Week 11 Results

Congratulations to Heather McCoy, who won an awesome citrus infusing water bottle! The only thing we need to do to enter our last drawing is to survive until Saturday. Good luck!

Amy Bowe	0.91%
Sheila McFarland	0.87%
Matthew Bowe	0.61%
John Bowe	0.54%
Kylee Gyger	0.49%
Josh Bowe	0.37%
Jennifer Bidwell	0.26%

A few thoughts to take with us on the last week of our challenge:

“You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.” – C. S. Lewis

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain

“I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.” – Florence Nightingale

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

“Never, never, never give up.” Winston Churchill

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau

Week 10 Results

Congratulations to Matt Bowe, who won our last drawing. If the budget had allowed, the prize would have been a new pair of running shoes. But maybe his new electric green laces will make him LOOK faster.

Heather Bowe	1.44%
Linda Bowe	1.13%
Sheila McFarland	0.95%
Jennifer Bidwell	0.79%
Josh Bowe	0.74%
Bob Worley	0.68%
Jacob Cantwell	0.60%
Matthew Bowe	0.52%
John Bowe	0.34%
Heather McCoy	0.14%

There are less than two weeks remaining in our little competition; a dozen days left to knuckle down and give it your best shot. If that still sounds like a long stretch, take it one day at a time. Today, then, focus on eating a healthy diet that includes realistic portions. Today, be sure to drink plenty of water. Make time to exercise today, and get a good night’s sleep. Then do it again tomorrow. Psalms 30:5 reminds us “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” If you’ve hit a snag along the way, don’t let it be an excuse to give up. Put the past behind you and make a fresh start. If by this coming Saturday you weigh less than you did last week (even if it’s only half a pound) you can put your name in this week’s drawing.

Week 9 Results

Congratulations to Heather McCoy, who won a package of Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters in last week’s drawing.

Amy Bowe	1.28%
John Bowe	0.75%
Bob Worley	0.62%
Jennifer Bidwell	0.62%
Matthew Bowe	0.26%
Linda Bowe	0.25%
Sheila McFarland	0.15%
Jacob Cantwell	0.11%

There are only three weeks left until our final weigh-in! Are you having trouble motivating yourself to get enough exercise? It may help to remember how good you felt after your last workout. You could write down your exercise goals and cross them off as you accomplish them, or you might use an app on your phone to keep track of calories burned. Are you bored with your workout? Exercise should be fun. If it isn’t, maybe you need to switch to something you enjoy more. As long as you’re moving, it’s good for you. One of the best things you can do is choose an exercise partner; it doubles your chance of reaching your goal. Our challenge is to exercise at least four times this week. Good luck!

Week 8 Results

Linda Bowe won the drawing this week: a package of Skinny Cow Dark Dreamy Clusters! 

John Bowe	1.02%
Jennifer Bidwell	0.88%
Matthew Bowe	0.44%
Heather Bowe	0.22%
Jacob Cantwell	0.05%

The whole point behind this little exercise is to increase our chances of achieving a goal by adding a monetary incentive and the encouragement of friends. Yet each week we seem to have fewer people showing up to weigh in. Lackluster attendance and mediocre weigh loss seem to point to one thing: we have other goals that conflict with our desire for a healthier lifestyle. It may be time to re-evaluate these goals. If you really can’t make it here on Saturday mornings, that’s one thing. But if you COULD be here and choose not to, you should know you’re missing out, and so are we. This week’s challenge is simply TO SHOW UP some time between 9:00 and 11:00 Saturday morning.

Week 7 Results

The week's losers:

John Bowe	1.63%
Jacob Cantwell	1.63%
Kylee Gyger	1.60%
Sheila McFarland	0.51%
Linda Bowe	0.38%
Amy Bowe	0.37%
Matthew Bowe	0.35%
Josh Bowe	0.28%

There are only five weeks left in the competition! That should be a galvanizing thought, but nearly everyone who came to the weigh-in Saturday expressed feelings of discouragement. Yes, we will from time to time eat things that would be unwise in a daily diet. We will sometimes have trouble finding time for exercise. And some weeks, even when we did everything right, the weight isn't melting off. It’s no reason to call it quits. In fact, this is the very time to screw your courage to the sticking place and move on. This week’s challenge is to count calories. Whatever goes in your mouth between now and Saturday goes in a notebook, a slip of paper on the fridge door, an app on your phone or whatever. Don’t wait until the end of the day and hope you’ll remember. Write it when you eat it. Good luck!