Winners

Congrats to everyone that completed the challenge.  Even if you aren't one of the 'winners' you should still feel like a winner for completing the challenge.  It is not something that is easy and I'm proud of everyone!

In the end there were 7 participants with perfect points.  They were:

Jana Bishop

Heidi Reckling

Teresa Farmer

Jeremy Wootton

Kimberlee Palm

Danielle Wootton
Lindsey Durrant

The winners of the "random drawing" who got an average of at leaset 60 points each week were:

Jon Sudar

Debbie Reiber

Marla Hansen

Leslie Barnes

I've sent all the prize money out through Paypal.  If you haven't received it please let me know!

Thanks again guys!

Giveaway

Our giveaway this week is a Danksin Core Performer.  I love using resistance bands for a little extra workout.  It helps tighten and tone, enhance your flexibility and strengthen your core all in a few simple exercise.  Plus I love that they are small and easy to store when you are done.   

And our winner this week is...

Heidi Reckling!

Keep up the good work everyone.  Only a few days left!

Giveaway

      This week we have an awesome giveaway for you!   A water bottle full of Crystal Light packets.  I find it so much easier to get all my water in a day if I take a water bottle with me where ever I go.  And my husband is a huge fan of Crystal Light.  It helps change up the monotony of just drinking water.  Thanks to Debbie Reiber for donating this weeks giveaway!

And the winner is 

Jana Bishop!

Long work hours... stress... some of us have turned to food! When we experience stressful events or negative emotions such as anxiety, anger, emptiness and sadness food can bring us temporary comfort. They don't call it “comfort food” for nothing do they?!

When we expect something to bring us pleasure and/or relief from distress, that expectation actually amplifies the rewarding value of food. This is what we call a “vicious cycle.” We can change this cycle!

1. First, change our emotional appraisal, or expectation of food to bring comfort (happiness, etc.) and “retraining your brain” to think in a different way. Draw towards what you want and push away from what is no longer desirable. Develop a statement that draws you towards healthy eating habits like this, “I feel great when I choose a healthy way to cope with my emotions!” Next, develop a statement that pushes away from using food as a coping mechanism. Something like “Eating to comfort myself actually makes me feel more miserable.”
   
2. Find behaviors to replace food. Develop a “Menu” that lists any pleasurable activities that you can think of and any comforting activities that you can think of. This way you will have a list of options that you can use to obtain pleasure and/or relief from emotional distress. Some examples of “Comfort Menu” items include: Deep Breathing, Meditation, Positive Imagery, Squeezing a Stress Ball, Giving Yourself a Hand Massage, Make a Stress Free Zone to Relax Within, Spend Time Outdoors in the Sun, Stretch, Take a Quick Walk, Listen to Your Favorite Song, Write Your Emotions Down, Light Scented Candles, Smell Citrus or Coffee, Talk to a Friend or Cuddle with a Pet.
   
3. Trigger & Strategy . You can use the items on your “Comfort Menu” to fill in as the new routine.
   1. This should look like this: “When [identify the cue], I will [identify the new routine] because it provides me with [identify the reward].”
   2. Here’s an example: “When I feel stressed, I will take a walk because it provides me with a sense of calm and peace of mind.”
   3. Whereas the old automatic response would be to eat when feeling stressed, the new routine would be to take a walk. This planned response is a guideline for you to follow. Write it down. Read it. Practice it. We are going for progress, not perfection. Change is a process, not an event. 

Week Five

Can you beleive that our challenge is half way over?  I can't.  Time is flying by.  Before you know it, it will be Halloween and the challenge will be done!  This week for our giveaway we have a Bella Rocket Blender- great for making smoothies!

The winner for this week's giveaway is

Adrienne Henderson

It seems like smoothies-especially green smoothies-are all the rage these days.  I still haven't gotten my family on the band wagon, but I like a smoothie every once and awhile.  Here are some tips for smoothie making.

1. First choose a liquid: apple juice, cranberry juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, milk, water, almond milk,      you get the idea.  It can be nearly any liquid or juice.

2. Choose a base:  Vanilla yogurt, Greek yogurt, crushed ice, tofu.  Something that will give your smoothie a     good texture and consistency

3. Add in fruit and veggies:  The sky is the limit, but try to balance out your fruit.  If you have a really strong       fruit , trying adding another more moderate fruit to balance out the flavor.  Also don't be afraid to add      vegetables.  I usually just stick with spinach.  I feel like it still tastes like a fruit smoothie, but you're still getting in those healthy greens.  Experiment a little and you'll quickly find a few favorites.

4.  Extra mix ins:  Don't be afraid to add a few other things as well.  Protein powder, honey, agave, peanut     butter, flax seeds, almond, cinnamon.  

Try making a new smoothie this week and let us all know how it goes!

Giveaway!

      Our giveaway this week is a selection of healthy options for snacking.    One of the hardest things for me is snacking.  I'm a 'grazer.'  I'd rather snack all day long instead of eating meals.  I'm getting better at this, but occasionally I just get the munchies and I need something good.  One of my favorite snacks is crackers or carrots with Laughing Cow cheese wedges.  They are delicious!  Plus the cheese wedges come in lots of different flavors and they are each only 35 calories.  You can't beat that.  Share some of your favorite snacks with us!  

The winner of the giveaway is 

Sydney Hansen!

Giveaway!

I've had a lot of people emailing me asking what to do about exercise when they are sick.  Apparently there are some bugs going around.  Walking is the perfect exercise to do when you aren't feeling great.  Or a great exercise to do with your family.  I know I love going out on a walk with my kids.  So the prize this week is a pedometer.

You should aim for getting at least 10,000 steps a day, which is roughly 5 miles.  If you are already walking this many steps a day, aim for a higher goal.  If you aren't yet walking that many try increasing it slowly.  Each week aim to walk 1000 more steps a day, increasing it by 1000 every week until you reach the 10,000 steps.  Here are few ways to add more steps into your day.  

Take a walk with your spouse, child, or friend

Walk the dog

Use the stairs instead of the elevator

Park farther from the store

Better yet, walk to the store

Get up to change the channel

Window shop

Plan a walking meeting

Walk over to visit a neighbor

Get outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding

And the winner for this weeks giveaway is...

Kimberlee Palm

Congrats Kim!  I hope you all have a great week three!

Today is the last day of week two!  How are we all feeling?  I was so impressed last week with all of you.  I don't even know some of you, but I'm seriously so proud of you for all that you've accomplished.  This is not easy!  In fact, doing this, changing your habits is hard work!  But you can do hard things!  I've been talking to a few people and they've been a little discouraged if they've lost points.  Don't be discouraged.  Even if you don't get all the points, think of all the points you did get and all the good habits that you've done that week.  Every thing you do daily, improves your life for the good!  So I hope that you are all feeling great as we enter week three!

Remember to go to the spreadsheet and enter your points for week two.  We will be doing another giveaway on Monday, so get those points entered!

Also, the weather is cooling down so get out there and exercise outside while you still can.  Here are a few ideas:
-Go for a hike
-Ride your bike
-Take a walk
-Go for a jog
-Get out and play a sport with your kids 
-Find a pond and go canoeing 
-Go swimming
-Walk your kids to or from school

If you're like me you'll surprised how quickly 45 minutes goes by when you are outside exercising rather than stuck in a gym or at home.

Cookbook Giveaway!

     I hope that you all had an awesome first week.  I'm so impressed with all the high scores that everyone got.  You guys are doing great!  This weeks giveaway is a Taste of Home Cookbook.  I know that it's hard to prepare good meals for your families, especially when you are trying to eat healthy.  This cook book has some great recipes that are all super fast to make.

The winner of this weeks giveaway is 

Shayna Henke

Congrats!  Remember that in order to be eligible for the giveaway you need to get at least 60 points the previous week.  

The "No Sugar" Rule

    I've received several emails and calls about the "no sugar" rule and what's legal and what's not.  So hopefully this helps a little if you have questions.  When it comes to no sugar it can be a little confusing.  Most things that we eat have sugar and it is so frustrating sometimes trying to find things that don't .  So lets talk about reading the nutrition label to decide if it is something you should eat.  When looking at the label, the first thing I look at are the ingredients.  If it has sugar listed as an ingredients my first answer would be not to eat this.  But there are many healthy options out there for snacking that do in fact contain some sugar.  This is where the 2 grams of sugar or less comes in.  So look at the actual nutrition label.  Does it have 2 grams or less?  Then it's legal.  I put an example of this in the picture below.  (not even sure what this food is, but it contains sugar as an ingredient, but has only 1 gram of sugar)    
      So the general rule of thumb is - if 1 serving of something you are considering eating contains 2 grams of sugar or less PER SERVING, then it is legal.  I'm referring to items that have SUGAR listed in the ingredients.  If the ingredients say honey or agave or an artificial sweetener such as Stevia, then it doesn't matter how many sugar grams are in it.  The 2 grams of sugar or less rule applies to foods that have SUGAR listed as an ingredient.  Think along the lines of items that are not sweet items, like pretzels, wheat crackers, whole wheat bread, salad dressings, pasta sauces, etc.   Again, this does not include sweet items.  YOU MAY NOT have a piece of chocolate as long as you are consuming 2 grams of sugar or less. Only on your free day.

    I've also had some questions about artificial sweeteners such as Stevia and items that are sugar free.  These foods are legal in the challenge.  I wouldn't recommend going crazy and eating loads of treats that are sugar free, they are still loaded with calories.   But if you're really in need of something it is legal.  My favorite thing are the Sugar Free Jell-O pudding cups and Jell-O's.  They are low in calories and a perfect treat if you're really having a craving.  

I hope that this helped to clarify some of your questions.  If in doubt there are two things- send me an email and ask or use your best judgement.  I trust that most of you have good judgement and can decide if something is healthy or not.  But again, I don't mind the questions either.  Just shoot me an email!

Feeling Snacky?

Are you feeling hungry and don't know what to eat?  Here are a few of my favorite snacks:

• Cheese stick
• Trail mix (without M&M's)
• Pretzels
• Freeze dried fruit (just make sure there is no added sugar)
• Popcorn
• Apple with peanut butter
• Fruit smoothie
• Carrots with a laughing cow cheese wedge
• Fruit
• Veggies
• Almonds or other nuts
• Greek Yogurt with fruit or honey 

We'd love to hear what you've been snacking on.  Please feel free to comment on this post or head over to our facebook page and share there!  

Welcome Email?

If you have not received a welcome email please email me at myhappyhealthylifechallenge@gmail.com.

Are you Ready?

Alright guys,  I hope you are ready and excited to start this challenge.  I've had a few questions so I'll answer those here.

Exercise:  Exercise is the only challenge item that can be used on a different day than your free day.
Several people expressed that they do not want to work out on Sunday.  That is fine.  So it would work like this.  If you would like your free day to be Saturday you could eat sugar, not write in your journal, etc. but you would still need to exercise.  Then on Sunday you would not have to exercise, but you would still complete all the other challenge items you would like to receive points for.

Sugar:  Going completely off sugar is a difficult things and takes some practice getting used to.  Know that the first few days are going to be rough and you may have headaches and cravings.  It does get better, I promise.  Generally within a few days your body adjusts and you start feeling so much better.  As far know what it 'legal' to eat my general rule of thumb is to just look at the ingredients.  If it has sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup, etc then don't eat it.  Natural sweeteners such as honey and agave are 'legal'.
      As mentioned in "the challenge" tab, we recommend not eating any white flour, since it turns into sugar in your body. Eating white flour however will not make you lose a point. Aim for eating whole wheat.  And when selecting a whole wheat bread, choose one with less than 2 g of sugar.  This also goes for other things flour based foods, such as crackers, pretzels, etc.  Just make sure they have less than 2 g of sugar in them.

Journal Writing:  You can write in any type a journal.  This can include blogging, scrap booking, typing a journal, gratitude journal, etc.  Just record your life!

Personal Goal:  This should be the same goal throughout the entire challenge.  It should be something that you have to accomplish every day to get the point.  Please choose something that you are not already doing.

No Junk Food:  This challenge item can be interpreted many ways.  We each categorize junk food differently.  Please use your best judgement when deciding if something is junk food or not.  For example, I would consider a greasy pizza junk food.  But a pizza made at home with whole wheat crust and veggies I think would be a good choice.
     I also had several questions about fast food restaurants.  No fast food doesn't mean you can't go to any restaurant.  It means that when you go to a restaurant make good food choices.  Rather than eating a hamburger, which is definitely "fast food", order a salad.

        Please be honest in reporting your points.  It's only fair to everyone else that you only report points for the challenge items that you actually accomplish each day.  Throughout the challenge we may randomly give tasks that you can complete for an extra free point.  You will get an email about it though when that happens.  To report your points each week, please enter them in the spread sheet which can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsR_PGBN9V9kdHVRbGVsc095OTJNUWFVTDQyUXlLVGc&usp=sharing

        I didn't go over everything, but mainly covered what I had received questions about.  If you have questions please feel free to post them to the facebook page or send me an email.  I will try to update the blog as frequently as I can with helpful tips and encouragement.  If you have anything you would like to share with everyone please send me an email and I can put it in the blog.

     Thanks so much for joining our challenge.  I know it's going to be a great 8 weeks.

8 Week Challenge Starting Soon!

     Grab your friends and family and tell them to come join our Happy and Healthy Life Challenge.  It is an 8 week challenge where we change our daily habits to improve our lives.  It's not going to be easy, but believe me it is worth it and you will feel great by the end of the 8 weeks!
     The challenge will run from September 1-October 26.  Go ahead and sign up now and start preparing for a happy, healthier you!

       Each day there are 10 things to do.  Each one will earn you one point.  At the end of the week we tally up the points and keep a running total.  The person(s) with the highest points at the end will win the grand prize and bragging rights! Check the "Challenge" Tab at the top of the page to see the details!

     Worried about getting all the points in?  Don't be.  Each week you are allowed one free day, so if you miss something you won't have to dock points that day.  It's that easy.   Check out the web page and feel free to send me questions if you have them!

     The challenge is $15 to join and the money is put into a pot for the winners.  Check out the "Rewards" tab for more details.