WEEK TWELVE

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Let me start by apologizing for the delay in reporting the final results. This is the most anticipated post of the competition as we are about to find out who won each of the two categories (point totals and % loss). But in an American Idle fashion, we're going to go over a few housekeeping items first.

First of all, we will be starting the next round on Friday, January 1st. I've had a few requests to change the reporting period from Sunday-Sunday to Friday-Friday and it just so happens to work well with the start of the New Year.

Secondly, John Ellis will be joining me in creating weekly posts and hunting down point totals. He will also be increasing the visual aspect of the competition by providing periodic trending and tracking reports. We'll also be sending out weekly email reminders to visit the website so that you know when points have been posted.

Lastly, we've been experiencing a higher number of delays in reporting points on a weekly basis and will be adding in a new clause, where individuals are charged $.25 per day (beyond Sunday) that you're points are not reported in a given week.

I hope this helps create a higher level of engagement and creates an even greater level of competition for everyone involved. Thank you to everyone for participating this round and I look forward to seeing you all back next year. : ) - I love that line!

Now for the moment we've all been waiting for... or maybe just Tom's been waiting for. Our Round 3 (R3), 2009 winners are:

Tom Stodola - highest point total (93) and...
Tom Stodola - highest percentage weight loss (7.1).

Week 12 Results:
Tom - 8
Karen - 7
John - 6
Melissa - 5
Drew - 4
Joe - 4
Rolf - 4
Jon - 3
Sue - 3
Nancy - 3
Shelley - 3
Todd - 3
Christel - 2 (owes $.25)
Linda - 2 (owes $.25)
Heidi - 2 (owes $.25)
Dan - 2 (owes $.25)
Laura - 0 (owes $2.50)
Shannon - 0 (owes $2.50)

Total Points/Percentage Loss
Tom - 94/7.1%
John - 84/2.3%
Jon - 83/3.6%
Sue - 74/3.0%
Karen - 73/6.1%
Melissa - 69/0.0%
Joe - 68/3.6%
Laura - 67 - 4.0%
Rolf - 63/0.0%
Drew - 62/0.4%
Shelley - 56/4.5%
Shannon - 53/0.0%
Christel - 50/3.5%
Heidi - 48/4.9%
Nancy - 46/1.8%
Linda - 42/0.0%
Dan - 35/0.0%
Todd - 32/1.0%

Congratulations again, Tom. You've earned a total of $366.00 for your efforts.

I will be sending out an email with your total amount owed. Please be prompt in payment as I'm sure Tom would like to use this money to put towards a Christmas gift for his brother - I heard he'd like a Wii.

Thanks again to everyone and I wish you all the best in 2010 and beyond.
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WEEK ELEVEN

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Week 11 Results:
Karen - 8
Jon - 7
Tom - 7
Melissa - 7
John - 6
Heidi - 6
Sue - 4
Christel - 4
Linda - 4
Rolf - 3
Nancy - 3
Laura - 3
Todd - 2 (owes $.60)
Dan - 2 (owes $.60)
Drew - 2 (owes $.60)
Shannon - 2 (owes $.60)
Shelley - 2 (owes $.60)
Joe - 1 (owes $3.00)

When reporting your week 12 points, please also include your % weight loss. To calculate your % weight percentage, take your total lbs lost divided by your starting weight. (e.g. 20 lbs lost with a starting weight of 200 = 20/200 = .1 or 1o%)
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WEEK TEN

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Week 10 Results:
Karen - 8
John - 7
Tom - 7
Laura - 6
Jon - 6
Melissa - 6
Joe - 6
Sue - 6
Rolf - 6
Drew - 4
Nancy - 4
Christel - 4
Dan - 3
Linda - 3
Heidi - 3
Shannon - 2 (owes $2.00)
Todd - 2 (owes $2.00)
Shelley - 2 (owes $2.00)
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WEEK NINE

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Week 9 Results:
John - 7
Laura - 7
Tom - 6
Sue - 6
Drew - 6
Jon - 6
Melissa - 6
Joe - 5
Karen - 5
Christel - 5
Rolf - 5
Dan - 4
Nancy - 3
Linda - 3
Shannon - 3
Todd - 2 (owes $1.50)
Shelley - 2 (owes $1.50)
Heidi - 1 (owes $3.00)
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WEEK EIGHT

Week 8 Results:
Karen - 10
John - 9
Tom - 7
Sue - 6
Joe - 5
Laura - 5
Christel - 5
Drew - 5
Jon - 5
Nancy - 4
Melissa - 4
Shelley - 4
Linda - 3
Rolf - 3
Heidi - 3
Todd - 2 (owes $1.50)
Shannon - 2 (owes $1.50)
Dan - (-1) (owes $3.00)

WEEK SEVEN

Error correction: Shelley reported 6 points for the weeks of 4 and 5 - instead of 4 and 2 respectively, as previously recorded. I have adjusted the totals and pay-in amounts accordingly. Thanks for your understanding and please let me know if you ever see anything incorrect on your totals.

NOTE: Becky is taking a little hiatus as she is working through some medical issues at this time. She will not be tracked on the weekly results until she is able to return. We wishher all the best and look forward to her return!

Weeks 7 Results:
Tom - 9
Laura - 8
Jon - 7
Heidi - 7
Sue - 6
Melissa - 6
Dan - 6
John - 5
Joe - 5
Shelley - 5
Karen - 5
Shannon - 4
Rolf - 4
Drew - 4
Christel - 4
Linda - 2 (owes $1.50)
Todd - 2 (owes $1.50)
Nancy - 0 (owes $3.00)

WEEK SIX

Sorry for the delay in posting; Krissy and I delivered a beautiful baby girl, Avery Mae Stodola, on Thursday, October 22nd.

Week 6 Results:
Rolf - 8
Jon - 7
Tom - 7
John - 7
Laura - 7
Mel - 6
Sue - 6
Drew - 5
Christel - 5
Shelley - 5
Nancy - 4
Shannon - 4
Karen - 4
Joe - 4
Heidi - 4
Linda - 3
Todd - 2 (owes $2.00)
Dan - 2 (owes $2.00)
Becky - 2 (owes $2.00)

WEEK FIVE

Historically, weeks 6 - 10 have seen a steady decline in points (trending data provided by: John Ellis) Make sure you keep exercising regularly and watching how much you eat.

Did you know that you can burn an extra 100 calories per day, by simply taking a multivitamin?

Week 5 Results: ...................Total Points:
Tom – 10.............................Tom – 43
Jon – 9................................Jon – 42
Sue - 8................................Joe – 38
Melissa - 7............................John – 37
Shannon – 6..........................Sue – 37
John – 6...............................Shannon – 36
Joe – 6................................Shelley– 33
Heidi – 6..............................Drew – 32
Shelley– 5..............................Laura – 31
Karen – 5.............................. Rolf – 30
Drew – 5...............................Melissa – 29
Nancy – 4............................. Karen – 26
Laura – 4..............................Nancy – 25
Linda – 3.............................. Linda – 22
Dan – 3................................ Heidi – 22
Todd – 2 (owes $1.00)...............Christel – 21
Christel – 2 (owes $1.00)............Becky – 18
Becky – 2 (owes $1.00).......... ....Todd – 17
Rolf - 0 (owes $3.00)............. ...Dan – 17

WEEK FOUR

I'm sorry for the late post, we are still waiting on several individuals to report. I will update the site as results come in.

Week 4 Results:
Sue - 8
Tom - 8
Drew - 7
Joe - 7
Laura - 7
John - 7
Karen - 6
Rolf - 6
Jon - 6
Shannon - 6
Shelley - 6
Christel - 5
Nacy - 5
Melissa - 5
Linda - 4
Heidi - 4
Dan - 2 (owe $2.00)
Todd - 2 (owe $2.00)
Becky - 2 (owe $2.00)



James - NA - still out with back issues.

WEEK THREE

Another great week for weight loss and exercise points.

We lost 20lbs as a group last week - with one person losing a quarter of that (-5).

Week 3 Results: .........................Point Totals:
Joe – 9 .....................................Jon - 27
Dan – 9 .....................................Tom - 25
Tom – 8 ....................................Joe - 25
Shelly – 8 ...................................Shannon - 24
Laura – 8 ...................................Rolf - 24
Jon – 8 ..................................... John - 24
John – 8 .................................... Sue - 21
Rolf – 7 .....................................Shelly - 21
Drew – 7 ....................................Laura - 20
Sue - 6 ......................................Drew - 20
Shannon – 6 ................................Melissa - 17
Nancy – 6 ...................................Nancy - 16
Karen – 6 ...................................Karen - 15
Melissa - 5 .................................Linda - 15
Todd – 4 (owes $.75)......................Christel - 14
Linda – 4 (owes $.75)......................Becky - 14
Heidi – 4 (owes $.75)......................Todd - 13
Christel – 4 (owes $.75)...................Dan - 12
Becky – 3 (owe $3.00).....................Heidi - 12
James – NA*................................James - 10

Don't forget to use the comments section to talk trash or provide a few encouraging words.

*James is suffering from a back injury, which is keeping him from doing much of anything, let alone exercising. His status will be updated week to week. Until his recovery, he will not be eligible for the weekly pay-in - consequently, he will not be rewarded with points during this time as well.

WEEK TWO - updated

After having an unbelievable first week, losing 37 lbs collectively, we followed it with a respectable 20lb loss in week two.

Vacations and business travel made it difficult for many folks this week, but those are the times we need to focus the most. Finding ways to eat healthy and exercise while traveling is hard work, but if that’s a typical part of your life, you must find ways to make it work.

Here are some tips on staying thin while traveling:
1. In the airport, stick to light sandwiches or salads.
2. Avoid fried foods at all costs
3. Beware of airplane food.
4. Bring your own nutritious snacks.
5. Order from the healthy eating menu selections at restaurants.
6. Order sauces on the side.
7. Check and see if the hotel you’re considering has a gym.
8. Use stairs whenever possible – it really does make a difference.
9. See if your gym has a location nearby.
10. Get your rest – a sleep-deprived brain can send out false signals of hunger.
11. Drink water instead of snacking.


Week 2 Results:
Jon - 11
Rolf - 9
John - 9
Sue - 8
Tom - 7
Joe - 7
Shannon - 7
Shelly - 6
Melissa - 6
Laura - 6
Nancy - 5
Drew - 5
Karen - 5
Linda - 5
Christel - 4 (owes $.25)
Todd - 4 (owes $.25)
James - 4 (owes $.25)
Becky - 4 (owes $.25)
Heidi - 2 (owes $2.00)
Dan -(-1) (owes $3.00)

Note: If you're traveling and cannot weigh in, please report your exercise points - the weight loss/gain will then carry over to the following week.

WEEK ONE

Great start! We lost a whopping 37lbs collectively – the highest of any single week in past history.

Week 1 Results:
Shannon – 11
Tom – 10
Joe – 9
Rolf – 8
Drew – 8
Jon – 8
John – 7
Becky – 7
Shelly – 7
Sue - 7
Heidi – 6
Melissa - 6
Laura – 6
Christel – 6
Linda – 6
James – 6
Todd – 5 (owes $.50)
Nancy – 5 (owes $.50)
Karen – 4 (owes $2.50)
Dan – 4 (owes $2.50)


Note: please review your points each week to confirm accuracy and compare results. Good luck to everyone, and try to stay out of the bottom spots.

Confirmed and Committed

We are entering the 6th round of weight loss challenges through weight08.blogspot.com. Below are the names of people who have confirmed their existance in this program, as well as a couple returning members who haven't yet stated. Good luck to everyone!

Reterning Achievers:
Drew Boxrud - Previous round winner (both categories)
Sue Boxrud
Jon Stodola
Tom Stodola - Round 1 winner of % weight loss
Heidi Stodola
Rolf Bergerson
Dan Boxrud
Nancy Boxrud
Joe Kriscunas - Round 3 winner (both categories)
Laura Kriscunas - Round 2 winner of total points
Karen Kriscunas
John Ellis - Round 4 winner (both categories)
Melissa Ellis

New Participants:
Becky Burt
Shannon Wamre
James Napier
Todd Burt
Shelly Burt
Christel Petrowitsch
Linda Sehler

Not yet confirmed - from previous round:
Nancy Freitag
Mary Gruber

Next Round Begins Sunday, 9/6

Next round of Weight09 starts Sunday, September 6th. Please let me know if you are interested in participating - either by email - j_kstodola@comcast.net or call 612.669.2000.

If you are planning on participating, please be sure to weigh in and record your starting weight as you will need it to determine your overall weight loss % at the end of the 12 weeks.

Jon Stodola

WEEK TWELVE

Well, it was a close one this round – coming into the final week, Drew was up 4 points over Tom. Tom called in first and reported 11 points, Drew needed 7 to tie and 8 or more to win.

Drew’s points were 7 exercise – he wasn’t going to lose a point on purpose, and 3 weight loss – I think he stopped eating (or drinking) for a couple of weeks.

Below are the final results.

Week 12 Results:
Tom Stodola - 11
Drew Boxrud - 10
Melissa Ellis - 7
Rolf Bergerson - 6
Joe Kriscunas - 6
Karen Kriscunas - 6
Gretchen Harrington - 6
Jon Stodola - 5
Nancy Freitag - 5
Sue Boxrud - 5
John Ellis - 4
Nancy Boxrud - 4
Nick Holper - 4
Alicia Burt - 4
Heidi Stodola - 4
Mary Gruber - 4
Laura Kriscunas - 3 (owes $.50)
Jen Holper - 3 (owes $.50)
Jan Bergerson - 2 (owes $2.00)
Dan Boxrud - (-1) (owes $3.00)

And the winners are….








Drew and Drew.

That’s right; Drew won both categories – setting new all time records in both. Way to go Drew!

Check out the totals below to see where you ranked:

Total Points:
Drew - 100
Tom - 97
John - 83
Melissa - 83
Jon - 71
Alicia - 68
Sue - 66
Gretchen - 63
Nancy - 60
Heidi - 58
Karen - 54
Joe - 52
Laura - 51
Mary - 50
Nancy F. - 48
Rolf - 47
Nick - 47
Jen - 44
Dan - 40
Jan - 31

Percentage Weight Loss:
Drew - 9.54
Tom - 7.4
Gretchen - 5
Melissa - 3.7
Nancy - 2
Rolf - 1.7
Alicia - 1.6
John - 1.2
Heidi - 1.2
Sue - 1
Jon - 0
Karen - 0
Joe - 0
Laura - 0
Nancy F. - 0
Nick - 0
Mary - 0
Jen - 0
Dan - 0
Jan - 0


Great work everybody; I hope to see you all in the next round.

Please feel free to invite anyone you believe would benefit from this competition. As the pot gets bigger, the competition heats up.

Tips on Controlling Portions

Eating smaller portions of food is one of the easiest ways to cut back on calories – but it can also be one of the most challenging, especially with the current trend of super-sizing.

Here are some tips I found on controlling portions.

At Home:
- Use smaller dishes at meals
- Serve food in correct portions and don't go back for seconds
- Don't keep platters of food on the table; you are more likely to "pick" at it or have a second servings without even realizing it
- Like butter or sour cream on your baked potato? Mayonnaise or cheese on your sandwich? Cream cheese on your bagel? Use half the amount you usually do-and save even more calories by using lower-fat varieties
- When snacking, place a few chips, crackers or cookies in a bowl to help prevent overeating

At Restaurants:
- Ask for half or smaller portions
- Eyeball your appropriate portion, set the rest aside, and ask for a dogie bag right away.
- Substitute fries for a salad or fruit
- If you have dessert, share.

WEEK ELEVEN

With only 1 week left to go, Drew leads the points total by 4 points over Tom.

Great job everyone! Keep exercising and watching what you eat even after this contest is over - we will be starting another round in a couple of months.

For those of you in Minnesota - take it easy on the fair food.

Week 11 Results:
Drew Boxrud - 11
John Ellis - 8
Tom Stodola - 7
Laura Kriscunas - 7
Rolf Bergerson - 7
Melissa Ellis - 6
Jon Stodola - 6
Joe Kriscunas - 6
Nancy Boxrud - 6
Heidi Stodola - 6
Nick Holper - 6
Alicia Burt - 6
Nancy Freitag - 4
Karen Kriscunas - 4
Jen Holper - 4
Dan Boxrud - 4
Gretchen Harrington - 3 (owes $.50)
Jan Bergerson - 3 (owes $.50)
Sue Boxrud - 2 (owes $2.50)
Mary Gruber - 2 (owes $2.50)

Don't forget, next week is the last week so please report your % weight loss with your final points.

Thx!

WEEK TEN... Correction

The Boxruds (Sue and Drew) must have been doing all the right things last week. Great job guys!

Correction: Drew had 9 points instead of 7 last week, putting him and Tom in a dead heat with only two weeks left.

Week 10 Results:
Sue Boxrud - 9
Drew Boxrud - 9
Gretchen Harrington - 6
Melissa Ellis - 6
Nancy Boxrud - 6
Tom Stodola - 6
Heidi Stodola - 6
Jon Stodola - 5
Alicia Burt - 5
Karen Kriscunas - 5
John Ellis - 4
Dan Boxrud - 4
Jen Holper - 4
Nancy Freitag - 2
Nick Holper - 2
Mary Gruber - 1 (owes $.33)
Rolf Bergerson -1 (owes $.33)
Joe Kriscunas - 1 (owes $.34)
Laura Kriscunas - 0 (owes $2.00)
Jan Bergerson - (5) (owes $3.00)


I will update the amounts owed once I hear from Heidi.

WEEK NINE

After another solid performance, John Ellis is quickly catching up to Tom.

Week 9 Results:
John Ellis - 8
Tom Stodola - 7
Gretchen Harrington -7
Jon Stodola - 6
Melissa Ellis - 6
Alicia Burt - 6
Drew Boxrud - 6
Sue Boxrud - 6
Mary Gruber - 6
Nancy Freitag - 5
Heidi Stodola - 4
Dan Boxrud - 4
Nancy Boxrud - 4
Rolf Bergerson - 4
Laura Kriscunas - 3
Karen Kriscunas - 3
Nick Holper - 3
Joe Kriscunas - 2 (owes $2.00)
Jan Bergerson - 2 (owes $2.00)
Jen Holper - 2 (owes $2.00)

WEEK NINE & TEN

I apologize for another late entry, I was on vacation last week and only half of the points have been called in.

Thank you for your patience, now let's finish strong!

Week Eight

Tom jumped into first place this week with another steller performance - going two points above Drew.

Nick and Jen are still on vacation and have yet to report - I will update the weekly pay-in once they report.

Week 8 Results:
Tom - 9
Heidi - 8
Alicia - 7
John - 6
Melissa - 6
Mary - 6
Nancy F. - 6
Joe - 6
Laura - 5
Drew - 5
Karen - 5
Sue - 4
Jan - 4
Nancy - 3
Rolf - 2 (owe $.60)
Gretchen - 2 (owe $.60)
Jon - 2 (owe $.60)
Nick - 2 (owe $.60)
Jen - 2 (owe $.60)
Dan - 0 (owe $3.00)

Week Seven

Nick and Jen are on vacation and have yet to report - I will update the weekly pay-in once they report.

Week 7 Results:
John - 8
Tom - 7
Laura - 7
Alicia - 6
Drew - 6
Melissa - 6
Gretchen - 6
Mary - 5
Joe - 5
Sue - 4
Jon - 4
Nancy - 4
Jan - 4
Karen - 3
Nancy F. - 2 (owe $.25)
Heidi - 2 (owe $.25)
Nick - 2 (owe $.25)
Jen - 2 (owe $.25)
Dan - 1 (owe $2.50)
Rolf - 1 (owe $2.50)

Week Six

It's nice to see a new name topping the list this week. Way to go Heidi - keep up the great work!

Week 6 Results:
Heidi - 9
Drew - 8
Tom - 8
Alicia - 7
Jon - 7
Melissa - 7
John - 6
Nancy - 5
Sue - 4
Rolf - 4
Dan - 4
Gretchen - 4
Nick - 4
Jen - 4
Karen - 3
Jan - 2
Joe - 2
Nancy F. - 1 (owe $1.50)
Laura - 1 (owe $1.50)
Mary - 0 (owe $3.00)

Week Five

After four weeks of weight loss, the group as a whole had weight gain of 3 pounds in week five. Hopefully it can be attributed to the extra muscles we are all building!

Week 5 Results:
John Ellis – 7
Alicia Burt – 7
Tom Stodola - 7
Jan Bergerson – 6
Jon Stodola – 6
Melissa Ellis – 6
Sue Boxrud – 6
Gretchen Harrington – 6
Rolf Bergerson – 5
Mary Gruber – 5
Karen Kriscunas – 5
Nancy Boxrud - 5
Heidi Stodola – 5
Dan Boxrud – 4
Drew Boxrud – 4
Jen Holper – 4
Nancy Freitag - 4
Joe Kriscunas – 3 (owes $2)
Laura Kriscunas – 3 (owes $2)
Nick Holper – 3 (owes $2)

Four Great Weeks

Tom closed the gap between him and Drew by 3 points while everyone else slipped another point or more.

Week 4 Results:
Tom Stodola - 11
Drew Boxrud - 8
Jon Stodola - 7
John Ellis - 7
Melissa Ellis - 7
Sue Boxrud - 7
Mary Gruber - 7
Alicia Burt - 6
Karen Kriscunas - 6
Dan Boxrud - 6
Gretchen Harrington - 6
Joe Kriscunas - 5
Laura Kriscunas - 5
Nancy Boxrud - 5
Nancy Freitag - 5
Rolf Bergerson - 4
Jan Bergerson - 3 (owes $1.00)
Nick Holper - 3 (owes $1.00)
Jen Holper - 3 (owes $1.00)
Heidi Stodola - 0 (owes $3.00)

Try to increase your workout activity by at least 10 minutes per day and see if that helps the pounds drop off.

Here's to Week Three!

Drew continues to expand his lead and at this rate he'll blow the previous records out of the water.

Week 3 Results:
Drew Boxrud - 10
Melissa Ellis - 9
John Ellis - 8
Nancy Freitag - 8
Tom Stodola - 7
Jon Stodola - 7
Laura Kriscunas - 7
Joe Kriscunas - 7
Sue Boxrud - 7
Nancy Boxrud - 6
Gretchen Harrington - 5
Heidi Stodola - 5
Karen Kriscunas - 5
Mary Gruber - 5
Jen Holper - 4
Nick Holper - 4
Rolf Bergerson - 3
Alicia Burt – 2 (owes $1.00)
Jan Bergerson - (owes $2.00)
Dan Boxrud - (1) (owes $3.00)

Great job everyone, keep up the dedication and focus - we still have 9 weeks left.

WEEK TWO IS THROUGH

Drew has widened the gap by another point for a total of 23. Close behind are Tom Stodola, John and Melissa Ellis all with 17.

Another accomplishment to report; Gretchen Harrington went from worst to first in weekly points – Great Job!


Week 2 Results:
Gretchen Harrington - 8
Dan Boxrud - 8
Nick Holper - 8
Drew Boxrud - 8
Tom Stodola - 7
Jen Holper - 7
John Ellis - 7
Melissa Ellis - 7
Rolf Bergerson - 7
Jon Stodola - 6
Laura Kriscunas - 6
Alicia Burt - 6
Joe Kriscunas - 5
Nancy Boxrud - 5
Sue Boxrud - 5
Jan Bergerson - 5
Heidi Stodola – 4 (owes $1.00)
Karen Kriscunas – 4 (owes $1.00)
Mary Gruber – 4 (owes $1.00)
Nancy Freitag – 1 (owes $3.00)

Keep up the good work. This is going to be one of the most competitive rounds and you don’t want to find yourself in the bottom too often. So far, 4’s and below have been paying in – so set your goals to 5 and above.

Let’s raise that bar!

WEEK ONE IS DONE!

This was a record setting week in many ways. We have more participants than ever before (20), Drew got a record setting 15 points in a single week and the group lost a combined 33 lbs.

Great job everyone! Keep up the good work and watch those useless calories.

Week 1 Results:
Drew Boxrud - 15
Jon Stodola - 10
Tom Stodola - 10
John Ellis - 10
Melissa Ellis - 10
Dan Boxrud - 7
Nancy Boxrud - 7
Sue Boxrud - 7
Alicia Burt - 6
Nick Holper - 6
Heidi Stodola - 5
Karen Kriscunas - 5
Mary Gruber - 5
Rolf Bergerson - 5
Jen Holper - 5
Nancy Freitag - 5
Joe Kriscunas - 4 (owes $1.50)
Laura Kriscunas - 4 (owes $1.50)
Jan Bergerson - 4 (owes $1.50)
Gretchen Harrington - 4 (owes $1.50)

Looking Fine in 2009 - round 2 has officially begun.

If those New Year resolutions haven’t produced the results you’d hoped, now is the time to make it happen.

Shed some pounds and have some fun, try to stay out of that bottom three and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goal.

Below is a list of participants for the second round of Looking Fine in 2009!
Jon Stodola
Tom Stodola
Heidi Stodola
Joe Kriscunas
Laura Kriscunas
John Ellis
Melissa Ellis
Alicia Burt
Karen Kriscunas
Dan Boxrud
Nancy Boxrud
Drew Boxrud
Sue Boxrud
Mary Gruber
Rolf Bergerson
Jan Bergerson
Nick Holper
Jen Holper
Gretchen Harrington
Nancy Freitag

Please let me know if I’m missing anyone.

Here’s a helpful websites for those of you who are new: http://www.livestrong.com/ - then click on The Daily Plate to track your calorie intake and set your weight loss goal.

An Easy Step to Take

It’s a fact of life: We tend to gain weight as we get older. But you’ll pack on fewer pounds over the years by walking 2 to 4 hours a week (that’s as little as 30–40 minutes every other day).

People in a 15-year study who did this gained less weight during the study period than folks who didn’t walk at all.

Although the results were similar for both men and women, the weight benefit was strongest for women who were also heaviest. Overall, the heaviest women in the study gained about 1 pound less per year for every additional 30-minute walk taken each week. Regardless of your gender or size, walking is a super-accessible, easy-to-maintain activity that can help you not only keep extra pounds off but also lose weight, if done regularly.

Keep track of your exercise and food intake and you'll be ready to start shedding those pounds.

See you all in a couple weeks!

Week 12 Results

The end was not pretty but the results were much better than the previous round.

Overall, I think everyone did a great job and although I didn’t do as well this round, I know I worked out a lot more often because of this competition. Not only did it help me focus on working out, it also made me think twice about what I put in my mouth. I highly recommend using http://www.livestrong.com/ or some other calorie tracker – it really helps keep you focused.

John – 9
Melissa – 7
Tommy – 7
Ann – 5
Dan – 5
Nancy – 4
Jon – 3
Krissy – 3
Jenny – 3
Rolf – 3
Joe – 3
Laura – 3
Karen – 3
Jan – 2 (owes $1.00)
Mary – 1 (owes $2.00)
Dustie – 0 (owes $3.00)

Total $ owed from point totals:
Dustie - $14.10
Nancy - $9.10
Jan – $9.00
Rolf - $8.00
Jenny - $7.00
Tommy - $4.83
Karen - $4.83
Dan - $4.00
Ann - $3.60
Mary - $2.60
Jon - $2.44
Joe - $1.50
Krissy - $1.00
John - $0.00
Melissa - $0.00
Laura - $0.00

Don’t forget: Unless you see your name highlighted below, you still owe the $15.00 entry fee as well – winners will be paid once all money’s have been received (don’t delay!)

Please send checks to:
Jon Stodola
11770 Owatonna Ct. NE
Blaine, MN 55449




And the winners are…




Total Points:
John - 99 (a new all-time record)
Melissa – 77
Joe – 77
Tommy – 70
Karen – 67
Mary – 66
Laura – 65
Krissy – 64
Dan – 63
Ann – 61
Jon – 59
Jenny – 56
Jan – 49
Nancy – 48
Rolf – 47
Dustie - 45

Total % Weight Loss:
John – 9.24% (another new record)
Joe – 4%
Dan – 3.6%
Karen – 3.2%
Ann – 3.2%
Laura – 3%
Melissa – 2.2%
Mary – 2%
Nancy – 1.9%
Jon – 1.5%
Tommy – 1%
Jenny – 1%
Rolf – 1%
Krissy – 0%
Jan – 0%
Dustie – 0%

John won both parts - winning a total of $312.00. Great Job!

The next round will be begin Sunday, May 3rd. Please let me know if you are interested in participating again or if you know someone who is. The best way to reach me is j_kstodola@comcast.net or if you have any questions please feel free to call me at 612.669.2000.

Week 11 Results

Over a week late but the results are still the same – John Ellis had another outstanding week.

Dan – 9
John – 8
Tommy – 7
Melissa – 6
Jon – 5
Joe – 5
Mary – 4
Ann – 4
Krissy – 3
Rolf – 3
Nancy – 3
Laura – 3
Karen – 3
Jenny – 2 (owes $1.50)
Jan – 2 (owes $1.50)
Dustie – 0 (owes $3.00)

Week 10 Results

Sorry for the late post, we were waiting on a few people and then left on vacation. We are still waiting on a few more for week 11. We'll give them until tomorrow (Friday 4/3) to report.

Karen - 8
Tommy - 7
Laura - 7
Joe - 7
John - 6
Melissa - 6
Mary - 6
Krissy - 6
Ann - 5
Jenny - 5
Dan - 4
Jon - 3
Jan - 3
Nancy - 2 (owes $1.00)
Rolf - 1 (owes $2.00)
Dustie - 0 (owes $3.00)

Week 9 Results

We lost another three pounds as a group this week. For all of us Minnesotans, hopefully everyone can get outside since the weather is getting warmer and the daylight is sticking around later into the evening.

John - 10
Joe – 7
Tommy - 7
Rolf – 6
Mary – 6
Melissa – 5
Laura – 5
Karen – 5
Dan – 5
Dustie – 4
Jenny – 4
Nancy – 3
Ann - 2 (owes $1.00)
Jon – 2 (owes $1.00)
Krissy – 2 (owes $1.00)
Jan – 0 (owes $3)

Week 8 results

There are only four weeks left and John Ellis has really separated himself from the group. We're going to have to step it up a notch in order to catch him.

Remember, there are two payouts: highest % weight loss and most total points earned.

Joe – 10
John – 8
Tommy – 7
Karen – 6
Melissa – 6
Krissy – 5
Jon – 5
Rolf – 5
Laura – 5
Dan – 5
Jan – 4 (owes $.60)
Nancy – 4 (owes $.60)
Mary – 4 (owes $.60)
Dustie – 4 (owes $.60)
Ann – 4 (owes $.60)
Jenny – 3 (owes $3.00)

The group lost 3 pounds.

Week 7 Results

Much better this week! We had 10 pounds lost and only 1 pound gained, bringing our group total to 9 pounds lost for the week and 68 pounds LOST after seven weeks of competition. Just think how much more we can lose over the next five weeks . . .

John – 9
Karen – 8
Tommy – 8
Jenny – 7
Mary – 7
Melissa – 7
Joe – 7
Jon – 6
Krissy – 6
Jan – 5
Laura – 5
Ann – 4
Dan – 4
Nancy – 3 (owes $1.50)
Dustie – 3 (owes $1.50)
Rolf – 2 (owes $3)

Having trouble tracking calories?

Go to http://www.livestrong.com/ to track calories, exercise and set weight loss goals. It's easy and free!

Week 6 Results

We had 10 pounds gained this week and 14 pounds lost, bringing our group weight loss for the week to 4 pounds. Better than last week, but hopefully we can get more losers rather than gainers next week. We are at the halfway mark so time to step up our game and finish strong.

Tommy – 9
Rolf – 8
Karen – 8
Joe – 7
Laura – 7
Jenny - 7
Krissy – 6
Jan – 6
John – 6
Melissa – 6
Dan – 6
Nancy – 6
Mary – 5
Jon – 4 (owes $1)
Ann – 3 (owes $2)
Dustie – 2 (owes $3)

END DATE - UPDATE

The program has been officially extended by one week – now ending Sunday, April 5th.

The reason: On March 29th, 9 of the 16 current members will be out of town attending Joe and Laura’s daughters wedding in California. Some of you may remember Melissa from rounds two and three - her sister Erin was the one who lost the most weight, but had the fewest exercise points. Go figure!

Thanks everyone and keep up the great work.

P.S. Judging by last week's totals, it looks like everyone is committed to exercising; now we just have to focus on eating better too.

Week 5 Results

We actually ended with 0 pounds lost/gained as a group this week. We had several people who lost weight, but also a few that gained. Hopefully this week we can add a few more pounds to that group total.

Joe – 10
John – 9
Dustie – 7
Krissy – 7
Dan – 7
Nancy – 7
Melissa – 7
Ann – 7
Laura – 6
Jenny – 6
Mary – 6
Jon – 5 (owes $0.34)
Tommy – 5 (owes $0.33)
Karen – 5 (owes $0.33)
Jan – 3 (owes $2.00)
Rolf - (-2) (owes $3.00)

Week 4 Results

Another week done and another 8 pounds lost as a group, bringing our total weight loss so far to 55 pounds. That is great! A good website to reference is http://www.livestrong.com/. Check out the Daily Plate to help track how much you should be eating versus what you actually are eating.

Dustie – 9
John – 8
Mary – 8
Melissa – 7
Jan – 7
Jon – 6
Joe – 5
Laura – 5
Krissy – 5
Karen – 5
Ann – 5
Rolf – 4
Jenny – 4
Nancy – 3 (owes $1.50)
Tommy – 3 (owes $1.50)
Dan – (-2) (owes $3)

Week 3 Results

Week three is done and we lost another seven pounds as a group. I am guessing there were some snacks eaten on Superbowl Sunday – I know I ate my fair share. Hopefully we can make up for it throughout the rest of this week.

John – 10
Karen – 9
Mary – 8
Krissy – 7
Ann – 6
Dustie – 6
Melissa - 5
Rolf – 5
Joe – 5
Laura – 5
Jon – 5
Tommy - 5
Jenny – 4 (owes $1)
Jan – 4 (owes $1)
Dan – 4 (owes $1)
Nancy – 3 (owes $3)

Week 2 Results

Another 9 pounds lost as a group in week two. There were a lot of exercise points, which is great. Hopefully we are all building muscle and can burn even more calories over the next 9 weeks.

Dan – 8
Ann – 7
John – 7
Melissa – 7
Jenny – 7
Krissy – 7
Jon – 7
Mary – 6
Rolf – 6
Jan – 6
Laura – 6
Nancy - 6
Dustie – 5
Karen – 4 (owes $1.50)
Joe – 4 (owes $1.50)
Tommy – 0 (owes $3)

Week 1 Results

Well, we are off to a great start to looking fine in '09. So far as a group we have lost a whoppin’ 31 pounds. Pretty impressive. Let’s keep going strong in Week 2. For all of us Minnesotans, maybe we can actually venture outside this week!

John – 9
Ann – 9
Jon S. – 8
Melissa – 8
Dan – 8
Laura – 8
Joe – 7
Krissy – 7
Jan - 7
Rolf – 6
Tommy – 5
Dustie – 5
Mary - 5
Jenny – 4 (owes $1.50)
Nancy – 4 (owes $1.50)
Karen - 3 (owes $3.00)

Be sure to stay committed this week and continue to watch your food intake.

New Year / New Resolutions

The gym always picks up after the first of the year when people begin fulfilling their New Year’s resolutions. Then in March it starts tapering off. The reason is, people are not fully committed.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness..." (William Hutchinson Murray)

The level of commitment you have towards your goals will determine the level of your success or failure – start by get your mind in shape and commit yourself to a healthier life.

Here are the people who are committed in ’09:
Jon Stodola
Krissy Stodola
Rolf Bergerson
Jan Bergerson
Tom Stodola
Dan Boxrud
Nancy Boxrud
Joe Kriscunas
Laura Kriscunas
Karen Kriscunas
Mary Gruber
Jenny Oien
Melissa Ellis
John Ellis
Ann Goettsh
Dustie Hoff

Good luck to everyone and stay committed throughout 2009 and beyond.

2009 IS THE TIME!

Take control of your weight and commit to looking “fine” in 2009. The only thing standing between you and your ideal weight is commitment. A commitment to making the time to exercise (regardless of how busy you are) and to healthier eating. For me, it’s also a matter of reducing portion sizes.

The next round of Weight08 begins on Sunday, January 11th. This will give us all an extra week to eat up those holiday treats.

So far we have 12 people participating – if you know someone else who would be interested, please have them log-on to review the rules and contact me as soon as possible.

Jon Stodola
jstodola@motivaction.com or 612.669.2000