Final Challenge Results

 THE CHALLENGE IS OVER!!!

 Eight weeks of monitoring, exercising, refraining, explaining and changing.

 Before posting the final results, I wanted to shout out kudos to the EIGHT participants who made it every week from beginning to end (only 8 out of 24 who began in June).

Amanda

Dan

Kesa

Thomas

Jason

Paula

Jen W
Matt

Congratulations, guys!  I'm so impressed.  Email me your addresses, and I'll send you a little somethin'.  (Except for you, Thomas. I think I can find where you live :) )


Weight loss percentages, in order:

Dan--37 pounds, for a total of 16.2%
Matt--28 pounds, for a total of 11.2%
Kesa--17 pounds, for a total of 9.8%
Jen W--16 pounds, for a total of 9.6%
Amanda--16 pounds, for a total of 8.5%
Paula--18 pounds, for a total of 8.4%
Jason--22 pounds, for a total of 7.1%
Thomas--10 pounds, for a total of 5%

Dan messaged me almost every single day, and he was worried that people would question his huge loss over such a short amount of time.  Well, he sent me before and after pics, and I can't believe the difference!  I'm really impressed.

As far as challenge points go, two people got every single point, every single week, with no lapses:

Paula and Jason

Lucky for me, they are married, so I can just send them the check and they can squabble over it.

Some of the insights you shared:
  
Dan said: I learned that it takes work to be healthy, but it is totally worth it I learned that I MUST count calories if I want to stay healthy. It is so easy to over eat. Plus, when I'm eating right and exercising, I feel great, have more energy and it transfers to ALL other areas of my life. Spiritual, work, my relationship with Jannalee and my kids. It's worth the effort.

Thomas said: Overall I really enjoyed this challenge, because it was more about things you should eat and do for your health rather than things you shouldn't do.

Kesa said: I learned that I do enjoy eating healthy and my sugar cravings went way down and I could pass on the junk food or desserts with little or no regret.  I like the one day sugar rule because it allowed for a cheat treat but only one day a week.  In the past, I would eat the cookies or candy everyday and just count the calories but I think it kept me addicted and wanting it everyday.  The 3 vegetable rule is one that I will keep working on.  Fruit is easy to eat, but the veggies were harder but made the difference.  They would fill me up and I could stuff myself and know that it wasn't hurting my calorie intake.  No eating after 8 p.m. was hard too, but when I felt hungry I just reminded myself that it was my fat cells melting and not hunger pains.  I also would tell myself that I had enough calories for the day and I would eat again in the a.m. so just get over it and quit thinking about.  I did not like tracking everything but when I did, it helped me see that that I needed more veggies or to just drink water until a certain time and then I would have my next snack.  The exercise was the easy part because I am training for the half-marathon but there was a few times I would have done four days of running instead of the five so it kept me doing more.
I loved this challenge and I would do it again.  I was really motivated to keep going each week and weigh in, and hello! healthy eating and running really works!
Just a back story that I wasn't going to share but I guess I am feeling in the mood.  Last fall, I participated in a similar challenge (10 weeks Biggest Winner Competition).  It ended the first part of December and I lost 23 pounds and was so happy.   Christmas was right around the corner with the stress and the yummy eating that comes with it.  In January of this year, I was still working out but not as consistently as before.  I also went back to my old eating habits:  drinking Coke Zero and eating junk everyday.  In just  a few short months I gained back at least 15 pounds I had lost.  I turned 40 in February, which doesn't bother me, except I didn't want to be fat and forty.  So I started running again and signed up for the half.  I quit pop in April and then your challenge came around when I needed it to keep me accountable and motivated.  I was determined to do it and really don't care about the money or winning but just wanted to finish what I started.  This whole year long process has been an epiphany of sorts.  I realized that I can't eat crap and not exercise (duh).  I will put on extra pounds and feel crappy.  I like to eat healthy and run and work out so I have to make the time to do it and work at it.  I really do like to do it! The time and effort that I put into it comes back to me and is reflected on the scale and in the compliments I get, or how I look, or the extra attention from my husband and the list goes on and on.  It truly is a life style change and an everyday decision.  Eat good+ exercise= feel good and look good.  No duh!  I have know this my whole life and yet I keep going up and down.  Well I think I am turning a corner and mentally stronger to keep it going.  After the half, I am going to set another goal (maybe a tri) and just keep going.   
 
Jason said:  I have no particularly profound insights, but I did find that having a set of rules and, more importantly, the accountability of reporting them, helped tremendously. The reporting kept me honest when I might have given in otherwise.

Jen said:

This was a great jump start for me to begin the lifestyle I should have been living already.  I will keep up the water and fruits and veggies, no problem, but will be more conscious about it.  Also, when I eat great, I don't crave so many treats, so win, win.  

I discovered that I am most "treaty" (not hungry), after 8, so that will be important for me to continue that, as well.  

Exercise has always been hard for me.  I don't love it, but my body is changing and responding well to the movement and stretching and feels SO much better.  This will be the hardest for me to keep up, and the part of my day that I will have to make myself do.  It will be the easiest for me to skip and i'll have to be tough not to.  Some days, I don't feel so tough.  Wish me luck. 

 

Amanda said: I'm so glad I did this challenge. I was finally able to get almost all my baby weight off and I'm so close to pre-marriage weight! Woo hoo! I had been trying to get the baby weight of for a year and a half now and have had the hardest time. By doing this challenge I realized what was missing- motivation. Boy did the money motivate me! I know I didn't win, but I feel so great and I'm so excited to be at the finish line. I really learned to love exercising. It gave me my alone time and I found it quite relaxing. I will definitely be keeping up with that even though the challenge is over. Thanks again Jenny for coordinating this challenge, it has changed me for the good :)

 

Matt said: For me this helped me have better habits. I think no eating after 8 pm really helped me. I like that this way of life is actually sustainable, because most of the things are dos (do eat fruits, do exercise) rather than donts. One thing I want to keep doing is to limit the treats. I think instead of having one day a week that I can eat treats, I will eat a total of three treats a week.

 

And here is my insight:

There is one name noticeably absent from that list, isn't there?  Yeah, it's mine. Like Thomas said, once I left for vacation, something inside my motivation snapped, and I couldn't get back on track.  I'm really disappointed with myself, because last time I competed in this challenge, I got second place in both categories--weight lost and points received. I guess I learned that sometimes ya got it, sometimes ya don't. I also learned that I am all or nothing.  Either I do it. Or I don't.  And when I don't, I really DON'T.

Thanks for participating.  I'm thinking about doing it again in a month or so--once Tucker's wedding is over.  I'll let you know if and when I decide.