Bring the Holiday Challenge to Your Setting

The Holiday Challenge helps participants maintain their weight during the holiday season. Whether you want to maintain your weight, lose a few pounds, or just learn new strategies for eating smart, moving more, and living mindfully, this seven-week program is for you. In partnership with NC State University and the NC Division of Public Health, the Holiday Challenge program ran from 2006 – 2023. Check out the final 2023 Holiday Challenge outcomes report.

We are now passing the torch to you to keep the Holiday Challenge program going for your audience. In the Holiday Challenge Coordinator’s Guide, you will find information and suggestions about how to implement the seven-week program. As each setting is unique, these resources provide strategies that can be customized. Congratulations on taking the first step towards implementing the Holiday Challenge in your setting! 

Holiday Challenge Program Materials

Holiday Challenge Coordinator’s Guide

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Registration & Evaluation Resources

Holiday Walking Challenge

The Holiday Walking Challenge is an optional add-on component to the Holiday Challenge during Weeks 3-6 OR it can also serve as a stand-alone challenge.

• Holiday Walking Challenge Overview
• Promotional Poster
• Sign-Up Form
• Weekly Tip Sheets
• Walking Log
• Evaluation
• Certificate of Participation

Promotional Toolkit

These promotional resources are intended to be a guide. We encourage you to get creative and customize them for your setting.

• Sample Social Media Posts
• Sample Blog Post or Newsletter
• Full page flyer
• Half page flyer
• Holiday Challenge color logo and greyscale logo

Tracking Resources

There are many great websites and smartphone apps available to track your weight, food, and physical activity but we know that some folks prefer pen and paper. For them, we have downloadable logs!

Downloadable Holiday Challenge Tracking Logs

• Track weight, food, and physical activity
  • Landscape orientation OR Portrait orientation
• Track your SMART goals
  • SMART Goal Template
  • Habit Tracker
• Planning is Key
  • “Cook This, Buy That” meal planner and shopping list

Recipe Resources

Use these Healthy Recipe Ingredient Substitutions to put a healthier spin on your favorite dishes. Check out these additional resources:

• Med Instead of Meds
• Cooking Essentials, Ingredients for Life
• NC State Steps to Health
• NC State Safe Plates – Food Safety
• North Carolina Expanded Food and Nutrition Program
• More in My Basket
• MyPlate.gov

Physical Activity Resources

For movement inspiration, check out our Move Strong and Move More pages. Check out these additional resources:

• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
• Move More Walk Now NC
• American College of Sports Medicine – Trending Topics and Resources
• NIH Aging – Exercise and Physical Activity

Healthy Living Resources

For more healthy living resources:

• Eat Smart, Move More NC
• My Eat Smart, Move More
• Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less
• Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes
• Diabetes Free NC
• Faithful Families
• CDC Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity
• NIH Weight Management
• Eat Right – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• American Psychological Association – Self-care
• Digital Wellbeing

Social Support

Engage your participants via social media. Create a private Facebook group for your setting OR direct your participants to the existing Holiday Challenge Facebook group.

• Eat Smart, Move More, Maintain, don’t gain! Holiday Challenge Private Facebook Community

Questions can be emailed to holidaychallenge@esmmweighless.com