Ideas

I like the idea of doing some sort of a weekly challenge. Something that can be worked on for the week and then the next week it could be changed or added upon. I would be willing to do this, but would rather not go to the effort if no one is going to look at this. Leave a comment if you would be interested in something like that! Camie

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

No surprises here:

Heather
Camie
Marcia

All three scored perfect points for the full 60 days!!! Congrats ladies...you are amazing! Please email your home address at nickiereeves@gmail.com to claim your cash reward. GREAT JOB!

For those who may be interested in future challenges, please write down your email on this post so everyone has a way of getting a hold of you. I'm not up for running the challenge anytime soon...but if any of you want to do it...or even if you want to make your own type of challenge...let us know!

My email of course is nickiereeves@gmail.com

It's been great...thanks for joining in on the fun!

What I have learned...

I have learned a lot of things through this challenge!! Thank you Nickie for coming up with it!! Thank you Camie for telling me about it. Thank you Heather for making me want to get a perfect score. Because I don't know if I could have been so strong without the friendly competition. Last night as I was writing in my journal I wrote a list of about 10 things that I have learned through this challenge...I won't bore you with the whole list but I have definitely learned a lot through the 60 days and hopefully become a better and stronger person through the process. I just hope that I can continue to do many of the goals and make new goals and accomplish many more things. I have learned that I can accomplish goals if I set them. For a long time I have struggled in setting goals because it seems too hard or I don't want to set goals and not accomplish them so I have just not set any goals and that is not a good mindset either!! I hope that we have all learned a lot through the past 60 days and lets keep it up for another 60 days...or years, or whatever the case may be!! :)

Crossing the finish line....WE MADE IT!

We made it ladies....the challenge is COMPLETE! Please share your points and if you want your thoughts about your personal journey through this challenge.

Eighth week: Total points

Wow can you believe we are so close to being done with this challenge!

TOP THREE :

Camie D. 70

Marcia T. 70

Heather 70

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Katie F. 55

Stephanie S. 60

Steph J. 70

Marianne 70

James 66

Nickie R 63

Heidi 48

Kendi 69

Vickie 51

Report time for 8th week:

Time to report this week: Can you believe we are nearing the end??? Just F.Y.I you can still use your free points for this week even though it doesn't go for an entire week.

Thanks

Nickie 63 (wow a challenge and vacation to Disneyland didn't mesh well. Early mornings and late nights left me no time to read or write in my journal...and who can pass up a churro or ice cream here and there....I HAVE NOT REGRETS!)

Seventh week: Total points

Sorry this is a week late...like I mentioned I was on vacation and I'm just trying to play catch up now. I wish my life was a little more organized because I know some of you sent me your scores...but I think I lost some of them. So try to remember your 7th week scores (not this past week which was the 8th week) and post it in a comment on this post. Then go to the reporting post for week 8 and post this weeks points there. Thanks

Heather: 70

Marcia: 70

Camie: 70

James: 66

Marianne: 70

Nickie: 67

Vickie: 60

Kendi: 70

Steph: 68

Stephanie S: 68

SIXTH WEEK: TOTAL POINTS

Sorry I'm a day late....I forgot. AND I'M LEAVING TOWN THIS SUNDAY UNTIL FRIDAY...so please still send your points in on Sunday and I will post them when I get home. THANKS!

TOP THREE :

Camie D. 70

Marcia T. 70

Heather 70

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Valynn 69

Katie F. 49

Stephanie S. 64

Michelle S.

Gloria L.

Steph J. 61

Marianne 70

James 62

Nickie R 68

Allison V

Cynthia

Heidi 50

Rich 65

Kendi 70

Vickie 68

Report time:

Time to report:

I got a 68...I'm struggling a bit!

2/3

We are 2/3 of the way there!! Today is day 40! Let's keep going strong and continue with the great habits we have started!

Fifth week: TOTAL POINTS (part 2)

Sorry I titled the reporting post wrong...this is really the official total points for 5th week

BEFORE POSTING TOTALS...I just want to mention I never got the scores for the week before from Steph J and Cynthia...if you have them send me a message...thanks!

TOP THREE :

Camie D. 70

Marcia T. 70

Heather 70

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Valynn 68

Katie F. 43

Stephanie S. 61

Michelle S. 57

Gloria L. 53

Steph J.65

Marianne 69

James 68

Nickie R 70

Allison V

Cynthia

Heidi

Rich 63

Kendi 70

Vickie 65

CONGRATS CAMIE!

So Camie D. just ran a marathon this past weekend....AND QUALIFIED FOR BOSTON! What an amazing accomplishment...you rock!

Fifth week: TOTAL POINTS

Sunday...Sunday...Sunday. Here we are again...ready to report!!!

I got a 70. And I didn't even have to use my free point for sweets! Yes...if you knew me you would know that's a big deal!

What's your score???

Introducing Kendi...

Ok since Kendi couldn't come up with a picture of herself....I'LL INTRODUCE HER (Hope you don't mind...it's a cute pic of you...not so much of me...but...)


This is Kendi (on the left). She is one of those people who will inspire you to do many great things with your life. She was the person who trained with me for my first marathon (she's a great workout partner and therapist....what more could you ask for). I've missed her GREATLY ever since I've moved away. Working out solo just isn't quite as enjoyable!!! She has the greatest ENDURANCE of anyone I know...in all aspects of her life!

Well, I know it has already been four weeks but I have never introduced myself. So, here it goes. I am the Mother of 4, yes that is right, 4 beautiful children. I now have 2 in school full time and 1 in preschool. While my preschooler is away my last is napping. I am starting to feel like a free woman.
I have a bachelor's degree in Music Therapy. I loved working in the field until I started having kids. I now teach a few music lessons to keep my mind in the music. I am also starting to make and sell fabric hair flowers here. http://www.etsy.com/shop/kendenegailey I just listed them this week so I am not sure if they will even sell yet but it is fun to try.

This program has been good for me. I have been over weight since I hit puberty. I started my junior high years in an adult size 14. A few years ago I started to run. I ran my first marathon in April of '09. I have run a total of three now and am planning on running one every year for the rest of my life. I don't really enjoy running but I enjoy the feeling following the run. So, exercising is not my down fall, it is eating. I love to eat. This program has opened my eyes to how much junk I really eat in a day. I hope I will have the strength to continue to eat like this even when the 60 days are up.

I tried to find a picture of myself, apparently I am camera shy, I don't have a single picture of myself on my computer, sorry.

Fourth week: Total Points

TOP FOUR :

Camie D. 70

Marcia T. 70

Heather 70

Valynn 70

Is there anyone else who has received four weeks of 70's that I overlooked? If not...then these are our top contest's who have scored PERFECTLY in the past 4 weeks! Way to go ladies...keep up the good work!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Katie F. 46

Stephanie S. 63

Michelle S. 60

Gloria L. 53

Steph J.65

Marianne 69

James 65

Nickie R 69

Allison V

Cynthia

Heidi 58

Rich 68

Kendi 70

Vickie 69

JUST A REMINDER: I STILL NEED $5.00 FROM CYNTHIA AND KENDI.

THANKS EVERYONE...IT'S BEEN FUN...KEEP TREK'N ALONG!

4th Week: Report Time

Wow....can you believe it's been 4 weeks!
Time to report in....

I got a 69!

Extra, Extra

This stuff is amazing! I tried it last night for the first time and fell in love. It seriously tastes delicious. I struggle every once in awhile (much less since starting the challenge, thank heavens) with a major sweet tooth craving. This stuff just may be the best answer ever. So far I have only tried the mint chocolate chip, but I might have to try other kinds now as well. It was on sale for $1 at my Smith's. Let me know if any of you try it and what you think of it!

Third week: Total points

Sorry they are not by rank yet this week….my morning is busy…so I’m just going to throw the numbers out.

AND….STEPH J. had gall bladder surgery recently. She has been told she can’t exercise for 2 weeks. How would you all feel if she could still receive the exercise points until she’s given the ok from her doctor. My thought is… this is a challenge to motivate us what’s in OUR CONTROL! Her circumstance is definitely out of her control. THOUGHTS EVERYONE….she says she’s ok losing the points but I wanted to get your input.

Katie F. 52

Stephanie S. 66

Michelle S. 55

Gloria L. 50

Camie D. 70

Marcia T. 70

Steph J. 64

Marianne 70

James 68

Heather 70

Nickie R 70

Allison V 70

Cynthia 66

Heidi 60

Valynn 70

Rich 64

Kendi 66

Vickie 68

REPORT TIME:

3 WEEKS…CAN YOU BELIEVE WE’VE BEEN AT THIS FOR 3 WEEKS! And I finally scored a 70!!! Finally, I didn’t have birthdays, baby blessings, family BBQ’s and date nights to compete with. (Isn’t it obvious what my weak spots are…..YES SOCIAL EVENTS). And can I also mention that I feel like I’m on top of the world right now….BECAUSE I JUST MADE COOKIES WITH MY FAMILY AND DID NOT EAT ONE…NOPE NOT ONE! I’ve always struggled to control myself around baked goods….especially warm fresh baked choc. chip cookies. But I used my sweet point earlier this week so I passed on the cookies today. I usually would not have even tempted myself but since today is GRANDPARENTS DAY, that’s what we made for our grandparents. 

WHAT DID YOU GUYS SCORE???

Thanks to:

Heidi P. (Sorry about not posting your score...I knew I was forgetting someone. Thanks for keeping me on my toes!)

Valynn

Debbie

James J.

Heather J.

Marianne (mom)

Vickie D.

FOR SENDING IN YOUR $5...YOU ARE OFFICIALLY IN!

Confession…

Ok fellow supporters….it’s me again Nickie! So this challenge has really helped me make better decisions each day (especially when it comes to not eating sweets or eating after 8 p.m.) but I want to be held more accountable for what I’m doing for my health. I’ve been VERY STRESSED lately. My husbands out of town for 4 months and now I don’t have anyone to be held accountable too. So going for second helpings for dinner is becoming a little too easy these days. So I’m just getting the word out that I’m swallowing my pride and posting my daily food intake on a new blog at onedayatatimegoal.blogspot.com  !!!! I so badly want to fit into my old clothes (which it’s about time….my baby’s 20 months old). So I hope you don’t think I’m too forward by doing this….but I’m desperate to have a little more accountability and it’s just not in our budget to join somewhere like Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. So if you want to try and bust me feel free to spy on me at that blog. And if you are feeling the same way….please form your own food log blog and we can keep tabs on each other and keep each other motivated!

Healthy Recipes

I thought I would just post some of my favorite healthy recipes, just in case any one gets bored of eating salads! :) Hope you might find something you like and want to try here!

Jenny's homemade bread recipe for 2 loaves of bread:

250 mg vit C
2 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
4 cups whole wheat flour (plus 3 to 4 more added in step 2)

1. Heat one cup of the water to a very hot temperature and dissolve
the vitamin C. Mix the above ingredients together and let sit for 5
minutes.

2. Add 3 to 4 additional cups of whole wheat flour. Mix for 3 minutes,
then let sit for 15 minutes. Mix again for 3 minutes, adding more
flour if necessary.

3. Turn dough onto counter and knead or shape it into a ball. Place
the dough in a large and lightly oiled tupperware container or bowl
and let rise until double in size. Shape into two greased loaf pans
and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise again till double in
size. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Here is a link to a good recipe. It is Thai Curry Chicken:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/quick_thai_chicken_vegetable_curry.html

Quinoa with Beans and Corn (this makes enough for our family of 6 with leftovers)

1 cup Quinoa
1 Tbsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth (I use 2 beef boulion plus 2 C. water)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin (we like it really smoky, if you don’t like smoky & spicy, tone it down to 1 tsp.)
salt (about 3/4 tsp., but much less if you are using canned beans) and pepper
1 cup frozen corn
4 cups beans
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
shredded cheddar

Soak the quinoa for 10 minutes. While it is soaking saute the onion and garlic in the oil over medium heat. Once onion is starting to brown, add the quinoa, broth, chili powder, cumin salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add corn and beans, cover and cook 5 minutes more. Add the chopped cilantro and stir. Plate the quinoa and top with shredded cheddar.

Wheat Thins
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 T soft butter
Kosher or sea salt

Preheat oven to 325. Combine dry ingred. Cut in butter. Slowly blend in milk, using just enough to form a ball that holds together. Divide in half. Roll out to 1/16-1/8 inch thick of a floured surface. Sprinkle with salt and roll over salt. Using a sharp knife, cut crackers into 2 inch squares. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Prick with for 2 or 3 times. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on rack. Makes 100 crackers.

Whole wheat flour tortillas

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt (or maybe it's 1/2 tsp- I can't remember right now)
1 1/2 Tbsp butter or oil
3/4 cup hot (almost boiling) water

Mix the salt and flour together, then by hand work in the oil or
butter. It should become a little more 'sandy' in texture. Then add
the hot water and mix to form a dough. Knead for a few minutes (and
the let rest and knead again trick works well here too- you don't need
to knead for nearly as long if you get it together, then let it sit
for 10 minutes and knead it again). Let the dough sit (covered) for at
least 1 hour. Divide into 12 to 14 pieces and roll out flat, cook on a
hot cast iron skillet for best results.

Second Week: Total points

Katie F. 53

Stephanie S. 67

Dustin S. 55

Michelle S. 60

Gloria L. 55

Camie D. 70

Marcia T. 70

Steph J. 69

Marianne 69

James 67

Heather 70

Nickie R 69

Allison V 51

Cynthia 66

Heidi 62

Rich 59

I’m sure more names will be listed as they are sent to me (including my husbands). Starting next week I will take the time to list people by rank. If I remember right…all the people scoring 70 this week also scored 70 last week….so those are our leading competitors!!!

Thanks to:

Marcia T., Camie D., Katie F., for sending me your $5….you are all officially in!

Report time:

It’s that time again….time to report your scores! You all did great the first week….can’t wait to see what this week brought about.

I ALMOST…..ALMOST scored a 70. I’m so impressed by all of you 70 pointers. I just slipped up 30 minutes ago at a family get together. I was the only person out of 60 people not eating my favorite dessert. DANG THOSE FUDGY OWEY-GOOEY BROWNIES.

I scored a 69

But I’m proud of myself…..this week we had 3 family get togethers, a night at the movies, and a date night to the Diamond Back baseball game. I WAS SURROUNDED BY GOOD FOOD! I’m slowly proving to myself I have the strength to say “No thank you”.

Well….I can say no to everything but brownies apparently!

WHAT WAS YOUR SCORE???

Free Day= Whoot…whoot!

Since I’ve had my third child (1 1/2 years ago) my weight has always been going in one direction or the other. I struggle to maintain. I’ve got down to my goal weight several times since having her….than weeks later I gain it back. Can you say YO-YO DIETER??? I don’t want to be a YO-YO D anymore! I don’t want to deprive myself for weeks just to find that in the end I’m not strong enough to keep up with my new lifestyle. I’m done with my sprint dieting and ready to train for that marathon eating lifestyle.

Rather than depriving myself, I’ve found that substituting is REALLY EFFECTIVE! Giving your body what it craves….but substituting some of the bad with better options….or PLANNING AHEAD  so your indulging moments are not on a whim.

I have lost over 4 lbs with this challenge so far (although I am doing a little more…eating only whole foods at meals etc). My weak spot is family get togethers. I can eat healthy all week long….then it feels like every weekend the family gets together to BBQ and feast. Monday we had a BBQ and pool party,  we are having another one tonight, and tomorrow is a baby blessing with YES ANOTHER FEAST… and last night we all went out to the movies together…..YIKES! BUT……I made a game plan.

(At the BBQ’s I’ve had grilled chicken and veggies or I’ve cooked up egg whites and put it on whole wheat bread as a sub for a greasy hamburger. )

Knowing that yesterday would be my free day (with popcorn and treats at the movies) I planned ahead by eating very low but nutritious calorie meals. Then for a snack I made these http://leanbodieshf.com/?p=1198  (…..sorry I’m once again promoting her website) but it was a nutritious substitute to something I usual indulge on.

AND EVEN THOUGH I FELT LIKE I INDULGED AND LET LOOSE A LITTLE YESTERDAY….I still lost a pound!!!

How are you guys feeling about this challenge??? Let’s keep each other motivated!!!

Thanks to:

Stephanie S., Dustin S., Gloria L., Michelle S., JoAnna T. for sending your $5. You are officially in.

If you did not get the email with the information of where to send your $5, leave a comment with your email address and I will send you my address.

Thanks!

Yummy….but healthy!

Hey guys….so I just want to share a site that I visit daily AND IS A HUGE MOTIVATOR TO ME in my journey to becoming my healthiest me. I was told about this site only 2 weeks ago…and today was  the first time I tried one of her recipes. All of her recipes look awesome…I can’t wait to try them all. In the mean time I really liked this one.

Lemon Protein Bars  at  http://leanbodieshf.com/?p=2267

It tasted like a dessert but had nothing unhealthy in it. And it was a good source of whole grains and protein of course.

It’s not the BEST THING your mouth has ever tasted. But for being as healthy as it was….I was surprised!

The site has all kinds of good information…workouts…tips etc. ENJOY!

Thanks Steph J

I got your $5.00. You are officially in!

First week: Total points

Valynn 70

Kendi G. 70

Cynthia T. 66

Stephanie J. 62

Vickie D. 54

Roger R. 64

Darlene R. 68

Jackson R.  66

Camie D. 70

Marcia T. 70

Nickie R. 68

Rich R. 66

Stephanie S. 67

Dustin S. 61

Gloria L. 44 (started 2 days late)

Michelle S. 41 (started 2 days late)

Heather J. 70

James J. 70

Marianne C. 70

Heidi P. 68

Ryan D. 56 (started 1 day late)

Nanette D. 51 (started 1 day late)

Katie F. 41 (started 2 days late)

Allison V. 36

GOOD WORK EVERYONE…LET’S KEEP GOING STRONG!!!

Katie F

I'm Katie F. I'm married to a wonderful man, Bri! We've been married for 15 months. We just bought a home in Centerville, Utah. I work full-time as a legal secretary in downtown Salt Lake City. When I'm not at work -- I'm working on my yard or in my home. A few years ago I lost 115 pounds! Yea! I was doing triathlons and 5ks and even a century bike ride. But for a few different reasons I've stumbled backwards and I've gained 60 pounds in the past year. I'm trying to get back into exercise and eating healthy again. I'm trying to not focus so much on the weight loss right now but instead on getting back into an exercise routine and making better food choices. I know the weight loss will follow. I love reading about everybody and I'm excited to be in the challenge with my good friends Marcia, Stephanie and Camie!

James & Heather

Hey everybody! We are James and Heather and we are super excited to be doing this challenge! Here's a little history on us: We've live in West Jordan, Utah and have been married 6 awesome years! I (Heather) have been battling my weight since Junior High and last year I decided that it was time for some real change! I started a new diet last summer and lost 60 lbs! Yay! I started running in January and in June I ran my first Half Marathon - 13.1 miles!

I still have a ways to go in my weight loss journey and this challenge will be just the ticket. I've mastered the skill of motivation over the last year and I'm super excited to test myself... my goal is to get a perfect score at the end of this. Big words, huh! I figure that if I publicly say that then it will give me even more accountability during those times that I'm just dying for a hot fudge sundae (my family is in the ice cream business)!!! My sweet husband James is doing this challenge too and I know he'll do awesome. He has just a little weight to lose, but mostly this will just be a great opportunity to makeover our lifestyle. My mom, Marianne, is also attempting this 60 day challenge. (She is the hot blond in the pink on the far left)

Another reason why James and I started this challenge together is that we are on our journey toward adoption! We are about a month away from being approved through LDS Family Services and then the waiting game will begin. We can't wait to start our family through adoption, but it could potentially take years for us to be matched with a birth mother and patience is NOT my strong suit! Anything that we can do to help the time pass with positive goals is fantastic in my book. If you'd like to check out our adoption blog, feel free - we need as big of a support system as we can get! http://highwaytoadoption.blogspot.com/ We look forward to seeing everyone's progress during this 60 day challenge and if you ever need some words of encouragement, drop us a line! We're in this challenge together!

Hi! We're Roger, Darlene and Jackson Rees. Roger is Nickie's brother, so Darlene is a sister-in-law and Jackson is a nephew. Roger is a lead carpenter in the facilities maintenance department at the Cany0n's School District. Darlene runs a small in home daycare. Jackson is a 6th grader and new 11 year old scout and is very excited for his first overnighter next month. (It is killing mom.) We are also the parents of 3 other rambunctious boys. We are interested in the 60 day challenge because we feel like that if you are not moving forward, you are moving back. We feel like it is important to make small achievable goals in order to get what you want out of life. We have not been very fitness or nutrition oriented in years past, but have realized how good it can make you look and feel. We also like the other aspects of the challenge to be able to bring personal and spiritual growth and love to others.

Steph

Hello everyone, I am Stephanie Johnson. I live in the Salt Lake area, am single, have no kids to show off here. I also had a rough time finding a current pic of me alone, so here I am with some pals (I am the blonde in the yellow shirt bottom right.) This was taken after a parade that I was in, a little odd that this picture includes Clint Eastwood...

Then I am the one in the middle here. This was taken right after a play I was in. I was one of the Narrators in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat recently. Which is why I am blonde right now, my hair is naturally brown.
I joined this competition because I am interested in a healthy lifestyle. I have 100 pounds to lose, and know I need to focus on the basics. When I heard about this competition from Marcia I was all in!! I had a good first week overall. I struggled to find time to exercise daily, but did pretty well on not eating sugar!

I am an estimator and human resource manager for the company I work for. I just went back to school for a Certificate in Human Resource Management so I can sit the SHRM exam when I am done (it is like the CPA exam but for HRM.) I also just signed up for my very first dance class which starts Wednesday. I like to scrapbook, read, and love to spend time with my family. I have 3 nieces and 1 nephew that I get to spoil, and I do!

It is nice to meet all of you, good luck to everyone and thanks for the support system set up here.

Camie

So, this is me and my family! I studied Nutrition in college for a short time and then graduated with my degree in Exercise Science. I love to run and have been running for 12+ years. I am training for a couple of races right now. So, this is my kind of stuff. I love learning new things, but as a busy mom sometimes I just get lazy about all of it. This challenge is a great way to help me remember to just do it and think more about it. I love that the challenge includes more than just eating good and exercising! I am wondering what is the hardest part for everyone? The hardest thing for me originally was the sugar and no eating after 8pm, but after one week I feel like those things are easy. Amazing how good you feel when you take on a challenge and do it!

Marcia

My name is Marcia, these are a couple of pictures of me on one of my trips last year, this one is on a boat in the middle of Norway, I am the one in the front of the picture, I look pretty much the same now except my hair is several inches longer. My sister told me about this challenge and I thought about it for a couple of days and decided that something like this would probably be a good thing for me to do...I don't know if I can make these goals a permenent part of my life but like Cynthia T. said it is a kick in the pants I needed...and with one week down I feel like it has been a pretty good 7 days of working on goals and I should keep doing it, and least for another 53 days!!

and this picture was in the middle of Kukenhoff (I probably spelled it wrong, can't really remember how it is spelled) Gardens but it is a big tulip garden in Amsterdam Holland. You can't see any of the tulips in this picture, but I had to take my picture in this cute big chair!!

So I hope more of you will introduce yourselves so we can all get to know each other, even if it is from a distance!!

Report time….

Ok everyone….it’s time to report tonight how we did our first week. Leave a comment letting me know how many points you earned from Mon-Sun. If you started late I STILL WANT YOUR NUMBER!!! If you started late you will be given the opportunity to gain additional points after we complete the contest when you continue for however many days you are behind.

OR YOU CAN EMAIL YOUR SCORE TO : nickiereeves@gmail.com

Cynthia T

Hi, I am Cynthia T. I have let my health take a back seat over the last two years . Preparing to move, sell a house , and then being in a new location has really taken a toll on my body and my good habits. As I was striving to get back on track Niki told me all about this great idea. I thought, what a wonderful opportunity to give me the kick in the pants I needed!!! I am excited to start establishing good habits to a happier and healthier life style!

Contestants MIA

I thought I was staying on top of this challenge and organized with all the names…apparently I’m not. I have 5 contestants MISSING IN ACTION.

It’s hard to keep track of all these names when I don’t know most of you. I know some of the connections (some of you are family of friends)….but I’m still having a hard time finding emails for the following people:

Linda (Laura A’s Mom)

Marianne C (Heather’s Mom)

Michelle S

Gloria ?

Marcianne S

Bonnie?

I think we have 33 contestants total…whoohoo! What a great turnout! As soon as I have everyone’s emails so I can make this blog private…I will send you my address so you can send the $5 in. That will guarantee your spot in this contest!

In the meantime, it might be fun to get to know a little more about all of these fun people we are up against.

If you want….feel free to introduce yourself and give a little explanation as to what sparked your interest in this contest.

I’ll start things off…..

My name is Nickie….and this is my handsome husband Rich (watch out…he’s also one of your competitors).

We have three very outgoing kids (which now look much older than this…this was taken almost a year ago).

The reason I started this challenge: I had several different reasons. But I’m very passionate about staying healthy. I teach fitness classes and I’m always reading some kind of nutrition book. But lately, due to increased stresses in our life….I’ve found my healthy eating habits are slowly declining and so is my motivation. I’ve had one too many days where I have felt entitled to eat junk because I’ve had a bad day….which only backfires, because it only makes you feel worse.

I think I’m a very positive person….and so I thought it would be fun to have a SUPPORT GROUP if you will, to keep each other motivated to take care of ourselves.

So far it’s working….I’ve eaten extremely healthy all week and I feel great!

ANYONE ELSE WANT TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES???

personal goal ideas

I have a few ideas for personal goals but I was wondering if anybody wants to share what they are doing to give me more idea what to do for my own personal goals. I have been spending a few minutes every day this week working on decluttering my bedroom, that could be a full-time job or a goal that lasts the entire 60 days anyway, but I am getting kinda tired of it and know that I am definitely going to want to do other things with my personal goals!
Thanks Nickie for doing this challenge and Camie for telling me about it because I have REALLY been needing to do something like this to get myself in gear. And so far 4 days down I haven't struggled too much so we will see how we are feeling in another few days!!

Please make my life easy…

So I’m trying to make this blog private but I need all of your email addresses. I have email addresses for about half of you….but I’m spending too much time trying to figure out what email address goes with which contestant. Will you just please make my life easy by posting in the comment your name and email address please??? Thanks!

Off of the top of my head I know I don’t have email addresses for Camie D., Linda T., Heidi, Debbie & Valynn.

That’s as far as I got….so please everyone just take a minute to comment….thanks again!

Time to pay up…

Ok so I’ve been tossing around the idea of using paypal….but I’ve changed my mind. Now that we have 31-32 people, I don’t want to stress out about who can use paypal and who can’t. I want to make this simple and have everyone pay the same method. I’m going to have everyone send the $5 to my address.

Before I post my address I want to make this blog private. But before I make it private I want to make sure nobody has any problems with accessing this blog. I will make it private TOMORROW!!!

Please write down my email address….it’s nickiereeves@gmail.com

If you have any problems accessing this blog tomorrow email me asap.

Game on….

Ok my fellow contestants….the contest IS CLOSED to new joiners. We have a great number of people and we are ready to roll. I will post tomorrow instructions on how to send the money. For now, I just want to focus on getting everyone on the contestant list and make sure that everyone who wants to have access to post on this blog has been granted permission.

If you have not received an invitation through blogger to become an author for this blog….it may be because I don’t have your email address (some of you have been contacting me through facebook).

So if you have not received permission already and want to post… please leave me your email.

IF YOU HAVE JOINED IN THE PAST TWO DAYS….GO TO THE POST TWO DOWN FROM HERE AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE CONTESTANT LIST!!!

Hey Nickie,

My sister Nanette and her husband Ryan want in. They started yesterday, but maybe you could email them the invite. Nanette's email address is nanettedowner@gmail.com. I have never done 45 minutes of consecutive exercise in my life, 30 minutes yes, but 45 is killing me. I have ended up doing 30 minutes of cardio in the morning and 15 of toning in the evening so far. I have realized that I don't have a 45 minute block of time throughout my entire day that I can devote to myself, sad, but true. How do you do this? 2 lbs. down already though! -Darlene

Did I forget anyone???

Look at the list below....did I miss any of you??? I promised I would wait one more day to close the enrollment of this challenge. Then I will work out details of money.

We've got a good little group. Hope you guys have been doing well....there's a lot of people you are up against! HAVE FUN!

P.S. It was my sons B-day today and we had donuts and ice cream. I DID NOT PARTAKE....I felt like superwoman!

Calling all contestants….

Alright…as of right now these are the names of those competing for your money (I mean competing for healthier habits). If I missed your name please let me know. I had a lot of people join us today and I don’t want to miss anyone. I will give it two more days for others to join (and again those people will just have to tack on extra days at the end).

Here’s who I have committed: (33 total)

James & Heather J.

Laura A.

Linda (Laura A’s Mom)

Laura & Aaron L.

Allison V.

Stephanie & Dustin S.

Camie D.

Rich & Nickie R.

Roger, Darlene, & Jackson R.

Cynthia T.

Marcia T.

Steph J.

Heidi P.

Debbie

Valynn

Marianne C.

Lorraine S.

Kendi G.

Michelle S.

Gloria

Marcianne S.

Katie F.

Ryan & Nanette

Joanna T.

Vickie D.

McKenzie R.

Spread the word…

So word is just now starting to get out and I have people joining by the handful. I say the more the merrier so the reward is sweeter…haha! Plus it just makes more competition for the rest of us. Even though people are joining still….the challenge is STILL ON! IT STARTED THIS MORNING! If people join us a few days late….they will just have to carry on the challenge a few days past the end date. I will work out the details of payment in a couple of days once I have a firm number of how many people will be joining us. PLEASE CHECK THIS BLOG OFTEN so I don’t have to contact you individually…that will make my life easier. I have authorized everyone I had emails for to write posts on this blog (as you can see Cassidy’s post about needing new shoes)…..I love it! This is for all of us to have fun….so POST ALREADY….let us know how it’s going for you.

So far I’ve had to pee twice as much as usual. The only draw back of consuming the sufficient amount of H2o we need.

If you haven’t received permission to blog….send me your email if I don’t have it. Allison I authorized your usage….did it not work????

I am so anxious to start! momma needs a new pair of shoes. ;)
hehe

~cassidy

Are you in???

I hope I’m not the only one who falls short everyday with the goals I have set for myself. I want to make my life long goal of being healthy a positive experience…not something I dread. LET’S MAKE THIS FUN….. come join me in this 60 day challenge. It will be fun to see each others progress and be able to encourage each other to make small changes that will hopefully become healthy habits. Not only will it be a fun way to accomplish our goals….BUT IT MAY JUST PAY OUT! At the end of the contest everyone will pitch in $5…and those who get the 3 highest points will get some $$$ that just may buy you a new outfit or something fun to show for your hard work. The rules of the challenge are posted to the right. Leave a message for me if you are in.

I will eventually make this blog private…..so don’t delay….commit today!

I’ve made up a spreadsheet to help me keep track of my points…I couldn’t get it to download here…if you want a copy leave me your email and I will send it to you!