great article borrowed from weight watchers site

Spring into Action Challenge

Article By: Elizabeth Josefsberg

With just a few weeks until Memorial Day the season of reawakening is upon us. As we spring back to life we realize that the season of short sleeves and bathing suits fast approaches. This year we challenge you to take a step outside of your comfort zone, clean out the cobwebs and set some serious goals. Four weeks may sound like a short period of time, but with focus, in that time you can make a dramatic difference in both how you look and feel.

If you are just joining us this week, the Spring into Action Challenge aims to focus your efforts on weight loss and rejuvenation. It will urge you to take on more than you think you are capable of in an effort to find out just what you can actually achieve in this precious window of time. We ask you to battle the inner voice saying that you can’t make a change in just four weeks and defy the excuses that cripple progress. Summer, social events, outdoor living and an active life are just around the corner. This year we will make sure you are ready to face them head on.

For each of the four weeks of the challenge we urge you to set four goals, representing the four pillars of the program that lead to successful weight loss: eating right, moving more, changing behavior and finding support. We will provide guidance, but ask you to push the envelope. Don’t just try, succeed. Set goals that seem just beyond where you think you might be able to reach in order to set the bar higher going forward. Set aside time each week to be thoughtful about the goals you are setting and dedicate some time to planning just how you might attain them.

Week Three: Go green
Eating smarter: This week is all about the green – green vegetables that is! Nearly all vegetables are Weight Watchers Power Foods, so they will help you fight off hunger with fewer calories. Green vegetables, especially the dark green leafy kind, are especially healthy. Most of us are familiar with broccoli and spinach, but this week we challenge you to get outside the box and prepare or use as many green vegetables as you can. Try avocados, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, kale, okra or tomatillos. They offer a range of nutritional benefits including cholesterol control, cancer fighting properties and a good source of vitamins.

Moving more: The prescription for fitness within the PointsPlus™ program is to complete at least 30 minutes of activity on most days. Research proves that 90% of people who have kept weight off over time have a regular schedule of activity in their lives.* If you want lasting weight loss, you are going to have to find a way to make fitness a part of your everyday life, no excuses.
If you have been with us for the last two weeks you have started walking and added resistance training to your day. This week in keeping with the theme, we challenge you to go green! Get out of the gym into the beauty of nature. Turn off the treadmills and walk or run outside. Notice how green the world has become in the past few weeks! Don't forget, this challenge is not about comfort and ease. This challenge asks you to push your limits. This week focus on using nature and your surroundings to get the exercise you need. Use hills for greater resistance, climb stairs and do push-ups to continue gaining strength and endurance. Focus on yoga and stretching on the beach or in a park. Allow the great outdoors to be your gymnasium! Be sure to write down what you do each day to continue to monitor yourself as your strength grows. Compare just how many more sit-ups you are doing this week than last week.

Build helpful habits: This week is all about going green. Many of the modern conveniences that have popped up in the past quarter of a century truly lead us to a sedentary lifestyle, while spending energy. This week swear off at least one thing that removes movement from your life. Get off the escalator and use the stairs. Don’t use email to ask a question of your officemate, get up and go to her office. Build habits that allow you to get up and move more in your day. Are you driving to the store when you really could walk? Examine places in your life to replace activity that has been sapped by technology.

Finding support: This week we urge you to give your support to someone who needs it. Find somewhere where you can volunteer your help this week to help someone in need. Giving of ourselves can lead to feelings of happiness and self worth. Get outside of yourself this week to give in a way that will lead you to feel great about your actions. When we feel good about ourselves we don’t need to turn to food for comfort.

The four challenges set forth for you this week support the plan in fundamental ways. It is up to you to take the time to work these new goals into your life. Believe us that your time will be well spent. We recommended that you decide on one fabulous beauty treat that you have been wishing for as a reward for completing the challenge. Start planning out how you will make it happen. Do you need to book your appointment for your facial? Do you need to set aside time to get to your favorite make-up counter? Make a plan and focus on all the positive ways in which you have changed in just a few short weeks. Keep pushing ahead and we will see you next week, one step closer.