Crystal Light Giveaway!

I have been remiss in thanking Crystal Light for the oh-so-fun package that arrived after I was named a finalist in the #SqueezeATweet contest where you had to squeeze a soap opera tweet and mention the new Crystal Light liquid flavors in 140 characters!  Was so fun to come up with a tweet and be one of the finalists!

I received three new Crystal Light flavors which are meant to be added to your water.  I won't use them so thought - if anyone would like to enter a weekend giveaway drawing - I'll send them off to three blog readers!

flavors are:
Mango Passionfruit
Blueberry Raspberry
Strawberry Lemonade

If you would like to be entered in the HealthyLoserGal giveaway (to be drawn on Monday, 8/19) please do the following:

1) Leave a comment with your top choice, your second choice and your third choice here on the blog
2) Follow @HealthyLoserGal on Twitter and Facebook
3) Post the following on Twitter and Facebook: "I've entered @HealthyLoserGal's #giveaway for @CrystalLight liquid on her blog. Check it out & join in at www.healthylosergal.com"

I'll announce the winners on Monday and will need your email address to get in touch with you should you win!  You can send me an email with your email addy to healthylosergal@yahoo.com.

That's all there is to it!  Enjoy your weekend and good luck!

Here's to our health!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal 

In pursuit of personal forgiveness...

I have so much to say this evening but know I don't have the time to blog EVERYTHING I want to tell you, so - for this evening - let me break the barrier of having been away and the extreme guilt of that and ask for you all to forgive my absence.  The last month to six weeks has been extremely hard for me on many personal levels and I have - I believe - finally, this past weekend, found my footing again, reclaimed my balance and am ready to forgive my own failings, accept I don't always make the best choices, and move on.  More on this later this week - possibly tomorrow night.

But... meanwhile... this evening, I want to introduce you to a site that approached me in the beginning of March - just as we were beginning March Back To Basics Challenge - and asked me to review their site.  MyYogaOnline is inspirational.  I feel blessed they asked me to blog and review their offering because in the limited time I have spent on the site, I have learned so much and have been offered so many new ideas.  I feel like I was introduced to the site at exactly the time in my life I needed a little 'slow down, breathe, and concentrate on your breathing'.  (Cue the Law of Attraction music here, please!) ; )

Need new exercise routines to try?  How about a Bollywood Dance Workout?  Feeling totally stressed out from work or travel... take the time to unwind to the beautiful Turbo Meditation for Peace.  New to yoga and the terminology and poses and overall basics... everything is explained in detail and the basic routines are thoroughly explained.  If you are not new to yoga, I believe you'll find the offerings on MyYogaOnline to stimulate and challenge you (if that is what you're looking for) and will offer you deeper knowledge of how to use yoga fundamentals in your daily life.  As a woman (ahem... 'over 40'), I appreciate the individualized videos for those of us looking to deal with possible new challenges of aging and female issues.

I urge you to check out the site.  I have four two week passes to give away to those of you who believe you'll benefit from the site's offerings. (I can't, honestly, imagine any one who wouldn't.) To be eligible for the two week pass to the MyYogaOnline site, please follow them on Twitter and/or Facebook and leave me a comment here with a way (Twitter, email are best) to get in touch with you.

One belated giveaway to announce:  I would like to congratulate a March Back to Basics challenge, @Elle_Bizzle, who did an incredible job on Back to Basics in March having lost 10+ pounds and checking in nearly daily with those of us on the #hlgB2B challenge.  Her enthusiasm helped inspire others and, for that gift, she is receiving a 1 year Premium Unlimited Membership pass to MyYogaOnline.  Enjoy it, my friend, it is well deserved and you're going to love their site! : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve.
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Giveaway Time: Flatout Flatbread Goodies!

March Back to Basics Challengers... have I got a treat for you!! : ) Last night when I arrived home from work I found a package on my porch and it was bursting with Flatout Flatbread!  I truly did a little excited dance in my kitchen as I was unpacking the box and discovering all the goodies!

Do you remember my mentioning how I've fallen for the Rosemary & Olive Oil Foldits that are only 100 calories? I then shouted out to Flatout on Twitter and they responded BIG TIME!  Now I can sample so many of their wonderful products thanks to their generous gift box but here is the fun thing, SO CAN YOU!  

100 cals & 1 gram of fat?! Yes, please!! :)

I have a couple of free coupons and a couple more 55 cents off coupons to Flatout delicious artisan flatbreads for the first five #hlgB2B challengers who comment below or shout out on Twitter!




This is also my anniversary weekend for starting my weight loss and fitness journey - three years now! : ) I'll be announcing some other really terrific giveaways on Sunday, the actual date (March 19th). So stay tuned if you don't get one of the coupons, more fun is on the way! 


Thanks SO much to the folks at Flatout Flatbread Company for their wonderful generosity to me and the coupons to send off to you!  Life is good and now delicious, too! *grin*


Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

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

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

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 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

90 Day Challenge: The Gift Of Fitness & Health

So, where are you headed?

Do you know where you're headed this fall?  Have you made plans for what you'd like to accomplish for your weight loss, health, and fitness?  Or are you going to sit back and let life lead you rather than you lead your life? 

That's what I would have done a couple of years ago.  I liked the familiar.  I liked coming home at the end of the work day and eating myself into a numbing coma.  I enjoyed watching television show after television show and eating and eating.  I laughed through the comedies, worried along with the characters of the dramas... got up to get something more to eat and then plopped back down on the couch to do nothing but enjoy myself.

The reality of my situation was that I was killing myself.  I was numbing myself to life by overeating and allowing myself to become morbidly obese.  The continued eating of high sugar, high fat foods truly numbed my emotions to the point where - at the end of the evening - it was an effort to climb the stairs to fall into bed.

That wasn't 'the good life'.  I pretended that it was.  I pretended I was happy.  But - deep down within me - I was miserable.  My health was deteriorating.  My happiness - true happiness - was non-existent.  I was suffocating within my own self-imposed walls of fat.  And I wasn't motivated to do anything about it.

And then something within me changed.  I decided I was worth the effort and I wanted to live the rest of my life as a truly happy and healthy person.  I realized that to be HAPPY, I first needed to get healthy.  I started to listen to audio tapes about reinforcing positive behavior, positive energy and the power of attracting good things with positive actions.  I began to believe I could change my life and got up off the couch and - in the privacy of my own living room - began to move more.  Then I ventured outside and began to walk around the block, and then the high school track, and then a half mile, and then a mile, and then a 5k charity walk. 

I had given myself a tremendous GIFT.  I'd unwrapped within me the gift of believing in myself and reclaiming my health.










For the next 90 days I'm going back to basics.  Ninety days from today is Christmas.  I'm going to give myself the best gift I can imagine:  the gift of wellness. I plan to lose 25 lbs. and hit my goal weight in December.  I've been slacking for months and months and am ashamed of myself.  That disappointment all changed on Saturday when I went to the gym and 'got back at it'.

So what is the 90 Day Challenge?

I would love you to join me on the next 90 days and reclaim whatever it is that YOU have let slide or set aside, too.  Is it your weight loss goal?  Your fitness routine?  Your promise to yourself to go to the gym three times a week?  To stop overeating or drinking too much?  You know what it is... you're probably saying silently what that goal is as you read this. 

I don't need to know your goal if you don't want to share it.  But you need to write down your goal somewhere that you will see it everyday... preferably first thing in the morning and throughout your day.  Place a calendar reminder in your auto-calendar on your phone or laptop and have a "reminder" come up daily that motivates you to keep at your goal... "eyes on the prize" as the saying goes.

Only join this 3 month challenge if you're truly committed because we're going to keep one another accountable.  I need someone to get in my face on Twitter and Facebook and here and say "how many miles did you walk this week?" or "how many lbs. have you lost so far?" and badger me 'til I tell you!  Hey, I need accountability, too, and expect that if I'm supporting you, you'll be there to support me! :)

This time the challenge is accompanied by some very cool incentives! 

Besides the fact that by committing to yourself your own weight loss or fitness/wellness goal you will feel proud of yourself, if you are the challenger who checks in the most the first 14 days (either here or on Facebook or Twitter), you're going to receive the top of the line Conair Weight Watchers glass body analysis scale.*  It is so incredibly cool!

If you are in the challenge and are actively checking in and posting and have decided to start walking outdoors or begin a new outdoor activity (think canoeing, biking, hiking, golf, running, etc.), you'll be entered in the gift set of Eucerin products for Everyday Body and Everyday Face lotion. 

If you're going to stop eating junk food and are trying to eat healthier and are posting during the next 90 days often about how you're doing, you'll possibly win one of three cookbooks to keep you motivated and help with new recipes and changes you're making.

But, friends, the biggest, BEST gift that you will receive, is the gift of your own self-esteem and self-discipline.  You will be able to look at yourself and say "I'm worth it. I'm doing this for me! I'm accomplishing my goals!" and mean it.  You won't feel that old feeling of lying to yourself that everything is great when you can barely pull yourself up off the floor, when you have to buy another size bigger clothes when you swore to yourself you'd never get past the size you're in now... you'll really push yourself out the door to run that 2 mile loop at 6:30am. 

So here are the details in condensed form:

1.  In Comments here, on Twitter, or to my HealthyLoser Gal Facebook page, tell me that you are IN the #hlgFitGift 90 Day Challenge.  Use the #hlgFitGift hashtag on Twitter.

2.  Somewhere, preferably on paper where you can tape it to your frig or bathroom mirror or somewhere you can't miss it, you're going to write the weight loss, fitness or wellness goal you're going to challenge yourself to achieve in the next 90 days.  (i.e., I'm writing "I'm losing 10 lbs. in October, 10 lbs. in November and 5 lbs. in December. I'm walking 5x weekly.  I'm not eating after 8pm nightly.")

3.  You check in as often as you can (I'll be going for every other day here, daily on Twitter) and support other people in the challenge.  If you need help, you ask for it! :)

4.  You commit to exercise in some way for at least 10 minutes a day 4x a week every week of the challenge.  That is easy-peasy, friends!  Everyone - no matter your fitness level - can squeeze in 10 minutes 4x a week. 

5.  You drink a lot of water and be kind to yourself! Develop a POSITIVE mantra about how you can do whatever you set your mind to accomplish! :)

6.  You're honest to yourself and other challengers about how you're doing. If you fall off five times and begin again six times during this challenge, you're still in it! It isn't about how many times you fall down, it is about how many times you get back up and continue! ; )





I know where I'm headed the next 90 days... I've got goals written down and I'm going for them full throttle!  I hope you'll join me in the Fit Gift Challenge!  

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / Healthy Loser Gal


*If there is a tie on who is checking in most often, I will do the random number prize selection.

Biggest Loser 12: Let the Battle of the Ages Begin!

Tomorrow night is it, friends... the new premier of season 12 of Biggest Loser and there are definite changes in the air!  First of all - as the new promo picture highlights, Jillian Michaels is gone.  (You'd have to be a BL hater or living under a rock to not know this by now! lol)  I, personally, loved Jill and will miss her tough love and borderline sick humor but I'm a big fan of Bob Harper, too, so it will be good to see some continuity in training. 

I'm really excited to see that Dolvett Quince from Atlanta has joined the show.  This guy is the real deal, friends.  He is a trainer who knows what he's doing to motivate and encourage and get people to their goals...and, ahem! He's not too hard on the eyes. ; )  You can follow him on Twitter like I am @Dolvett or on Facebook.

There is all kinds of chatter about Anna Kournikova and how she'll fit in and whether or not she has the credentials to be on Biggest Loser. I'm personally hoping she does a great job and admire her work in helping kids across the US to get moving and active.  Here is a little part of the NBC blurb about her: "As a former World #1 doubles player and #8 singles player, as well as a certified trainer, Kournikova has always made a healthy lifestyle an integral part of her life, and she's honored to have the opportunity to inspire others as part of the upcoming 12th season."  She does, indeed, have training certification, folks!

The contestants I've tweeted with are anxious for tomorrow night's premier.  Some twitter contestants include:   @CJRainville (she's a doll!) @JessicaLimpert (she is, too!) @joemitchell1 @ramonmedeiros50 and @John_Rhode.  Locally, I'll be rooting for Johnny Forger who is 65 and a Boston area realtor.  I'm still trying to figure out whether or not I met him in February at the Boston auditions! 

I just tweeted with Ali Sweeney (she's returning as host which is wonderful!) and she'll be live tweeting EST tomorrow night, too.  I asked her if she was planning to tweet live and her reply was "Heck, yeah!!" LOL  She's lots of fun! : )

I'm hoping you'll join me tomorrow night from 8-10pm EST for the Twitter party online!  I'll be joining the Mamavation crew for the #BritaChallenge party.  We always have a blast during these two hours and, as is her way, Leah Sedgie (@Bookieboo) has come up with great giveaways that will be happening during the event (just click on the party link to get in on the giveaways)! :)  Other hosts/panelists at the party are some of my favorite bloggers and fitness folks including Carla aka MizFitOnline, Roni Noone, Jenn from FitBottomedGirls, and Tony from TheAntiJared. Fun bunch!

You all know how much I love drinking water, so the Brita tie-in is one I'm happy to support tomorrow night!  Without water, we dehydrate, our bodies shut down and we basically stop losing weight or being healthy.  Drink up, my friends! :)

I love watching Biggest Loser.  I love seeing the inspiring transformations and I love challenging myself Tuesday nights during the two hours of television watching to do something healthy.  I'll be involved in the Twitter party tomorrow night and just want to watch... but next week... who's with me for step aerobics during at least two 15 minute intervals during the show? *grin*

Here's to our health, to finding inspiration to continue our journeys and a toast of good luck to this season's contestants!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

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

Exciting Biggest Loser Ranch Trip Giveaway from Joy Bauer & SpaWeek



Helllloooo, Bob! :)

You all know I am a fan of The Biggest Loser on NBC and love to tweet during the shows live (to the point where I have been put in "Twitter prison" for tweeting TOO much during the show! lol).  So when SpaWeek.com approached me to find out if I'd like to share links on our sites to offer up an incredible prize package, I jumped at the opportunity!  (But, okay, I didn't jump UP and onto a box... because I *still* can't do that!!! *insert muttering here!*)


Joy Bauer (right) and a fan

 In June I saw Joy Bauer in person at the Boston Health & Fitness Expo and listened to her motivating talk on getting healthy and living a healthy lifestyle.  I've always liked Joy's segments on NBC's Today Show and have enjoyed her nutrition advice through her Woman's Day column and Slim Down Plan!.  Now Joy is co-sponsoring this "Fast Track to Health Giveaway" with SpaWeek.com and the Biggest Loser Resort and it is an incredible!

If you don't know about this giveaway yet, friends, you need to check it out because the "ultimate weight loss journey for one deserving winner" is the very cool prize and includes a six night stay at the Ranch, three meals a day, spa services, a private cooking class with the Executive Chef of the Resort, a nutritional plan developed for you by Joy Bauer, and more!  The details are below and you'll need to go to SpaWeek's Facebook page to enter the Fast Track to Health Giveaway.

Please do note one thing about the prize, friends... airfare is not included so if you do win, you'd have to find a way to get to and from Malibu on your own! ; ) 

Did I mention that I'm excited to be one of the featured healthy bloggers on SpaWeek Daily's blog? I am answering what my #1 Diet Tip is along with other spa and fitness bloggers.  Can you guess what my tip is before peeking? : ) You can skip over to SpaWeek Daily's blog by clicking here! :)



How awesome would it be if one of the HealthyLoserGal blog readers won the grand prize to The Biggest Loser Resort in Malibu? Maybe Sam Poueu would be your trainer during the week... he works there, you know, and a gal can day dream! ; )



BL9 Fan Favorite, Sam Poueu

Here's to our health!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

And the FitBoston bag of goodies goes to...

Roxanne! Congrats to you and please email me your address so I can send off the wonderful products from the great FitBoston day sponsored by MeYouHealth, Modern Pilates, and Healthworks! :)

@BrilliantJen

It has been great fun to chat on Twitter and Facebook with new friends I made last Saturday at FitBoston and to have finally put real life faces to friends I've chatted with for a long time now. 



Elina Holbrook



Elise Fletcher (left) getting her bounce on! :)



Some of these great gals include Elina Holbrook of @ElinaCooks on Twitter as well as her site http://www.russianbites.com/; Laura Baker of Proliphique; Jenn Mitchell of http://www.personalfitcoach.com/; Janel of @DietitianJanel (and lucky winnner of a FitTrampoline!); @BrilliantJen; @KerryCooks; @LenaOnTheBeach; and long-time Twitter pal, @EliseFletcher!  I am leaving out tons of people - heck! even Social Media Guru Chris Brogan popped in for a few minutes!

Alicia Benjamin, Lisa Johnson, Chris Brogan (huh?), Jacqy Carly

Alicia from MeYouHealth posted a few videos from Saturday, including one of me telling what my inspiration to get fit is (see me below sans makeup and oh-so-close-up! lol):

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

FitBoston = Fitness & Blogging & Fun



Alicia Benjamin (MeYouHealth), me, Lisa Johnson (Modern PIlates)

I wish you all could have been at FitBoston in Brookline yesterday with me to experience the fun and absorb the great info and tips!  From the moment I walked in and was met by Lisa Johnson with a hug as she handed out FitStudio (thank you @FitStudio and Sears!) t-shirts to all attending, to the moment I walked out four hours later with an extra goody bag (more on that and how you can score that a little later) and was in disbelief that four hours passed so quickly, it was all a great time!
It was (please note the caps!!) WONDERFUL to meet friends in person that I've tweeted with and emailed with and gotten to know a bit through Twitter and Facebook and through our blogs! 

The day started with Alicia Benjamin (@LexiMaven and the gal often behind the tweets @MeYouHealth) welcoming everyone and letting us know the agenda for the day as well as getting us up and moving to warm up our bodies! Such fun!  I was so happy to finally meet Alicia as I've considered her a friend for some time now and was truly honored to be part of their Blogger Well Being Challenge on the MeYouHealth / Daily Challenge site back in December of 2010! :)

Healthworks co-sponsored FitBoston

The Healthworks facility in Brookline is REALLY, REALLY nice! LOL  Like REALLY nice - I was kind of awe struck when I went into the locker rooms.  I could get used to having a workout experience like that on a regular basis.  And Nina from Healthworks was with us throughout the day and was a great Healthworks ambassador!  And - who'd a thunk it - at the end of the day when the raffle prizes were being awarded, *I* won the month free membership at Healthworks!  Just THRILLED!!

I've admired Lisa Johnson who owns Modern Pilates for a long time. On Twitter with her own name (did you know there are 7000+ Lisa Johnsons in the US? lol) and @ModernPilates, Lisa spoke about being a successful fitness blogger (she sure is!) and shared tips for beginner, intermediate and advanced bloggers. This was one of the high points of the day for me as I took notes like a mad woman and soaked in her advice.  Make no mistake about it, if you want to have your blog be a success, you need to be consistent and put aside the time in your life to 'work it'.

I was able to speak with Lisa a bit more at a break and she was very helpful in answering questions, offering suggestions!  Big huge thanks to her for helpful advice to everyone in attendance and, too, for leading us through pilates moves later in the afternoon!

Kurt Eng is a WordPress platform guru and aficionado and - even though I may have been the only one in the room who doesn't use WordPress to blog - his tips were just as valuable to me as anyone about where and when to spend your hard earned dollars (use free templates vs. purchasing developed art work for your blog) and what add-ons are best.  I was honestly way impressed when @KurtEng tweeted at midnight last night the top 10 apps he'd suggest when he couldn't remember them all off the top of his head when asked at FitBoston.  That was pretty cool of him!  Kurt is a founding organizer of the upcoming WordCamp Boston, too... follow him on Twitter for more info on that or follow @WordCampBoston.




Jacq Carly was the key-note speaker

 Did you know that Fitarella changed her Twitter name to her real name now?  :)  I didn't 'til yesterday so y'all need to check out @JacqCarly if you're looking for her!  Jacque is a force to be reckoned with... this gal has spunk and a great, positive attitude and that is what she keynoted about yesterday.  Live your life in the present, friends.  Yesterday is in the past, the future is what you make it...but don't be looking forward or backward so much that you don't enjoy the NOW.  Her 15 minutes in front of us all at FitBoston were inspiring to listen to and left everyone with an upbeat message of enjoy the now and be happy for who you are now - don't postpone your happiness for the person you're dreaming of becoming.  I've always loved that message and try to live it on a daily basis! 

I want to thank Alicia Benjamin for inviting the college student from Northeastern who volunteers at Girls LEAP.  This young woman (whose name I cannot remember... was it Nina?) stood in front of us all and spoke eloquently and from the heart on why Girls LEAP looks to empower young girls (and really women of all ages) in finding their voice and learning the basics of not just self defense but self offense... not allowing someone to steal your voice from you.  She skillfully showed us very basic moves of self defense and how saying "NO!" strongly and forcefully at the right time can make the difference between avoiding a bad situation and being the victim of one.  Bravo to this young woman and the Girls LEAP program.

Other great workout sessions included Rachel Kobey of Energize Studio demoing the http://www.fitnesstrampoline.com/.  Boy! am I glad I didn't volunteer to be on the tramp session... Rachel is a powerhouse and really put the gal volunteers through the paces.  I think my jaw fell open at least once watching the intensity of how fast Rachel was able to bounce and turn.  (I was watching her and having one of those movie things in my brain at the same time of me bouncing OFF the tramp and into another person... us all crashing to the wooden floor... lol!)

Sarah Rhines is a young entrepreneur who has launched SunCircles which are hula hoops for fitness.  She began her presentation with hoop dancing (I believe that is what she called it) and it was lyrical and so beautiful to watch.  Who knew a hoop could be so artistic?  I didn't but do now! :)  We then were invited to try hooping with different intentions (core, bat wings, etc.) and it was great fun.  I hope she does well in her business... Sarah personally makes each hoop and can ship it off to you. : )

In the breakout sessions we were offered a number of choices and the owner (Dan Fitzgerald) of South End Athletic Company was on hand to talk with the runners in the group and offer running tips.  Other break off groups included TRX Training, table or chair massage, and interval workout advice on maximizing your training.  I opted for the interval training and was fortunate to meet Hannah of Healthworks and learn about high intensity bursts of interval training (we focused on the treadmill and pumping up the incline for 30 seconds at a time) - and finding your own personal measure of 1-10 for "pushing yourself forward" as you advance.  I probably met with Hannah for less than 10 minutes and came away with new techniques to try for my regular routine.  How awesome is that!? She was great!



Finally got to meet Boston Sports Woman!

 Just a shout out here to Kathy McConnell of Boston Sports Woman who is organizing a January event: Be Healthy Boston.  (Kathy is a lot of fun to massage kale and avocado salads with.  I'm just saying...) And she is a powerhouse of Boston women's sports info... do check her out on Twitter @bos_sportswoman and on her blogs as well as the http://www.behealthyboston.com/ site.  It was so fun to finally meet this lady in person after having tweeted back 'n forth with her for a couple of years! :)

I'll have to post more later in the week about the fun bloggers and fitness folks I met on Saturday.  But while I'm working on THAT post, I do have a fun announcement.  @MeYouHealth (Alicia) and @ModernPilates (Lisa Johnson) offered up a bag full of goodies to one of the Healthy Loser Gal readers. 

I'll be sending the bag off to one random winner and it is chuck full of great giveaways from FitBoston including:

FitStudio sportswear shirt

Mix1 all natural vanilla protein shake

Whole Foods Cranberry Trail Mix

Taza Ginger Chocolate (OH MY IS THIS GOOD!)

Delicious Pretzel Crisps and a Reusable Grocery Bag

Bearded Brothers Mighty Maca Chocolate Energy Bar

Luna Peanut Butter Cookie

Attune Foods (Yay!) Probiotic Chocolate Bar AND Free Coupons

And - if you're local to the Boston area - a 7 day pass to Healthworks to use before July ends!

Plus other fun little surprises!

All you have to do to be entered in the giveaway is to follow @MeYouHealth, @ModernPilates and me on Twitter or Facebook and then leave a comment here on what inspires you to be fit? : )  So easy!  I'll be picking the winner randomly on Thursday morning and will let you know who won by noontime EST on the 14th! :)

Yesterday was so much fun - congrats to the organizers on pulling off a great event - I think Roni Noone of Fitbloggin would be proud of you! :)  Thank you to all the sponsors for making the great event possible and to all the other participants for making it so worthwhile and fun!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan ~ HealthyLoserGal