The ten members of the Ms.Fits, competing in Live Healthy Iowa, clocked in 62 hours of activity this week, their best results so far. Four of the members lost a pound each during the week (one gained two, a reminder of how tough losing weight can be for some people). If it’s any consolation, physical activity offers plenty of benefits even if you don’t drop any weight. Teams representing the University of Iowa, including the Ms.Fits, now lead the State University Challenge. In all, the U of I team members have …

The Ms.Fits achieved their personal best, losing 8 pounds this week (for a total of 38) and tallying up a very impressive weekly total of 53 hours of physical activity. ”I think there are two things that are making this work for me,” Sue wrote in a comment this week. “The first is that my activity has been incorporated into my day—I don’t have to set aside special time in the evening to devote to exercise—which seems to go by the wayside fairly quickly for me. And the second is the …

My name is Jan, and I’m a 39 year old working mom with three kids (son age 8, son and twin daughters age 6). Before I had kids I exercised regularly, as much as 5-6 times per week for 1.5 hours at a time. I was very fit. After having 3 kids within 3 years, in addition to working full-time, I no longer had that much time for exercise. Eventually, I was lucky to exercise once per week. And, although my weight gain wasn’t noticeable to most people I had gained several pounds which left me feeling like an out-of-shape blob. After Christmas 2008 I decided it was time to get back on the exercise track and lose a few pounds.

 
The Ms.Fits tallied up an impressive  total of 48 hours and 15 minutes of activity this week. The team members who hope to lose weight shed an additional five pounds. In all, the Ms.Fits have lost 30 pounds since the Live Health Iowa competition began. That’s the sort of healthy and steady pace that experts say can lead to sustainable weight loss. All ten members of the Ms.Fits–PDQhealth’s home team–say morale is high. Roughly one-third of the way through the 100-day challenge, they’ve hit their stride. Good going!

I’m Leslie.  On New Year’s Day, 2008 my husband and I made the first New Year’s resolution that we’ve ever actually kept.  We joined a fitness center, and went faithfully for the entire year, and are still going strong!
I never used to think that a fitness center was for me.  I mean, why go to a gym when you can walk, run, bike outdoors?  What never occurred to me was that the social aspect would be such a motivator!  We see the same dedicated group of people almost every day …

The Ms.Fits racked up 48 hours, 45 minutes of exercise this past week.That’s almost five hours for each of the 10 members. “Exercising as a group makes that a little easier and a lot more fun,” Carol wrote in a comment this week. She plans to continue doing 30 minutes of brisk walking and stair climbing a day, and to lose another ten pounds (she managed to lose 30 over the past six months.) Not all the Ms.Fits want to shed pounds, but those who do are making progress. The team lost an additional five …

I started yoga a year ago, when we brought a yoga instructor here to the workplace for a lunch-hour class. I have done aerobics and strength training in the past, but yoga was new to me. I really enjoy it, even though I’m still very much a beginner. The class is very low-key and I’m not pressured to do anything more than what I’m comfortable with.

Within just a few class periods I could tell my balance was better and my flexibility had increased. And they’ve continued to improve. Another benefit to yoga – and any other type of exercise – is stress reduction. I find I am able to control my hunger better when I control my stress level, and that happens far more often on the yoga days. I plan to continue both yoga class and the walking I am doing with my co-workers.

I’m also managing to control my weight.

This week the Ms.Fits ramped up their efforts, with an average of 56 minutes of activity per person every day. That’s an extra 17 minutes more than last week. Good work! One common pitfall of any healthy lifestyle program is unrealistic expectations. Fortunately, the Ms.Fits seem to have the right attitude. As Sue, one of the team members, wrote in a comment this week: “even though I’m participating in this 100 Day Challenge, and my goal is to lose weight (along with being healthier), I’m really trying to keep things in …

My name is Peg. I’m a 57 year old, single/divorced parent of three adult children and one precious granddaughter. They’ve all heard me say many times, whenever we’re talking about our detours in life, “Start right where you are!” In other words, there are no failures in life. You can start right where you are with anything that you desire for your life.

The Ms.Fits are off and running…and walking, and stair climbing, and cycling. The jazzed-up members of our hometown team, competing in the 100-day Live Healthy America challenge, tallied up an individual average of 39 minutes of activity every day. The team gets together twice daily during breaks to climb stairs at the University of Iowa, in addition to exercise they do on their own. As Kim, the team leader, wrote: “It’s not something that you can easily get out of either. None of us would just get up and do it on …