Here is what we have so far (as discussed in Teach's thread)

Points will be awarded for reaching the following goals DAILY

fruits and veggies: Minimum of 5
water: minimum of 6 cups (1.5 L)
protein: minimum of 25%/or 4-5 servings
fibre: minimum of 20 g / or minimum of 6 healthy grains
dairy/substitutes: 2-3 servings

Bonus for each of the following items you manage to include:

Green tea, limiting treats (something sweet or salty with very little nutritional value, also includes soda diet or regular and alcohol) to 1 a day or less

Lose a point if you do the following:

Have more than 3 treat items in one day

WINNER WILL BE CROWNED HEART HEALTH HERO 2008


Since the challenge does not start until Feb 1 please feel free to make other suggestions as this is only the outline so far...

I have one question, and perhaps I am slightly slow for not knowing how to do this.

How do you calculate 25% protein? Do you mean 25% of each meal comes from protein?

Hi Cherri!

Sorry for not being more clear :)

What i meant by 25% protein is that when you look at your total daily nutritional intake, 25% of your intake should be protein. :)

I have a question. I do not like using CC, so how do I know what my daily intake is? ... Ugh, your gonna tell me the only way is to use cc aren't you? :I

hm, well the way to do it is essentially what cc does...to add up the total calories eaten in a day, and determine what percentage comes from protein. I don't want to insist people have to use a calorie counter site or even count calories at all-that is not necessary for good nutrition.

So i suggest a modification on the goals:

Instead of 25% protein, why don't we say that one should have 2-3 servings (a serving = 3 ounces) of protein a day?

Examples of proteins:

Beans, Eggs, Lean Meat and Fish
Meat, poultry and fish supply protein, iron and zinc. Non-meat foods such as dried peas and beans also provide many of these nutrients. The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings of cooked meat, fish or poultry. Each serving should be between 2 and 3 ounces. The following foods count as one ounce of meat:

* One egg
* 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
* 1/2 cup cooked dry beans
* 1/3 cup of nuts

Choose lean meat, fish and dry beans and peas often because these are the lowest in fat. Remove skin from poultry and trim away visible fat on meat. Avoid frying these foods. Moderation is the watchword when it comes to nuts because they are high in fat.

From: http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/...mid.asp#protein

Well said Shy, and doing it this way is doable for me. ;)

Actually after reading further, i think we should go for 4-5 servings of protein a day....take a look at this chart (from the same site as the protein info):

How Many Servings Are Right For You?
Now that you know how many calories are suggested, you can address the question of how many servings of each food group you need. Here's a chart that can help:

About 1,600
Grain Group servings 6
Vegetable Group Servings 3
Fruit Group servings 2
Milk Group Servings 2-3
Meat Group 5


About 2,200
Grain Group servings 9
Vegetable Group Servings 4
Fruit Group servings 3
Milk Group Servings 2-3
Meat Group 6

What do you gals think?

Shy, I am TOTALLY diggin that website! :thumbsup: Thanks for sharing the link!

I agree with you... I like the idea of our minimums for this challenge to be no lower than the 1600 cal a day intake guideline.

Thanks Shy, I like that much better.

I don't like to calorie count so the way I keep track of my nutrition is magnets. One magnet for each serving of fruits and veggies, proteins, carbs and dairy and even water. I move them over after each serving so I know I am getting enough of everything daily. I am eating way more fruits and veggies this way.

Yes - I think that would be better to track protein that way. I like your system Cherri sounds like a great idea. We are so lucky to have all these clever women on this board!!! Off to check out Shy's website suggestion now...

I may still track the other way (ie percentage wise)..but it is essentially the same thing. THat is just easier for me at the moment with the CC site. We shall see!

You are very welcome about the website! i really liked it too. I like the magnet idea :)

That's true Shy with CC it is pretty simple to figure out protein. (but I won't worry about their grades anymore because some of them are not based taking all the nutrional factors in account)

Nope- i don't care much about the grades there. Also, they give something like almonds a B+..when almonds are very healthy in moderation. I love how they have suggested foods..i am eating whole, unsalted, unroasted almonds and they suggest eating roasted salted almonds...or for my apples, they suggest an apple...gives me a laugh! :lol: I know it isn't perfect but i like it as a tracking tool, especially for the percentages.

The also missed some important categories at the input level, omega-3, poly-unsaturated fats, Folic acid and not so healthy things like artificial sweetners which all should factor into the grade of something

i totally agree! i just noticed that the other day when i was inputting the data for my kashi granola bar...it seems like some foods have extended nutrition info, but i don't know how to input that data myself.

On the day before the new challenge, I wanted to post these words from the "Denise Austin" newsletter today:

"Learning to eat healthy isn't about perfection — it's about persistence. Remember — bad habits won't be broken in a day, but good habits are built one day at a time!"

I am taking the day off from logging my food to mentally prepare for the next 29 days, since I will be logging Sundays as well for the challenge.

Excellent! I am so in on this challenge! :happydance: I wanted to let you all know that i'm away Friday afternoon-monday morning , but i will keep track of what i've eaten and will post it when i get back home. :)

Ok - thanks for letting us know!

Points will be awarded for reaching the following goals DAILY

fruits and veggies: Minimum of 5
water: minimum of 6 cups (1.5 L)
protein: minimum of 25%/or 4-5 servings
fibre: minimum of 20 g / or minimum of 6 healthy grains
dairy/substitutes: 2-3 servings

Bonus for each of the following items you manage to include:

Green tea, limiting treats (something sweet or salty with very little nutritional value, also includes soda diet or regular and alcohol) to 1 a day or less

Lose a point if you do the following:

Have more than 3 treat items in one day






Feb 1 - hit all targets + 1 treat or less = 6 points

Ok Nic, sorry I'm not sure... could you take a look at my diary for today and let me know my score? Thanks!

Hi Teach - I just modified the guidelines to clear up some things. I don't think the dark chocolate/red wine in moderation should count as treats as they have proven health benefits, so your total would be the same as mine.
5+1 = 6 (unless you had green tea today?? in which case it would be 7)

Feb 1st: 6 points


Thanks Nic :) Your food diary ROCKS, you are so descriptive!

Yeah for YOU and ME! :clap:

Do the Fruits and Veggies count as 1 point or 2?


I Hit all targets, No treats + Green Tea today

Feb 2nd: 7 (or 8?) points

I really like this guideline as I think do this will really help me, so count be in. I dont expect to win however, because I'm 3 days down and do horriable with food on the weekends. :blush: But Ill try.
Good Luck to everyone.
You girls are off to a great start!!! :yourock:

You CAN DO IT P2O!! :happydance: Winning is not the goal for any of us (although the person who gets the title, should be proud) but the TRUE win is how we treat our bodies each day! So just strive to do your best and welcome to the challenge!!

Teach yesterday would be 7 points (F&V together)- I think 7 is the max

Nic Feb 2 - 6 pts (oatmeal cookies have some nutrition? otherwise 5 pts)
Feb 3 - 7 pts (I had to count fiber instead of grains, lol but that's how we can be flexible, nuts have enough nutrition - like red wine and chocolate not to count as treat, no??? 1 treat - bite of carrot cake))

Princess - Like Teach said it's not about winning it's about being aware of what you are putting in your body. Also Shy is in the challenge too but she's out of town.

I know its not about winning. Really its about losing. :lol:

good point P2O :lol: :lol: :lol:

So how's the challenge going ladies? I've been looking at your food diaries and they are looking great! :huggs: