I’m writing my plan to eat healthier and exercise. I know that a plan and a set start date will enhance my chances for success. But I’m struggling a bit with all this and even feeling a built guilty. While I’m focused on the healthy lifestyle changes I want to make come January, I’m also in holiday mode, eating ALL of the celebratory foods. Onion dip and chips, my mom’s deviled eggs, port-wine cheese balls and the cranberry-orange biscotti dropped off by a friend. So while I’m contemplating the frequency that I plan to eat fish in January, I’m filling up on junk. I could start my healthier goals now. Right?
I am doing better at some things. I plan our weekly meals ahead, now, and buy all the groceries at one time. After a frantic day, I have the ingredients to cook up something quickly, instead of being tempted toward take out. But I’m not ready to make the other changes yet. I don’t want to add exercise to my day during a time when I have Christmas decorations to put away, bowl games to watch and , end-of-the-year deadlines to meet. But I’m getting closer. I want to feel stronger and have more energy. I want to be healthier. So, come Wednesday, no more excuses. Instead of talking about it, I’ll start making the changes. And you know what? I'll be ready.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Getting ready to dance
Friday, December 21, 2001
I ate three mini-chocolate bars, the kind that are about as long as your thumb and come wrapped in festive foil, yesterday, and couldn’t help but think about the way my life will change in January.
I will be among the 100 million Americans who will make at least one resolution this year – and the first one is to eat healthier. No more baby chocolate bars. I will eat more fruits and vegetables. I plan to add exercise to my daily routine and manage my stress more positively, a la meditation.
Yet, according to research, more than 60 percent of us never keep our resolutions. I know the statistics, because I interviewed the experts, read the studies and wrote an article about the challenges of change for Arthritis Today.
But, I also learned that it’s possible to make lasting change with a plan in place. So I’m working on the plan now and identifying the things I need to do to reach my goal of living a healthier life.
I need to do this, not only to manage the juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis I’ve lived with for nearly four decades but to manage my life. I’m 39. A writer who spends much of her time planted in a chair. I’m also a wife and mother of a 18-month-old girl and I want to keep up. I want to crawl on the floor, dance with her in my arms. Right now, I’m tired before the end of “Dancing Queen.”
I know that improving my fitness level will also improve my physical strength and agility – it has before. Yes, I’ve tried this before. But I always took on too much, vowing to lose 30 pounds, and exercising every day for a year, instead of making a commitment to smaller, achievable benchmarks. So, I’ll focus on eating a fruit and vegetable at every meal and exercising 20-minutes a day for the first month. I’ll build from there. I can do this.
I ate three mini-chocolate bars, the kind that are about as long as your thumb and come wrapped in festive foil, yesterday, and couldn’t help but think about the way my life will change in January.
I will be among the 100 million Americans who will make at least one resolution this year – and the first one is to eat healthier. No more baby chocolate bars. I will eat more fruits and vegetables. I plan to add exercise to my daily routine and manage my stress more positively, a la meditation.
Yet, according to research, more than 60 percent of us never keep our resolutions. I know the statistics, because I interviewed the experts, read the studies and wrote an article about the challenges of change for Arthritis Today.
But, I also learned that it’s possible to make lasting change with a plan in place. So I’m working on the plan now and identifying the things I need to do to reach my goal of living a healthier life.
I need to do this, not only to manage the juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis I’ve lived with for nearly four decades but to manage my life. I’m 39. A writer who spends much of her time planted in a chair. I’m also a wife and mother of a 18-month-old girl and I want to keep up. I want to crawl on the floor, dance with her in my arms. Right now, I’m tired before the end of “Dancing Queen.”
I know that improving my fitness level will also improve my physical strength and agility – it has before. Yes, I’ve tried this before. But I always took on too much, vowing to lose 30 pounds, and exercising every day for a year, instead of making a commitment to smaller, achievable benchmarks. So, I’ll focus on eating a fruit and vegetable at every meal and exercising 20-minutes a day for the first month. I’ll build from there. I can do this.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Preparing for the New Year
As the New Year approaches, I'm quickly realizing that my goals are becoming more important. After Thanksgiving, I’ve noticed I’ve packed on a few more pounds, which I’ve felt in my right heel and knee, a couple of the joints affected by my psoriatic arthritis. I'm hoping to help reduce some of those holiday pounds by changing my lifestyle to one that is more active. Since Indianapolis has been hit hard by winter weather lately, I've found it difficult to get outside and walk with and without Rio, our Papillion pup.
Achieving change has been tough, but I’m trying. I used our elliptical machine once last week. I keep it on the lowest level and use it for a short time, about 10 minutes. My hope is to continue using it as the weather stays cold and nasty. As long as I start out easy and keep the sessions brief (at least initially), I think I'll be OK. I like our elliptical much better than treadmills because of the low-impact it has on my hip and knees. Maybe I'll try this simple workout twice a week.
While I'm waiting for the weather to get warmer and nicer for my wife and I to start camping again, a new goal of mine is to keep a watchful eye on everything I eat this holiday season. I remember the days when my grandparents kept snack foods out all the time when visiting for the holidays. When I bring paperwork home from the middle school where I’m a special education teacher, I often feel the need to snack. I want to keep this urge under control, and I think my wife will be quite supportive in achieving this goal. Until my next post, here's to healthy eating and more exercising in 2008.Enduring monumental change...
My name is Bree and I am 31 years old and living with rheumatoid arthritis. I’m a recruiter for a large financial institution and love what I do! Since I truly enjoy my job, I tend to have a very strong work ethic that does not promote a healthy work/life balance. So, the one significant change I’ve committed to achieving is to find a more comfortable and healthier balance between work and personal life. I want to allow more time to enjoy other things, such as spending time with family and friends, and make more time for working out.
Change means different things to different people. Some people embrace it and others fear it. I used to truly fear change. I liked to know when and how things were going to happen and enjoyed routine. As the years have passed, I realized that change results in development, in which we learn and grow from each occurrence!
The biggest change in my life thus far is when I received the news of my diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. I was only 24 years old and could not understand how it could happen to me. I already had my whole life planned out and this disease did not factor into that equation. After some adjustment and realization, I decided from that point forward, I would not allow the disease to get the best of me. Maintaining that attitude throughout this greatest change has resulted in many positive outcomes – namely strength, adversity and knowledge.
In addition to coping with the disease daily, I’ve recently experienced enormous (and exciting) life changes: I got engaged, moved across country and bought my first home – all in the past month (talk about change)! It’s an exhilarating time for me and I look forward to sharing my seat on the rollercoaster of life with you through this blog!
Check back for more exciting updates on the changes occurring in my life!
Change means different things to different people. Some people embrace it and others fear it. I used to truly fear change. I liked to know when and how things were going to happen and enjoyed routine. As the years have passed, I realized that change results in development, in which we learn and grow from each occurrence!
The biggest change in my life thus far is when I received the news of my diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. I was only 24 years old and could not understand how it could happen to me. I already had my whole life planned out and this disease did not factor into that equation. After some adjustment and realization, I decided from that point forward, I would not allow the disease to get the best of me. Maintaining that attitude throughout this greatest change has resulted in many positive outcomes – namely strength, adversity and knowledge.
In addition to coping with the disease daily, I’ve recently experienced enormous (and exciting) life changes: I got engaged, moved across country and bought my first home – all in the past month (talk about change)! It’s an exhilarating time for me and I look forward to sharing my seat on the rollercoaster of life with you through this blog!
Check back for more exciting updates on the changes occurring in my life!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Welcome to "Achieving Change"
Welcome to "Achieving Change," Arthritis Today magazine's blog about three people with arthritis who are destined to change in order to better control their health.
Changing is not easy – especially when a chronic condition, such as arthritis, can limit your efforts. Just ask Polly, Matt and Bree – they'll tell you. But change does provide opportunity; a chance to improve yourself, your life and your health.
Follow Polly, Matt and Bree's progress as they share their successes, secrets, and yes, even their setbacks, on the road to achieving lasting change.
Cheers to your change in 2008!
Read more on how to make change stick in the "Change Your Mind, Change Your Life" feature. And get the latest on arthritis at www.ArthritisToday.com.
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