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!

Week 6 Results

Congrats again to Amy Bowe for winning the weekly challenge drawing. 

She has won a $5 gift card to Subway!

Here are this week's best losers:

Kylee Gyger	2.21%
Jennifer Bidwell	1.94%
Heather Bowe	1.66%
Josh Bowe	1.21%
Linda Bowe	1.01%
Amy Bowe	0.27%
John Bowe	0.20%
Bob Worley	0.10%

The total loss for the group was 7.2 lbs.

Exercise is an important – you might even say vital – part of any effective weight loss plan. Regular exercise burns calories that would otherwise be stored as fat. It also raises your metabolic rate, which means you’ll burn calories faster even when you’re resting. It can lower your insulin level and raise your sense of well-being. This week’s challenge focuses on exercise. If you’ve been sedentary, you may wish to start gradually with a brisk walk around the block or a few laps in the pool. If you’ve already been working on an exercise plan, crank it up a notch. The Mayo clinic recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like swimming or walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (like running) each week. Accomplish either this week, and you can put your name in Saturday’s drawing.

Week 5 Results

Congrats to Amy Bowe for winning this week's challenge. Her prize is a brand new pillow.

Here are this week's losers.

Heather McCoy	2.10%
Matthew Bowe	1.31%
John Bowe	1.02%
Bob Worley	0.83%
Linda Bowe	0.50%
Amy Bowe	0.37%
Melissa Singleton	0.08%

Collectively, the group lost 4 lbs this week. Certainly a better show than last week. Keep it up!


A recent study http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/92/2/13-120287-ab/en/index.html suggests EACH time you eat fast food, your BMI (body mass index) is bumped up by 0.03. While I’m not convinced this warrants more government intervention to keep us from making poor dietary choices, it may be a good reason to make better choices on an individual basis. This week, instead of heading for Wendy’s, Burger King, McDonald’s or even Chick-fil-A for lunch, try brown-bagging it. Drive past the Crown Burger, Taco Bell, KFC and Sonic on your way to a home-cooked dinner. Plan ahead so you won’t have to choose between shopping for ingredients and ordering pizza delivery. Yes, I know it’s inconvenient, but it’s worth it. If you avoid fast food this entire week, your wallet and your waistline will thank you. And you can enter our drawing next Saturday.

Week 4 Results

Here are our top losers for the past week:

Kylee Gyger                  1.60%

Jacob Cantwell              1.47%

Jennifer Bidwell              1.15%

Amy Bowe                    1.10%

Heather Bowe               0.99%

John Bowe                    0.41%

Our cumulative total for the week was 0.2%. Okay, so last week wasn’t so great. Setbacks are inevitable. The important thing to remember here is that you can’t let little hiccups get in the way of achieving your goal. Now is the perfect time to recommit and tighten your resolve.

This week’s challenge involves sleep. What does sleep have to do with weight loss? Several things, actually. If you’re tired your body is more likely to respond by asking for food than by asking for a nap. Exhaustion can lead to poor choices, like bingeing. But more importantly, sleep is when our bodies perform the “housekeeping” tasks that are difficult while we’re awake. If you’re sleep-deprived, your metabolism can’t function the way it was meant to. If you get at least seven hours of sleep per 24-hour period, you’ll feel better. Do it each day this week and you can put your name in the drawing next Saturday.

Week 3 Results

Jacob Cantwell	6.70%
Stephanie Thomson	3.22%
John Bowe	1.97%
Sheila McFarland	1.89%
Jennifer Bidwell	1.68%
Matthew Bowe	1.57%
Kylee Gyger	1.23%
Linda Bowe	0.76%
Josh Bowe	0.56%
Heather Bowe	0.44%

Together we lost a total of 43.10 pounds! Impressive, but we can do even better!

Congratulations to Jake Cantwell for winning last week's challenge drawing.

When we were in Europe we hardly ever saw anyone remarkably overweight. Most of our European friends have much healthier habits:

They drive only when they absolutely must and walk or cycle whenever they can.

They eat three daily meals instead of snacking all day.

Their plates are much smaller, and they don’t load them with food.

Their biggest meal tends to happen in the middle of the day. They’re essentially done eating by six p.m.

They don’t drink as many calories as we do. With meals, it’s usually still or sparkling water.

There isn’t a lot of sugar in their diet. Sweetened cereal, pancakes, waffles, and muffins at breakfast are practically unheard of. Dessert is a special treat, not a matter of course.

They don’t eat while driving, shopping, working, reading, watching TV, etc. 

This week’s challenge is really easy. Choose at least one of these healthy habits and make it your own for one week.