We Thrive Together…..Together Counts + Giveaway

By /

What is the most powerful force on the planet for healthy weight change?  Is it the fad diets or gym memberships?  No! Together Counts believe that the most powerful force on the planet for healthy weight change is the power of teamwork – of making a commitment to get active and healthy together.

Across the country, families are taking a pledge to do just that.  They’re eating meals together, they’re being physically active together, and they’re keeping score.  Together Counts is providing people with the inspiration, the platform, and a record of their progress.  The objective is to get as many people as possible to take the pledge to live active and healthy lifestyles together.

I’ve had some great experiences with my boys while enjoying the outdoors as a family. My 3 boys and I love to go on bike rides through the neighborhood!  We play sports outside, including basketball, soccer, and baseball.  Not only does it give us a chance to enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise, but it gives me a chance to talk with them and find out how their day is going or how they’re doing in their classes and with friends.

When we’re outside, my boys love to show me their new tricks.  They are so proud of how fast they can ride on their bikes, or how my oldest can dribble the basketball around and under his legs.  They love to show me how high they can bounce the ball or how far they can kick the soccer ball.  They especially love it when I bounce the ball to them or kick the ball to them.

Another way we spend time as a family is by eating together at the dinner table.  I try to eat as a family with everyone at the table for all three meals, but dinner especially.  When I was growing up, my sisters and I would eat our meals at the counter while my parents ate standing up or in front of the television.  It was at my dad and stepmom’s house that we would eat together as a family – all at the dinner table.  It gave us a chance to talk about our days and bond as a family.  I want my boys to experience the same benefits I received from eating meals with my dad and stepmom.  To spice it up a little bit, we even like to eat some of our meals outside!

Here is a little more information about the importance of being active and eating meals as a family, courtesy of the Together Counts Campaign.

Q:  Why do you combine a campaign which includes family meals and physical activity?

Families that eat together and share regular physical activities are happier and healthier.  These are valuable and important activities for any family, but given the time constraints people are under, any change we encourage needs to be simple.  It also needs to begin in the home, where we have love, support, and accountability.  We can only do this together.

Q:  Why the focus on family?

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation conducted a study of over 500,000 conversations online about childhood obesity.  Moms saw family as a force for change which can create lifelong active healthy habits for all family members.  We believe one of the  most important ways in which families can accomplish change is through energy balance – balancing calories in and calories expended through physical activity.  They achieve this objective by returning to the basics: more family meals, activity together as a family.

Q:  Why would families eating meals together have such a positive impact in reducing obesity?

It comes down to this: A family meal is a teachable moment – an opportunity to pass on healthy habits to children.  When families eat together, parents get the opportunity to teach the most effective way possible – by example, on a regular basis.  When families eat meals together, parents have more control over the quantity and quality of their kids’ food.  And kids look to parents for guidance.  When they see their parents eating a balanced diet, in sensible portions, they get a life lesson – one that is reinforced daily.

An article in the online publication Huffington Post also made an interesting point.  It pointed to the research that indicates regular family meals lead to healthier eating, and suggests this may be because “once parents take the step to mindfully shop, prepare and serve dinner, they also start making better health choices for themselves and their families.”

Q:  What benefits do families gain through engaging in physical activity together?

Many benefits, immediate and long term.

For example, the value of family participation in physical activities has been pointed out in expert papers, such as Make Physical Activity a Family Event, by academics at University of Northern Iowa.  (http://appliedsportpsych.or/Resource-Center/Parents/articles/familyevent.)

The paper points out that children model their own behavior on the adults in their lives.  And actions speak louder than words.  Children are more affected by what they see their parents do than what their parents say.

Moreover, young adults often credit parents as sports or fitness role models.

And let’s not forget, shared physical activity teaches life skills and team work.  And it’s fun – so kids like it!

Q:  How will the Together Counts program help families lead healthy and active lives?

By making people feel they are part of a larger effort, one that offers help, support and encouragement, through the Internet (www.togethercounts.com) and other communication vehicles.

By pledging to eat family meals and engage in physical activity together, families will get started on a process that gives them tools to track their progress and compare them with the results in their communities and across America, one that offers rewards and incentives to offer positive reinforcement.  And the website will provide families with a mechanism for logging their progress, tips and advice that fuel participation, a link to Facebook, and a toolkit (including sample banners, and sample copy for blog posts, and Facebook/Twitter updates).  A mobile app will give participants access to log and track their progress anywhere.

MY THOUGHTS

After learning more about the Together Counts Campaign, I think it’s a great way for parents to become healthier and grow together as a family!  Teamwork can build one both emotionally and physically.  Be sure to check out the program today.

GIVEAWAY

1 lucky reader on The Mommy-Files will win a $100 Sports Authority gift card!!!

WIN IT!!! (MANDATORY ENTRY)

– Tell me in a comment a way that you and your family can be more active and healthy together!!!

EXTRA ENTRIES:

– Follow The Mommy-Files on Twitter – 1 ENTRY
– Follow Together Counts on Twitter – 1 ENTRY
– Tweet about the giveaway – 1 ENTRY DAILY
– Become a Fan of The Mommy-Files on Facebook– 1 ENTRY
– Become a Fan of Together Counts on Facebook – 1 ENTRY
– Follow me through Google Connect (new on the right side of the blog) – 1 ENTRY
– Subscribe to my blog – 1 ENTRY
– Add my Mommy-Files button to your blog and include the URL – 1 ENTRY
– Comment on any Non-Giveaway post on The Mommy-Files – 1 ENTRY per post comment (no limit)
– Blog about this giveaway and include the URL – 5 ENTRIES

RULES:

– Contest will close at 11:59 p.m. PST on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011! Any entries after this time will be deleted!
– Contest open to U.S. residents only.

This post was sponsored by Together Counts through a compensated Mom It Forward member program.  The giveaway was sponsored by Together Counts.  All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine.

695 thoughts on “We Thrive Together…..Together Counts + Giveaway”

  15. Margaret Smith

    By playing with our kids outside, like bike riding, playing ball or going for walks.
    Thanks so much
    rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com

    Reply
  19. Margaret Smith

    I’m a Fan of Together Counts on Facebook (Margaret E. Smith)
    Thanks
    rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com

    Reply
  29. RNWPBriggs

    We already do plenty of active activities together, but I would really love to get bikes for my husband and I this year (we used to have some, but have gotten rid of them after several moves…prior military family!) so that we can all ride bikes together!

    Reply
  43. Sarah Hirsch

    we all play tennis together and swim in the summer. we could add taking family walks in for a little extra!

    Reply
  48. PAIGE CHANDLER

    Our family will be taking a Karate class together this summer. It should be a great workout and bonding experience,

    Reply
  66. Betty N

    It is just my husband and I at home now and I have some physical challenges but we live in a warm climate where we can walk daily.

    Reply
  68. Theron N.Willis

    I encourage fitness through walking, and lead family based group hikes at our nearest mountain range.

    Hope to win, as I’d like to get a new pull up bar from Sports Authority.

    Reply
  80. Patrice

    We are growing a large variety of vegetables this year. Not only will we eat healthy, but the garden requires a lot of work to maintain it.

    Reply
  112. Meredith

    We have a beach house in Maine so we can swim, run on the beach, play some wiffle ball, walk the dogs, etc… thanks so much for the chance!

    Reply
  144. Kristen

    I bought a jogging stroller, so i use that to take my baby jogging with me. My older daughter comes along with her bikes and rides in front of us.
    aeris321 at gmail dot com

    Reply
  150. Lisa

    We can take walks together, work in the yard together, or play a game of catch or basketball to stay active. To eat healthier, we can plan meals and cook together and eat our meals together.

    Reply
  152. Jackie

    We can be more active and healthy together by spending more time at the beach this summer. We love to swim, play frisbee and takes walks on the beach. Thanks!
    jackievillano at gmail dot com

    Reply
  157. nan

    i think we need to do a bike path…rather than just biking at the parking lot..this way we can all be safe and do it together
    nannypanpan at gmail.com

    Reply
  164. katklaw777

    Since the cost of gas keeps rising, we have been walking and riding our biles a lot more.
    Instead of climbing into the car for a 10 block ride to baseball or softball practice… I plan and take the time for us to walk or ride our bikes.
    We have also gone hiking at our nearby forest preserve and have discovered a wonderful place that changes weekly as spring turns into summer.
    Great giveaway, thanks!

    Reply
  209. Toni

    My family eats together but the one thing we dont do together often is sports every now and then we go hiking or fishing but I think that if we were to play ball outside or with other families it would really help us

    Reply
  221. wcc

    Instead of driving to shops that really aren’t that far, we could walk together and enjoy the scenery, so we could get much more exercise. Thanks for the chance! 🙂

    Reply
  246. Jen

    we take walks every night after eating dinner together, but I have been wanting to add trips to the park on the weekends!

    Reply
  252. Raven In A Blue Room

    just have fun and play together in the park, the kids will sure keep me going

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway

    Louis
    schnitzomage {at} gmail {dot} com

    Reply
  256. Raven In A Blue Room

    Google Friends Connect – following your blog publicly as Louis

    schnitzomage {at} gmail {dot} com

    Reply
  291. Debbie Stanton

    one way that I’ve been thinking about is to buy bikes for my husband and I… yes, I can hear my husband – buy another bike… been there, done that. Our teenagers are grown and we sold our bikes years ago… now we have an adopted son who is 4 1/2 and just learning to ride a bike… I can’t really keep up with him just walking alongside anymore so if we want him to be active, we need to join him!!

    Reply
  329. Annie G

    We like to take walks. We stay motivated by picking up the lost money along the way – it adds up – we have found over $18 so far this year! (Goes in our Christmas wish mug.)

    Reply
  331. Shawna

    My plan is to take my boys to the pool this Summer and teach them to swim. Also biking along the American River is something we can do together that is a healthy activity.

    Reply
  347. Joyce Harrell

    My family loves to cook out and during the summer with all the fresh veggies….they are great to grill and so good for you….and then we can go for a walk since we eat outside too….we can just stay out there and go…

    Reply
  348. tracey byram

    My family enjoys boating, swimming and fishing during the spring and summer to stay active. The Wii keeps us active during the winter.

    Reply
  360. Michelle C

    We are planning on making better use of the parks in our area this summer! Thanks for the chance to win!
    mrsmchappell at gmail dot com

    Reply
  382. Susan C

    We could put a horseshoe pit and a badmitton net in the backyard and play after dinner instead of watching tv.
    smchester at gmail dot com

    Reply
  390. Betty Vincent

    Early morning and Late evening walks around the neighborhood will keep our blood flowing and our small-town friendships alive!

    Reply
  417. Ayla Freitas

    We could wake up a little earlier in the morning and go on a walk together, or set aside time to bike around the neighborhood throughout the week.

    Reply
  434. Erin M.

    Me and my family are GREAT walkers! I think it would be fun to take our 6 year old on one of the trails nearby…sometimes we even see horses!

    Reply
  443. Stacy

    We have an entrance to a beautiful bike trail less than a mile from our house, so we could start biking along the trail.

    Reply
  445. ADrienne Bireley

    I think every family should make outside exercise/playing more important than TV and video games.

    Reply
  465. nadine m

    My family and I can do more outside family activities on the weekends instead of just vegging out in front of the tv with movies and video games.

    Reply
  466. Carol F

    I recently purchased a family membership at the local gym and so we could all workout either together are individually.
    carolkfoster at comcast dot net

    Reply
  473. Lucy Schwartz

    Simple things such as one do3 not have to park close to the door where ever you go. Park at the end of an aisle and walk the difference. Simple and it does not take that much extra time.

    Reply
  474. Geoff K

    This summer we’re going to be more active by joining a community tennis league that plays every weekend, and in between our league matches we’ll get out to the courts and practice, which should keep us pretty active and fit!

    Reply
  489. Julie

    We could be more active together by engaging in more sports games at home, like volleyball or basketball.

    Reply
  513. Brooke R.

    We have been trying to spend our evenings (when hubby’s home) as a family at the neighborhood pool. We have fun splashing and playing together.

    Reply
  518. R Hicks

    One thing we all do together is go hiking together on the mountain trails
    ardy22 at earthlink dot net

    Reply
  527. schatfzi

    We walk the dogs together……it might be more accuate to say they walk us! Either way, we walk………..

    Reply
  533. Christina

    We try to take family walks with my infant in the stroller or carrier,helping me to lose the baby weight!

    Reply
  537. Dolores Dentata

    Scheduling exercise and workout times at least twice a week, instead of doing things ad hoc. Thanks for the contest.

    Reply
  538. Crystal F

    We are going to be spending as much time as possible at the Y’s new outdoor pool this summer. It will be lots of fun for the girls and it will get them out of the house and moving around. Thank you!!

    Reply
  543. Shelley Mitchell

    We are all very active and all involved in sports. My kids love sports and we coach there teams. It’s a family affair! We have a blast!

    msjem2001 at yahoo dot com

    Reply
  544. Erica C.

    I’d love if, as a family, we could go out at least once a week and play softball or soccer. it would get us exercise and allow us to bond more.

    Reply
  545. Solducky

    We’ve started going to the park together to run around, and would like to get bikes with a kid attachment so we can bike more places too!

    Reply
  553. Donna Timmerman

    Now that the weather is warmng up we are walking the kids to and from school. Also we are biking on the weekends. Loads of fun. Doesn’t even feel like exercise.

    Reply
  554. charline

    It would be so great to get the whole family out and enjoying the summer weather. walking the trails and swimming are two of our favorites.
    stanleybilly(at)bellsouth(dot)net

    Reply
  557. Happi Shopr

    we are currently training as a family for our first 1 mile fun run to raise awareness and money for a cure for colon cancer in my father’s honor and memory. The giftcard could get us all new running shoes. 😀

    Reply
  564. Tracy R

    We introduced our kids to crochet ~ and frizbee, so each night after dinner, we do one or the other before we swim in the pool….

    Reply
  570. Jeanette H.

    We need to get out a bit more as a family. My daugher is very active, she plays on several soccer teams and when she’s not playing, she’s out practicing with her friends.

    Thank you for the great giveaway!

    Reply
  581. Michelle Spayde

    We like to take evening walks to the dog park, and then while the dogs are playing with their buds, we play frisbee.

    Reply
  605. Rosey

    We can be more active by having late afternoon get-togethers at the park. Everyone likes to go, especially after the hot sun for the day is gone, and it’s free. What more could you ask for? 🙂

    Reply
  609. Laura Emerson

    We just started to take a bike ride everyday after dinner. I love the way it helps to keep us healthy and brings us closer as a family.

    Reply
  644. Salleefur/Jesselyn

    We take bike rides together every weekend and when the weather is nice, pack a picnic and walk down to the Lake to eat and watch the sunset – it’s about a 3 mile walk round trip. We also do quite a bit of gardening – which is a lot of work – even if it doesn’t count as exercise. (We also grow herbs and veggies to eat!)

    Reply
  647. Dawn S.

    I actually just got a bike and we plan on riding as a family at our local county park. We plan on exercising a lot more!

    Reply
  651. Julie Jones

    I wish we could all ride our bikes together. that would be great exercise for my husband and me and great fun for the kids.

    Reply
  669. brian e.

    Thanks for the giveaway…the kids are always up for a family bike ride, or a hike through a nearby nature area.

    senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com

    Reply
  688. Mildred

    We can play tennis in our local park together or take walks, choosing to explore new areas every now and again to learn new things and see new places

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Janna Johnson Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top