January Thrive Challenge

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Comment by Dorette Sommer-Franks on January 8, 2011 at 6:59pm

Becoming a VEGA Ambassador has changed my life.  In many ways you could say it saved my commitment to love my body inside and out through being invited to be a part of a community of athletes committed to bringing health and vitality to their lives.  We are all on a journey into ones’ self to be a better person.  For the last two years, I’ve struggled with a body that has changed.  I am 41 and hit that magical place people begin to notice changes, a slowed down metabolism, skin lacking luster, etc.  Even as a competitive endurance athlete, I’ve struggled with a 13 lb weight gain, feeling a loss of control with having a say over what stays on and what comes off, and then there is the all too common “over booking” syndrome.  I became too busy to give back to myself, to love and care for myself first and foremost.  With the contribution of the VEGA community and their support, in October 2010, I became a vegetarian and my quest for diving into my beautiful body continues.  In November, 2011 I will be representing TEAM USA at the ITU World Championship Triathlon and my motivation is high to be the healthiest and fittest I’ve ever been - I want to know & celebrate my body unlike I've ever experineced  and do that by:

Bring myself back to a healthy weight (drop that extra 13 lbs by October 2011) and increase my vitality:  Plan & prepare meals rather than eat out; drink tea or read a book instead of drinking having a class of wine to unwind (this way I get a better night’s sleep); train with whole foods and share my discoveries with other athletes; take a raw foods “cooking” class and eat vegan/raw by summer ’11; schedule time for self first rather than overbook and give myself whatever is left; meditate and practice yoga 3-5 times/week; give back to others/be kind to others by sending birthday cards or acknowledging them, listen more.  Through my commitments, by October 2011, I see myself standing taller and slimmer, eating a vegan/raw diet; I feel balanced, healthy and proud while being a representative to other athletes.    

 

Comment by Justin Miller on January 8, 2011 at 9:23am

I moved back to Tacoma over a year ago, after my second deployment.  Not only was I leaving a high-stress experience behind me-I was returning to the place I call home with negative habits that I'd developed to cope with experiences like deployments and the subsequent pressure of returning home, such as smoking and drinking.  Additional events added stress and pressure to my life, so the last year has been nothing short of a catastrophe for me in terms of mental and physical health.  Still, I had a good support base of friends, family and colleagues, and the knowledge to fix things.  So around December, I started taking a mental inventory of where I was at with my life, what I was unsatisfied with, and how I could improve it.  So above all, I decided that the key resolution that I could make for a new year would be this:

Actively pursue life.

 

This one resolution entailed so many things that I wanted to repair and change in my life, that it's all I really needed to keep in mind.  It's only been a week, but I'm on my first weekend without blowing thirty bucks at the bar, and I haven't smoked in a week either.  Spending more time with the family and lest time zoned out on the computer is a big part of this as well.  I'm going to jump into the 12 week Thrive plan soon, and as far as physical fitness is concerned, I have a goal of attaining a target weight of 190 lbs and maxing out my physical capabilities.  So far, so good!

Comment by Jamie Margolis on January 8, 2011 at 12:00am

My goal is to get those I teach and selected friends to become more aware of the great "real" foods out there that will help them to achieve their own goals.  The rest is easy.

Comment by Charlene Tomlinson on January 7, 2011 at 10:07pm

I am doing Shaun T's Insanity workout program, and video blogging it :D

Sooo intense! My muscles are screaming and it's only day 3!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLJz7kJGpds

Comment by Romney on January 7, 2011 at 8:35pm

My goal for 2011 is to compete as a vegetarian for the first time in my life! I will be around 10% bodyfat by May 2011 here in Oklahoma! I will be making steps every day to obtain my goal (and one of my life long dreams) by eating clean every 2-3 hours and doing daily workouts! This has been a goal of mine since I was 16 but just recently (last year) became meat free and feel better than ever! Time to reach this goal of mine before I turn 30!! :D Good luck everyone!! You can do it!!

Comment by Rob Dubois on January 7, 2011 at 8:31pm

2011 is the year I help the needy. April 2011, I plan to go to Pamparomas, Peru to do missionary work with St. James church for a year. After surviving pre-diabetes and quadruple by-pass surgery last year, I'm in better shape now than ever. I've been keeping fit and I'll need to step up my exercise routine to be fit enough to climb from 6,000 feet to 14,000 feet above sea level - a 13 hour walk. The district of Pamparomas has 42 villages on the side of Black Mountain in the Andes. To train, I ascend and descend a local hill which climbs 650 feet in 30 blocks or about 2.5 Km. My fuel? VEGA!

Comment by Dréa Drury on January 7, 2011 at 7:16pm

My goal for 2011 is to be continually *awake* in my life. This means fully experiencing all of the ups and downs with a compassionate and curious attitude. In previous years, I have started a 3 month cleanse in January, as well as various exercise goals, but I am finding that (even though these things are important) the most crucial action that I can take right now is to be fully present with myself and the people around me. So how am I going to achieve this? By continuing my meditation practice, one hour each morning, as well as supporting my yoga practice by attending weekly classes. Deep breathing is another tool that will allow me to stay connected to the present, and to not become overwhelmed by passing emotions. I am also going to practice a non-judgmental attitude whenever I come across challenges, opening to whatever is happening in the moment.

So that's my new years goal! Over the years I've found that running a 5k or losing that last 10 pounds is definitely inspiring on many levels, but if I can't handle my life *without* going for a run or consuming the latest expensive health foods - then something is seriously unbalanced. Here's to turning and facing all that life offers, the beautiful moments - and the ones that scare the s*** out of me!

Comment by Brittany Schneider on January 7, 2011 at 6:51pm

I have a very simple sounding but ridiculously complicated goal of:

HEALTHIER AT 28 THAN 18.

As a trainer I pass out advice all day every day, and this year I am going to take my own advice! I plan on breaking 4 hours in a marathon (best time was 4:21 last summer) and doing a half-iron triathlon. My longest tri was a sprint... so the swim might kill me!

My tri training, on top of all the classes I teach, is two bikes, two runs, two swims each week... harder than it sounds sometimes!

 

Comment by Ryan Fields on January 7, 2011 at 6:22pm

My 2011 goal is to run my first Full Marathon!  I am registered for the A1A Marathon in Fort Lauderdale, FL this February.  I have been training for the past 8 months and using Vega Health Optimizer in my smoothies everyday (Yum Yum).  I did my first Half in November last year and felt great.  I switched to a plant based diet last June after reading Thrive, and I feel awesome. It is amazing how much better I perform on this diet!  I continue to increase the ratio of raw foods and I am trying to avoid gluten as well.  I started the new year with a nice 20 miler on 1/1/11.  It was the best start to a new year ever.  I am looking forward to seeing Brendan for the first time in West Palm Beach in 2 weeks:)  Happy 2011, Vega Community!!

Comment by Gail Shochet on January 7, 2011 at 6:13pm

I have late-stage disseminated Lyme disease and multiple coinfections, the treatment of which will take several years.  I am of course concerned about the effects of long-term antibiotics on my digestive system, although to be honest, the profound neurological effects of the Lyme spirocete, bartonella, and babesia that has battered my system for 9+ years are far worse.

I am committed to getting well and want to eat better and provide better nutritional support for what is looking to be a long (2-3 years at least) battle.  I am a part-time vegetarian but due to pain, fatigue and nausea my diet is pretty poor.   I don't tolerate a lot of supplements well; I'm interested in Vega products as part of my wellness plan for 2011, but I haven't tried any yet.

Comment by Jennifer on January 7, 2011 at 2:25pm

I am a athlete in brazilian jiu-jitsu and have always had a dream of competing in a fitness competition as well. I decided this year I'm going to make it happen.  No time like the present.  So I hired a trainer and was starting on the journey of making my dream happen.  Yesterday she notified me that she is not knowledgeable enough of plant based holistic foods and that she won't be able to train me anymore.  She recommended I find someone who knows how to do it from a holistic standpoint yet said that,  that's very rare in the fitness industry.  It's very disheartening, yet I don't feel I should have to sacrifice my health or my dream.  Why do people think eating pounds and pounds of denatured whey protein powder is the only route to go?  It's frustrating, but I'm not going to let it stop me.  So my goal is to still do it, but using plant based foods and great products like Vega.  It's time for people to change the industry standard and show that it can be done.

All the best in 2011 for everyone!

Comment by Donna Wells on January 7, 2011 at 8:23am

My goal for 2011 is to look after me better so I can look after others better.  My diet is already good and I already include greens, supplements and exercise but what I am missing is down time for me.  So I intend on getting more rest and enjoying life more by doing things I love to do - read, exercise, and want to try meditation and a few new things too.  Have a Happy, Healthy, Wealthy and Wise 2011!

Comment by Stefanie on January 7, 2011 at 3:33am

My goal of the new year is to spend more time focusing on me and my happiness.  To do this I will:

-Take time out to eat healthier and stick to a balanced vegan diet

-Exercise daily

-Experiment more in the kitchen with recipes and try a new fruit or veggie each week

-Take 15 minutes of the day to stop and relax and focus on what makes me happy

-Do one kind act for someone else each day

-When I feel really stressed, take a time out to relax and breathe

Comment by Jessica on January 7, 2011 at 2:11am

My goal this year is to become fully vegan and to get my black belt . The steps i'm taking are:

- do a cleanse to kickstart my healthy eating (already in progress)

-adopt a balanced vegan diet 

-train at my dojo at least twice a week

-morning workout everyday

Oh , and I want complete a holistic health practitioner course as well :)

Comment by Roni POzner on January 6, 2011 at 11:24pm

Beginning my journey as a vegan bodybuilding

Comment by Cheryl on January 6, 2011 at 5:29pm

My goal is to have 100 green/vegetable smoothies in 2011. A group of friends have joined together on facebook in the "green monster" challenge.

We post our smoothie recipes and counts as we drink them,take periodic photos to show the results, and encourage each other to keep up with the challenge.

We created a list of basic guidelines that we will all follow (like all smoothies are vegan and 8oz or more in volume).

I've created a basic stocklist of ingredients to keep on hand at home and for travel to make them.

Comment by Deborah Bartlett on January 6, 2011 at 5:02pm

Im already vegan... But resolve to increase the raw foods in my diet much more in 2011
And try to meditate more;)

Comment by Melissa Peters on January 6, 2011 at 12:11pm

In 2010 I challenged myself to move from a cooked vegetarian plantform to the raw vegan lifestyle and was thrilled with how amazing I felt. For 2011 I am challenging myself to a water fast to kick out the bad and welcome the new with a juice feast. 2011 holds great things and I am so excited for a full year of veganism!

Comment by Nellie Shaul on January 6, 2011 at 8:49am

My goal for 2011 is to start running again.  I haven't run in about 2 years due to injuries.  I've begun to address many of the causes, but will be taking specific steps over the next few months to achieve this goal:

 

1)  Reducing inflammation in my body through a 'detoxifying' diet focused on nutrient dense plant foods (and vega smoothies of course!).  I've already started this by cutting out caffeine, dairy, gluten and reducing sugar.

 

2)  Fixing my underlying biomechanical issues by consistently doing the physical therapy exercises that my chiropractor has told me to do and getting regular massages.

 

3)  Rebuilding my balance/coordination by being more consistent in my yoga practice.

Comment by Bonita O'Neill on January 6, 2011 at 5:10am

My goal is to continue to drink the Vega Whole Food Optimizer after every morning workout. I have been doing it for two years and have never felt healthier. Too bad I didn't have this regimen years ago.

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