Ten in 2010 Challenge

Over on The Recipe Girl blog is a challenge to get fit (or fitter) in 10 weeks. After my friend Heather, (her food blog is a fav) told me about it, I signed on too. Like so many people I've made a New Years resolution to eat better, get more exercise and just live healthier and also like so many I find it's easier with a little encouragement from others. Some of the great things about the Ten in 2010 challenge is the flexibility to set your own goals, the choice to share your struggles and triumphs (or not) and the opportunity to network with other people who want to make a healthy difference in their lives.

In case you are interested and as a little reminder to myself here are my goals for the Ten in 2010 challenge.

1. Eat healthier
2. Expand my vegetarian cooking
3. Practice yoga 3-4 times a week
4. Stretch and lift arm weights daily
5. Give up alcohol for 6 weeks and then drink less throughout the year
6. Detox on a regular basis
7. Maintain a daily food and exercise diary
8. Take a regular array of vitamins
9. Drink more water
10. No late night eating

If you are wondering how I'm doing since I started on January 1, pretty darn good if I do say so.

1. I'm a healthy eater to begin with, being a vegetarian helps but I am cutting back on my weaknesses like chips and salsa, salty snacks and unbalanced meals. I've swapped eating out at Italian restaurants (the bread gets me every time) and instead chosen Japanese and Korean restaurants for sushi and banchan (Korean side dishes like kimchi and namul).
2. I've cooked 2-3 new recipes a week including a cauliflower soup, tortilla soup, a new spinach salad and various vegetable dishes.
3. I'm practicing Hatha and Yin yoga by following a 45 minutes routine by instructor Patti Asad and a group class in a friend's basement.
4. Stretching daily and lifting 5 lb arm weights has been a breeze. I spend 15-20 minutes a day doing this while watching tv in the evenings.
5. Ya this one is tough, especially socially. I've been to a party and dinners out and have declined all alcohol. I miss a glass of wine or a cold beer on the weekends but am enjoying trying new teas like roasted barley tea.
6. I'm planning my 1st detox of the year for the 4th weekend in January.
7. This has been easy, I use the Lose It app on my iTouch. This great app is easy to use and has a terrific library of searchable foods and exercises.
8. Daily I take a multi vitamin, fish oil and vitamin C
9. Drinking more water has been easy with the great variety of stainless steel bottles I have. Also adding lemon or sliced cucumber is delicious and helps get more than 6 glass a day down.
10. I don't touch anything except water after 8 pm. This has been easy so far because I don't crave things after dinner but I think it will get harder on the weekends especially if I'm not going out until later in the evening.

If you are interested in joining the Ten in 2010 challenge than visit The Recipe Girl's blog and sign up. Whether you do or not, I'm interested to know what your healthy New Years Resolutions are and how you're doing.

Must Read Book: 101 Things to Do Before You Diet

This new book came across my desk recently and I picked it up with interest after spying the cover picture of a cupcake wrapped in a corset topped with a high heel shoe. Since it looked like my sense of humor I checked it out and not surprisingly I couldn't put the book down. The complete title is 101 Things To Do Before You Diet: Because Looking Great Isn't Just About Losing Weight by author Mimi Spencer. Written by a woman for women, Mimi writes like other popular "diet books" like Skinny Bitch with a no excuse, losing weight isn't all about what you put in your mouth style.

The author's tips include dressing for your body type, cutting back on eating out with your "fat magnet" friends, maintaining your style, have more sex, how to eat (and drink) at a variety of social functions (cocktail party, picnic etc), different ways to get fit (walking the dog, taking the stairs, parking a block away from your destination) and how to navigate through the supermarket. What I really like is her writing style, direct, funny and logical. Here are a few examples of her replies to typical excuses, "I have a sweet tooth", author's response, "No, you are addicted to sugar." "I would rather be big and happy than on a diet and miserable," author's response, "I like the second clause of this sentence, but big and happy? More like fat and delusional. Don't diet, but do be honest with yourself."

This book is a great read that demystifies the theory that dieting is all about starving yourself. If you get a chance, give this book a browse, it's packed full of great tips and most have nothing to do with what your eating.

Fun Way to Stay Fit

Last evening I hosted a bellydancing party in my backyard. My friend Jenny who is a dance teacher and performer taught us a bit of background on the middle eastern style of dance and showed us some of the basic moves. It was a fantastic workout and a ton of fun. I'm sure my neighbors will be asking me for weeks what all the women were doing throwing scarves around, shaking their hips and laughing in my yard.
The dance style has become a popular form of fitness and there are classes offered through many park districts and dance schools. My library system has multiple books and DVD's on getting in shape by bellydancing and there are many websites devoted to the style.
For more information on Jenny's teachings, visit her site at:
http://www.namastedance.com/