Fear and Loathing In January
Well, you can certainly tell it's a new year. After the excesses of the holidays, people everywhere are "getting serious" about it all again. What I'm noticing this year is the amount of what I call fear and loathing on the whole diet, weight and exercise front that is rampant this time of year. I'm sure it's been like this every year, but I'm really noticing it this year. And I think it's really "fear and SELF-loathing" that is catching my attention. I mean, I've read any number of posts to various lists and blogs recently, and have found myself wanting to ask, "Why are you surprised that your bodies get hurt and won't listen to you when all you do is tell them how fat, lazy, worthless and disgusting they are? I wouldn't listen to you either!"
I've done a lot of thinking about resolutions as a consequence, and I've decided that, for me, it's going to be about investing in small, moderate changes that will be permanent. It's about doing the things that I already KNOW to do and have lost focus on. This year is going to be about celebrating what my body does for me by doing those small little everyday things that make me feel good. That means focusing on good nutrition so that my body has all the building blocks it needs to feel strong and energized. I am all about high fiber, fruits and veggies, lean proteins and low-fat dairy. I have a non-sedentary job, to be sure, but I've decided that I really do need to do more on the exercise front, so I've dusted off some exercise DVDs, my hand weights and my exercise ball. Because even 30-45 minutes a day lifts my spirits and builds up my body. I want to emphasize that these are not things that constitute re-inventing the wheel for me. Seriously. It's just as easy for me to put together healthy meals and snacks as it is to make things that aren't as nutritious. It's really not that hard for me to incorporate 30-45 minutes of exercise into my day. I've just let these things slide, and that doesn't make me an awful person.
I suppose I've decided to take a kinder, gentler approach because I also find with each passing year that aging is a privilege that not everyone gets to indulge in. I may piss and moan about every ache and pain and lament that my stamina ain't what it used to be, but I also see that I can count among friends and family any number of people who just plain ain't around any more to do that. Life is, indeed, short, so savor it all because it sure beats the alternative. Dogzilla isn't a person, but that chubby little hound has the right of it. He doesn't KNOW he's an old dog. He still gets a twinkle in his eye and runs around like a pup when we go outside. He dances for his breakfast and his dinner. He makes absolutely NO apologies for needing a good long nap on Sunday afternoons when I visit, and he doesn't ever beat himself up because he doesn't have the stamina to walk 5-6 miles a day any more. He just snuggles up to me on the couch and rolls over for a belly rub and sighs with contentment. Good boy.
I've done a lot of thinking about resolutions as a consequence, and I've decided that, for me, it's going to be about investing in small, moderate changes that will be permanent. It's about doing the things that I already KNOW to do and have lost focus on. This year is going to be about celebrating what my body does for me by doing those small little everyday things that make me feel good. That means focusing on good nutrition so that my body has all the building blocks it needs to feel strong and energized. I am all about high fiber, fruits and veggies, lean proteins and low-fat dairy. I have a non-sedentary job, to be sure, but I've decided that I really do need to do more on the exercise front, so I've dusted off some exercise DVDs, my hand weights and my exercise ball. Because even 30-45 minutes a day lifts my spirits and builds up my body. I want to emphasize that these are not things that constitute re-inventing the wheel for me. Seriously. It's just as easy for me to put together healthy meals and snacks as it is to make things that aren't as nutritious. It's really not that hard for me to incorporate 30-45 minutes of exercise into my day. I've just let these things slide, and that doesn't make me an awful person.
I suppose I've decided to take a kinder, gentler approach because I also find with each passing year that aging is a privilege that not everyone gets to indulge in. I may piss and moan about every ache and pain and lament that my stamina ain't what it used to be, but I also see that I can count among friends and family any number of people who just plain ain't around any more to do that. Life is, indeed, short, so savor it all because it sure beats the alternative. Dogzilla isn't a person, but that chubby little hound has the right of it. He doesn't KNOW he's an old dog. He still gets a twinkle in his eye and runs around like a pup when we go outside. He dances for his breakfast and his dinner. He makes absolutely NO apologies for needing a good long nap on Sunday afternoons when I visit, and he doesn't ever beat himself up because he doesn't have the stamina to walk 5-6 miles a day any more. He just snuggles up to me on the couch and rolls over for a belly rub and sighs with contentment. Good boy.
So how about this year, choosing to stop and smell the roses and choosing to be kind to yourself and celebrate the wonder that makes you who you are?
posted by Mel at 11:52 AM
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