This New Year's Eve is my 35th new year. I turn 35 next Christmas. In honor of that, I want to share my resolution! Last year I was determined to establish and maintain a healthy activity level with specific goals. I have done so with Taekwondo and am now thoroughly hooked on seeing it through as far as it will take me. I've gone from a white belt to a purple belt and I love attending classes. Goals are important to me. I have to start small and work my way up to the big stuff like losing weight. This year, I thought about saying, "I will lose 35 lbs before I am 35 next Christmas." Nah... This seemed like setting myself up for failure. I feel like setting a number of pounds on myself like that is way too high pressure. I decided instead to change 35 things about my lifestyle and eating habits - a little at a time and see where that gets me at the end of the year. I plan on tackling these things one at a time and ingraining in myself a real desire to be healthier. In addition to maintaining my current activity level, here is the list I'd like to accomplish before the next year is done:
- Limit my fast food intake to once a week. This is a challenge because we are constantly on the go. I think that if I can do more ahead of time preparation, this will be a little easier.
- Limit Dr. Pepper and/or caffeinated energy drinks to 3 cans a week. I'd like to cut them out completely, but I just don't see it happening. I will make coffee at home instead which is a lot cheaper and probably healthier too.
- Take my Vitamin supplements regularly. I wouldn't have to drinks so many of those coffee energy drinks with B vitamins if I were receiving enough B vitamins through the supplements already sitting in my cabinet.
- Eat fresh vegetables consistently and daily. I buy them. I put them in the fridge with the intention of preparing them and eating them, and they rot, because we go to fast food instead.
- Eat fresh fruit consistently and daily. (See 4)
- Limit my red meat consumption to 1 day per week.
- Eat beans at least once a week.
- Eat fish at least once a week.
- Cook at home at least 5 days per week.
- Decrease the number of Reese's Big Cups I eat. I will not set a number on this because I really don't want anyone to know (Except those down at Rick's Convenience Store) how many of these I currently eat.
- Eat only when I am truly hungry.
- Do not eat past full.
- Enjoy fatty sweet foods as special treats instead of occasional meals. (see number 10)
- Waste less food that I buy to stock my pantry and fridge.
- Find out how many calories I burn in a day on average.
- Worry less about how many calories and fat grams I take into my body and stop feeling guilty about it.
- Consume more healthy foods that will give me energy naturally.
- Find out which foods are high energy foods.
- Drink more pure water. (as opposed to things like vitamin waters)
- Keep a food and activity journal consistently.
- Grow more vegetables and have the garden be the bulk of my spring/summer food intake.
- Visit the farmer's market more often.
- Buy more local meat.
- Find out which foods I am currently eating that negatively affect my workouts and replace them with foods that will positively affect my workouts.
- Make meal menus.
- Use the crock pot more often.
- Eat less bread.
- Drink at least one glass of milk each day.
- Worry less often and relax more often.
- Stop allowing negative body image thoughts into my brain - even during PMS.
- Dress up and "look pretty" at least one day a week.
- Finish our school year by Mid spring so I can be outdoors more before it is super hot.
- Get outdoors more often - even when it is miserably hot/cold.
- Give my body a chance to detox from years of fast food and fatty food abuse.
- Widen my palette and try new foods.
