"Backpacks are Life!"

This week we had the privilege of sitting under some great teaching from yet another adjunct professor...Glenda Bigalky.  Glenda shared a most important lesson..."What's in your backpack, controlling what you can." Fourteen years ago, when Glenda taught me this lesson, things turned around positively in my life. I believe that it was just as powerful for many HWU students yesterday.

Learning to control what we can and let go of what we have no control of, is a life changing lesson, but an on-going practice. Depending on what season of life you're in, the concept of backpacks is harder or easier to practice but always powerful. When we spend our time and energy focusing on the things that we have control of and letting go of the things we can't change, we become the best we were intended to be, and have more to give of ourselves.

Glenda focused on limits yesterday, reminding us that limits are good.  In this life, limits are set to protect us and keep us safe. Just like with the external limits we see in our world...stop signs, fences, no trespassing signs, laws, etc...we have limits about how much we should eat too.  We understand the limits that have been set up for us in the world to protect and keep us safe, but somehow deny the limits we're given regarding calorie intake!  The limits we've been given as to calories in and calories out, have consequences when they are abused, just like the consequences of stepping over the limits/laws in all the other areas of our life. 

It's always good to hear from Glenda. She gave us a lot to think about and facilitated great conversation after classes too.  It's good to be able to review homework with the other HWU students and compare notes. I'm happy to see so many of you participate after class.

Our winners for the week picked a good week to win! They were sponsored by two of our greatest supporters...Glenda Bigalky, MA and Barry Brandenburg, Attorney at Law. Thank you for your generous donation!

Noon: Team "A.O.C." Albert and Tim won with a 1.84% of weight loss for the week.

6 PM: Team "Shrinkies" Wendy and Sheila won with 1.95% of weight loss for the week!

Congratulations to you all and to all of you who are having such consistent weight loss! We've got 4 weeks to go and lots to learn before we end this semester!

This weeks assignment is to do the homework for week #3 of the workbook. "What's in Your Backpack ~ Controlling What You can." Doing the homework this week will help you understand Backpacks even better now that we've heard Glenda explain it for us! 

As we move into the last weeks of this Team Challenge, remember that every day is a day to make new commitments, live the life you want and do today what your future self will thank you for.  One day at a time is all we have.  Looking back is only to learn, looking ahead is to keep us focused on what we really want in this life!   Here's to controlling what you can and looking ahead.

Always encouraging you,

Letha

Week 6 Team Standings

Team Name	%
The Return of the Graduates	10.39%
Low Mtx	10.29%
Hefty Hogs	9.66%
Mini Mamas	9.35%
17 Minutes	8.92%
Double Trouble	8.87%
Thick and Tired of It	8.74%
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow	8.50%
School Weighs	8.28%
Just Lose	8.28%
Student Body	8.11%
Best Team Ever	7.77%
Melt-a-weighs	7.72%
17 & Counting	7.50%
Law	7.42%
Lido Shuffle	7.38%
Run Track Minds	7.18%
Summa cumlaude	7.16%
Fabulous Finishers	7.06%
Shrinkies	6.99%
Alumni Bound	6.90%
Honor Roll	6.83%
Slimming Sassy Sorority Sisters	6.81%
Island Hoppers	6.75%
Grading on the Curves	6.66%
Pound It Again	6.63%
AfterShock	6.51%
Fit Fitz	6.45%
Fabulous for the 4th	6.42%
Commander Carrot Stick and her Trusty Side Kick Broccoli Bit	6.35%
No Foolin Time for Schoolin	6.29%
Clark Ave	6.24%
Freshman Fourty	6.17%
Dwindling Duo	6.01%
Losers	5.92%
Team 4.0	5.91%
Nimble Neighbors	5.84%
Porkelson's No More	5.78%
Studs from Amboy	5.78%
T&C Taking Control	5.68%
MIL & DIL Goes to School	5.59%
Cutting Back	5.51%
Slow Learners	5.26%
Shrinking Violets	5.24%
Meltdown Mammas	5.21%
The Doodles	5.19%
H squared	5.18%
Lifetime Honeymooners	5.13%
The Weigh We Were	5.10%
The Skinny Scholars	5.09%
The Valedictorians	5.02%
Yoakam U	4.99%
Vamos a la playa	4.96%
Supervision Required	4.95%
Waist Removal	4.87%
Healthy Weigh 101	4.76%
Freshman 15	4.73%
Fat Guys Gone Wild	4.54%
Diasappearing Duo	4.27%
The Graduates	4.13%
Little Hip Chicks	4.11%
Slim Chance	3.96%
Striving for an "A"	3.91%
Melt A Weighs	3.87%
Sore Losers	3.82%
Chicken Claw	3.79%
Cafeteria Girls	3.74%
Students of Decision	3.74%
Alpha Beta Gonna Lose A Lot of Weighta	3.72%
Chambers Champs	3.69%
Letting it Go	3.66%
Slender Science 101	3.64%
Weigh Down	3.51%
Team Spirit	3.46%
Battle of the Bulge	3.43%
Sassy by Summer	3.35%
Skinny Chicks Again	3.34%
Mighty Lions Hear Us Roar	3.34%
AOC	3.21%
Thinner by Thursdays	3.21%
#3 NO NAME	2.91%
Big Fat Losers	2.89%
What a Weigh To Go	2.83%
Team Caterpillar	2.78%
Literary Losers	2.76%
Mind Over Matter	2.70%
We Can Do Anything for 7 Weeks	2.70%
Epsilon Pi Sorority	2.65%
Learning to Lose	2.47%
Blubber Busters	2.45%
The Amazing E-Racers	2.36%
Our Butts and Guts Drive Us Nuts	2.34%
SK - Guinea Pigs 101	2.33%
Tight Lips, Hot Hips	2.31%
June 27th	2.22%
Die Lards	2.06%
The Tall and the Short of it is … We are here to graduate	1.95%
Thicker Than Thin Back Again	1.83%
More Grins As We Lose The Chins	1.71%
For A Closer Forever Embrace	1.64%
Slim Down Sisters	1.55%
Teeny Tiny Tummies	1.35%
Lettuce Begin Again	1.10%
Svelta Delta Delta	1.01%
My Cuz En and Me	0.94%
U Can Do	0.83%
Teachers Pets	0.79%
Repeat Offenders	0.12%
Disaster Sisters	0.09%
Rebels With a Cause	-0.05%
Lion Pride 601	-0.28%
Lionhearted Loosers	-0.48%
Eagles Rising	-0.79%

Week 5 Team Standings

Team Name	%
Double Trouble	9.06%
The Return of the Graduates	9.04%
Thick and Tired of It	8.90%
Low Mtx	8.81%
Mini Mamas	8.58%
Hefty Hogs	8.53%
School Weighs	7.73%
17 Minutes	7.61%
Best Team Ever	7.45%
Melt-a-weighs	7.34%
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow	7.16%
Just Lose	7.04%
Student Body	6.88%
17 & Counting	6.85%
Law	6.77%
Fabulous for the 4th	6.59%
Run Track Minds	6.59%
Summa cumlaude	6.56%
Lido Shuffle	6.45%
Fabulous Finishers	6.41%
T&C Taking Control	6.39%
No Foolin Time for Schoolin	6.29%
Grading on the Curves	6.22%
Honor Roll	6.21%
Freshman Fourty	6.17%
Island Hoppers	6.14%
Slimming Sassy Sorority Sisters	6.06%
Pound It Again	5.97%
Team 4.0	5.91%
Porkelson's No More	5.78%
Alumni Bound	5.78%
Dwindling Duo	5.77%
MIL & DIL Goes to School	5.76%
Clark Ave	5.71%
Nimble Neighbors	5.66%
The Weigh We Were	5.61%
Studs from Amboy	5.53%
Cutting Back	5.51%
Fit Fitz	5.23%
AfterShock	5.21%
Lifetime Honeymooners	5.21%
Shrinkies	5.13%
The Valedictorians	5.10%
Commander Carrot Stick and her Trusty Side Kick Broccoli Bit	5.08%
H squared	5.05%
The Skinny Scholars	5.02%
Diasappearing Duo	4.86%
Supervision Required	4.83%
Meltdown Mammas	4.81%
Shrinking Violets	4.79%
The Doodles	4.59%
Vamos a la playa	4.56%
Fat Guys Gone Wild	4.54%
Slow Learners	4.43%
Losers	4.40%
Freshman 15	4.40%
Weigh Down	4.36%
Team Spirit	4.34%
Slim Chance	4.31%
Healthy Weigh 101	4.29%
Waist Removal	4.17%
The Graduates	4.13%
Little Hip Chicks	4.11%
Skinny Chicks Again	4.00%
Sore Losers	3.94%
Chicken Claw	3.93%
Melt A Weighs	3.87%
Striving for an "A"	3.83%
Yoakam U	3.71%
Students of Decision	3.59%
Slender Science 101	3.55%
#3 NO NAME	3.53%
Letting it Go	3.44%
Mighty Lions Hear Us Roar	3.34%
Battle of the Bulge	3.32%
Chambers Champs	3.23%
Sassy by Summer	3.10%
Thinner by Thursdays	3.06%
Mind Over Matter	2.98%
Cafeteria Girls	2.96%
What a Weigh To Go	2.83%
Team Caterpillar	2.78%
SK - Guinea Pigs 101	2.73%
Literary Losers	2.73%
We Can Do Anything for 7 Weeks	2.70%
Alpha Beta Gonna Lose A Lot of Weighta	2.54%
Epsilon Pi Sorority	2.53%
Big Fat Losers	2.40%
The Amazing E-Racers	2.36%
Learning to Lose	2.23%
June 27th	2.22%
Die Lards	2.06%
Blubber Busters	1.97%
The Tall and the Short of it is … We are here to graduate	1.95%
Svelta Delta Delta	1.94%
Tight Lips, Hot Hips	1.86%
AOC	1.41%
Butts and Guts Drive Us Nuts	1.36%
For A Closer Forever Embrace	1.33%
Slim Down Sisters	1.31%
Lettuce Begin Again	1.27%
Disaster Sisters	1.09%
#1 NO NAME	1.06%
My Cozen and Me	0.99%
Teeny Tiny Tummies	0.86%
Thicker Than Thin Back Again	0.85%
Teachers Pets	0.70%
U Can Do	0.42%
Eagles Rising	0.31%
Wallapalosers	0.26%
Lion Pride 601	0.14%
Repeat Offenders	0.12%
Rebels With a Cause	-0.05%
Lionhearted Loosers	-1.02%

Change Your Thinking ~ Change Your Life!

Sailing the Mediterranean sea for 12 days and visiting 10 ports of call was a trip of a lifetime, returning  home to my HWU family yesterday was wonderful too.  There's no place like home! I was encouraged to hear all about the great things that happened while I was away. I am confident now, that I left our university students in good hands while I was gone.  Jan and Dan, our adjunct professors, spoke powerful messages that made a difference and inspired! My only regret is that I missed out on hearing them!

With my trip behind me and the foundation laid with week one of the workbook, it's time to get down to the business of changing beliefs. Since your beliefs will always dictate your actions, identifying faulty beliefs and then chaining them is what's on our agenda for the weeks to come. This week we focused on our thought life. Since keeping weight off for life has much more to do with what's eating you than what you're eating, ultimately, the way you think is more important than the nutritional plan.

Week two of our workbook is all about our thinking. How we think determines how we live. The homework this week will take time and effort but will make following the nutritional plan easier! The question as you continue on the program shouldn't be "How can I stay on my diet?" The question should be "How can I change my thinking?" Change your thinking...and you'll change your life!

Glenda had powerful sessions after each class and helped all who were there understand last weeks homework even better. Don't miss the opportunity to join her next week. The 30 minutes you invest after class might be the most important ones of all!

We celebrated with winners this week! From our four $50 giveaways to our winners of the week, there was a lot of winning going on!

Noon: Team "Lido Shuffle" Chris and Linda won for the week with a 1.75% of weight loss.
Six: Team "Honor Roll" Dan and Tyra won with a 2.54% of weight loss!
Congratulations to you all. You are looking GREAT!

This weeks assignment is about digging into the second week of the workbook. Concentrating on your thought life and thinking rightly will make the difference in how you finish this challenge. With 5 weeks to go there's plenty of time to have amazing success!

Here's to a week of focusing on how you think...because how you think makes ALL the difference!

Always encouraging you,
Letha

Week 4 Team Standings

Teams	%
The Return of the Graduates	8.37%
Double Trouble	7.76%
Thick and Tired of It	7.49%
Low Mtx	7.22%
Mini Mamas	7.00%
Fabulous Finishers	6.80%
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow	6.71%
School Weighs	6.59%
Summa cumlaude	6.58%
Hefty Hogs	6.56%
Student Body	6.51%
Just Lose	6.29%
Best Team Ever	6.24%
No Foolin Time for Schoolin	6.08%
Melt-a-weighs	6.05%
Grading on the Curves	5.81%
Run Track Minds	5.80%
Team 4.0	5.63%
Cutting Back	5.57%
Lifetime Honeymooners	5.56%
17 Minutes	5.50%
Pound It Again	5.39%
Freshman Fourty	5.32%
Studs from Amboy	5.24%
Porkelson's No More	5.23%
17 & Counting	5.21%
Law	5.16%
Shrinkies	5.05%
Nimble Neighbors	4.97%
Dwindling Duo	4.92%
T&C Taking Control	4.85%
H squared	4.83%
Lido Shuffle	4.78%
MIL & DIL Goes to School	4.76%
Fabulous for the 4th	4.71%
Diasappearing Duo	4.63%
Yoakam U	4.56%
Vamos a la playa	4.56%
Slimming Sassy Sorority Sisters	4.51%
Island Hoppers	4.50%
Clark Ave	4.45%
Alumni Bound	4.38%
The Valedictorians	4.37%
Fat Guys Gone Wild	4.32%
Fit Fitz	4.30%
The Weigh We Were	4.26%
Healthy Weigh 101	4.23%
AfterShock	4.22%
Losers	4.19%
The Skinny Scholars	4.16%
Commander Carrot Stick and her Trusty Side Kick Broccoli Bit	4.15%
Shrinking Violets	4.14%
The Graduates	4.13%
Meltdown Mammas	4.10%
The Doodles	3.98%
Chicken Claw	3.93%
Supervision Required	3.88%
Slow Learners	3.80%
Slim Chance	3.77%
Honor Roll	3.76%
Melt A Weighs	3.71%
Big Fat Losers	3.66%
Sore Losers	3.49%
Mighty Lions Hear Us Roar	3.34%
Battle of the Bulge	3.27%
Letting it Go	3.26%
Freshman 15	3.22%
June 27th	3.15%
The Amazing E-Racers	3.08%
SK - Guinea Pigs 101	3.08%
Chambers Champs	3.02%
Thinner by Thursdays	2.98%
Weigh Down	2.95%
Team Spirit	2.92%
What a Weigh To Go	2.83%
Learning to Lose	2.81%
Slender Science 101	2.79%
Little Hip Chicks	2.79%
Team Caterpillar	2.78%
We Can Do Anything for 7 Weeks	2.70%
#3 NO NAME	2.62%
Striving for an "A"	2.49%
AOC	2.48%
Mind Over Matter	2.48%
Cafeteria Girls	2.44%
Waist Removal	2.41%
Tight Lips, Hot Hips	2.34%
Sassy by Summer	2.22%
Epsilon Pi Sorority	2.21%
Blubber Busters	2.16%
Die Lards	2.06%
Skinny Chicks Again	1.96%
The Tall and the Short of it is … We are here to graduate	1.95%
Alpha Beta Gonna Lose A Lot of Weighta	1.83%
Svelta Delta Delta	1.76%
Literary Losers	1.74%
Lettuce Begin Again	1.66%
Teeny Tiny Tummies	1.54%
U Can Do	1.54%
Butts and Guts Drive Us Nuts	1.53%
Students of Decision	1.48%
Teachers Pets	1.45%
Slim Down Sisters	1.39%
For A Closer Forever Embrace	1.33%
Lionhearted Loosers	1.17%
My Cozen and Me	1.13%
Disaster Sisters	1.09%
Thicker Than Thin Back Again	0.86%
#1 NO NAME	0.57%
Lion Pride 601	0.39%
Eagles Rising	0.31%
Repeat Offenders	0.28%
Wallapalosers	0.26%
Rebels With a Cause	-0.05%