I’ve been gone for too long.  I realized when I looked in the blog that it had been more than a year since I had written anything, and I knew it was a bad thing.  People need to be inspired by my failures!  Who doesn’t feel better about themselves when watching other people fail?  So I knew I needed to get back to my fitness blog.  I’ve done a lot of new things, failed at some, was super amazing at others, and also- now I’m old.  So being old, chubby, and on a fitness journey provides for an interesting blog.  And since it’s the start of a new year, it gives me a chance to set fitness resolutions.  Most likely, since it’s a New Year’s resolution, it will last a month and become a vague memory of things I can claim I never promised to do.  But if I make it a blog promise, I guess others can call me on it.  Which sucks- strangers telling me what to do is unsettling.  But, it might help keep me on the best path.  So, here are my goals:

1. First and foremost: be better about my blog.  Try and write every other week.  Blogging about my journey keeps me exercising, eating a little (tiny, bitty) bit better, and also lets me laugh at myself.  And sometimes, it makes others smile too.  Inspiring others to pretend they can do things, like I do, helps people- I think.  So there’s a bonus in that.

2. Clean up my diet: by no means, EVER, will I give up junk food.  NEVER. GOING. TO. HAPPEN.  But I do know that my meals can be better, and fresh food is better than microwave meals and hot dogs (although I’ll still eat those).  I think the concept of “Meatless Mondays” would be one that is doable for me.  Giving up meat completely is very unlikely for me.  Yes, cows are adorable, but steak is delicious and I’m not going to stop enjoying it.  Even if I had  pet cow, I would STILL eat steak- just move the cow to a pasture far away so it can’t judge me with with giant, doleful eyes.  But one day a week of a vegetarian diet is something I am capable of doing.  And it also allows me to get more creative with recipes, and to try new veggies.  YEAY new things.

3. Lift weights: I have been great with walking.  I have a goal of 15,000 steps during the week, and 10,000 on weekends.  And I almost always hit it.  But as of late, I have been very bad with my weight training.  I lift heavy things a fair amount, but I have been remiss in my specific training.  I need to be better on all fronts when it comes to that.  Weights can also help with my getting old issue.  I mean, it won’t stop me from aging.  Nothing can do that (YET- maybe someday I can stop it, with unicorn blood or alien slime- but so far, nothing stops it).  But lifting weights can help slow, or even stop, many of the muscle and bone issues that come with age.  If I can do that, its kinda like a fountain of youth.  And with #2- cleaning up the diet, the slow decent into old age decrepitude can be prevented.  At very least, it allows me to age with grace (as gracefully as I can, which is not much, but maybe age with less ungainliness).

4. Finally, take care of my mind.  This doesn’t sound exactly like a fitness goal, but really, it is.  Another issue with aging is memory, and stress can age you prematurely.  It also takes a toll on your health.  I put a language app on my phone, and do that daily.  But I feel that adding yoga at the end of my workouts has really helped in the past.  It allows me to stretch, but also to pay attention to my breath, and not focus on work, or tasks, or home concerns.  It just allows me to clear my mind and relax.  And stretching can assist with my balance, allowing me to not be as worried about falling and breaking a hip.  Because now I’m past 30 and slowing creeping toward death.

So far, my goals have been going well.  I even did a meatless day today- I know, I know, it isn’t Monday, but it worked out OK.  Of course, with time, inspiration lags and frustration sets in.  But, I hope this year, I can improve myself and do better each day.  Now- on to being awesome!

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