Healthy Lifestyle Challenge

So I haven’t dieted since my short lived high school wrestling career. I have never been interested in counting calories or eating a specific number of fruits and vegetables. Nor have I exercised because I just wanted to be healthier.Unfortunately, I still have no interest in those things, BUT my genius dietitian mother has found an angle to inspire me to action. She simply threw out a CHALLENGE to her friends and family, and now I’m choking down spinach, peeling oranges despite the nasty residue it leaves on my fingers, riding the bicycle before the sun even thinks about rising, drinking 80+ ounces of water a day which means more urgent and frequent interruptions, and denying my palate the happiness it gets from desserts and candy.

I don’t know what the winner gets, but I am determined to win. It goes until until March 12th. I’m throwing out this challenge to my worldwide blog audience, because I really believe this is a good and achievable challenge.

So if you aren’t afraid of a little challenge and competition, and if you want to be healthier, happier, and hardier, please let me know and I’ll get you a spreadsheet to track your progress. Also, as a little incentive to accept this challenge, if you beat me and Michelle, we will take you and your teammate to a nice unhealthy dinner to a restaurant of your choice (must be claimed in the US, and we have up to 7 years to fulfill this obligation, but I am really not too worried about losing at this point). You’ll need to start by January 16th. Even if you are not in it to win it, you’ll still be happy if you try.

Here are the rules-Healthy Lifestyle Challenge

WEEKLY POINTS – Each Monday you will report your weekly points in the 7 categories totaling 200 possible points.

1.  EXERCISE:  You can earn up to 25 points each week for exercise.  You earn 5 points for doing 30 minutes of exercise up to 5 days per week.  If you do more than 30 minutes of exercise or more than 5 days per week, WAY TO GO!  But you do not get any additional points, and you can’t carry the points or minutes over to future days or weeks of exercise.  5 points  x  5 days =  25 points possible each week

2.  SWEETS:  You can earn up to 25 points each week for not eating sweets.  Each day that you eat no sweets, you get 5 points up to 5 days per week.  Each day you eat 1 sweet, you get 3 points. And each day you have 2 sweets you get 1 points.  More sweets than that, get ’0′ points.  You may ask, “What constitutes a sweet?”  Brownies, cookies, cake, ice cream, candy, donuts, or anything sweet that’s preventing you from being healthy.

Notice you only have to track 5 days each week for sweets. Special occasions do not get extra free sweets, so use your sweet day accordingly.  Plan ahead for upcoming events.  If you don’t use your “sweet days”, you do not get any additional points.   5 points  x  5 days =  25 points possible each week

3. FRUITS: Each day that you eat at least 4 fruits you get 5 points.  If you get 2-3 fruits you get 2 points.  Generally speaking, one serving is approximately 1/2 cup.  So one large apple or pear equals 2 servings Note: dried fruits are about half that much with a ¼ cup as a serving.     5 points  x 5 days =   25 points possible each week

4. VEGETABLES: Each day that you eat at least 4 vegetables you get 5 points.  If you get 2-3 vegetables you get 2 points.  Generally speaking, one serving is approximately 1/2 cup, although leafy greens are approximately double that.   (leafy greens are 1 cup = 1 serving)   5 points  x  5 days =   25 points possible each week

4.  WATER:  Each day that you drink at least 48 ounces of water, you get 2 points .     2 points  x  7days  =  14 points possible each week

5.  9 P.M. :  Each day that you stop eating before9 p.m. or two hours before you go to bed., you get 2 points. 2 points  x   7 days  =  14 points possible each week).

6.  Team:   Each day that you are in contact with your team member by any method (email, phone, blog, txt, voice mail, telegram, facebook, US postal services, etc.) you get 1 point.  Through personal experience I’ve found that encouraging, motivating, sharing experiences, and staying accountable to others helps us to be more successful as individuals and as teams.

7.  Personal:  You may choose a goal that will help you accomplish a healthy lifestyle.  You get 5 points for each day that you accomplish your goal up to 25 points.

8.   BONUS WEEKLY CHALLENGE :   Each week there will a Bonus challenge to push you a little further or get you thinking about your health a little bit more.  Each week the Bonus challenge is worth 35 points.  I will give instructions how to score your bonus with the challenge instructions for that week. For example some weeks the 35 points will be divided up for each day, and others with be an all or nothing week.