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Who Wants a DirectLife monitor?

These people do! The entries for the DirectLife activity monitor giveaway have begun to roll in, and I will be posting/linking to them here. So excited!

I would love to have a DirectLife monitor because it sounds like a tool that truly would help me get healthy. This year I had a wake up call. I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Number one thing I need to do is manage the diabetes by diet and exercise. I have lost 35 pounds since June. But I still have a long ways to go. You may ask what makes me think I will be successful this time. Well in August my son, who is 11, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Along with this he also has epilepsy, tourette syndrome, and learning disabilties. So my wake up call is I need to be on this earth as long as I can so that I can assist him into adulthood. I am 52 years old, and I have to make a change. My son needs me. So, please consider me for a DirectLife monitor —Cindy

  • Emily sent me an email entry, and I’m posting it here.

I was in my best physical shape during high school (last century), and one reason is because I was on sports teams where I had a coach who motivated me daily, whether it was through threats of extra laps in the pool, or encouraging me through charting the progress of my race times.Ā  After going to college, I thought I could be my own coach.Ā  But the older I get, the more realistic I am, and realize things are much harder on my own, whereas with others, even the seemingly impossible is doable (like cleaning my garage, or getting through graduate school).

Iā€™m thankful for the community and the coaching I already receive from my WW group and leader (Susan/Foodie!), as itā€™s helped me commit to sticking to the road to health no matter how long and winding that road is.Ā  What with all the detours Iā€™ve taken already, I know one thing that will help me stay on course all the more is the DirectLife Activity Monitor.Ā  As a graduate student, Iā€™m on a limited (translation: non-existent) budget, and so visiting a personal trainer at a gym isnā€™t something I can even consider.Ā  Iā€™ve experienced some success with a pedometer in the past, but what really excites me is that I can wear this while swimming (!!!).Ā Ā Also, a yearā€™s worth of coaching is something I sorely need, because thereā€™s no fudging here and there, since someone else is looking at my numbers and holding me accountable in a way I know I canā€™t trust myself to do! Ā With the Activity Monitor, I hope to work towards my goals, starting with running a mile without stopping, and working towards completing a women’s triathlon before I’m 35.

Lastly, in what may come across as an attempt at shameless flattery, but doesnā€™t make it less true, if Susan uses a DirectLife Activity Monitor, loves it and recommends it, then I want to try it too!Ā  Seriously, Iā€™ve been inspired by her commitment to health, and come away from every WW meeting and blog entry challenged and excited to continue on this road, and the activity monitor is something I wanted to try, but due to my aforementioned budget (or lack thereof!), I I know I canā€™t on my own.Ā  So, when I read about the giveaway, I promptly crossed my fingers and thought, ā€œThis is my chance!ā€

Colleen wrote in an email:

1-Iā€™m a fitness instructor.Ā  It would be so cool to wear it and report on my progress to the members I teach at the YMCA here in Eugene, OR.

2-I ā€œremovedā€ 70lbs using WW and now have come back to the program after being gone for 1.5 yrs.Ā  I have tried various ways to track my food and activity, but when you teach aerobics and Pilates for a living, it is really hard to calculate what is your daily ā€œjobā€ activity points vs. what is your actual above and beyond activity points.Ā  By that I mean, on some days I teach and am more energetic or sub for another teacher.Ā  On those days I think I burn more calories.Ā  On other days, I teach but donā€™t sub for anyone, so is it really a workout since itā€™s my job?Ā  Should I be burning more calories doing something in addition to teaching?Ā  The body is smart and I think it knows what itā€™s doing.Ā  I always have trouble tracking activity points, therefore deciding whether I should eat them.Ā  By working out a baseline with the monitor, I would be able to set some goals to increase or change my activity.

3-Health and wellness are my passion.Ā  I am always spending money on shoes, trainings (which run from $100-$500), clothes, books, etc.Ā  It would be awesome to get something for free that I would use to better my personalĀ  health, but that I could share with others (well not let them borrow it or anything!) but talk about it, let them see how it works, etc.Ā  It is such a great price point compared to the bodybugg that I think people could and would purchase one if they knew what it could do for them.

4-If I donā€™t win, Iā€™ll still luv ya on twitter!Ā JĀ  Thanks for keeping us updated on Twitter about the new plan.Ā  Your enthusiasm is contagious! — Colleen

 

Wow. These are all so compelling! I am not sure how I am going to choose.

DirectLife Activity Monitor GIVEAWAY! (including coaching!)

So you know I am pretty much in love with my DirectLife activity monitor as well as the awesome individual coaching I receive from Coach Jen. She has encouraged me, nudged me, checked up on me, and helped me to keep up with my activity goals. And I know that it has made a huge difference in my health and weight-maintenance life.

Well, the DirectLife folks are pleased that Iā€™m pleased. And they have offered a free activity monitor including a yearā€™s worth of individual coaching to one of my lucky blog readers!!

This is, hands down, the best giveaway I have ever had the opportunity to participate in. Itā€™s HUGE, people! You think a box of ice cream is cool? Well, how about a year of Coach Jen (or one of her colleagues) and the best little piece of jewelry you can own???

Hereā€™s how it will work. This prize is worth so very much more than a random comment. Itā€™s going to take a little effort. This is what you need to do to be considered for this awesome prize.

  • Follow DirectLife (@directlife) on Twitter, and tell them, ā€œI want to win an activity monitor from @foodiemcbody becauseā€¦ā€ (finish in 140 characters)
  • Visit the DirectLife website and determine if you think it really is a good fit for you. I donā€™t want to gift this item to anyone who is going to put it in their sock drawer and forget about it.
  • Then you have TWO ways to convince ME. You can record a 2-minute video, or if you are camera shy, write a 250-word blog post on WHY you think a DirectLife activity monitor with coaching will improve your health and life, and why we should choose you. Things you might include: Have you ever tried an activity gadget before? Why do you want this one? How do you intend to reach your daily activity goals?
  • Link to this post on your blog and/or your Facebook page.
  • Post a link to your video or your blog post in a comment HERE. If you do not have a blog, you can email your 250-word statement to foodiemcbody AT hot mail dot com.
  • ANYONE IN THE WORLD is eligible to win this prize! No geographical restrictions! How cool is that.
  • Deadline: Monday, December 6th, 2010 at midnight PST. I will review all entries after I get back from Las Vegas.

Hop, hop, brrrr! Blue Bunny Ice Cream GIVEAWAY!

I was fortunate enough to be contacted recently by the nice bunnies at Blue Bunny Ice Cream. They offered me a sampling of their no-sugar-added frozen yummies to try, given that I have diabetes. Isn’t that nice of them??

I received a giant styrofoam box a few days ago, and there were three packages of ice cream packed in dry ice. Woo! The fun we had with that! Juniorette remarked that the sound of dry ice melting “is comforting, like mermaids talking underwater.” My little poet.

And then came the ice cream. It had arrived on an evening when I’d already had my allotment of dessert goodness, so I didn’t try it. But Juniorette and my mom did. First thing they noticed is that ice cream packed in dry ice is as hard as diamonds.

Ow! Hard!

They could not bite it. They blew on it to try and thaw it out.Ā 

They put it in the microwave for a few seconds, and it got holes in it. But they still gave it the thumbs up.

I waited three more days for it to temper in the freezer. Good plan. Today I took out the three boxes and had a sample of each.

My favorite was the simple, old-fashioned, chocolate ice cream. I don’t often eat chocolate ice cream because I am more a fan of vanilla or coffee (Blue Bunny? Do you have any of that lying around??). I thought this was really good chocolate ice cream: VERY chocolatey, and it didn’t taste nonsugarish weird. I give it a good two thumbs up.

I also got these two kinds of ice cream bars: the Fudge Lite bars and the Krunch Lites. I liked the Krunch Lites very much because I’m pretty much a fan of anything krunchy. The Fudge Lite Bars were pretty good, but out of the three, my least favorite. But I’m not a big fan of the original Fudsicle either, so.

Have you tried Blue Bunny’s no-sugar-added ice cream before? If not, or even if you have, hereā€™s your chance to win some of them. The good folks over at Blue Bunny have offered to send a box of frozen treats out to one of my readers! Woo Hoo!! Here are the details for how you can enter:

  1. Mandatory entry ā€“ Leave a comment about your favorite ice cream flavor OR your favorite bunny.
  2. Additional entry if you ā€œlikeā€ the Blue Bunny Facebook page and post the following comment on their wall: ā€œI just entered to win some Blue Bunny ice cream at http://www.foodfoodbodybody.wordpress.com.ā€
  3. Additional entry for following Blue Bunny on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway using the following text: ā€œEnter to win some no-sugar-added ice cream from @Blue_Bunny & @foodiemcbody!Ā  http://www.foodfoodbodybody.wordpress.comā€
  4. Additional entry if you follow me on Twitter (@foodiemcbody) and ā€œlikeā€ my Facebook page.

There is a total of 4 possible entries per person for this giveaway. Please leave a separate comment for each entry method you use. The deadline for entry is 9pm PT on Monday, November 15th. A winner will be selected using random.org. The winner will be notified via email, but I will also post the selected winner here on the blog. If the selected winner does not respond (I will need your address so that Blue Bunny can send you the big box!) within 24 hours, an alternate winner will be selected using random.org.

Good luck, bunnies!

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And the winner is…. according to Random.org…. (drum roll please!)

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….. Brandie! Congratulations, Brandie, now please DM me at @foodiemcbody with your address, and I’ll notify Blue Bunny! And remember… LET IT THAW in your freezer for 24 hours before tasting! (I somehow did not see that note in the box! – LOL!)

Every Day? Yeah, Every Day!

280Today’s post is dedicated to MizFit. She has been inspiring me since Day One and today her guest-blog post felt almost psychic.Ā  Her blog post (written by guest George) is about working out every day.

Not too long ago a friend Tweeted me (Twittered me?) and said “Dude you work out every day? You are hard core!” That made me laugh. I do not think of myself as a hard core person, especially in terms of workouts. But gradually over the past months I have come to expect that unless something (see MizFit’s post on what those somethings might be) comes up that makes it impossible, I will work out every day. It used to be that I would work out “when I felt like it.” Which could range from “never” to once or twice a month.Ā  Then I began working out, by schedule and appointment, about 2 times a week, maybe 3x if I was feeling extra hard core (ha).Ā  THEN I started aiming for 4-5x a week. But then I’d forget, “What is the day I don’t work out again?” and eventually it morphed into, if I am alive and breathing, not injured or ill, then I’m working out.

It helps a LOT that I do different things on different days. Some days I run. Some days I go to a Nia class. Some days I go to my trainer and do weights and stuff. Today I woke up in a hotel so I went to the fitness center (a really, really great one!) and did 40 minutes on the elliptical, a bunch of free weight and ball stuff, and some other stuff. When I read the MizFit post, it made me really happy. I was like YEAH! I feel good now, and ready to do all the other things in my day.

SO, in honor of and in gratitude for MizFit and all she says and does, I am doing a giveaway today! I have a wonderful size L women’s T-shirt designed (I think) by Miz herself. I ordered it because I always assume that if something says “womens” then it is automatically very tiny. But this shirt is actually pretty large, and too large for me. I would guess it is about a size 14-ish. Maybe 12. So I am going to be ordering another in a different size for myself, and I am giving this one away.

In order to be eligible to obtain this fantastic piece of apparel, just leave a comment here about your favorite/most used/most creative excuse to NOT exercise, AND what response you can come up with to turn that around so that you DO exercise.Ā  Example:

Excuse: I don’t have enough time. (this is certainly not creative, but it is common)

Response: I have plenty of time. In fact, I am going to ______ while __________ or instead of ________.

OK? Ready set go!

Today’s Giveaway: CLOTHES!

The decluttering continues! Today I decided to give away 3 items of too-large clothing. I thought I would have tons of these, but actually most of my big clothes are more fit for Goodwill than to giving to anyone I care about. But I do have 3 pretty nice things I would like to pass on.

One is my beloved Big White Shirt. This shirt was always oversized for me. I just checked the size and realized it is a size 3x! Um… I had no idea! When I bought that top I just loved it so much because it made me feel tiny. Of course. But at this point it just makes me look stupid. It’s super comfy, great to wear over anything, and perfect for summer. You can see it in my Photos, in the “before” from October 2008.

Two: a pair of wide-legged black croppped pants from J. Jill that I never wore, not even once. (well, once, to try on in the store) They are a sized Medium, but they are elastic waisted and J. Jill tends to run on the larger size. So I’d say they are equivalent to Large in most other brands. They’re soft, elegant and nice. They’re so wide and swingy they actually look like a skirt. On me, they fall to about mid-calf. (I’m 5’4″) They look sort of like this, but they’re shorter. (UPDATE: TAKEN!!)

Three: a sort of faux wool jacket-sweater, zippered, with pockets. It’s gray-black, textured and kind of nubbly. It isn’t super thick but nice for cool spring or fall days. It’s nice to have pockets. It’s standard size Large.

Again, send me an email with your snail mail addressĀ  if you want one of these items. First come, first get!

Getting Rid of Stuff: Want Some?

I have been battling the war on Clutter for as long as, or maybe longer, than I have been battling with my weight and food issues. This morning I saw a great and inspiring post by MizFit about her own Clutter challenge.Ā  (watch the video!!) And because maybe One Challenge Is Not Enough For Me Right now (AM I INSANE??) I am jumping in to this one too. But you know, MizFit is giving away 30 things in 30 days. If I gave away 30 things, it would not even make the slightest dent in my house. So I am going to go for TEN GIVEAWAYS per DAY!! I will do some of these giveaways via Freecyle.org, and a few of them via this blog. Only a few because I’m going to pay for shipping fees, and if I do Freecyle, there’s no cost.

So: today I am giving away, via this blog, THREE ITEMS.

If you want one of them, send me an email with your snail mail address. Tell me which item you want. In the interest of time management, I will not be asking for any fancy challenges, and I will not be doing any random choosery. I will just be sending each item to the FIRST PERSON who jumps in and asks for it, along with their address. I will also NOT be responding individually to people and saying, “You are not the first person.” I will announce the First People in tomorrow’s giveaway, and better luck tomorrow!

Today’s three items: (note: these are all beneficial items, but they are redundant to things I already own)

1. Weight Watchers Complete Food Companion: points values for over 17,500 food items! (UPDATE: TAKEN!)

2. Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program that Works! by Evelyn Tribole (looks really good but I think I officially binged out on intuitive/mindful eating books! I have way more than I need) (UPDATE: TAKEN!)

3. Making The Cut by Jillian Michaels (Jillian rocks. but we have two of these books in our house, and I sure don’t need more than one!) (UPDATE: TAKEN!)
OK? Ready set, GET THESE OUT OF MY HOUSE PLEASE!! Only one per customer, please. Let the decluttering begin!!

And the Winners are…!

The day has finally arrived and I am announcing the winners to my Laptop Bag Giveaway Contest! This was a wonderful contest to read and I really enjoyed and appreciated everyone’s answers. These were the five that really shone for me. I chose five semi-finalists and then could really not pick ONE from there, so I went to the Random Thingy Chooser (yes, that is really the name of it!) Read down to the bottom to see whom it chose.

dscn2636-thumbBut the four semi-finalists will all receive a prize: this incredibly cool and perfect “Foodie” jewelry charm (can be either a charm or necklace) made by the artistic father of Mara, the blogger at I Made Dinner!!Ā  (Mara is going to get her own Special Prize for helping out with this) Is that not PERFECT? (the crossed utensils over the laptop keyboard??)

So….. drum roll please!! Here are my five finalists.Ā  You can see their complete posts here, but here are some excerpts.

  • Lavagal made me laugh out loud with her post.Ā  Weight Watchers has taught me that journaling is the most honest you can be with yourself. As a result, I blog about my WW progress (lavagal.wordpress.com). For every day that I work out at 24Hour Fitness I tweet my calories, strides, miles, and minutes along with two photos: the first at the start of my workout, the second at the end…Believe me. I eat like a cow so I have to work like an ass, LOL! I love to cook and eat, but I also like to paddle out on my surfboard and wait my turn in the lineup. Iā€™m 50. I still have plenty of waves to catch. Rather than look like a manatee in the lineup, I want to be the chick whoā€™s still hip!
  • Bwjen is another bookworm and English teacher, and she created the inspiring TweetWalker Clubhouse for the benefit of walkers and runners. I have been using twitter and blogging to stay motivated and accountable. I tweet constantly with fellow walkers. I came up with the virtual walking club The TweetWalker ClubHouse where currently me and 15 other walkers blog about our walks. We are a source of inspiration, motivation, support and encouragement for each other. We have each set goals and are walking away our extra pounds.
  • JaimeH is also using blogging, twittering and online communities to help her with her diabetes. I found tudiabetes.com, twitter and started journaling once again. Iā€™ve always known about diabetic communities online but not until I fully engaged in the DOC (diabetic online community) did I realize how much I really needed them. Through writing and connecting with these fabulous people I started to put myself back on my priority list. Out of the 12yrs with diabetes I always took it very seriously and kept my #ā€™s pretty much where they should beā€¦that year I stopped caring was the worst A1c Iā€™ve ever had. These people I started communicating with made me feel like I was not alone in my battle. Not only diabetics but other people on twitter that are living a healthy lifestyle. Even through the internet you could feel their kindness and they are always there to cheer me on when I need it the most. Since then I have become an online admin for tudiabetes & the socal ambassador.
  • ShariMacD is a writer/editor who has found a more personal (and healthy) way to use writing. Iā€™m an editor and writer, but Iā€™ve resisted personal journal writing for years ā€“ thinking that it was a waste of writing time because I wasnā€™t producing something for public consumption. I recently started journaling as a way to help deal with some personal issues, and that has serendipitously coincided with my beginning a new phase of healthy eating/healthy living. Where Iā€™d failed hundreds (thousands?) of times before at weight loss and healthy living attempts, this time around Iā€™m finding it much easier to eat well and get my body moving. I believe this is because Iā€™m journaling, which Iā€™ve found to be a tremendously powerful form of self-care. By journaling, Iā€™m allowing myself to feel what I feel, on the page. To process my life via words, instead of running from it by comforting myself with food. When Iā€™m upset or stressed now, the first thing I think of is grabbing my journal, not grabbing a package of mini chocolate donuts.
  • knk had the most quoteable quote of all. blogging helps me get out what food helps me stuff in. emotions, thoughts, issues, concerns, dreams, fears. and the daily struggle to balance child, career, home, and meā€“ that stuff only gets done by writing/blogging. otherwise, it sits, festers, infects meā€“ takes over my subconscious until iā€™m doing things i donā€™t want to do. writing is a way to cleanse my soul, process my emotions, and find the energy to clear a path to a healthier happier life, even if its obscured. it bring me clarity and serves as a conscience. the words bear witness and keep me honest. they provide solace and comfort. writing allows me to listen without responding and gives me time and space to clear away the layers until i am sure of myself again and can face the challenges of weight loss, food demons, and personal growth.

So…. the moment is here! and the Random Thingy Chooser has chosen… JaimeH!

Congratulations, Jaime! You have won the laptop bag! Please email me your snail-mail address, and I will send it out this week! Keep doing that great work for diabetics everywhere. You have already helped me so much, so thank you!

Congratulations, Shari, knk, lavagal and bwjen! You have all won the foodie charms! Please send YOUR snail-mail addresses to Mara here, and she will send you your choice of either a necklace or cell-phone charm or zipper pull.

And thanks to Mara for sending out these prizes! Mara, I have something special for you, so please send ME your snail mail.

Thanks everyone who participated, I truly loved EVERY answer. I hope you will keep writing for health!! And guess what? I have another contest/giveaway in the works! Write about your favorite vegetable, and another fabulous prize might be yours!

Laptop Bag Giveaway!!

51WSk36dmpL._SL500_AA280_I’m doing a giveaway! The prize is this festive bag for carrying a laptop computer.Ā  What you need to do to enter is to write a comment about how and why WRITING (blogging, freewriting, journaling, Twittering etc) is helping you in your quest for healthier living (eating well, exercise, dealing with illness, etc).

The winner will be picked only semi-randomly. I will choose the top five posts in terms of thoughtfulness. It’s too easy to just write “I love to write, and I want that laptop bag!” THEN I’ll send those top five to the random picker. The deadline for this giveaway is Monday, May 25th.

I truly believe that writing has made my journey towards health possible. I’d like to hear about yours.

And the winner is…

Deborah R wins the copy of The Instinct Diet!! Congratulations, Deborah, I hope this book gives you the boost you need!

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