Health

#10 on my list is to maintain a healthy weight.

To keep myself motivated and accountable, I’m making more lists! I’m also going to start keeping a “health journal” where I can not only record what I’m eating on a daily basis, but also things that I need to keep track of for my doctor and myself to keep my asthma in check and be aware if my body is doing things it shouldn’t be doing. Onward:

Goals:

1. Maintain a healthy weight. For someone of my height, that is 108 (HA) – 145 lbs. From experience, I believe that my attainable healthy weight is somewhere around 135 lbs. Maybe 130.
2. Increase my intake of: Fiber, whole grains, omega-3s, fruit, vegetables, vitamins via foods instead of supplements.
3. Decrease my intake of: Sugar, fat, simple carbs, salt.
4. Drink more water
5. Work out more: Cardio 5-6 days per week; Weights/strength 2-3 days per week.
6. GET OUTSIDE. I love being outside. I need to make this a priority, even if it means cutting other things out of my life, like effing tv and crafting. Ahem. GET OUTSIDE. Hike, golf, just go for a walk. Just get outside.
7. Play more sports. Golf, ice skate, swim, whatever is appropriate for the season, but I miss having a goal besides a heart rate when I’m working out.
8. Take the long way. Park farther away, wash the floor by hand, vacuum more often…do little things daily that increase your physical activity.
9. Cook healthier foods on weekends for lunches and dinners throughout the week. Again, if this means giving up time watching tv or crafting, so be it.

Reasons being healthier will be totally awesome besides being skinnier:

1. Healthier hair and skin
2. More energy
3. Increased endurance
4. Increased happiness (endorphins!)
5. Increased motivation
6. More self-confidence
7. Clothes will fit and look better
8. Bigger wardrobe; more stuff will look good so I won’t have to limit my options (strapless dresses!)
9. Getting sick less often
10. Look less tired (I hope)
11. Healthier teeth and gums (from eating less sugar and more crunchy veggies)
12. Less Charley horses
13. Already being the size I want to be when I go to try on wedding dresses instead of feeling like crap when I do that and then going on a crash diet to fit in the smaller size I stupidly ordered
14. Delay visible signs of aging
15. Stronger bones
16. Being able to wear white without feeling like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man
17. Seriously, I’m trying not to be too superficial here, but looking good is pretty high up there on my reasons
18. Stronger lungs from cardio = better controlled asthma
19. Live longer. This whole website is about how much I love life! Don’t I want to be around for a long time?

Summer 2009, at my thinnest post-high school. Wearing white! No double chin!

Decreased chance of:

1. Heart disease, heart attack, stroke
2. Diabetes
3. Cancer (And *noticing* the cancer early. Overweight people are much less likely to notice a cancerous lump, and I am at high risk for breast cancer due to family history.)
4. Kidney/liver disease/failure
5. Difficulties conceiving/in childbirth
6. High cholesterol, high blood pressure
7. Kidney stones
8. Alzheimer’s

Healthy foods I like; a reminder list so I don’t have to resort to foods I hate like bananas and turkey wraps just because I’m too lazy to think of other things to eat (suggestions welcome):

1. Egg whites on whole grain sandwich thins with low fat cheese
2. Fruit and yogurt smoothies
3. Arugula with lemon vinaigrette
4. Homemade oatmeal with walnuts and spices
5. Chicken or shrimp with veggies stir fry
6. Baked potato with sea salt
7. Grilled or raw veggie sandwich with a spicy lite dressing
8. Cucumber and tomato salad with balsamic vinegar
9. Fiber One brand everything
10. Chickpeas
11. Smoked salmon (in moderation)
12. Almonds
13. Black beans
14. Veggies: Broccoli, red peppers, green beans, zucchini
15. Fruits: Grapefruit, berries, oranges, tomatoes, pomegranate

Doesn’t that look yummy?

Foods to incorporate into my diet more often:

1. Ginger
2. Mango
3. Quinoa, lentils
4. Avocados
5. Yams
6. Fish
7. Flaxseeds
8. Mint
9. Rosemary
10. Honey, real maple syrup (instead of sugar)
11. Green tea
12. Orange juice

Things I can’t give up but vow to greatly reduce in my diet:

1. Coffee with sugar and cream (I can switch to skim milk. That I can do.)
2. Cheese (I can increase hard cheeses and decrease soft as a compromise.)
3. Christmas cookies (Just making less of these will help, and it will make me less crazy around the holidays. I already started that this year by only making three kinds, and it was fine!)
4. Ice cream (Summer is hard without ice cream but I can totally give it up the rest of the year and try to cut back in the summer by switching to a single scoop instead of a sundae.)
5. Alcohol (Switch to wine only and one glass per day, preferably only weekends but I won’t deprive myself if I’ve had a rough day. Mixed drinks on special occasions only.)

I can do this and I can make it a lifestyle change instead of a constant up and down cycle. I just need to stay motivated, not eat my feelings, and be aware of my bad habits and avoid them. That doesn’t sound so hard, does it?!