Meet the Members: These Women are Spreading the Spark!

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Last week, I wrote about the BIGGEST ever giveaway in the history of SparkPeople. While that giveaway ends today, that doesn't mean the prizes stop! Through Jan. 1, we'll be giving away prizes to people who preorder copies of "The Spark"!

Because the dailySpark is YOUR Healthy Lifestyle Blog, I like to share the stories of as many of you as possible. I love hearing tips on how you stay on track, anecdotes about learning to love fitness and all the ways you Spread the Spark. It's really one of the best parts of this fabulous job of mine.

So starting today, I'll be featuring brief interviews with some of our "Spark" prize winners on the dailySpark. These SparkPeople members won our daily T-shirt giveaways, and now they're Spreading the Spark in return by sharing their best tips.

Meet Janet and SaConda!

Janet (jaycee77) is a married mom of two almost grown sons. She lives in Newark, Del., and LOVES Jazzercise. She joined SparkPeople in April 2008 to learn how to be healthier.



What are your top 3 tips to stay on track?
1. Keeping a food journal.
2. Planning ahead.
3. Participating in challenges on my SparkTeams.

How do you stay motivated?
I try not to let my diet become stagnant. I'm always looking for new ideas and recipes to keep things fresh. I love eating seasonal fruits and veggies for this reason.

What advice do you have for someone who is just getting started on a healthy lifestyle journey?
Journal everything so you can more readily find out what works for you.Take things one step at a time. Don't try to change everything at once. Work on one area and add something new to work on once you are comfortable with what you are currently doing.

What SparkPeople feature is the most helpful to you?
SparkTeams. The support that you receive from fellow team members can keep you going when you are feeling down and discouraged. You realize that whatever it is you are going through, someone else has been there and can give you some valuable advice.



SaConda (SOOKIE) lives in Ewing, N.J., and joined SparkPeople back in January 2006. Setting goals through the site helps her live better. She's a church secretary and a consultant for a company that specializes in gourmet buffet parties. She's also quite the optimist and loves the Quick Track options for water, fruits and veggies--and SparkRecipes.com.

What are your top 3 tips to stay on track?
The 3 top tips I would share are 1. Take time out to plan ahead for meals and fitness. 2. Enlist the help of a close friend or family member that you can be accountable to. 3. Keep frozen veggies around – especially those steamer bags. They are so convenient.

How do you stay motivated?
My heart rate monitor – love it! I have an Excel chart of my workout and I track my heart rate after each workout – it's motivating and challenges me to dig a little deeper at the next workout. I also have a little black dress hanging where I can see it every day – this dress is my motivation to wear again, and again and again!

What advice do you have for someone who is just getting started on a healthy lifestyle journey?
For someone just getting started, I would say increase water intake and practice portion control. Take it one day at a time and most importantly, have fun!

These ladies have done their part to Spread the Spark--and they'll be entered to win even more prizes. Don't miss out on the fun--preorder your copy of "The Spark" today!

It's Monday, the start of a new week. What goals have you set for the week? I'm going to try to keep my at-home work space clutter-free for an entire week. (This is quite challenging for me, as my boyfriend tells me that clutter just seems to follow me!) This will certainly help me reduce a bit of stress.