Drum roll please....

...and the Wealthiest Winner is....

ERIN CARTER!

Winner of $1500!

Erin lost a total of FORTY SEVEN POUNDS and reduced her body fat by 9.4 percent, and lost 8 1/2 inches off her waist. Most importantly though she has found her "healthy happiness". We are SOOO proud of Erin and what she has accomplished, and can't wait to see her take her health to the next level. She is already signed up for the next challenge and is excited to be a challenge coach for the new contestants. Way to go, Erin!

drum roll please....

.... the Eliminated Player prize goes to....

Ivy Johnson

Winner of $500

Ivy lost 17.43% (weight, body fat and abdomen inches) total percent. and 31 1/2 inches overall! Even with taking a spill during "Survivor - Lincoln" she worked her butt off and it paid off - literally. Way to go Ivy, and best of luck in the future!

I can't not mention the two runner up contestants of the Final Three. I got to know both of these individuals very well over the course of the challenge and am just so stinkin' proud of them.

 2nd Runner Up:

                                                                               Before                                             

                                                                               After

Second runner up Vince Foster lost SEVENTY POUNDS! Vince was a biking maniac (he biked everywhere... the money he saved in gas for the car could pay off my college tuition) and one of the most humble people I know. He and his wife showed up to races that other WFMH contestants were a part of to cheer them on, and he participated in races himself. He is unstoppable! His next goal: to drop 45 more pounds and run a half marathon. Vince - you can do anything you put your mind to, we are so proud of you!

3rd Runner Up:

                                                                            Before

                                                                             After             

THIRTY FIVE POUNDS DOWN!

Third runner up was Deb Peterson. I got to know Deb pretty well when we participated in the Cornhusker State Games Adventure Race together in June. The Adventure Race consisted of running, biking, a sand challenge and a little time in the lake. It was so much fun, and I can't wait to team up for another "adventure" again soon! Deb also participated in the Havelock Run (and finished with a GREAT time) and then just recently participated in the Buffalo Run. Deb has offerred her help on more than one occasion with the WFMH challenge, and she is now helping keep the website updated (which is a NEVER ending job). I can not thank Deb enough for everything she has done, and am so thankful for her friendship. Deb is already signed up for the next session, and I can't wait to see what happens!

Monday Meeting: Mike Bevard, Capital City Boot Camps

Last Monday, contestants of the Wealth for my Health challenge met at Capital City Boot Camps for the  weekly meeting. Mike Bevard is a person trainer in Lincoln, and has owned Capital City Boot Camps for a couple years now. He is a wealth of knowledge and is always willingly sharing it. Listen to what he had to say to all the contesants last Monday:



Wealth For My Health Trainer Mike Bevard Talks About Maintaining Results- Lincoln, NE from Mike Bevard on Vimeo.




Mike will be part of the upcoming Wealth for my Health challenge, scheduled to kick off on August 29th, 2010.

Check out first place contestant, Vince!

Kitchen Overhaul - a video

As I was putting the plans together for the first Wealth for my Health challenge, I knew it would be important to encourage all the contestants to rid their kitchen of all those unhealthy foods. Unhealthy eating is similar to "Crimes of Opportunity". If the unhealthy food is there... it's going to get eaten. We had to get rid of temptation... after all; taste buds take a while to retrain! So, I asked all the contestants to go through their cupboards, pantries, and refrigerators (and that secret stash in the closet) and purge all items that were deemed “unhealthy”. (Contestants were given a list of guidelines)

For one lucky contestant, this was going to be done for them – by Registered Dietitian Karen Kuzma, from Hy-Vee. Christina was the lucky contestant, so one afternoon we raided her kitchen and filled up quite a few garbage sacks of food to take to the Food Bank. Karen was very detailed about which foods could stay, and which ones should go. We all learned a LOT that day. See for yourself!

http://www.vimeo.com/13333611


If you want your kitchen overhauled by the incredible Karen Kuzma, email sara@eventsrefined.com and put Kitchen OverHaul in the subject line.

I want to give a special thanks to Cali from A Sound Impression for filming the overhaul and putting this video together!

Sara

Vacation Planning 101

Summer time is synonymous with vacation time. Vacation time is oftentimes synonymous with sugary alcohol laden drinks, family celebrations with Aunt Matilda’s famous macaroni salad and s’mores by the campfire. All this can lead to calorie overload and easily losing focus of the health goals one has set for their self.


Here are some tips you can keep in mind while planning for some summertime fun.

1. Scout out physical activities to keep you exploring at your vacation destination. Websites like TripAdvisor.com allow people to post questions and get feedback regarding specific destinations. So, if you are planning a trip to Arizona and want to explore the Grand Canyon log onto Trip Advisor.com and read up on the various activities to do in the area. It may be too hot during this time of year to hike all day in the Grand Canyon, but you will certainly find lots of other activities to partake in. With a little planning ahead, you will avoid finding yourself bored in the hotel room ready to call room service or even worse – open that mini bar.

2. Pack along breakfast, and if possible, lunch too. You will more than likely find yourself eating dinner out (and you should - exploring the different cuisine that is served wherever you may find yourself is half the fun of vacation!). If you are able to start the day off on a healthy foot, the rest of the day will more than likely follow suit. Plus, breakfast foods are easy to pack and transport. If you usually eat peanut butter toast with honey for breakfast, you may have to do without the “toasting” part, but otherwise you can still enjoy your regular, nutrient dense breakfast.

3. Since you will be eating out for most of your dinners plan on splitting dinners with your travel companion(s). Most restaurants do not charge any extra to split a dinner, and you will also be saving a substantial amount of money over the course of the vacation. If you can’t agree on what dish to split with someone, take half of it back to the hotel with you. (Keep this in mind when booking your hotel room – make sure it has a mini fridge!) If you don’t have any way to keep the leftover food cold… then leave half your dinner at the restaurant. There is no shame in not cleaning your plate, especially when that plate houses 3,000 calories.

4. If you are going to be consuming alcohol, limit yourself to just a few over the course of the vacation – and avoid blended drinks at all costs! Vodka and soda with a wedge of lime is a refreshing summer drink and has less than 100 calories. If you need a little more flavor – ask the bartender to throw in a splash (and I mean jus t a splash) of cranberry juice, or add a squeeze of lemon. ALWAYS have a glass of water nearby and be sure to hydrate properly.

5. Get back to your regular routine as soon as you return from vacation. If you found yourself overindulging one too many times during your vacation – don’t let that behavior follow you home. Get back to making healthy living your main focus, and get back into your regular (healthy) routine as soon as you step in your door.

6. Start planning for your next vacation right now. Do your research and find somewhere to visit and explore that promotes living a healthy lifestyle. If you like to walk/run and think races are really fun, plan your next vacation around a really cool out-of-state race, like the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half/Marathon in San Diego.

Happy Vacation Planning!

Emma and I hiking in the Rocky Mountains. She was 9 months old at the time and quite the trooper.

Survivor - Lincoln Edition Summer 2010

Last night marked the FIRST semi-annual Survivor - Lincoln Edition! 27 contestants were in attendance spread out over their four teams.

First Challenge: Tribal Branding 

Team members were instructed to "brand" their tribes. They had to design a tribe flag, create a chant, and decorate themselves with colored paints and bandanas. The most creative/original team would win that challenge. Team Star City Adventure Boot Camps won! Check out the flags below:

Team Star City Adventure Boot Camp!

Team Body OverHALL

Team Body Innovations

Team Capital City Boot Camps

Second Challenge: Sand Bag Relay Race Sponsored by Lincoln Running Company (Thanks Ann!)

There were FIVE legs of this relay race. Tribal members were instructed to carry and a 25 pound sand bag weight and their flag and run it to the next leg of the race - and pass it off to the next tribal member. It was a CLOSE race... with Jeff and Ivy neck to neck! Ivy took a spill (ouch!) and Jeff took first, giving Team Capital City Boot Camps the win for this challenge.

Here they are at the start of the race:

(Sandi, Vincent, Barbara, and Tara)

Since Team Capital City Boot Camp won this challenge, they all received a nice glass from Lincoln Running Company, and Jeff won a $50 gift certificate!

Third Challenge: Artic Plunge (Sponsored by High Profile Nail and Hair Salon)

Tribal members were presented with large tubs of ice water with clear marbles at the bottom. Each tribal member had thirty seconds to get AS MANY marbles out of the tub WITH THEIR TOES and drop them in a bucket. The use of hands was prohibited. The tribe that got the most marbles out of the bucket won. Tribe Body OverHALL won with 78 marbles!

Here are all the teams lined up and ready to go!

Sara B. won a gift certificate for a wonderfully relaxing pedicure with the talented Chellie. Thanks Chellie!

Fourth Challenge: Memory Mania

Tribal members were presented with 68 blocks. There were 17 color coded blocks that corresponded with the tribal's unique colors. Those 17 blocks each had a letter, that together spelled, "Wealth for my Health". The first tribal member had to find the "W" that was their color. Once they found it, the next tribal member searched for "E" in their tribal's color. This continued until the tribe found all the color coded blocks, spelling out Wealth for my Health. It was a close call, but Team Capital City Boot Camps won this challenge!

 

Searching for the right letter...

Final Challenge: "Give a Tribe a Bone"

Tribal members were presented with 6 dog bones. Tribal members had to take a dog bone from Point A to Point B - but could not use their hands. They had to pick up, carry, and drop the dog bone with their mouth. The tribe to move all 6 bones to Point B won the challenge. Team Capital City Boot Camps was the quickest - giving them the win for this challenge, and the overall challenge!

Survivor-Lincoln Edition Summer 2010

The "prize" for the winning tribe was immunity for one tribal member. Each Capital City Boot Camp tribal member was instructed to vote for a tribal member to receive immunity at the next elimination (July 12th) therefore securing that member a spot in the Final 3. The overwhelming majority chose:

Congratulations to Erin for your spot in the Final 3, and your chance to win $1500!

Salmon with Maple Glazed Pecans - a video!

http://www.1011now.com/video

Check it out! It's our own Karen Kuzma, RD from Hy-Vee talking about grilling salmon on a cedar plank!

You can find the vide clip under Noon Interviews, on the right hand side of the webpage.

Nice job Karen! I can't wait to use cedar planks next time I want to grill out.

Here is a link to the recipe;

http://www.momseveryday.com/recipes/recipes/95961774.html