FAQs

 

We are here to help! If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for below please contact info@fit24monthlychallenge.co.nz

About the Challenge

 

I have forgotten my password
To re-set your password, please click “forgot your password?” when you go to log in then follow the steps provided. Once you’ve logged in successfully you can change your password in “edit my profile”. 

How many people can I have in my team?
A minimum of 4 and a maximum of 7.

How can the competition be fair if there are teams with different numbers in them?
It isn't easy for workplaces to always have teams of exactly the same size. So to ensure that everyone can get involved, we have an averaging formula working away in the background. 

Are my results and quiz responses confidential?
All of the health and work satisfaction information collected by the fit24® Quiz is confidential. Your personal name and information will at no stage be provided to your employer or anyone else. Your progress with each of the three daily challenges (Steps, Sugar Free and Sleep) will however be visible to you and your team mates. Your team results will also be displayed on the leader board. 

How do the treat days work?
The fit24® challenge is for 24 days out of the month, that means you have 4-7 treat days (depending on the month) for each of your challenges! Use your treat days to help you strike a balance. How you use your treat days is up to you e.g. you can have a sugar day and still complete your sleep and move goals. Remember achieving 24 days for each challenge is achieving 100%. Don't feel guilty for having a treat day - it won't affect your final score and by looking forward to them and enjoying them, you're more likely to stick with the habits in the long term.

Can I get extra points if I don't use my treat days?
You can't but you can feel really chuffed with yourself for BEING A LEGEND. To earn extra bonus points, check out the competitions page.

Do I have to achieve all 3 goals to get my points for that day?
No. If you fail on one goal that does not write the whole day off. Your treat days are per goal. So for example, if you don't get 20mins of exercise in, you can still achieve your steps and sleep goals for that day.

What counts as breaking the rules?
fit24® is a competition and requires some honesty and fair play if everyone is to benefit. The following are not allowed:

• Falsifying your points
• Claiming that you got 7 hours sleep when you only got 6 1/2 hours OR checking your phone before you go to sleep within the 1 hour of no digital device time
• Having tomato sauce (>10g of sugar per 100g) with your dinner and counting it as a sugar free day
• Drinking a glass of wine and counting it as a sugar free day

Do I need a pedometer or Fitbit to measure my steps?
No, you are not required to measure your steps! We are simply asking you to honestly say if you achieve 20mins of movement each day.

Is there a fit24® App?
No, but you can access the site on your mobile phone. Use the fit24® mobile site to enter your points daily.
Simply type in www.fit24monthlychallenge.co.nz in your smartphone browser and you will be directed to the fit24® mobile site.

• iPhone: Save the fit24® site as a tile on your phone for quick access (follow the instructions on the screen when you first login). 
• Other smart phone: Save the fit24® site as a bookmark for quick access, click here to set it up

 

About Sugar

 

Why sugar free?
If you are trying to lose weight, the big game to win is the battle against sugar. Sugar is everywhere and the problem is, when we eat sugar, it causes insulin in the blood to rise, which tells our body to stop burning fat and to start storing it. In addition, sugar blocks the messages to the brain that tell it that we're full, so we keep eating.

Even if you're not trying to lose weight, kicking sugar in to touch will reduce the stress on your liver and reduce your risk of various cancers, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, kidney damage and even dementia. It will also help even out your energy levels throughout the day, resulting in less highs and lows and that awful 3pm slump. fit24® will challenge you to lose the sugar from your daily diet. It may not be easy to go Sugar Free, but it will get easier - the less sugar you eat, the less sugar you'll want to eat.

So what counts as sugar free? 
The sugar free component in the fit24 challenge focuses on reducing the amount of sugar consumed from the obvious sources such as cakes, lollies, chocolates etc... Keep an eye out on the nutrition label on pre-packaged products (e.g. yoghurt, muesli bars, cereals etc...) you will need to ensure they have less than 10g of sugar per 100g of product, so that means most fruit yoghurts, muesli bars and cereals are out!

Am I still allowed fruit, bread, rice and pasta?
Yes you are! The main focus for the focus of the challenge is to cut out all the obvious sources of sugar (e.g. cakes, lollies, ice-cream) and choose pre-packaged products that have less than 10g of sugar per 100g.

If I have an alcoholic drink, can it still count as a sugar free day?
No, you cannot have alcohol and still achieve your sugar free day. This will need to be counted as a treat day instead.

What's the issue with eating low-fat products?
Manufacturers of low-fat products (e.g. low-fat yoghurts and muesli bars) add extra sugar to make sure they still taste good, and it's the sugar that's the problem. Think about how farmers fatten their livestock? With sweet grass of course. Many of us will eat more of a low-fat product than we would of the full fat variety, which compounds the problem. Eating fat on the other hand is very satisfying and makes you feel full a lot quicker and for longer than eating sugar. Not only does fat taste good, we need it for proper vitamin absorption, metabolic functioning and hormone production. So don't be afraid of fat.

But isn't fat bad for my heart?
We've been brainwashed in to thinking that when we eat saturated fat, it goes straight into our bloodstream, instantly bonding to the inside of our arteries, eventually clogging them up completely. This is not the case. The link between saturated fat intake and coronary heart disease is a myth. It's OK and a good idea to eat plenty of good sources of fat (butter, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, etc), so long as your sugar intake is low.

What if I'm on regular medication?
Cutting out sugar from the diet is recommended for everyone. We do not anticipate any adverse effects of reducing sugar intake, but if you have any questions or concerns, you can always discuss the challenge with your doctor, pharmacist or dietitian.

I am struggling to lose the sugar... what can I do?
You're not alone...sugar is so addictive and seems to taste so good that giving it up can be really hard. It will get easier though and the more you avoid it, the less your body will need/want it. 
Over the next few days, try the following:

• Clear out all the sweet treats from your cupboards
• Every time you feel like something sweet, have a glass of water
• If evenings on the couch are your downfall, after dinner, go for a walk - this will help you achieve your STEPS target of MOVING for 20 minutes per day too
• Brush your teeth shortly after you've eaten dinner
• Plan what you're going to have on your treat day and really look forward to it
• Tell your family and friends about the challenge and ask for their help

 

About Steps

 

 
Does the 20 minutes activity have to be walking/running?
No. But a 20 minute walk fits nicely in to the standard office lunch break, without needing a shower afterwards and you'll still have 10 minutes left to have some lunch. Or get up 20 minutes earlier than normal and walk 10 minutes away from your house and 10 minutes back. 

Is 20 minutes a day enough?
Not on its own, no. A 20 minute walk, for example, equates to only 2000-2500 steps. Remember, the ultimate target is 10,000 steps and research shows that spreading these steps throughout the day, rather than doing them all in one go before work and then doing nothing for the rest of the day, is better for health and wellbeing. 

Do I need to wear a pedometer?
No but wearing a pedometer or other step counter is a great way to see how many steps you actually take and can be very motivational when trying to increase the amount you move.

 

About Sleep

 

 
How can I measure my sleep?
Just make a note of the time you go to bed and then make a note of the time again when you wake up. Then, work out if you had 7hrs of sleep. Alternatively, some smart watches and step counting devices have tools to help measure your sleep. 

Does it need to be 7 hours of continuous sleep?
Well... ideally yes. But for this challenge we will let you pass with 7 hours sleep in total during the 24 hour period.

Why do we have a goal, no digital devices to be used before bed?
Exposure to light plays an important part in the quality of our sleep. Our circadian rhythm, or “body clock”, is largely regulated by the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is usually produced as natural light diminishes (as the sun goes down) and production slows down as light increases (as the sun rises). This biological process regulates the normal sleep period but research shows that this process can be interrupted by artificial light. Specifically, blue spectrum light from screen devices such as smart phones, computers and iPads are registered by the part of the brain that regulates Melatonin production during the evening hours, interfering with our sleep patterns.

I have my phone as an alarm to wake me up, how will this work?
You should set your alarm at least 1 hour before you go to sleep and put it next to your bed to charge. You must not check it in the hour before going to sleep.

What if I watch TV or use a device outside the bedroom?
To achieve this goal you must not use any device within the hour before going to sleep inside or outside the bedroom.

Can I still use my Kindle?
No, not in this challenge. You will need to go back to an old fashioned paperback book.