On New Years Resolutions

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2009 is going to be amazing. I have a good feeling about it.

What is it about new years that makes us all giddy and happy? A clean slate so to speak? A brand new start? Out with the old and in the with new? I don't know exactly... but I like it!

Like the rest of the country, I have decided to take better care of myself. I've gotten pretty good about balancing me time vs. people time. I'm okay with doing enough new things mixed with familiar things. I'm balanced in a lot of areas - now it's time to deal with my body.

I did weight watchers years ago with my best friend. We both lost tons of weight, mostly through eating right. But through college and especially through this last year or so, I've given up on a lot of those healthy eating practices. Not reaching for the lower calorie choice, eating later and in larger quantities, less fruit (I've never been good about vegetables...), and so on. I wasn't stressed about the weight gain though because ultimately I love my body no matter its state and I never want to compete with the ridiculous classical beauty image.

Mom and I joke and say, "And we wonder why we are fat!!" as we munch on spritz cookies or eat another bit of brie on a cracker. Last time, I countered with, "I don't wonder! I know exactly why. I love food!" So this is not about loosing weight, per se. This is about taking better care of my body. Feeding it good things. Not things packed with fake sugars or diet drinks or overly processed things (which was easy the first time around - now I hate the taste of sugar-free anything). Things to help it run more efficiently (and longer). I'm tired of feeling tired so much of the time. I'm ready to have energy - and I'm going to need it this summer and next year... and into my ministry.

So my new years resolution is not to loose x number of pounds or x inches from my waistline - it's to take better care of me. Hopefully I can get it more active as well, though my inclination in this cold weather is to stay indoors and curl up on my bed with a book. Anyway, it is better to change one thing at a time. I'll start feeding myself better and hopefully will then have the energy and motivation to start exercising regularly.

I'm excited - I am. I'm munching on some apples and pb now with a side of graham crackers (hey, I have to use up whats in the pantry). For lunch, I had a delicious spinach tortilla with turkey, hummus (Thanks Niveen!), tomato, lettuce, avacado, and even some carrot thinly sliced. This idea is thanks to my fabulous sibling who made me a similar snack one night at his place. This morning was a Palestinian breakfast. Niveen made cornbread and we had humus of course. Then bread with zata on it. Then there were tomatoes around the humus as well. Delicious with hot mint tea! I also had a cereal bar sometime this afternoon before I went to the grocery store because I was starving. But hey, I'm working on it!!!

Keep me in check people. HEALTHY is the goal. Skinny is merely a side effect (and one that I am, of course, hoping for).