63 for me!

LOL...well, you still won that round! So, I guess I get 63 too since I am reporting a day late....Oops! And I hope we are starting again next week. If not, then I'm already failing miserably!

63

Not much to say, just "63."

Okay, I have one thing to say. If someone hadn't had a birthday, it would have been 64.

That is all. LOL.

Better, just not a lot better...

Well, it was better, but I have to get back on the exercise. I got 69. I did well on avoiding the Halloween candy until I had my free day on Saturday. Then, I just kept eating it on Sunday. Ooops. Still, better than what it would be if I hadn't been making the effort.

I am glad you enjoyed the gym. I think that is such a good idea. I was going to join a gym this fall, but I never followed through with the idea.

Nope, not better at all!!

63. However, I went to the gym for the first time today and LOVED IT! I ran on the elliptical machine and got a great workout without killing my shins. It felt so good to exercise like that again!

Um....Yeah

You would really wonder if I was even trying this week. I will say, I did pass up A LOT of treats. And you know about my problem in the exercise department. I'm actually not even for sure this is my score because somebody erased my tally I was keeping on the white board but I think I got 67 minus an extra point that I didn't count last week so....66! At least you had an excuse for most of the points you lost Christy! (which personally, I don't think you should of counted). WE'LL do better next week right?! Maybe we do need some extra incentive....

Next week will be better...

...or at least that is what I am telling myself. Without going into detail, I got 68.

Christy week 1

I got 72, actually. Minus one point for staying up late reading "The Hunger Games" early in the week. Minus one point for staying up late on Sunday night, and minus two for not exercising on Sunday. Then, when I was totaling my points I remembered that I did not take a multivitamin while I was in seattle- two more easy points lost. Guess you could say there's room for improvement.

Alisha - Week 1

BLEH! I got 74 points this week. Dayv and I went out on Thursday and made me share the dessert with him. We got home really late that night. I could of slept in later and got my sleeping point but I was too excited to try out my new shoes for the first time. Kind of funny I lost a point so I could exercise! Then with all the chaos on Saturday I completely forgot to exercise. On Sunday I was very tired and hungry. I had brought chocolate for my primary kids. Don't ask me why I didn't buy something I didn't like but I NEEDED CHOCOLATE and ate PB Reece's cups! At that point I felt like I deserved it...ha ha ha! Guess I'll never be as good as you Christy!

sheena -week 4

haha... well a week late... oops I pretty much just got my water, and no caffine, and my exercise points the last week.  I ran ragnar, and well I just didn't eat like a normal person most of the week.  But since I knew I wasn't in the runnings to win, I wasn't super anxious to get my points up so probaly the points i did earn were cancelled out since I am just now getting around to making a post.  Congrats to the winner!!!  Thank you so much for helping motivate me to get better with my eating, and cutting out the sugar!! I am hoping some of this sticks to my routine! 

Trisha Week 4

YIKES! Ok...so this last week was a super bad/stressful week for me. Excuses, Excuses, but I really fell right off the wagon! I got 41 points this week. Wish I were stronger, but I am going to continue on trying to stay with the challenge even though the game is over. It makes it better knowing that you have to report to someone! Congratulations to whomever is the winner, because I know it was not me!

Week 4!

I got 58 points this week, I'm really doing well exercising regularly and I've noticed I have more energy! This week I did terrible with my water drinking though. Previous weeks I had the plastic water bottles that are a half liter and I would refill it 4 times using one bottle per day, well I ran out and didn't buy new ones until this week was almost over and I found it really hard to track how much I was drinking. Any tips?
Sara P

Alisha - Week 4

I was doing really well and then got all messed up yesterday while trying to get ready to go to Canada for two weeks. Ah well.... My total for the week is 72. Whoever wants to keep going, just let me know! We will take this week off and start again on the 28th of June and go until the 25th of July. We will keep track of points but no money will be taken or given out. I was thinking maybe we could try and beat our score for round 1 and then all go out to dinner or something to celebrate ;) You all did great!

ROXIE 4th week

All last week I had to keep telling myself I've got to get all my points. I'm tied for 1st I can't mess up. My husband even put out the most tempting of temptations- the dreaded but oh so delicious CHOCOLATE covered nuts. That was hard, I'm usually pretty good if the temptation is out of sight out of mind but he was eating them right in front of me. I just threatened him that there better be some left for me on my free day. My free day this week was more enjoyable this week then last. Its all about moderation. Through this challenge I've really have developed some great habits and have challenged myself to incorporate them in my daily life. My youngest son is getting married in February of next year and I hope to shed 20 lbs. by them the healthy way.

Sarah-Week 4

I tried to be so good this week and I only lost 2 points. So my total is 76 for the week

Christy's Points for Week 4

I am going to go ahead and post early, since I am using today as my free day. I got all my points this week. I almost messed up yesterday at the Olive Garden. They give you those mints with the check and I had one unwrapped and almost ate it before I realized what I was doing! Aaack! It is amazing what can happen when I am not even paying attention.

I have really enjoyed the challenge and I am up for continuing on. I would like to lose more weight, but I just seem to be hovering around the same weight for the last couple weeks. Maybe this is just where it is going to be, I don't know. I wouldn't mind taking a week off before continuing on.

No points

A couple of you know what a lousy week I had, so I'm just going to post today that I didn't track any points this week. Congrats to the winner!

Wow! Three days late!! That means ... 66 points. Oh man, this is horrible!

Ashley J. Week 3

So, two days late, does that mean one or two negative points?? Last week was rough for me as well.  Maybe because I already know I can't win :) Still trying to do better this week.  56 points for last week, 55 for reporting late. Good luck everyone!

Trisha Week 3

Ugh! Sorry it has been a stressful couple of days. I was on vacation with Sheena this past weekend and I have to say that all the rules went out the window for me too. With my minus 1 point for posting today I ended up with 48 points. I am not so good at the water still.

Well...

So, it's Tuesday. Been a very crazy week. Anyway, with my minus one point, I got 35 this week. Way to go all of you that have done so well with this challenge!!!

week 3 chase

i got 55 points this week. i am really havin a hard time with this contest. hopefully i can get better at this heath thing.

Week 3

thank goodness it's still monday so I don't lose a point! I got 60 for week 3. Finally starting a real exercise program! It's better to have a friend go with you so you feel like you need to go so you don't let them down, and they in turn feel the same way so you always go! :)
Sara P

Sheena - Week 3

This is no excuse but I went on vacation and almost all my rules went out the door.  I got 55 points this week.  I did get my water while on vacation.  I also got my multi-vitamin, and some of my exercise...  However I missed a lot.  On the up side I did have a lot of fun!!!  I am hoping for my best score this last week, so far so good.  I am enjoying the challenge and really notice a difference when I do what I am supposed to.  I felt awful today after a weekend of eating like crap and not getting my sleep. Good luck to everyone on this last week!!! 

Christy's Points for Week 3

I got 77 points. I missed one point on Friday night because I stayed up late reading a really good book. I could have used that as my free day, but I decided that it is okay to miss a point once in a while. I am feeling good and I am up to another challenge if others want to continue.

Roxie 3rd Week

I finally got 100%!!!! I had a free day on purpose. (usually I take it instead of missing a point or two for a regular day.) I found out that those free days are not all that great when your totally bad and my body was not happy. I think I'm hooked on this healthy challenge. I know I have felt so much better and have more energy. I definitely want to keep it up. Thanks Alisha!

Sarah-Week 3

My total for the week is 73. I like the challenge and I have been thinking about continuing following the rules even after the challenge. I am too lazy with myself sometimes and I like the structure the challenge has given to my eating.

Alisha - Week 3

First I wanted ask if anybody is interested in doing another challenge? We could do it without putting any money in and just have the motivation of reporting to everyone how you are doing. I don't know if that would be as much of a motivator or not. Just reply to this post and let me know!

As for my points, this week was my worst week so far. I got really busy and forgot to eat and drink my water. Exercising, however, is going really well for me! I have now past the point where I don't have to force myself to get out of bed to go running or do my Tae Bo. I LOVE IT!! I've lost 2 lbs and feel really good about my current weight. My goal now is to tone my muscles. Even though I know I won't win this challenge, I'm so glad I did it to get the motivation I needed. I believe doing all the things listed in the challenge has really helped my achieve my exercise goals and just feel really good about myself! My points for this week: 73. My goal for the last week is to get ALL of my points!

Randi- Week 2

Week 2 was terrible for me. I've been sick so I didn't even keep track of my points half the time. I got 33 points for week 2. I'd like to say week 3 will be better but it isn't looking good so far.

points week 2

haha I totally forgot to post my points yesterday and then I went to post them and put them in the wrong blog. ugh, rough week. Anyway I got 56 points for week 2.

Ashley J. Week 2

How are you guys getting near perfect scores?  I am not as disciplined. Maybe that is what you get for doing a Healthy Challenge with people you don't know :).

This week was better for me, but not perfect. Not even close.  69 points.  I have lost 4 lbs so far! Hooray!

Christy's Points for Week 2

I got 77 points. My plan was to use Saturday for my free day since I knew that we were going to eat somewhere with nothing healthy on the menu (Desert Star Theater). Well, Wednesday night my baby was up all night throwing up and I had planned to exercise in the evening. As it turned out, I didn't get in my exercise or get enough sleep that night, so I decided with three points lost that needed to be my free day. On Saturday night, I lost a point for the unhealthy meal (mini hamburgers and a sampler basket of fries, chicken strips, potato skins and onion rings that I shared with my husband). But, I did not share the dessert with him, even though he ordered it with two spoons!

I am enjoying the motivation to get healthy. This week I started exercising with a friend at 6:00 AM. Hopefully that will work well with the kids out of school, and will prevent procrastinating my exercise until late in the evening. It will make getting enough sleep even harder because I have to make sure I get in bed earlier.

Roxie Week 2

I tried really hard to get a perfect score but I only received 77 points again this week. I've lost 3.5 lbs since I started and hope that I can lose some more. I won't be working in the bakery until I have surgery on my elbow and recover for a couple of months. I'm not sure if that will help or hinder me.

Alisha Points - Week 2

This week resisting sugar got easier. I only slipped up with it one night and ate a fruit salad without even thinking about it. Water is definitely getting easier. I actually crave it now! I also slipped up when my husband took me out to dinner one night. There wasn't anything really "healthy" on the menu. The hardest thing for me is still going to bed early so I can get my 7 hours of sleep in. I feel like I can't get anything done! I do however have a lot more energy than I used to. My biggest motivation is trying to compete against my perfectionist mother and sister in law! My points for the week: 76.

Week 2 ~ Ashley Hatch

This week I got 66. Things got a little crazy this weekend with the work schedule so I didn't get my exercising in and had some sugar to help me get through my graveyard shift. Oh dear.. then I didn't get much sleep.

Sarah- Week 2

I had a rougher week this week so my number is 69 for the week. I managed to not give up my point for sugar on Memorial day but lost the battle other days. It doesn't help to have a bunch of treats here in the house from the baptism on Saturday. I hope to get back on track this week and resist the sugar!

Kelli Week 2

So I totally fell off the wagon this last week. I felt good about week 1 but last week I only got 41 points... Oops. The good news is that I got a lot of other stuff done last week... This week is already off to a better start so we'll see how it goes.

week 2

Getting better! I got 62 points this week! I find that if I start drinking water as soon as I wake up I get my 2 liters easier.

Sara P

Trisha Week 2

So this week was a little harder for me than week 1. I only got 62 points this week. I will attempt to do better this week, but I am going on vacation, so we will see.

Sheena - Week 2

This week I did better with the sugar, my pitfalls were missing 1 day of exercise, and then 3 days of sugar.  I did go 3 straight days without it though.  I have found that tracking my food daily has helped it makes me think about what I am putting in my mouth!  I do notice I am feeling more energetic which is something that has been missing for a long time.  This week will be a challenge as I am heading out of town for a girls trip.  I will be packing some healthy snacks, and hope to keep it mostly healthy, but I am going to indulge a few times as well.  My points this week were 66, so I did improve over last weeks score.  Good luck to everyone in the coming week!!!
Sheena

Improvement?

I got 2 more points than last week :) I've got 37 this week. Go me! ;)
Emily

Fasting

I am wondering what everyone's opinions are on fasting for religious reasons? Should we lose our healthy meal points if we are fasting? I am planning on fasting this week and had planned on using that day as my free day but then I got messed up on another day so I thought I'd address the issue. Please let me know what all of your opinions are!

Ashley H. ~ Week 1

I got 67 for last week. Actually missed a point because I didn't report it until today. Getting enough sleep and the sugar tripped me up a couple of times. I also didn't buy a multivitamin until later as well :/ But I'm better prepared for this week so I think it will be a lot better! :)

OOPS...

Hey I just got adding my points for the day yesterday and realized that I had not been adding in my point for my multi-vitamin each day, so I really had 66 last week.  I feel stupid that I missed that, but if you want to keep me at 60 that is fine since it was my mistake in adding.  Just let me know.  Sorry to be such a pain.

Alicia's Points - Week 1

(Alicia emailed this to me yesterday)

I got 59 points this week. I had problems drinking that much water during the day and fitting in two healthy snacks in between meals. Hopefully, I will do better next time. :)

Sugar-free desserts...

Hey I thought I would post a few of these for those of you who have been struggling like me with the sugar issue..

White chocolate strawberry mini pies.

1/2 c grape nuts finely crushed into crumbs
2 T plus 2 tsp. strawberries blended with a bit of honey
1 3/4 C skim milk
1 package sugar free, fat free white chocolate pudding mix

In a small bowl, combine the crubs and 2 T of the strawberry mixture.  With a large spoon, stir to mix well.  Divide the mix into 4 ramekins or small desset bowls.  Press the mix into the bottom of the dishes and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix.  Whisk to blend. Pour into the ramekins or bowls.  Dollop 1/2 tsp. of remaining strawberry mixture on top of each.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Makes 4 servings with  approx. 145 Calories, 6 g protein, 30 g carb, less than 1 g fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 357 mg sodium. per serving.  I will be posting more recipes on my blog as I try them, come check it out at www.naturalbliss4u.blogspot.com

Chase Week 1

HaHa wow this is harder than I thought it would be week 1 was pretty much a complete failure for me. There is just not enough time in a day. oh well I got 55 points last week hopefully this week will be better.

Randi- Week 1

Wow! You guys are impressive! I did terrible this week. It didn't help that it was a Holiday weekend. I got 57 points this week. I really struggle with the water and the sugar. I LOVE DESSERT!! Here's hoping for a better week!

Christy's Points

Sorry to post so late. My husband and I went away for the weekend. We took the time to take some nice walks for exercise and I even had the breakfast they served minus the breakfast sweet bread, juice and syrup. I got all 78 points! Even more, I am feeling great. I need to keep this up because I love the way it makes me feel.

Probably the hardest for me was sleeping 7 hours at night. I usually sleep about 5-6 hours, so that has been a big change for me.

Week 1

So my total for the week is 57 and I am Sara (no h) and it says 74 by my name :) I'd love to claim that but it's not me. Maybe we should put Sara P to keep from mixups. I had a nasty cold alllllll week long! So I'm sad to say i did not exercise and the sugar thing is so hard because how can you resist dessert?? And on days that I decided I wasn't going to get my sugar point, I went crazy on the sugar! Any tips? I'm addicted!

Alisha Points - Week 1

Ok-so I've been on vacation since last Friday. I was "forced" to eat sugar two of the days I was in Seattle. I did manage to get everything else in amazingly enough! While I was home, getting the 7 hours of sleep was the hardest for me, especially when I was trying to get all packed and ready for my vacation. I do EVERYTHING after my kids are in bed. Sugar was actually not as hard as I thought it was going to be. As long as there is plenty of fruit around, I'm good. The water was also hard but I found that if I have a water bottle with me at all times it helps! Total points for the week: 75

Roxie's Points - Week 1

I received 77 points for the week. The caffeine was hard for the first 2 days. I think I should get a special reward for no sugar and working 32 hrs. in the bakery. I found my self bringing the sweets up to my mouth and then catching my self. I learned to have my healthy snack on hand and lunch and of coarse my water bottle. I 've been babysitting for Alisha over the weekend and I did pretty good except I remembered that I didn't drink the rest of my water early the next morning.

Ashley Week 1

60 points total for me this week.  I thought I would do much better. I didn't buy a multi-vitamin until today, so that was an easy point I lost every single day.  Friday and Saturday were bad days for me, so that is what got me! 

I am also tracking my food on www.myfitnesspal.com. Very helpful. I am trying to stay under 1500 calories a day.  Check it out if you are interested!

Good luck to everyone this week!

Trisha Week 1

I had the most trouble with water. I HATE water! 2 of the days I was able to hit the mark for water, but the rest.....not so much! I missed a couple of days of excercise because I was visiting family.....I know....20 min should not be hard to conquer, but it is so easy to miss!

Anyway I am not a huge blogger, so my total points was 66. Good Luck with week 2 everyone!

Week 1

I know most of you don't know who I am so I feel kind of weird posting on here. I got a total of 76 points this week. The thing that I messed up on a few days was sugar... I just love it so much! It's been so hard for me to get into the habit of drinking enough water. I have to constantly remind myself to drink more. I'm used to only drinking about 16 oz. a day. (My body is just used to being dehydrated I guess.) I feel like my body is starting to adjust to the change. Hopefully this week will be easier.

Kelli

The slacker reports :)

Ok, so I just recorded the points that I earned, and didn't worry too much about trying to be better. I know, pitiful! Anyway, I got a whopping 35 points. I know, try not to get too excited about that ;)

I had a very exciting week though! I've lost a total of 5 pounds since I started running. Possibly more. I haven't weighed myself yet today and it's been a couple of days. So, even if I don't win this, I'll still be healthier, right?

-Emily

Sheena - Week 1

Okay so not eating sugar is so hard!! I have known for a while I had an addiction, I just did not realize it was this bad.  I missed my sugar point most days.  Also the soda, my hubby is a bad influence on me.  Okay so I just need a little more will power.  I am hoping to have a much better week this week. I did have a few fun recipes that I came across as I was doing this.  The first was a spinach smoothie... I know it sounds gross, but I thought they were pretty good.

1 Banana (this is supposed to cover the spinach taste)
1/2 C Strawberries, I  used frozen ones.
1/2 C Peaches (again frozen)
Water (you could use milk or juice, but I thought I would spare myself the calories)
1/2 C spinach leaves (i used baby spinach)

Blend in the blender and you have a yummy little treat. 

In mine I actually added some protein powder, and some raw oatmeal.  The oatmeal gives it a little bit of a chalky texture, it didn't bother me, but it might some.  But this way I could count it as my entire meal.  Great if you are on the go.

Another recipe I came across was a protein pancake...  I have not actually tried this one yet, but my mom did and says it is good. 

2 egg whites
1/4 C cottage cheese
1/4 oatmeal
1 tsp Vanilla

Cook like a normal pancake and spread with fruit.  I am probably going to test them out this week. I will let you all know.  Okay so now for the awful truth... I am down 1 lb, which is nice.  but my points well my total for this week was a whopping 60 points.  I am going to do much better this week.

Sarah- Week 1

This week was harder than I expected it to be, I am SO addicted to sugar!! I thought the caffeine would be hard, but it really wasn't bad.

The sugar is what got me! 

 I tried to find alternatives, I chewed a lot of gum, ate a ton of fruit and just kept thinking that I didn't want to lose that point. I did notice that because I was eating balanced meals and healthy snacks I rarely felt hungry and (I think) my mood was better because I didn't have the sugar crashes. I'm hoping it gets easier because it has been so hard to not have the sugar. 

 I realize that I was grabbing something sugary really often, and even if it's a small amount, it adds up over the day. 

My point total for the week is 74

Report points on MONDAY!

Since we have our 7 hours of sleep rule you couldn't count your point for Sunday until Monday morning (provided your free day isn't Sunday). So....we are going to change the day you report your points to MONDAY! The first reporting day will be Monday, May 31st! And again, for every day after Monday you do not report your points you lose a point. Also, make sure you accept the invite to become an author on this blog so you can report your points. Let me know if you didn't receive the invite or are having any trouble getting it to work. Thank you!!

The Healthy Challenge

At the end of last month my sister in law invited me to join her in a healthy challenge group. I chickened out with everything that was going on in my life and decided I would do it "next time". Yesterday a couple of my friends TOLD me (not asked) I was joining them in a 5K run this coming July. There is a "couch to 5K" program that they told me I could follow and now I have 9 weeks to get ready. As I was doing my first day last night, I thought, "You know it might help a little if I was eating healthy too. Too bad I didn't join the healthy challenge group to give me a little incentive....WAIT! I could form my own healthy challenge group!!!" And this is how the Love 2 B Healthy blog/group was born. I pretty much copied the plan the group my sister in law belongs to with the addition of one point.

So, here are the details:

All contestants donate $10 into the pot. Winner takes all the money! If there is a tie, the money is divided. There are 13 points that can be earned each day.

Here is the breakdown:

• Healthy and correctly portioned breakfast - 1 point

• Healthy and correctly portioned lunch - 1 point

• Healthy and correctly portioned dinner - 1 point

What is healthy and correctly portioned? 1/2 of your plate should be fruits and vegetables, 1/4 should be whole grains, and 1/4 should be lean meat/protein, one serving of each. It doesn't have to be complicated. Just use your best judgment!

• 2 healthy snacks a day - 1 point
  

• Take muli-vitamin - 1 point

• Exercise at least 20 minutes per day - 2 points

• Drink 2 liters (or 67 oz.) of water - 1 point

• No Sugar - 1 point

This basically means no sweets. No candy, cake, cookies, brownies, fruit juice with sugar, soda pop, etc.

• No Unhealthy snacks - 1 point

This goes one step beyond the no sugar rule. Unhealthy is defined as any product high in fat or salt (processed foods like chips and hot dogs).

• No caffeine - 1 point
  

• No food 2 hours before bed - 1 point
  

• At least 7 hours of sleep at night - 1 point

FREE DAY: Each week you can pick the day of the week that will be your "free day". You will not keep track of points on this day. You can also not use your free day to "catch up" on points you lost during the week. No points can be earned on your free day. Be sure to plan ahead for family parties, date nights, etc.

The total you can earn in a week is 78 points (13 points a day for 6 days). You will then report your points every Sunday on this blog. When you sign up, I will put you in as an author on the blog (I will just need your email address). For every day after Sunday that you send in your points, you will will lose a point! This will give you a chance to see how you are doing in comparison to everybody else. (Obviously, a big factor in this competition is honestly!) You also can post how you are doing, healthy snack ideas, great dinner ideas, exercise routines, struggles, successes etc.

The competition will start May 24th and end June 21st (4 weeks). That will give us a week and a half to get geared up! All money is due by May 24th.

There are no requirements for weighing in or measuring, although it is recommended! If you don't win the challenge at least you'll be able to see if your body changes over the 4 weeks.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!