Nutrition Challenge Results

Through the months of June and July, I ran a nutrition challenge called The Hunger Games at The Pursuit in Frankenmuth. When I introduced the challenge, my goal was creating healthy habits. We focused on portion sizes, increasing vegetable intake, adequate water consumption, and improving sleep. We had an amazing response of 31 people that participated in the challenge.

These changes were meant to be lifestyle changes; sustainable for the long-term. So while we focused on healthy choices, there were days where less healthy foods were eaten, alcohol was consumed, and the plan wasn’t followed 100%. That being said, we still saw results!

After the challenge, I asked people to take a survey related to their experience. Every single person that filled out the survey (19 total) said that they learned something and would use that knowledge even after the challenge was finished. That was the biggest win for me.

While health was the major goal, weight loss was a side effect.

Of 26 people that completed their final measurements, there was a total of 184.6 lbs lost!
We also did body composition analysis. Of the 25 that completed that, the average body fat lost in 8 weeks was 1.6% with 100.27 lbs of body fat lost!

Focus on health, create better habits, and the rest will follow.

Some of the participants gave me permission to share their individual results and some shared words related to their experience. I have been posting these on my social media weekly, but here is a compilation of all of those results!

Amanda

Scott

Daniel

Kyra

Sara B

James

Candice

“I signed up for the nutrition challenge in order to help lower my A1C level. I wanted to eat healthier meals with a balanced diet and avoid insulin shots. While I wasn’t the most dedicated to the challenge itself (see Hannah about cookies), overall I learned quite a bit. Having IBS, a gluten intolerance, and a dairy intolerance allows for very little variety in what I can eat. Probably the biggest lesson I learned was how much water intake can affect digestion. I began to notice as I (barely) made my required daily water I was able to introduce more variety back into my meals (high FODMAP foods like Almonds and Broccoli). Even after the challenge I still have to remind myself to drink water, but having this experience is a great reminder. The other thing I noticed is that I was not eating enough vegetables. I used to think a potato was a veggie in the same way that broccoli is a veggie (but really starchy vs. nonstarchy). The meals I used to think were healthy and balanced were really carb-heavy (not good for A1C levels). Hannah also worked with me on allowing my fave foods (like pizza and cookies) in moderation. Real-life nutrition. While I didn’t gain/lose weight in this challenge, I did learn how to eat better overall and I have maintained these habits since the challenge ended.”

Kayla

Sara K

“My initial reason for joining the challenge was exactly that-to challenge myself to eat well and learn while doing it. Maybe drop a couple pounds in the process. Halfway into the Hunger Games, Hannah asked us to write down why we were doing the challenge to help keep us in the right mindset and to stay motivated. I sat there thinking about it one night. One outcome of the challenge that I didn’t expect was the impact it had on my family. I have an 8-year-old daughter who was really interested in what I was eating (but not interested enough to do more than “try” some of the vegetables). I would catch her telling people about healthy eating habits, how eating good food helps you feel better physically, and why it is important to eat food for fuel (all the things Hannah taught us). I know that you must model good behavior for your kids to follow, but it was awesome to see her sharing the information I was teaching her. Not only did I have great results from following Hannah’s guidance, the habits I have made have impacted my family. What kids see us doing is a much stronger message than what we tell them to do. This benefit far outweighs the physical changes I have made-even though it’s nice to hear all the compliments! I am six weeks out from the challenge and still prepping all our family meals for the week using the guidance Hannah provided. ⠀
Thank you, Hannah!!!”

Chad

Erin

“Admittedly, I was hesitant and scared to join the challenge; not because I didn’t believe I could do it, but because I knew it would force me to confront some bad habits that formed after having my children. I have always been passionate about eating organic, healthy, real foods and was already committed to working out consistently. Yet, my fitness progress remained at a standstill. The challenge forced me to confront my food and drink consumption and focus on what I was feeding my body. The most important shift was a mental one: I no longer view exercise as punishment for eating or as a means to lose weight, but as a reward for what my body can accomplish. Nutrition is the fuel for allowing my body to do more. I lost a bit of weight over the course of 8 weeks, but my fitness level grew immensely. I continue to meal prep and abide by more conscious food and drink habits. I feel better than I ever have, both mentally and physically!”