Everyone is blogging, posting, writing about it. Even NPR has a feature story about it. All the talk shows are a buzz with advice regarding improving your health, losing weight, etc. Lots of sermons, lots of cheery words of encouragement, lots of religious banter, and lots of "you should do this, you should do that, God can fix everything, la la la." So here goes - get ready - my new year's resolution for 2011 was to live healthier.
I kept my STINKIN 2011 NEW YEARS RESOLUTION - OH BABY, YES I DID! Did God help me? Surely, but by making ME do the work. No amount of prayer can accomplish healthy life choices - I'm just sayin. Maybe asking God for the strength to carry on helps, but if you keep laying on the sofa or in bed, and you keep popping bon-bons, that prayer ain't gonna make a difference. Come on - you know God helps those that help themselves (and others).
I quit smoking in 2010, made it 1 year with no cigarettes on July 1, 2011, and turned 50. Now granted - the biggest issue I've had since I quit smoking is I can't sleep now - through all my life issues I've typically been able to sleep but now I cannot get to sleep or stay asleep - bad, bad lingering side effect of Chantix - working on that one. I'm sure I shared with some of you my technicolor dreams of grandeur, that Ellen & Oprah are a couple living on the Soque fishing with Tom Wilbanks & Ted Turner, living in a cabin with shag carpet on the walls, and other similar dreams. NOT liking the CPAP machine, NOT liking medicines, NOT liking not sleeping. Trying to figure this out is very complex and reform is hard!
My new year's resolution for 2011 was to become healthier - in MANY areas of my life - physically, emotionally, spiritually. I did it! Did I fall down - oh yeah! Did I cheat & eat A TON of Caramel Coast & Pumpkin Pie ice cream? UM YEAH I DID. But - I ran/walked 3 5Ks and one 10K, and made running a part of my life. I signed up for a 1/2 marathon in April 2012 and am running another 10K on 1/21/2012.
My cholesterol was close to 290 December 2010 - it is now around 180 - white blood cell count, almost normal!
NOW I still have some issues with food, I ain't gonna lie. And I still wanna make ALL the same excuses I've always made to not exercise - too cold, too hot, baby toe hurts, nose running, zit on nose, arthritis in my toes & fingers, ganglion cysts between my toes, high white blood cell count, fat that requires it's own "sports bra" mid-waist to control the jiggling around while running, and a host of other health issues that I don't care to divulge.
But overall - I've eaten healthier in 2011 - on purpose! I've gone from 235 pounds on July 1, 2010, to between 181-190 pounds (yep - it fluctuates THAT much on me). By ANY stretch of the imagination I've accomplished something amazing - but I feel there is so much more to do in this "arena." And shedding my protective FAT is very painful - because no matter the "physical" pains involved in living healthy - let's face it - the emotional part of "facing the fat" is the hardest part. Oh I like my blanket of chubbiness that protects me from exploring relationships - just give me a 1/2 gallon of ice cream & baby I'll help YOU solve all your problems! JUST leave ME alone, got it? No seriously - facing all your demons related to health (physical, mental, spiritual) is exhausting and liberating. And Burton, sweet baby Burton, is going away to college. Oh my.
So my whole point, from which I obviously digressed, is that I am making the SAME New Years Resolution for 2012 - to live healthier. To get off the couch, out of the bed, and RUN. Go to the gym, pay the trainer, and conquer this physical body. It only takes changing ONE thing, really.
God gave me a brain, a spirit, a spunk, and I am going to use these gifts to be all that I can be. My heart is and has always been an open book - anyone that knows me, knows THAT! I've always put others before self - still do & if not careful, at my own expense. Call it selfish, call it what you will, but God has led me directly to this point - self-care! I couldn't face it until now - love of self - and I struggle with it every moment of every day - but I will succeed, I will, I will!!
Happy, HAPPY, New Year to all my family & friends - I love you all so very much! Bless each of you for being a part of my life, blessing me with your time & talents, and most of all sharing your hopes and dreams with me. And just to give you hope - here are 2 pictures - one at 220 pounds, one at 186 pounds. Let's LIVE!
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| 220 pounds |
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| 186 pounds |
