Healthier U Challenge Blog - Page 3

Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of the body..Lynn Jennings | Olympic Bronze Medalist

When it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, we are often recommended physical exercise, but there isn't much focus on exercising out minds. Engaging your mind in certain activities can result in amazing benefits for your brain as well as your body.

My biggest challenge came at week 2. I felt like crap. I had no energy, my workouts were pathetic and I felt as if I were force-feeding myself vegetables. My second biggest struggle was giving up gum, thought it was torture but now at week 5 I can say…gee, I don’t need to go back to that. My greatest victory was avoiding all the snack foods that I always loved so much.  Thought I couldn’t watch TV without snacking. Well, I found out that I can and it’s not nearly as horrible as I thought it would be. Plus I don’t have the guilt that always came after I finished a bag of chips. I have more to do, but this Challenge really taught me how to eat better and really make healthy choices. It’s not over for me. I will be referring to my Level X shopping list and recipes for a long time. As it stands right now I have no intentions of eating anything with white flour or added/artificial sugar. I realize now just how unhealthy I felt when I ate so poorly. I'm so glad I joined the Challenge, it’s just what I needed to get me finally on the right track again. Jackie Lizak

The second week of the Championship Challenge may be toughest you’ll face, in large part due to the sugar detox you’re experiencing. Read on to learn more about sugar’s effect on your body and how you can overcome the detox experience.

Please remember to submit your Starting Measurements by 1/22 at 11:59pm eastern.

Please remember to submit your Starting Weight by 1/22 at 11:59pm eastern.

Please remember to submit your Benchmark Test results by 1/22 at 11:59pm eastern.

Recipe Challenge are open for submission until the deadline on 02/19 at 11:59pm eastern.

Performance Workout 1 results are open for submission until the deadline on 1/29 at 11:59pm eastern.

Welcome to week 2! Feeling a little off your game? If so, don't worry - you're not alone. Learn why you have a lot to look forward to and about this week's lifestyle focus: detox and de-stress.

Of course we want you to be excited about each weekly workout challenge, but the title is more than a reference to your potential emotional response. Variations of jumping and lower body exercises are the focus this week.

Week 1 Lifesytle Focus are open for submission until the deadline on 1/26 at 11:59pm eastern.

Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.Lou Holtz | Former Football Player, Coach, and Analyst

Late Registration Closes Tonight

Cooking takes time, but if you want to eat what’s best to reset your body’s hormones and reach optimal performance level during the Challenge, it’s a necessary part of the process. Meal planning can help make the most of the time you spend cooking.

As a 53-year-old aging ex-athlete with a number of physical limitations, I was failing in the weight and fitness aspects of my life. Yo-yoing in size my entire life, at my largest I was one meal away from 350lbs...most recently, Jan. 1st, 2016, I was 320lbs. With my wedding less than 6 months away to my beautiful, physically fit, personal trainer fiancé, I wanted to get a grip on my health. So for two months I did Weight Watchers, a great system but it just got stale for me, so after losing 20lbs over two months, the third month I put back on 9lbs. Sitting at 309 pounds, with a wedding shirt I bought on January 1st, 2 sizes too small, for incentive to lose weight…I was struggling. I’m not a quitter, but with the wedding less than 3 months away, fitting into my wedding shirt was looking bleak.

 

I finally did a smart thing, I asked my fiancé for help. She suggested the Level-X Challenge she was having some of her clients sign up for. Well, to make a long story short, I jumped on board with her guidance. I’ve learned not only the value of ‘perimeter’ shopping but how to do it and have enjoyable meals. The best video I watched on your site was how to handle the Bakery section of the grocery store where the host just turned and ran out of it!! I think of it every time I go and it helps me move along.  I’ve played college level sports, been in (and out) of many gyms and with many weight loss attempts in my life I still couldn’t grasp the full concept of healthy eating and physical activity. The Level-X Challenge has taught me a healthy balance of proper nutrition and physical activity that I actually can handle in this older, broken down body. The best part of it was I did it right at home, no clubs, gyms or partners telling me to do ‘1 more rep’. My pain level hovered in the 6-7 range before the challenge. Now, with the elimination of most dairy, sugar, and processed foods, my pain level has halved and my energy has doubled.

 

It feels good to be able to tie my shoes and not have to come up for air. I like being the ‘Big Guy’ I just needed not to be the ‘Big Fat Guy’. Learning to make shopping lists and planning weekly menus is the key to my success, based on your principles of eating of course. Learning that I can still move, modifications of what I used to be able to do is okay and not requiring hours and hours in the gym is life changing for me. The help of my fiancé on the food preparation and shopping has been immeasurable and having the support to talk with her about the workouts was key. The nutritional information on the site was enlightening and your encouragement throughout was a big help. 

With 4 days left until the Challenge ends and when I weigh myself again, I can comfortably fit in my wedding shirt and I need a belt for my pants!!! Thanks, Challenge Team, for a thoughtful, insightful and reasonable challenge that is made for not only the ‘fit’ but those of us that needed to be ‘fit’ again.

Brian Marcucio

Making changes to your life is not always easy, but it can help to develop a routine. Routines can make changes become habits. Developing a routine can help you fit healthy changes into your busy life - even the smallest changes to your routine can have a big impact on your health.

Goals may now be submitted until 1/29 at 11:59pm eastern.

Benchmark Test results are open for submission until the deadline on 01/22 at 11:59pm eastern.

The Challenge has begun! Before you go off to the races, check out the first weekly update so you don't miss anything, you know what to look for, and you can learn about this week's lifestyle focus: routine.

Starting Measurements are open for submission until the deadline on 9/28 at 11:59pm eastern.

Starting Weight are open for submission until the deadline on 9/28 at 11:59pm eastern.

Enjoy daily inspiration for getting active, fit, and healthy. Our exclusive 5-week fitness plan provides 6 workouts per week, each with 3 fitness levels, so anybody can start where you are at and see daily improvement during the next several weeks. Access your Daily Fitness Plan here.