And while we're on the subject, it's ValentiNe's Day, not ValentiMe's Day. To quote Biff in Back to the Future II, "You sound like a damn fool when you say it that way!" But I digress...
The word resolution is ALL OVER social media and the internet this morning. People are taking the day to talk about what they would like to change this year from previous years and so often it involves cutting things out... sugar, booze, promiscuous sex, etc. Then by Valentine's Day, we are back to jumping into bed with the guy who brought us chocolate and candy and champagne (some literally, some figuratively.)
This is my 33rd New Year's Day and I haven't been able to get it right yet. This year, instead of the lame, "I resolve not to make resolutions," I have decided to make conscious choices to ADD things to my life, one day at a time. In our nation's love of consumerism, it only makes sense. We love to hoard, collect and just have as much as possible. Unfortunately in my case, this also means junk in my trunk. Maybe if I start with the mindset of having, I won't feel like I'm depriving myself of anything, including a chance at the future I want with the family I am ready to start.
I have read a couple of things that have really stuck with me the last few days and have helped bring about a paradigm shift...
- “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein
- "You can be cry and be miserable and feel inadequate while you are overweight and unhealthy or you can cry and be miserable and feel inadequate while you are doing something about it" (paraphrased... I can't find the original post where I saw it, so I made it my own)
So, in the spirit of the ever-expanding consumption of goods, here's what I shall attempt to add daily:
- Actually getting out of bed when my alarm goes off
- A cold glass of water first thing in the morning to shock my insides into waking up and starting to work so that metabolism can get fired up
- Phentermine with that cold glass of water for three months
- Breakfast
- Something physical, whether it is taking Roxy for a walk or going to the gym or doing laps in my office
- Healthy snacks so the drive thru doesn't taunt me with it's siren song
- Forgiveness when I press the sleep button, give into the song or skip breakfast and the resolve to start fresh the next morning
Call me crazy, most do. I have a friend who is such an incredible inspiration and has lost 100 pounds in just six months with no surgery and no gimmicks, just healthy nutrition and getting her heart rate up. She will be the first to tell you she still has some to go, but I have seen first hand how when you take things one day at a time and make better choices, your whole life can change while the important things stay the same.
I can't tell you how many times I've said this before. Shit, we all have. But since the stopwatch is starting over, it's a good measuring point. Maybe in six months, I'll be the one saying, "That was the day that changed my life" instead of, "Well, fuck me. If I had started when I said I would, I would be so much better off." I am so proud and jealous of Sandra and so mad at myself because we planned to start the journey at the same time and she started putting one foot in front of the other and is halfway done with the race and I'm still hanging out at the snack table next to the starting line.
So, stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment