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Your Best Weigh Score Card
Your Best Weigh Program centers around your weekly Best Weigh Score Card. This simple tracking tool will tell you how well you are doing in therapeutic lifestyle change and in gaining control over your food choices. The higher your score, the healthier you will be and the more weight you will lose.
There are four main Components in the Best Weigh Program that help you lose weight and keep it off. Your Score Card keeps track of how you are doing in your Program day-to-day (columns) and how you are doing in each Component week-to-week (rows).
You can score points at every meal and throughout the day. How to score each of the different components is described below. A chart and an outline of the following information is included with your weekly Score Card.
In Best Weigh, we do not count calories. We do not use food exchange lists. Nor do we use dietary supplements. It is your simple daily choices that will determine your success, and your Score Card is designed to help you make the choices that are best for you.
You will use a new Score Card each week from Sunday to Saturday for 10 or more weeks. You can score up to 30 points per day, plus a bonus point. The higher and more consistent your daily points, the more weight you will lose.
You should record your points as you earn them throughout the day. This works as both a reminder and a motivator. It also ensures the most accurate information, so that you will know how to modify your weight loss plan each week as you continue through your Best Weigh Program.
We strongly recommend that you keep your Score Card with you at all times. Do not try to fill it out at the end of the week. Use it after every meal and check it thoroughly before you go to bed each night.
Tracking your daily choices helps you get the most out of your Program and helps you detect sooner, rather than later, if you are getting off track, and most importantly why.
You can score points at every meal and throughout the day. How to score each of the different components is described below. A chart and an outline of the following information is included with your weekly Score Card.
In Best Weigh, we do not count calories. We do not use food exchange lists. Nor do we use dietary supplements. It is your simple daily choices that will determine your success, and your Score Card is designed to help you make the choices that are best for you.
You will use a new Score Card each week from Sunday to Saturday for 10 or more weeks. You can score up to 30 points per day, plus a bonus point. The higher and more consistent your daily points, the more weight you will lose.
You should record your points as you earn them throughout the day. This works as both a reminder and a motivator. It also ensures the most accurate information, so that you will know how to modify your weight loss plan each week as you continue through your Best Weigh Program.
We strongly recommend that you keep your Score Card with you at all times. Do not try to fill it out at the end of the week. Use it after every meal and check it thoroughly before you go to bed each night.
Tracking your daily choices helps you get the most out of your Program and helps you detect sooner, rather than later, if you are getting off track, and most importantly why.
Best Weigh Scoring Summary
Points for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
After each meal, give yourself a point for each of the following criteria:
- Did I plan this meal at least 4 hours in advance? In other words, was the meal you just ate part of your daily meal plan? Or was this meal a last-minute decision that limited your healthy food choices?
- Did I eat more whole plant foods for this meal than I usually do (or did last week)? As long as you are making progress in the right direction, you earn a point for your healthier food choices.
- Did I eat less meat, dairy, and processed foods for this meal than I usually do (or did last week)? It’s easy to add a piece of fruit or a side of vegetables for most meals. However, foregoing, or at least reducing the amount of a favorite, but unhealthy food is often the bigger challenge.
- Did I eat enough, but did not eat too much? This may sound confusing, but it gets to the heart of gaining control over food choices where it ultimately counts – at the table. You want to eat “enough” to make it to the next meal without getting too hungry, but you also don’t want to eat more than you need. You can still enjoy your food by eating slower, taking smaller bites and chewing more thoroughly.
- You can earn up to 4 points per meal for each of your 3 daily meals for a total of 12 points per day.
Points for Exercise
After your last exercise session for the day, give yourself a point for each of the following criteria:
- How many total minutes of exercise (walking) did I do today? For each 15 minutes of walking, you earn a point – to maximum of 3 points for 45 minutes or more during that day. Your exercise time is cumulative, but 10 minutes is the minimum exercise session time for it to count towards your daily total. If you walk a full hour, you can use that extra 15 minutes to make up for less exercise the day before, or carry it over to tomorrow, in case you get too busy and don't get all your exercise time in that day.
- Did I exercise at a little higher intensity than last week? You want to gradually increase the pace of your exercise walks up to 3 miles per hour. That’s one-half mile in 10 minutes. If you can’t walk at that pace yet, you can still earn a point if you can walk a little faster week-to-week. As you lose weight and get into condition from your daily walks, you will soon be walking comfortably at 3 mph. That's good enough to earn your "intensity" point by simply maintaining an adequate effort.
- You can earn up to 4 points per day by walking “briskly” for 15 minutes after each meal (or any other time if you prefer).
Points for Sleep, Meals, Snacks
Throughout the day, give yourself a point for each of the following criteria:
- Did I get an adequate night’s sleep? This can be a bit subjective, but in general, this means between 6 hours (minimum) and 8 hours (maximum), and most importantly – wake fully rested for the new day. Getting enough sleep is the easiest way to help control your appetite throughout the day. Drinking a tall glass of cool water when you first get up is also a healthy and helpful habit to develop.
- Did I eat a nutritious breakfast? Your breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You do not want to skip it. You don’t want to eat a junk breakfast -- like coffee and doughnuts, or processed cereal, or pancakes or waffles with butter and syrup. You also don’t want to overdo it with a 3-egg cheese omlette plus sausage and hash browns and break the scales. You need to eat some whole grain cereal with berries or raisins, or toasted whole wheat bread with avocado, if you’re still hungry you can always add an apple, orange, banana, or melon. Make time for a relaxed breakfast and make it the biggest meal of your day by reducing the size of your lunch and dinner.
- Did I eat my meals at my regularly pre-scheduled mealtimes? Regularity of your meals is extremely helpful in controlling your appetite, but this often requires some extra planning. Giving yourself some flexibility will help you keep on track, while still gaining the health benefits. Schedule your meals at least 5 hours apart, but give yourself 1 hour before or after your scheduled mealtime to still earn your point.
- Did I fast (not snack) between my meals? This takes a little awareness and willpower, but you can rack up a point for not snacking between breakfast and lunch, another point for fasting between lunch and dinner, and another point for fasting between dinner and breakfast. Technically, only water between meals maintains the fast – you should even avoid the diet teas or sodas. But if you’ve been a major league snacker for a while and can’t go cold-turkey between meals just yet, a piece of fruit or a few cut raw veggies (instead of a sugary drink or chips) may be allowed. You are your own judge.
- You can earn up to 8 points per day and enjoy a happier and healthier lifestyle while you’re at it!
Points for Faith
Throughout the day, give yourself a point for each of the following criteria:
- Did I do my morning Bible Study? Learning how to accomplish a therapeutic lifestyle change by faith means learning how to obey God’s laws of health through the power of Christ. Most of our Participants know what they should do to lose weight, but can’t follow through until they develop a stronger spiritual connection with their personal Saviour who is willing and able to heal and restore. Your morning Bible Study should be more than 15 minutes and before breakfast for it to count, but any definite movement in that direction may earn you a point. Again, you be the judge.
- Did I keep in constant communion with Jesus throughout the day? A closer walk with Jesus through silent prayer allows us to be partakers of His divine nature with power to overcome every temptation. All thoughts for divine help in making the best choices for healthy weight loss count toward earning this point.
- Did I take a time-out today for a short devotional reading? Dealing with busy schedules and old habits in our unhealthy culture of instant (but false) self-gratification can be a dangerous endeavor. Breaking your routine with a short inspirational reading can be the healing distraction you need for a permanent cure. Each devotional should be about 5 minutes for it to count. You can earn up to 3 devotional points per day. (Sorry, no “carry overs” here.)
- Did I write a paragraph in My Best Weigh Journal? Taking a few moments in the evening to reflect on your day with its trials, mistakes, and little victories is important for building upon your experience. This also provides a private time to forgive those who may not understand your struggle or support your efforts, and to offer heart-felt praise and gratitude for the hope of success and the strength to continue.
- You can earn up to 6 points per day while spending quality time with the only true source of life, health, and holiness.
Bonus Points!
You are limited to a maximum of only 1 bonus point per day, but neglecting this one would be wasting your time in the Program and losing out on the best opportunity to learning from and encourage each other. So:
- Attend the weekly Support Group for your bonus point that day, and on the other days:
- Contact your OptiHealth Coach – This can be a simple “victory moment” text or an informative email to report how you’re doing, or a problem-solving exercise regarding an up-coming situation that’s making you a little anxious. Telling your Coach about things can help you formulate a mini “situation-specific” plan and committing to it. Then you can report how it went the next day to earn another point! Of course, if you’re in the middle of a crisis, you can always give your Coach a call and hear a sympathetic voice pleading with you, “Don’t do it!” Your Best Weigh Program centers around your Weekly Best Weigh Score Card. This simple tracking tool will tell you how well you are doing in therapeutic lifestyle change and in gaining control over your food choices. The higher your score, the healthier you will be and the more weight you will lose.
- You can earn 1 bonus point per day to earn 7 bonus points for the week.