New Year's Resolutions

Someone told me that January 5 is the most stressful day of the year.

So be REALLY REALLY impressed that I'm writing today. Because I don't feel it. I feel exhausted. I'm ready to hibernate from life for awhile. I've had about all the teaching/diaper changing/cooking and cleaning/moderating ridiculous arguments that I can take for 2011. That's right, I've reached the quota. Do you hear me MacGyver, Eldest, Secondborn, Not-so-toddler and Baby J? I've had ENOUGH.

Deep breath. Slow exhale.

I wrote in my journal last night before I fell asleep. I said "Why is it so easy for me to park myself in neutral and let life push me along?"

When things get stressful, I go limp. I just do what I have to do to survive and turn my brain off. I like to call it hypersensitivity, overstimulation, anything that makes me sound like a victim.

Truth is, it's just plain old laziness.

So I have one single resolution for 2011. I shall endeavor to do, act, feel, think, write, and any other verb that applies in any situation in which my normal response is to ride out the wave and do nothing. Even if it annoys me. Even if it exhausts me.

I've gotten off to a good start. In two days I have exercised for 3 hours. I have watched what I am eating even though detoxing from the holidays is no easy process. There is no doubt I've room to do better. But the point of this year shall be to do a little better than before.

What about you? Resolutions? Plans for the new year?

7 Day Fitness Challenge

I'm inspired. Maybe it's that blah feeling you get after holiday food. I didn't even eat that much and I still feel it. Maybe it's those family pictures that turned out really well but revealed more than I wanted to know about my present state. Maybe it's inspiring people like Amy M. who have been hopping on the treadmill late at night and are getting so skinny one barely recognizes them.

Anyway, I'm giving it a week. I'm going to exercise at least an hour a day for the next seven days. I'm going to do it after the kids go to bed. I'm going to fly in the face of all the excuses, however valid, and just do it.

Anyone with me?

Look at Me Writing My Novel

I was writing my novel. Until I realized I had no idea what a "drill press operator" at a train station in 1940 would have done and so I had to head online to do a yahoo search. And what catches my eye on the news but this.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101007/ap_on_re/us_rel_southern_baptists_yoga

I had a mixed reaction when I read this article. My first was probably a reverting to my childhood in Christian school where I continually heard about all the sins I was unknowingly offending God over that He was going to remember and hold against me. The second thought was more welcome. A God who would become like me and die for me and conquer death on top of it JUST SO he could be my Savior and friend - does not care if I wear yoga pants and breathe deeply. In fact, in those rare, quiet moments of meditation it's Jesus that comes to mind, so I'm pretty sure He's cool with it.

If you honestly can't do yoga without worshipping idols or chanting Buddha's name - well then maybe you should stay away from it. I've done yoga or yoga-inspired exercise before, and never once was I ever encouraged to renounce Christ and follow Satan.

Okay. I'm going back to writing my story now. Feel free to comment, whether your response is "He's right - we all must repent of our yoga-practicing!" or "Good grief, do you think you're overreacting to this a little bit, Blogger?" or "Amen, sister, preach it!"

I prefer the last one, just so you know.

I think there's going to be quite a few saints in glory looking down over this world after they've made their exit scratching their heads and marveling that Christianity has actually gone on fine without them. If Jesus doesn't return first, that is.

And no discussing what I meant by "looking down over this world" either.

Updates.

So I've looked some more into medicinal herbs and I'm thinking I'm going to plant a few in my garden next spring. I'm going to try Feverfew, St. John's Wort, Lavender, Peppermint, Chamomile, Sassafras, Yarrow, and maybe a few more. I got the idea in Yorktown, actually - they had a post-Revolutionary farm and in one of the gardens they were growing medicinal herbs all along the edges. I'm excited to try it.

I've discovered as well that the Shred makes my hip and sciatic nerve hurt. So far I'm just pushing through it. I'm hoping it won't get any worse, because my son grabbed the camera a few times on vacation and took some lovely full-body shots of me that made me want to cry.

At least it was the reminder I needed to make myself get better about actually taking time to eat breakfast and lunch rather than just grab snacks all day until the kids are in bed. I've been making sure I sleep 7-8 hours and drink enough water as well.

Am I the only woman out there that has such an uncooperative body the year after a baby comes? I think it has to do with nursing, at least for me. It's so frustrating to eat right and exercise and still look like I frequent buffets and sit on my duff all day.

But I digress. All I can do is try harder.

How is everyone else doing with their commitments to stay healthy? Time for a weigh-in! (Pardon my pun...) Hit the comment button and let us have it.

Taking it to the Next Level

I sit here at the table still sweaty from my workout with Jillian and my time on the elliptical. Loving the new shoes - they really help cushion my knees and ankles and treat my feet much better. If you are looking for an inexpensive pair of expensive shoes, you might look into New Balance.

I know I'm going to have to take my eating discipline to a different level if I'm going to see any major changes in this body. I am doing a good job of eating the right things, and a good balance of things. But I am going to have to make myself start doing better with eating at mealtimes instead of just grazing through the day, and I am going to have to stop eating sugar. It's easy to think that if something is natural or organic it's fine to eat, but sugar is still sugar and I am pretty sure that my body thinks it is allergic to sugar. I made some oatmeal raisin cookies with whole wheat white flour and steel-cut oats for a family reunion this past week. I popped a few during the cooking and by the next morning my face had broken out.

So that's my new way of looking at it. If you're allergic to something you avoid it, so I'm going to try hard to start avoiding sugar. I have other ways to sweeten things - Stevia is an all natural herb sweetener that works really well. Honey will sweeten anything. I know there are other things to try as well and I'm relieved, as I definitely have a sweet tooth.

So this week I do my best to cut out all regular sugar. The hardest thing to say goodbye to will be peanut butter.

Goals, anyone? Please post. I can't be the only one trying anything new!

Marking the Moment and Meandering

It's time to write. MacGyver is trying to give me pointers on what to write about today. I think I'll just stick to the schedule. If he wants to write something he can start his own blog.

MacGyver reminded me yesterday that it has been exactly a year since we took our son in for surgery. It surprised me. I think because that was a bit of a scary time, I have pushed it to the back of my mind only to be brought up if it is needed. It all turned out very well. But there was the space of about six days where we did not know whether or not our second born would have cancer. All we had to go on was the surgeon's words after the surgery was over was "Those lymph nodes are very suspicious."

I don't have a point with that. Just marking the moment, being very thankful that our son is healthy. Overall I'm in a bit of a meandering mood today, so if you're dizzy by the time I'm done I apologize. I have about five minutes before I have to return to my world brimming with laundry and little people so I just want to post how I've been doing health wise and get back to it.

Jillian Michaels has been shredding me regularly, (every other day) but she's starting to make my knees and ankles hurt. Actually, my shoes are starting to make my knees and ankles hurt. I suppose the $15 Walmart shoes aren't going to cut it. So I'm going to research and find a good pair of exercise/running shoes. Because eventually I will run. I will. I did have a pair, but something about having babies causes your feet to grow. Well, MY feet to grow, anyway. Before I was a mother, I wore a regular size 8. Nowadays I can't even squeeze on an 8 1/2. Anyway, I went for a walk today and weeded the garden instead of the Shred. Blisters on my hands and feet to prove it.

The eating after nine isn't going very well. I even changed it to ten (because I'm a night owl)and I still haven't been very good with it. I am getting pretty good at what I'm eating. AND the big news of this week is that I'm giving up ice cream.

Ice cream is fine, in small amounts. Especially all-natural, half the fat ice cream. But I really like ice cream. It's really hard to eat it in small amounts. So no more ice cream for me. Well, no more daily ice cream. I may still have some on a more monthly basis. Don't forget to ask me if I'm sticking to it.

How about you? Are you sticking to your goals? Everyone post (if you don't have a profile just choose "anonymous") and let us know what you're up to.

Back to life.