Mayors' Challenge Update

From an e-mail sent out by the folks coordinating the Mayors' Challenge:

This Month:
March is upon us, which means that it’s National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme from the American Dietetic Association is “100% Fad-Free.” It’s easy to be tempted by fad diets that offer fast weight loss while letting you eat all the junk food you want, but such diets are usually not scientifically or nutritionally sound. In fact, many can cause serious health problems. The following are signs that a diet is probably a fad:
- Promises of incredibly rapid weight loss, such as 10 pounds in the first week (remember – healthy weight loss is generally 1-2 pounds per week)
- A list of “good” and “bad” foods
- Any recommendations that are used to sell a product
- Too good to be true promises, such as “no exercise needed”

Mayors’ Challenge Success Story:
Shirley Pearson of Gibsonville has already lost 7 pounds! When asked how she did it, Shirley told us she simply cut back on the amount of food she’s eating. For example, she realized she didn’t need to eat 10 crackers with her salad when she would be just as satisfied after eating 3. She’s also stopped driving through fast food restaurants for the 99 cent sundae. Congratulations, Shirley!
Do you have a success story you’d like to share? If so, simply e-mail the details along with your name and daytime telephone number to mayorschallenge@ymcagreensboro.org.

Staying Motivated:
With week 4 of the Mayors’ Challenge finished, many of us are struggling to keep our motivation to exercise. Consider these simple tips to make exercise a lasting part of your life:
- Exercise in short bursts. Finding 30 minutes to exercise is difficult, but it may be easier to find time for three 10 minute walks during the day.
- Keep a journal. Looking through records of your success with exercise may be just the thing to keep you going back for more.
- Schedule time. Treat exercise like an important business client – write it in your calendar and don’t cancel your appointment!
- Do something you think is fun. Sure, running may be great exercise, but if you don’t enjoy running, you probably won’t stick with it. Maybe you prefer walking or taking a yoga class instead.

Mark Your Calendar
Join your mayors from 1-3 p.m. April 14 in Festival Park, downtown Greensboro, for the "Get Healthy Guilford" walk as part of the finale of the Mayors' Challenge. You can choose one of eight downtown trails, each about a 30-minute walk - or take two trails for an hour walk.

The Mayors’ Update
In the first four weeks, the eight mayors competing have lost more than 36 pounds!