This challenge is a great way to check in and be accountable for sticking to three important aspects of your plan for better health -- food, water, and exercise!

The challenge starts on the 1st day of the month and you have to post your points every day (or catch them up when you get a chance). To do so, reply to this post and then keep editing the same post to add your daily points. In other words, don't start any new posts in this thread -- just keep updating the same one.

Here is how the points work. You decide what your food plan is, how much water you want to drink and how much exercise you want to get every day. Every day you have the opportunity to earn 4 points.

2 points for sticking with your food plan (no splitting points here; you either stuck to your plan or you didn't)
1 point for drinking the amount of water you decided on
1 point for getting some exercise. (If you don't exercise on a given day - you DO NOT get a point for exercise - even if you planned it that way) Sorry, no 1/2 points.

Post here with how many points you've earned for a given day, and I will keep track and let you know at the end of the month who got the most points! It's also a good idea to put your plan in your post, to remind us (and yourself) how you're earning your points.

Are you ready?

My plan for July:

Food: stay under 1900 calories every day
Exercise: get at least 20 minutes of exercise every day
Water: drink at least 64 ounces every day

7/1: 2 (very little water and no exercise -- not a great start!)
7/2 - 7/24: 2 (I ate everything in sight and only exercised twice while I was in my hometown!)
7/25: 2
7/26: 2
7/27: 3
7/28: 0
7/29: 2
7/30: 3
7/31: 3

I like this a lot - it helps me look back and see what I did that worked (uh...stick to my plan!) and what didn't.

My plan:
Calorie cycling with a base of 1700 (1400 while laid up w/cellulitis)
Exercise 5 days a week for 45+ minutes
Water every time I go into the restroom

1 - 1737/1700 (2) -- no exercise (0) -- good for water (1)
2 - ????/ 1400 (0) -- no exercise (0) -- tons of water (1) ^still fighting cellulitis in my left leg^
3 - ????/2000 (0) -- no exercise (0) -- tons of water (1)
4 - ????/1700 (0) -- no exercise (0) -- lots of water (1)
-------------- Points total (6) ---------- Pounds lost (+2.6)

5 - 1459/1400 (2) -- no exercise (0) -- gallons of water (1)
6 - 1482/1400 (2) -- no exercise (0) -- buckets of water (1) Good grief it's hard to eat low cals when laid up
7 - 1737/1400 (0) -- no exercise (0) -- tons of water (1)
8 - 1886/1400 (0) -- no exercise (0) -- lotsa water (1)
9 - 1432/1400 (2) -- no exercise (0) -- buckets of water (1) Hoping to be healed enough for a walk on Monday
10 - 1559/1400 (0) -- no exercise (0) -- tons of water (1)
11 - 1653/1400 (0) -- no exercise (0) -- gallons of water (1) Tried to go out today, leg still giving me trouble
------------- Points total (13)-------------Pounds lost (-1.4)

*Sticking with 1400 this week - on the mend, but still not moving much*
12 - 1405/1400 (2) -- no exercise (0) -- lotsa water (1)
13 - 1681/1400 (0) -- 2mi walk (1) -- good on water (1)
14 - 1388/1400 (2) -- no exerciser (0) -- just enough water (1)
15 - 1701/1400 (0) -- 2mi run (1) -- plenty of water (1)
16 - 1448/1400 (2) -- no exercise (0) -- not enough water (0)
17 - 1634/1400 (0) -- no exercise (0) -- lotsa water (1)
18 - ????/1400 (0) -- 4mi run (1) -- tons of water (1)
-------------Points total (15)---------------Pounds lost (-2)

*lets try 1400 non exercise days and 1700 when I run*
19 - 1476/1400 (2) -- no exercise (0) -- plenty of water (1)
20 - 1584/1700 (2) -- 3 mile run (1) -- tons of water (1) **holy crap the scale said 174.6 today!!**
21 - 1392/1400 (2) -- no exercise (0) -- great gobs of water (1) **176.0 today - dehydrated from my run yesterday**
22 - 1733/1700 (2) -- 3 mile run (1) -- lots of water (1)
23 - 1446/1400 (2) -- no exercise (0) --tons of water (1) **175.6 today - yeehaw!**
24 - 1420/1400 (2) -- no exercise (0) -- buckets of water (1)
25 - 1629/1700 (2) -- 5 mile run (1) -- lots of water (1)
-------------Points total (24)-----------------Pounds lost(-1.4)

26 - 1505/1400 (0) -- no exercise (0) -- gobs of water (1)
27 - 1740/1700 (2) -- 3mi run (1) -- lots of water (1)
28 - 1434/1400 (2) -- no exercise (0) -- not enough water (0)
29 - 1527/1700 (2) -- 3mi run (1) -- plenty of water (1)
30 - 1800/1700 (0) -- 3mi run (1) -- lots of water (1)
31 -

Awesome idea!

My plan: Weight Watchers, drink 80+ oz water per day, Insanity workouts 6 days/week, running 3 days/week.

July 1--4
July 2--4
July 3--4
July 4--3 (no exercise)
July 5--4
July 6--4
July 7--4
July 8--4
July 9--4
July 10--2 (gorged on popcorn & coke at movies; although I have plenty of flex points left, I just feel gross)
July 11--3 (no exercise)
July 12--4
July 13--4
July 14--4
July 15--4
July 16--4
July 17--4
July 18--4 (was supposed to be rest day, but didn't want to workout twice tomorrow so did one today)
July 19--4
July 20--4
July 21--4
July 22--4
July 23--2 (weekend out of town--didn't eat well...or maybe ate TOO well!)
July 24--2 (still out of town)
July 25--0 (and now I feel gross)
July 26--2 (did well all day, but after band rehearsal went out for drinks and had WAY too much calorie-wise)
July 27--4 (and I'm back!)
July 28--4
July 29--4
July 30--4
July 31--1 (only exercised)

My plan for July:

Food: stay under 1500 calories every day
Exercise: get at least 20 minutes of exercise (only 20 min becuase I do kettlebells some days and that can burn 300+ calories in 20 min)
Water: drink at least 80 ounces every day

7/1: 4
7/2: 3 - Didn't exercise today
7/3: 4
7/4: 4
7/5: 4
7/6: 3 - Didn't exercise
7/7: 3 - Didn't exercise
7/8: 4
7/9: 3 - didn't exercise
7/10: 4
7/11: 4
7/12: 4
7/13: 4
7/14: 3 didn't exercise
7/15: 4
7/16: 4
7/17: 3 - ate over 1500 calories
7/18: 4
7/19:

Bump!

Hmm, i think i will join this.

My plan is a simple one: The exchange plan. I plan on not going over my total portions, but i can substitute one for the other. Some days I just don't want carbs or fruit.

So the goal is 6 Mi/Me, 5Fr, 5S, 2V, 2Fa, and FREE FOODS <or = 20 cal/ serving. But I consider myself on plan if I substitute 1S for a Mi, or 2Fr for a Me. etc.

right now in addition to my hectic lifestyle. I am planning on doing 20 min 3x week of traditional exercise.

water: this is a big one for me: I plan on drinking a gallon of water a day. Unless I get sick from it.

7-1, 7-2 too much coffee drink = 0 plan; water-0 not even close; exercise-0
7-3, 7-4 SICK 0,0,0
7-5 I SEE THE LIGHT! plan 2 pts! water-2 pts, exercise-Nah. 0
7-6 plan 2 pts!, water-1/2 goal=0, exercise-non-traditional-0 pts.

Bump!

Bump!

Bump!

Sorry I've been such a slacker about calculating the winner for the challenge. I'm going to bump this up so people will have a chance to update their points and then I'll calculate the winner by Sunday. I also haven't started an August challenge yet because I completely forgot! Things have been quite busy around here with planning my little one's 2nd birthday party and church stuff, etc. Do you guys want me to still set up an August challenge?

We can just wait til September...it's already almost a week into August.

Yep, good idea. I'm sorry I dropped the ball this month!