2006 Cal-Counters Fall Challenge & Games Week 7 Results & New Submission Thread!

It's hard to believe that a group of calorie-count members started talking about the games in the dog days of summer and here we are already at Halloween and headed into the Holidays and tail end of the year.  Yowser!  Time Flies!!! 

Congratulations to the People who finished the 2006 Fall Challenge! 

• tlc0219, willowraven and amgmdb5 from Phat Fighters,
• pandajenn19 and readnchck from Dny-o-mite
• hubbaji from Flab Busters
• twood from Hard Body Hooligans
• tlwerner, jenniferelyse, jennelaw and nicole123 from Inchredibles

The Week 7 Grand Finale was a chance to measure progress from week 1 to week 7, how goals changed, a look back.  The brain bender was simply a reminder of the *3 week syndrome* and how easy it is to abandon our hopes and dreams within 3 days, 3 weeks, perhaps 3 months like so many people tend to do unless they make their journey and goals a real priority and commitment.  And finally, to start thinking about a Game Plan for the Upcoming Holidays!  Can you believe it's already time for November & December?  Yikes!!!   You can read the Game Plan Statements here in this thread!

If you have the time and inclination, feel free to work through the original 2006 Fall Challenge.  Although it was originally structured with points for individual players and teams, the primary focus was on the individual ~ their goals (hopes and dreams), how they eat and exercise, nutrition and more!  It's meant to be fun, a little inspirational and a little thought provoking.  So feel free to do the challenge on your own. 

Want to try the Challenge?  You can find week 1 here or an index to the whole challenge here.

If you take the Challenge and Want to Share... then Post your submissions here!

• Main Dish Cuisine of the Week Recipes
• google*me*this Sir Links~a~Lot, , and anything else you would like share Here on this Thread :)
• Motivation statements

Games New & Old!!!

This all started with a few members thinking about doing 2 teams like Survivor and vote people off each week!  It quickly became much more!

Original Ideas for the 2006 Fall Games!

• to be open to anyone who wanted to play
• to keep people involved through the whole game
• to help people *explore* their own food and exercise goals and plans
• to have fun & play games ~ individually and as a team 
• get to know each other better  

specific ideas people suggested

• study the food pyramids and guidelines and
• write 2 full sets of weekly meal plans (1 @ 1,500 cals & 1 @ 2,000 cals) from each team each week. 
• Do huge nutrition quizzes. 
• Learn about different healthy cuisines like mediterrranean and caribbean. 
• Have people do 10 goals each week (a point each goal).
• Have people write essays on health and nutrition. 
• Google for information on nutrition. 
• Learn about all kinds of Exercise. 
• Have people do 5 exercise sessions a week and
• also points for something extra like longer or more intensity... 
• Talk about body image, self-esteem, and eating disorders
• myth busting about bad diets and exercise. 
• write recipes and have a cookoff. 
• Compare old recipes to new better recipes. 
• Learn to use all the tools on calorie-count like logging food and exercise and weight.
• learn how nutrition & exercise affects health
• track weight, measurements and bmi   

We couldn't do it all ~ in fact we only did a little!!!  That leaves a whole world of nutrition, meal plans, exercise & goals to explore, eh?

Watch for more member organized Challenges & Games ~ Let's have fun together!  Most importantly, let's stay here & play while we work on our goals together!

Challenges can be anything, anytime!  Feel free to do one that interests you!

Remember Slappy's Ab Challenge?  Potterhoney's weigh in?  Tag with Salome?  What's your idea? 

2006 Cal-Counters 7 week Fall Challenge!!!   Brain Bender & Grand Finale Holiday Game Plan Submissions


Phat Fighters Players

• willowraven
  
  
  • Holiday plan -  I plan on taking it one day at a time, or even just one part of a day at a time.  I hope to enjoy the foods of the holidays, however in moderation, and be aware of what I am eating, and WHY.  I don't want to lose sight of all that I have accomplished, but I also don't want to be so narrow-sighted on my goals that I forget to enjoy the life that is around me.  And if I fumble or fall, just get back up and try again, and keep going.
    
    
  • Bender - correct
    
    
• tlc0219
  
  
  • Bender - correct
    
    
• amgmdb5
  
  
  • Bender - correct
    

Dynomite Players

• pandajenn
  
  
  • Holiday Plan - I definitely have a plan for the holidays this year.  My ultimate goal is to lose the last 12 pounds by the end of the year, and that will only be possible if I keep counting right through to New Years!  But, I definitely want to enjoy myself.  My food plan for each holiday is:
    
    Halloween - don't over indulge in candy.  This really isn't normally a bad holiday for me, so I'm not as worried about it.  I'm sure I'll have some sweets, but I want to make sure I fill up on healthy stuff thoughout the day.  We will not be giving candy out to the kids, it freaks my dogs out to have people at the door all night, so that means I won't have any extra sweets in my house.
    
    Thanksgiving - I will not starve myself in anticipation of dinner!  I probably will go over on calories this day, but I want to still make normal portion size choices.  I won't put butter on my rolls or my sweet potatoes as I may have in years past.  And I will limit myself on the pie, although you can be sure I'll be eating small slices!  Most important is that I not overstuff myself, I eat healthy throughout the day, and I enjoy my relatively smaller portions.
    
    Christmas - I will not participate in any kind of cookie exchange this year - that's #1.  I may not even make any cookies, since hubby is on the road most of the time and it ends up me eating them all.  If I do make some for him, I will pack a bunch for him and take the rest in to work.  Christmas day isn't usually too high a calorie day for me, so I will stick with mostly my normal routine, just avoiding the same too-large portion issues that Thanksgiving can create.  I will only have one portion of eggs benedict, which is the biggest culprit of cals for me this day.
    
    With that said, the rest of my plan is much more important!  :)  I will allow myself to have treats, same as I always have throughout my whole journey.  But I will really amp up the exercise while doing it!!  I am starting to increase my running in anticipation of a half marathon in April.  It will be very important for me to keep up with this.  I will also add in cross training as needed to keep my body revving.  Exercise is what I will use to keep my deficits pretty in spite of any small indulgences.  Woo hoo for exercise!  :)
    
    
  • Bender - correct
    
    
• readnchick
  
  
  • holiday plan - Holidays are spent eating ... in my family anyway.  I'm going to enjoy myself, not count calories, but also not overindulge TOO much. JUST eat til I get full, not til I'm stuffed like I would normally do on holidays. I'm also not going to pass up the desserts, however, considering I'll be the one baking probably 70% of them.  I think it's time for some new recipes for our holiday desserts though ... something I can eat and enjoy with lower calories that everyone else will like, too. 
    
    This unstructured eating will be ONLY on the actual holidays themselves ... Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Eve ... NOT on the days leading up to them.  And pffft, Halloween doesn't matter, I'll go to class, come back to my apartment, avoid the candy, n sit down with a few scary movies, eating only what I have planned for the day.  
    
    If I go over on calories (and I probably will), so what? ... it's only a few days a year, it's not like I'm going back to my old habits forever. 
    
    
  • Bender - correct
    

Flab Busters Players

• hubbaji
  
  
  • Holiday Plan - For me, like so many others, the holidays all pose a tasty problem - yummy, sweet treats and lots of fancy meals. I love food, all kinds of food, and when I decided to seriously lose weight I knew temptation would be an issue. My 'game plan', as it were, has always been eat what I want, deny myself nothing, but to count every calorie. I look at the calories in the item, then weigh that against the desire. Is it something I can do without today? If it is, then I say to myself, 'No, not today- Maybe tomorrow.' This way I'm not denying myself anything - just putting it off until another, more appropriate time - tomorrow(sometimes tomorrow is a very long time away). So far this way of looking at the treats(and second helpings) has worked for me and I've found I don't miss those things I didn't have today because there is always tomorrow.
    
    
  • Bender - correct
    

Hooligans Players

• twood
  • Holiday Plan -Here is my game plan for the holidays
    
    I plan on handling the holidays by making my own low fat versions of the foods that I love during the holidays.  On top of this I plan on counting calories and increasing exercise to accommodate for some of the foods that I can?t make lower fat versions of.  I am cooking this year so it will be a little easier to get through the holidays then if I was going over to families houses.  I kind of have the control over what is fixed and what isn?t. 
    
    I did all of the parts of the challenge except I only worked out 4 days this week and did not do the brain bender.

Inchredibles Players

• jennelaw
  
  
  • Holiday Plan - To my wonderful friends and family - as you all know, I have spent over half this year working on being a healthier and happier me.  As the holidays are approaching, I ask all of you for your help and support.  Please continue to make the wonderful foods that we have made a part of our holiday traditions but please understand when I choose smaller servings and don't load my plate the first (or second!) time this year.  As part of my annual contribution to the festivities you can still count on my famous pumpkin white chocolate cheesecake - and I hope you all enjoy!  I will also be bringing some yummy salads and steamed vegetables to round out our meal choices.  Remember, it's about being together and not how much turkey and dressing we eat.  I am thankful for the love and support you have shown me on my journey and I know that I can count on you to provide me with the same during our upcoming celebrations!
    
  • Bender - correct
    
    
• jenniferelyse74
  
  
  • Holiday Plan - I plan on spending this holiday season focused more on visiting with friends and family than on mealtimes.  Occasionally in the past I have gone with the two bite rule.  With so many food choices it is easy to load up a plate and throw caution to the wind.  During most holiday dinners I have found that if I put only two to three bites of each item on my plate then I get a little taste of everything, don't feel hungry afterward and can still breathe without unbuttoning my pants :-D
    
  • Bender - correct

• nicole123
  
  
• For me personally at least, I am the one who is going to be doing all the cooking for holiday dinners on Thanksgiving and winter holidays, both with family and with friends, so I don't have to worry too much about trying to figure out calories or if something might be healthy. I'm going to be using tons of vegetables, vegetable proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats to make great vegan menus that are also very healthy. So I will be counting, but it will be extremely easy for me this year!~
• tlwerner
  
  
  • We are all family and friends.  We care about each other.  So I know that my well being is important to you, as yours is important to me.   My eating habits have changes and I know you will give me the support I need to follow through on this new lifestyle...

Well, November is a really difficult food month for me.  Starting on Halloween (Iknow it is 31 Oct), but it is a gathering of my adult children with small children who all go together out trick or treating.  when they return, we have dinner together, and birthday cake and ice cream..my daughter in law's birthday!  Now comes all the days grouped together leading to the end of the month and oninto Christmas.  Anniversary, Marine Corps Birthday, (for those who don't celebrate that, believe me it is lots of cake etc.), husband's birthday, but that is remembered with flowers on his grave, and me drowning myself in food....but not this year! 

 My birthday, and grandson's birthday 1 day apart, and mine 1 day before Thanksgiving, best friend's birthday, day after mine , but on Thanksgiving day this year, so of course we will go to lunch the Saturday after Thanksgiving, son's anniversary.  I am actually making a trip to TN and having Thanksgiving with my daughter and her family on the 18th, so I shall prepare my take along food, so I won't stop at fast food places! I swear I will! Oh gosh, how can one old lady resist Dollywood, as a birthday gift, and a son in law who is upper echelon Golden Corral management?  I need my jaw wired!!    Well, my mind is made up, wherever I go I shall remember my doctor telling me...DieT or lose the T!  Pray for me!

Barbikat!  That sounds like a gr8 plan for this year!  Thank you for sharing :)