Great In Eight -The CONCEPT

For 8 weeks you gets points for 8 different daily practices. 

Do it with others to stay motivated and accountable.*

Try and develop healthier habits and lose/maintain weight.

Get a reality check on your current lifestyle and habits.

Have fun and feel better.

The 8 ways you either get points or lose them are:

1. Exercise (30min = 15 pts and  45+min =20pts)

2. Drink 64 ounces of water (5pts-all or nothing)

3. Read Scriptures for 10+min (5pts-all or nothing)

4. Say PERSONAL prayers (5pts-all or nothing)

5. Don't eat anything after 8:30pm (5pts-all or nothing)

6. Do DAILY CALENDAR* item (5pts-all or nothing)

7. Eat 10 servings of fruits & vegetables (10pts-if you eat 3 veggies and 3 fruit you get 6 pts and so on)

8. One serving of BAD FOOD (See list) = (-1 pt)

Every MONDAY morning you will weigh in. Every lb lost = 4pts (If you gain weight during the 8 weeks, you do NOT count the loss again-points are given only for NEW loss.)

Each week there are different lists of activities to do (complete one per day) that will help you take the time to rest, learn more about healthy lifestyles and serve.  All the lists have been posted on this blog under "Gi8:Daily Calendar-Week __".

* I've found that having a weekly winner for each of the 8 weeks opposed to one final winner works best.  This way all the other players don't lose their momentum and motivation when one person or team gets way ahead or loses a bunch more weight etc!! Figure out what works best for you and what size group works best for you.

Gi8: BAD FOOD LIST

READ OVER THE LIST CAREFULLY AND USE YOUR BEST JUDGEMENT

1. Remember, the point is to eat healthy and NOT try and get as close to "cheating as possible".  So even if something isn't listed on the BAD FOOD list but you know it isn't good for you, consider avoiding it or taking a point for it. 

2. There are a couple of exceptions that have been allowed if you choose to eat them you don't have to take a point...

-multigrain tortilla chips 
-torillas (unless you know of a multigrain brand that isn't gross!) 
-homemade wholegrain muffins

3. Any processed food will have a serving size. You take -1 points for every serving consumed off this list. You will have to use your best judgement on things that are homemade; but generally 2 medium cookies would be a serving and anything you can take a "big handful" of as a serving...ie small order of fries, handful of chips

4. You are welcome to eat grains and flours-this is not an Atkins diet- just remember they must be whole grains or multigrain.

5. BE REALISTIC. If you get home from a meeting or work after 8:30pm and you haven't had dinner yet-Eat a sensible meal and keep the points. If you come home and eat a bag of chips, then you get docked for eating after 8:30pm AND negative points for each serving of BAD FOOD.

THE LIST

-Sugared cereal i.e. any cereal that has "sugar" listed in one of the first 2 ingredients

-White bread, pasta or rice

-Fried food of any kind

-Soda, energy drinks or other fruit drinks with sugar

-Regular mayonaise 

-Regular sour cream

-Ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt etc

- Potato chips, cheetos, pringles, fritoes, doritoes, crackers like Cheezits, goldfish etc etc 

-Bakery items like cake, pie, cookies, brownies, donuts, bars, muffins, etc

-Chocolate or candy or any kind

-High sugar or high carb bars; such as Cliff bars, pop tarts, breakfast bars, cheap granola bars

-Nachos

-Hot dogs and other processed meats such as sausage, Brats etc

-Pizza (If dough is multigrain-it is OK, but limit cheese amount when possible.)

- Flavored Water 

-Regular beer or wine and caffeinated coffee

Gi8: Get the GOODNESS in!

You may wonder how you are going to get in all your fruits and vegetables, water etc and live without your staples like that bag of chips to crunch on with your sandwich! Here are just a few suggestions to get you started...


1. Green Smoothies. They will be your best friend in getting in your 10 fruits and veggies! It will also help you jump start your day in a healthy way. If you do not have a good blender then...I don't know...but if you do...Add about a handful of kale, spinach, swiss chard or collard greens for you base green, add about 2 cups water, almond milk or low fat milk, a banana and a couple handfuls of your favorite fruit...voila! You can also add chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, quinoa, oats, unsweetened coconut, etc to add fiber, protein, omega 3's etc etc

2. Snap peas, carrots and sliced cucumbers next to my sandwich help give me the crunch it just seems like I need in those darn chips.

3. Hummus. Embrace it. Use it. Replace mayo on your sandwiches with it, replace ranch to dip your veggies into it, thin it out and use it as salad dressing...

4. Water. You are going to be drinking a lot of it so make sure it tastes good. You are going to be replacing all the usual soda pop, caffeinated power drinks, juice and so on-so you should be able to kick out 64 ounces, but you'll be happier if it is good tasting water, from a good source or well filtered (like reverse osmosis, alkaline ionized or distilled)! Try to squeeze a little lemon or lime into your water or throw in a few fresh slices of cucumber or raspberries to add natural flavor.

5. Herbal teas. Drinking a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea around 9-9:30pm can help stem the hunger pains and pump your body full of vitamins and minerals.  There are specific blends for detoxing and aiding sleep as well as hundreds of other great benefits! (I really like the Republic of Tea brand, you can also get loose herbs super cheap at whole foods stores or throw some mint leaves into just boiling water and let it steep for a few minutes and make your own tea.)

6. Up your fresh herbs! Wherever you try to cut out dairy or fat-replace with fresh herbs or more spices to boost the flavor and get amazing benefits. For example, when you are making a southwest dish leave out the cheese and up the cilantro, cumin, coriander and oregano.
Basil, cilantro, parsley and mint are my favorite fresh herbs-see how you can incorporate these super foods into your dishes!

7. Plan ahead AND don't let yourself get hungry. Hunger = overeating, eating whatever is in front of you or eating the quickest thing...Stock your car with nuts, dried fruit, multigrain preztels etc.  After you buy your veggies, cut up a bunch of them so they are easy to grab for snacks or throw into a salad. Plan out a menu that eliminates any BAD FOOD and stock up your cupboards with the good stuff-brown or wild rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain breads and crackers so they are on hand.

8. Get a large BPA free reusable water bottle and take it wherever you go.  My husband uses a 32 oz Nalgene bottle-he knows that when he's gone through it twice-he's had his water for the day. Make sure you have a few water bottles stocked up in the car too-then no matter where your day takes you, you'll be drinking enough.

Gi8: Daily Calendar-Week 1

Daily Calendar-Week 1-The Reality Check

Do one of the following seven things each day for extra daily points.  You may do them in any order, but only ONE will count per day & must be done ON that day.

___1.  Read Doctrine Covenants 89 and 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17. *

___2.  Talk with someone or write in your journal about previous things you have tried to become more healthy/lose weight, what has worked, what didn’t work and time commitments you have including work, family and exercise, nutrition and how you are 

feeling about yourself.

___3. Get 8 hours of sleep in one night.

___4. For one day record everything you eat and see how many calories you consume on average in a day.  (There are numerous free apps that count calories for you i.e. FitnessPal.) 

___5.  Enjoy 2 servings from the bad food list without counting 

any points!

___6.  Call, email, or send a note to a friend you haven’t been in 

contact with for a while.

___7. Go for a walk. (You may count this for your exercise today as well if it is for 30min or longer!)

*1 Corinthians 3:16-17

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spiritof God dwelleth in you?

 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

*D&C Section 89

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833. As a consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in their meetings, the Prophet was led to ponder upon the matter; consequently, he inquired of the Lord concerning it. This revelation, known as the Word of Wisdom, was the result.

1–9, The use of wine, strong drinks, tobacco, and hot drinks is proscribed;10–17, Herbs, fruits, flesh, and grain are ordained for the use of man and of animals; 18–21, Obedience to gospel law, including the Word of Wisdom, brings temporal and spiritual blessings.

 1 A Word of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—

 2 To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order andwill of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—

 3 Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.

 4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence ofevils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts ofconspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—

 5 That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him.

 6 And, behold, this should be wine, yea, pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.

 7 And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.

 8 And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.

 9 And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.

 10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

 11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.

 12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;

 13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.

 14 All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;

 15 And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.

 16 All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—

 17 Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.

 18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive healthin their navel and marrow to their bones;

 19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

 20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

 21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroyingangel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

Gi8: Daily Calendar-Week 2

Daily Calendar-Week 2-Be Grateful

__Monday: Weigh in & Turn in your points to Alli by 5 pm.

Do one of the following six things each of the other days. You may do them in any order, but only one will count per day & must be 

done on that day.

__Think of someone in your life that you are grateful for and let 

them know!

__Say a prayer where you ONLY express gratitude and don't ask for a single thing!

__Read a newspaper/book/magazine for at least 20 minutes.

__Write a list of 10 things you are grateful for.

__Do 30min of yoga: may be any level/for relaxation etc. And you can count this for your daily exercise too!  

     (YouTube has a bunch of free videos.)  

__Enjoy 2 servings of BAD FOOD for NO points.