Ghislaine Clouthier in a before and after from the 8-Week Challenge.

Snacking was the hardest habit to give up.

But, for Ghislaine Clouthier it was worth it.

The Brock University employee took the 8-Week Challenge earlier this year and lost 28 lbs. and 18.5 inches. Just as importantly, her energy level increased and she started to feel better.

After a difficult first week, the challenge gets easier, she said.

“The hunger and sugar cravings go away after the first week or so,” Clouthier said.
The diet market is flooded with rules and contradictions.

Eat this, don’t eat that. Caffeine is good, caffeine is bad.

It’s hard to know what information to follow for optimal health.

In an effort to make nutrition easier to understand, Niagara businesswomen Bonnie Giampa and Briar Krieger developed the 8-Week Challenge.

“There’s so much clouded information out there,” Giampa said. “Our entire focus is to lift the veil.”

Giampa said the program is not a diet, but a lifestyle.

Kathryn Walker, Manager of Health Management and Wellness, said Brock’s Health, Safety and Wellness is offering staff a chance to take the challenge with the first 50 participants getting a $25 discount paid for by the school.

“We would like to see as many people register as possible,” she said.

Walker knows first-hand the value of lessons learned. She participated earlier this year during Brock’s first 8-Week Challenge.

“It was a great opportunity. I’m glad I did it,” she said. “It really was a challenge. It involved a lot of changes for me.”

Cutting out or reducing her intake of sugar, caffeine and alcohol were some of the big changes she noticed.

Clouthier said learning to read labels and getting tips on what to choose when eating out helped her maintain her healthy lifestyle.

“It is amazing how many food items have sugar hiding!” she said.

Reducing sugar consumption and teaching people to identify hidden sugar in foods is a major part of the challenge’s program, Giampa said.

“We teach our challengers how to read the ingredient list,” she said.

Encouraging physical activity, even just a leisurely stroll, is part of the challenge but Giampa notes losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise.

The challenge officially starts Sept. 21. To register visit www.8weekchallenge.com and select Corporate Challenge and click Brock Challenge.

Pricing:

• Challenge Base Package is $126.65 + HST ($25 off for the first 50 people to register)
• Challenge Elite Package is $169.15 + HST ($25 off for the first 50 people to register)
• Repeat Challenge Package is $99 + HST ($25 off for the first 50 people to register)