THANK YOU

NYNY'ers:
I just want to express one last sincere "thank you" for working your behinds off (literally!) for the last 13 weeks. I had SO much fun coordinating the challenge, getting to know a lot of you better and meeting some of you for the first time.
If you ever have questions, please don't hesitate to send me an e-mail. I would love to hear about your continued progress on becoming healthier as you implement what you've learned from the NYNY into your daily lives! Thank you again for a wonderful NYNY Challenge. Sincerely, Kristy Upah

PS-If you missed to the party yesterday, but would like a final packet which includes all of the data and top winners, let me know know; I will slip it in your mailbox!

Finale!

Congratulations on a VERY successful 13 weeks!!

To celebrate all of your hard work and dedication since January 21, the NYNY finale will be held this Thursday, April 24, from 12-1 p.m. in the Lynch Room of Lower Gage. Lunch will be provided, and there will be a presentation and A TON of prizes. Coaches and participants must be present to WIN!!! :)

See you all soon! -Kristy

***3 Days***

NYNY Crew:

Thank you for your support and congratulation notes for CFO's Educational Programming for a Campus Organization award. It wouldn't have been possible without all of your participation and hard work over the last 13 weeks. I can't believe how quickly the the semester has gone...we only have 3 days left of our competition!!!

So...that means you have 3 days to really work hard for one final weigh-in! Push yourselves tomorrow and this weekend. Eat a well balanced diet and try to workout for at least 30 minutes every day. Remember, it takes many small steps to lead to big results -- and so far, all of your steps (mentally and physically) have been making big changes in your attitudes and physiques. :)

You are almost there! Keep it up!!! -Kristy

*12 days to go*

NYNY'ers:

We have lost a total of 297.2 pounds in 11 weeks!!!! That is awesome and you all deserve way more than what I can give you for all of your hard work and dedication to your health. However, on Thursday, April 24, there is will be a HUGE party just for YOU! Also, there will be a health presentation on Wednesday, April 16 that I think will be very beneficial for ideas about maintaining your new physiques and living a healthy lifestyle forever! See details in previous post.

My challenge for all of you in the remaining 12 days is to really dig deep and push extra hard to eat balanced meals and exercise daily. If everyone loses 1 pound a week, that's 2 more pounds before the challenge is complete, our group will have lost a total of 381.2 pounds during our challenge. That is a total of 1,334,200 calories you have all expended through exercise or cut out of your daily caloric intake by making healthier food choices -- AMAZING.

Work hard in these last 2 weeks; your commitment to your health has been incredible and can only improve as you have all established new healthy habits during the past 11 weeks.

Have an awesome day! -Kristy Upah

Save the Date

Congrats to Week #10 winners! There are exactly 17 days until the final weigh-in. :)

Also, there are two events that are just for you NYNY'ers, so save the date for both of them!

Wednesday, April 16, 12-1 p.m.: 2 Iowa State University dietetic interns will be speaking to our group in the Lynch Room. If you have any specific topics you would like them to discuss, please e-mail me your suggestions.

Thursday, April 24, 12-1 p.m.: We will have a party to celebrate your success in the NYNY Challenge!! It will be in the Lynch Room. There will be smoothies and snacks, and of course, a lot of prizes!!!

Have a great weekend, Kristy

Update!

NYNY'ers:

We're getting so close to the finish line, so this is the time to really kick up the intensity and eat for energy and power!

I will post the top 14 lists this afternoon.

Here are some fun spring cleaning calorie facts; they more you move, the more calories you burn...even when you clean. Doing all of these chores adds up to more than 50,000 calories/year which is ~15 pounds of fat!

-- Dust and polish (burn 2,288 calories per year).
-- Change the bedding (burn 2,728 calories per year).
-- Clean the bathroom (burn 2,891 calories per year).
-- Sweep the floor (burn 2,896 calories per year).
-- Tidy up (burn 4,541 calories per year).
-- Scrub the floor (burn 5,117 calories per year).
-- Wash and dry the dishes (burn 6,781 calories per year).
-- Iron your clothes (burn 6,794 calories per year).
-- Vacuum the floor (burn 6,800 calories per year) -- 238 cals/hour.
-- Do the laundry (burn 9,464 calories per year).

**From Beachbody.com**

Week #10 Weigh-Ins

Hey Crew!

Don't forget to weigh-in today, March 31, and please remind your coaches to send your weights in.

Also, we are officially on Week #11. :) That means there are only 3 weeks left to push hard -- YOU can do it!!

Have a healthy week, Kristy

Top 8 Worst Easter Candies...

Happy Easter everyone. :)

Thanks to Team Coral's Coach Kaitlin Emig, here is an article for you to read. It includes the worst (health-wise) Easter candy; check it out at http://www.newsweek.com/id/124447?GT1=43002 . Regardless of this article, we all know everything we consume has calories...enjoy your holiday -- candy, too -- in moderation!

P.S. Post your minutes by 8 a.m. Monday morning, and don't forget to weigh-in with your team. I would like to get everyone's weights in on time this week. I'm working on a proposal (for our final prizes), and I need ALL of our NYNY data! Thank you, Kristy

Clarification

There have been some additional questions as to exactly why no prizes were awarded for last week's weight category, so I felt the need to clarify for the entire group.

The weights (from 6 coaches) weren't sent until late Tuesday. The top 3 teams that should have won, had one or more teammates who didn't weigh-in, making them ineligible. Two of the next highest place losers (by weight percent!) missed the deadline for sending in weight information.

The team that should have won, according to rules, actually was negative as their team collectively gained weight. Giving the prize to a team who gained weight (simply because they were the next in line), seemed to defeat the purpose.

I hope this helps. Thank you for your questions, Kristy

Update!

NYNY Participants:

We are on Week #9; that means there are just 4 weeks remaining of our competition!

Congratulations to the following individuals for meeting Week #8's special goal of working out for 45 or more minutes everyday! I will get prizes and deliver them to you or your coach before Easter.

Lisa Pritchard, Angie Dvorak, Heidi Patterson, Amber Mulnix, Karalee Williams, Michele Oswood, Erik Albinson & Julie Staker

From Week #8, only 3.9 lbs were lost as a total NYNY group. As any weight-loss program progresses, it is the most challenging to lose weight around the 75% complete mark. This is similar to the 3rd lap being considered "the hardest" when running the mile-run fitness test. We are right at this same point in our competition. In order to prevent plateauing, this is the most crucial time to eat healthy and ramp up workout intensity. The body becomes familiar with new healthy ways (WAHOO!!), and therefore, needs to be challenged all the more. Try different types of exercises, and workout for longer durations to burn more fat and keep losing weight!!

Have a great Week #9...keep pushing -- you have come along way since January 21st!
-Kristy

Week #9

Great job in Week #8!

I'm still waiting for weights from a few coaches. Please check back this afternoon for the rest of last week's winners.

Have a very Hoppy Easter!! -Kristy

Minute Leaders

Don't forget Week #8 weigh-ins on Monday, March 17! Please let me know if your coach will be gone, and if I need to meet with you instead. Also, check out the minute leader list below. Keep working hard...we only have four full weeks of working out left!! **Last weigh-in is April 21st**

1. Team Copper: 10975
2. Team Red: 9380
3. Team Indigo: 9146
4. Team Sage: 8640
5. Team Green: 6345
6. Team Crimson: 4265
7. Team Gold: 4040
8. Team Turquoise: 3935
9. Team Yellow: 3765
10. Team Coral: 3676
11. Team Black: 3450
12. Team Silver: 3205
13. Team Orange: 3110
14. Team Peach: 2625

Leaders!

Hey group!

Check out the new poll this week.

Also, the list below shows where you stand, overall, by body weight percent lost! Because only half of our group weighed in last week, these numbers are based on your progress as of week #6. Standings for minute leaders are coming soon!

1. Team Sage: 23.2%
2. Team Green: 19.5%
3. Team Indigo: 17.6%
4. Team Red: 17.5%
5. Team Copper: 11.4%
6. Team Orange: 8.45%
7. Team Black: 8.03%
8. Team Coral: 7.46%
9. Team Gold: 7.11%
10. Team Yellow: 5.58%
11. Team Peach: 4.63%
12. Team Crimson: 4.31%
13. Team Silver: 3.2%
14. Team Turquoise: 2.81%

1/2 Way!

NYNY Participants: Give yourself and teammates a pat on the back...you are halfway to the challenge finish line!

The week 7 Subway challenge was not met, but we will try something similar again after spring break. The good news is that from week 6 to week 7, we lost 17.2 lbs. However, for minutes exercised, only 22 out of 42 people recorded their minutes. If you forgot to post, please send me an e-mail, so I can update the spreadsheet with new numbers. There are 20 of you, so hopefully my inbox is flooded with mail tomorrow ... because if it's not, that means our total workout minutes decreased by over 5,000 minutes since week 6.

Let's try to improve on our minutes this week! With a few exceptions, our minutes seem to be slipping across the board. This week you will be awarded an extra prize if you exercise for at least 45 minutes a day. The Wiki sheet is clear, so start posting those minutes!!

Keep pushing -- you're all doing great!
-Kristy

Week 7 Subway Challenge

Update:

There are only about half of us who will be here on Monday to weigh-in, but no worries -- the week 7 challenge is still on! If you are on campus, weigh in and lose weight, you will be rewarded with a Subway gift card, on top of the weekly prize of Coe Bookstore money for the winning teams!!

Keep working hard! See you Monday. :)
-Kristy

Congrats Crew

Way to go during week 6!

We are down another 37.9 lbs as a whole group. That is awesome! However, I think we can do better!! There are 42 participants total, meaning we're still averaging a weight loss less than 1 lb per person/week. This is partially due to minimal amounts of weight gain, rather than loss, every week.

My challenge for ALL of you this week is this: Lose something (or maintain)!
If NOBODY from our entire group gains weight, you will ALL get $5 gift certificates to Subway! This is a little incentive for everyone to help each other this week!

Good luck and don't forget to send me the time you would like to weigh-in at for Monday, March 10th. The slots are 8-9 and 11:30-1. Send me an e-mail at your convenience!

Thanks, Kristy

Log your minutes!

Make sure you log your week #6 minutes. The sheet was cleared late, so you have until Monday at 1:00 p.m. to post! Thank you!!! -Kristy

Week #6

...post coming soon!

Apparently that actually means, "post coming in 6 days!" Sorry about the delay... Week # 7's post will be on Tuesday morning.

Here's an update on our schedule:

1) March 3rd weigh-ins will be normal...meet with your coach and coaches send the weights by 6 p.m. Monday evening.

2) March 10th weigh-ins will be done be me (assuming that all of the other coaches will be enjoying their spring break...hopefully somewhere with less snow and more sun!).

3) March 10th weigh-ins will be from 7:30-8:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Please designate just one person from your group to e-mail me your preferred weigh-in time -- with your team color in the subject line. I will make a schedule and reply to your e-mail to confirm your time for March 10th.

4) We are approaching the 1/2 way point of our challenge!!! Look forward to week #7 (Tuesday's) post...there will be a special challenge to push all of us over the 1/2 way hump and to keep us motivated, even with our wonderful trainers on spring break!

See you soon -- (in the weight room!;), Kristy

Week #5 ... 61 days to go!

Nice job on exercising for more minutes this week! There are four teams who exceeded the 1200 minute challenge. Each member of those teams will all get a special prize Thursday -- check in with your coaches. Winners are as follows:

Team Sage = 2005 minutes
Team Cooper = 1650 minutes
Team Red = 1440 minutes
Team Indigo = 1396 minutes

As a whole, we actually gained 6.5 pounds between weeks 3 and 4. For next week, try to consume a lot of water and keep incorporating intense workouts. Muscle weighs more than fat, but for every one additional pound of muscle you gain, your basic metabolic rate increases by 50 calories!!

You are all making phenomenal progress in a variety of ways through your new healthy life -- Keep up the great work!

-Kristy

Way to go!

Good job NYNY participants...you lost a combined total of 60.5 pounds in week 3!!!!!!

More numbers:
In week 1, we exercised for 11,405 minutes.
In week 2, we exercised for 12,513 minutes.
In week 3 we exercised for 12,199 minutes.
That's over 601.95 hours of sweat we've produced in 3 weeks!!

We've average nearly 860 minutes of exercise per team each week. Let's keep pushing harder. For every team who doesn't win this week's minute challenge, but exercises 1200 minutes or more, you will get an "extra" prize! If each person in your team exercises 6 days/week, everyone needs to increase their workouts by 20 minutes/day in order to reach 1200 minutes this week -- that is based on the average 860 minutes/week total. Good luck!!

**A side note: It takes 3,500 calories to gain one pound. In order to burn 2 lbs/week, you need to be eliminating 7,000 calories from your normal eating routines or during your work out. The easiest way to figure this out is 7,000 cals/7 days (1 week) = 1,000 calories/day. If you subtract 500 cals from your normal food intake (the recommended 2,000 daily calories down to 1,500 daily calories or less) AND workout for an average of 45-60 minutes/day = 400-600 calories burned, then your 500 calories not consumed thru food and 500 burned in exercise = 1,000 calories eliminated per day!!!! 1,000 per day x 7 days = 7,000 calories or 2 lbs/week. 2 pounds of weight loss per week is the recommended weight-loss goal.

Have a great week 4!
-Kristy

Update by the numbers...

Hey group,

Congrats to Team Red and Copper for winning week #2!

I'm in the process of updating the Wiki sheet. During my calculations, I decided to review our success as a group.

After one week, our entire NYNY group lost 126.6 lbs!!!! That is awesome. :) Now, for the not-so-great news, our group (the same 42 individuals who lost a whole person in one week!) only lost 7.9 lbs after week #2's weigh-ins.

Weight loss happens quickest in the first 2-3 weeks of making healthy lifestyle changes, but in order for everyone to meet their individual goals, effort must be continuous. Your dedication has been phenominal so far. It's not easy to lose weight -- if it was, there would be no need for the NYNY. However, this isn't the case - losing weight is tough, but it is doable with committment and persistance.

The biggest loser between week's 1 and 2 lost 3% of their body weight. Anyone who can lose 3% or more between week's 2 and 3 will get an "extra" prize next Tuesday. Let's rock this week. Keep racking up the exercise minutes, remember to eat healthy and stay warm!

Good luck in this week's additional challenge. :)
-Kristy

Reminder

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Reminders:
*All minutes must be posted by 8 AM Monday morning.*
*Weigh-in MONDAY! ...remind your coach to e-mail your weights to me by 6 PM!*

Blog Update:
I added 3 calculator links under "Tools & Tips" on the left side. Use these to figure out your BMI, BMR and body fat. This will help you know your position on the weight-chart and where you should actually be. The BMR calculator will let you know exactly how many calories you should consume in one day for the amount of activity you do!

Check back in Tuesday morning for Week #2 winners. :)

Coaches-THANK YOU for ALL of your help! This wouldn't be possible without you. Check your mailboxes Tuesday morning for a "thank you reward!"

Have a great week, Kristy

Keep it Up!

The weigh-in results from all of your hard work last week speak for themselves! See how your team did in comparison to the top place finishers; the results are located in the minute tracker wiki sheet.

Also, you may leave your comments regarding the NYNY on this page. Click on the small "1,2,3, etc. comments" label at the bottom of any post & type away!

Make your last few days of January as healthy as you can -- there are less than 70 left in the challenge. The time to make a change is NOW!

Welcome to the NYNY Blog!

Great job on making it through week #1 to EVERYONE!!

In conjunction with our program, this blog is my newest learning endeavour! There are many features on this site to help all of us stay organized and challenged during the NYNY challenge. Check it out!

• Weekly tips and prizes will always appear at the top left-hand side of the page.
• Check for a list of winners from the previous week every Tuesday morning.
• Record all of your minutes online! Please read the instructions carefully and follow the format as shown in the example.
• Use the extra links and websites listed on the left side as resources to help you eat healthier and complete smarter workouts.
• Do the weekly survey to see how your opinion compares to all of the other NYNY participants!
• Print off your own calorie chart, fitness journal, food logs, and more by simply clicking on the desired link.
• Lastly, use this blog section to communicate with fellow teammates and/or provide fellow teams with helpful hints, workout tips, fun recipes, and whatever else you can think of!

Use this as much as you want and let me know of any suggestions you might have to improve the blog! I wish all of you the best of luck during the remaining 12 weeks; keep up the GREAT work!!

Sincerely, Kristy Upah (CFO President and NYNY Coordinator)