Here are some questions I have received about the details of the challenge - and what the answers are:
Q: If say I drink all my water on my chosen FREE day - can that point be used on another day I did not drink all my water?
A. Nope. FREE day is take it or leave it. But none of the free day points can be transferred or used to make up for points on any other day of the week.
Q: How do I count the exercise points exactly?
A: Every 30 min. counts as 1 point. Max points for exercise in a week is 14. You can do as little or as much each day as you would like. (example: 20 min one day and 1 hour 40 the next). It also does not have to be consecutive - 10 minutes 6 times during the day is just as good as 1 hour straight for our purposes! Just keep track of what you do each day and then figure out how many points you earned at the end of the week. To simplify our lives - we can do half points - so 15 min. equals 1/2 point, but no smaller fractions for the exercise portion.
Q: What if I lose weight one week and gain the next, then lose again?
A: Weight loss percentage points ONLY count from the lowest recorded weight since the challenge began. If I weigh 153 and lose 1 pound one week = 152. Then the next week (vacation week hopefully, right?? :) I gain 2 pounds = 154. Then the next week I lose 3 points = 151. You can only count the 152 to 151 loss in your weight loss percentage points. You don't get points for losing the same weight twice. There is no penalty/negative points for gaining weight. Life happens, do better the next week!
I must stress that I do not recommend losing more than 1 – 2 pounds per week. If you are losing more than that consistently you are probably not getting enough calories (which can ruin your metabolism) and will not be something you can realistically maintain. Just think about it: 8 to 16 lbs in 8 weeks is GREAT – so take it slow if you do have a weight loss goal with this challenge.
Q: What if I can't run/walk during the 1/2 marathon week to get the miles in?
A: I know with knee/hip/foot problems, this could be an issue. If its absolutely NECESSARY (really due to injury only) - the elliptical can count toward the miles and so can biking - but on a bike 4 miles riding will equal 1 mile walk/run (I’ve done both and I think this is fair).
Q: Can I make up points for my partner if they get sick?
A: Nope, no making up missed points for yourself or anyone else. Sorry.
Q: Can I change my spiritual goal halfway through the competition?
A: Yes! The Spiritual Goal point is totally personal! You can do the same thing the whole 8 weeks, you can change goals halfway if you feel you have created a habit, you can even set a new goal each week if that is what you want to do. Just be sure to SET A GOAL and accomplish it DAILY to earn your point . . . although we all know this category is far more important than just earning points.
I wanted to give you a few tips and emphasize a few things as well.
Fruits/Veggies: This can be challenging if you are not used to it. The easiest way to get in your fruits/veggies is doing a smoothie/green drink. Getting 2 – 4 servings in a drink makes the last few servings in the rest of the day much easier. My tip is to find a recipe that you ACTUALLY LIKE so that you WANT to drink it every day. Finding a couple different recipes that you like is even better so you can change it up! If you need to put a little less spinach in it so its more appealing – that’s okay . . . a little and enjoying is better than too much and not doing it at all. Try different combos of ingredients – add some peanut butter, oatmeal, cinnamon, honey . . . whatever it takes till you find a flavor/texture you enjoy! As always, Pintrest is an awesome resource.
Exercise: 7 hours a week is not a small feat. But it’s supposed to be a CHALLENGE right!!?? I personally don’t usually exercise on Sunday so that requires some extra work a couple days a week to get all my points. I will, however, take nice walks with family/friends on Sunday as the weather permits and that DOES count. Also, STRETCHING counts as exercise. Stretching for most of the exercise in a week probably won’t give you the results you are looking for (unless it’s actual YOGA), but stretching is a very important, often overlooked, part of exercise that is so good for our bodies. So use 10 – 15 min a day to stretch those worked out muscles. Or a longer stretching session on Sunday to relieve the hard work from the week is something I do occasionally as well. To be clear – massages are NOT exercise, as much as I wish they were.
Let me know if anything else needs clarification!
Thanks!
Rachelle
Monday, April 1, 2013
Fitness Challenge
Summer Ready Health Challenge
There are 6 categories in which you can earn 1 point per day.
1. No Soda (even diet!)
2. No Treats: We are being realistic with this since I want this to be something we can really stick to or at least help change some bad habit and not simply do for 8 weeks then give up on. It’s not NO SUGAR altogether. Honey, Jam, cereal, granola bars (even the kind with chocolate chips) . . . are okay types of things. By treats we are talking candy, cookies, brownies, baked goods, ice creams . . . . the stuff that we all love and tend to overindulge in that really don't offer much (if any) health benefit to our bodies.
3. Water Intake: 80 ounces of water a day. It’s not just 64 ounces, since that’s what everyone should be getting at the very least . . . since this challenge will also include more exercise . . . we should be drinking MORE water than the average person. 80 ounces of water a day. That is 10 cups.
4. Fruit & Veggies: 5 servings (1/2 – 1 cup each) a day! :)
5. Spiritual Goal: This challenge is about healthy living and our Spirits are KEY!!! This should be something you can do DAILY . . . and it’s also personal. No one else has to know what it is. Examples are: daily prayer, scripture study, meditation, act of service, act of patience, whatever you choose for yourself . . . . something you can do daily to earn your point.
6. Challenge Point: There will be a new challenge every week. It’s something you will have to do daily . . .
Week 1: Take a multi-vitamin every day
Week 2: Floss every night. Flossing is a good habit to get into and having healthy gums is important too!!
Week 3: Eat a healthy Breakfast every day.
Week 4: Get 8 hours of sleep each night. Most of us have kids and cannot control how often they wake us up. But if you know you have to be up at 6am, you need to be in bed by 10pm with the intention of 8 hours of sleep.
Week 5: 50 push-ups a day. You don't have to do them all at once or the exact same type for all 50, but pushups are great for the body!
Week 6: Daily food/calorie log. This one is hard but eye opening. My Fitness Pal is a great app that makes it pretty easy!
Week 7: No eating after 8pm. A good habit to get in to!
Week 8: Complete a 1/2 marathon!!! Doesn't have to be all at once, but walk/jog/run/skip 13 miles this last week - to earn your 7 points at the end of the week. Hopefully the weather will be nice enough this week to enjoy some time outside for this one!!! We will end our challenge with a BANG!!!
There are 2 more categories:
1. Exercise: You get 1 point for every 30 min of exercise. The cap for this category is 14 points a week - so you don't get credit for any exercise over 7 hours a week. Moderation in all things right? So keep a total of what you do each day and add it up at the end of the week. It does not have to be consecutive exercise. 10 min. 3 times a day is as good as 30 min. all at once. So on those hard and busy days, break it down and you can still get those points!
2. Weight Loss category: Weigh yourself at the end of each week and you will add your weight loss PERCENTAGE to your weekly total points. Example. I weighed 153 lbs and went down to 151.5. My weight loss percentage is .98. If you got ALL your other points for the - 56 - you add .98 to your total for your weekly total at 56.98.
If you need a weight loss calculator - there is probably an app for that :) - you can use: www.fitwatch.com
Go to www.fitwatch.com Find the tab: Calculators and Tools, then go to Weight Loss Tools and Calculators, then Calculate your weight loss percentage.
As you can see weight loss is not really an emphasized part of this challenge. If you have weight to lose, then that will be a nice benefit to getting healthier. I don't recommend losing more than 1 - 2 lbs a week because anything more is hard to maintain. Our goal is to be all around healthier and feel good about ourselves, and scales don't necessarily reflect that all the time.
FREE DAY!!! We all need a free day to indulge ourselves and have something to look forward to! :) You get 1 free day a week - doesn't have to be the same day each week. You automatically get all your points for that day. The only things that don't come free are the exercise and weight loss points - those must always be earned.
This competition is a PARTNER competition. You pick a partner and your totals for the week will be added together as your partnership competes against the other teams. We are always more accountable to someone else instead of just ourselves and this will make us all be a little stronger. Partners can encourage each other - or just have someone to vent to when it’s an extra hard day to be healthy! :) If you want to participate and don't have a partner let me know and I can match you up or let you know who else is looking!
Every Monday you need to email or text me with your point total - and I can send out the standings for the week. To join the competition it will be $10 person/$20 per team - so once again we have more incentive to really do this and the winners (at least 1st and 2nd place, may be more depending on how many teams participate) will receive the cash prizes!
The challenge will start Monday, April 1st and end on Sunday May 26th. Perfect timing before the lazy days of summer!! Please respond ASAP - teams and money are due this Sunday March 31st. I will send each participant a spreadsheet they can use to track daily points before Monday April 1st.
I am really excited and hope you are too! It is fun doing things with a partner and in groups to stay motivated and have support!!! Anyone can participate if you have other friends or family that are interested! Let me know if you have any questions!!!
Thanks friends!!!
There are 6 categories in which you can earn 1 point per day.
1. No Soda (even diet!)
2. No Treats: We are being realistic with this since I want this to be something we can really stick to or at least help change some bad habit and not simply do for 8 weeks then give up on. It’s not NO SUGAR altogether. Honey, Jam, cereal, granola bars (even the kind with chocolate chips) . . . are okay types of things. By treats we are talking candy, cookies, brownies, baked goods, ice creams . . . . the stuff that we all love and tend to overindulge in that really don't offer much (if any) health benefit to our bodies.
3. Water Intake: 80 ounces of water a day. It’s not just 64 ounces, since that’s what everyone should be getting at the very least . . . since this challenge will also include more exercise . . . we should be drinking MORE water than the average person. 80 ounces of water a day. That is 10 cups.
4. Fruit & Veggies: 5 servings (1/2 – 1 cup each) a day! :)
5. Spiritual Goal: This challenge is about healthy living and our Spirits are KEY!!! This should be something you can do DAILY . . . and it’s also personal. No one else has to know what it is. Examples are: daily prayer, scripture study, meditation, act of service, act of patience, whatever you choose for yourself . . . . something you can do daily to earn your point.
6. Challenge Point: There will be a new challenge every week. It’s something you will have to do daily . . .
Week 1: Take a multi-vitamin every day
Week 2: Floss every night. Flossing is a good habit to get into and having healthy gums is important too!!
Week 3: Eat a healthy Breakfast every day.
Week 4: Get 8 hours of sleep each night. Most of us have kids and cannot control how often they wake us up. But if you know you have to be up at 6am, you need to be in bed by 10pm with the intention of 8 hours of sleep.
Week 5: 50 push-ups a day. You don't have to do them all at once or the exact same type for all 50, but pushups are great for the body!
Week 6: Daily food/calorie log. This one is hard but eye opening. My Fitness Pal is a great app that makes it pretty easy!
Week 7: No eating after 8pm. A good habit to get in to!
Week 8: Complete a 1/2 marathon!!! Doesn't have to be all at once, but walk/jog/run/skip 13 miles this last week - to earn your 7 points at the end of the week. Hopefully the weather will be nice enough this week to enjoy some time outside for this one!!! We will end our challenge with a BANG!!!
There are 2 more categories:
1. Exercise: You get 1 point for every 30 min of exercise. The cap for this category is 14 points a week - so you don't get credit for any exercise over 7 hours a week. Moderation in all things right? So keep a total of what you do each day and add it up at the end of the week. It does not have to be consecutive exercise. 10 min. 3 times a day is as good as 30 min. all at once. So on those hard and busy days, break it down and you can still get those points!
2. Weight Loss category: Weigh yourself at the end of each week and you will add your weight loss PERCENTAGE to your weekly total points. Example. I weighed 153 lbs and went down to 151.5. My weight loss percentage is .98. If you got ALL your other points for the - 56 - you add .98 to your total for your weekly total at 56.98.
If you need a weight loss calculator - there is probably an app for that :) - you can use: www.fitwatch.com
Go to www.fitwatch.com Find the tab: Calculators and Tools, then go to Weight Loss Tools and Calculators, then Calculate your weight loss percentage.
As you can see weight loss is not really an emphasized part of this challenge. If you have weight to lose, then that will be a nice benefit to getting healthier. I don't recommend losing more than 1 - 2 lbs a week because anything more is hard to maintain. Our goal is to be all around healthier and feel good about ourselves, and scales don't necessarily reflect that all the time.
FREE DAY!!! We all need a free day to indulge ourselves and have something to look forward to! :) You get 1 free day a week - doesn't have to be the same day each week. You automatically get all your points for that day. The only things that don't come free are the exercise and weight loss points - those must always be earned.
This competition is a PARTNER competition. You pick a partner and your totals for the week will be added together as your partnership competes against the other teams. We are always more accountable to someone else instead of just ourselves and this will make us all be a little stronger. Partners can encourage each other - or just have someone to vent to when it’s an extra hard day to be healthy! :) If you want to participate and don't have a partner let me know and I can match you up or let you know who else is looking!
Every Monday you need to email or text me with your point total - and I can send out the standings for the week. To join the competition it will be $10 person/$20 per team - so once again we have more incentive to really do this and the winners (at least 1st and 2nd place, may be more depending on how many teams participate) will receive the cash prizes!
The challenge will start Monday, April 1st and end on Sunday May 26th. Perfect timing before the lazy days of summer!! Please respond ASAP - teams and money are due this Sunday March 31st. I will send each participant a spreadsheet they can use to track daily points before Monday April 1st.
I am really excited and hope you are too! It is fun doing things with a partner and in groups to stay motivated and have support!!! Anyone can participate if you have other friends or family that are interested! Let me know if you have any questions!!!
Thanks friends!!!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
beef soup
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 lbs of ground beef
1 chopped onion
3 carrots sliced
4 diced potatoes
1 pkg of dry onion soup
1 can of water
2 tsp of beef base
2 tsp wosr. sauce
1 lbs of ground beef
1 chopped onion
3 carrots sliced
4 diced potatoes
1 pkg of dry onion soup
1 can of water
2 tsp of beef base
2 tsp wosr. sauce
Saturday, September 15, 2012
On a roll!
146 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My weight loss jounrey is on a roll.
All of my hard work is starting to pay off!!!!
Yippee!!!!!
My weight loss jounrey is on a roll.
All of my hard work is starting to pay off!!!!
Yippee!!!!!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Update
I stepped on scale this morning, I'm now down to 148.50 lbs. I have lost one pound! I thought for scale that I had gained another pound because I have been eating like crazy. The baby is getting up at night to nurse maybe due to a growth spurt. Anyways, I thought that I had gained weight but I managed to be under 150 pounds with my clothes on! I'm almost positive that the weight will stay off this time. I'm even hungry at the moment even though I ate a ton last night. Trying to breastfeed plus lose weight is so damn tricky.
My workout Plan: I pulled my shoulder muscle yesterday trying to pick something off the floor. So, I'm not going to be able to lift weights until it heals. I was schedule to do weight lifting plus kickboxing. Due to pulled muscle, I might just run on my treadmill. Arghh, I always seem to hurt myself.
This week:
Tue: walk
Wed: run
Thu: walk
Friday: run
Sat: run
I would like to add in weight lifting but I will have to wait and see what happens with my pulled muscle.
Yippe!!!!!!!!!!
All of my measurements are still the same except for hips: I'm now down one inch! I wish it was more but maybe things are starting to move in the right direction.
My workout Plan: I pulled my shoulder muscle yesterday trying to pick something off the floor. So, I'm not going to be able to lift weights until it heals. I was schedule to do weight lifting plus kickboxing. Due to pulled muscle, I might just run on my treadmill. Arghh, I always seem to hurt myself.
This week:
Tue: walk
Wed: run
Thu: walk
Friday: run
Sat: run
I would like to add in weight lifting but I will have to wait and see what happens with my pulled muscle.
Yippe!!!!!!!!!!
All of my measurements are still the same except for hips: I'm now down one inch! I wish it was more but maybe things are starting to move in the right direction.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Fatty Me!
I started to work on losing weight about two week ago. It's been kinda crazy, I really wanted to get out of the 150's but my weight just kept on yo-yoing up and down. I lost three pounds but I gained it back. What's going on, I figured it must be muscle gain. On Sunday, I gained back two pounds but on Monday I lost the two pounds. I'm now weighing in about 149lbs. I don't ever want to be back in the 150's again.
I'm hoping to work on changing my diet. I want to try for a diet high in protein and low in carbs. Yes, at the bbq it was all carbs. I went back to livestrong.com and start tracking my calories. I would like to lose up to two pounds a week. I would love to be back to my old weight in about 12 weeks or less.
I'm back to running three days a week plus weight lifting the other three days. I'm going to try to squeeze in some walking plus sit ups.
Leroy did point out that he thought my arms were starting to look more muscular. So, maybe my weight gain was due to muscles.
I willn't give up. I'm so not happy with my body. I'm older and the baby isn't coming off on it's own. It didn't come off with Leah either. Oh well, only hard work will make the difference. I will not give up. Only losers quit. I'm not a quitter!
I'm hoping to work on changing my diet. I want to try for a diet high in protein and low in carbs. Yes, at the bbq it was all carbs. I went back to livestrong.com and start tracking my calories. I would like to lose up to two pounds a week. I would love to be back to my old weight in about 12 weeks or less.
I'm back to running three days a week plus weight lifting the other three days. I'm going to try to squeeze in some walking plus sit ups.
Leroy did point out that he thought my arms were starting to look more muscular. So, maybe my weight gain was due to muscles.
I willn't give up. I'm so not happy with my body. I'm older and the baby isn't coming off on it's own. It didn't come off with Leah either. Oh well, only hard work will make the difference. I will not give up. Only losers quit. I'm not a quitter!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Post Baby Body
10 weeks PP
I gained 35 lbs, I lost 12 lbs
Starting weight: 153 lbs
Current Weight: 149.50 lbs
Chest: 39"-breastfeeding!
Thigh: 20"
Waist: 33"
tummy:39"
Hips: 39"
Arms: 12"
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