And The Winner Is…
The Holiday Extravaganza has officially come to a close, and the results have been tallied. It was QUITE a successful year, as 57% of the participants got their money back! BRAVO! Congratulations go out to (in no particular order) Angie Sanders, Jayne Smith, Lauren McElhannon, Judy Talton, Pam Adams, Kim Eldridge, Sarah Bennett(past champion), Elizabeth Johnson, John Gilliam, Mercer Brockenbrough, Wendi Weiglen, Kathleen Moore, Lindsey Pollack, Cress Johnson, Dale Tingle, Leah Hobbs, Jenn Leahy, Cynthia Shepherd, Mary Catherine Blanks, Heather Sussman, Laura Moore, Cara Lacey, Morgan Carden, Laura Wilfong, Shelley Kudela, Arlene Alex, Michelle Belcher, Valerie Langley, Angela Miller , Justin Woodall, and defending Champ, Brionne Antwine!
1 pound of fat is equal to roughly 3,500 calories. The Holiday Extravaganza participants lost a total of 119.7 pounds. This translates to a whopping 418,950 calories-- which is a pretty big number to try and understand. Let’s visualize that BIG number. Holiday Extravaganza participants lost the equivalent of 700+ Big Macs or 2,752.5+ cans of Coca Cola. If we look at it as distance covered and assume running 1 mile burns approximately 100 calories, Holiday Extravaganza participants lost the equivalent number of calories as they would have by running 4,198.5 miles. That is a huge, huge accomplishment and each person should be proud of the progress they made. Hard work pays off and sticking to goals during the holiday season was a major test of willpower, and everyone proved how strong they can be!
I am so proud of everyone who participated! Even those who did not get their money back did not gain a significant amount over the holiday. The purpose of this contest is to make you more conscientious of eating throughout the holiday season, therefore, trying to maintain your weight from Thanksgiving through New Years. However, there are some who are SO good that they even LOSE a significant amount of weight over that time period.
It was a great tight race for 2nd, 3rd, & 4th place! Some amazing gift baskets are coming to these -ladies! Remember, this is by percentage weight loss:
2nd - Karin Usry 7.12%
3rd - Terri Mason 4.47%
4th Yvette Jackson 4.05 %
And now for the moment you have all been waiting for…
The 2012-13 Holiday Extravaganza Champion is…
Amanda Tingle!!! Amanda lost a total of 10.8% of her body weight over the holidays! Amanda has won $580! Thanks so everyone who played and thanks to those who lost weight but donated their money to this hard working lady! Just amazing keep inspiring others Amanda to live a healthy lifestyle! Thank you!!
“My name is Amanda Tingle. I moved to Athens 5-1/2 years ago when I married my husband, Matt. We have three boys- David (4), Ethan (2), and Lucas (4 months). I am mostly home with the boys, but I also coach cross country and soccer at Westminster Christian Academy in Watkinsville. My preferred method of exercise is running. When my mother in law encouraged me to join this challenge I was not sleeping through the night, and only able to run 2 miles...and Christmas cookies on the horizon!
I downloaded My Fitness Pal for my iPhone and signed up for a half marathon set for March of this year and got running again. I run with friends three days a week and track my calories with My Fitness Pal.
Yesterday I ran 10 miles! I can feel the 17 pounds missing, and it makes running so much easier. Thank you for the encouragement and the accountability!
Here is a link to the green smoothies my kids and I enjoy in the afternoon. It keeps us from snacking while I make dinner, and it is a great way to get some good greens in our diet. Making several batches at the beginning of the week and keeping them in the freezer makes it more likely that I'll whip up a smoothie in the afternoon instead of grabbing a bag of chips.
http://www.allthingsgd.com/2013/02/a-months-worth-of-green-smoothies-only-one-day-of-prep/
Congrats Amanda! Keep inspiring so many women!