Anna, 52, tried the Activia Feel Better Challenge to help to that bloated feeling.

My name is Anna and I'm 52 years old. I have two adult daughters, one living at home. I work full time as a retail manager and I'm on the go all day. Eating lunch is on my feet mostly, and that includes a few unhealthy snacks. I have never been one to exercise although I do try to do some walking from time to time and occasionally Pilates. I am lucky though, I've never had a weight problem but I do get bloated. By doing the Activia Challenge I'm hoping to enjoy the benefits of feeling good on the inside.

Week one

I have just completed week one of the Activia Challenge. I have always enjoyed eating yogurt but I used to add honey to plain yoghurt because it was a bit on the sour side and I didn't particularly like the taste of the flavoured yoghurts. I bought the vanilla flavoured Activia. YUM. I love the creamy texture and the taste is great.

All week I've been eating the vanilla. After having two a day for the first week, I'm feeling good about eating a delicious healthy snack.

This week I thought I would try a different flavour, so I tried the pear. I still prefer the vanilla.

I love the portion size of the yoghurt, especially since I'm having it twice a day. It's actually quite satisfying and has replaced my less healthy snacks.

What I have noticed this week is that I'm not getting indigestion as often as I used to. I'm putting this down to a health benefit due to eating the Activia since I haven't made any other dietary changes.

I'm looking forward to feeling even better in the next two weeks.

Week three

This is my third week on the Activia Feel Good Challenge. It's been so satisfying to incorporate this delicious healthy snack into my daily eating routine. It's become habit now to snack on the Activia.

I don't know exactly when it happened but what I've noticed is that I haven't felt bloated lately. I guess this is another great health benefit due to eating Activia.

I have so enjoyed eating this delicious tasting yoghurt and I'm certainly going to continue incorporating this nutritious snack into my daily eating routine. It's actually become habit now, and how wonderful it is to know that I'm getting some health benefits as well. I do believe the Activia has had a positive impact on my health because I'm not getting much indigestion these days and I can't remember when I was last bloated.

Caroline

Busy mum Caroline tried the Activia Feel Better Challenge because she wanted to feel less sluggish.

I am 45 years old with a lovely and busy family including my husband, daughter, our dog and cat. We seem to always have lots of things on with school, work, sports and other activities during the week. Weekends are filled with friends and more sports. I am taking the challenge as I am enjoy yogurt and am interested to try something different especially if it helps to feel less bloated and sluggish.

An average day starts with getting everyone ready and on their way to school or work. We have a good breakfast to start the day. It seems we always have a very active week during the school term. I keep in shape with walking the dog and also meeting my girlfriends at the gym two to three times during the week. I find I have weak moments where I just want something sweet to munch on during the day to keep me going and I am excited to try Activia yogurt as a healthy snack instead of sugary and heavier choices.

Week one

I have chosen to try most of the flavours selecting vanilla (my favourite), berry and strawberry. I am going to swap these around so I get a nice variety. I have found all of these are really tasty and are working as a great snack to satisfy my just before lunch and afternoon cravings. I really like all of these flavours and they have a great texture.

I am finding that after a week of eating two tubs each day, I am feeling less bloated and I am surprised that I actually have more energy because I am not so sluggish feeling. This challenge has also inspired me to eat better overall and I have got into enjoying the fresh berries available now in the fruit market. I have been putting these with my Activia yogurt sometimes to give my snack a bit more. I was thinking in week two I may try one with my cereal so stay tuned and I will let you know how that is...

Week two

This week I have really included Activia into the routine of my day and I am feeling great. I have one in the morning, usually the strawberry or berries flavour. Then around 3pm when I go looking for a good snack to get me through to dinner I have my second Activia and I have a vanilla flavour and I add in some blueberries or banana or other fruit. I have also tried my morning yogurt in my cereal and this is a great option. I am feeling less bloated and really find I have a lot more energy because of the yogurt each day. I like the smooth taste and clean taste and the flavours are really good.

Week three

I have completed week three of the Activia Feel Better Challenge and I must say I really do feel better. I have been very busy this week organising my daughter’s birthday party and I find I have so much more energy and am not sluggish and bloated as I have been. I am continuing to compliment my Activia healthy habit with more healthy choices for my main meals to give me a complete balanced diet during the day. I think this is really working.

My Activia has become a key part of my daily routine in the mornings and afternoon. I look forward to this as my snack each day and have found I am feeling less bloated, giving more pep to power through the day. I also noticed my pants are a little bit loose now which is a great bonus. I am finding this challenge to be really easy as I love the flavours and would say my favourites are vanilla and strawberry. I tried the pear this week and find this is particularly good on cereal in the morning.

Week four

This is my final week on the Activia Feel Better Challenge. I was not too sure just what to expect when I started because I never thought about yogurt as a way to feel less bloated or about my digestion for that matter. I have always had yogurt because I liked the taste and for when I have wanted to trim down. This experience has shown me how I can feel less bloated and eat a tasty low fat treat with Activia as part of my overall diet. I have enjoyed having one after a meal or in between.

In my final week I have been busy with meetings and family but have found it easy to find time to have my Activia in the morning and in the afternoon. A few times I will have one as dessert after dinner. I will definitely keep this up and have already restocked my fridge for the coming week.

Holly

Holly Pendlebury, 30, is undertaking the four-week 'Feel Better Challenge' to lose the lingering Christmas kilos and nip some bad habits in the bud.

I'll admit it — I've got some bad habits. While I spend my days writing and researching the latest fitness trends and diets, I don't walk past the biscuit jar without a cheeky dip, I don't say no to another glass of wine (or three) and I don't make it to the gym every day — sometimes I don't get there for weeks on end. And as a result, I'm carrying more weight than I'd like, I feel tired and sluggish and I'm not as productive as I should be.

So as a candidate for the Feel Better Challenge I'd say I'm pretty perfect. I'd like to make some lasting lifestyle changes. Firstly, I'd like to lose the 5kg that has crept on over Christmas that I never got around to losing. I'd like to exercise more regularly and build up some lean muscle mass and I'd like to eat better, drink less and avoid excess sugar in my diet — these are my goals.

As part of this challenge, I will eat two tubs of Danone Activia yoghurt every day. The yoghurt, which contains the active ingredient bifidus actiregularis, is supposed to aid my digestive health and take away "the bloat" (excellent).

I will aim to go to the gym four times a week (eek) and have signed on to a month of Power Yoga to keep things interesting. I'll also be following a diet plan that is basically a low-GI diet, with lots of fresh vegetables, lean meats and low-GI carbohydrates such as brown rice and quinoa.

Stay tuned to see how I fare…

Week one

I have been on the Feel Better Challenge for one week now, and it's been easier than I had expected (though I have to admit I did have a big night on Friday night, which no doubt would have put a dent in my good efforts).

I've been to power yoga three times in the past week — achy, achy muscles. And I've managed to avoid the biscuit tin in the afternoons by replacing it with an Activia yoghurt, which is quite sweet and is doing good things for my gut: result! I've been trialling the different flavours and have decided that I like vanilla the best. I've also been pouring a second up on top of my muesli in the morning or making into a breakfast shake with berries, banana and protein powder. Yum.

I haven't noticed any of the "digestive benefits" from the challenge yet but I am certainly feeling the benefits of getting back into exercise. Apart from sore muscles (but alas they're not getting bigger yet) I feel like I have a clearer head and I feel calmer. I've been trying on my "skinny" jeans in anticipation. Nope, they don't do up yet. Maybe next week?

Week two

Recently I heard an alarming statistic: up to 95 percent of diets are doomed for failure and after trying to stick to a healthy eating regime for just two weeks, I can fully understand why. Temptation lurks at every corner. While sticking to a healthy eating plan will achieve results, the process can be slow, whereas cravings are instantaneous!

In a typical day, while I wake to the daily mantra of "I will only eat my scheduled meals and snacks", I am offered temptation: as I walk by the cupcake shop on my way to work; when my colleague offers me a home-baked cookie; when sugar cravings kick in at the sight of the biscuit jar; and don't get me started on the perils of after-work drinks complete with a bowl of wedges!

At the beginning of this challenge I thought I would breeze through this new healthy eating and fitness plan but it's been tough, and the cold weather isn't helping. But, that said, I have managed to make small changes that so far, have resulted in 1kg of weight loss.

What I've found is that you need "cheats" on hand to help you get through and give you the sugar rush without the kilojoules. So when it's chocolate I crave, I've been swapping it for a diet cocoa drink, or when I am tempted by the cookie jar, I have a vanilla Activia yoghurt, which is sweet but doesn't pack a kilojoule punch. Now I just need substitute for white wine.

Week three

I'm now on the third week of the challenge and I have started to notice the benefits of the bacteria in the Activia yoghurt. I have been eating two tubs per day — which isn't a stretch for me as I am obsessed with yoghurt and waiting for signs of my poor distended belly to become flat!

Like 80 percent of Australian women, I quite often experience abdominal bloating in the evenings, which I put down to too many fizzy drinks (diet coke), chewing gum and eating too fast.

I have noticed that on the challenge I am bloated less frequently, which I believe to be a combination of eating the yoghurt, which has the bifidus actiregularis probiotic cultures to ease discomfort and bloating, and eating a healthier diet in general. And no sit-ups were required!

Week four

I have now completed the Feel Better Challenge, and while I admit, I haven't completely overcome my naughty dietary habits (there have been a few wine-centred events this month, unfortunately) I have made some positive changes to my lifestyle, which I plan to continue in the future. I've discovered a love of Power Yoga, which I have been doing at the new Power Living Centre in Bondi. I have been trying to make it twice a week and have already noticed increased strength in my arms but also an improvement in my moods.

And of course as part of the challenge I have been eating my two tubs of Activia yoghurt a day and have also tried to eradicate other things in my diet that were causing tummy bloat. I identified chewing gum — I always have a pack by my desk that I dip into — and Diet Coke as potential bloaters and have tried to cut them right back. I handed over my pack of chewing gum to my desk buddy and asked her to ration it out for me, which I find helps as it's no longer sitting right by me, begging to be chewed!

I am also proud to say that I have not touched the cookie jar for three whole weeks, which must be some sort of office record. I have lost 2kg, which wasn't quite the 5kg I had originally planned but I am still pleased and will continue to chip away at it. And my tummy is much less bloated than before I started the challenge, so overall I am pleased with the result. Time to set myself a new month of challenges and keep the good results coming.

Julia
Julia is taking the Feel Better Challenge to feel less bloated, and provide a sweet healthy snacking alternative.

My name is Julia and I am a 27-year-old lawyer. I live in Sydney and am a huge yoghurt fan!

I live a pretty active life despite being chained to a desk all day, with regular runs and aerobics at the gym. My diet is generally okay, although I have a massive sweet tooth, especially in the afternoons, so I am hoping the Feel Better Challenge will help cure this by replacing my afternoon biscuits with yoghurt! I am hoping the challenge will make me feel less bloated and provide me with a sweet (but healthy) snacking alternative to incorporate into my daily eating plan!

Week one

I have been on the Feel Better Challenge for one week now, and it's been easier than I had expected to consume all the yoghurt and incorporate it into my daily eating routine. In fact, I must admit I've quite come to enjoy it. So far, I have tried strawberry, mixed berries and the pear flavour and surprisingly pear is proving to be the favourite!

I must admit I was a little sceptical at first at the small size of the 125g tubs — I was pretty confident one of them in the afternoon (instead of a cookie) and one for dessert would not fill me up, as I'm used to having large quantities of low-fat (but probably high in sugar!) yoghurt. But the small tubs are surprisingly satisfying— probably because the yoghurt is thicker and creamier than the other stuff I'm used to. It's definitely healthier and more satisfying than snacking on biscuits, which has been my usual afternoon vice at work!

In terms of the yoghurt's impact on my health, I am prone to bloating a lot (I have no idea of the reasons) but this week has been slightly better than normal. My digestive health seems to be pretty much the same, but I'm holding high hopes for improvement over the next three weeks! I just have to make sure I eat and drink healthily in addition to eating the Activia yoghurt, as otherwise I'll undoubtedly do all the benefits of the yoghurt! I'm also aiming for four gym sessions this week so that my soon-to-be-flat stomach can have rippling arm muscles to go with it! Will keep you posted on how it goes.

Week two

I am now 15 days (basically halfway) through the Feel Better Challenge, and I must say, I'm feeling pretty good. Eating the two tubs of yoghurt per day has easily been incorporated into my eating routine and has actually improved my otherwise terrible afternoon snacking!

Prior to this challenge, I would typically have at least two cookies each afternoon from our cookie jar at work, and never feel satisfied as the sugar hit came and went so quickly. Having an Activia yoghurt every afternoon still gives me the sweetness I crave at that time of day, but fills me up 10 times more than cookies, which means I snack less in the afternoon which is a win for everyone!

Vanilla has become my new favourite flavour this week, which is surprising actually, as normally I find it a pretty bland yoghurt flavour. In terms of bloating, I definitely feel less bloated in the afternoons (probably also because I now have less sugar in my stomach), and I've been drinking additional water too, which I think never hurts in improving your overall health and wellbeing.

The biggest challenge this week has been making sure I have two tubs of yoghurt per day in my fridge to consume. My boyfriend has a nasty habit of stealing them out of the fridge for late-night snacks or early breakfasts and failing to tell me!

Week three

I am now coming towards the end of the Feel Better Challenge and things have continued well for me this week. I can honestly say I have definitely noticed some reduction in my stomach bloating, which must be at least partly due to my consumption of two tubs of Activia yoghurt a day for the past three weeks as I really haven't made any other major changes to my regular diet, aside from incorporating the yoghurt.

I am pretty happy with the reduced bloating (and consequently looser pants!) as unexplained bloating has always been an issue and source of uncomfortableness and annoyance for me to date, especially in the afternoon and evening. I assumed it was due to too much sugar in my diet, but maybe I just needed to eat more yoghurt! My boyfriend has come up with the excellent idea of mixing two tubs of different flavoured Activia yoghurt together (with some fruit on top) as either a pre-work breakfast or as a dessert, which has been very tasty and filling, and definitely something I will continue to eat once this challenge finishes next week!

Week four

With only a few days to go, the end is near for my Feel Better Challenge. I can genuinely say I have noticed reduced bloating in my stomach (especially in the past two weeks) which must be due to my daily serve of Activia yoghurt, as I have made no other notable dietary changes during this time. I have grown to really enjoy the yoghurt as either an afternoon snack or dessert, and have taken to eating two tubs of different flavours together (I recommend strawberry and pear) with some fruit on top, which has become a favourite for both me and my boyfriend.

I will continue buying Activia yoghurt after this week for sure, as it is cheap, tasty, convenient to eat and to transport (I often take a tub in my bag with me). Not to mention it has also caused some significant improvements to my digestive health (which can only be a good thing)! I initially thought it would be a real struggle to eat two whole tubs of yoghurt per day for a month, but there are much tougher things to do (ie, give up cookies!) and this experience has by no means been a challenge.

I have already recommended the yoghurt to my mum and sister and would have no hesitations recommending it to other women who suffer from stomach pains, bloating or digestive issues (or even those who don't but just want a tasty, healthy snack to incorporate into your diet).

Sally

Sally joins the Feel Better Challenge to support her weight loss goals

My name is Sally, I'm 46 and have been married to Jeff for 27 years. I have six children (ages from four to 27), four still living at home. We moved to Perth in August 2010 to join our eldest children who already lived in Australia. My days revolve around the children, the school runs and their activities as well as keeping the house in order. Having decided to lose weight the Feel Better Challenge has given me the push needed to make a concerted effort to succeed.

Week one

I decided to use the Feel Better Challenge as part of a diet plan. I am normally very active and on the go all day with school runs, children's activities and keeping the house in order. I have very little time to myself so I wanted to develop a diet plan that would fit in with my daily schedule. I started having an Activia yoghurt each morning; I had always skipped breakfast before. I then had a second Activia at lunchtime. Additionally I incorporated a light exercise plan, walking and using a rowing machine.

While it has only been a week I have noticed that my stomach feels more settled and less bloated. I haven't made any other significant changes to my diet other than including the Activia yoghurts twice daily. The exercise is going slowly but I feel more alert which must be a good sign.

Week two

Another busy week this week. My youngest was a bit off colour with an upset tummy. Think it's doing the rounds at school. I felt a bit rough but soon recovered. My other children have been busy with their dance classes what with competitions coming up.

I've stuck to my two Activia yoghurts daily and appear to have lost 1kg. The Activia yoghurts definitely seem to have made a difference and have reduced the bloated feeling I used to feel. They certainly fit in with my diet plans as they are quick and easy for me. Here's hoping the coming week will be an easier one.

Week three

This week of the Feel Better Challenge has been another busy one. The girls have got me running all over the place with their sporting competitions coming up. I'm glad that I've managed to fit the yoghurts into my day as I can now have one in the morning , usually on the run! I no longer grab snacks mid-morning as the Activia sees me through 'til lunchtime. It seems strange that a yoghurt can curb my sweet tooth but it does. My exercise plan is fitting in okay and I'm starting to feel the benefits of regular exercise. I'm more alert and dare I say it seem to have more energy.

My Activia yoghurts are now part of my daily routine and don't think I could do without them. They have become my friend.

Week four

Week four has begun and yet another full-on week is ahead. My diet is progressing slowly but well. I haven't weighed myself but my clothes are feeling more comfortable, which must be a good sign .I feel a lot more alert and healthier since I made changes to my lifestyle. Exercise has become part of my daily plan as well as my Activia yoghurts. They fit into my busy day and will be a permanent fixture in my life.

Disclaimer: All Activia participants were paid to participate in this challenge.