What you should eat to lose fat!

Did you know that there is a particular family of vegetables that has more fat-fighting and health-boosting benefits than ANY other?  It's true!  We're talking about cruciferous vegetables, and there are a wide variety to choose from...just take a look at all these options!

Kale
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Rutabaga
Cabbage
Bok Choy
Swiss Chard
Turnips
Arugula
Collard Greens
Watercress
Radishes

And here are just some of their benefits:

#1 - Improved digestion, satiety, and weightloss!  Cruciferous vegetables are high in fiber -- fiber that promotes a healthier digestive tract while keeping you feeling fuller, longer.  In fact, many studies have shown that increased fiber intake leads to lower weight levels and even weightloss.

#2 - Lower levels of belly fat!  One unique benefit of cruciferous vegetables is their ability to fight off dietary and environmental estrogens that we may be exposed to through soy, plastics, and pesticides through a special phytonutrient called indole-3-carbinol (I3C).  Environmental estrogens have also been linked to high levels of belly fat, so by consuming more cruciferous vegetables you'll be fighting off belly fat stores at the same time!

#3 - Increased Gut & Immune Health!  Even beyond the above two benefits a recent study published in the renown journal Nature Immunology discovered that specific proteins in cruciferous vegetables may play an essential role in gut health by boosting immune cell production and ultimately combating bacterial infections, chronic inflammation and potentially even bowel cancer.

#4 - Anti-aging!  Cruciferous vegetables have also been shown through research to boast antioxidant and anti-aging properties.  In fact, one study showed that participants who consumed 1 - 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables a day reduced their oxidative stress by 22% in just 3 weeks!

The list actually goes on and on with regard to what cruciferous vegetables can do for your body, fatloss results, and your health, so be sure to eat more of these "miracle" vegetables starting today!

(Info provided by BioTrust Nutrition)

Week 2 Results

Here are the results for week 2:

OCDC: 1230
DK Kaysville: 1228
Simply Improving: 1040
Doughty Power: 957
Dedicated Diva's: 486

I hope things are getting easier as we get farther into the competition. Good Luck Ladies!

Week 1 Results

One week down, three to go! I hope you're all feeling healthier and happier. I was chatting with Karin about how even though there's more "to do" it's amazing how much better you feel and the balance it helps to restore in your life. Hope this is the positive change you're finding as well.

Here are the results for the first week:
Doughty Power {Jenn & Suzanne}: 1230
OCDC {Erica & Jana}: 1230
DK Kaysville {Karin & Denise}: 1226
Simply Improving {Jill}: 992
Dedicated Diva's {Lyndall & Mindy}: 451

Simply Stunning in Six R2 Calendar Tasks

Pick all Seven of your tasks each week from this list:

* Get your $25 to Erica before Thursday

* Write a letter to a friend and mail it.

* Make a treat for a neighbor or someone on your street and drop it off anonymously.

* Write a poem about a  sunset, funny moment from the day etc...

* Index 100 names on familysearch

* Tell a clean joke to a child.

* Do a friend date.

* Spend time with your significant other doing something he likes.

* Bake and Share treats with friends or family.

* Share a story from your childhood with a child.

* Do something special for yourself.

* Learn and do a new exercise

* "Boo" 2 neighbors (treat and sign for their window)

* Do a chore your husband (or other family member) usually does

* Take a make-up holiday (one whole day without make-up)

* Make a handmade gift for someone

* Play a game {board/dice/card, etc.} with someone in your family, or a friend

* Visit your grandma or other extended family member

* Figure out a new way to make a veggie side dish for a dinner at home

* Re-read your favorite conference talk

* Choose 1 thing from Conference to implement in your life

* Read or listen to a talk you missed or didn't find interesting the first time

* Spend time with a friend

* Attempt to start a family pay it forward week (FHE?)

* Watch a football game

* Make a healthy dessert with a fall fruit (apples, pears, pomegranates, etc)

* Email Erica the Recipe to post on the blog

* Do something extra special for a neighbor or someone you visit teach

* Memorize a scripture

* Wear a fall color

* Dress up for Halloween

* Go on a walk with your spouse, kids, friend, etc.

* Paint your {or a child’s, friends} toenails or fingernails. Or get a Pedicure.

* Craft or Sew for 30+ minutes

* Clean out one drawer, cupboard, closet or space that you have been putting off doing

* Do a clothes purge; your closet or a child’s. Donate what you don’t need/won’t use.

* Write a letter to a Missionary & mail it.

* Do the Chicken Fat routine; if you have kids, have them do it too (the song is on Youtube)

* Try a recipe from the blog

* Write in your journal

* Write in your kids babybooks / journal {If you do this for multiple kids, you can count it as a separate task each time}

* Look in the mirror and give yourself a compliment

* Be in bed, lights out, by 10 pm

* Be out of bed by 6:00 a.m.

* Organize {& clean} an area that’s been bugging you

* Make a freezer meal, for you or someone else

* Spend time with your husband, a child, or friend and be Present – FOCUS only on them.

* Work out for 60+ minutes

* Have Family Home Evening; Lesson, Activity & Treat {free treat}

* Have a healthy treat for FHE  J

* Complete a Home Improvement Project

* Read for 30+ minutes, for pleasure

* Serve someone on purpose.

* Be kind to yourself; do something you have wanted to do for a long time - take a nap, clean a drawer, go to lunch, call a friend and talk etc.

* Read or color with a child for 10+ minutes

* Be to church 15 minutes early 
* Write a poem
* Take a nap
* Attend the Temple, Spend time on the Temple Grounds or in the Visitors Center
*Watch a sunset

Simply Stunning in Six - Round 2 Info & Rules

Simply Stunning in Six!

A simple plan to balance physical, emotional and spiritual health.

Info, Intro & Rules

Ready to make a change, be it physically or spiritually? Tired of the backslide when you aren’t challenging yourself and the accountability diminishes? Welcome to Simply Stunning in Six! We are going to dedicate the next 6 months to taking better care of us! One month at a time. 

Participation Fee is $25 per round {$5 goes toward my operating costs}. If you participate in all six rounds, I’ll wave the $5 on the last round. Please have your money to me before the end of week one.

R1 – September 8^th – September 30^th

R2 – October 6^th – November 2nd

R3 – November 6^th – December 3rd
R4 – December 8^th – January 4^th

R5 – January 8^th – February 4^th

R6 – February 9^th – March 8th

µ S3 {cubed} R2 begins on the 6^th of October. Once you’ve committed to joining, email or text me your 5 calendar tasks and your Spiritual & Fitness goals.

New this round is our Joy List. You'll need to start creating a list of items that brings you joy by October 6th. You're welcome to add to this at any time, and you don't need to share it with me. Track you points for experiencing joy on your point tracker. 

I’d still recommend weighing in, though there aren’t weight loss points this round.  Weeks will run from Sunday mornings to midnight on Saturday. Be sure to text or email me your points every Sunday by 2 p.m. Total points need to be emailed or texted to Erica by Sunday November 3rd. Weekly results will be posted at funandfitinfive.blogspot.com by Sunday evening.

µ We’ll stick with teams of two, with each team selecting a team name. You’re welcome to bring your own teammate or have one assigned to you. Each participant will be provided tracking sheets to record good food points, bad food minus points, exercise points, daily calendar challenge points, after 9 P.M. points, water points, 5+ fruit & veggie points, personal prayer points and personal scripture study points.

µ Personal Goals: This round there will be no weight loss points. Each participant needs to pick one fitness goal and one spiritual goal, then email them to me {and your teammate} by October 8th. Your goal must be measurable! Pounds lost, % body fat reduction, exercising 5 days a week, reading scriptures for 10 minutes/day, saying morning prayers before 9 a.m. etc. It must also be a stretch from your current capacity. Please ask me if you have any ?'s about this.

µ FASTING ALLOWANCE:  On Days you fast, you’re welcome to make adjustments as necessary. It can be hard to eat and drink that much in 1/3 of the time! If you don’t consume any negative foods or eat after 9 and you’ve done your best to get all your healthy foods & fruits and veggies in, give yourself full food points for the day.   

µ Exercise Points:  This program is constantly being refined and adjusted in order to provide the optimum results. For each minute you exercise, you’ll get one point. The maximum amount of points possible is 150. You must exercise at least 3 times each week!  I realize that to lose weight, each of our bodies works differently. Figure out what works best for you & do that! I’m removing the time restriction, since I still think some movement is better than nothing; so if you’ve only got 5 – 10 minutes, use it!

µ FREE DAYS , MEALS and Foods: Halloween is a Free Day, and you also get 1 additional free day, 2 free meals and 2 free foods this round. Use them whenever you’d like! I don’t care when, or if, you use them.  

I didn't care for the Free Bites as much as I thought I would. So it's a goner. FREE Day, Meals & Foods can be consumed after 9 without a point loss. To clarify, a free day exempts you from negative food points. You must still earn your good food points, F&V, water, exercise, scripture points, etc. But you can eat after 9 on a free day & still get your “after 9 points.”

✪ Winnings:            1^st place – 65%                     2^nd place – 35%

If your total score, before the bonus points for Health & Spiritual Goals are given, is within 10 points of the total amount possible, you will get your $20 participation money returned to you!

✪ Track points daily on point tracking sheets. I'll email the tracking sheets to all the participants. We will go from Sunday morning to Saturday evening each week.  Total your points and email or text them to me. I’ll post the point totals for the teams on the blog, so everyone can see how we’re all doing.

✪ Good Food Points – See Food List post on the blog.  Add one point for each good food eaten, up to 10 points a day. Limit of 3 good food points for whole wheat food items per day.

✪ Bad Food Points – See  Food List post. Subtract 2 points for every bad food eaten.  NO MAX!

✪ Exercise Points – One point per minute, up to 150 points per week. Must exercise at least 3 times a week! But break it down however it works best for you.  

✪ Daily Calendar – Earn 5 points by following the daily calendar; these can be done at any point during the week. You can do all of them in one day, one a day or any combo you can think of.  These will all be listed of on the blog, so check there. Pick all 7 tasks from the blog for each week.

✪ After 9 PM Points – Earn 5 points if you eat NOTHING after 9 p.m. You can still drink water after 9 without any point loss.

✪ Water Points – Earn 10 points total for drinking 60+ ounces of water every day. Earn 5 points if you drink a minimum of 30 ounces. Your goal should be to drink ½ you weight in ounces. Example: if you weigh 120 lbs, your goal will be 60 oz of water. 150 lbs = 75 oz.  180 = 90 oz. and so on. I know it’s a lot, but it really does help your body perform at it’s best! 

✪ 5+ Fruits & Vegetables – Earn 10 points if you eat a combined total of 5 fruits and vegetables – count the V’s and F’s from the good food box. These count for both good foods and fruits and veggies – double bonus. Yay! We're switching this to 2 points per fruit or veggie, so if you don't consume all 10, you can still get partial credit. {You’ll lose more weight if one is an apple, regardless of size. But just one.}

✪ Joy List - Create a list of at least 5 things that bring you JOY! This list can be added to at any time, but needs to be started by the time the round begins. You get 10 points per week for accomplishing one item from this list. 

✪ Personal Prayer Points – There is a special relationship between your body and your spirit.  Strengthen your spirit as you strengthen your body. I'm assuming Heavenly Father likes to hear from us anytime. Pray twice a day. If that's morning/evening, afternoon/evening, morning/afternoon - that's fine. I think the Lord would rather hear from us several times during the day, regardless of the time. Also, aim for Personal Prayers, but if you occasionally need to count an awesome family prayer you gave or your prayers with your spouse, I'm chill with that. 5 points per prayer, 2 prayers per day, totaling 10 points per day.

✪ Daily Scripture Study Points – All or none. If you read, you get your points. If you miss, you don’t. Easy Peasy. Duration, intensity and absorption are between you and the Lord. Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Sunday School and Relief Society lessons, Sharing Time & Primary lessons, Ensign, Conference Talks, etc. all count.

✪ Illness Allowance – If you catch a stomach flu or seriously nasty head cold, let me know. If you’ve tried your best to get all your food and water points, without consuming any negative foods, we’ll work out an illness allowance.

Please let me know if you have ANY questions.

GOOD LUCK!!!