Check Your Points!

Hi everyone,
Apart from the heated discussion on partial points, we need to clarify the rest. I've gotten a lot of questions through private email which leads me to believe we're NOT all doing it the same way. Some categories we have some leeway, but one person reported 303 out of 302 points so I know something's wrong!!

Contact with Teammate - this week is double points but that is ALREADY reflected on the 2pts per day. Other weeks it will be only 1pt. This includes emailing the group, posting on the blog, or one-on-one communications with another member.

64oz Water - all or nothing points

Stop Eating before 9pm - we changed it to Stop Eating a Few Hours Before YOUR Bedtime / Go to Bed Hungry. Not starving, but not stuffed.

3 Fruit Servings and 5 Veg Servings - for this week we're doing all or nothing points. The discussion is still ongoing. I think we need to hear from EVERYONE so maybe I'll do a poll. Not that I like to change the "rules" but I feel we're still figuring this out.

Clean Eating / Best Choices / PROUD points - are you proud of your choices today? This is the category with the most leeway and people are holding themselves to different standards, but that's the whole purpose of this category!

Keep a Food Journal - this can be the one provided or any other format, electronic or paper. Again, each day you get all or nothing.

Exercise - this one we copied from SixSisters and never debated but I wonder if people are following correctly. Each day you get 5 pts if you exercised for 30 min, 7 points if you exercised for 45 min. BUT it says you only get points for exercising 5 days a week.... so you get two days off. So no one should have more than 35 points for the week in that category. Should we consider giving points for EVERY DAY instead, in the spirit of pushing ourselves to do better? If you're training hard you need a day off, but if your exercise is walking, doing it every day is better!

Sleep - you give yourself the points if you slept 7 hours LAST NIGHT. That is Monday points are for your sleep Sunday night, so by the end of the week you can actually report, and not have to guess! And again, this is open to interpretation a bit, since some people need a lot more, others less, others want to count quality sleep, etc.

Maintenance - this is done weekly, 50 points added if your weight at the end of the week is NOT higher than your lowest weight so far in the competition. For this first week, just compare it to your starting weight. If you've lost or maintained you get those 50 points. For the next few weeks there'll be a spot on the worksheet where you'll write the lowest weight so far and that's what you'll compare it to.

So please check your points and let me know if they need to be adjusted.

In terms of the rules, I do believe that partial points for fruits and veggies and every day points for exercise should be discussed. We had a lot of back and forth about the No Sweet Treats points (which you should look up in Urban Dictionary, BTW) and changed it to Clean Eating, and also discussions about the 9pm rules and sleep. The purpose of the categories is to help us do better for our own well being. Some of us are competitive (hi Annie!) and some are not (hi Cami!) so what motivates one person does not work for another one. Here we want EVERYONE to be motivated and no one is allowed to quit, because you would be quitting on yourself! So let's work on finding a way to motivate every single one of us.... and still make sure that the prizes go to those that are working the hardest!
Maria