For those new to this blog, this entry follows my progress as a member of the 2012 – 10 in 10 Challenge, where a group of 50 or more people  have committed themselves to losing 10 or more pounds in the first 10 weeks of 2012.

This blog report covers progress through week 1 of 10, January 9th through January 15th.

Today many of us started on our challenge to lose ten pounds in the next ten weeks as part of the 2012 10 in 10 Challenge. While this is an admirable achievement, even MORE benefits will come after that ten weeks has long passed. The habits and rituals which we need to adopt to be successful in the first ten weeks of the year will make us much, much, much healthier by the end of the year and hopefully far beyond that as well.

Healthy living should be a part of your life like brushing you teeth. Unfortunately healthy living is more like flossing, everyone knows that we should be doing it, we know the negative effects if we don’t, but unlike brushing our teeth, flossing hasn’t become a habit and therefore most people in the US simply don’t do it on a regular basis.

Here’s the good news, a series of studies have shown that by just getting off the couch of doom and making walking around, moving around, and exercising a part of your daily routine you will dramatically increase the years you will live as well as the quality of life in those years that you live.

Check out this great and entertaining video from Dr. Mike Evans that explains all of the scientific details:

That’s it. It’s that simple. Throughout the next ten weeks, many of you will be exploring a variety of behaviors that will help you lose weight in a healthy manner, and in the process you’ll probably also find a few that you thought would work but didn’t. This is the fun part, keep trying. Try a variety of things and use your network to seek out advice until you find what works for you. The thing to remember is that while you are trying all of these things out, keep moving. This alone will help make daily exercise a regular part of your daily routine and once its part of your routine, it’s really hard to strip it out.

Now that you spent yesterday clearing out your refrigerator and cupboards of the crap in it, it’s time to continue our preparation week for the 2012 10 in 10 Challenge by filling up some of the empty shelf space with healthy snacks and ingredients, the types of the foods that result in increased energy and a healthier feeling you. There are a thousand references available to help you understand what you should eat, why you should eat it and what it will do for you. If you do this right, you will maximize the amount of weight you lose as well as maximize your body’s performance. To simplify and summarize all of this for you, I’ll provide you with six key things to remember:

• Eat light and often
• Shift to a nutrient-dense plant-based diet
• Reduce the size of your portions
• Increase the number of small meals throughout the day
• Eat protein, PH balancing foods and low glycemic foods first
• Don’t ignore your cravings

We’ll cover each of these in more detail in the weeks to come. To start, your objective should be to put energy producing foods into your system by eating light and often. This should be your mantra for the next ten weeks and beyond – light and often. By starting this week, you’ll get your body prepared and you’ll initiate the behaviors necessary for you to accomplish this one simply goal. From a physiological standpoint, you want to keep your blood sugar and insulin levels as constant as possible, avoiding any wild swings by either starving yourself or binging. If dripping nutrients into your system through an IV was practical, I’d recommend that, but since it isn’t, set yourself up for success by having light healthy snacks readily available for you. Put them where you will need them. Don’t give yourself any excuse not to eat them, in short time, you’ll grab them willingly but for now reduce any barriers to adopting that which might be a new behavior for you.

In my experience, there are two types of eaters, those who prepare foods and those who don’t. Being a road warrior, I’m clearly in the latter category. If you’ve never been a food preparer, and you have the urge, go for it. If you find it relaxing, you’ll get an added benefit. But if it gets in the way or creates anxiety for you, realize that there’s probably a reason why you haven’t done it to this point so during this transition period, start by changing what you eat rather than how you prepare it. Regardless if you are a food preparer or a food purchaser, to help you along, our good friend, accomplished triathlete and holistic nutritionist Christine Lynch has prepared a list of foods and ingredients based on the type of eater you are:

List #1 For the Food Preparers – Key Ingredients for Your Shopping List

1. kale (or another leafy green veggie that you haven’t tried)
2. quinoa
3. acorn squash (or another root vegetable)
4. lentils
5. toasted sesame oil
6. salmon
7. coconut oil
8. tempeh
9. berries
10. coconut oil

List #2 for the Food Purchasers – Healthy Snack Ideas (first identify whether you are craving crunchy, sweet, salty, or creamy)

1. (crunchy) -  crunchy crudités of veggies and dip (hummus, tabouli, vinaigrette, favorite dressing)
2. (crunchy) -  light popcorn or plain popcorn: use coconut oil to pop in a covered pan
3. (sweet) - apples and almond butter
4. (sweet) -  fruit “ice cream”: peel a banana, freeze, blend in a food processor with nuts, berries or raisins and serve; can be put through the screen of a juicer for a creamier consistency.
5. (sweet) - organic dark chocolate chips or carob chips
6. (salty) - salted edamame
7. (salty) – olives, pickles
8. (salty) -  tabouli, hummus
9. (creamy) – mashed sweet potato
10. (creamy) – avocado

Snacks are usually between 100-150 calories max and you want to eat them approximately every three hours. Never let yourself go longer than four hours without eating.

Christine will be providing additional tips each week throughout the 10 in 10 Challenge to help with preparing great meals with the ingredients listed above, and if you want personal advice or help setting up your own nutritional plan, reach out to her directly. You can find her blog at www.holisticguru.blogspot.com.

Remember, that today is about filling your refrigerator and your spirit as you continue to prepare not only for the beginning of your 10 in 10 Challenge journey but for the rest of your healthy life. Don’t be afraid to try new things and have some fun with it. One thing you might also do is “Like” #i8this on facebook. It’s a fun place where people just like you post photos and comments about what new foods they are trying and their reactions to them. Essentially it’s a place that encourages you to “Play with your Food”.

Happy snacking!