Resolution 1: Live Healthier

Prior to getting pregnant, I had lost 32 lbs through the Weight Watchers program.  I want to be clear that I did this because I truly did not plan to become pregnant again.  January is a great time to begin a trek on the road to wellness.  Ah wellness - what exactly does that mean?  I believe that we all must define this for ourselves.  For me, it means balance.  The times that I have felt the most healthy were when I was actively taking control of what I ate and taking time to be active either by running with friends or doing yoga.  Add in regular acupuncture and occasional bodywork and I think that I'll get back on track.  And if one of the benefits of my tweeks is a lower number on the scale - who am I to complain?

This begs the question of where do I begin?  Instead of basing my success on a goal weight, I'd rather focus on modifying my behaviors.  For example, eating more healthy is rather ambiguous.  A more actionable goal is to eat smarter.  They say that breakfast should be the largest meal of the day and each subsequent meal gets smaller so that by the time you are at dinner - that should be your smallest meal because your activity has drastically cut off.  Since I am always more focused that my children get a good breakfast and have everything they need for their day, I sometimes forget to eat until I am so hungry I could eat shoe leather.  It seems fitting, then, that my first behavior modification will be valuing myself enough to sit down with my family and eat.  Actually, I need to go one step further and stop eating quickly on my feet.  If it is worth eating, I need to sit down, savor and enjoy the act of eating.  Of course, I want to spend more time planning healthy meals thus leaving less opportunity to buy inappropriate foods on impulse.

The next thing that I want to modify is my sleeping habit.  I am early to rise (5am) but not early to bed.  Research shows that people who are sleep deprived eat more than those who are well rested, not to mention that they are probably less cranky.  I want to try to get to bed no later than 9 consistently and then to be sleeping by 10 pm.  That should give me 7 hours of sleep per night which is at least 2 hours more than I get now.

Exercise.  To some that is a nasty little word but let's face it, it can be as much or as little as you can tolerate.  I want to start wearing my pedometer again and try to get to 10,000 steps on a more consistent basis as well as find time to take 1-2 yoga classes per week.  The latter will probably not happen until I feel more comfortable leaving my newborn.  I used to take yoga classes twice a week at the Plymouth Congregational Church.  The yoga instructors donated their time as a fundraiser for the Plymouth Nursery School.  They still do this each Tuesday morning at 9:15 am (childcare is available) and each Thursday evening at 7 pm.  Otherwise, there are many wonderful yoga studios where you can take classes.  I find that many people follow specific instructors.  I agree with this and I like Jane Henderson, Sean Sullivan, Jennifer Higgins, Dan Rudolph and Lindsay Gibson (owner of Majestic Yoga Studio).

Lastly, I never felt healthier than when I was getting regular acupuncture treatments.  For some, the idea of being a human pin cushion is unappealing but for me, I never felt better and I am going to make it a point to get back on a regular schedule with my acupuncturist Christina Noonan.  I also believe that bodywork/massage is another way to feel better.  For this, I highly recommend Steve Cunningham at Body Work Revolution.

Declare 2012 will be the year of YOU!

I love a new year.  The promise of a blank slate empowers me to begin writing my blueprint for achieving my goals.  Some people make a few resolutions, but me, my list is more of a manifesto for what I hope to learn, accomplish and improve in the coming year. 

The more that I have thought about 2012, the more a theme emerged.  I want MORE out of this year:  more for and from myself, more quality time with my friends and family, more time to serve my community and more personal satisfaction.  How am I going to achieve this?  I am going to map out success by writing down exactly what I hope to accomplish and how I am going to accomplish it. 

I realize that some may think that I am setting myself up for failure by biting off more than I can chew.  Seriously, isn't the reality that the resolutions we set hardly make it to January 2?  Be rest assured that I go into this process with the understanding that I may not achieve everything and I am totally ok with that (really I am).  It is the process of thinking about how I envision the year - that I can review and revise as I go along.

I'm happy to share my road map with anyone who is interested.  Perhaps some will want to embark on the journey with me - or gain insight into the mind of an extroverted Gemini.