That’s right, I’m going to announce the winner of the Winter Shape Up Challenge! To randomly select the winner from all those who emailed me every single week starting way back in October, I assigned everybody a number and had a random number generator select one.

But first, I want to post some of the things you shared with me about what you learned over the course of this challenge (this time, anonymously). Thanks to all of you for participating. The challenge started with more than 90 people but WAY fewer than that made it to the end. Reading all of your emails each week was such a motivation for me to be a better health blogger. You guys even made me tear up! Check YOU out:

• “[I learned about] finding a balance between holding myself accountable for my goals and letting myself off the hook when I slipped up.”
• “I learned that the only way to lose weight is to decide to lose weight, and that working out not only helps you burn calories, but it really does give you a tremendous amount of energy.”
• “[I learned] that setting small goals and having people to be accountable to really helps you meet them! slow and steady wins the race!!!”
• “i can do something a lot more effectively if i have a goal to work towards (my 5k turned 4 mile race) and accountability and encouragement along the way goes far.”
• “The most helpful thing I learned from this challenge is that I am capable of accomplishing my goals.  I may not completed every goal I had for myself but I pushed myself where I never thought I could excel.  I surprised myself by making it all the way to the end of the challenge and saddened over the fact that it’s over!”
• “Small changes make a big difference!!   And the other most helpful thing about this challenge was being held accountable for my actions.  I always had the challenge in the back of my mind, telling me, “one portion” or “come on, a couple more minutes” at the gym.   It was an extra voice that I needed to push me in the right direction.”
• “For me, this challenge was all about breaking mental food habits…The challenge really helped me be accountable for my actions. I knew that I would have to report to you and so there was a little voice in the back of my head saying “you want to give a good report on Monday!”
• “From this challenge, I learned not to get discouraged. I enjoyed reading the success stories you posted and knowing that even if I have a bad week, I can turn it around. I also will know try to keep consistent goals, because it’s much easier to keep healthy when I have a tangible goal.”
• “I’ve learned two super helpful things from this challenge: 1. I do better when I know that I have to be accountable to someone besides just myself.  The challenge is over, but I still have a personal trainer, my Mom, and my fellow Tumblrs to be accountable to (and myself, too, of course!).  and 2. I need to make goals for myself that aren’t too strict or lofty that I feel suffocated or stressed out over, but that are specific enough so that I know what to do.”
• “The most helpful thing I’ve learned is to stop beating myself up over small things.  If I have a bad meal or something, it shouldn’t ruin the rest of my day and I shouldn’t look at the gym as torture.”
• “The most important thing I’ve learned from this challenge is to keep on trucking! I never had a perfect week but I’ve made amazing progress. There is always something to be proud of or learn from. Weight loss and healthy living is a journey.”

And now for the winner. But yes, I have to say this: YOU’RE ALL WINNERS IN MY BOOK! Seriously, you guys are fabulous. The winner of the WSU Challenge is…

Christin!!!!

Congrats, girl! Please email me asap and let me know which online gift card you’d like. Some ideas: Amazon, iTunes, etc.

And for those of you that didn’t win, I definitely plan to do another challenge — something slightly different — come springtime.

I’m a sucker for the way The Biggest Loser flaunts their success stories. So I’m about to do the same thing! You amazing Winter Shape Uppers lost a total of:

94 98 102 POUNDS!!!!! (Got another update! Ahh, we broke 100!)

That’s a huge number! Even though this challenge wasn’t solely about weight loss (it was about setting and achieving goals), many of you guys managed to change your habits… which led to weight loss. And the whole time, most of you were going through major life changes. In the course of the challenge, one of you

• got a new job
• got engaged
• experienced the passing of a close family member
• got pregnant
• broke up with a long-term boyfriend
• learned of a loved one’s cancer diagnosis
• prepared for her wedding
• transferred schools

You proved that health and fitness isn’t a separate journey… it can be part of your life journey. Alright, that was cheesy, but you guys showed that you don’t have to ship off to some fitness camp to lose weight or break bad habits!

I want to thank you all for participating in the challenge, despite all the other stuff going on in your life. And congrats! I’m going to post another update later in the week, and of course, announce the grand prize winner on 12/28.

Guess what? WE MADE IT TO WEEK 10! I never thought this week would come.

And perfect timing, because tomorrow is officially winter.

Whether you achieved all your goals, some of your goals, or absolutely none of your goals, I think persisting with anything for 10 weeks is a huge accomplishment.

For this last email (due tomorrow, 12/21, by 11:59 PM EST), I’m asking for something slightly different. As usual, send me your Week 9 progress and Week 10 goals. But I also want the following:

• If you lost weight, your total weight loss for the challenge thus far.
• Your overall fitness, nutrition, and overall goals for 2010.
• The most helpful thing you learned from this challenge.

Please don’t forget to include those last three things! They’re crucial for the last part of the challenge. I’m not going to make you email me again on Dec. 28 because I know most people will still be in holiday mode, but I will be picking a winner of the $50 gift card on that day… So be sure to check back here!

Lastly, I want to thank you all for participating in this challenge, and I can’t wait to do a bigger and better one come spring.

Brieann: “I can’t believe the challenge is almost over!  It has really kept me focused and given me a way to get back on track when I didn’t do so great.”

Tara: “Overall, I have lost more weight than I probably would have without this challenge - and I’m still in that lower jean size!!”

Ariel: “I did well this week!  I made my 3 weight lifting and cardio sessions.”

Kendyl: “I lost another 2 lbs this week. I was able to get in a couple of runs, and a couple of stationary bike rides. I was careful about the sweets I indulged in without going overboard.”

Mariel: “I FINISHED MY VERY FIRST RACE!  Not only did I finish, but I did the 4 miles in a little under 48 minutes, which was about 12 minute miles (my best pace!) for the longest distance I have ever run in one go.”

Claire: “I’m only 1.2lbs away from my goal of 15 for the challenge! I’m going to meet that this week!”

Kelly: “I forgive myself for not losing 2 pounds this week.  It’s the holiday season, and I will indulge in a cookie and some popcorn, and then hop back on the treadmill and laugh it off.  B A L A N C E…that word to me, equals peace.”

Nathalie: “Vegan Thursday: success!!”

Daphne: “One more [pound] lost. Yay. Small victories, small victories, small victories. That’s what I keep telling myself.”

Emma: “I’m pretty happy with [my weight] as it’s the lowest I’ve been all year.”

Ginny: “I feel like something just ‘clicked’ in my body this week!!   I had tons of energy, too!”

V: “Stocking my fridge — and even more importantly, my office — with healthy, satisfying snacks was a huge help.”

Helen: “This challenge has definitely kept me accountable, especially the goal setting.”

Nathalie: “I am very happy to say that I ordered water at every restaurant, which decreased my calorie intake. I can only imagine all the extra calories I could have consumed if I added a drink or two to each meal.”

Christin: “I just ran a 8 min 35 sec mile to burn off the stress of a bad final. That’s 1 min 25 sec faster than the beginning of this semester.”

Ariel: “met all my goals this week although I had to smush a bunch of stuff in over weekend b/c my week was so crazy.”

Melissa: “I just read your post about falling off of the WSU bandwagon and it could not have come at a better time.  I was thinking today that I would drop out of the challenge and what that would mean for me… But, now that we have 3 weeks to go and a whirlwind few weeks leading up to the holidays, I decided to turn my negative thoughts around and rededicate myself to my goals.” [Ed. Note: YES!!!]

Katie K.: “So, I weighed in today at [XXX]. That’s still half a pound lost! And is getting even closer to my first reward goal of ten pounds lost. Mani/pedi, here I come!”

I have limited access to my computer this week, but I got all your emails and will respond asap! In the mean time, keep up the good work! GO TEAM! :)

Last night, I headed to my boyfriend’s house for our weekly date night (which usually consists of dinner and Top Chef). He doesn’t always have groceries on hand to cook with, but I wanted to cook a dinner that would be quick/easy and make for great leftovers. I gave him a short grocery list, and soon after, our dinner of spicy turkey chili was served.

You’ll need (makes 8-10 servings):

• 1-2 lbs lean ground turkey (if possible, get turkey that was raised sustainably!)
• 2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes (I always use fire-roasted)
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 2 medium green bell peppers
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 large onion
• lots o’ spices (see below)
• olive oil
• SECRET INGREDIENT (see below!)

Preparation:

Roughly chop the onion and peppers, and begin sauteeing the turkey with a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large soup pot with salt and pepper. My boy thinks that “only white people” cook the raw turkey WITH the vegetables (despite the fact that everything is going to be cooked fully together anyway!), so he cooked it separately. I love the colors of the veggies. Sorry for the bad photos… I had to use my phone.

After the turkey is mostly cooked, add the veggies and let them saute until they begin to soften.

Let that mixture cook for another 5-10 minutes. Then, add the rest of the ingredients.

My favorite kind of diced tomatoes: Muir Glen organic fire-roasted. They lend a slightly smoky flavor to the dish, which I like. They also seem to be slightly less acidic than un-roasted tomatoes.

The spices I use: cumin, paprika, chili powder, crushed red pepper, cayenne. I probably use about a teaspoon of each. That gives the chili a little bit of a kick, so back off if you’re sensitive.

The secret ingredient! I added about 1/2 C Harvest Moon pumpkin ale. I would usually use red wine, but we didn’t have any opened. I think adding some sort of alcohol (make sure it’s one you’d actually want to drink!) really gives chili more depth and complexity. It’s subtle, of course, but it’s there. This meant I added a bit of gluten to my chili, but I figured such a small amount would be okay.

Let everything simmer together for about 30 minutes to let some of the liquid steam off. If you’re in a rush, just let it simmer for as long as you can.

This is such an easy dinner, and makes a ton of leftovers. I usually add a bit of shredded sharp cheddar or plain Greek yogurt for a finishing touch. Winter Shape Uppers, definitely give this one a try!

Nutrition Stats (for 8 servings):

There are only a little over 30 of you left, but those of you that stuck it out are completely rocking this challenge. I have nothing else to say. Your words speak for themselves!

Helen: “I weighed in yesterday at [XXX] pounds, a weight that I haven’t seen on the scale in about three years, a weight that means I have a healthy BMI =]”

Meghan: “Oh, and as I’m sure your sick of me saying this, I set a new PR on Thursday for a 5 mile run. I managed to crush my old time by more than three minutes.” [Ed. Note: I’ll never get sick of hearing about a PR!]

Tara: “Met my nutrition goal of eating mindfully on thanksgiving. I didn’t overeat but treated myself to the things that I wanted that day.”

Stephanie J.: “I am thankful this holiday season for those bloggers that have inspired me to take charge of my health and you are the one right there at the top.” [Ed. Note: I’m thankful for you guys, too!!]

Maggie: “On my 4 mile run yesterday I felt really strong, so that was a good way to end my week”

Ann: “I did not over eat which I find a huge accomplishment.”

Kelsey: “I watched Food, Inc. and I’m thinking about vegetarianism.  I have already tried to buy organic and local, but I’m really going to focus on that now.”

V: “I worked out 6 (!) days this week. I’m especially proud of the fact that I was able to squeeze in a run on Thanksgiving day (and the day before, and the day after).”

Alice: “I did a pretty good job of not overstuffing myself on Thanksgiving.”

Jennifer: “If nothing else comes from this challenge, I’m still glad that working out has become a part of my routine.”

Katie K.: “I am almost 10 pounds down from when I started exercising and eating better in September!”

Kelly: “A .4 pound loss over thanksgiving week seems pretty good to me!!”