I don't need to lose weight, but I have noticed how happy I feel when I take care of my body and how miserable I feel when I don't take care of it. I've become extra sensitive to sugary and greasy foods recently and I'm tired of having my digestive system being mad at me. This year, I am going to find out what happens if I take care of my body the best way I know how.
I will eat three normal meals a day. Half of the volume of food on my plate will be fruits and vegetables. I will only snack on fruits and vegetables (because snacking is one of my times when I eat less healthy food). I will be done eating at 7:00 at night (because my self control wears off at about that hour).
I don't want my healthy diet to make me rude or weird, so I will modify my diet as needed to be polite to my new friends in Evanston, Wyoming and other places I may end up living this year. If I can discreetly get out of eating junk food in social situations, such as when refreshments are served to a large group of people at a church function, I will avoid the junk food without drawing attention to myself. If somebody has me over to their house for dessert or brings me a special treat, I will be polite and enjoy the treat. (My biggest problem is not social eating. It is a failure to moderate private snacking.)
I will exercise for 30 minutes or more every day Monday-Saturday. I won't make extra guidelines for exercise. I am currently very sedentary and just putting my exercise clothes on and doing something beneficial for my body for 30 minutes will be an improvement. However, I do plan to get a membership at Evanston's recreation center when we move there tomorrow.
I won't stay up past 10:00 and I'll keep my cell phone alarm set for 6:00 in the morning. That may sound early to some, but for me, early morning is the time when I feel the most motivated and optimistic.
I'll keep track of my progress on this blog. The entries will be sporadic because we won't have the internet in our new apartment at the Wyoming State Hospital, but it will be rewarding to publicly track my progress.
Starting health description: I am currently a healthy weight for my height, with a little more belly fat than I want. I am very out of shape when it comes to muscle strength and cardiovascular health. I get a stomachache each morning after I eat candy, chips or fries the previous day (I have one now because of a greasy meal, ice cream and candy I ate last night.) I am going to see what this experiment does for me.
