THE 2020 #NOEXCUSES NUTRITION CHALLENGE

The holiday season is over. No more cookies and holiday parties. It’s time to get back on track. No better way to do so then with a Nutrition Challenge! Rather than reinventing the wheel, we will be doing the #NoExcuses Challenge. Why? Because it WORKED for the majority of our members!

This specific challenge is about quality. No scales and no measuring cups, just quality foods, with a penalty for “treats”. It’s just 30 days to see if the pure quality approach works for you.

And you’re not doing it alone! You will have a partner (that you choose or we can help you find) for accountability. You’ll keep each other honest and healthy!

For those new to Daybreak (and as a reminder for you Daybreak vets), our nutrition challenges are never about crash diets, temporary habits nor unsustainable routines. It’s about educating and exposing you to different ways of eating so that you can choose the best nutritional structure that works into your and your family’s daily routine. In other words, it’s about balance. While we’ll be more structured during the challenge by throwing in some points, penalties and scoring to keep you motivated, we’re hopefully creating some habits that can last you long after the challenge is over.

DATES YOU NEED TO KNOW

Challenge Runs:
Start of Thu 1/2 through end-of-day Fri 1/31

DETAILS

What you can eat:

  • Vegetables — Most veggies (no legumes… see below), white potatoes, sweet potatoes
  • Proteins — Chicken, turkey, fish, grass-fed beef/steak, eggs, egg whites, buffalo, venison, etc.
  • Fats — Avocado, coconut, olive oil, coconut or avocado oil, nuts, seeds, butter (grass-fed only e.g. Kerry Gold, Kate’s, etc)
  • Fruits — Fresh fruit
What you can’t eat:
  • Alcohol
  • Sugar — honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, coconut crystals, artificial sweeteners of any kind (stevia, equal, etc.)
  • Fruits — Dried fruit or anything with fruit concentrates (e.g. jams and jellies, drinks, etc.)
  • Processed Foods — items you cannot make in your kitchen, items with ingredients you cannot find in your kitchen
  • Grains — corn, cereal grains, wheat, barley, oats, rye or rice
  • Dairy — milk, creamers, cheese, ice cream
  • Legumes — alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soybeans, peanuts, tamarind
  • Soy — soy milk, soy beans (edamame), soy sauce
  • Fats — Canola, safflower and hydrogenated oils, peanuts or peanut butter.

Exceptions: Pre/Post Workout (within an hour before or after WOD):

  • Fuel for Fire
  • Protein powder (whey, vegan or any other kind)
  • Free pass at the Holiday Party!

KEEPING SCORE

Points are based on quality of the food you eat. This is obviously an honor system. Only you know what you’re putting in your mouth. The goal is not to create a point system that is so pervasive or complicated that you’re spending more time calculating your points than you are eating. The goal is to give some constructs to the challenge and provide you a little extra motivation and accountability.

You and your teammate will begin each and every day of the challenge with 4 points. If you eat as prescribed you keep all 4 points. Eezy peezy. If you slip or need to work in a little balance, you will lose points as follows:

  • Bite or Sip = -1 point (per infraction). If you take a taste, a couple bites, a couple sips of something in the “not allowed” section (from above) you lose 1 point that day per infraction. For example, a sip of wine = a loss of 1 point.
  • Cup, Bowl or Plate = -2 points (per infraction). If you have a plate/bowl or glass of something “not allowed”, you lose 2 points per infraction. For example, a small slice of cake at a birthday party = a loss of 2 points.
  • Anything More = -4 points

Recording Your Score:

At the back of the gym we will write both team members names next to appropriate columns for the daily score. Each day, both members of your team will simply write their scores in the appropriate column.

Perfect score as a team is = 240 points over the course of the challenge!

What You Need To Do 

  1. Sign up with a partner — Sign up on the front desk with a parnter. If you don’t have a partner, we’ll pair you up with one.
  2. Get your measurements/photo taken — See a coach BEFORE class. No sweaty messes please!
  3. Begin logging your daily scores — Starting Thursday, Jan 2nd, log your scores to the back whiteboard!