My New Years Resolution

It’s that time of year again – my vacation is over.  That is, my vacation from unhealthy living.  For the past few weeks, I don’t allow myself to worry about what I eat or drink.  Chocolate, candy, wine, lots of turkey, whatever, I eat it and I don’t care.  I allow myself this “break” because I typically take really good care of myself the rest of the year. Of course I have some daily exceptions during the course of the year, but never for a week or two at a time. It’s hard to eat healthy over the holidays. I mean, you have to make Christmas cookies, then you have to eat them, then you have to eat lots of turkey and other good foods, and lots of it. So for me, it’s okay to not to stress over eating chocolate, as I know it is for just a short period of time.  I mean, I guess I still ate well…..I just added plenty of sweets to my diet.

So now it’s January and I’ll soon be back to healthy me.  Starting January 4th I’ll begin my annual 13-day detox, where I cleanse my body of the toxins that have accumulated the past few weeks and months.  I’m doing an altered version of it this year, because I need the extra calories in order to have enough energy to keep on running.

You see, I’ve signed up to run another marathon, this one in May.  Thirteen months ago, in 2008 when I ran my last marathon, I qualified for the Boston Marathon and had thoughts of running it this coming April.  However, when the time came to register for it, I kept procrastinating and the day I went to sign up for it was the day it closed its registration.  The marathon never fills up until January and this year it filled up in November, weeks earlier than anticipated.  Well, it frustrated me enough that I had to find another marathon to do (and to try to re-qualify for Boston). 

So, I’ll be headed to Burlington, Vermont in May to run 26.2 miles in the hopes of qualifying for Boston again.   Prior to that, I’ll run a half marathon in February (in Birmingham, AL).  I love racing and for me, it just serves as extra motivation to get or stay in shape.

Thus my healthy living is beginning again.  And I’ll tell you what; it’s so much more fun living a healthy lifestyle than an unhealthy one.  I feel better, I have more energy, I sleep better, and everything is better in so many ways.  What about you? Are you living a healthier lifestyle?  Have you ever realized how much your diet and exercise plays a role in your energy levels?  Are you getting adjusted regularly?

It is so noticeable to me, so much so that I focus on healthy eating so I can be as energetic as possible.  My goal is to lose 7-10 pounds over the next five months, as I know I’ll run better at that weight, and my body can feel the extra weight, and it doesn’t like it.  And, the crazy part is that it is “only 7-10” pounds.  What if I had 20, 30 or 80 to lose?  If that is you, let’s talk about healthier living so you can feel better and simply be better. It will make a HUGE difference in your life, both now and in the future.

So, my New Years Resolution -- no more sweets (the detox will totally take care of that), increase my running mileage, qualify for Boston, and hopefully inspire my patients to really care about taking care of themselves and challenge themselves to doing something new this year.