My TLC Score Card
Your TLC Program centers around your weekly TLC Score Card. This simple tracking tool will tell you how well you are doing day-by-day and in the different components of your Therapeutic Lifestyle Change. The higher your score, the healthier your lifestyle is, and the more progress you are making towards your optimal health!
There are four main Components in the OptiHealth TLC Program that help you develop a healthier lifestyle. 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. You can download and print the Chart and an Outline of our TLC Scoring System for your reference.
In the OptiHealth TLC Program, 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 right 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 progress you will make towards your health goals.
You should record your points as you earn them throughout the day. This works as both a reminder and a motivator. It also ensures accurate information, so that you will know how to modify your TLC Plan each week as you continue through your 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 where and to what degree.
You can score points at every meal and throughout the day. How to score each of the different components is described below. You can download and print the Chart and an Outline of our TLC Scoring System for your reference.
In the OptiHealth TLC Program, 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 right 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 progress you will make towards your health goals.
You should record your points as you earn them throughout the day. This works as both a reminder and a motivator. It also ensures accurate information, so that you will know how to modify your TLC Plan each week as you continue through your 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 where and to what degree.
TLC Scoring Chart
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 your food choices and eating pattern 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 too much -- 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 (or only) exercise session for the day, give yourself a point for each of the following criteria:
- How many total minutes of exercise did I do today? For each 15 minutes, you earn a point – to a 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 exercise a full hour, you can use that extra 15 minutes to make up for less exercise the day before, or to 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 I exercised last week? You want to gradually increase the intensity of your exercise, which simply means doing more exercises in the same amount of time.
- Example 1: If your fitness assessment clocked you at 2.0 mph (1/3 of a mile in 10 minutes), you want to gradually increase that to 3.0 mph (1/2 of a mile for 10 minutes).
- Example 2: If you do 30 squats x 2, 20 leg-raises x 2, 10 counter push-ups x 2, and 15 arm-curls x 2 in 10 minutes this week, you will need to do a couple extra reps for each set in the same amount of time to earn your daily 'intensity" points next week.
- Example 3: If you can "push" yourself to exercise at Level 6 according to your Perceived Rate of Exertion (PRE), you automatically earn the intensity point, because your PRE correlates with your level of fitness. As you get more fit, you will naturally have to increase your exercise intensity to reach the same level of PRE. An intensity of 6 when you are less fit involves much less exercise than the exercise you will need to do to maintain an intensity of 6 when you are more fit.
- You can earn up to 4 points per day by walking “briskly” (RPE = 6+) for 15 minutes 3 times per day, such as after each meal, or continuous any time, or for any duration (10+ minutes per exercise session) as you may prefer.
- Given our busy and not so regular weekly schedules, you may need to adjust your exercise to be more or less on different days. In these cases, you can "carry over" 1 point (15 minutes of exercise) to the next or previous day if/when you are not able to get your regular exercise time in on that other day.
- Example: If you can exercise 60 minutes on Sunday, you can exercise for only 30 minutes on Monday, but still get maximum credit for exercising "45 minutes per pay." And then if you could only exercise for 15 minutes on Wednesday due to time constraints, you can exercise 60 minutes on Thursday and credit yourself the extra 15 minutes (>45) for Wednesday's deficiency.
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 crackers, chips, or sweets) may be allowed. You be 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 (grace) of Christ. Most of our Participants know what the healthy choice is, but struggle to make that healthy choice consistently. Developing a stronger spiritual connection with Christ as their Lord and Saviour makes the healthy choice obvious and much easier. Doing your morning Bible Study is the best way to start your day for making healthy choices consistently throughout the day. Your morning Bible Study should be 15+ minutes and before breakfast for it to count, but any definite improvement in developing that habit that may earn you the point, or may be a half-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 healthier choices may count towards earning this point.
- Did I take a time-out today for a short devotional reading? Dealing with daily stressors while attempting to overcome our old unhealthy (sinful) habits in a culture of instant self-gratification is a difficult, but noble endeavor. Breaking your routine with a short inspirational reading can be the healing distraction you need for a permanent cure. Each devotional reading 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 TLC Journal? Taking a few moments in the evening to reflect on your day with its trials, mistakes, and victories is important to grow in grace through your experience. Journaling also provides a private time to repent (acknowledge and commit to turn away) from your unhealthy choices that you made that same day, and to forgive those who may not understand your struggle or support your efforts, or even tempted you to continue in your former ways. Offering up your heart-felt praise and gratitude to God for the hope of greater success and the strength to continue is also powerful to effect your transformation and can even make the process enjoyable.
- 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 learn from and encourage each other.
Your TLC Program centers around your Weekly TLC Score Card. This simple tracking tool will tell you how well you are doing day-by-day, and how you are doing in each of the different components week-to-week. The higher your score, the healthier your lifestyle is, and the more progress you are making towards your optimal health!
- Attend the weekly Support Group for your bonus point on that day.
- Contact your OptiHealth Coach – Any time, Any how (email, text, call). Earning your daily Bonus Point on the other 6 days of the week can be as simple as a “victory moment” text or a more detailed email to report how you are doing. Communicating with your Coach about things can help you formulate a mini “situation-specific” plan and committing to it. The next day you can report by text or email about how your plan worked (or didn't) to earn another point! If you’re in the middle of a crisis, you may call your Coach to consider your options more objectively.
- You can earn 1 bonus point per day to earn 7 bonus points for the week.
Your TLC Program centers around your Weekly TLC Score Card. This simple tracking tool will tell you how well you are doing day-by-day, and how you are doing in each of the different components week-to-week. The higher your score, the healthier your lifestyle is, and the more progress you are making towards your optimal health!
If you have any questions about Scoring your TLC Program, ask your personal OptiHealth Coach for further explaination.