In response to this, HealthyWage is issuing an open invitation to Sir Charles to put his money where his mouth is and help out a charitable organization of his choosing at the same time.

Specifinally, we challenge Charles Barkley to wager a portion of his contract earnings in HealthyWage’s 10% Challenge. Instead of buying a new wardrobe, his “double-down” winnings will be donated to the charity of his choice. (The regular participant in this challenge puts down $100 to win $200 if they successfully lose 10% of their body weight in 6 months. Obviously we hope Mr. Barkley will acknowledge his good fortune and put down a heftier wager.)

We hope you all will join us in challenging Sir Charles. Here are the ways you can help:

• Post a challenge to him on twitter using the hashtag #ChallengeCharles. Be sure to include our twitter handle (@HealthyWage) in your tweet.
• Openly challenge Sir Charles in a blog post with the specifics of the HealthyWage invitation.
• Challenge him on Facebook, on the HealthyWage wall, on your own wall and on his.
• Share the challenge with all of your social networks and ask them to help spread the word.

Thanks in advance for your help in spreading this challenge!

CONGRATULATIONS TO…

After a bad breakup, when I was 100 pounds heavier than I am now, I realized I wanted thing to change, and slowly but surely, I began to take off the weight. At first, the weight came off really, really easy. But then, 40 pounds or so in, I floundered. It got more difficult, and it was hard to stay motivated. Luckily, that was when I found out about healthywage, which gave me the push I needed through every stage–to get going at that first hump, to stay motivated through the many, many pounds, and to give me the final push to get the last 10 pounds off! So, there it is. I recently ran a half marathon and am training now for a full marathon. I feel great, and am so happy with my health and how it has just made life better–emotionally, mentally, and, of course, physically!

I heard about healthywage from my wife, who read about it in a fitness magazine.  I signed up because I had been heavier than I had been in years and wanted to return to a healthy weight and feel better.  Putting up my own money DEFINITELY helped me win.  I don’t think I would have worked as hard to win if the prize was only going to be $100 and if there was no risk of me losing any of my own money.  I would definitely recommend your program to others, and I already have numerous times!!  I would be interested in a financial incentive program around weight maintenance– this would be very effective for me to keep the weight off.  It has always slowly come back on in the past.  I think maybe a similar program where I could pay money up front, have to sign in once a week to enter my weight, then have a weigh in at 6 mos (I think shorter intervals would be better for weight maintenance) for a victory prize.  Then if this could be continued, there would be more incentive and assistance in keeping the weight off.

Thank you for this program!  It has helped me get back to my old lean self again!!  Everybody comments about how skinny I am looking!

I recently completed the Healthywage BMI Challenge.  I was successful at lowering my BMI from over 31 to under 25.  I ended losing 50 lbs over the course of one year!  This was not easy, and I would definitely say being involved in this contest helped me achieve my goal.  I heard about  Healthwage in a Mlive article last January.  I signed up because I was sick and tired of carrying all this extra weight.  The financial incentive of not only winning $1,000, but of also putting up $300 were necessary to keep me going throughout the year.  I would recommend this program to anyone looking to lose significant weight in the upcoming year.  I would definitely be interested in financial incentives for weight loss maintenance.  Thank you for everything Healthywage.

Join them in success by signing up for the BMI Challenge today!

As for surprises, they’re mostly entries from folks relatively new on the dance scene.  Highlights include songs from Tim Berg (who remixed his own track under his Avicii moniker), Skrillex (whose collaboration with Kaskade is the first dubstep track ever the make the Top 10), and Wolfgang Gartner (who’s made the chart with a little help from the Black Eyed Peas’ Will.I.Am).

Here’s the full list:

Tim Berg – Seek Bromance (Avicii Vocal Edit) – 127 BPM

Katy Perry – The One That Got Away – 135 BPM

Alexandra Stan – Mr. Saxobeat (Maan Studio Remix) – 126 BPM

Flo Rida – Good Feeling – 129 BPM

Wolfgang Gartner & Will.I.Am – Forever – 128 BPM

Hot Chelle Rae – Tonight Tonight (Goldstein Remix) – 118 BPM

Taio Cruz & Flo Rida – Hangover – 129 BPM

Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull & The WAV.s – I Like How It Feels – 129 BPM

Kaskade & Skrillex – Lick It – 128 BPM

Kelly Clarkson – What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) – 117 BPM

To find more songs–and hear next month’s contenders—folks can check out Run Hundred’s database of workout songs. Visitors can browse the song selections there by genre, tempo, and era—to find the music that best fits with their particular workout routine.

While some diet and weight loss programs talk about eating less, others emphasize adding certain foods to your diet. There are several foods considered to have some real benefits for anyone trying to lose weight.

Here are a few foods that are right at the top of that list:

Oatmeal

Oatmeal and oat bran are loaded with fiber and can expand to almost 30 times their volume when eaten. The combination of these two effects decreases your appetite while making you feel fuller longer. In order to increase the effectiveness of your weight loss program, eat oatmeal about two hours before doing your workout. Steel-cut oats, rolled oats, and plain or natural oatmeal are your best options. Avoid the instant flavored oatmeal in packets as they contain lots of sugar and other additives, and they are much more processed, meaning the fiber content is decreased.

Raw Fruits and Vegetables

On average, your body burns 15% more calories when your meals contain mostly raw fruits and veggies then when eating a meal with no fruits or vegetables. It just makes sense, then, to eat meals consisting of mostly raw ingredients when you are trying to lose weight. Since these ingredients still have all of their nutrients, your body gets what it needs while you feel satisfied. Also, fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C, like lemons, oranges, and pineapple help your body to mobilize and flush out extra body fat.

Spices

For years, people have claimed that adding spices to your diet can help with weight loss. Recently, a professor at Oxford University found that eating just 3 grams of chili peppers in a meal can increase your fat-burning metabolism from 8% to 20%, for up to three hours after eating the peppers. Also, the addition of spicy mustard to your sandwich may burn an extra 45 to 75 calories over the same three hour time span. And, just by adding fresh ginger to your diet, you get a strong diuretic. Fresh ginger also increases growth hormone production, thereby increasing the amount of fat released from your body’s fat stores for burning as fuel.

Apples

While eating raw fruits in general is typically considered a great way to lose weight, apples are especially important to single out. Apples contain pectin, which prevents your body from over-absorbing fat, as well as causing your body to release some of the stored fat. A study done in Brazil found that people who ate an apple before each meal lost 33% more weight than a group of people who didn’t eat an apple. Pectin also acts as an appetite suppressant, so apples are definitely a great snack to tide you over between meals.

Fish

Not only are most fish loaded with tons of omega-3s, but fish like tuna, sardines, and salmon trigger the hormone leptin. Leptin is a fat-burning hormone that suppresses your appetite and determines whether you store the calories you eat as fat, or if you burn those calories for energy.

Eating certain foods to lose weight is not a new theory. We’ve often heard about diet fads that include one or two foods that dominate the program. The idea of eating specific foods that have been scientifically studied is a much more recent development in the weight loss world. When you look at the reasons why certain foods actually help you burn fat and calories, it just makes sense to add those foods to your diet plan.

Congratulations to the winners of our September Matchup contest! 160 teams competed for 3-months to lose weight and win $18,000 in cash prizes. Over 10% of the participants in the contest lost more than 10% of their weight and the top 3-teams all lost more than 16% of their weight.

In the Company vs. Company division, CDM’s employees lost over 9% of their weight during the contest and won the top prize. Other top performing companies included Meritus Medical Center, Texas Instruments, and ABQ Health Partners.

The top 3 teams in the contest were all families losing weight together. These families credited the support and accountability provided by losing weight with people they trust and who were willing to help them stay on track.

1st Place Winners: It’s A Tie! Drop It Like It’s Hot and Duh Winning!

Drop It Like It’s Hot participant Megan Fillmore explains:

“It’s eaiser to do this if you live with someone who is also eating the same types of foods, ect. We are able to see what the other person is eating. We did a lot of our communication through facebook. We had nearly daily discussions with at least one other member of our team. Helped share tips and good/healthy foods. Having my spouse participate with me was a HUGE factor in my success. We were able to eat lower calorie foods together and go rid of all temptations in our home. “

Similarly, Duh! Winning participant Jacob Howe explains:

“It really helped having a team of all family members. We see each other all the time, talk to eachother all the time. Basically everytime we saw eachother we would ask how the weight loss was coming. If anyone started falling behind, the rest of us let them know we didnt appreciate it. Plus, with a team that consists of all family members, there is an unspoken weight of accountability on everyone’s shoulders. No one wants to be the person that misses their weight; they would have to live it down at every family function for the rest of their life! The team format is great though, family or not, no one wants to be the weak link.”

3rd place Winners: The Weight is Over!

This team lost more than 16% of their combined total weight.

Jason Coy, an employee at CDM, recruited his family to join him on team. Jason explains:

“My family has always been overweight so I wanted to use this as an opportunity to get them motivated. This was the kickstart we all needed to get healthy. Having four other people rely on me was a huge part in staying on track. Knowing that if I slacked off just once that it could make the whole team suffer.”

Congratulations to all of the participants in the September Matchup. You were all successful in your own ways. Keep working toward your goals!

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on the HealthyWage blog at the end of 2010. Since the information and advice is just as valuable and relevant as it was last year, we wanted to share it again. Enjoy!

“A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other”–Anonymous

New Year’s Resolutions often fade into the background by the end of January. It seems diets are the same way.  Lots of excitement week one, and then back to old habits soon thereafter.  I think it’s because they come from “I should” statements instead of “I want to’s”.

Lifestyle changes are different.  They are born out of our values-what’s important to us at the core.   So I have started asking my clients to make a list called the ‘what’s to my advantage list’. Simply put, it’s about stating your intentions, or the vision you have of the life you want to be living.   Intentions are about this very moment…not a goal for the future.

Here’s one list that I hope will inspire you to write your own:

In 2012 it’s to my advantage to…

• Be healthy in body, mind and soul
• Eat for enjoyment and fuel; however, not for entertainment, denial, distraction, sadness or because it’s still there
• Stand and sit straight & tall
• Have a strong core: physically, mentally and spiritually
• Choose activity over passivity
• Develop and choose soothing, healthy ways to relax
• Pray
• Meditate
• Contemplate
• Get sufficient, restful sleep
• Have a tidy house; therefore, a workable routine for chores
• Acknowledge my feelings
• Be kind in general and especially to myself
• Be wise
• Be helpful
• Be mindful
• Honor my family
• Cultivate  and cherish friends
• Be faithful yet flexible
• Be a good listener
• Be patient without acquiescence
• Speak my mind when it improves the silence; hold my tongue if it doesn’t
• Have a cat

Add some energy and focus to your intentions by posting your list in places you will look at multiple times per day–on purpose. Just having a list on a piece of paper isn’t enough. Get creative with it–Make a vision board, with pictures of you the way you want to look and feel when you are living your intentions.  Do your best in each and every moment.  At first, you may need to “act as if”.   That’s ok—theater can be fun!

In January, we’ll address more actions to take to keep your intentions alive.

Wake up each day and treat it like New Years!

Wishing you and your families a happy, healthy and visionary 2012!

Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com

Copyright © 2010 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Reprinted with permission by HealthyWage.

Ellen Resnick, LCSW

www.ellenresnick.com

www.thoughtfulweightloss.com

Move over Pointer Sisters, and listen to Ellen and Pat, aka, the Tuneless Sisters do their rendition of the 12 Cognitive Behavioral tips for happy and healthy holiday eating. At the end you’ll notice Pat holding the Beck Diet Solution Workbook, a comprehensive CBT approach to permanent weight loss by Judith Beck, PhD.

Won’t you sing along? Here’s the lyrics:

On the 1st day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…is it worth the calories?…

On the 2nd day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…make the best food choices, (AND)…

On the 3rd day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…acknowledge your temptations…

On the 4th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…breathe deeply and be thankful…

On the 5th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…USE SMALLER PLATES…

On the 6th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…play games between the courses…

On the 7th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…enjoy your favorite cousins…

On the 8th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…be mindful while your chewing…

On the 9th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…smaller portions on the trimmings…

On the 10th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…avoid hunger on arrival

On the 11th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…alternate water with the cocktails…

On the 12th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…Don’t wear your baggy clothes…

A special thank you to my incredible neice Amy for helping me create the words to our song.

Happy holidays everyone!

Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.

Copyright © 2011 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Reprinted with permission

The first, second and third place teams of 5 lost more than 630 pounds collectively, with the hundreds of competition participants losing more than 10,000 pounds collectively.  Duval County Schools in Florida won the Company vs. Company division.

Congratulations winning teams!

Team Full House

$10,000 first prize:

Team Full House from Rooms To Go

This winning group of 5 co-workers from Rooms To Go employed a strong team strategy, including weign-ins 3 to 5 times a week, spreadsheets, constant communication and other accountability measures. Some of the team members went to the gym while others just threw themselves harder into their physical work. The $10,000 prize helped inspire them to stay accountable as the contest was nearing its end, especially since 2 of the group reached their weight goals with 22 days still left in the competition.

Participant Dackri Simpson explains, “The cash prize was always incentive! It kept us focused because none of us wanted to be the individual that prevented the rest of the team from getting their first place incentive.”

$5,000 second prize:

Team “KnowSweat” from Independent

This team used a focus on strategy and commitment to secure second place. That stayed in constant communication and met individually or as a team on a daily basis. In addition to working out together, they shared their successes and supported each other when they were feeling off track.

Says teammate Frank Hayes IV, “We all shared stories of our sucesses and our struggles along the way. We picked each other up when we were down and pushed each other when we “just didn’t feel like it”. We all worked toward the same goal and did it as a team.”

$3,000 third prize:

Team “Tiger Blood” from Fulton County, GA

Using technology to their advantage was part of this team’s winning strategy. The group created a Facebook page where they stayed in constant contact with one another by posting all of the time. They knew where each teammate was with their progress and used the motivation of knowing there were others counting on them for their success.

“Having other peoples’ money on the line is an even bigger motivator for me than having my own money on the line!  There was no way I was going to let them down.  Plus we created a facebook secret group to stay in touch and keep each other motivated.  It was a great communication tool,” said temmate Anna Rodriquez.

Honorable Mentions:

Team “Hog Brothers” from Rooms To Go

Constant communication and support helped this team to stay on track. Their strategy started from the beginning by building a team of participants that were commited to making a life change.

Team member Nick MacNichol explains, “The cash prize and the team concept helped tremendously.  I don’t know if I could have done this without the help of my teammates.  I started out making sure that I did not slip because I did not want to let them down and be the reason why we did not have a shot at the prize money.  As I started to see those changes, I did not want to let myself down and put my body under that pressure of carrying that extra weight.  I ended up losing 42 lbs. and as someone put that to me, a couple of Turkeys.  Think about how heavy it would be to have to carry a 20lb turkey around with you every day, then think about what it would be like to have to carry two.  No one in the right mind would want to do that, but that is exactly what I was doing. “

Team “Gulfport Pounds To Go” from Rooms To Go

Keep Up the Good Work Everybody!

-Marty, the HealthyWage Coach