The Ultimate Accountability Challenge: July 2013

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Earned Days Off

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caradae
caradae Posts: 743 Member
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Earned Days Off are days you can take off from the challenge.

Here's how it works:

1. You can earn up to 3 days off per month.

2. An "Earned Day Off" is defined as a day on which you don't have to keep track of your calories, or eat within your calorie goals, or exercise. You can relax on an Earned Day Off. I don't encourage you to binge, but the day is yours to do with as you please.

3. Some good uses for Earned Days Off: holidays, birthdays, weddings, reward for sticking with the challenge, 3-day break between challenges.

4. You must already have earned an Earned Day Off in order to take a day off from the challenge. In other words, you can't report that you slipped up, get removed from the group, and come back and post an essay. You need to have your essay posted before you report that you slipped up. Once you're removed from the group, that's it--you're out.

5. You MAY report on something you've already read or seen. However, you may NOT report on something that you've already reported on, even if you reported on it during a different month's challenge.


HOW TO EARN "EARNED DAYS OFF"

To earn a day off you must:
1. Read a book or article, watch a show, movie, or documentary, or attend or watch a lecture,
and
2. Write a brief essay about it. The essay should be at least two paragraphs long: one paragraph describing what you watched or read; one paragraph giving us your opinion of it,
and
3. Post your essay here.

The topic of the book, article, show, movie, documentary, or lecture must be health-, weight-, or diet-related. Each essay is worth one day off. You can earn up to three days off per month. Earned days off don't roll over: any days off earned this month must be used this month or not at all.


You can read/watch whatever you want (as long as it's health-, weight-, or diet-related), but here are some suggestions*:

-ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: BIG BOOK (a non-fiction book used by Overaters Anonymous (OA members replace the word "alcohol" with "food"; "alcoholism" with "overeating"; and "alcoholics" with "overeaters"))
-THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF DIETGIRL by Shauna Reid (autobiography)
-THE ANOREXIA DIARIES by Linda and Tara Rio (autobiography)
-APPETITES: WHY WOMEN WANT by Caroline Knapp (autobiography)
-BIG BROTHER by Lionel Shriver (fiction)
-THE BIGGEST LOSER (TV show)
-BORN TO RUN by Christopher McDougall
-BRAIN ON FIRE: MY MONTH OF MADNESS by Susannah Cahalan
-THE CHINA STUDY by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II (non-fiction book)
-COMFORT ME WITH APPLES by Ruth Reichl (autobiography)
-DISFIGURED (movie)
-THE EMPORER OF ALL MALADIES by Siddhartha Mukherjee
-FAST FOOD NATION by Eric Schlosser (non-fiction book)
-FAT CHANCE by Robert Lustig (non-fiction book)
-FAT VAMPIRE by Johnny B. Truant (fiction book)
-FOOD RULES by Michael Pollan (non-fiction book)
-FOOD MATTERS (documentary)
-GOOD CALORIES BAD CALORIES by Gary Taubes (non-fiction book)
-GOOD GIRLS DON'T GET FAT: HOW WEIGHT OBSESSION IS MESSING UP OUR GIRLS AND HOW WE CAN HELP THEM THRIVE DESPITE IT by Robyn Silverman and Dina Santorelli
-GULP: ADVENTURES ON THE ALIMENTARY CANAL by Mary Roach (non-fiction book)
-HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE by Linda Bacon (non-ficiton book)
-HOW DOCTORS THINK by Jerome Groopman
-HUNGRY GIRL by Lisa Lillien (cookbook series)
-THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot (non-fiction book; biography)
-IN DEFENSE OF FOOD: AN EATER'S MANIFESTO by Michael Pollan (non-fiction book)
-JEMIMA J by Jane Green (fiction book)
-THE JESUS DIET: AN EASY WAY FOR CHRISTIANS TO LOSE WEIGHT by Philip and Agnes Maynard
-JULIE & JULIA by Julie Powell (autobiography, movie)
-MAGGIE GOES ON A DIET by Paul Kramer (children's book)
-MIKE & MOLLY (TV show)
-THE OBESITY MYTH by Paul Campos (non-fiction book)
-THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA by Michael Pollan (non-fiction book)
-ONE BOWL: A GUIDE TO EATING FOR BODY AND SPIRIT by Don Gerrard (book)
-PALEOFANTASY by Marlene Zuk (non-fiction book)
-SHALLOW HAL (movie)
-SHREK (movie)
-SICKO (documentary)
-THE SIMPSONS (TV show, certain episodes)
-SIZE 12 IS NOT FAT by Meg Cabot (fiction book)
-SIZE 14 IS NOT FAT EITHER by Meg Cabot (fiction book)
-SKINNY ***** by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin (non-fiction book)
-SOUTH PARK (TV show, certain episodes)
-SUCH A PRETTY FAT by Jen Lancaster (autobiography)
-SUGAR: THE BITTER TRUTH by Robert Lustig (lecture, available on YouTube)
-SUPERSIZE ME (documentary)
-THINNER by Stephen King alias Richard Bachman (fiction book, movie)
-TO BE FAT LIKE ME (movie)
-THE ULTIMATE FIT by Covert Bailey (book)
-THE UNAPOLOGETIC FAT GIRL'S GUIDE TO EXERCISE by Hanne Blank (book)
-WHY WE GET FAT: AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT by Gary Taubes



*I don't necessarily endorse or agree with the opinions presented in these titles; I'm suggesting them because I think they're interesting and would spark some good discussions.


If you would like to suggest some titles, please feel free to post them in this thread. I will add your suggestions to the list above.

Replies

  • xqueenbee24x
    xqueenbee24x Posts: 271 Member
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    Earned Day off Essay #1:

    Documentary - Food Matters

    I found this documentary on Netflix. It discusses how various foods that we consume can benefit or harm out health. Throughout the documentary several individuals ranging from medical professionals to nutritionists and the like discuss the importance of eating raw/ fresh foods that are high in the nutrients that we need in order to maintain our natural chemical balance and ensure overall health and wellness. One of the individuals who participates in this documentary is Andrew Saul. His clips focus on the importance of vitamins and their contribution to our overall health. He talks in depth regarding the lack of vitamin use to aid in reversing illness. He supports his ideas with several case studies that date back to the late 1800's and early 1900's. He continues to discuss how these findings are not supported by the medical field and how they neglect to use what should be observed as OBVIOUS remedies while treating illness and disease.

    The information that was provided gave a lot of great insight and understanding as to the importance of eating right and ensuring that we eat the right types of food to gain the nutrients we need to produce energy to remain healthy and help our body to fight illness and disease. Personally, I think that this source provided scientific research to support their claims. While it may not be 100% certain that specific vitamins will be a "cure" for various illnesses the documentary points out that it HAS YET TO BE THE CAUSE OF ANY ILLNESS. My response to this is WHY NOT??? If it is not harmful, WHY NOT take some time to check and see if it could actually be beneficial. I have decided to introduce some of the same ideas mentions in FOODMATTERS into routine. I have started taking a daily multivitamin. In addition, I hurt my knee while jogging the other day and learned that by taking a vitamin it can assist with helping my joint pain. It has only been two days since this change but I feel as though it will help in the future.

    I suggest that anyone that has the time to watch this documentary should do so. It was very enlightening and I think there were some great takeaways!!!
  • PatriciaLdublin
    PatriciaLdublin Posts: 33 Member
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    Well Done! That was very interesting. thank you.

    Patricia.
  • Turnaround2012
    Turnaround2012 Posts: 362 Member
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    Book: The Ultimate Fit or Fat by Covert Bailey

    This book was last published in1999. Covert Bailey is now retired. The book can be found at the following link:

    http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Fit-Covert-Bailey/dp/0618002049

    Covert covers some very familiar topics throughout the book. In the Chapter "Why People Get Fat" he talks about the role of how slowing down of metabolism is linked to the decrease in use of muscle. He states why diets so often fail in the long term. There is an excellent discussion about body fat percentage. What body fat is normal for men and women. He gives a lot of good examples and pictures of real clients he has worked with. He talks about one fairly accurate way to measure body fat by using measurements with a tape measure. There are several good chapters on lean body mass and how to calculate your correct weight based on the lean body mass. The difference between aerobic exercise vs. non-aerobic exercises and fat-burning enzymes. Chapter 18 is called "The Fastest way to improve fitness". He talks about the four "food groups" of good exercise: Aerobic, Cross Training, Wind Sprints, Weight lifting. He gets in to considerable detail about "Wind Sprints" which is very closely related to HIIT. Chapter 22 talks about Weightlifting and explains how fat is burned after the weight lifting session. He wraps everything up by discussing the benefits of systemic exercise.

    The first version of this book was recommended to me by a really fit guy (semi-pro baseball player) who was working at my gym back in 1990. You have to really read the book through a few times to understand the simplicity of the concepts and how it all works. I recently reread the book after not reading it for 8 years and the concepts hold true.
    What do i take from reading the book:

    1. My prior practice of dieting with low calories - The last time I successfully lost 20 lbs was in 2011. I was able to get down from 200 to 177. But, I looked back at my records and I was constantly "starving" myself. As soon as I lost my resolve, I gained it all back and actually went up to 210. After reading Covert's book I realized not only did I gain weight back, but I had destroyed a lot of my lean muscle mass, drove up my bodyfat to 30+%, and hurt my metabolism!
    --- I am eating between 1900-2100 calories per day (more on heavy lifting days) and I am slowly but surely losing body fat! I will let you all know how it goes: I predict good news!

    2. The Bodyfat percentage section was very "sobering" to me. One thing Covert wrote was that "... is 28 percent fat, much too high for good health. I sometimes call me who are this high in fat "walking heart attacks". He needs to start exercising ....NOW! When I started getting serious on MFP I was 32% bodyfat. A ridiculous number for an otherwise healthy man. I am down to 29.5% now and I already feel better. I have a long way to go before I hit 15%, but it is a good goal.

    3. People ask me "What is your goal weight" - Actually it will be somewhere between 155 and 165 lbs. That may sound "vague", but it all depends how much lean body mass I can preserve while I am in this fitness and health journey. I am going for a good body fat % - not a number on the scale.

    4. Variety is good especially for exercise. There are topics all over here about cardio vs. weights etc. etc. etc. I have enjoyed doing all these activities. Personally, I am getting very excited and feeling great doing some "traditional" free weights; Squats, Deadlifts, and Bench Press. I plan to run a 10K later this year also.

    5. This book introduced me to the concept of HIIT (although he does not use the term). This is now a "mainstream" concept and is something I am trying to apply and learn more about every day.

    6. Exercise is good for you. Yeah, it is great that we lose inches, lose body fat, get a better "shape".. but to me the real benefit is how it makes you feel and what it does to improve your overall health.

    If someone walked up to me and said
    "I have a pill which will:
    - Lower blood pressure
    - Induce capillary growth in the heart muscle
    - Reduce hours of sleep needed
    - Increase utilization of body fat
    - Lower cholesterol
    - Improve balance
    - Increase fat-burning enzymes
    - Help the immune system
    "

    I will say: "Nope.. I already have that 'pill' it is called sensible eating and exercise"!
    Good luck everyone!
  • caradae
    caradae Posts: 743 Member
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    Thank you, queenbee and Turnaround. I started watching Food Matters after I read your essay, queen, and it's interesting so far. Kind of makes me want to start taking vitamins.

    That book sounds spot on, Turn. Low cal diets only sabatoge your metabolism and muscle tissue. It is known.
  • Turnaround2012
    Turnaround2012 Posts: 362 Member
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    @Caradae - Thanks! - Love the accountability!
  • GormanGhaste
    GormanGhaste Posts: 430 Member
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    Essay #1

    One Bowl: A Guide to Eating for Body and Spirit, by Don Gerrard

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/920367.One_Bowl

    I decided to pick a book about the mental game this time. One Bowl is a classic book about developing a healthy relationship with food that was written almost 40 years ago. A good portion of the book consists of exercises to work through and journal about. One of the main things he advocates is having most of our meals out of a small bowl, to help make our eating more mindful, spiritual, and sensual. The purpose behind all the techniques in the book is to pay attention while eating and learn to listen to your body, which will lead to you naturally choosing healthy foods and amounts.

    This book has really helped me learn to eat more mindfully. I obviously don’t follow his method 100%, but I do try to eat without distractions and pick foods that really call to me, preferring to eat a lot of simply prepared food and breaking my meals into courses. I even eat at least some of my food every day out of my favorite little bowl :) (In another thread I alluded to rituals that help keep me motivated to be healthy, and this is part of it!) Highly recommended.

    (I’ve noticed that the e-book is cheaper, and as the book is just text, there’s no reason to buy it in paper unless you just prefer paper books.)
  • Turnaround2012
    Turnaround2012 Posts: 362 Member
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    @Gorman_Chaste - This is a really good essay! If we are all taking a more "holistic" approach to our health. Then, eating mindfully and with deliberation is a great thing.
  • caradae
    caradae Posts: 743 Member
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    Gorman,

    I've tried eating intuitvely before, and I was amazed at how *delicious* everything tasted when I really stopped and focused on the act of eating. I will see if my library has that book. It sounds good!
  • GormanGhaste
    GormanGhaste Posts: 430 Member
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    Essay #2

    The Unapologetic Fat Girl’s Guide to Exercise, by Hanne Blank

    http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13573382-the-unapologetic-fat-girl-s-guide-to-exercise-and-other-incendiary-acts

    In her introduction, Blank says that exercise is important, not just because of its benefits to physical and mental health, but because it builds a true connection with our bodies, and being comfortable in our own skin is often a skill that overweight (and normal weight) people lack. There is a quiz in the beginning to help define personal activity goals and motivations. She suggests choosing goals based on fitness rather than weight or size. There is a chapter on dealing with negativity from other people (and ourselves!) Other sections discuss choosing activities, gyms (if desired), equipment, and clothes. The Resource Guide at the end of the book lists helpful retailers, websites and books. There is a special section for people that have difficulty getting up and down from the floor, including exercises to make it easier and a walk-through for having other people help.

    My overview does not do the book justice. This is a joyful and funny book. When I was skimming through it in the bookstore before I bought it, I kept disturbing the people around me with my laughter! It is great for motivation, but not as useful on specifics except for advice on gyms. I did enjoy the discussion on the types of functional fitness (stamina, strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination) and activities for each type. I found the little sections listing a wide range of possible goals and activities really motivating as well. I’m glad I read this book just because of its healthy balanced attitude toward exercise and body positivity, even though I don’t think it has much re-reading value for me.
  • caradae
    caradae Posts: 743 Member
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    Gorman, I love books about body positivity. That book sounds right up my alley, and I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the recommendation! :)

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