Lean but Not Mean January Challenge

Cindy and the girls at Lean but not Mean have a January Challenge going on. If you join, here is what you do:

think of goals that you think you can do for a month.

and here is how you do it:

Create a new post with your goals. They can be whatever you want them to be.... small, huge, in between. They always say to make specific goals, but if something like 'being mindful' works for you, the do it. Honestly I think this is all about habits. So if you just want to pick one habit and work on it, that is great, too.

My history with challenges and resolutions is that (1) I never succeed in keeping them to the letter (2) I do better with them than I do without them : ). So here goes, I'm going to list mine.

1. Exercise. On their blog I confessed my abhorrence of exercise. I truly hate physical effort. I do like hiking very much but it takes a big piece out of my day that could be used for playing Geo Challenge or messing around with curriculum. So that is what I am dealing with. I'm going to try to put extra exercise in my day ("sneaky exercise") and I'm going to go for a walk or go on the exercise bike at least once or twice a week. There, that's modest enough, I think.

2. Healthy Eating. Well, I'm just about psychologically ready to stop eating holiday food and go back to normal. I just need a boost. ... Cindy has a 1400 calorie diet. I kept a food journal for a while and I feel at my best when I am at about 1500-1600 calories. I don't keep careful track, but I do have a general sense. So that's the goal. I also feel physically better when I limit carbs and almost completely cut the simple carbs. A side benefit is that when I'm limiting the carbs I have more appetite for fruits and vegetables. I have found that out by experience. So that's the eating goal.

3. Hydration Goal. Go for tea sometimes instead of coffee. I usually actually do OK on drinking water.

4. Do A Bit Extra Sometimes. This is a category to loosely fit all the other things I'd like to try sometimes but that would just drag down my goal list if I put them in as everyday things. So try some healthy things like weight-lifting, extra stretching, going somewhere different, playing with the little ones, doing a vigorous job like shoveling the deck, making a new healthy dish, buying a new type of vegetable at the store -- that kind of thing.

5. Daily LIfe Be better about my vitamins, fish oil and teeth brushing. I always rush through these at the end of the day if I do them at all.

I'll let you know how it works! Thank you Cindy, Leonie and Rachel who answered my question about exercise so sympathetically : ).