We're in the home stretch of Week 1. How did you do? Hopefully each of you saw some success this week! For those of us in Washington, it might have been harder than you thought this week! Power outages, snowy, icy roads, and falling tree limbs definitely changed the normal routine for most of us.
Good job doing your best with the resources you had available to you- wherever you live! That's what this Challenge is all about. Over the course of the 7 weeks, there will be things that come up unexpectedly, that challenge our commitment to continue, to push through, start again, or keep the goals we have set. It might be an illness, travel, a crazy work week, or Mother Nature. We may not have perfect numbers every week. That's OK!! Don't give up! Do the best you can and continue to move forward. Every step you take in the right direction makes a difference. Every small success is a building block. A new week is another opportunity to improve.
And guess what..... It gets easier!! The first week is the hardest.
Monday is our first reporting day! Please remember to email, call the office phone and leave a message, or text us by midnight Monday night! (please leave your name so we know who called/texted!!) Reporting on time, will give you an additional point for next week.
When you report your total, remember that this week, there are only 48 points possible.
A few reminders based on questions we've fielded this week:
"Can we have cookies on snow days?"
YES! Of course you can. On one snow day per week. That would be your freebie day for the "No Sweets" category.
"If I exercise more than the required 150 minutes, can I get more points?" (This would apply to drinking more water, eating more veggies, etc.)
No- sorry. There is a maximum of 6 points per category, per week. And remember: Before you calculate your exercise points, read that section of your Rules. Exercise is calculated differently than every other category. You are accumulating the 150 minutes. You can do it in 2 days, or 7- whatever works for you.
"If I don't use my "freebies" do I get extra points?"
Nope. But you get the benefit of consistency. It's actually a great idea if you're an "all or nothing" type person, and essential in the "No Sweets" category if you're removing sugar from your diet entirely.
"I don't understand the "freebies." Is it one "freebie" each day, or one entire day off?"
That depends on you. You get one freebie per category each week. You can use them one or two at a time, or take an entire day off each week. Example: I haven't used any freebies yet this week. Tomorrow is my day off. OR Let's say you went out last night, ate dinner late, had dessert, and didn't get 7 hours of sleep. You would have used up 3 freebies- one in each of the following categories- 7 Hours of Sleep, No Food 2.5 Hours Before Bed, and No Sweets.
"I feel too full. It's hard to eat all those fruits and vegetables."
If you are feeling too full, be sure that half of your plate at mealtimes, consists of fruits and/or vegetables. Pay attention to the portion sizes of the other foods you are eating. If you are snacking quite a bit, or consuming large portions of the other foods in your diet, you may need to make adjustments to those foods (eat less of them) to make room for the fruits and vegetables. If you have already worked that angle, and you are still too full, adjust the portion sizes of your fruits and vegetables down slightly. You still need to get the recommended servings each day, you're just going to make the serving size a little smaller. This would usually apply to smaller framed people. If you've got a smaller body, your caloric need is not the same as someone with a larger body. You should be able to find a comfortable place that is close to the recommended serving size listed in the Rules.
Best wishes for a great week ahead. We look forward to hearing from you on Monday!
Good job doing your best with the resources you had available to you- wherever you live! That's what this Challenge is all about. Over the course of the 7 weeks, there will be things that come up unexpectedly, that challenge our commitment to continue, to push through, start again, or keep the goals we have set. It might be an illness, travel, a crazy work week, or Mother Nature. We may not have perfect numbers every week. That's OK!! Don't give up! Do the best you can and continue to move forward. Every step you take in the right direction makes a difference. Every small success is a building block. A new week is another opportunity to improve.
And guess what..... It gets easier!! The first week is the hardest.
Monday is our first reporting day! Please remember to email, call the office phone and leave a message, or text us by midnight Monday night! (please leave your name so we know who called/texted!!) Reporting on time, will give you an additional point for next week.
When you report your total, remember that this week, there are only 48 points possible.
A few reminders based on questions we've fielded this week:
"Can we have cookies on snow days?"
YES! Of course you can. On one snow day per week. That would be your freebie day for the "No Sweets" category.
"If I exercise more than the required 150 minutes, can I get more points?" (This would apply to drinking more water, eating more veggies, etc.)
No- sorry. There is a maximum of 6 points per category, per week. And remember: Before you calculate your exercise points, read that section of your Rules. Exercise is calculated differently than every other category. You are accumulating the 150 minutes. You can do it in 2 days, or 7- whatever works for you.
"If I don't use my "freebies" do I get extra points?"
Nope. But you get the benefit of consistency. It's actually a great idea if you're an "all or nothing" type person, and essential in the "No Sweets" category if you're removing sugar from your diet entirely.
"I don't understand the "freebies." Is it one "freebie" each day, or one entire day off?"
That depends on you. You get one freebie per category each week. You can use them one or two at a time, or take an entire day off each week. Example: I haven't used any freebies yet this week. Tomorrow is my day off. OR Let's say you went out last night, ate dinner late, had dessert, and didn't get 7 hours of sleep. You would have used up 3 freebies- one in each of the following categories- 7 Hours of Sleep, No Food 2.5 Hours Before Bed, and No Sweets.
"I feel too full. It's hard to eat all those fruits and vegetables."
If you are feeling too full, be sure that half of your plate at mealtimes, consists of fruits and/or vegetables. Pay attention to the portion sizes of the other foods you are eating. If you are snacking quite a bit, or consuming large portions of the other foods in your diet, you may need to make adjustments to those foods (eat less of them) to make room for the fruits and vegetables. If you have already worked that angle, and you are still too full, adjust the portion sizes of your fruits and vegetables down slightly. You still need to get the recommended servings each day, you're just going to make the serving size a little smaller. This would usually apply to smaller framed people. If you've got a smaller body, your caloric need is not the same as someone with a larger body. You should be able to find a comfortable place that is close to the recommended serving size listed in the Rules.
Best wishes for a great week ahead. We look forward to hearing from you on Monday!
RSS Feed
