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MyFitnessPal Community

🧮 Countdown & Pre-Challenge Activity #1: INFORMATION and YOUR INPUT! 🧮

hicim705

On behalf of the overall leadership team (Ceri @Ceriusly1 ~ Heidi @hicim705 ~ Barb @ladyluk1, and Diane @Dianedoessmiles1, as well as the leaders of our eight individual challenge teams (Fit Force ~ Mission Slimpossible ~ Positively Strong 4 Life ~ Rain Dancers ~ Red Hots ~ Shape Shifters ~ Tenacious GR8TERS ~ Thinner Winners) …

👋 ❄️ 🏔️ 🌲 🧥 🧣 🧤 ⛄ 👋 WELCOME to the 2025 Winter 5% Challenge!! 👋 ⛄ 🧤 🧣 🧥 🌲 🏔️ ❄️ 👋

👋WELCOME👋 to our 🆕newest🆕 5% Challengers as well as our returning 👫friends👫!
This is our FIRST Seasonal Challenge of 2025 and we hope that you will join us in celebrating the New Year, New Season and, most of all ~ celebrating a Bright, Shiny New YOU!!

We hope that you take some time to read about and take part in the pre-Challenge activities as they are designed to help you get prepared for success. The Winter Challenge always starts toward the beginning of a new year and is designed to help us to support some of the resolutions that you may have made when December 31, 2024 became January 1, 2025. The New Year reminds us that we are winding down our ‘end of year’ celebrations and gatherings and helps us to turn our focus on trying to be our best selves.

The beginning of a new year, month, week and/or season is the perfect time to make some new resolutions (either 📢loud and proud📢 or 🔕🔇silently, as a promise to yourself🔇🔕). Whatever you choose to do ~ please remember, you are doing this for YOU; your health and your well-being. Jump in and join us to be the ‘BEST YOU’ that you can be and make that wonderful commitment to YOU!
For the several hundred of us that join the Seasonal 5% Challenges from one season to the next, we come here because we are looking to make a change. We are seeking support, cultivating our long-time friendships and look forward to connecting with new members. We also look for structure and continuity. Most of our 5% Challengers followed us from SparkPeople after they closed their site in the summer of 2021. Our sense of community and support has helped us to welcome new friends and Challengers from the MFP site who are now regulars to our seasonal Exercise/Healthy Lifestyle Challenges.

No matter how you found us, we are so happy that you did!!

In doing some research to write these activities, an older article was found on the internet that discussed Team Challenges and our own 5% Seasonal Challenge was highlighted. Lynn, @kaliswalker (one of the original founders of the 5% Challenge) was interviewed ~ the link to the article is below. Please read as the writing discusses the importance of teams, and the 5% Challenge model that was in the spotlight. The article was written in 2016: https://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=memberrun_challenges_can_help_you_find_success
(As of this writing in December 2024, this article still shows up and it is worth the read).

The story continued (and continues) to grow: When SparkPeople closed, we, the current Overall Leadership Team, realized that without SparkPeople and its team spirit, we (and hundreds of our 5% Challenge friends) would be lost and struggling. We sprang into action and searched for an alternate site where we could continue our journey; and continue to write our story. Although many sites were considered, MyFitnessPal was ultimately chosen as our 'new home' with the start of the 2021 Autumn/Fall 5% Challenge. Bringing the 5% Challenge to MFP was a true labor of love, and, with full disclosure, was not smooth sailing as we had hoped, but the Overall Challenge Leader Team put their heads down and worked hard to continue and MAKE IT WORK! At this point, our Challenges are enjoyable and are doing what they were intended to do ~ to provide a space where you can practice healthy habits and where you can chat with other, like-minded MFP members and where you are encouraged to meet a new friend or two! We continue to have faithful 5% Challenge ‘followers’ from SparkPeople, and are fortunate to have been able to spread our message to MPF and it’s members and welcome them into our 5% Challenge Community.

This past year, the 5% Challenges went through some changes. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we decided to change the 8-week format to a 10-week format. After a few rounds, however, we decided to settle back into our tried & true 8-week Challenge format. 2024 also reminded the Overall Leadership Team that we are mighty despite having been presented with our share of real-life obstacles. As a result, we were not the mighty fabulous five that we had once been and struggled to find time for ourselves, never mind the demands of our volunteer time here running the Challenges. We quickly developed strategies to work together to continue to forge ahead. We collaborated with one another by sharing thoughts and ideas to stay on track and we revamped our 5% Challenge ‘travel/LTGL’ format into a more exercise-based and healthy habit focused format. Switching to a new format came with its own share of issues, but we are proud that we were able to keep the Challenges going and even more proud that, in the end, 2024 was still a successful year.

🗬🤔 Now that you have been provided with a bit of a background of the 5% Challenge, please think about what YOU need and how YOU are going to be approaching the 2025 Winter 5% Challenge. Will you continue to practice healthy habits that you have already learned and are working for you? Are you looking to begin something entirely new? Are you still trying to identify where you are right now and what you would like to get out of the next 8 weeks? There are no right or wrong answers here as everyone’s healthy lifestyle goals/journey are unique - like we all are. 🤔🗭

📓 Your assignment:
Countdown & Pre-Challenge Activity #1: INFORMATION and YOUR INPUT! 📓

😊Your FIRST Countdown Activity for this Challenge will be for YOU to decide where YOU would like to go on YOUR Seasonal 5% Journey (as an added bonus, how YOU would like to begin to write YOUR HEALTHY LIFESTYLE JOURNEY STORY). Everyone's reason for joining this Challenge is different. We would like you to dig down deep to share what your motivation is for coming here. We would like you to share what brings you here, and even more importantly - what keeps you coming back! Perhaps there are things that you would like to get out of your personal 5% journey that we haven't discussed and/or researched. Why don't you write down some of YOUR ideas ~ we might even be able to incorporate some of those things in this or future Challenges!😊

✍️Feel free to add your comments to this thread outlining your exercise and healthy habits plan for a successful 2025 Winter 5% Challenge (if you blog, please consider writing about this topic. You may add the link to your blog here or you may simply wish to copy/paste your writing here - or do both!), but please consider sharing!!
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PLEASE NOTE:

The Seasonal 5% Challenge Teams are very active.
You will be expected to participate to the best of your ability.

ALL challenge weeks run from Saturday through Friday - you will be expected to record your exercise and ‘Healthy Habits’ points based on weekly Challenge themes. You are expected to record these points daily or at least as often as you can during the week but no later than 11:59 pm each Saturday (your local time). In addition, you are expected to weigh in one time per week by 11:59 pm every Saturday (your local time). Your individual team leaders and/or team mates will help to answer any and all questions about where to record your points.

🔮 Our 2025 Winter 5% Challenge Teams are currently being set up. 🔮

✉️You will be invited to your individual team soon and you will have enough time to begin to get to know your team leaders and team mates. Until then, get to know some of the Challengers in the 5% Challenge Community that will be participating right along with you.

📢Announcements will be made when invitations to your individual teams are sent. Please visit this team, the 2025 Winter 5% COMMUNITY TEAM often as this will be the best source for up-to-date information.

Heidi (hicim705)
Overall Co-Leader, Seasonal 5% Challenges (hosted on MFP)

Replies

nansbones7708

I want to move forward from the bad place 2024 has been to a happier, more in control of myself person that I used to be.
To achieve this goal there are some things I need to sort out for myself.

I must realise there are some things I can change and some things I can’t and learn not to stress over the latter.
I must find ways to stop my mindless eating despite having a perfectly balanced daily food plan.
I must remember that I am not 25 anymore and therefore no longer able to match my teammates completing in excess of 2 hrs intentional exercise then doing a major house clean or a heavy garden project.
I must learn to stop part way through a major domestic chore if my body is telling me to and not pushing through the to the point where I’m overtired because then I lose control of my binge desire.
I must learn to say no to a treat even though my friend is having one.
I must stop eating all the notional calories the tracker says a certain amount of exercise affords.
Things like gardening where there’s no differentiation between digging over heavy soil with a spade and kneeling at a border picking out weeds.

I’m starting with the tangible stuff and scheduling my exercise video sessions so my diary flags them up at a specific time each day.
I’m also scheduling Anne’s hospital appointments which fall the same three days every fortnight so that I can then schedule bigger household chores and me time so it doesn’t clash.
I’m looking out my store of craft projects that I haven’t had the concentration for because I think I have that issue sorted.

diannemt

I must make MOVING a priority and stop sitting at the computer so much.
I must make getting RID of STUFF a priority instead of rearranging it.
I must remember food is fuel and not a TREAT.

DrewsAnna

I must learn to stay consistent!
I must learn to move more.
I must learn to incorporate more veggies into my life.

I need to make journaling apart of my life again.

Dianedoessmiles1

I need to add FUN back into each day.
Take ME time before sleeping.
Stay in calorie range
I eat out a lot, it's not a treat, it's a meal. Choose wisely
Be Grateful for 3 things a day
From the wheel, journal more.
We are what we do on social media stay with positive videos etc.
NOT worry about health. I can only control it by doing what my Drs say, worry is needless when it starts to take over the mind.
Try various exercises I can still and enjoy. Consider doing silver sneakers online again.
During the Fall Challenge I found a nice balance of computer time/other activities. I'll continue with this.
Hang around more with friends, laughing, enjoying. Being active as I can with them.

diamonds1202

I really need to be more mindful. That means:
1. Pay attention to the quantity of food I'm eating.
2. Find ways to exercise even if it's just a few minutes.

walkintofit

I need to eat at the kitchen table not in front of the tv.
log food more often
write a gratitude for the day
lift some weights 3x week
Let go of what doesn't serve u anymore
Spend time outside everyday
find a new hobby
enjoy life

Imnotstoppin

I need to continue tracking my food and exercise into the food diary.
I want to continue to exercise and stay active in my daily life, stretch more and use weights
Discover new ways to navigate through celebrations and holidays but still enjoy family and friends

micaroo4

My reason for joining the 5% challenge is to stay accountable. I need support to keep me on the path, and I don't get that support much in real life... so I turn to the virtual community of others who walk this path with me. We are each other's angels.

Exercise is a very important component of my maintenance strategy, so I look to the 5% Challenge to provide that exercise motivation - to contribute those minutes to my team. I also love the Healthy Habits concept - trying out potentially new habits for a couple of weeks to see if they work for me.

I would like to suggest that we might also need a Breaking Bad Habits component. We usually talk about habits in the context of creating good ones (maintaining a sleep schedule, eating healthy, exercising, drinking water, keeping a journal...you get the idea). But we rarely talk about bad habits - and bad habits are often the biggest roadblocks in the way of creating good habits. All of us have bad habits. We don't all have the SAME bad habits, which is why it's so difficult to make it a component of the challenge. But maybe a lot of us really do share some of the same bad habits... it's worth talking about.

-Mica

deskjockey925

micaroo4 wrote: »

I would like to suggest that we might also need a Breaking Bad Habits component. We usually talk about habits in the context of creating good ones (maintaining a sleep schedule, eating healthy, exercising, drinking water, keeping a journal...you get the idea). But we rarely talk about bad habits - and bad habits are often the biggest roadblocks in the way of creating good habits. All of us have bad habits. We don't all have the SAME bad habits, which is why it's so difficult to make it a component of the challenge. But maybe a lot of us really do share some of the same bad habits... it's worth talking about.

-Mica

Mica, I like this idea 💡

nossmf

I started lifting weights and joined MFP 15 years ago, am in a pretty good place both fitness-wise and food plan-wise. At this point in my life (age 47), beyond a few vanity pounds I would like to lose to better show off my bodybuilding progress, I really only need to worry about maintaining where I'm at. Not sure if that makes me not a good fit for this group (first time joining), but we'll give this thing a shot and see where we're at by the end of 8 weeks, alright?

katiecondy1

copied cause ,,it is exactly what I want to do

I must make MOVING a priority and stop sitting at the computer so much.
I must make getting RID of STUFF a priority instead of rearranging it.
I must remember food is fuel and not a TREAT.

cormierannie

i definitely want to continue to stay active and to get back into doing yoga at least once a week
i will continue what i started i regards to healthy eating and choosing a variety of foods every day.
i will make time for myself every day, even if it is only for a few minutes.
i will continue to sort and organize my place, one area at a time.

lauren_989

I need to start back tracking my food. I got sick the last 3 weeks and have been slacking on tracking and what I'm eating. My calories goal range is 1400-1500 calories with minimum of 90 grams of protein.

I plan to get 7,000 steps daily. That has been my goal, as if I just do the bare minimum walking at work and during the day, I average 3,000 steps.

I need to avoid the breakroom at work that has lots of snacks and goodies.

ittybitty456

I did the 5% Challenge for many rounds and was doing good. I dropped out because of knee surgery and lost touch with all of you. I finally found the website again and want desperately to get back on track.
I want to give up sugar all together but when I try to give it up that is all I want is to eat sweets and other things that are not healthy for you.
I put most of my weight back on and I don't like being this heavy at all. Like I said above I did good the few rounds I did and I want to get back on track again. Looking forward to meeting my new team.

I must work on my mindset and be kinder to myself.
I must work on decluttering my home and getting rid of stuff.
I must work on staying consistent.
I must work on being honest with my tracking.
I must work on eating healthier and cutting way back on sugar.

Mica I also like your idea that we need to find someway to work on bad habits.

Amy

2122DJC

It's been a rough year. New diagnosis of osteoarthritis in both knees after slipping on ice last winter, I hyperextended one knee and had a torn meniscus in the other. I was unable to move very well for 6 months.
I need to stay motivated with my nutrition and fitness by being consistent. I want to give and receive support from my teammates.
I want to be fit to do some traveling.

michellewolan61

It has been difficult this year. I watch 1 4 year old gran everyday and have a second after school until Mom picks her up from work. I love it most of the time but it keeps me busy. Also, my elderly Mom had heart surgery and then developed pneumonia and I am over 500 miles away. I was able to go there and help some but not as much as I wanted to because of my other commitments. I have lost about 22 lbs this year!! 🎉 I need to get back to the basics again recording meals etc and starting new healthy habits as well. Good luck and God bless everyone trying to do better!!

anyone_bg

Every following year I find it more difficult to achieve my health-related goals. I hope trying in a group with similar needs and interests will help. I have been struggling for many years with diets and starting and stopping different sports. My realistic plan for the beginning of 2025 is:

1. counting calories daily (as strictly as I can, but without stopping)
2. every day to have at least one physical activity - it could be a workout at home, just a 30-minute walk, or going to the gym - anything to avoid sitting all day in front of the computer as often had happened in 2024
3. eat at similar time frames - not after 20:00, not all the time I sense hunger
4. drunk at least 1l water daily
5. eat mostly unprocessed or homemade food

I wish luck to all!

Ceriusly1

nossmf wrote: »

I started lifting weights and joined MFP 15 years ago, am in a pretty good place both fitness-wise and food plan-wise. At this point in my life (age 47), beyond a few vanity pounds I would like to lose to better show off my bodybuilding progress, I really only need to worry about maintaining where I'm at. Not sure if that makes me not a good fit for this group (first time joining), but we'll give this thing a shot and see where we're at by the end of 8 weeks, alright?

Hello and welcome to the 5% Family! Thank you for sharing your journey with us! Congratulations on your success so far! We have quite a few maintainers throughout the teams. They stay because of the accountability and relationships formed here over the years.

Ronnie_happy2ranch

Greetings! I need to get back into my fitness routine after not having the greatest fall challenge. I am looking forward to getting back on the rowing machine and continuing with the treadmill. I will be focusing on getting out of my chair more often during the workday (my goal is to get up and walk around the office every hour and/or around the house/yard when WFH) and continuing to eat healthy. I really want to get back up to my 10,000 steps per day that I was at a couple of years ago.

Patti241

I am going to concentrate on drinking more water and keep in range of my calories

vnkapre

Hi everyone, it is my first time joining a challenge on MFP and I am really excited! My main goal is to be mindful and disciplined about what I eat (maybe track everything too) and work towards an active healthy lifestyle. Good luck to all!

CincyPatti

I want to be able to walk with less pain. Walking is very difficult for me right now. My immediate goal is to just walk more. I haven’t quantified that yet.

Grannysue91

I want to continue losing some weight since I have slowly started to lose again. I had breast cancer and the treatments really take a toll on your body. It was a long hard road to follow after the treatments and medications were completed. I want to be more mindful of my tracking of my food. I like the HH's and I think it will be good to really get back to serious healthy habits again. I am a caregiver for my husband and some days are worse than others and don't always eat the right foods when he is falling down and I am trying to help him get up. I need to make more "me time" when I can. Looking forward to the Winter 5% Challenge and becoming a Healthier me.

Schnootie

I moved from the USA to Germany a few weeks ago and the whole move was stressful, emotional and a monumental change that I gained a ton of weight back. Now settling in and finding a job will be the next milestone. I am looking forward to the familiar 5% concept to help me get some sanity back.

Plans 2025:
6000 steps per day
Daily food tracking
8-10 glasses of water per day
Yoga 3 days per week
Fitness video 1 day per week
Strength training 3 days per week

colleentalamantes

This will be my 2nd challenge. For 2025 I want to continue losing weight by focusing on increasing activity level. I have had both knees replaced and am very happy with the results. I want to walk daily and get back to hiking at least once a week. One of my goals is to reduce screen time. Another is to eat 4 servings of vegetables daily.

deniners2

I have about 18 months until the possibility of retirement. I know joining this group requires more; but if I lose 1 pound per month, in 18 months I will be at a good & healthy weight. I need to remember this is all I need. I don’t need to weigh 115, 120, or 130. 168 - 18 = 150. If I choose to go further then fine, but I don’t have to think it will be a bummer to lose so much weight.

I need accountability and boot camp tough love. I’m also using another app with a great family member who is willing to beam accountability partner.

gouldsgranite

2024 was all about coming back strong after my health challenges. I feel that I've gained my strength back and worked hard to stay in maintenance, albeit the high end of my range.
My 2025 focus will be on practicing daily habits to support my best health. Daily yoga practice, walking and strength sessions will be my goal.
These seasonal 5% challenges are THE BEST to stay focused. I look forward to each one.
I feel so blessed that my DH is a part of our MFP community. @Papashop a great team member and it sure is fun improving together. We are learning, still, how to eat for optimum nutrition, a rewarding lifelong endeavor.

When we started way back when, Papashop had suffered a heart attack. We were self indulgent junk food junkies, shocked into changing our diets. We started Spark and honestly tracked our diet to set our baseline. What we found - we were consuming over 10,000 MG of sodium most days. Some higher. Doctor recommends 2000 MG per day for heart patients.
We tracked our food, made small improvements week by week. That first year, DH lost 50 lbs. We've stayed true to tracking (since 2013), both now maintaining within range.

We now use our fitbits to guide our exercise goals.

cory17

My goals are similar to those above - reduce clutter, increase activity, hydrate, calories 4 loss. My dh retired last week and what an adjustment. I plan to retire next summer, numerous health issues. Have noticed it's harder to stay focused, to let go of anything, and need to make changes. I want an organized life.

hicim705

January 1, 2025:
I've written a blog for this Activity. Please visit:

hicim705's Haven

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10878935/hicim705s-haven#latest

Heidi (hicim705)
Overall Co-Leader, Seasonal 5% Challenges

Co-Leader, Seasonal 5% Challenges ~ ✍️🖊️📓💻Bloggers✍️🖊️📓💻!!

🥳🎊🎉🌟✨ CELEBRATING our 4th Year
of Seasonal 5% Challenges on MyFitnessPal ✨🌟🎉🎊🥳

WinterflowerSP

My goals are to improve my health, food intake, exercise, how I use my time-all ONE choice at a time, ONE day at a time.

I need to lose some weight and improve my fitness. Nothing new there!