Fitness and Wellbeing Challenge

A friend here in NC emailed me and a few of her other friends this 8 week challenge.  I thought since I have been really bad about eating well and exercising this would be a great way to get back on track.  Also, for the mormons reading this, it has spiritual points to it as well.  This is great for me because I have been REALLY bad about doing church stuff so I am glad that this is part of it.

Here is the email and feel friend to start your own with your friends!

Hi All,

I've mentioned this to some of you, but for those of you who are hearing about this for the first time, feel free to join in! This admittedly has a Mormon focus (as I stole it from my Mormon cousin), but it can be altered to fit your lifestyle. Sorry for the lengthy email, but here it is:

For eight weeks, it's all about developing good habits or mastering the ones that we're already pros at.  It's going to be about finding balance and making time for the things that we want to fit in our lives, but don't always because of lack of motivation and discipline. This is not a 'diet', but rather a challenge to become better in our physical and spiritual lives. The challenge is based on points, not pounds, and whoever ends up with the most points in the end wins. This challenge starts next week on Monday, January 8th. 

Here's how the point system will work.  There is a maximum total of 43 points possible per week, with a total of 344 points possible for the entire 8 weeks.  You get one day off every week, and you're free to choose what that day is. You just need to decide beforehand.You can't earn points on this day.  Yes, you are free to eat desserts on that day or drink soda.  It's your day off!

DAILY POINTS:
Each of the following you will earn 1 point per day, plus 1 bonus
point per week if you don't miss a day:

NO DESSERTS -  (6 pts. possible + 1 bonus point = 7 possible per week)
NO SODA -  (6 pts. possible + 1 bonus point = 7 possible per week)
NO EATING AFTER 8PM - (6 pts. possible + 1 bonus point = 7 possible per week)
EXERCISE for at least 30 minutes, 5x during the week - (5 pts. possible + 1 bonus point = 6 possible per week)
READ SCRIPTURES - at least 1 chapter a day (6 pts. possible + 1 bonus point = 7 possible per week) NOTE: If you're not into reading scriptures, pick something else like writing in your journal, writing an email to a friend a day or something else that would challenge you.
WEEKLY CHALLENGE - (6 pts. possible + 1 bonus point = 7 possible per week)  The weekly challenges are outlined below.

WEEKLY POINTS:
There are 2 more points possible each week for the following:

ONE point per week for weight loss - if you've lost at least one pound, or maintained your ideal weight, you get a point. Yes, if you're already at your ideal weight, you can still participate and earn points for maintaining right where you're at.  You decide before the challenge starts what your ideal weight is.
ONE point per week for Family Home Evening OR Institute. NOTE: If you don't know what this means, you're probably not Mormon. Pick some other weekly activity you want to do, like go on one date a week or have dinner with a friend once a week. You decide.


WEEKLY CHALLENGES:
Week 1: Keep a food journal
Week 2: 7 hours of sleep per night
Week 3: 5 servings of vegetables per day
Week 4: No processed foods
Week 5: 100 sit-ups & 50 push-ups per day (doesn't necessarily have to be done in one sitting.  Try 5 sets of 20 sit-ups & 10 push-ups throughout the day)
Week 6: 4 servings of fruit per day
Week 7: Drink 64 fluid ounces of water per day 

Week 8: Run/Walk at least 1/2 marathon (this doesn't have to be completed at one time, but can be done in small increments throughout the week to add up to 13.1 miles)

Ok, so here's the clarifications:

• Free day: You pick your free day.  You only get one free day a week, you can't spread out the days you get to do things.  This way, you can plan if you have a special event and can pick that day to be your free day.
• Exercise: This must be a specified workout.  You can't count running errands as your 30 minutes of exercise.  This is a challenge, remember? It can be pilates, walking, etc but it must be time set aside as a workout.
• The dessert issue is up to you. If you want it to mean no sugar, then more power to you. The sugar line is gray, I mean jam has sugar in it.  So, use your best judgement, but I don't think you can be eating sugary snacks all day and just because you don't eat dessert after dinner, consider yourself good.  

If you want to join in, please send/give me $20. The first and second place winners will receive cash awards. I'm not gonna lie, money is a great motivator, even if you don't think you'll win, knowing you've invested $20 into something makes you want to take it seriously.  

Good luck ladies!  Feel free to invite others to join if they want.

Also, I'll be asking for points at the end of each week, so we can keep on track of where we all are.

Alright so there it is, make sure you have person to be the leader and to email everyone because it will keep it going and organized.  Good luck to anyone who tries and wish me luck!

Where is the Snow?

After living in Utah for 4 years and enduring the winters there it is really weird to wake up and check the weather and not see it being close to single digits.  It almost was 70! Now I have to say it is nice not to be freezing but I miss the snow.  I would love waking up on a weekend and seeing that it just snowed and then getting ready for an amazing day of skiing!  I am missing skiing so much and I can't wait to make my trip out to Utah in January!! but for now I am packing for my Caribbean cruise :) Just a little sun before the snow...

Where Have You Been?!?!

ok ok I know I have been a big slacker since I have move to NC but a lot has been going on that I will write about after my applications are due... OCTOBER 3rd!!! I am freaking out but once that is in blogging will hopefully resume :)

Road Trip With Dad Across The States

FINALLY got around to posting this!... 


Since I graduated I needed to figure out what I was doing with my life.  I decided a while back that I would move to North Carolina and gain residency to hopefully attend UNC's Physical Therapy program.  Now the hard part... getting from Provo, UT to Wake Forest, NC (where my uncle Geoff lives).  Thanks to my dad we made our second road trip across the country.  Last time we did it in three days.  The first day we made it maybe a mile east because we went to see Zion's National Park.  The second day we drove about 22 hours from Flagstaff, AZ to Little Rock, AR.  This was probably the scariest drive I have made because I felt like I was in the movie twister! Needless to day we decided to take 5 days and not beat ourselves up driving so much.

This year (2011) we started out for Jackson, WY.  When we got there we started to check into a hotel when the manager said that this passage into Yellowstone is closed until mid may.  Good thing we stopped there! So we drove to Rexburg, ID and I got to see BYU ID.  Very different from BYU Provo!  There were nothing but farms around BYU ID but I have to say I think it was prettier than Provo (Provo is a little run down if I do say so myself).  Anyways we stayed in a very modernized Marriott.  Never have seen a Marriott room like this!  I had to text my Aunt Debbie to say "WOW this is different!"  She said that her team is trying to make it more appealing to the younger crowd and I can say that it certainly would do that.  Still had the best hotel bed and that's all I cared about :)

We left Rexburg and headed for the West entrance of Yellowstone because that was the closes entrance that was open.  When we approached the entrance we saw beautiful mountains and had to stop and take a few pictures :)

Once we entered Yellowstone we first spotted buffalo.  We both got really excited even if they were on the other side of the river.  We didn't know that we were going to see about A LOT of buffalo and VERY close.

We drove by all these buffalo and went to go see old faithful.  We arrived about 10 minutes before it went off.  This was good because it goes off every hour and half-ish so I didn't want to wait that long.

After Old Faithful we went to see the hot pots which were pretty cool.  Each one was different.  They were all different colors shapes and sizes.

after yellowstone the next day we headed out to Mount Rushmore.  Along the way my dad decided to take a detour and see Devil's Rock from Alien Encounters.  If you haven't seen the movie (like me) it is this giant rock that looks like a tower and is flat on top.  My dad wanted to take the crazy pictures... haha

 
Then once we drove about 20 miles in the opposite direction we got back on the main road and reached a little town called Keystone and had a lunch at a cute little diner.  After seeing all the bison dad had to get the bison burger for lunch haha!  Then we headed a few miles more up a mountain to see Mount Rushmore.  It was actually pretty cool to see in person.  I can't imagine creating that! We read all about how they made it and it is pretty amazing and it took about 14 years! 

After seeing this amazing national monument we started to drive towards our next stop which was Mall of America. One of the many time we stopped for gas and this is what one of  the prices were....

If you don't get it... premium was less than regular!

We didn't get all the way to Mall of America and we stopped in Fairmont, MN.  Needless to say dad didn't like the Holiday Inn we stayed at so he SWEARS by Marriott now (not that he didn't before but this just confirmed it! haha)  Once we woke up we started driving to M of A.  It was raining but good thing this mall was HUGE so we didn't have to worry about being outside like all the other stops on this trip!  We got to the mall fairly early so the roller coaster was not running and once it opened we had already had lunch.... good choice not to go on it.  Even though I already was grateful that my dad was doing this drive for the second time with me, he bough me a great graduation present... a new iPhone :) Thanks dad!  


Even though we didn't get to stop we drove by Chicago at night.  That was really amazing because it was lit up and such a great view!  I wish we could have stopped there but we had to keep driving.  One day I hope I can go back :)


At this point we were both exhausted from being in the car for 4 days and we were ready to be home.  So once we saw signs for VA we were really excited! But even though we were in VA we still had a couple hours until home.  Overall it was a fun time and I got to see somethings I probably wouldn't see otherwise.  


Thanks Dad for putting up with me for 5 days in a car and thanks for planning the whole trip.  Love you! 


FOR MORE PICTURES OF THE TRIP CLICK HERE!

Graduation

So thursday and friday (April 21st and 22nd) I graduated from BYU.  It's crazy that it has already been four years and college is over.  I am really sad that I am not going back because I am going to miss so much about Provo (never thought I would say that!)  But I have lived with Katie for the past 4 years and I don't know what I am going to do without her :(  Also, skiing is not the same on the east coast so I will for sure be back to visit Utah in the winter!  I am so glad I have such a great family that came out to support me.  My mom and her parents and my dad and Annie (Maggie was already out there).  Thank you guys so much for being there for me!  There is so much more I can say about my experience at BYU but it would take along time to write but for now enjoy pictures from graduation :)

MORE PICTURES OF GRADUATION

Uncle Lee

Last night my Uncle Lee passed away with his wife and 3 daughters beside him.  He had been suffering from a brain tumor he had named Percival (always had a great sense of humor).  I got a phone call this morning from my mom letting me know he had passed away.  Also, my grandfather (Pop) called me to tell me he was picking me up from the airport but first we had a good cry about this amazing man.  The thing that these two phone calls had in common were that we should have peace because he is in a better place and no longer in pain and that we know we will see him again.  I love Uncle Lee so much it breaks my heart that I did not get to see him for one last time but I know he is no longer suffering.  If he was still here this is what I would tell him...

Dear Uncle Lee,

I cannot tell you how much I love you and Mary Lou.  I have great memories of you at the beach, Tootsie and Pop's house, Portland, etc.  You are an amazing man and I am impressed by your optimism during this whole process.  I strive to have the same outlook on life as you did.

Speaking of memories... Here is a list of the some of my favorite things I remember about you (not in any specific order):
1. salmon- I have never had better salmon than yours. You make the best sauce to put on the salmon and then grill it (my favorite way to cook).
2. wood work- I wish I had pictures of your AMAZING craftsmanship because I would never be able to do what you could make out of a block of wood.  I remember one time in Portland when you let us carve stuff out of scraps of wood. Mine looked awful but you still told me I did a great job. Thanks Uncle Lee
3. gum- You always had gum with you at all times because you said you always get dry mouth but that just means I could always ask you for some :)
4. smoking- I am not supporting that you smoked but I was always fascinated that you could blow smoke rings and I didn't see how that was possible. 
5. earring- I loved that you got your ear pierced just for the heck of it and at a older stage in life at that. Makes me realize that you were always yourself.

There are many more things I remember about you and not enough time to write.  I will always remember you and love you very much.  Hope you are happy where you are and I don't doubt you will watch over Mary Lou from that place.  You are a great man Uncle Lee and know you are missed by friends and family alike.

Love Always,
Amanda

Getting There...

So, I can finally see the light at the tunnel but it is very faint.  I have had so much to do in the past couple of weeks, including tests and projects, that it just seems to be never ending.  But the other day I bought my cap and gown and It made me realize that I am actually going to be done soon...weird... Anyways just can't believe I am finishing up my last semester here at BYU in a little over a month. Hopefully all goes well and I pass my classes and then finally get that piece of paper saying "YOU DID IT!"