Week 1 Bonus Challenge Submissions I chose to not eat distracted.

This will be a difficult challenge for me because nearly all of my meals take place in front of the TV when at home or browsing the news on the internet during my lunch break. I plan to make a conscious effort to pay attention to when Im eating, what Im eating, and not do other things while eating. I read the resources in the email and will follow the tips given. I realized that when I watch TV, I do get hungry because they have the commercials and shows that the food looks appetizing. I will eat before watching TV and have TV time be a no eating zone. ~ Michelle Hunter, Lakeville

I have chosen: Challenge Option 4: Avoid distracted eating. Plans to overcome At Work -eating away from my desk, phone in silent mode, computer monitor off At Home -eating at the dining room table, the TV will not be on During the weekend -Eat at similar times as the week days, focused effort to have 3 meals not 2 ~ Sean Kranz, Bardstown

I selected Option 1 because sometimes I get into doing a project and forget to eat and then find myself snacking or over eating at the next meal. So I have set up a reminder on my phone telling me to stop and eat a proportioned meal every 5.5 hours starting after my morning workout. Doing this I will feel satisfied throughout the day and not over eat or snack. ~ Andy Jacobson, Lakeville

Breakfast Challenge - 3/4 Cup Greek yogurt, 1 banana, 1/2 Cup Granola with Pumpkin seeds, 1 tsp ground flax.

It is a little better with strawberries, but this is good too ~ Sandra Peterson, Neenah Plant

I am also going for #2 not skipping breakfast and the journal. I made some cranberry-pecan scones this weekend, so if I don't have time I can grab one of them along with an 8 oz. glass of skim milk. ~ Peggy Hunter, Bardstown

Hello! I have selected option #4 - distracted eating. On a normal day, I eat breakfast and lunch while working. I will step away from my computer to eat those meals. Also, I am giving up watching television for Lent so I'll be more conscientious of how much I eat at home for dinner. Good luck! ~ Beth Bruch, Bardstown

I selected challenge #2 eating a healthy breakfast. During the week I am in such a rush to get the kids up and out of the house that I tend to grab whatever they don't finish from their breakfast and then eat some snacks at my desk. I brought in a variety box of Low Sugar Flavored Oatmeal to eat at my desk. This will help me stay full and the variety will help me stick to it! I am also keeping my water glass full and within reach to help fight that urge to snack. ~ Carol Keller, RPM Beverage

Bring a week's worth of snacks to the office, but keep them out of side (inside your desk drawer). That will help you from eating 5 days worth of snacks on Monday! Also, don't forget to keep snacks lined up at home. ~ Deb Salemi, Oconomowoc

I have chosen option 4, since I often eat while working or watching TV. I'll be eating all meals and snacks away from the computer and TV, so I can pay closer attention to what I'm eating. ~ Julie Weyenberg, MPC Home Office

I have chosen to eliminate snacking while watching TV and/or reading. I will try to accomplish this by drinking more water while doing these activities, which will then hopefully fill me up or make me feel that I do not need to be snacking. Fingers crossed!

WOW! Living alone, this Option is a HUGE challenge indeed. I'm catching myself looking for below distractions, before & during meal times

Home (strategy) -No iPad, no TV, no Cell ph, no Reading, checking Mail Work (strategy) -No cell ph, no reading, no iPad ~ Trish Gover, Edison-NJ

For this week's challenge I selected option 4 - avoiding distracted eating. I have found that having a water bottle with a low calorie drink mix such as Crystal Light next to me helps ensure I am not grabbing for the chips while watching my favorite shows and also fills me up. Keeping a stock of healthy snack choices in the cupboards also will assist with this goal. ~ Amy Lemere, ORBIS Menasha Corporation

I have chosen challenge option 4 : Avoid distracted eating- so now while watching TV I have my water next to me and also have a container of sugar free mints next to the recliners. ~ Carol Bessette, Neenah Plant

For this weeks challenge, I have chosen Option # 4. Besides making sure I am eating at the table, I have found that if I am the last of my family to fill my plate in the kitchen, I am less likely to have or want a second helping. By the time I am done with my 1st serving, my family is ready to be excused and leave the table. I don't want to go back for seconds when they are already starting to clean up. ~ Allie Hartkopf, Brooklyn Park

Eat Breakfast Daily! While I already do eat breakfast daily, I found that I was a little off-track with my protein to carb ration, so I am callin my challenge "Eat a Healthy Breakfast Daily". To prepare for this - On Sunday night, I fried 12 egg whites spraying my pan with olive oil, bought a pack of whole grain flatbread, slided 3 large "beef steak tomatoes and placed in zippy bags, cleaned fresh leaf spinach & placed in zippy bags, and bought several varieties of fresh fruit "kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, bananas, pineapple & mango and portioned out "mixed fruit" into baggies and froze them. I now start each mornig by toasting my flatbread and while warming my eqq white in micro, I quickly add my spinach and tomatoe slice to make a healthy breakfast sandwich. While my flatbread is toasting I also throw my frozen fruit into my majic bullet with a fresh banana and 1 scoop of GNC's veggie/fruit protein powder, along with 12 oz. of Aloe Vera Juice. In less than 5 minutes, I am ready to go! With about 30 minutes of prep time on Sunday night, I was able to provide a week-long healthy breakfast,

requiring very little time on a daily basis and get on track for eating a healthy breakfast daily!! ~ Wanda Hase, Neenah Plant

Challenge #3 Bring a healthy snack to work I make sure to bring a healthy snack each day, some of the items I bring are blackberries, fat free cottage cheese, light string cheese, Cheerios, Almonds, Walnuts and Trader Joes Tortilla chips with flaxseed. ~ Jeanette Yanez, Lakeville

Week 1 Challenge - Distracted while eating Until I really analyzed "how i/We as a family" eat i didn't realize how many distractions there are! My breakfast is always standing and eating while packing lunches/gathering school and work items while the kids eat and get out the door. When I am traveling - it's a quick protein shake while driving or a "grab bag" at the hotel - WOW! This week - I was fortunate to be around home, and made a STRONG effort to avoid distractions - this even meant our family found time twice to sit down - no TV/Books etc - and eat together before running to the boys activities - not common but it was nice to get that chance. GOOD Challenge! Hopefully I can get a habit out of this somewhere!!! ~ Sheri Treu, Oconomowoc

Week 1 Challenge: Breakfast! I chose eating a breakfast daily as this is a difficult one for me. I'm not hungry in the early morning. I purchased plain greek yogurt and fresh fruit to make smoothies. The yogurt is high in the protein. The one obstacle... it's cold here at the office and I get even colder drinking my smoothie! ~ Franzine Gies, Oconomowoc

Healthy Snack This was just a great reminder as I shopped to stay away from the cookies and chips and buy more vegetables and fruit. Feeling Great! ~ Craig Anvelink, Folding Carton Group

Challenge #3 bring a healthy snack to work

I always keep a selection of healthy snacks at my desk, such as mixed nuts, whole grain crackers and peanut butter. To switch it up, I bring a variety of cold snacks in my lunch each day, such as fresh fruit, cheese sticks, or cut up vegetables to snack on. ~ Tina Prouse, Folding Carton Group

Healthy Breakfast I am working to develop good habits when it comes to a healthy breakfast. To make things easy, I bring my breakfast for the week to work - a large carton of greek yogurt, some apples, and a bag of walnuts. When I arrive at work I assemble my breakfast by combining the 3 together - I get my creamy, sweet, and crunch all in one. The greek yogurt keeps me full and satisfied until lunch. Once and a while I will change it up with hardboiled eggs, but keeping things consistent, helps keep me on track. ~ Sherri Brigowatz, Oconomowoc Honestly I can't remember which challenge i signed up for. It was either healthy snack or eat every 5 to 6 hours. Before this week I didn't do either. My usuall day I would skip breakfast and lunch and then over eat at dinner, going to bed feeling like an overstuffed turkey. So I bought me some fruit cups and yogurt and brought them to work. In the mornings around 10am I would make myself eat one or the other. When I got home at night I didn't feel like I was starving to death so this helped. ~ Eric Raymond, Georgetown

Healthy snacks While grocery shopping I stuck to the outside of the store where the fruits and vegetables are and not down the chip aisle. I feel more energetic and I have now stopped eating the junk food. I have also started bringing healthier foods to work. ~ Melissa Knutson, Neenah Plant

I chose Challenge Option 4: Avoid distracted eating. How I plan on facing this challenge is to first try to avoid eating while watching TV. If I find there's that show I just can't miss...I will measure out my portion size before eating & stick to only eating that amount. So instead of sitting down with that bag that seems bottomless....I will measure out a snack-size portion. ~ Bonnie Potoczny Holz, Philadelphia

The challenge I chose was option 4 - avoid distracted eating. Before this challenge I couldn't remember a time where I sat down at ate a meal without multitasking - watching tv, doing homework, working, or listening to music. While doing this challenge I'm finding that my sense of taste and smell is enhanced - I

notice the flavors and smells of the different ingredients in my meals. I also feel more satisfied and eat slower. Amazing how focusing on your food can entirely change the experience! ~ Amy Kumaraperu, Menasha Corporate

I choose option #4,avoid distracted eating. I have this issue more at work than at home. Even though I bring healthy snacks to work, I will eat a week's worth within a 2-3 days. Instead of bringing a week's worth, I am individually packaging them on the weekend and bring 5 baggies rather then one big bag of something. Control of my snack sizes. ~ Lorna Thorpe Wulterkens, Neenah Plant

I chose challenge #2 Eat a healthy breakfast. Before this challenge I struggled with eating breakfast at all. I found a recipe online for egg muffins that you can make ahead of time and just pop in the microwave for 30 seconds in the morning. I adapted the recipe to my taste by just using egg whites and adding green peppers. I pair this with a piece of whole grain toast! http://paleogrubs.com/savory-breakfast-muffins ~ Cassie Lee

I follow lots of body builders and athletes on my social networking sites to get lots of great ideas for meal preps. It really keeps me in check for a proper diet and makes it fun. Social networking is really a great tool with a fountain of nutrition information. I forgot to mention that I choose challenge option #1. I would prepare most of my meals in advance to be sure that I ate in the proper interval timing. ~ Kristin Says

I chose challenge 1 as I have a tendency to not pay attention to the time and forget to eat while at work. I have picked everyday meeting times to eat something specific. Every day at 9am - we have a teleconference - so I now eat a yogurt during the meeting. I have other events in the afternoon, so I have now incorporated eating fruit during those events. This has worked great. I am no longer famished by the time I get home at night. I only eat a small dinner now.... Sharon Cook Hermann, Urbana

I chose to start small. I'm having a healthy snack. Next week will be a bigger challenge. ~ Marcos Ayala, Chicago Converting

i choose healthy breakfast and it has been a challenge, but doing good. love the muffin recipe someone posted. ~ Chris Stanley, Urbana

I chose Option #3 to pack a healthy snack for work each day. To achieve this goal I made enough homemade venison jerky to bring some everyday day as my mid-morning snack. This is a very highprotein/low-fat delicious snack. ~ Tanya Van Horn, Folding Carton Group

To avoid distracted eating I concentrated on other things to occupy my time. Exercise is a great way to avoid unnecessary food intake and create a better, healthier you. ~ Sal Lazaro, Hartford

I have chosen Challenge Option 4: Avoid distracted eating. Its easy to eat at my desk all day, but I have decided to bring a drink cup and a variety of Crystal Light flavors. When I have the urge to snack, I will drink some low-calorie flavored water instead, to curb my appetite. ~ Scott Johnson, Lakeville

The challenge I chose was to pack a healthy snack and bring to work each day. I am sometimes guilty of buying boxes of crackers to keep in my cabinet and just grab and eat however many I want. Lately in the mornings, I pack a few fruits and portion off yogurt and granola in containers that is equal to the proper serving sizes, this way Im not tempted to grab for more if it is not there. I typically stick with the same time schedule of when I eat my snacks throughout the day, so I dont throw my body off. I have noticed that eating healthier snacks throughout the day keep me from eating a larger meal at dinner time. ~ Amanda Faust, Hartford

I chose challenge #2 pack a healthy snack to bring to work. Every day this week, I brought a Fit N Active yogurt to eat for a snack. Only 90 calories per yogurt. I wasnt hungry in between meals after eating it. Goes to show how planning ahead and eating a snack in between makes you not want to unhealthy choices for snacks. ~ Laura Lentz, Hartford

Hello! I have chosen option #4 distracted eating. There are many times I will watch TV while eating meals. I have stopped that this week. Good luck all! ~ Brett Cox, Bardstown

My choice for this weeks challenge was to eat something everyday for breakfast.The reason why I never eat anything for breakfast is I am running out the door as fast as I get up. To overcome this issue I went to the store and bought a weeks worth of Special K meal replacement bars and shakes each containing 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of Fiber along with many of the nutrients your body needs. This method is working for me because it allows me to eat on the go and stay on schedule. ~ Nathan Fink, PrePrint

Each day this week I brought a snack size ziploc bag filled with veggies. It was a great snack. But, I did learn to cut them into smaller, bite-sized pieces so I wasn't crunching so loudly at my desk!! It was very filling and I ate much smaller dinners because of it. ~ Cheri Dieringer, Folding Carton Group

I am doing the healthy snack challenge. Im finding that making properly-sized portions of my chosen snack foods makes it easy to make a good choice (one I wont regret later!) when time is short. For example, I use these tiny containers to hold crackers in the suggested 5-6 crackers portion size and then grab a cheese stick. The small container makes it feel like more food since the container is FULL and not just a few crackers rattling around in a bigger container. :) Thanks for the ideas! ~ Kelly Dusterhoft, NCS

I chose Challenge Option 4 for my Week 1 Challenge. I chose this challenge because I often find myself snacking while Im preparing dinner at the end of the day. Ive found that if I bring a healthy snack (banana, almonds, etc) to eat in the afternoon, that I am not starving while making dinner and am able to skip the snacking and just wait until the meal is ready to eat. ~ Nicole Buckoski, MPC Home Office

I reduce the my distracted eating by removing all of the snack foods from the TV room. I had to go into the kitchen to get a snack. I put a single servicing of pretzels and peanuts into a bowl and consumed them with a glass of water. This reduced the reduced the quantity of the snack and beverage I was eating. ~ Bob Woerner, Georgetown

I chose the challenge no.4 (Avoid Distracted Eating) for week 1. It was challenging because I usually eat at desk while working and my dinner is in front of the TV. It is okay for me to control my lunch because I bring limited quantity. However, major challenge was to avoid TV and have dinner quietly. First couple of days were hard as I was habitual to sit with my plate full in front of the TV.

One thing I realized by following this challenge is that food tastes much better when you concentrate on eating and gives a sense of satisfaction. Moreover, my dinner potion was smaller than usual and I didnt feel hungry either. I need to work on to make this as a habit. ~ Gaurav Mandore, Philadelphia

I chose Option #4 for Week #1

(Avoid distracting eating, all forms) L

WOW! This turned out to be very challenging indeed

I chose this Option not realizing exactly how distracted I am while eating. I watched the Mindful Eating Video & took notes. I keep these notes visible at my Kitchen Table. I also read both links provided for this Challenge (Learning how distracted eating can undermine your healthy eating efforts & More great tips on how to avoid this pitfall) I live alone and caught myself (numerous times) having to put down the iPad, cell phone, magazines, mail, books, ETC. while eating this week !!! This was a HUGE eye-opener for me. ~ Trisha Gover, Edison NJ

I find it difficult to have healthy snacks available all of the time. This week I purchased frozen berries. The berries didnt spoil as quickly as fresh fruit. I found it very easy to pack a container of fruit. In addition, I purchased raw almonds and cauliflower. I washed and cut up the cauliflower at the beginning of the week so it was available all week. ~ Joanne Behling, Oconomowoc

Getting back to eating a healthy breakfast has been nice this week. When I was in college I never had the time to eat breakfast for early classes so that is why I never ate breakfast. Doing this weeks challenge it has opened my eyes to what healthy food I should eat for breakfast. I have also found myself not as hungry thought the day. The breakfast calculator really opened up my eyes to what I should not eat for breakfast. I never knew a muffin had that many calories. ~ Sara Koller, Menasha Corporate

This week I was traveling for work, so made sure I had extra fruit with me to have for my morning and afternoon snacks. There were chips and other types of snacks available but I kept to my fruit ~ Christine Olsen, MPC Home Office

I chose challenge # 3.

My plans included cleaning out my cupboards and fridge of unhealthy foods and grocery shopping for only healthy foods, not spending a penny in any vending machines during the week, eating 3 healthy meals per day and packing a healthy lunch or supper for work. I went back to the foods I used to enjoy when I was younger, baby peeled carrots with fat free ranch dip, apples, bananas, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, corn on the cob, green beans, salads with cabbage, carrots, sunflower seeds and fat free dressing. I used to work out for 3 hours a day and my appetite was very hard to satisfy so I made my own daily menus and started trying different types of foods for different levels of energy. It took a lot of research and trial and error but I gained muscle and lost weight where needed. Its time to get back into shape and feel younger and healthier! ~ Steve Kamke, Folding Carton Group

Week 1 Challenge: Healthy Snacks For this week's challenge, i chose bring a healthy snack to work, which, after i chose it, realized would be a little more difficult than i had originally anticipated. By working in my facility, we have Hershey and other candies all over the plant, and i have beeen known to keep a snack drawer of chips and cookies. I also spent half of the week travelling and had very little control of my food options. For week 1, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up oranges, strawberries, and raw Spinach. I made sure to bring those to the office and have a snack between the hours of breakfast and my lunches. I also made sure to grab fruit at the airports before and in between flights. Over the weekend, I have included fruit with my breakfast. With my sweet tooth, I by no means thought it would be easy, but i'm proud of myself for actually making it through this crazy week with healthy snacks and not missing a day. :D ~ Deanna Frederick, Rand Group

I chose to do challenge 3 for this past week. I brought in apples and carrots to snack on during the day. Not only did this keep me from going to the vending machines I actually had people around me come share my snack (carrots only :P). I was able to share the challenges with them so they knew what was going on. ~ Mike Vaughan, Madison Heights

I chose the Eating every 5-6 hours. I found this difficult because I normally graze and found myself feeling hungry quite often. I tried using the snack tips combining a protein with the whole grain carb, and that seemed to help me through to the next meal. It also helped with my sugar cravings. ~ Valerie Knetzger, Oconomowoc

I know I'm late, but I still wanted to get my "healthy breakfast" photo. I was craving something sweet today. I almost caved to the homemade cupcakes someone left in the break room. Instead, I opened a cup of Greek yogurt and poured a pile of lightly salted peanuts for a high protein breakfast choice. And, as always, I have my ORBIS water bottle filled to the brim ~ Danielle Goard, Oconomowoc