Winners!

Congratulations to this week's winners:

Alisha Shepherd

and

Jill Kaufusi!

Almost there...

Hi Everyone!

We made it through another week. I hope you all are still feeling motivated and strong in making your healthier choices. I know it's hard to change certain habits, especially in the summertime. The nights stay sunny longer, BBQ gatherings are abundant, and regular schedules can be thrown off when the kids (or you!) are out of school. But you are all doing so great. I still see plenty of high numbers entered each week!

And don't forget, even if you don't think your numbers are very high, keep entering them on before Tuesday morning! There will be multiple prizes at the end of this challenge, including a couple prizes for those who enter their points on time each week, no matter what the number is.

We'd like to have a get together at the end of the challenge for those who live around here. We can eat, chat, get to know each other better, and just have a grand old time. Maybe we'd even bring out the trampoline! We are thinking of holding a get together on Thursday, July 12th at 6:00 pm. If you'd be able to make it, please comment here or email me to let me know. We will determine a location that is central to those who are coming.

Thank you!

Enter your points!

Meet Rachael

Name: Rachael Langston
Age: 30
Where you live: Orem, UT
What you do for a living: I hang out with Things 1, 2, and 3. I try to stay sane during the hang out.

Favorite Hobbies: 

I enjoy singing; Music has always been important to me. 

If I could, I would constantly be traveling the world. I love to meet new people and learn about different cultures.
I like reading. I love movies. 

I like figuring out how to do things (i.e. prune my own trees, fix my disposal, etc.).

Favorite Food (healthy or not): Mashed potatoes and gravy. I love turkey. Dark chocolate. Cheese. I know, I named more than one, but I really like food,

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? (sleep, water, exercise, etc):
Exercise. It is hard to fit it into my schedule. I usually end up doing it once I get the baby to sleep at 10pm. 

I also really like chocolate, so the no sugar/sweets rule isn't my favorite, bu it's good for me. I had never given up sweets before these challenges. I will say that it's easier to have none than to say I'll just have a little and stick to that.

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share? 

The free exercise point on Sunday is the easiest. 

2nd place- Drinking the water. Anytime I get the munchies I try to drink a glass of water first. I also keep a large cup by the kitchen sink so I can monitor my ounces. 

Sometimes I mindlessly lose a point because of bad habits, but each of the rules is getting easier the longer I do it. During my first challenge I had a REALLY hard time not eating junk food after 8pm. Now it is easier; I don't sit and think about the junk food. I try to think about all the benefits I am getting from the healthier choices.

Meet Emily

Name: Emily

Age: 9 ½

Where do you live: Lehi, UT

What do you do for a living: Go to school and play sports

Favorite Hobbies: Play basketball, soccer, volleyball, and catch with any ball. I like to dance for fun and read some books.

Favorite Food: stroganoff (that I make myself)

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with on this challenge? No sugar and the 8 pm cutoff

What is the easiest thing for you to keep up with? Getting my fruits and vegetables in and exercising.

Meet Camille

Name:  Camille Evans

 

Age: 37 (barely)

 

Where you live:  Rexburg, Idaho

What you do for a living: I'm an employment recruiter and a WAHM

Favorite Hobbies:  playing the piano, riding my bike, and I just picked up fishing.  I wonder what I'll pick up next...

Favorite Food (healthy or not): chocolate peanut butter ice cream (Reed's Dairy brand of course!) scones and honey butter

 

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? (sleep, water, exercise, etc):

eating the sweets and drinking my water!  I only crave water when I'm thirsty.  I feel water-logged when I'm not.

 

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share?   Well, I'm no expert, but I've realized the reason I eat sweets is because they're more convenient and accessible to eat!  So, I've kept a fruit basket on my table, ready for the eating when I'm ready to snack. 

Who's Reed?!

Week 5 Winners!

Only three more weeks to go!

Some of you have mentioned that you have given up and/or lost motivation. Don't give up! The ultimate goal of this challenge is to get yourself in the habit of making healthier choices. Even if you don't get the highest points each week, if you walk away from this with healthier teeth and gums from getting in a flossing habit (or whatevs), then you're better than you were at the beginning of the challenge!

Start fresh today with a new outlook on the challenge, and keep at it. You'll be happy you did!

Congratulations to our random week 5 winners:

Brenda Finlinson 

and

Paige Norton!

Meet Hannah

Age: 30 (YIKES! That's the first time I've had to write that since my birthday!)

Where you live: Saratoga Springs UT

What you do for a living: Mom to 3 boys, HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator

Favorite Hobbies: Reading, blousing around pinterest pretending like I'll make everything I pin, Playing outside with my kids, and I'm trying to get better at quilting and small sewing projects 

Favorite Food (healthy or not): I LOVE cold red grapes. And I LOVE the Cafe Rio tortillas dipped in house dressing.

 

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? (sleep, water, exercise, etc):

The hardest thing for me to keep up with is NO SWEETS. Exercise comes in at a close second though.. just saying... 

I am a sugar addict. I used to have a Sonic drink almost every day and I thought that would be hard to give up. Surprisingly it was the easiest for me to let go of (after the first 3 days of headaches!). But it is so hard for me to say no to treats. 

Maybe I should eat all the sugar in my house so that there won't be any left! :)

 

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share? (how you get 30 mins of exercise in each day, how to keep track of water, etc):

Drinking the 50 oz. of water has been super easy for me. I use the mug I got at the hospital when I had my babies (I know it's time for another baby when my mug is all cracked and unreadable! just kidding- kind of!) I just keep it on the counter by my kitchen sink and I drink one mug-full by lunch time and finish the second mug-full by dinner time. The rest after that is bonus aqua. :)

Meet Brenda

Name: Brenda Evans Finlinson

Age:  35

Where you live: A money pit in Murray (at least that is what it feels like this week ;) )

What you do for a living: Mommy & dabble in the oil industry on the side

Favorite Hobbies: Digital scrapbooking, photography, craftiness ;)

Favorite Food (healthy or not): chocolate chocolate chocolate

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? No sweets

 

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Probably the water, I love to drink water. Or the fruits/veggies...I've been trying to get my kiddos to eat a rainbow of fruits/veggies each day - so thats what I eat too & it makes it easier for me.


Mmmmmm...chocolate.

Meet Andy

Name:  Andy

Age:  61

Where you live:  Spanish Fork, UT

What you do for a living:  Bookkeeping for a dairy products company

Favorite Hobbies:  Reading and staring mindlessly at the TV

Favorite Food (healthy or not):  Cookies and milk

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? (sleep, water, exercise, etc):  Eating FIVE servings of fruits and veggies and NOT eating sugar-laden treats.

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share? (how you get 30 minutes of exercise in each day, how to keep track of water, etc):  Getting 30 minutes of exercise each day.


 People have said that I remind them of a movie star.

Meet Alisha

Name: Alisha Shepherd

Age: 29

 Where you live: Roy, UT

What you do for a living: Full-time mommy to two boys, ages 2 and 3 months

 Favorite Hobbies: Music, reading, organizing and snuggling with my boys

Favorite Food (healthy or not): Baked chicken

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge?

 exercise - finding something to fit into my routine and that will be flexible enough when the routine changes because the baby woke up early.

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? 

 7 hours of sleep. We go to bed early because the kiddos wear me out.


Thanks Alisha! I know all too well about babies ruining routines:)

Week 4 Winners

Good work this past week, everyone! The random winners this week are:

Linda Ith

and

Shannon Tuke!

Congratulations, Ladies! Enjoy the $5 prize headed your way:)

Meet Nicole

Name: Nicole F. Langston

Age: 33

Where you live: Herriman

What you do for a living: wife and pediatrician

Favorite Hobbies: holding babies, playing with kids, playing soccer, hiking, baking, eating sweets

Favorite Food (healthy or not): caramel apple crisp AND cinnamon rolls, it is too hard to choose!

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? (sleep, water, exercise, etc): Avoid sweets, avoid eating after 8 pm, exercise every day, sometimes sleeping enough, especially when I work nights

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share? (how you get 30 mins of exercise in each day, how to keep track of water, etc):  drinking 50 ounces of water, I just would rather drink water than almost anything else

Nicole is a DOCTOR! She should know caramel apple crisp is good for you.

Meet Yvonne

Name:  Yvonne Robison

Age:  61

Where you live:  Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

What you do for a living:  I sit at home all day eating bon bons and watching TV ; )   I am a stay at home mom who is an empty nester.  I was a single mom up until the time my oldest was 12, and I worked full time from the time he was 6 weeks old.  I feel like I missed so many of those special moments.  It was so wonderful to be able to go on field trips, all the games, activities, etc.  

Favorite Hobbies:  I love scrapbooking, photography, and running.  Followed closely by EATING!!!

Favorite Food (healthy or not):  Chocolate, and for me it is good for my MENTAL health ; )

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? (sleep, water, exercise, etc):  The hardest thing for me by far is no treat.

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share? (how you get 30 mins of exercise in each day, how to keep track of water, etc):    I am a runner so the 30 minutes of exercise is fairly easy--except for on my off days.  I am in training for a marathon and so rest days need to be just that--rest!!!  I have been cheating and doing aerobics but as I start doing longer runs on Saturday, I know I am going to find it difficult to do the aerobics, so I will probably have to start swimming for the 30 minutes of exercise. 

Meet Amanda

Name: Amanda Hempel

Age: 27

Where you live: American Fork

What you do for a living: In nursing school

Favorite Hobbies: shopping, scrapbooking, snowboarding

Favorite Food (healthy or not): just about anything mexican

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? (sleep, water, exercise, etc): no sugar!  being in nursing school people bring sugar snacks all the time and rotation on the floors there are always snacks around.  So I have given in a few times
 
Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share? (how you get 30 mins of exercise in each day, how to keep track of water, etc): water, I track with my jug I got from the hospital which is 32 oz so two of those and I'm good.  I drink more when I have a big straw.   

Week THREE Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the Week 3 random drawing:

Emily Badger

and 

Logan Smith!!

Meet Carrie

Name: Carrie

Age: 34

Where you live: New Hampshire

What you do for a living: stay-at-home mom, and I just launched my photography business!

Favorite Hobbies: Reading, quilting, swimming

Favorite Food (healthy or not): wild Oregon blackberries

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? : exercise

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share?  teeth bruhsing & flossing

WEEK THREE

Another week down.

This week a little rough for me! We spent the majority of the week moving, painting the new place and cleaning the old place. Some weeks are going to be more hectic than others for us all, but I hope you are all staying strong and motivated in this challenge!

Thank you to everyone who has been sending me their personal info to be featured on the blog! It's been fun to get to know a little more about all the participants. If you haven't sent me the answers to my questions and a picture of yourself (optional, of course), please do! We'd love to learn more about you.

Remember to enter your points by Tuesday morning.

Meet Andrea

Name: Andrea J.

Age: 34

Where you live: West Point, UT

What you do for a living: mom to 4 boys

Favorite Hobbies: scrapbooking and making cards

Favorite Food (healthy or not): Chinese food

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? (sleep, water, exercise, etc):

In the beginning it was hard for me to say no to treats. Then I realized that I was focusing on the "NO" and wanting it because I couldn't have it. The second week I crossed out the No Sweets on my chart and wrote "I am putting healthy food in my body." That really helped me focus on what I want.
I also struggle with wanting to eat after my boys are in bed. I know it's not a hunger thing and that I am trying to fill up a feeling. It has been good to be consciously aware of that and not give in to the feeling.

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share? (how you get 30 mins of exercise in each day, how to keep track of water, etc):

I don't know if it's necessary easy, but I have made a conscious effort to floss my teeth every night (I was a non-flosser before) and to read my scriptures every morning. These seem easy along with exercise because I have made them a part of my daily routine.  I am thankful for this challenge for just that, to make new habits! 

Thanks Andrea!

Meet Shannon

Name: Shannon Tuke

Age: 34

Where you live: Arizona

What you do for a living: Doula, CBE, Student, Internet Specialist

Favorite Hobbies: Birth, Crochet, Helping others

Favorite Food (healthy or not): I am not really sure...

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge?Not eating sweets

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share?  The easiest for me is the water. I don't know if it's just living in AZ or not but I can easily drink 2-3 smart waters a day. I like measuring it in the Smart Waters because 2-3 is easier to keep track of. I found it hard to exercise this week because last Saturday I did my first really long run and my muscles were screaming at me, those days I really didn't want to push it so it was fun just walking for a change. I am really enjoying the fruits and veggie challenge and trying to come up with different kinds of fruits and veggies to mix it up and keep it interesting.

 

Meet Logan

Name: 
Logan Smith

Age: 
27

Where you live: 
Lehi, Utah

What you do for a living:

full-time mom! 

Favorite Hobbies:
dancing, reading, baking, singing

 

Favorite Food (healthy or not):

 peanut butter! I seriously eat it straight out of the carton with a spoon. (of course I buy the healthy organic kind!)

 

What is the hardest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge?

 so far the hardest thing (and what I've failed at the most) is not eating sweets. I don't drink soda, but I love baked goods! I've also realized that I wasn't eating near as many fruits and vegetables as I thought I was before this challenge! So I'm glad to be focusing on getting more of those in my diet.

 

Which is the easiest thing for you to keep up with in this challenge? Any tips you'd like to share?

 exercising and drinking water are the easiest things for me. Like I said, I don't drink soda, so besides the occasional glass of OJ or milk with breakfast I just drink water all day long. I have a big 1.5 liter bottle that I fill up and take with me everywhere. Though I try to get most of my water in during the first half of the day (so I'm not up all night peeing!) I usually hit 40 ounces by lunchtime.

 I go to the gym at the same time every morning. My gym has a great daycare that my toddler loves, so it's easy to keep this habit! Because I go at the same time, I've become friends with other women that are always there at the same time as well. We motivate each other, and our kids love to see each other in the daycare every morning!

I also like to mix up my workouts so I don't get bored. I do a combination of cardio interval training, running, strength training/circuit training, and yoga/Pilates. Keeps things interesting!

In case you didn't know, Logan's sister recently auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance, and her audition was pretty fantastic. Of course, little boys yelling "I love you Mommy!" are my weakness. Check it out!