Friday, August 24, 2012

With the summer coming to an end and life going back to normal {boo}, we decided it was time to get back on track and start another 8 Weeks to a Better You Challenge!!
We would love for you all to join in with us, we have some fun changes in store {keep reading to find out what}.....

For any of you that are new to the challenge here's the scoop...

You will "buy in" to the challenge, to learn more about how the cash prizes and random giveaways {which we will discuss shortly in another blog post} work please read the "REWARDS" tab to the right.
 
There are 10 things that you must do each day {see the "DEAL" tab to the right to read more on these}
Physically Better Yourself

1. Exercise at least 45 minutes a day!


2. Get AT LEAST 7 hours of sleep a night (if you are short a little just squeeze a nap in to make up for it).


3. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day


4. No Sugar-This challenge that means no sugar and also NO WHITE FLOUR!  We will explain the reasoning for that in a blog post a little later.


5. No Soda, Fast Food, or Junk Food

6. Eat at least 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables


7. No eating after 8 p.m.

Emotionally/Spiritually Better Yourself

8. Write in your journal EVERY DAY.

9. Complete at least 15 minutes of uplifting reading or scripture study.

10. Complete an act of service or random act of kindness.  Whether it be a small one or a big one, do something kind for someone else that is out of your normal routine.
Each week you get a FREE DAY where you get the full 10 points whether or not you complete all the requirements!  You can choose which day of each week is your free day each week, but you cannot choose different days for different points.  The only exception to this rule is exercise.  Your free day from exercise can be different if you choose.  For example - you may choose Saturday as your free day but choose to workout that day and take Sunday off from exercise.
Possibly points earned - 10 per day, 70 per week.
  

Okay, here is the fun part you have all been waiting for!!  This challenge we are changin' it up a little, we are giving you an option!  
Drumroll...
 
You have the choice of drinking diet soda throughout the week in lieu of a free day...yes you heard me right.  

Here is how this will work:
Each week you will decide if you want the right to drink Diet Soda {or coffee} throughout that week OR to have a free day.  The second you drink a diet soda you have forfeited the chance for a free day that week {unless you choose to dock a point that day instead}.  If you abstain from diet sodas then you still get your free day.  Got it??  Please feel free to ask questions. The other exception to this rule is that if you choose to drink Diet soda instead of a free day you still get a free pass on 1 day off of exercise.  There are 2 reasons for this.  First, it is good for our bodies to get a little break.  Second, Karli & I are LDS and believe that Sunday is a day of rest and do not participate in exercise on Sunday.  So whether or not you have those same beliefs or not you still get to take advantage of a day off from exercise even if you choose the "diet soda" route :)  

Now let us briefly explain why we are giving you this option.  We have found through past challenges that sometimes we are SO good all week and then our free day comes and we feel like we have to eat junk AND we dont do all of the other things on our challenge "to do" list.  So we got to thinking maybe if we allowed a little treat (that is still sugar free) throughout the week than we wouldn't have the need or desire for a free day.  So I put it to the test, for the past few weeks I have been sugar/white flour free but allowed myself to sip on a diet soda from time to time and wallah no temptation for that free day.  So its up to you...and you can choose week by week.  
What do you think?


If you want to join us this time around click on the paypal link to the right...you know you want to!

17 comments:

  1. LOVE the change up this time around! :-)

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  2. Hmmm, I get the idea, but as a non-soda drinker, it doesn't do anything for me. I do love the no white flour rule, though!

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  3. Janelle...that means you get to keep your FREE DAY! Yaay! And yes the white flour rule is GREAT, I feel so much better when I am cutting that out.

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  4. Can I still have soda on my free day??? Or is it one or the other??? I"m so confused!!

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  5. Kim...good question, yes you can still have soda on your free day!!!! If you choose to not drink diet soda throughout the rest of that week than your free day remains the same as it has been in the other challenges. Does that make sense?

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  6. Phew!! Yes that makes sense! I don't think I can give up my baking addiction for 8 weeks, although it's almost worth it for my Diet DP!!

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  7. No white flour for 8 weeks would be soooo hard for me! Because white flour also means, no pasta, white rice and flour tortillas correct?

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  8. This challenge sounds so rough, but I think I can do it!

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  9. Marcee...CORRECT!! But you can have wheat pasta, brown rice, couscous, quinoa, wheat tortillas. You just have to be creative. You are in, you dont have a choice! :)

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  10. As a non soda drinker too, I understand that I could still have my free day, but I just think it's an interesting choice to allow something that is an addictive vice when the point of the challenge is to change bad habits. (not just abstain from them for a day, a week, 8 weeks, but to ultimately make better choices for a lifetime) Out of all the "no no's" on the challenge, I think caffeine is the one thing that we CAN realistically give up and choose to remove from our lives indefinitely. This is just my opinion and rant on the topic. Stepping off the soapbox now.

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  11. Aubrianne...totally agree, which is why we left the choice up to each participant to choose for themselves. We are just trying something new and wanting to see if allowing this choice will mean some people will cut out their free day which means for 8 straight weeks they might actually go sugar free, junk food/fast food free. For a lot of people that alone is a HUGE lifestyle change which is great. I totally respect your opinion, if you choose to do this challenge then for sure you can do it how we have always done it which is no soda and allowed a free day :)

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  12. So how do we report our points? Via Email?

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  13. Are you going to still post the reasoning for the No White flour? There are minor things that I am on the fencepost about in regards to doing this challenge and the white flour and sugar are part of it. (Mainly because I already have a small stockpile of foods I purchased on sale, and I think a lot of them have sugar, white flour as minor ingredients.) Anymore suggestions, etc would be very helpful!

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  14. Emma..you will receive a weekly newsletter from us which will include a link to a Weekly Points tracker in googledocs. We will also send you a link to a Daily Point Tracker that you can print up to help you keep track of your points. Does that make sense?

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  15. Michelle...sorry for the late response. We will be addressing the white flour/no sugar shortly in a blog post. But basically the reasoning for doing it is because our bodies react to white flour by basically turning it into sugar. The reasoning for no sugar is because of the effect that it has on our bodies physically but also how it effects our energy and other aspects of our live. By cutting out sugar it also will naturally cut out other cravings that we have, it amazes me everytime I do it :) all that being said, there are many alternatives that are completely legal like wheat bread, brown rice, wheat pastas, etc... Hopefully the no white flour/sugar doesnt scare you off...we will help you along the way!

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  16. Im sure this wont work for everyone, but since I am a chocolate eater and not a soda drinker, the new rule doesn't really affect me. I feel like the free day makes me feel like I am blowing everything I just worked for. I think you should consider this instead (I have done this on my own in lieu of a free day and it has been so so beneficial to me). Once a day, I get one, single-serving treat. That might by a candy bar if I can't take it in the middle of a day, or a very small scoop of ice cream with my husband as our fun time together after the kids are in bed. But all I get is one, and it has to be only one serving size (thus I really make sure I am getting the proper amount, and I choose my treat carefully, since some servings are a lot yummier than others. :) This way I feel like I can still have a tiny bit of a break, but I am not just totally blowing all my will-power like I do with my free day. It has been nice for me to keep that control on everyday of the week and still get one little break (kindof like the diet soda thing, I guess). I would love if in the future I saw this as a rule alternative. I understand if you can't, but it has really helped me have more control, knowing that I can work all day and deserve a small something for myself at the end. :)

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