Hi, blog readers! Are you taking part in Live Healthy Iowa's 100 Day Challenge? A bunch of us at CRI are. Amy recruited a group at work to commit to eating healthier and exercising more for at least 100 days, and to compete against other teams here in Mahaska County. We're almost two weeks in.

I'll admit, I was a little cocky going into this challenge. I make an effort to eat relatively healthily already, and while I had fallen off the wagon a bit since I started working here at CRI, I love being active---I grew up playing soccer, and I love hiking, biking, or jogging on an elliptical.

But my first trip to the gym in a while brought me back down to earth. I swear, the exercise equipment at the PAC at William Penn is either way harder to run on than the ones I ran on at Drake...or maybe I'm just a little out of shape!

Regardless, it's been fun starting to get fit again. I'm trying to drink more water, eat out less (I've cut out fast food completely), and get to the gym more. On days I don't get over to the PAC, I'll work out at home. Did you know doing 1000 jumping jacks a week can help you lose about a pound? Up until this week, I think I was about 12 the last time I did jumping jacks. My cat thinks I'm crazy, but when I'm in the comfort of my own apartment, I think he's the only one judging me.

The coolest thing about all this is being able to feel and see results. I'm fitting into my skinny jeans better than I was a few weeks ago. And eating a salad or a bowl of stir fry for lunch may not satisfy my burger cravings, but I think my body appreciates my laying off the Wendy's.

Hopefully by the time the 100 days are over, the team here at CRI will be healthier and more fit! We'll keep you posted on how the challenge is going!