Winter can be a tough time to exercise. Our energy and motivation can sometimes seem to dwindle with the daylight. Shorter days, bad weather and holiday-oriented sweets can lead to added pounds this time of year.
Shake off your winter funk by celebrating our "Inspire Others and Win" contest winners. We knew our Facebook friends would have some tips and insight into why we should all push through our cold weather woes and keep our goals going strong. We asked and you answered loud and clear with your best ideas. Our panel of judges chose the top responses. We are proud to share the winning posts with you today on the blog.
Drumroll please…
First prize goes to Patrick Scully, who won a $150 gift card to Push Pedal Pull. Here’s Patrick’s amazing story:
Patrick: Years ago, I lost 40 lbs in 12 weeks. I did it with consistent exercise, a fairly strict diet (30 grams of sugar and 30 grams of fat each day for the first 60 days), and the support of an AWESOME wife. Friends... everyone needs a "Champion" in their corner if they are trying to take down a "Giant"... a Champion and "Cheat Day". That's right... every Friday I ate whatever I wanted! Pancakes, pizza, cookies, ice cream... whatever I could stomach, I ate. And I still lost the 40 lbs!
I have never gained the weight back! So I decided to keep that "Cheat Day." And the AWESOME wife is still around too.
Second prize and a gift card of $100 went to Deborah Kennedy for her story of rediscovering fitness. Way to go Deborah!
Deborah: The year I turned 50, I was at my highest weight and feeling like all was a lost cause. Then, walking to church for school Mass, I slipped on black ice and broke my back. I ended up in a huge brace and was told to be out of teaching for at least a couple of months. I was determined to heal and then reclaim my healthier body weight. While in the brace, all I could do was "walk" so walk I did. I walked three times a day increasing the length and pace frequently. 4 months later, instead of the forecasted 8, I was given a clean bill of health to go back to the YMCA and back to Curves and to do whatever I wanted to. My motivation during those 4 months was, "reclaim my healthy body and put myself at the head of my to do list instead of at the bottom!" I lost 35 pounds in about 6 months and shrank from tight 18's to loose 12's!
And last but not least, Cindy Miner took third place, winning a $50 gift card with a quick tip that we all need to keep in mind:
Cindy: My best fitness tip is to pick a time ....say 7pm and every day at that time exercise with a DVD or exercise machine for 10 minutes at least — no excuses!
No excuses indeed! Keep those New Year’s Resolutions going and remember that your health is a commitment that is worth making.
What are your best tips for beating the February frumps? What are you doing to stay motivated this time of year?