Week 3 Challenge!

Okay, this is going to be a different challenge than the past two weeks. It may be tough for some and easy for others. I am very aware as I have dealt with health issues that I am affected by sleep, or the lack thereof. So your challenge, should you accept it, is to get the required amount of sleep each night. Below are a few tips and suggestions for the "required amount." Basically, it should be 7-8 hours each night. Good luck!!

Health tips: how much sleep is necessary? Everyone needs sleep. Sleep allows the body to rest and affects both physical and mental health. While scientists are unsure of everything that sleep does for the body, there is no question that sleep is necessary for survival. But, how much sleep does a person really need?

The amount of sleep a person requires is affected by the person’s age. As people age, they tend to need less sleep. Babies need an average of 16 hours of sleep per day and teenagers require approximately nine hours. By the time someone is an adult, they generally need an average of seven to eight hours in order to remain in optimal health. Some people may function effectively on as little as five hours of sleep and others may need as many as ten hours per night in order to feel their best.

Other factors that affect someone’s sleep requirements are the amount of sleep they have had in recent days and their general health. For example, a pregnant woman usually needs additional sleep in her first trimester. Someone who is ill or has a depressed immune system generally needs additional rest as well. When the immune system is depressed, the body produces chemicals to fight infection; these same chemicals induce sleep. Very elderly people often find that they sleep less than when they were younger adults.

Lack of sleep has many effects on the brain and body. Some of the most common signs of sleep deprivation include poor reaction times, lessened judgment and problem-solving abilities. In addition, physical health is affected adversely by a lack of sleep and the body may be more prone to illness.

So, how can people determine if they are getting enough sleep? The following are signs of lack of sleep:

- Daytime drowsiness

- Ability to fall asleep within five minutes of going to bed

- Difficulty with concentration

- Inability to keep eyes focused

- Frequent yawning ...duh!!

Sleep deprivation cannot be overcome with stimulants such as caffeine or other drugs. The only thing that cures sleep deprivation is regular sleep.

It is incredibly important to make time for sleep. Many busy people cut into their sleep time when their daytime commitments get too time-consuming. Other people have sleep disorders or difficulty sleeping. It is important to address these issues for long-term good health. Some tips for restful sleep include:

- Create a good sleep environment: the bedroom should be dark, a comfortable temperature and free from distraction.

- Avoid substances such as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine for several hours before you try to sleep: all of these can affect the mind’s ability to enjoy a normal and restful sleep pattern.

- Follow a consistent schedule: dramatically changing a sleep schedule, for example staying up very late on weekends can have an adverse affect on the mind’s ability to rest

- Exercise: regular exercise helps the body to stay fit and helps sleep patterns as well. However, it is important to stop exercise at least an hour before bedtime as it may act as a stimulant.

- Practice relaxing rituals: calming, peaceful activities shortly before bed often assist the mind and body in preparing for sleep. Warm baths, soft music and other peaceful pursuits may be helpful.

- Turn off computers and televisions at least an hour before bed: studies show the glow of the computer monitor and the TV can act as a stimulant to the brain, interfering with going to sleep.

Week 2 Challenge:

One of the things I learned when working with my personal trainer and from reading a lot of fitness articles is that an essential element in burning fat & maintaining muscle mass is the proper addition of protein to your diet. Part of the reason for this is that it takes more time and more calories for your body to break down protein than many other foods require. Also, protein is essential for building or maintaining lean muscle when you're working out, because the proper amount of cardio can actually cause you to loose muscle mass along with the fat cells you're burning. The protein will also help rebuild your muscles. The average adult needs 0.6 - 0.8 grams of protein for every 2.2lbs of body weight per day. (Go here to find your ideal amount) There are a lot of other facts on line you can look up to support all this, or you can save time and take my trainer's and my word for it. =) So, that being said...

This week's challenge is to eat/drink a minimum of 10 grams of protein after each workout you do this week. The protein needs to be consumed within 30 minutes of the end of your workout in order to have the most benefit for you. More than 10 grams is encouraged, but not required. On average, the body usually has a max of about 40 grams of protein that can be absorbed in one sitting. Give yourself 20 points at the end of the week if you did this every day you exercised. If you did not exercise at all this week, you cannot earn any of these points.

How you get your protein is up to you. It could be a protein shake or bar, a chicken wrap, or whatever works for you, but remember that the point of this challenge is to get healthy....so a greasy burger probably isn't the best source to use. Not everything comes labeled with grams of protein advertised either, so you'll have to do your homework and be more conscious about what you're eating. ^_^ For optimal results, choose a protein that is lean -both low carb & low fat.

Extra credit!!: My trainer also suggested that having a small serving of protein (like half an avocado, or 1/4 a cup of almonds -about 8 grams of protein) 30 minutes before bed can help you burn fat while you sleep! Add 5 additional points at the end of the week if you did this for at least 5 nights. Good luck!

As a reminder, here are the rules (changes are in red):

-Physical Activity: 2 points per 10 minutes up to 1 hour per day.(maximum of 5 days)

-Fruits and Vegetables: 1 point per fruit or vegetable up to 7 per day.

-Stress Management: 2 points each day you participate in 10 minutes of a stress management activity. (we're keeping this)

-Weekly Challenge: We will take turns coming up with and posting a weekly challenge for all to participate in. If you complete the week's challenge, you get an additional 25 points that week. For Week 1, if you only added 10 pts, add 15 for a total of 25 pts for completing week 1's challenge.

-Past Weekly Challenges: 10 points for each week you complete a past weekly challenge, up to the number of past weeks so far (in this case 1).

Week 1 Challenge:

Your challenge, should you choose to accept, is to drink 8 eight ounce glasses of water 5 or more days this week. If you complete this challenge, you will earn an additional 10 points for week one. :)

Reminder:

Here's how to earn points:

     -Physical Activity: 2 points per 10 minutes up to 1 hour per day.(maximum of 6 days)

     -Fruits and Vegetables: 1 point per fruit or vegetable up to 7 per day.

     -Stress Management: 2 points each day you participate in 10 minutes of stress management activity.

     -Weekly Challenge: We will take turns coming up with and posting a weekly challenge for all to participate in. If you complete the weeks challenge, you get an additional 10 points that week.

We are beginning today, March 14th, and will end on May 15th. Good luck everyone! :)

(Week 2: Saralee is responsible for coming up with next week's challenge.)

Manwaring Family Gets Fit

I think I've worked out a fun program for us all to participate in and hopefully we can become more healthy in the process! It is based on a point system. To join in on the program, everyone contributes $10. (Let me know if you REALLY can't do this and we'll work something out. I don't want the $10 to keep anyone who wants to participate from doing so.) The idea is that the person who receives the most points by the deadline that we choose, will receive all the money. If everyone as well as their spouses, fiances, & boyfriends choose to participate, that's $110 for the winner!

Here's how to earn points:

     -Physical Activity: 2 points per 10 minutes up to 1 hour per day.

     -Fruits and Vegetables: 1 point per fruit or vegetable up to 7 per day.

     -Stress Management: 2 points each day you participate in 10 minutes of stress management activity.

     -Weekly Challenge: We will take turns coming up with and posting a weekly challenge for all to participate in. If you complete the weeks challenge, you get an additional 10 points that week.

Keep track of your points on your own and you can post them each week under your picture on the sidebar of this blog. Does this sound ok to everyone? Is there anything you would change? How long does everyone want to do this, or in other words, when should our deadline be? I'd like to begin this coming week on March 14th. Any objections?

Ok.....

SO, I'm really needing some motivation to stay healthy and active. I already mentioned to some of you the possibility of starting another Fatty Jar Club or maybe starting our own Biggest Loser club. I want to do something that will fit with most everyone's goals. SO tell me, what's your goal? Is it to loose weight, eat healthy, exercise regularly, maintain your BMI, or what? Based off of your feedback and any ideas you may suggest, I'll try to come up with something that will hopefully be fun for us all to participate in. Hopefully we can motivate each other.

The BIG Five Oh! She made it!! =)

Birthday brownies topped with Bananas -to wish Mom good health for the years to come, and Reeses -wishes for sweet rewards and happiness. ^_^ Can you see the "50" spelled out in candles?

That's right, you made it!

Hope your wish comes true soon! =)

Smile Avery!!! Avery? Smile? For the camera Avery! humph!...

She really was enjoying her time with grandpa, I promise.

Rachel, when I said "cheese!" I wasn't asking if you think Gouda actually smells good.

Now there's some Gouda smiles!

Wow! Craig, you're pretty strong and Chris...you're pretty...what's the word? I'll go with brave. ;) And very helpful of course. Good job men getting the outside of the windows!

Mom's birthday wish: clean windows.
Wish status: granted. =)

Just wanted to share some of the photos from Mom's b-day party (while we're on the subject). Thanks for always being there when we needed you, Mom. We love you!