esSO: Be careful with the hand sanitizer. I read an article about little kids getting sick because they licked it off their hands.

So our diet challenge isn't perfect, it's just supposed to help us pay attention to what we're eating and how much we're exercising.

I suggest we get some competing challenges up and running. I
will personally participate in any challenge whose rules are set
up and running by Oct 31 ! This is going to be a great autumn!

so maybe your rule should be +50 up to 3 times per day. (no roll over) Because although fruit and vegetables are healthy an excess of them could be unhealthy?

One serving of fruit a day? The recommended minimum is 5. It doesn't sound like you want to change your habits at all.

My new strategy is to play frisbee every day and only drink coffee.

30% absenteeism is SOP for some folks.

The rules were typed out very carefully. +50 per day. I set that number because I was trying to set realistic goals for changing an unhealthy diet.

If fruit is your dessert, your date is cheap.

I read there were 30% absentee rates two weeks ago in the schools the next town over (Belgrade). The article also stated the only flu currently going around the valley was swine flu, so if you had a flu, you probably had swine flu. Then CNN said Obama declared a national emergency because of the swine flu. Supposedly we've already reached what would normally be peak flu rates for a season, several months early. Am I helping?

DAS, "Mom, I think I have H1N1."
Mom, "Oh, really?"
DAS, "Yeah, can you check my temperature? When was the last time you checked to make sure I wasn't sick?"
Mom, "I don't have to check I can just tell."
DAS, "How?"
Mom, "By looking at your eyes. Why do you think you have H1N1?"
DAS, "A kid threw up in my class today. He sits next to me. By the way, I need to bring in some hand sanitizer. Everyone else has it already."

I'm so glad our kids are catching on to the paranoia

No, you get 200 points because you ate 4 servings. Although I don't think that's how the rules read.

What if fruit is my dessert?

yes, and you then get the 50 points for the day. Same as eating 12 pounds of cherries for dinner.

So if I ate a piece of fruit for breakfast and put two bananas into my fruit smoothie along with some frozen fruit (hypothetically say straberries), I would be at four servings of fruit for the day before I even left the house?

You don't have to add sugar to the SodaStream. I"m putting that on my X-mas gift list.

I'm not convinced naturally occurring sugar in fruit is as bad for you as added sugars, but I'll play your little game anyway.

I'm not sure I want health advice from a site advertising my own personal home soda machine.

Fruit juice is high in sugar. All quantities are 8oz. According to Coca-Cola:

Minute Maid orange juice: 110 calories (96 from sugar), 24g sugar.

Coca Cola: 97 calories (all from sugar), 27g sugar.

Minute Maid Apple Juice: 110 calories (104 from sugar), 26g sugar

Nicloas?

The Nutrition Diva told me fasting was okay, occasionally. And I don't understand behind the negative points on fruit juice?

what you're going to need to do is find a mixer that isn't on that list. And also zip it until this thing starts.

I think I speak for Ohlers everywhere when I say thank goodness rum was left off of the negative list.

but this contest is no where near scientific, so you can put any lame thing in it.

V can be responsible for dissecting the kids before and after the competition to determine muscle gained.

kids can have the same rules with the exception of lbs lost should be muscle gained..

The negatives are based on empty calories in a 12oz glass. Give me a number for the diet soda that diet soda drinkers agree on and I'll include it.

Do you want different rules for the 12 and under? Or just a side contest? You parents can decide that one. I kinda figured the kids were the only ones with a shot at the no red dye #40 rule... the blueberry bagel I just ate had Red Dye #40 and HFCS.

And snowboarding wasn't included because scientifically speaking, it's lame.

A couple comments -

I think even the diet soda should have a negative.

Could we consider a side contest for people under the age of 12?

Ugh! I am so far behind on my running. Why does it have to get dark so early?!?! At least we got all the painting done.. I had to forgo my running for that...and soccer, and recitals, etc....

Depends if your eating a proper serving of shampoo.

Not much downhill skiing before christmas. Resort doesn't even open until Dec 11. To be sure, though, you'd better add SNOWBOARDING.


But fair warning, I'm 11.0|Running: 6.7 mph (9 min/mile). Ran 4 miles today....thanks for the encouragement Sarah!


Sandy (and I to encourage her) is already meeting the Advanced Wildcard Challenge, but it is tough. Does Red #40 in your shampoo count?

Don't you think you'll get enough trash talk from your siblings?

my activities are going to be so plentiful, I'm going to round down to the nearest thousand, so I don't think 25 points is going to make much difference.
this is the one you'll have to watch out for from nathaniel: 8.0|Skiing: downhill, vigorous effort, racing

Also, will this app have a trash talk featue?

How about -25 for eating ANYTHING containing HFCS. That would be a difficult one to overcome.

Actually skipping a meal is a negative because it isn't healthy.

if the leaves are deep enough then use: 5.0|Snorkeling

how many points lost for skipping a meal and does a banana count as breakfast?

Can we add something for raking leaves. I've got a huge pile waiting for me.

Based on the numbers shown, I'm going to need a denomination clarification for the 'church' dancing.

3.0|Dancing: slow, ballroom
4.5|Dancing: disco, folk, square, line, polka
5.0|Dancing: spiritual, in church

The Relho Health Challenge will Start November 1st and will run for 8 weeks, ending on December 26th. There will be a program up on Relho shortly to help you track your objectives at your leisure, and to do the scoring for you.

The following is the initial draft of the rules:

Exercise points:
Awarded based on activity type, duration, and your current weight. These will be used to calculate "calories burned", which will be your points. The formula is:

Calories Burned = Duration in Minutes x ((MET x 3.5 x weight in kg)/200)

Familiarize yourself with the activities list to be sure yours are included and you know what is tracked. More can be added if need be. (The leading numbers in that list are the MET scores).

Bonus points awarded/lost:
+50 every day you eat a serving of fruit. (canned not included)
+50 every day you eat a serving of vegetables (canned not included, salads with dressing disqualified).
-150 every day you eat a dessert.
-500 every fast food meal you eat (McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, etc)
-150 every soda/beer you drink (diet not included)
-100 every wine/lite beer/gatorade you drink
-150 every fruit juice beyond 8oz per day. (orange included)

Wildcard Advanced Challenge:
+?? every day you do not consume any Red Dye #40.

The rules are intended to discourage bad health habits. If you think an activity/food/points should be adjusted/included/excluded, now is the time to say so. If you have an additional bad health habit you'd like to work on eliminating, you should suggest it to be added.

I dunno, they seemed kind of staged to me.

Great videos!