Protection of Yourself...By Yourself!

We learned a little bit more about our brains response to the threats of life on Tuesday! Our brains have the ability to help us fight for our life with the fight or flight response when faced with external threats, and help us fight for our future health with the pause and plan response when faced with internal threats!  From the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex, we were reminded of just how amazing our brains really are.  We've got what we need to keep ourselves alive and we've got what we need to resist cheesecake!

As we add to our list of willpower boosters we are starting to see that every one of us has the ability to be strong when it comes to resisting cheesecake! Last week we talked about meditation and rewards.  This week we learned more about the "willpower miracle," exercise, and the variables that can interfere with the ability to pause and plan. These include internal conflicts; anxiety, anger, depression, loneliness, chronic pain and more.

The more I study and understanding willpower, the more excited I get, because willpower is available to all of us. We just have to be willing to do what it takes to increase the gray matter in our prefrontal cortex! This week challenges will help us do just that!

We saw a first this week after 15 Team Challenges. Both at noon and at 6 PM our first place teams for the week were repeats from last week!  Congratulations to you 4. That means you didn't let up...you just kept pushing!
Noon:  Team "Twice What I Wanna Feed" Frank and Amanda won with a 2.36% of weight loss!
6 PM:   Team "Captain Jiggy & Boy Bubble Butt" Kris and Ruth won with a 3.49%!

These winning teams were sponsored by a fellow team mate and received $25 gift cards at Safeway for their win this week!  Congratulations to you all!

We gave out our Superhero of the week award at both gatherings too! At Noon Amanda R. had a 7.4 pound loss for the week and at 6:00 Peggy S. won with an 11 pound loss!  They'll add their names to the super hero shirt and forever be called super heroes of this Team Challenge!

We had our first 2.5 pound drawing with a ton of tickets in the bucket!  Congratulations to all of you who landed a ticket there!  At this rate, you'll be in the 20 or 30 pound club by the end of this challenge! This week the $50 prize went to one of our noon time team mates...Luba!  Congratulations!!!

Your Challenges for the week: (or should I say, your willpower boosters for the week)

• Exercise 3 times this week.

• Download, off the web site, the first Lesson "Understanding Your Beliefs ~ The Key to Permanent Weight Loss" and do the homework provided. Bring it in next week, completed, for a ticket in the drawing.

By the end of this challenge, you will be 20, 30, 40 or more pounds lighter because you followed an outstanding nutritional plan. I'm more excited to think that by the end of this challenge you will have increased your gray matter and will have more willpower! Follow your plan, plan and pause this week, start your new willpower booster challenges and I'll see you next week in the 2.5 pound drawing!!

Always encouraging you,

Letha