I'm Curious

We've got our mood enhancers on board and our motivation at the Top Of Our Mind, so we're ready to keep traveling through the winter of 2014! It was exciting to see all the tickets in the exercise drawing buckets. EXERCISE, the miracle drug, is going to see us through this long, cold winter...and beyond.

We used one of my favorite motivational tools yesterday, a year at a glance calendar.  I've used this tool for years to map out and stay focused on the events and the important things that motivate me to eat well and keep myself at goal weight. I invited all the participants of the Team Challenge to write their names on the date they'll be reaching their goal! Based on a 2.0 pound weight loss, it's powerful to claim that day and then work towards it.

As much as we've set the stage for this team challenge with the food, exercise and the motivational parts of the program, I'm convinced that our problems with food, and the reason we struggle to reach goal weight and keep it off for life, is more about what's eating us, than what we're eating.

I spent time Thursday encouraging my Healthy Weigh friends to "face their stuff instead of stuffing their face." Facing your stuff is difficult, but spending a lifetime overweight, feeling shame and guilt, feeling powerless over food, is worse. When we don't use proper coping skills, we get stuck in the cycle of using food to numb the "pain," then feeling guilt and shame about it.  We lose faith in ourselves and give up. Then we begin again.

What if, instead of judgment about you behavior, you started to become curious about yourself. Judgment is a narrow and dead end kind of place, curiosity is the skill to step back and observe what's going on.  Being curious is how we learn and grow. What if you ask yourself enough questions and become curious about the root cause of why you're eating, then decide to do something about that? Facing your stuff is difficult, but life changing. That's what we're after at The Healthy Weigh.

Our winning teams of the week got a big "WOW" when they were introduced this week!

NOON: Team  "No Names" Joe and Tobey, won with a 2.42 % of weight loss! Great going guys! Now you just need to come up with a team name! :-)

5:30: Team "Baby Got Fat" Tricia and Angie, took the win with a 3.65% of weight loss! These two are currently in first place for the challenge. Great job girls!

7:00: Team "Tiny Hiny's" Janie and Becky, won for the week with a 2.03% of weight loss! Exciting week for you two!

Congratulations to all of you who had such great weight loss this week. There's no question in my mind that this is going to be a record breaking Team Challenge!

Your Challenge for the week:

• Download week # 4 "Coping skills ~ Feeling Your Way Through Life" and do the homework provided.
• Meet us on Saturday at the Kline Line trail for a 9:00 AM walk.(kids an dogs welcome)
• Do 5 indoor/outdoor activities this week.

On this 3rd week of this winter Team Challenge, I am excited to think that curiosity will take over, that our challengers will start asking themselves the hard questions, and they will begin to face their stuff, do the work and build up an arsenal of great coping skills.  They will not only lose a ton of weight, but they'll change their lives for the better...forever.

Until next week, be curious, ask yourself the hard questions and do the work to process the answers.

GO SEAHAWKS!
Always encouraging you,
Letha

Week 3 Team Standings

Team Name	%
Baby Got Fat!	7.64%
Tiny Hiny's	7.18%
The M & M Boys	6.94%
Jiggy 2	6.55%
Repeat Offenders Taking It Off Our Rearenders	6.44%
Good Genes are Hard to Find	6.39%
Waist No More	6.30%
Big Hinnies Revenge	6.28%
Changing Our Weighs	6.20%
Double Chubble	5.96%
Mission Slimpossible	5.78%
Mom & Me Double Chin Free	5.77%
Sisu Sisters	5.77%
Fit Happens	5.66%
We're a Lot Like You	5.52%
The Lean Queens	5.46%
Pound It	5.39%
Slim Sissies	5.25%
2 Tiny Hiny	5.22%
Portion Control Patrol	5.22%
Fat & Fatter	5.16%
Waist Removal Team	5.09%
The Kill-a-Ton	5.08%
Cauliflower Crunchers	5.05%
Two Aleutians Resolution	5.02%
Supervision Required	4.89%
The Crazy Cousins	4.84%
Dwindling Duo	4.81%
The Amazing Racers	4.80%
Get 'Er Done	4.72%
Thicker Than Thin	4.71%
Pair a Thighs Lost	4.65%
Secret Ninjas	4.65%
Vanishing Kysar Rolls	4.65%
A State of Mind	4.54%
Cuttin Curries	4.53%
Wannabe Mini-Me's	4.51%
What Goes Up Must Come Down	4.47%
Winner, Winner We B Thinner	4.45%
No Necks	4.29%
Meltdown Mammas	4.27%
The Weigh We Were	4.26%
The Weight Loss Warriors	4.24%
The No-No Yo-Yo's	4.23%
Hibernate No More	4.19%
Duo of Diminishing Returns	4.12%
Losing In The Rain	4.12%
Thinner Winners	4.11%
Living La Vida Skinnier	4.10%
Shirley We Can Do It	4.01%
Belly Brothers	3.98%
Lido Shuffle	3.96%
Ladies Getting Lean and Loving It	3.88%
The Winter Wonder Women	3.87%
No Name 2	3.80%
Size Matters	3.79%
Snowsuits to Swimsuits	3.78%
Team BFB	3.77%
Procrastinators	3.69%
Special Ops: Weapons of Less Consumption	3.68%
Team Redinger	3.67%
Cowboy Up	3.67%
Eagles Rising	3.64%
Disappearing Act	3.60%
Sisters Slim	3.55%
Mini Sizers	3.51%
27	3.45%
WILMAS	3.44%
Shrinking Violets	3.43%
Big Sis & Little Bro	3.39%
Rinse and Repeat	3.21%
Run Like the Winded	3.19%
Border Control, Eh?	3.19%
Loosen The Weight	3.18%
No Pain No Gains	3.16%
This Is It	3.16%
Team Transformation	3.08%
Literary Losers	3.08%
Weigh Down	3.05%
Females That Finish	3.04%
Down River	2.97%
Transformers, The Next Generation	2.73%
Muscle Power & Cauliflower	2.67%
The Investors	2.58%
These Boots Are Made For Walking	2.56%
Slim Fasties	2.47%
Big "Fat Losers"	2.47%
No Name 1	2.42%
Caution: Dangerous Curves Ahead	2.42%
Dedicated Duo	2.41%
Just Lose Its!!	2.40%
Drop It Like Its Hot	2.36%
Downsizing Divas	2.32%
Team Fifteen	2.29%
We Were Naughty at Christmas That's Why We're Here	2.26%
Slim Slammers	2.11%
Déjà vu	2.06%
The Tubby Terminators	2.02%
Fit 4 Life	1.98%
Healthy Changes	1.93%
Slim to Win	1.91%
The Original Hipsters	1.88%
Alumni Bound	1.87%
Agents of Change	1.82%
Fitso	1.79%
3rd Time is a Charm	1.64%
Babies Got Back Outside	1.54%
Puddle Jumpers	1.37%
Gals Getting to Goal	1.20%
The Tall & The Short of it is, We are here to lose	0.66%
Flight To Freedom	0.58%
Weather Or Not	-0.26%
Goal Girls	-0.43%

TOMA!

TOMA...Top Of Mind Awareness! That's what it takes to keep motivation alive! The kind of motivation that it takes to lose weight and keep it off for life!
We started out our gatherings Thursday, reviewing the importants of the very first step to lasting change...knowing what you want! A great number of our clients did the "homework" and wrote a letter to themselves describing just what they wanted. They also decorated their Team Challenge folders with inspirational pictures, quotes and vision! It was great to see!

I encouraged our team mates to continue creating TOMA (their continued vision of what they want) and put it out in front of them. Motivation needs to be visible and easy to focus on...all the time! We will trade what we want at the moment for what we REALLY want, if we are reminded of what we really want! Our desire to change must be at the Top Of Our Mind! TOMA!

I kicked off the official "Northwest Adventure" part of  this team challenge with our outside and inside exercise challenge! Our participants will have the opportunity to enter into drawings 5 times per week for engaging in indoor and outdoor activities! We are going to reclaim the winter in the Northwest and bundle up!  It's not too dark, too wet, or too cold for this group! Being inspired by the study I've done regarding exercise and the mental benefits, we are not going to hibernate this winter and forego feeling great! I've got great prizes in store for the winners of these special drawings. It's going to be worth working for!

We also introduced our "Healthy get a-Weigh's"! We've got a great list of events from walking to snowshoeing that will give us an opportunity to come together as a group and get healthy! Our first outdoor adventure will be Saturday, Feb. 1st when we walk Klineline trail! I'm looking forward to spending some quality time in the outdoors with this fun group! 

We might have saved the best for last at each gathering as we took the last part of the hour to introduce all the teams (hilarious new names) and hear about the AMAZING weight loss of the first week! WOW! and let me say that backwards...WOW! As a group, we lost 1206 pounds this week! We're off to a great start!

Here were our winning teams of the week!

NOON: Team "Winter Wonder Women" Kristine and Paulette with a 3.66% of weight loss.
5:30: Team "Good Genes Are Hard To Find" Gena and Jenni with a 5.08% of weight loss.
7:00: Team  "Big Hinnies Revenge" Tammy and Holly with a 5.97% of weight loss!

CONGRATULATIONS to all you amazing women!!! What a first week you all had!
Now it's your job to take this challenge's "immunity idol" and decorate them, representing your winning teams! Those umbrellas are surely going to become works of art by the end of this ten week challenge!

Your Challenge For The Week:
1. Create more TOMA! (post posters, quotes, inspiration, goals...etc. at home, work, where ever you need to be reminded of WHAT YOU WANT!) Create a TOMA campaign for your life!!  Put your desires in the Top Of Your Mind!!!
2. Participate in 5 indoor and /or outdoor activities this week. 20 minutes or more counts! Come prepared to place tickets for those activities in a special drawing!

It's January 24th...and TODAY is the first day of our winter...the day we decide to re-claim, re-define, re-establish ourselves for this important winter of 2014!! LET'S DO THIS THING!!!

See you next week...you'll recognize me, I'll be the one glowing with natural mood enhancers increased by the miracle drug...EXERCISE!

Always encouraging you,
Letha

Northwest Adventure - Week 2 Team Standings

Team Name	%
Big Hinnies Revenge	5.97%
Jiggy 2	5.14%
Good Genes are Hard to Find	5.08%
Tiny Hiny's	5.05%
Repeat Offenders Taking It Off Our Rearenders	5.04%
The M & M Boys	4.90%
We're a Lot Like You	4.73%
Waist No More	4.68%
Pound It	4.53%
Double Trouble	4.49%
Mom & Me Double Chin Free	4.47%
The Crazy Cousins	4.42%
Portion Control Patrol	4.36%
Mission Slimpossible	4.32%
Changing Our Ways	4.26%
2 Tiny Hiny	4.16%
Baby Got Fat!	4.14%
Fit Happens	4.03%
What Goes Up Must Come Down	4.02%
The Lean Queens	3.85%
Sisu Sisters	3.83%
Vanishing Kysar Rolls	3.76%
Team Redinger	3.67%
The Winter Wonder Women	3.66%
Waist Removal Team	3.66%
A State of Mind	3.61%
No Necks	3.54%
The No-No Yo-Yo's	3.45%
No Pain No Gains	3.44%
Slim Sissies	3.41%
Get 'Er Done	3.36%
Cauliflower Crunchers	3.34%
Living La Vida Skinnier	3.29%
Thicker Than Thin	3.27%
Disappearing Act	3.22%
The Amazing Rracers	3.22%
Duo of Diminishing Returns	3.18%
Meltdown Mammas	3.16%
Cuttin Curries	3.15%
Two Aleutians Resolution	3.13%
Mini Sizers	3.11%
Team BFB	3.11%
The Kill-a-Ton	3.04%
Supervision Required	2.96%
The Weigh We Were	2.88%
Weigh Down	2.86%
Secret Ninjas	2.85%
Hibernate No More	2.83%
Thinner Winners	2.79%
Shirley We Can Do It	2.78%
Big Sis & Little Bro	2.76%
Cowboy Up	2.74%
Winner, Winner We B Thinner	2.73%
Snowsuits to Swimsuits	2.68%
No Name 2	2.64%
Ladies Getting Lean and Loving It	2.61%
Eagles Rising	2.56%
The Investors	2.54%
Special Ops: Weapons of Less Consumption	2.54%
Down River	2.49%
We Were Naughty at Christmas That's Why We're Here	2.47%
Losing In The Rain	2.43%
Run Like the Winded	2.42%
Size Matters	2.41%
Border Control, Eh?	2.39%
Belly Brothers	2.38%
Rinse and Repeat	2.37%
27	2.36%
Downsizing Divas	2.32%
The Weight Loss Warriors	2.31%
The Tall & The Short of it is, We are here to lose	2.28%
Just Lose Its!!	2.26%
Big "Fat Losers"	2.25%
Literary Loser	2.17%
Lido Shuffle	2.15%
This Is It	2.12%
Sisters Slim	2.10%
Dwindling Duo	2.09%
Muscle Power & Cauliflower	2.06%
Team Transformation	1.97%
Females That Finish	1.95%
Procrastinators	1.93%
Fat & Fatter	1.88%
WILMAS	1.87%
Wannabe Mini-Me's	1.86%
Pair a Theighs Lost	1.82%
Drop It Like Its Hot	1.70%
Slim Fasties	1.68%
The Tubby Terminators	1.59%
Alumni Bound	1.55%
Slim to Win	1.52%
Caution: Dangerous Curves Ahead	1.50%
3rd Time is a Charm	1.49%
Fitso	1.49%
Lean Queens 2	1.39%
Healthy Changes	1.37%
Transformers, The Next Generation	1.22%
Babies Got Back Outside	1.19%
Shrinking Violets	1.08%
Slim Slammers	1.02%
Team Fifteen	0.91%
Dedicated Duo	0.83%
These Boots Are Made For Walking	0.80%
The Original Hipsters	0.78%
Loosen The Weight	0.75%
Agents of Change	0.49%
Puddle Jumpers	0.41%
Flight To Freedom	0.10%
No Name 1	0.00%
Déjà vu	0.00%
Fit 4 Life	0.00%
Goal Girls	0.00%
No Name 3	0.00%
Weather Or Not	-1.74%

Let the Northwest Adventure Begin!

What a day at The Healthy Weigh! We officially started our Winter Team Challenge with 111 teams weighing in and having their "before" pictures taken! The first announcement we made, with the room over flowing, was that we will be having three gatherings instead of two! Next week we'll meet at noon, 5:30 and 7:00! What a winter adventure we're about to have.

Whether you were new to the team challenge or a veteran, I challenged our teams Thursday to be "all in." To make a DECISION to not only follow the nutritional plan for the next 10 weeks, but to be involved with all the program has to offer. I promised the groups that this challenge was going to stretch me and it was going to stretch them too. Next week we'll unfold more details about this winter adventure...stay tuned!

It was powerful for me to talk to teens, people in their 20's, 30's and 40's. And to challenge those in their 50's, 60's and 70's too. No matter what age group they landed in... I said "This is the time to turn your back on the way you've always done it, and move to a new place!"

I offered up my very first challenge of this Northwest Adventure:

Your Challenge for the Week:
Write a letter to yourself entitled "What do I Want?"  Put your letter in an envelope and tape it to the inside of the back page of your folder. We'll be opening those up at the end of this journey to see just what we've accomplished. Show the letter taped in your folder next week for a ticket in the drawing.

Speaking of folders...decorate those white things! Come back in with an inspirational folder and get a ticket in the drawing for a great prize!

We are off and running...It's official, this adventure has begun!
I'm giddy...yep, It's going to be an amazing winter in this northwest!!!

Have a great week, write a powerful letter to yourself and I'll see you next Thursday!
See you at Noon, 5:30 or 7!!

Always encouraging you,
Letha