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Wk 1, Saturday, Jan. 11,- Friday, Jan.17! Journal, Meet The Cheerleaders, Measurements, and HH Focus

Ceriusly1
Ceriusly1 Posts: 6,596 Member
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This first week is a lengthy read. Please read it in its entirety.
Week 1! Saturday, January 11, through Friday, January 17!
The challenge begins on Saturday morning, January 11th. Exercise, Measurements, Meeting Your Cheerleaders, Journaling, and Healthy Habit Focus, done before Saturday, DO NOT COUNT!!!

😀This posting is for information only. PLEASE POST YOUR RESULTS ON YOUR CHALLENGE TEAM PAGE. Each team has a similar ‘set-up,’ yet each has its own ‘look & feel.’ Your team’s leaders will answer all questions. Another good source of information will be from your fellow teammates on your team’s discussion board.
2025 Winter: Race To A “Bright, Shiny New YOU!
🏁 Race 🏁
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Once again, it's a foot race! Dust off your boots, skis, snowshoes, other shoes you use to move, and any other fun winter activities you enjoy, and get ready to help your team reach the Winter Finish Line! The winter ribbon is made of snow, so be sure to dress warm! Each team has a goal of 6,000 minutes and a " Ribbon to Break."
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Exercise to break the ribbon before the end of the week as your team crosses the finish line. One minute of exercise = one minute closer to the goal. 120 minutes maximum per challenger per day will be counted toward your team's goal)
Visions of Losing Inches: Take Your Measurements
The feedback received for this Healthy Habit at the end of the Fall Challenge was so positive that we decided to offer it again!

The following paragraph is the only information I found about taking measurements on MFP. "Taking your measurements can be an even better gauge of your progress than the scale because when you burn fat and build heavier muscle, your weight may not change or even increase even though your body is tighter and smaller. We suggest taking your measurements every 2-4 weeks."

I found this article very informative and helpful in taking my measurements. The chart below is found on your MFP check-in page.
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The required measurements for this challenge are bust/chest, waist, and hips. Enter the data on your page. You can add other measurements to the chart if you want to. Take measurements once during week 1 to earn your team 15 bonus points. We suggest taking your measurements on day 1, but we realize it can be daunting, so please don’t feel you have to do it all at once.

Our amazing spreadsheet creator, @ladyluk1 (Barb), added a tab to the team worksheets. If you are brave and want to track your measurements publicly, please share them on your weigh-in post or send them to your Challenge Leader. However, this is NOT required. Taking your measurements is personal, and you can track them independently. Please consider participating in this important activity. You can compare your progress at the end of eight weeks to see exactly how well you did!

If you choose to track publicly, the Spreadsheet is set up for the following measurements. (Note For the Ladies: You can use one measurement at the fullest part of the bust or two measurements as follows: Chest = under the arms at the armpits. Bust = measurement under the breast where the measurement for the band is taken).

Bust
Chest
Upper Arm
Forearm
Waist
Hips
Thigh
Calves
Heads Up

The Measurements Healthy Habit will be included in week 8. You will only get points in week 8 if you take your measurements in week 1!
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Healthy Habit 1: Visions of Learning to Know Yourself: Journaling
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If you have never tried journaling, this is "The Challenge For You!" Even if you already use a journal, it is still "The Challenge For You"!"

A Google search for the benefits of journaling pulled up websites listing 5 to 500 benefits. It can be overwhelming! I like this one for its brief but thorough content, mainly because it includes goal setting and tracking as benefits of journaling. Below is the paragraph that discusses Goal Setting and tracking. Please follow the link above for more information.

Goal Setting and Tracking
Keeping a journal can also support personal growth and goal achievement. Setting specific goals and tracking your progress can help you stay motivated and accountable. (Note: I didn’t intend to revisit “Intention” during this challenge, and I was surprised when I followed that link and saw the title; I laughed out loud.) The article is not required reading but contains valuable insight into why we sometimes fail to reach our goals.
Journaling can help you break down your goals into manageable steps, making them more achievable. You can search for websites that have journal prompts if you feel stuck and don’t know what to write. Here is a list of suggestions.
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“Your journal is what you want to make it!” It doesn’t have to be neatly written. It can be as simple as a single meaningful thought you write down during the day or as complex as a detailed day in your Life Story. You can write it anywhere, digitally, in a notebook, in a diary, or in a beautiful book created especially for journaling. If you blog with the 5%, your blog is an excellent place to share your thoughts publicly if you want to. The only requirement to get points for your team is that it must be written. Journal daily = 10 points.

On a personal note, my journal contains my conversations with God. I sit down with a pen and notebook and write Good Morning, Lord, then continue to write my thoughts as fast as I can as they come. When I struggle with something, I might write, “Well, Lord, what’s making me feel this way today?” Almost always, words come to mind that I hadn’t thought about before, but letting the words flow as I write them down is therapeutic and often gives solutions to whatever difficulty is before me.
Healthy Habit 2: Visions of Knowing Your Team: Meet The Cheerleaders

As your OALs considered self-care activities to add as Healthy Habits for this Winter, we discussed the importance of giving and receiving inspiration and motivation and being accountable to a team as a component of self-care. Getting acquainted with your teammates and learning how your team supports each other is essential to your personal success as well as the success of the team. This week, get to know your teammates on the team you are racing with by reading their profiles and sending/accepting friend requests. PLEASE take the initiative to request your leaders to be friends with YOU. MFP members must be friends to be able to communicate by MFP mail. Do you know that clicking on a teammate's name or picture links you to a profile where you can leave encouraging comments? You can chat on your team's chat thread, play a game, or comment on a post. It's 10 points for participating on your team in some way.

Please Note: Posting your exercise and healthy habit points does not count towards Meeting the Cheerleaders.
Healthy Habit Focus: Visions of Success

If you read the Healthy Habits theme on the Winter Community page, you probably are already thinking about this or have decided what you want to focus on for the next 8 weeks. If you missed reading that vital information, (click the link provided) or locate the announcement on your team page. Choose one Healthy Habit that seems difficult for you to maintain and focus on it daily for the 8 weeks of the challenge. Choose carefully because this habit may not be changed. You may join this activity at any point during the challenge to start adding points to your team. However, practicing what you may find challenging is best done for the ENTIRE Challenge.

Exercise Summary: Each minute you exercise, you will move your team closer to “Break The Ribbon” and reach 6,000 minutes! Remember, it’s 120 minutes max to count. You may choose to do more exercise, but what is counted for the challenge is maxed at 120 minutes.

Healthy Habits Summary:
Journaling: 10 points, all or nothing
Meet the Cheerleaders: 10 points, all or nothing
Healthy Habit Focus: 10 points all or nothing (Please note your focus).
Important Notice: If your 8-week focus happens to be the same as a weekly habit, you get to claim points in both places!
Measurements: 15 (Measurements must be done during week 1 and week 8 to get the points in week 8)

Your post should look something like this:

Saturday (Please always note the day/days you are posting for)
Exercise: 120
Journaling: 10
Meet the Cheerleaders: 10
Healthy Habit Focus: 10 points all or nothing (Please note your focus).
Measurements: 15 (Measurements must be done during week 1 and week 8 to get the points in week 8)

NOTE: Do the best that you can. We are inclusive of all but realize that not everyone can participate fully in everything because of health/dietary restrictions and/or physical restrictions. If there is an exceptional circumstance, let your team leader know. They can reach out to the OAL team, and perhaps together, we can come up with **suggestions** for an alternative.
Ceri (Ceriusly1)
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