Healthy Habits Challenge (#nsphealthyhabits)
NATALIE SINISGALLI PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM
It started as a conversation on a 2-hr drive home from one of our Finger Lakes weddings. Whitney and I were lamenting our fitness / eating habits for the 100th time this month, saying how we keep talking about eating and living healthier, but hadn't actually done it for more than a few days. We decided the only thing that really ever motivates either of us is competition (good call, Whit!), and thus, a healthy habits competition was born.
We decided to reward healthy habits, and also to measure ourselves on our actions not on desired (or unrealistic) outcomes. We decided to open the competition up to all the ladies within our team that wanted to participate, and I was honestly floored with the response. After sending out an email to our team about this idea, everyone replied almost immediately. "YES." "Thank you. "I was getting ice cream when I got this email, how did you know?". Everyone was in (even Mrs. Kelly Kester - who now has her own photography studio. As our previous studio manager, and current second shooter - she'll always have a place in NSP antics should she choose to!).
We earn points every day by doing such things as consuming our daily water recommendation, logging our food via My Fitness Pal (regardless of what we eat), working out, participating in healthy activities such as going for a walk or playing tennis (you know I get salsa dancing points!), and for eating as "clean" and unprocessed as possible. We've even allowed for two personal points per day, based on metrics we each set for things we wanted to improve in our own lives (from being more consistent about flossing, cooking-in more nights of the week, staying within a calorie guideline and so on). The person with the most points at the end of the challenge (September 20, two months from now) wins at gift card that we all chipped in for! But anyone who participates till the end will really be a winner, right? Cue the sappy music.
It started 2 days ago, and I've got to say - I've already experienced a huge change in my own life. I feel healthier already - and am SO PROUD of my team for embracing a healthy lifestyle. Even though it's smack dab in the middle of busy season (team, are we insane?!), everyone has been impressing the heck out of me with their commitment and excitement for this challenge. We've got emails going back and forth about avoiding temptations and about all the healthy activities we've been enjoying. Even one about how "hot tea" will make you a "hottie". Perhaps we are all starting to lose it a bit...
So if you see #NSPhealthyhabits, you'll know what it is. And if you see it on pictures of dessert, you'll know it's sarcastic. But in any case - I couldn't be prouder of my team and we'll keep you, our wonderful community posted on our progress! :) Game on!