Week 5 Bonuses/Tips/Recipes

Welcome to your fifth week of the challenge!

Every week, we'll send out bonuses, tips for success, and recipes to keep your meals "lean and green"! 

Quick Start Guide

Rules and Scoring

Print or review Rules / Weekly Scoring Sheet
GTS Total Health Challenge Rules (Details / Examples)
Print or review Week 5 Bonus Opportunities (see details below)
Don't forget to submit last week's scores! Submit your score here

Preparation and Shopping

Print or review the Nutrition Prep Guide & Shopping List Examples
GTS Total Health Challenge Prep Guide (Details / Examples)

Measurements

Weigh yourself 3x this week, first thing in morning (Suggested MWF).
Record highs and lows (myFitnessPal or a journal)
Encouraged: waist/thigh measurement and mirror selfie.

Plan

Spend time mapping out your week ahead of time...
What score would like to achieve?
Identify the days you might go off plan.
Plan out your training days. 
What kind of habits and rituals are you going to build into this week to achieve those numbers?

Socialize/Questions/Motivate

If you're not part of our GTS Facebook Team Training Page, please request access.  
Check out and share helpful tips, recipes, meal ideas, a few bonus opportunities and keep each other accountable. 

Training and nutrition text message : (424) 265-0487

Week 5 Bonus Opportunities

Printable PDF - Week 5 Scoring Bonus Guide and Scoring Sheet

You’ll notice that we kept all of the bonuses, except the journal topic under “Sleep/Recovery”, the same. We really want you to practice some of these habits and find what works for you!

Bonus Opportunity Details

Nutrition (1 point each / 3 points max)

Share to our GTS Facebook Team Training Page at least 1 of your “lean and green” meals, recipes, or meal prep ideas!*
* If you don't use or have access to Facebook, email your post to etraining@gametimestrength.com and we'll share it for you!
(1 point)

At least 5 days drinking only water, coffee, or tea with your meals.
(1 point)

At least 4 days of logging your food in a food journal or in MyFitnessPal.
(1 point)

At least 5 days of preparing all your meals home.**
** This can also be preparing 4 days worth of meals at home
(1 point)

At least 4 days of using your flexible calories on fruit, vegetables, and/or whole-grains.

At least 3 days of eating 0.8-1.0g of protein per lb of bodyweight
(1 point)

Training (1 point each / 2 points max)

Share to our GTS Facebook Team Training Page at least 1 picture or video of your training, get creative! *
* If you don't use or have access to Facebook, email your post to etraining@gametimestrength.com and we'll share it for you!
(1 point)

At least 2 days of intentional walking/hiking/biking/running outside for at least 40 minutes.
(1 point)

At least 3 of your training days are resistance training days and 1 extra session of low intensity cardio. .
(1 point)

Outside of your normal program, you complete at least 2 additional "mini body weight training sessions" that consists of... 
130 total walking/reverse lunges (65 per leg).
(1 point).

OR

 70 total push-ups/chair dips.
(1 point).

Sleep/Recovery (1 point each / 3 points max)

Share to our GTS Facebook Team Training Page at least 1 ritual, habit or routine you are working on for the week to improve your sleep, mindset, or de-stress!*
* If you don't use or have access to Facebook, email your post to etraining@gametimestrength.com and we'll share it for you!
( 1 point)

At least 4 days, first thing in the morning, spend 5-10 minutes writing something down you’re grateful for.
(1 point)

At least 4 days spend at least 10+ focused minutes attempting to meditate.
Think intentional silence, laying on the floor or in a chair, attempting to focus strictly on your breathing.
Helpful to practice counting the seconds of your inhale, hold, and exhale.  
Alternatively, use a meditation app like Calm to guide you.
(1 point)

At least 4 days spend at least 10+ focused minutes on a mobility/flexibility routine.
Work on mobilizing or getting some blood flow to an area you're currently tight or stiff in.
(1 point)

At least 4 days intentionally connect with a friend or family member that you don’t see everyday. 
Call, email, spend a little time re-connecting.
 (1 point)

At least 3 days of 20+ minutes of reading (not on a screen). Whether it's a book, newspaper, or magazine, take 20 minutes to learn something new, connect with the world in a different way, or connect with a different world entirely. 
 (1 point)

 NEW (Week 5 Only): Journal on the prompt: “What is my best quality? What can I work on?”
( 1 point)

Success Tips

Success Tip 1: think big. Thing you.

I won’t do a better job at addressing the topic of identity-based habits than James does himself, so I would highly encourage you all to read his article. Short read. Eye-opening content.

That said, there are a few points that he makes about habits that apply directly to what we’re trying to do in the Total Health Challenge, which I’ve outlined below.

Most of us entered the fitness game with a specific goal in mind.

Maybe we wanted to finally lose some weight.
Maybe we wanted to get big and strong.
Maybe we wanted to be better at our sport.
Maybe we just wanted to feel better, more capable, and more ready to handle everyday life.

Knowing your why is important at every step of the journey. It keeps you focused and helps you see the bigger picture.

Whatever your goals are, it’s important to think about what reaching them does for you in the short-term and in the long-term.

Say you lose 20 pounds — that’s awesome! But now what?

You like the way you look in the mirror, the way your clothes fit, and the way you feel, but are you a different person now? Does the weight stay off?

If you really believe in your ability to keep the weight off and make being healthier part of your daily life, you can bet that the changes you make will last.

Commit to more than just a goal, commit to your new identity.

You’re not just a person who lost 20 pounds or added 50 pounds to their squat. You are healthy. You are strong. You are fit. This is who you are now.

For change to really stick, you have to look bigger than numbers on the scale or on the barbell. You have to look at what your life looks like as a stronger, healthier, happier you.

A common mindset, one that I’m guilty of myself, is thinking: “Once I hit my target weight, I can just go back to cruise control.”
More often than not, cruise control gets us exactly where we don’t want to be. Do we want to be 20 pounds down for a month, or do we want to be 20 pounds down for life?

If the latter is our answer, we have to think bigger, more long-term.

A boat sailing off into the distance doesn’t fall of the face of the Earth once it reaches the horizon. It keeps sailing, and so should we when we imagine our lives after we reach our goals.

Success Tip 2: You are not broken

Warning signs are everywhere.

From the twinges of pain we get during or after training, to the comments we get from friends, colleagues, teammates, or certain healthcare professionals, there are signs everywhere telling us to stop being active.

Here are some common lines we’re fed on a daily basis, and short responses that can put us at ease.

“You shouldn’t lift heavy, you’re going to mess up your back/knees/ankles/shoulders/hips”
Um citation desperately needed. The most common injury in the weight room is dropping a weight on your foot. People do not spontaneously snap in half or combust under a barbell.

“I felt a pop in my back deadlifting. My knees click when I squat. Now I have lots of pain”
Popping and clicking are not reliable indicators of pain, dysfunction, or damage.

“This workout is going to WRECK you”
or
“I feel so WRECKED after yesterday’s workout”

If you’re sore, you probably did something new or you did more work than you’re used to doing. You are not “wrecked”. You will adapt!
Also, if you expect to be sore, chances are you will be. Your expectations actually play a big role in your experiences of pain, or even healing.

Outside of an extremely small subset of the population, being more active than you currently are is better for you, not worse.

What about “X” asymmetry or “Y” popping or “Z” abnormality on MRI? Don’t those explain my pain?
Disc herniations, leg length discrepancies, scoliosis, kyphosis, and other anatomical asymmetries are not slam dunks for pain. And get this, they’re normal in most of the population.

Yup. Most of us right now are walking around with some sort of abnormality on MRI, yet we don’t all have debilitating pain. Pain is super complicated, and contemporary pain science is steering us more and more away from structural issues as the cause of our pain.

The biggest takeaway is this: pain is complex, we are stronger and more adaptable than some would have us believe, and training is making us better, not worse.

Counter to conventional thinking, the more we embrace movement and exercise and the less afraid we are of our bodies, the less pain we’re likely to experience.

You are not broken. You are more than likely just adapting.

Recipe of the Week

shrimp and asparagus stirfry

This week’s recipe comes to us courtesy of Patty H, via the Team Facebook Page!

Seafood might be intimidating for some folks, but this recipe couldn’t be more simple.
Simply add your seasoned shrimp and asparagus to a lightly-oiled pan and cook for 3-4 minutes — that’s it!

You’re left with at least two meals worth of food, clocking in at 30g of protein and less than 300 calories each!

Lean

1lb thawed shrimp (raw)

Green

1lb asparagus spears (or veggie of your choosing)

Flavoring/Seasoning

Himalayan sea salt
Crushed red pepper
Ginger
Minced garlic
Lemon juice
Low sodium soy sauce (optional)
2 tsp of avocado oil

Tips on preparation

Thaw shrimp up 12 hours in advance, or flash thaw under cool running water for 7-8 minutes
Chop asparagus into small spears, picking out thicker pieces
Toss shrimp and asparagus in seasoning/marinade mix
Heat oil in pan until hot and add all ingredients
Cook for 3-4 minutes

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