New Year

New Year. New me. For real.

I have been lazy.

For most of 2017, actually.

There, I said it.

That wasn’t easy to say, and it is not an easy reality to accept. But it is truth. And, I lived through it. So what now? I do what I have been saying I will do. For most of my adult life.

This is my year. I am going to be 49 in March. FORTY NINE! I don’t feel it at all. Even with all this fat, and weight and crap going on in my body. By the way, all this crap is my own dang fault.

But 49.

Whoa.

I know the process. I can preach the process. I can encourage and teach. I can share and develop. I can be creative. But being lazy meant I wasn’t APPLYING. 2018 is the year of APPLYING. Applying my knowledge and skill to become the healthiest me there EVER was.

I have gotten fat. I hate it. I feel like crap.

I have a ton of excuses- you wanna see my list of them? These are all internal dialogs I have with me. Every day.

1.   Life happens.

Sure- life happens. We are all living. You would not be reading this if you were dead. But while life happens, so do choices. Bad choices. Many, many, way too many bad choices. They have piled up, right on to my belly (and ass, and thighs and flabby arms… everywhere)

2.   One (cookie, piece of cake, M&M, etc, etc) won’t hurt.

Oh, REEEEAAALLLY? It does because it leads to more. And more.

3.   I don’t feel like cooking.

Well, do you feel like feeling like crap? Come on, girl. Get your lazy butt in the kitchen and cook something good to eat. You won’t ever go to bed hating the fact that you ate healthy. Ever. I promise.

4.   It doesn’t matter….

Of course it matters. Pull up the big girl panties and fix this shit now! Every bite matters. Every meal matters. The water matters, the salads, the snacks, ALL THOSE VEGGIES matter. All of them. Every day. Every minute.

5.   It is just too hard right now.

If the Dr gave you a medicine to take to cure cancer or diabetes, or heart disease- would you take it as prescribed? Would you follow those orders? Of course you would. Food is medicine, as Haylie says. Follow these orders and do it. Be like Nike and just do it.

6.   I have already cheated today, so why bother?

Just because you tripped, are you going to lie there and not get up? Who does that? Of course you get up. Then you move forward. You are not perfect, I am not perfect. Why does this have to be about perfection, anyway? Why can’t this just be about doing the best we can? Are you beating yourself up over that C- you got on that English exam in 1987? No. Don’t beat yourself up now and move on. But move on in a positive way. With veggies. With healthy fats, fruits.

7.   But, it’s the HOLIDAYS!

Man, I have learned this lesson the hard way. Yes, it is Christmas time. Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Candies… chocolate everywhere. Everything is centered around food and traditions. Next year, I know better. I will bestronger and will just have to put my foot down. I do not want to feel like this again. Not when the upset stomach from too much sugar has me in the bathroom instead of with my family. When the lack of sleep because my body is rebelling against all the crap I ate, makes me tired and cranky and I cannot enjoy the festivities or go do extra things. Lesson learned.

What is your excuse? I have heard them all- I don’t have time, it is too expensive, I don’t like vegetables, I hate to cook, it is too much food… For me, those don’t resonate because I love to cook and have mastered the cost part. What other excuses are out there?

I was looking through my blog today at all the recipes and some I have not thought about in way too long. I cannot wait to start cooking those again. Soup tonight, chili tomorrow. My pizza casserole on Sunday and BBQ Pork on Monday. My list of veggies I need is written and I have smoothie ingredients for the week. I am ready. Let’s GO. Let’s APPLY.