A 12 week challenge for people of all ages to improve their spiritual and physcial fitness to be better instruments in the hands of God while helping Him build His Kingdom!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Week 2: Day 7 (Easter!)

It's reporting time. Check your email and fill out your survey at the link provided! Thank you!

HAPPY EASTER!! I hope you are all enjoying an extra close relationship with your Savior this beautiful Easter Sunday. 

Here is our very informative and inspirational message about getting some REST from Sean Elcock. THANKS SO MUCH! Read up!
 
----------------------------------------
 
Alright folks...it's time to rest!
 
For a lot of us (I'm raising my hand here), it can be a challenge to get up the energy to exercise. This week, we get to balance that energy with getting enough sleep. (Although I don't always exercise, I'm confident my wife would agree that I'm pretty good at getting enough sleep). Both mainstream academic research and alternative viewpoints emphasize the importance of sleep. Even modern-day revelation pipes in on this one:
 
Doctrine & Covenants 88:124 says “…retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.”  I'm  guessing you all are like me in this regard: the earlier you get to bed, the more you sleep.
 
There's no higher authority on humans than the Lord. Having said that, even well-respected humans themselves agree with Him. Harvard Medical School research suggests that sleep offers severalbenefits:
 
1. Learning and memory. Sleep helps the brain to commit new information to memory.
2. Metabolism and weight. Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety. A lack of sleep contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls or mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood. Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health. Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease. Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body's killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

 -Harvard Health Publications: Harvard Medical School http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/importance_of_sleep_and_health.htm
 
Finally, I'll add two cents from one of my favorite alternative health experts, Dr. JosepMercola:
 
"Over time, lack of sleep can lead to:
Dr. Mercola also emphasizes the importance of making your sleeping atmosphere as ideal as possible. A few tips include:
1. Getting to sleep as early as possible (see Doctrine & Covenants above)
2. Sleeping in as dark a room as possible
3. Keeping the room cool
(See more at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/02/secrets-to-a-good-night-sleep.aspx)
That's it for today! Look for more during the week. Oh, one more thing:
You are getting very sleepy.....

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Week 2- Day 3 (April 20)

Guess what...

I went to the store today for my weekly groceries and I did NOT BUY ANY:
Soda
Ice Cream
Cookies or
Candy!!


Hubby was home at lunch and most of the kids are home from school and so far no complaints! WOW!! It's a miracle! I can hear angels singing "Hallelujah" in the background!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Week 2- Day 2 (April 19)

Thanks to all those who reported so Google Docs could make these cool charts for us to see how we are doing!!! You did GREAT! DO NOT FEEL GUILTY if you didn't get as high as you'd hoped! Just try again next week and ask the Savior for his help. He can and will help us in all things that are for our good. Our salvation does not rest on this challenge, it is just something to help us push ourselves to do things that are good for us. Even though we are keeping track of points, that is not to compare ourselves, but to give us motivation that we sometimes lack on our own. 

If you get a chance, listen to the talk by Robert Millet called "After All We Can Do: The Meaning of Grace in our lives". It will bless your life and help you come closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, which is the only way to survive this life and find joy in it and obtain salvation. http://www.byub.org/talks/Talk.aspx?id=1999  This talk has already changed my life for the better!

I love you guys! Keep it up and if you didn't report this week, you still can next week and after that too!

13 people scored 60 or more points (5 with perfect scores!)
34 people in the 50's
17 people in the 40's
and 19 people at 30 or below.

NOT BAD FOLKS!!




How hard was this first week for you?
Harder than I thought it would be2934%
About what I expected4755%
Not as hard as I thought it would be... phew!67%
Which daily challenge was the most difficult for you this week?
Twice daily personal prayer78%
Daily personal scripture study67%
Not eating after 7:301619%
Exercise2428%
No desserts2125%
No Soda (or other personal nemesis)89%
Are you going to incorperate this week's challenge (no sweets) into your daily routine?
Absolutely! No sweets ever again.00%
Somewhat, I will eat less sweets from now on.7285%
I'm still deciding45%
No, thanks. It was pure torture!67%
The mystery challenge for this week- Take a little Easter related message or treat to a friend (3 points poss.)
Absolutely! I can't wait!7993%
No, I don't have any friends!34%









Monday, April 18, 2011

Week 2, Day 1 (April 18)

TEAM-

I hope you had a great week and are proud of what you've accomplished! I hope you stretched yourself and did your best. If not, there is always next week! 

We are up to 159 members... from across the country, and the WORLD! Yes, we have a friend in Germany taking the challenge! I am hearing lots of great reports of many of you looking and feeling better, gettng consistent exercise for the first time in years, praying in the mornings too instead of just at night! I know it can be really hard to get up earlier in the morning or give up things you love but you are doing it and I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!

We are famous!  My fabulous hairdresser who lives in Mesa, but not in my sister's ward, received an email from her relief society emailer with info about our challenge and the link to our blog in it!!! It's spreading! 

This weeks challenge:  keep a food journal and COUNT CALORIES. You can do this at www.livestrong.com (go to "my plate") or get an iPhone app called "Lose it." There are also apps that count calories on the Droid called "Fitness Pal" and another "Calorie Counter." In the Fitness Pal app, you can actually scan the bar code of the food item you are eating to get the calorie info!!

Use your spreadsheets on your computer! They are sophisticated and will automatically add up your points, give you daily and weekly totals, add bonus points and give you averages!!! CHECK IT OUT!!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Week 1- Day 6 (April 16)

With almost a whole week under my belt, I can say that eating No Sweets and No Desserts for 6 days and working out for 6 days (full disclosure- I got a two week jump start on exercise when planning the challenge, I was so excited... I couldn't help myself!) is starting to make a difference on the inside and the outside! On a spiritual note, I am loving getting longer, more meaningful morning prayers done earlier in the morning than I was before. I feel like my children have more protection and blessings when I am praying for them at the crack of dawn!

But I have to say the best feeling is getting that monkey off my back!!!

In psychology there is a term called Cognitive Dissonance and it basically is the uncomfortable feeling we get when our actions don't match our beliefs (or we hold conflicting beliefs). After a while, we get tired of this feeling (guilt) and we need to free ourselves of it so we do one of two things:


- We change our actions
or...
- We change our beliefs.

This week, instead of feeling guilty or changing my beliefs (rationalizing, making excuses) I have changed my ACTIONS and it feels amazing!!! No matter the outer effects, the inner changes are the most noticable and enjoyable! It is worth it to be free of the Cognitive Dissonance!


The SURVEY to track our progress is ready to go and being emailed out tomorrow.


Please remember to add on your bonus points. If you Exercised, Didn't eat after 7:30, Avoided sweets, Avoided desserts and avoided soda, for 6 days, you get an extra bonus point in each of those catagories! (7 total possible)


If you Read scriptures and Prayed (twice daily) all 7 days, you get 3 bonus points (10 total poss). That makes 63 possible this week! 

I have heard lots of good reports this week of some major progress and hard work! 
CONGRATS TO ALL!!!!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Week 1- Day 4 (April 14)

Today on my run, I decided to take some pictures of my favorite trees that I have learned to really love these last few weeks. I LOVE Mesquite trees! I used to think they were so ugly with their rough, dark trunks but now I love the way they twist and turn and seem like they are dancing. 


This one is on Val Vista and I think it has a cool pose!


This is not a mesquite tree but it looked like it was really wanting to hold someone in it's arms.


So I obliged it...


... and took a couple minutes to enjoy the view overhead.
Hint: Trees look even more beautiful when you are listening to Mormon Tabernacle Choir "Heavensong" album on your ipod! 

Only a one more day 'till my cheat day on Saturday for sweets and desserts!!! 
I can't wait! How 'bout you?

Don't forget to read your conference talk!



Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Week 1, Day 3 (April 13)

The day started out with me falling back into old habits... (sort of). 

After taking my son to school at 6:15 am, I came back and layed back down on the couch to catch a few zzz's before the next child needed me, but FIRST, I said a nice long prayer and read a chapter from 1st Nephi (ok. I listened to it on Mormon Radio). Then I snoozed a bit- but I made up for it with a very heart-pounding 5 mile bike ride. Phew! I recovered!

Observation 1- after eating nothing sweet for 3 days, I am noticing how SWEET raw almonds and carrots are!!! YUM! My new "candy."
Observation 2- My stomach has been slightly grumpy but today is starting to feel happy again. 
Observation 3- Nature is sooooo BEAUTIFUL!!! My runs and bike rides are really boosting my overall mood because Heavenly Father's creations are made to bring us joy and they DO!

When writing an email to a friend just now, I was telling her how I feel like I am shaking off the dust that has been accumulating on me and it made me think of the scripture 2 Nephi 1:23-

"Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust."




I have always loved this scripture but today it has new meaning. I hope things in your life are becoming more vibrant and more clear as you shake off the chains and the dust!!!