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).
Also, I have an suggestion for the general rule of limiting applicable exercise to 6 days per week. I actually think 5 days per week is plenty. Most doctors recommend 5 days per week & if we keep it at 6 I know there are some people who will feel obligated to go for all six (ahem, Chris!) and others who are too exhausted to do that much (ahem, Me!). Also, I think 5 is an attainable goal for most of us and will un-discourage people who don't want to go too many days per week from not participating. I'm sleepy so I'm not sure this makes sense...but let me know what you guys think about changing the limit for exercise to 5 days per week that you can earn points.
ReplyDeleteI think the 5 day thing is great! I vote we raise last week's challenge to count for an additional 25 points (instead of 10) It was pretty hard for a lot of us and 10 pts really isn't too much. Also, I was kind of thinking the weekly challenge should be an all or nothing thing. Like it's a standard 25 points if you complete it and if you come short, it's none. That's kind of how challenges on The Biggest Loser work (where I got the idea). But what does everyone else think? I think the protein thing will be a great challenge and people shouldn't definitely be rewarded if they choose to do it!
ReplyDeleteAlso Sara, could you repost this:
-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 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 25 points that week.
in your post? I think people could use the reminder. I mentioned the possibility of dropping stress management, but enough people wanted to keep it that we will.
Okay...man, now I'm really behind for not completing the water thing! With my weekly challenge though, I set it up for points each time we do it. So I think I'll change it to 20pts if you complete the challenge and 5 pts if you complete the extra credit challenge.
ReplyDeleteHey Tiff, you may want to re-add your points. I'm pretty sure it's impossible for anyone to earn that many points in one week. ;)
ReplyDeletehaha I can do the impossible ;D okay not really, I saw everone else's points and got a bit jealous, so I figured if I gave myself 279 points I'd feel a whole lot better! :D
ReplyDeleteI went to the gym today and it felt great! I wasn't able to go for about one month and it is great to be back in the swing of things. Oh, I also have an idea, what if one of the future challenges is about our dietary fiber intake?? And of course, we would have to drink lots of water too :)
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of limiting Chris...ahem, I mean everyone, to only 5 days :) It will help me feel not as much behind, seeing I'm only in last place ;)
ReplyDelete@ Rich, I know! I'm always surprised at how good I feel when I go to the gym -no matter how much I didn't want to go in the first place, I never regret it. Fiber is a great idea. We still need to decide how to pick who does the next weekly challenges (draw names from a hat?)
ReplyDelete@ Tiff & Rach, no worries. With me being sick this week and last week, I've really fallen behind in every category especially the gym. So now's your chance to catch up! Plus, Chris isn't always perfect about going to the gym all the time...so you can possibly catch up to him too if you give it your all!
I would be up for drawing names out of a hat. That sounds like a fun idea! :) What does everyone else think?
ReplyDeleteI think it would be easiest for the person who does the challenge that week to pick next week's challenge. Ya know? Like savannah picked sara. So now sara picks someone. That seems easy enough to me, so is drawing out of a hat but then what if you forget it's your turn that week? :)
ReplyDelete