Challenge Rules

9 week challenge - January 23 - March 25

Each participant contributes $20 to the Prize Pot.

4 Point Categories: exercise, challenge participation, weight loss challenge & Blog participation.

Exercise: You will receive 1 point for every 30 minutes of exercise for up to 5 hours. Anyone who completes 5 hours will receive 15 points. No extra points will be awarded for hours over 5. Exercise should be intentional and challenging.

Weekly Challenge Participation: You will receive 1 point for each day you complete the weekly challenge. If you complete every day of the week you will receive 10 points. (weekly challenges are listed on the right)

Weight Challenge: If you maintain your weight for the week you get 5 points. If you lose any weight for the week you get 8 points.

This challenge is about more than weight loss, we want the focus to be on creating good habits and feeling healthy. But we recognize that some of you may desire to lose weight and you should be rewarded with additional points.

Blog Participation: You will receive 5 points for each week that you post an update, thoughts or motivation on the blog. Setting goals works best when you have people to share with and report to, use the blog as a way to motivate and encourage each other.

Make up Points: If you miss a day of the weekly challenge you can earn 4 make up points. If you do the challenge from the previous week, every day for the current week, you can get 4 bonus points. You must do the previous weeks challenge in addition to the current week and do it perfectly to earn the 4 points. You are only eligible for the bonus points if you missed a day from the previous week, you cannot have a perfect week and keep doing the previous weeks challenge to earn 4 additional points.


Saturday, March 3, 2012

I have decided this has been my hardest week--I've barely made the required time each night as I usually have to get up to help my husband at least twice and sometimes three times a night.  Fortunately there have been a couple of nights when he's only awakened once!  Wouldn't be too bad if it was a short time, but sometimes it takes up to 40 minutes.  Makes it hard to plan!

Been thinking about the coming week (hasn't everyone?).  I received the latest Taste of Home Simple & Delicious magazine and decided to try a recipe out of it as I realized it would work for next week. 

Slow-Cooked Fruited Oatmeal with Nuts

Prep:  15 min.   Cook:  6 hours   Serves:  6
3 cups water
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups chopped apples
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup fat-free milk
2 tsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp. chopped almonds, toasted
6 Tbsp. chopped pecans, toasted
    Additional fat-free milk

Combine first eight ingredients in a 3-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until liquid is absorbed.  Spoon oatmeal into bowls.  Sprinkle with almonds and pecans; drizzle with additional milk if desired.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 306 calories, 13 g fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 28 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 8 g protein.  Diabetic Exchanges: 3 starch, 2 fat.

I tried the recipe out and have several observations.  I used grannie smith apples because that's what I had but I would use a different apple as they were just too tart for my taste.  I also had my cooker on slow for overnight and it turned out it was about 10 hours.  That was really too long, because it stuck to the bottom.  In the morning I realized that my Ocean Spray Cranberries were sweetened, so would need to get unsweetened ones.  I have some golden raisins that are not sweetened and I think I'll try them next time.  My husband didn't like it--wasn't sweet enough for him--and I did add sugar to his bowl.  I'm looking forward to making it again!

I think I can do okay next week because I don't have a family to please, so I wish you all a great week.

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