding in me when you're feeling 'up against the wall' and like you'll never lose the weight:  you will.  For being here for me when I felt overwhelmed or saw the scale dip up instead of down - - for not letting me get too excited about magazine stories and interviews and bringing me down to earth that - 'makeover is great, but maintenance is the real work'...

I'm still only a toddler on this weight loss and fitness journey, but I'm finding my legs, wobbly though they may be from time to time, I'm learning! 


Giveaways start TOMORROW (Sunday, March 20th!)!! 
Don't miss a day between March 20th and 30th to enter the giveaways!

One year later... look at the difference!

One year ago I blogged that it was time for me to 'become accountable to myself'! Exactly a year ago I wrote:
"I am worth the effort" I say to myself over and over inside my mind. "I am worth it... I can do this... I *WILL* do this...", I repeat in mantra-like reply. But I haven't been 'doing this' and I continue to start and then stop... self-sabotaging. I mean, what the heck AM I doing? I am closer to 300 lbs. than 200 lbs. And I should not even be near to 200 lbs. But here I am. That's the reality.
That's no longer my reality.  I've gone through a full year of working toward being the Healthy Loser Gal I want to become... and I'm soooo much healthier now than I was a year ago when even walking up a flight of stairs would have winded me.  I'll write much more later tonight but - for now - I wanted to post a few photos of "Then" and "Now" (not Before and After... kind of Before and Half-way There...). 

Thank you, my friends, for all your encouragement!  I am so grateful for your friendly tweets - your honesty in your own ups & downs so I could be honest in return when I felt awful and fell off my plan in a big, bad, dramatic way. lol I *know* I would not be 60+ pounds lighter today if I hadn't connected with all of you here while I've poured out my heart (along with pouring the Pepsi down the drain!) and accomplished what I have.  Thank you!!

And... you know what?  Damn, I'm proud of myself today! *grin* And here's the really cool thing - if *I* can do this... YOU can do this!

Dream.
Believe.
Work.
Achieve.

Big hugs from me to you~
HealthyLoserGal / Jan