When You Need Support--Find It

Because I need support, I signed up for this awesome program.

Here are the rules for the Maintainers' Health Competition, otherwise known as The Sisterhood of the PLC. For those of you who have been doing this competition already, note there are a few minor changes listed below. 

Pay $30 for four weeks of competition and declare your goal weight and eating plan to me via text/email. 

Pay by the end of the day today, March 18th. You can pay through PayPal  or email me your eating plan of choice (see below) and your weight you are striving to maintain (for example, I am following Weight Watchers and my personal goal weight is xxx).

*SCORING AND SYSTEM FOR WINNING*

Everyone pays their $30 at the beginning. Every person wins back her $30 for having kept all the rules throughout all four weeks. You get one freebie day each week for each of the following rules: Exercise, Journal, Water, Sleep, Veggies, and Communication. There are no freebie days for the Meal Plan rule, but you do get 2 free meals each week. Each meal has to be consumed within a 1 1/2 hour period. There is no freebie day for the Weigh-In rule except what is outlined below in the Weigh In section. For each rule that is broken (beyond the freebies built into the competition) you lose $10 of your $30. Once you lose your $30, you are not required to pay up for any additional broken rules, you're just out your money and ineligible for winning money from the pot. All "lost" money from breaking rules goes into the pot and will be disbursed evenly at the end to those who have kept all rules throughout the competition or have earned back all their money lost throughout the competition.  You can earn back your lost money the following ways: 1. Completing an extra two hours total of exercise in a one week span will earn you back $5. You can do the additional 2 hours at one time or break it up throughout the week, but this has to be in addition to the required 20 minutes a day.  2. Eating an additional cup of veggies every day for an entire week will earn you back $5. This means you have to eat at least one cup of veggies on your "free day" from veggies. Thus, no one is out money unless they break rules and fail to earn back the money by completing the above requirements. The 9 rules are listed below.

RULE #1: Maintaining Weight

Everyone in this competition has the goal to maintain her weight. Starting weight is the weight you decide is best for you to maintain. You'll need to declare this to me, but you don't have to share it with everyone else if you'd rather not. The original goal weight you declare at the beginning will be your goal for each week. You need to weigh yourself every day each week and average your weight for the week (Add up your weight from each day divided by 7) to determine what weight you maintained on average for the week. If that average weight is equal to or less than your goal maintenance weight, you have successfully kept Rule #1 for maintaining weight. If it's higher, then you lose $10 for breaking this rule. You'll want to choose your goal weight wisely. :) 

RULE #2: Meal Plan

Follow a meal plan every day--just pick a type of meal plan and stick with it--could be counting calories; low-carb; 3 sensible meals plus 2 snacks; 5 meals consisting of a protein, a "good" carb, & a healthy fat; Weight Watchers; no sugar, wheat, dairy, etc.....For each day you deviate from the range you've established in your plan, you lose $10. For people doing the calorie counting plan, you've broken this rule for that day when you go 100 calories above your range or below 1100 calories. Note: If you follow Weight Watchers, due to the Weekly Point allowance, you only get 1 Free Meal each week instead of 2 Free Meals.  (I’m using the Fitness Pal ap on my IPad and will consume a maximum of 1600 calories a day and burn 300-400 calories through exercise. I know that my four mile run burns about 400 calories. My goal is an average of 1200 calories a day.)

RULE #3: Exercise

Exercise at least 20 min. per day (In addition to your free day off, you can combine 2 days into one—do 40 min. in one day instead of 20 min. on two different days—but you can only do that once a week)

RULE #4: Journal

Write in a journal every day; it does not have to be shared with anyone—can be emotional writing (how you’re feeling, why you’re eating what you’re eating, etc.) or a food/exercise journal (how you feel when you eat certain things or do certain exercises), weight watchers food journal, etc. 

RULE #5: Water

Drink at least 8 cups of water a day

RULE #6: Veggies

Eat at least 3 cups of veggies a day--tomatoes count as a veggie and you can drink V8 or something like it for 2 of the veggies but have to actually eat at least one veggie or make your own juice. (For veggie recipes, visit my pinterest food board at http://pinterest.com/kristinetate/food/) 

RULE #7: Communication

Communicate with at least two other competitors daily--that means 2 points of communication each day, which can be through Facebook, a text, a phone call, an email, etc.

RULE #8: Sleep

Sleep at least 6 hours a night - or if you have a newborn/kid with night terrors situation/etc. just make sure you have a six hour stretch after going to bed and before getting up in the morning.

RULE #9: Daily Weigh-In

You’re required to weigh yourself daily.  You can weigh more than once a day and can use your lowest weight of the day for that day's weight, but don't be obsessive with the scale! You are allowed two freebie days from weighing in throughout the entire four week competition but it has to be on a day you legitimately forget to weigh or don't have access to a scale. And only one weigh freebie can be used in a week period. Both cannot be used in the same week. You cannot take your highest weight of the week and drop it or anything of the sort.

Rule #10: Reporting

Each week you need to report to me your week's average weight and if/how many mess ups you had that week. The week goes Monday through Sunday and you need to report EACH week by Monday at 6pm PST. Failure to do so will result in a loss of $10. 

20 Tools for Change

I’m talking about changing your diet, but also, a little, about changing your life. For both, you need to change your habits. First, let’s look at the tools you can buy.

 
1.  Good exercise clothes and shoes. What this means: shoes that fit well. Socks that last. Bras that do their job and do it well. Shorts/pants that stay where they should and don’t creep into forbidden territory. Clothes that wick sweat. Hair ties.

2.   Sunscreen

3.  Portable motivating music

4.   A tape measure

5.  A journal to record your success

6.  A calorie counter

7.  A food scale

8. Measuring cups

9.  Lots of vegetables

10.  An insulated water bottle

 

Now here are the things that money can’t buy.

1. Support from people who love you

2. A healthy kitchen free of temptations. (If you happen to be in close quarters with someone who insists on stashing trash, give them their own cupboard or drawer in the fridge. Always use a cuss word when referring to this cupboard or refrigerator drawer. I generally don’t advocate cussing, but in this instance it’s highly recommended. If swearing isn’t your style, you might consider the terms poopy pantry or kakka cupboard.)

3. An exercise buddy (or two)

4. A good night’s sleep and naps when needed

5. A plan for resisting temptation (more on this later)

      6. An action plan (also discussed later)

7. Kind comebacks and retorts for those who try to tempt you or belittle your attempts (Do not be surprised when this happens, because it will. You might be tempted to refer to these people by the same slur you assign to the pantry or cupboard. Don’t do that. Be nice, even when others aren’t as kind.)

8. Dietary know how

9. Recognition of your triggers (more on this)

10. Meal plans

 

Wednesday's Workouts. Why I Run

I started running in college with my roommate. We’d go at night when we were finished studying and run from our apartment to the Provo Temple. I liked the crisp air, lights and stars. The next year when my roommate (the same one) was sick, I started running alone. Because Utah winters are cruel, I’d put cotton balls in my ears and wrap a bandana over my mouth and nose. By this time, running wasn’t just about chatting with my roommate or burning calories, it was also about being alone.

I loved my roommates and I loved living with five girls, almost always, but the truth was I’d grown up in a very quiet house with a sick mother and a working father. After my mother’s death, the very quiet house became even quieter. I loved my roommates then, I love my family now, but I am used to quiet and I love it. I love being alone. Running provided that solace and solitude when I was in college and it provides it still.

During the semester breaks when I went home I’d run with my dad’s German shorthair—Trooper. We didn’t own a leash, which was probably just as well because Trooper ran much, much faster than I did. He’d run away from me and then run straight at me. I think he found it amusing to see if he could knock me over.

Thirty years later, I still run with a dog. My dad’s dogs have died, but whenever I go home, I’ll run the same trail that I did when I used to run with Trooper. For twenty years I’ve been running the same miles in Rancho, but the amazing thing is—whether I’m running around the golf course or through the fields in Arlington—I’m still the same person that I was when I began thirty years ago.

My body has changed—it’s still changing. My circumstances are different. I own more stuff, have more responsibilities, hopefully I've learned things, but basically, the essence of who I am—I’m still that girl. Running helps me remember that. I think my very best thoughts when I run. I don’t know why—I only know that it’s true.