Diet to Go Weight-Loss Challengers Lost 128 Pounds in Four Weeks!

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What’s more exciting than a bit of friendly competition? How about a friendly competition where you win when you lose?

This was the modest comment from our reigning champion as we geared up to start the second Diet-to-Go Weight-Loss Challenge on September 15th. “Watch out, Weight-Loss Challengers! Crazyjojo was our "biggest loser" in the last challenge. She lost 10 pounds, or 7.6% of her body weight, in just 4 weeks and she's back to defend her title!” warned Diet-to-Go nutritionist, Kristen Ciuba.

But our challengers were undaunted and optimistic about their chances of winning the grand prize of two weeks of free meals. “Can't wait for this round! This was so helpful last month, and now I'm committed to making September even better,” proclaimed, Ngiste, a returning challenger.

At the start, 17 customer participants and nine Diet-to-Go staff participants were prompted to set goals and make a pledge to themselves in the Weight-Loss Warriors online Community. The overarching theme for the Challenge was “accountability.”

The moderators recognized that dieting is never easy and offered these suggestions for selecting and utilizing the help of accountability partners:

• Think about who is around you. Is there someone at your workplace on a similar journey? A spouse or a sibling who can you share your goal and whom you can text when you are in trouble?
• Some people check in every day with accountability partners and some just call their partners when they are facing temptation. Prepare your partner for what you may need.
• What happens when your partner is usually your saboteur? Let them know that you are really going to do this so you need their support.
• Get your partner involved. Ask your partner to go for walks with you or remind you to drink more water.
• If your partner is your spouse, maybe you can make it a competition: "You have to massage my feet for 10 minutes for every pound I lose."

Our challengers shared some of their successes and struggles after the first week.



Week two of the Challenge was about tracking for success and using affirmations to keep our heads in the game:

• “Eat to live don’t live to eat” – Benjamin Franklin shared by Wqwkrw
• “Strength is often measured by how we react to failure” – Shared by Megan6
• “With God first in my life, all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26 shared by Davidgranthill
• “Watch your thoughts; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny!” – Lao Tse shared by Crazyjojo

After week two, all of our remaining challengers had lost a bit of weight (quite a bit for some) and were feeling very motivated, so we encouraged them to take their exercise regimen up a notch. Here are three unconventional ways our challengers decided to “Move It!” in week three:






By week four, all of our challengers were excited to be coming into the final stretch of the competition. Weezie090859 was our clear front runner but several participants were neck and neck for our second and third place prizes.

We asked for one word to describe their attitudes during the challenge.


 

More Powerful Words

Strategies from Three of Our Top Losers

1. “For every five pounds lost, I buy a bead and put it on a necklace. When I hit milestones, I gave myself a charm. I also put charms on the necklace when I hit non-scale milestones. This necklace is my anchor. Whenever I feel like going off track I grab onto the necklace. It reminds me of all my accomplishments.” – Weezie090859

2. “I put a picture of the scale with my last week weight as the screen saver on my phone for a constant reminder of my GOAL!” – Wqwkrw

3. “I run up and down flights of steps with 2 floor weekly increments (each floor has 16 steps). There are 12 floors and it is my goal to run up all 12 floors by week 4.” – Rosie_Diettogo

When Life Gets in the Way

“I debated about whether or not I should join this second challenge since I have so much going on over the next few weeks. I ultimately decided to participate because being busy is what real life is all about. If I only try to make healthy choices when I am not busy and when I don’t have plans, then I will spend most of my life “taking a break” from healthy living. Instead, I will attempt to eat well most of the time. It is still possible to lose weight while eating out and taking vacations, even though it will likely not be as much as if I were able to devote myself to staying on plan for the entire four weeks.” – Snixpup

We lost Snixpup and BrianCassidy to Disneyland in week three, unfortunately, but we are sure they continue to do their best not to let life get in the way of their health goals.
 

Missions Accomplished

“I was in a nursing home for almost 2 years, had no feeling from my waist down, lost my quadriceps in my left leg due to an infection, and was told I would never walk again. My weight skyrocketed to 599 pounds. I remember looking out the window and thinking how life was passing me by. I thought I would be dead by 50. Something had to be done. The only exercise I could do was sway back and forth in bed. Eventually I got strong enough to transfer into a wheelchair and do seated exercises. I am now doing modified kickboxing class, Zumba, interval classes, TRX classes, boot camp, 15 miles on stationary bike, and I have completed eleven 5ks. My optimal goal [during the challenge] is to eventually walk 2 miles 5x a week– AND walk a 5k. In fact, I am doing the Color Run/Walk this weekend.” – Weezie090859



Weezie090859 was able to accomplish part of her optimal goal of walking the Color Run/Walk 5k and an 8k during the challenge!

“I did AT LEAST 30 minutes of some type of exercise and squats every single day. I didn't eat much candy. I'm starting not to crave it so much, which is incredible -- I have the biggest sweet tooth on the planet. I have completely given up soda!” – Amy_Diettogo
 

On October 14th we congratulated the top winners of our Customer Challenge

#1 Weezie090859 was our “biggest loser,” having lost an astounding 33.7pounds and 10.77% of her total body weight in just 4 weeks! Weezie won two free weeks of Diet-to-Go meals!

#2 Our second place winner was Wqwkrw who lost an amazing 11 pounds, 8.02% of her total weight in just 4 weeks! Wqwkrw won one free week of Diet-to-Go meals!

#3 Our third place winner was Sid007 who lost an impressive 9.5 pounds and 5.14% of his total weight in just four weeks. Sid007 won $50 credit toward a Diet-to-Go meal plan.









Congratulations to all who participated in the second Diet-to-Go Weight Loss Challenge!

*Online user names are used and results are represented in percentage of weight lost to protect the privacy of Challenge participants.



Author: Brandi Redo
Brandi is a Certified Health Coach at Diet-to-Go, based in Lorton, VA. Balance is the number one mission in Brandi’s life. In her spare time she loves to bike, do Zumba and play tennis, but hates gym exercise. She is an amateur gardener and nature walker, who is on the constant look out for interesting insects and small animals. Brandi encourages people to “find the sweetness in life.”


 

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