The New Year Post

The way I see it, I'm not really nine days late. I can't really deal with any life-changing decisions like resolutions until we are home, my daughter is back at school, and I can resume the old routine that needs to be tweaked.

So yesterday was the first day of the rest of my life.

The last several years, I've only had two resolutions:

1. Take better care of my family
2. Take better care of myself

The first one usually focuses on things financial -- and I spent a good portion of the morning combing through the mountain of mail we received while we were gone, picking out the bills, and paying them. It's a little more complicated than just writing a check -- I had to download last month's bank statement so I could see exactly how much money came in and out of the checking account while we were away, reconcile it in Quicken and then pay the bills.

It's not a lot of fun. But I resolve to do a better job of staying on top of it this year.

I have also resolved to do a lot more cooking in 2007. This is something I used to enjoy a lot -- but that was before I gave birth to a picky eater and my weight ballooned to the point that the kitchen lost all its appeal to me. Megan's crazy gymnastics schedule was the final nail in the culinary coffin -- my husband HATES anything prepared in a crockpot, and there's little else I can do when I've been sitting at a gym with her until 8:00 and we're not home until 8:30 and I have to get something on the table quickly so she can get to bed by 9:00. So Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are pretty much a lost cause: last night, we had pasta and we'll probably continue to have take-out on the other nights.

But that still leaves me Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. So on those days, I'm going to search out healthy recipes and rediscover my inner chef. That's the plan.

Which brings me back to taking care of myself. A couple of years ago, I lost 20 pounds on the South Beach Diet and I found it very easy to live with. Until I went off the wagon over the holidays -- and never got back on. I tried - but I think that ship has sailed (I know - mixed metaphor - stay with me here).

Saturday, I went on Amazon and ordered their current top selling diet book:

You: On A Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management

I don't know if I'll like it. If not, I'll keep looking. But if I do, it will be a nice change from South Beach. Over the years, I've concluded that the weight control thing is something I will have to deal with for the rest of my life, but the good news is that there is more than one way to reach your goal -- and if something that used to work for you no longer does, it's OK to try something new.

There are other things I need to do for myself that I haven't made time to do in the last few years: exercise, doctor appointments, etc.

So those are my goals.

Happy New Year!

Comments

[Kris]

I've seen that book all over the place. I'm anxious to know what you think. I, too, now know that this is not a diet but a change in lifestyle that must last forever....

[Michele]

I'm right there with you on all that stuff - finances, diet, cooking healthier. You're one up on me with the traveling though.
Later today when I'm done working I want to come back here and read about your trip. That's one of my resolutions - besides sticking to my resolutions - to travel.

But about getting healthy...If you ever want to e-mail me, we could go for a walk or hike. Walking is something I need to do more. I feel so good afterward. It's just the getting up to do it that's the problem for me.