Heart

Ok, so where did these goals come from?   Let’s start with Heart, Physical, Health/Finances.  This is fairly obvious.  The most common New Year’s resolutions are: lose weight and make more money.  My reasons have a little more history.

Ten years ago I was bed ridden with Fibromyalgia.  The doctor wanted to prescribe a series of addictive narcotic pain killers that “may or may not help” and he told me that I would just need to change my activity level.  I couldn’t do anything aerobic again, no exercise, no sports, no skiing, etc. etc.  At 36 years old that wasn’t acceptable.  I got busy, I found herbal alternatives, I researched Fibro, and I started walking EVERY day.  I got back into shape.  Then I got pregnant with my little Oops blessing!!  My youngest son is now 7.

After having him at 39 years old, I had trouble with my “baby” weight.  Actually, I gained weight, month by month after having him and the Fibro got worse until I finally stepped on the scale and saw 179!!!  I was officially obese!  (The cut off from overweight to obese for my age & height is 178)  I also had two dear friends that were honest with me.  When I said I had 20 pounds I wanted to lose, they said, “20??? You need to lose at least 30!!!”  (I actually needed to lose 40)  Hence, the abandonment group was born.  We wanted to “abandon” the weight because if you “lose” something that implies that you want to “find” it back again.  (I've just gotten word from abandonment group ladies - they are "in" for the 30 pound club)

The group worked well.  We followed the BLI newsletters from Dr. Chet, which were the basis for the Trim Advantage program in our business http://www.daniels.mychoices.biz/ .  We supported each other through emails and we had specific goals.  Over the next nine months I abandoned 42 pounds.  (I hadn’t been below 140 for 20 years)  I started inline speed-skating with my son and felt like an athlete again.  I have to say I was buff!  Then I blew out a knee and had to give up skating (honestly, I don’t really miss it).  But that was the excuse.  Instead of intensely working out, I have just been maintaining.

So here it is six years later and I have crept back up to 160.  My exercise is sporadic, my eating has way too many treats and the Fibro has “good days and bad days”.   Now Dr. Chet came out with the 30 pound club!  Perfect!  That’s exactly what I need to lose, um, abandon.  That’s how I came up with the goal of 30 pounds. 

Daily disciplines:  I know that 30 minutes of exercise seems to be a magic number.  It is also VERY easy to put into my daily life.  I also know from experience that 30 minutes of exercise gives me at least 3 hours of additional energy a day.  In terms of eating, I have noticed that I have not been filling up on good stuff so I put bad stuff in my mouth.  If I eat more fruits or veggies, first of all, I get more antioxidants and vitamins in my body and secondly, I fill my tummy with good stuff.

That is the first part of Heart, tomorrow I will discuss finances.  

Until then I’m living on the eighth day, right now!