Physical Goals for 2010

I am trying to move past judging my health by a number on the scales. While I typically weigh myself a couple of times a week, my continuing goal is to move my body more and eat healthier foods so that I will feel good and have the energy I need to do the things I want to do. Beyond that, as a wife and mother, I want to do all that I can to help the rest of my family be as healthy as possible.

In the past couple of months, I have realized that our daughters are confronted with candy and sweets at every turn. (At one point in the month of December, the amount of candy they had was so staggering that I offered to pay them a nickel for every piece they gave to me instead of eating. Let’s just say that my seven-year-old made 75 cents in one night! Some of the candy went into the trash and some was given away or saved for some other occasion.)

Since I’m not always going to be around with that incentive, I am trying to teach them, as well as myself, to pay attention to how your body feels after you eat a sugary treat, compared with how you feel after eating a piece of fruit or other healthier snack. When I think of their young bodies and all the nutrients that they need to grow, I want to do all I can to meet those physical needs in the best way possible. I believe it to be on ongoing learning process, striving to make nutritious choices while still enjoying some special treats from time to time.

Now, I will get down off my soap box and share my three basic physical goals for the year.

1. Re-read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. This is one of my favorite books and was one of the first ones that really got me thinking about my food choices. I have already reserved a copy at the library and will pick it up next week. I should just buy the book; a few months ago, I put it on my wish list at PaperBackSwap and I’m now number 595 of 1,364 people wanting that book!!
2. Eat three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Yes, that is three. You must understand the point from which I’m starting. It’s not that I eat potato chips and cookies all day, but I’m used to such snacks as granola bars or crackers and tend to fill my meals with bread and starches as opposed to anything green. Three fruits or vegetables a day is attainable and I’m hoping to be consistent enough with it that I’ll move to four or five servings per day in a couple of months.
3. Exercise four times a week. This is much easier in the spring and summer since I enjoy walking or bike riding after supper when it’s light later into the evenings. Now I’m going to make a concerted effort to get out sometime earlier in the day to burn some calories.

So, there you have it! I’m hoping to be a fitter, healthier version of myself twelve months from now!