Weekly Challenge - Step 5

Out 5th step in our 7 steps to success is this...
" 5. Learn as much as possible: Read as much as you can about cooking, eating, exercising, and healthy living as possible. Cookbooks have so much more then just recipes in them, and read articles on stretching, cardio, or circuit training. Talk to people who have lost weight and kept it off, what did they do that helped them? Know why it’s important to work certain areas of the body, and why we should eat certain foods, don’t just assume you know what you’re doing."

I read blogs, cookbooks, and websites filled with information on weight loss, calories, exercise, and how the body reacts to all of this. I am a wealth of knowledge. You should be too! Here is the main blog I read:
http://www.344pounds.com/
and the main website I visit:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/


Weekly Challenge: Read an article, book, or new blog about weight loss, exercise, or healthy eating. Post your information here on on facebook so we can all bask in your knowledge!

Weekly Challenge - Step 4

Your seven steps to success - Step 4:
"Focus on everyday habits: This is the ground work of my life. My everyday habits have to change. I can not sit in front of the TV having a snack, I can not run to get a pizza because I am too tired to cook, and I certainly can not ignore the sunny weather and sit inside all day. In fact it really only takes us 30-66 days to build a new habit, the curve really depends on how interested you are in actually forming that habit. So the easier the habit is to you, the quicker it will become one. Make it happen!"

Our everyday habits are what got us in this place in the first place. Like I said above, it's only going to take you a short time to get into the habit of eating well and exercising on a regular basis.

Weekly challenge: Find 1 bad habit you are continuing to do (i.e - eating late at night, watching tv more then 2 hours a day, drinking soda, eating candy every day) and stop the habit! Make it small at first, then by day 7 have it eliminated.

My bad habit will be late night snacking. I don't do this every night, and not as often as I was, but I do catch myself still finding something to eat when I come home from the gym. I don't want to do this anymore!

Weekly Challenge - Step 2 & 3

Remember our 7 steps to success? This week we are going to focus on steps 2 and 3. Here's a recap of those steps...
2. Start small: Don’t expect to lose 5, 10, or even 20 pounds in the first week or month. Making small steps in your weight loss will give you small results, and in turn you will have huge results in the end.

3. Have support: Have an accountability partner!!! I didn’t think I would need this when I first started, that my blog would be enough. Then I began to get bored of it all and just when I started to need one God walked her right into my sights for what I needed. Someone who I can confess to about my poor choices, someone who has a shared goal of weight loss and healthy living, and someone who is willing to go to the gym with me and work just as hard to get those results. I can’t say it more; having someone to talk to, workout with, or even to cook with can be so beneficial to your weight loss.
_____________________
So, making small steps in your weight loss can sometimes be challenging because the road ahead of you will feel so long and bumpy, but that road you are on is worth the long trip. So, put on your fast pace music and allow the road to keep going. The longer you take the more focused you will become in making these steps in yourself. This road is all about you, but along the way it's important to pick up a few hitchhikers and friends who are going to help you navigate your way to end. The biggest and most important accountability partner I have is God, and he knows when I am being truthful and when I am ready to see the truth in myself. He is my leader in my journey, no matter what I am focusing on. But, the others I rely on such an important aspect of my weight loss too. My husband, who helps me cook and make healthy choices, is with me through this 24/7 and I couldn't ask for someone more supportive. He even went out and bought me new shoes for the gym for my birthday! My besttest girl friend and gym buddy is my other partner though this. We spend so much time making salads, talking about deserts, and working out at the gym.

Now, even if you're going to have these people helping you to attain your goals please remember the ultimate person in charge of your weight loss is YOU. You have to be accountable to yourself at all times. If your spouse wants to eat extras and junk food, you don't have to (trust me, I know how hard that is) and if your gym buddy can't make it to the gym that night you still can so just go! Don't allow anyone but yourself to be in charge.

Weekly Challenge: Check in with someone at least 3 times this week on your goals. Talk to them about any challenges you are experiencing and if they are having any themselves. Focus on losing 1 pound this week!

Weekly challenge - Step 1

Weekly Challenge: Ok, so below this post we have 7 new challenges now! First step in our challenge is to set a goal! It can be either a weight goal, a food choice goal, or an activity goal. Make one long term goal and then make a 3 step short term goal.

Mine: I’m choosing to have weight based goals because right now it is my main focus. I want to be in a certain range of weight within a certain time period in order to begin trying to have another child. This is the main focus now, but I still have so many other areas I am working on. So, if you are only trying to lose 10-25 lbs make your focus more on the habits and the exercise then the numbers.

Long Term Goal – Lose 110 pounds in 18 months from my original starting weight. This would be at 198 lbs. Still not a healthy weight for my body, but once I get below 200 it will be much more difficult for me to lose weight. I will then set another goal once I hit this one.

Step 1 short term goal – Lose 37 lbs by June 15
This has been a goal I’ve set for myself for awhile, and it doesn’t appear I am going to make it. But that is ok. Step 1 is going to be the hardest in the weight loss journey, but it doesn’t mean I’m giving up.

Step 2 short term goal – Lose 50 more lbs by January 1, 2011. This will take me to 1 year in my journey and about 2 weeks before I make some other great steps in my life at our church’s Victory Celebration. I will have lost 87 lbs to meet this goal.

Step 3 short term goal – Lose 23 more lbs by the time I turn 30 (June 15, 2011). This will take me to 110 lbs!

7 Steps to Success

7 Steps to success: This 7 steps will be part of our challenges for the next 7 weeks, and will give us motivation and dedication to our weight loss journeys.

1. Set the goal: Have a large goal set, but make sure to always have small goals that help you to reach that small goal. Also, post those goals in places you are going to see them on a regular basis – the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, or your desktop on the computer.

2. Start small: Don’t expect to lose 5, 10, or even 20 pounds in the first week or month. Making small steps in your weight loss will give you small results, and in turn you will have huge results in the end.

3. Have support: Have an accountability partner!!! I didn’t think I would need this when I first started, that my blog would be enough. Then I began to get bored of it all and just when I started needed one God walked her right into my sights for what I needed. Someone who I can confess to about my poor choices, someone who has a shared goal of weight loss and healthy living, and someone who is willing to go to the gym with me and work just as hard to get those results. I can’t say it more; having someone to talk to, workout with, or even to cook with can be so beneficial to your weight loss.

4. Focus on everyday habits: This is the ground work of my life. My everyday habits have to change. I can not sit in front of the TV having a snack, I can not run to get a pizza because I am too tired to cook, and I certainly can not ignore the sunny weather and sit inside all day. In fact it really only takes us 30-66 days to build a new habit, the curve really depends on how interested you are in actually forming that habit. So the easier the habit is to you, the quicker it will become one. Make it happen!

5. Learn as much as possible: Read as much as you can about cooking, eating, exercising, and healthy living as possible. Cookbooks have so much more then just recipes in them, and read articles on stretching, cardio, or circuit training. Talk to people who have lost weight and kept it off, what did they do that helped them? Know why it’s important to work certain areas of the body, and why we should eat certain foods, don’t just assume you know what you’re doing.

6. Have fun: Getting healthy can seem like a laborious task, and typically we begin to give up when it feels that way. So, why does it? Honestly, it doesn’t have to feel that way. Make your activities fun, join an adults sport league, try a new sport out, chase your kids around, and just enjoy the life you are creating for yourself.

7. Put in on Paper: My blog has become the journal that I have always needed when it came to weight loss. I have seen a few other people do the same as me after reading my blog and I know that many of you write out your thoughts in some way or another. Make sure you have your goals, desires, and even your feelings down on paper to help you stay focused.

Conquering Stress with your weight loss

So, the last 2 weeks have been an enormous amount of stress for me. Not 24/7 intense stress, but that lingering feeling of impending doom stress. That I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop before things just get worse. Every time my cell phone rang I feared the worst. I attempted to combat this stress with the normalcy of my life. Making meals, playing with Julia, have the older kids over to hang out, baking, and especially going to the gym. But even with my gym time and my battles against the stress it still seems to have won over my battle with weight loss. Is there any real ‘weight’ to this? Is the stress really causing me to not loose my weight? And how do I get past this wall?

Research does support some link between stress and weight. Stress often causes people to drop good eating and exercise habits that helped them lose weight. This is certainly true in my case. I had Dairy Queen for desert one night, and caught myself several times attempting to over snack between meals. My intensity in the gym even went down the hill. I just couldn’t get motivated!

The other problem was my fatigue that went along with this stress. I had so much going on in my head that most nights I would wrestle with bad dream, or just not fall asleep at all. When people are stressed they have trouble falling asleep. Studies show that a lack of sleep leads to lower levels of the hormone leptin, which can cause an increased appetite. Tired people often turn to food, too, to replenish their energy. I so did this! I remember thinking how eating more “healthy” foods would benefit me during the time of stress, but just ended up over eating and then taking a nap.

When we are stressed most of us who are attempting to change our habits and loss weight become emotional eaters. When we are making these changes it takes so much more than good intentions and information about nutrition and exercise to be successful. The ability to manage difficult situations and feelings effectively—without turning to food and eating—is a necessary foundation for a successful weight loss plan and healthy lifestyle.

Even when we are having challenges in our lives we are still on this journey to make a better self, and need to find ways to conquer the effects of the stress when avoiding the stress is not an option. I need to remember to have these posted on a wall or the fridge to remind me what I need to do when all I feel like doing is eating or sleeping away the stress. Here is a list of healthy stress reducers.
• Take a walk – even at a slow pace, your body will release chemicals to help build back you’re your feel-good moods.
• Stretch – turn on the radio or TV and stretch out the stress in your muscles. Basic stretches can be found here.
• Work up a sweat – when we exercise we release so much tension in our bodies and this is the best way to allow your body to loose weight and de-stress at the same time.
• Get a massage – this isn’t exactly cost affective in my world, but I have a husband who will work out those tense muscles for me too. This really can help or you to be able to ignore the emotional eating and sleeping, and bring you back to the reality of your weight loss.
• Eat something healthy and tasty after you work up a sweat – fruit smoothie, yogurt & granola, trail mix, and just some plain fruit cut up.

So, how to I move from just making healthy habits to making this my lifestyle and not struggling with these hurdles anymore? There are five most common problems that people run into when attempting to identify, work through, and overcome emotional and mental (attitude) problems that people face when they set out to change their lifestyles. These include inadequate problem-solving skills; unrealistic expectations; toxic guilt & negative self-talk; emotional eating; and lack of intrinsic motivation. We will revisit some of these problems this week with a series of motivating and helpful articles on getting past these challenges.

In the meantime, here is this week’s challenge. Weekly Challenge: Keep a journal of your daily food intake and track when you are emotionally eating (stress, bored, tired, or happy). You don’t need a fancy web site to do this, just pull out a notepad each day and write it down.

Weigh In

Weight: 280.2

Total Weight Loss: 28.1

I have lost 0 pound this week and a total of 28.1 since January 1. Life is filled with stress, and this week has been no different, again. So, I am going to figure out to combat this stress somehow!

Weekly Challenge: This week’s challenge will be posted tomorrow afternoon after some intensive research has been done on how to battle stress during weight loss. I certainly am not eating the best I could be, so I will also be challenging myself with my food choices. Get ready for an intense week of battle weight loss!

Weigh In & Weekly Challenge

Weight: 280.2

Total Weight Loss: 28.1

I have lost 0 pound this week and a total of 28.1 since January 1. I exercised almost every day this past week and this is probably why I didn’t gain any weight. My food choices have been poor, and I haven’t been counting my calories at all this week. My stress level has been incredibly high and on top of that I had a minor cold with several nights of little sleep. I am picking up the pieces this week (after my memorial day BBQ) and starting over on the diet.

Weekly Challenge: Accomplish 3 or more minutes on the Jacobs Ladder. This will really only applies to me this week, so in order to give each of you a challenge I am saying this. Choose a new form of cardio and complete 5 minutes extra on this exercise then you would do on your usual exercise. Just 5 minutes, you spend that watching commercials during just one 1-hour T.V show, or you take that long talking on the phone trying to say goodbye to someone, and we usually spend more then that driving from place to place. Good Luck!

Weigh In & Weekly Challenge

Weight: 280.2

Total Weight Loss: 28.1

I have lost -1 pound this week and a total of 28.1 since January 1. I should have lost more, I know I lost more in the long run, but for the sake of my weigh in I did not. I had a horrible couple of days with my eating and exercising. I had alcohol, sugar, and fatty foods, and there is not excuse! Tomorrow is another day, and today was even better. I will have a big number next week.

Weekly Challenge: The challenge will stay the same this week. I feel like I did not succeed at last week’s challenge and did not participate in my choices enough. I am going to add on some ab exercises along with the other strength training I have already begun. These exercises will be added. 1) Crunches on a ball. 2) Dumbbell Side Bends. 3) Double Crunches with Medicine Ball.
Click on the exercises for a link to a demonstration.

Weekly Challenge - strength Training

I needed some time to think about this week’s challenge, and since I only managed to get my challenge workout in once last week I needed something more interesting to me as well. I’ve been at the gym now for a month, and I’ve been reading some information that states “that after about 4-6 weeks of doing the same exercises all the time, your body gets used to it and it's no longer as effective as it once was” from the sparkpeople.com experts. This week's challenge is to add some variety to your strength training routine, either by trying some new equipment, or by changing the exercises you're currently doing.

I currently do an arms and abs routine that is set up next to the cardio equipment at my gym. I have seen the return of a lot of my strength again, and am working on increasing the tone in my arm muscles. But, I think for weight loss concerns I need to focus, also, on my lower body more often. So, I have been rolling around some ideas and have some great workouts planned for my lower body.
- 3 new exercises I will include: Lunges with 5lb weights, squats with ball or balance board, Single Leg Standing Balance with Hip Flexion (click on this to view a link for a demo on exercise).
-Here’s a list of exercises with links to help you get started on some core strength training exercises.
-Beginners: Back Extension, Classic Wood Chop with Medicine Ball, Dumbbell Side Bends, Hip Flexor, and Standing Side Bend with Towel.
- More Advanced: Advanced Wood Chop with Medicine Ball, Bicycle Crunches, Low Mount Crunches with Band, and Reverse Crunch with Ball

For more help in developing a good start or changing your strength training routine talk with a trainer at your local gym or click here for some at home exercise.

Rowing!

Didn't make the gym tonight. I had more important business to attend to with friends and family. I did make it last night and I felt so good! I did half a mile on the treadmill and then did 15 minutes on the rowing machine. This is my new cardio that I am trying this week. It really worked my body hard and I felt it right away, and then again when I woke up this morning. I will make it tomorrow and get some serious exercise in.

My weight was also down today about -1 lbs. I like that!

Weigh In (sorry it's late)

Weight: 284.6

Total Weight Loss: 23.7



I have lost -2.8 pounds this week and a total of 23.7 since January 1. I feel like I worked so hard this past week and that only a 2.8 loss is somewhat disappointing. I know that I should be grateful for any negative numbers and like Jon was telling me last night, I should be even more grateful for not gaining weight. When I look back at the times I have lost a significant amount of weight it’s always been a torturous amount of time, and never a quick result. I’m sure I gave up several times during that process as well, but in the end I looked the way I wanted to and was happy about it. The only thing I want to change about that is the end result – NOT PUTTING IT BACK ON. So, slow and steady wins the race, and I’m going to have to remember that every week when all I’m getting are low numbers.

As for last week’s challenge, I didn’t quite make it. But, that’s okay. I went to the gym every day, except Thursday and Saturday, but did workout at home those days. Thursday I did the Wii fit exercises, and Saturday I took a long walk in the evening sun. Both were only light/moderate exercising where as I have been doing very vigorous workouts at the gym. So, since I focused so much on my exercising last week I think I’m going to tone it down a tad bit, and focus on the whole picture – calories in and calories out. My fitness challenge though is will continue, because I seem to work really well when I have something to work towards.

I found a great recourse for challenges on sparkpeople.com (where I count my calories and my workout calories burned). So this is a challenge from the stand point that we are in a plateau and need to change things up to get our body back into burn mode. This week's challenge is to incorporate one new cardio activity into your routine, 1-2 times per week. If you already do cardio 4-5 times a week, this activity could replace one or two of your regular workouts. If you currently do cardio 2-3 times per week, consider adding an extra day or two with something new. Think about the activities you like to do and pick something that you enjoy. For example, if walking is your primary form of cardio, try adding biking or swimming to your routine. Adding something totally different can really shake things up and help you start to see results again.

I started doing this cardio activity a little but last week some, but I was so tired from the Spinning class I took that I wasn’t really getting much out of it. Spinning and yoga were my new cardio activities last week, but I think the spinning is a little out of my league and time constraints right now, so I will pick that back up once I get some more endurance in me. So, I am going to start using the rowing machine more often this week. I see contestants on The Biggest Loser use this a lot and get great results with it, and when I did use it I felt a lot of muscles being used and my heart rate got going pretty good too.

Alright, post what new cardio activity you are going to include in your workout this week and let me know how it’s working out for you.

Weigh In

Weight: 287.4

Total Weight Loss: 20.9

(don't mind my ugly toes!)

I have lost -1.6 pounds this week, and a total of 20.9 pounds since January 1. I was hoping that I would drop more then this, and for most of the week I was down almost 5 lbs until I went out to eat! Have I not said this over and over and over again? I am so sick of falling into this trap every week. I went out to Applebee’s for dinner Saturday night and I choose to make a poor choice in foods, but my resolution towards that choice was to workout at the gym early the next day before church. Which I did, and I assumed it would help to combat those calories I consumed. Apparently it did not, so I am moving on. This past week I went to the gym every other day, making it 4 days total with at least 90 minutes of exercise each time.

So for this week I am trying to take some gym classes with my gym buddy! Tomorrow is spin class! I will see how that goes; I have to admit I am a little apprehensive if I am capable of accomplishing such a class. My personal challenge this week will be to loss 5 pounds!

Weekly Challenge: Burn 7,000 calories this week – 1,000 a day and Workout 7 days this week.

The challenge this week will be to make it to the gym every day. I have 1 day where I have a class in the evening away from home, so somehow I will have to find a way to get there before they close. For those of you will home equipment, what would be your biggest challenge to be able to work out each day? Gym goers, do you have the same challenge as I do (getting there before they close) or is there something more or less challenging?

Weigh in

Weight: 289 lbs

So, even though this week I was down 4 lbs all week, but after an evening of high fat food and alcohol I retained some water for my weigh in this morning. I have lost -1 lbs this week, and have lost a total of 18.9 lbs.

This week has been so busy and chaotic for me. I started the gym membership on Monday, financial peace Tuesday, shopping on Wednesday, appointments and gym time on Thursday, more shopping on Friday, March of Dimes walk & party on Saturday, and today was Church and bible study. I did make it to the gym twice this week, and of course walked a 10K walk on Saturday. I think if I had been watching the food a little better I would have continue to loose that 4 lbs I had been watching all week.

Challenge: Alright, I am throwing down the gauntlet. I am going to get to the gym 4 times this week and workout 1 hour OR MORE each time. So, workout 4X in the week, with a total of 1 hour for each workout.

Sunday Weigh in & Weekly Challenge

Today’s Weight: 290 lbs
Total weight loss to date: 17.9*
* = Weight increased also occurred when changing from Wii scale to Digital Home scale. No weight has been lost since changing to a new scale.

Well, it’s obvious that I haven’t lost any weight; in fact the scale says I’ve gained 2.2 pounds. There is nothing I can do about this today, but my news that will impact this weight gain is that Jon and I have sat down and talked it over and worked it out in our budget to add in a monthly gym membership for me. I have been thinking a lot about it, and through a lot of tears and praying I realized I can not get the results that I need to have just by walking and doing 20 minute workout videos. Although those exercises do have a place in my routine, especially with the wonderful weather, I can not expect to see weight loss every week when all I am doing is moderate exercise.

I am not going to ask for a personal trainer; I can not afford that nor take the adequate time in my life to dedicate that amount of effort for this journey. But, I will work hard at what I learned from the times I have worked with trainers, and I am going to make time to attend group classes that are free and lead by a trainer. This will give my body changes in my routines, and allow me to have variety in my workouts. This has always been a huge problem for me, so having my at home programs and a gym program will really give me a leg up on the weight loss.

So, how am making this happen? Well, I have to give up something in order to be able to take on a new monthly bill. Jon and I feel strongly about staying on budget and working towards becoming debt free, so in order to afford this we have decided to suspended our land-line phone service for the time being (temporarily) in order to adjust for the cost of the gym. I will also have to make other adjustments in our budget, but in the long run becoming a healthier person to have a happier life and set a healthy example to my daughter is more then worth not having people call me at home – I DO still have a cell phone!

So, do I have a challenge for this week? This is me asking myself this question because I haven’t even thought about it. I have recently begun a bible study group at my church, and I am in week 2 of the group. It has become such a blessing to me to hear that spiritually mature women are still learning from their studies, and are still struggling with their walk with God. This has really given me insight into my own walk with God, and how this journey for a healthy life has become part of that walk with Him. The challenge in my group this week was to include scripture into our daily prayers, and this will be incredibly difficult for me seeing as I am still at a very beginning stage of learning my Bible. So, how do I make a switch from scriptures to exercise and diet? Well, as I am writing this I feel that I need more moments of thoughts about my progress and if I am being honest with my calories and with my activity levels. I need to sit and think about how each day is going, and if I need to make any adjustments to my thinking and behaviors. So, my challenge to you is to take time out of your busy life and give yourself 30 minutes of self-thought. It doesn’t have to be focused on your diet or exercise, but on your well being. Focus on learning about yourself, and what your needs are. Take the time to make your health and well-being a priority. Challenge: 30 minutes of self-thought about each day and what you can do to make yourself happier, healthier, and spiritually strong.

Then, if you are able to get focused on your self for a change, see if you can add in that exercise you need, or put away the candy you know you shouldn’t be eating. Have an apple, drink some water, or read your Bible.

The Start of the Journey is NOW

I’m starting over. Each week is a new beginning. Each day is the beginning of my weight loss. Each meal is a struggle, and each exercise consists of great efforts. I suppose after two days of celebrating Easter my body can not just bounce back and not gain weight. I ate high fat foods, empty carbs, and drank alcohol, and those behaviors just should not occur when you are challenging your body to loose big numbers. I did not win that challenge this week, and the fat took over. I lost of lot oh hope when I saw the numbers last night, and I need to regain the hope and motivation in myself this week, and I am not going to post a challenge or my weight. I gained about 4 pounds and cried for about 30 minutes after this.

My plan this week is to get a real scale, step on it every afternoon to manage my views of my daily progress, and will count my calories very intensely this week. I am going to workout as much as my emotions will allow me. I have such a difficult time with knowing I worked so hard with my exercising last week, making changes, and giving all my effort, and not seeing any results from that effort. So, this week I will focus more on my eating, and step back my focus on the activity. I’m also taking a green tea fat burner supplement in the morning, hoping to counteract any high fats that I consume.

Another disappointment in my journey this past week is how little accountability I had. I did not post about my workouts during the week, and did not share a single food log with you. (Not that I feel like many of you pay attention at times, hint-hint, read more.) My goal is to post every day, but life has to take priority over posting on the blog sometimes.

Please join me in beginning my journey again, and don’t forget that the choices we make in food and activity is important to our emotional and physical health, as well as develops a great example for our children.

Official Weekly Challenge

Challenge: Workout 62 minutes a day for 7 days.

Start: Sunday March 28
End: Saturday April 3.

Any ideas for our next challenge? Anything you would like attempt, but not by yourself? I'm am here for suggestions.

Weigh in - Living Proof!

I am living proof that an hour a day makes the difference!

March 27 weight: 277.3 -7.7 pounds
March 19 weight: 285

Total Weight Loss: 30.6

I’ve lost 7.7 pounds in 1 week and am over that unconstructive program I felt like I was on. I can show you all now that this daily activity with huge amounts of calories burned is where the weight loss is at. I am feeling so good about my challenges now, and know that the change I made has paid off!

Now, for the challenge, how much time have we added to this week’s workouts? I will post the results tonight for how long my exercising will be for the week each day.
Weekly Challenge: Workout for a total of 45 minutes each day, plus the time you readers have added onto the start time. So far we are at 17 minutes added on. Let’s see how much more we can add on by the end of the day!

One more day of this Challenge and then on to the next!

I managed to get in an hour of exercise today, but not enough calories burned. So, this makes me frustrated and at the same time excited to see how much time everyone has added on to the exercises for next week. So far there has been about 15 minutes added on, which brings the total up to 1 hour now. One more day to add time to the challenge, and I know that you guys can bring it on!

My exercise today consisted of an hour walk in town that was slightly over 2 miles and of course was more challenging coming back up the hill in town then going down it. I’m going to attempt to find some time to fit in some more exercise, but that’s depends on many factors.


Total Calories Burned:866
Added in a 25 minute DVD workout to add in those extra calories burned.

AMMENDMENT TO CHALLENGE

Amendment to this coming week's challenge. Comments made on each post by EACH person counts, but not how many times that person comments on 1 post. This is in order to bring more people to the blog and help spread the word of getting healthy. If said person would like to comment on each post from the past week, this will count.