Point System

Point System
For the challenge you have the opportunity to earn up to six points a day.

The first set of points is for food. Everyday you start with three points and lose a point every time you eat or drink anything non-Paleo. For example, if you eat ketchup, you lose a point. Or if you drink two beers, you lose two points. Use some commonsense here too. (a whole cookie cake does not count as one point, it's not the same as one cookie) Once you eat three non-Paleo items, you cannot lose any more points. If you lose all three points try not to get reckless and just eat and drink whatever you want for the rest of the day. The challenge is not just about the 60 days, but about changing your lifestyle permanently. By binging the whole day, you're not a coy devil gaming the system. just a sorry excuse of a man, who's further from his goals. So, the goal is to end each day with 3 points for food. Overall, you're not expected to be perfect during this challenge. The goal is to create an improved and sustainable lifetime. The bar crawl is coming up and you're not expected to drink water and unsweetened iced-tea all night. Kick butt in your workouts and eat clean during the week and enjoy the occasional drink when you go out.

One point is devoted to your fish oil supplement, which we discussed yesterday. I find it easier to take them right with breakfast, but feel free to take them whenever you want throughout the day. It's stupid to lose a point for not taking the supplement, so try and remember to take these. Some days this could be the easiest and only point you get.

Another point is given for stretching for 10 minutes a day. The stretching you do after the wod in the gym counts for the 10 minutes. I know i hate to stretch ( probably because I'm horrible at it) but it really does make a difference. Stretching will help with your lifts and increase your flexibility.
Here's a great website for mobility and stretching that I know Tom likes, too.
Mobility WOD

The last point for each day is for your daily workout. If you come into the gym for a wod, then you earn a point. If it is your rest day or you can't make it into the gym that day, you can do any kind of physical activity. You can go for a run, walk your dog, pogo stick, dance, or even make up your own wod. The idea is to stay active. Overall, we should all be trying to spend less time sitting and more time on your feet. Only a small percentage of our time is actually spent working at full intensity, such as a daily workout. The majority of your time should be spent "moving frequently at a slow pace".

                       
So, that's the deal with the point system. The goal is not to end the challenge with 360 points. The goal is to help make people consciously aware of how to take care of their body and to hopefully make some changes for the better. Especially if you're a a new member, don't be discouraged. Start by eliminating sodas and juices. Then move on to switching your breakfast of oatmeal to eggs and meat. For some people this can be a dramatic change from their own lifestyle. Ideally, this should all be permanent changes that we are making, so if you are looking to better yourself then accept that this is your new norm. (this will come in handy when you refuse a bun with your hamburger and get approached by the haters (yes this will happen), who want you to feel just as shitty as they do). There are people who think that what you are doing is crazy, but there are also people that will be just as into it as you are. For example, Sonya cooks Paleo and the last challenge her husband lost 12 lbs. eating mostly Paleo and not even working out. The best part was when our mom got into Paleo and dinner every night was Paleo. It's a personal choice so don't push anyone into this lifestyle (not everyone is a crazy nut job like us), but it definitely helps to have the people around you have similar views.

This week I'll get a post up about preparing meals in bulk for the week and I'll try to get a few recipes up here to get you going for next week.