New Year's Resolutions

I had given up making New Year's resolutions. Why bother? By the middle of January, I've given up and gone back to the "old me". Even when written down, the scrap of paper that I've scratched my ideas on gets conveniently lost. It seems so fruitless to write down convictions that I'm not going to bother thinking about until the next New Year's Eve when I say, "Oh yeah, I was going to..."

This year is different. I'm 37. YIKES! When did that happen? All of a sudden, I'm 37 and taking stock of where my life is. When did all of this weight show up? Was I sleeping and the weight monster (sister to the tooth fairy) decided to show up and gift me with this body? No, I'm not that delusional to not know where the weight came from. I am, however, tired of the way I look and feel. So I started to do some reading.

Did you know that sometimes chronic heart burn can be caused by large amounts of belly fat? Did you also know that if chronic heart burn isn't taken care of, it can permanently damage your esophagus possibly causing cancer and a whole other possibility of issues? Wow.

I guess this is my "bottom". (no pun intended) I don't want to have cancer of the esophagus. It's not a pretty thing and from what I hear VERY painful. The book I'm reading suggests low fat, low carb eating and making sure that you eat a TON of whole grains. "Get rid of the sugar, get rid of the belly fat."

So I purge the pantry and refrigerator. If after reading the ingredients label and finding that sugar or white flour are in the first five ingredients, to the food bank it goes. The next step is spending a frightening amount of money at the grocery store to get the "correct" staples now that the refrigerator and pantry are cleaned out.

This day also begins the daily regimen at the local gym. I have to be on the treadmill for one half hour every day and lift weights three times a week. I think that I am going to die. Seven days a week at the gym? Are you kidding me? But, we're making life style changes here so we're going to try it.

As it turns out, this life style change thing isn't so bad. There are some really great cookbooks out there with super tasty recipes. And the gym thing isn't nearly as bad as I first thought. My better half (who is responsible for the motivation in this relationship) agreed to join my gym and now he goes seven days a week with me. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is. Who wants to spend an hour or so every day smelling other people's sweat and listening to the incessant bass beat from the step aerobics class going on? I think he's in line for sainthood.

I'm sleeping better. I'm less crabby. I don't grind my teeth or snore as much (always a plus) and I am starting to feel better about me. I don't crave sugar as much as I used to. In fact, it doesn't even really taste like I thought it did before. But, holy buckets, do you get a head ache when you stop taking in so much processed sugar. I'm surprised that I'm still married!

For all the hard work, I am seeing results. In the first week I lost 2 1/2 inches from around my waist and 4 lbs. The second week I lost 1 inch and 1 pound. I feel crappy when I don't go to the gym. My body lets me know it. I don't sleep as well. My hubby says that I snore and grind my teeth.

They say that you have to do something for at least one month before it becomes a lifestyle change. I have two more weeks to go. I hope my husband doesn't kill me before then.