I was very happy I lost weight. It makes me feel better about myself.

I thought this was a great opportunity for people to take the initiative and get started with a healthier lifestyle. I know I needed the push to get going. Doing this as a group has been a rewarding experience.

I have thyroid disease and for the rest of my life, I will struggle with my weight. Over the past year, I had really put on the pounds and weighed more than I ever have. I began to get depressed and somewhat withdrawn. When friends would ask me to go out, I would find an excuse not to go, only because I didn't feel good about myself. Since I started this contest and lost 15 lbs, I'm starting to see the loss and it's bringing back the self confidence I had lost. I've begun to notice that my clothes aren't fitting so tightly and I see slimming in my face. I was worried that my teenage son would be embarrassed of his super sized mom and that was really bothering me. So I committed myself to this contest and began exercising. We already had pretty healthy eating habits, but this contest educated us a little bit more on the types of food we should be eating daily. I'm going to keep going with my exercise and healthy foods and hope that next year at this time I can email you and tell you that I'm half the person I used to be!

This was the 1st time that I actually stuck to something for this long.

I dropped about 15 pounds and started to consciously eat broccoli.

I'm not sure if my dogs liked or disliked the contest, but they certainly got more exercise.

This contest made me more aware of all the junk I had a tendency to eat. I love to snack and due to this contest, I think that I snack on healthier foods.

I have exercised regularly (avg 3 times a week) for more than 15 years. However, I was surprised that exercising every day, even for just a small amount of time, made such a positive difference in how I felt. Thanks for helping me expand my horizons!

I learned to like 1 percent milk.

I was pretty much eating the same, but sure did exercise more and when I forgot to work out at work, I did it at home, and was able to get my children involved, which means family time together and that not only makes you healthier physically but mentally.

I made sure I exercised more, and quit smoking during this contest and haven't had a cigarette in over a month.

I did quit smoking for 9 days, but the stress of my husband having major surgery caused me to start again. I plan to quit again once he is up and around and I am not stressed.

I feel much healthier and have stopped drinking sodas. I believe that the sodas helped in my weight loss.

Cholesterol and average blood sugar levels are down. I am diabetic and pancreas is decreasing insulin production.

I have been on Atkins for the last 1 1/2 years. This contest prompted me to experiment with carbs (oranges, cantaloupe, whole grain bread, skim milk, etc). I am happy to report I lost weight even with the carbs.

I feel my kids have been more affected by this than me. They are exercising more and eating better. And I worry more about my children's health than my own. I got my kids in the habit of exercising every night. I think my oldest son, 16, has lost about 40 pounds since starting this.

I have been going though some very emotional times right now and the exercise has definitely helped me. I do not feel as tense as I did before.

Good motivation to get outside. Need to conduct during winter months too!

I did more than I did before, which is a success.
I started taking inventory of everything I ate for a month about 3 years ago. It was shocking! I began eating more healthy foods and understood a normal portion of food was MUCH less than what I was used too. I also began to exercise more, mainly yoga and walking. I ended up losing 15 pounds and increased my flexibility, rid myself of a sore back and generally felt better. I also stopped drinking coffee during the week and that gave me a LOT more energy during the day. The combination of a good diet, regular exercise and moderate caffeine use has made me feel better than I have in MANY years.