Another round of water and sleep in 2015!

Another round of water and sleep in 2015!

I must admit that in years past I have made New Years’ resolutions only to have broken them by February.  Even though with each passing year I have changed or modified my resolutions to fit my changing life, I still am not able to complete a year with the promises I made on January 1st.  In the past my resolutions have included, but not limited to: exercising more, eating less, losing weight…the list goes on.  This year I have decided that my resolution would be to implement a healthier lifestyle.  I realize this resolution is ever-encompassing but I feel that it will still give me the flexibility to enjoy myself while maintaining a reasonable and sensible attitude toward a healthier, better life.

I will admit that this past year I have done a lousy job exercising.  When I first moved to Texas I was fairly ambitious and walked or rode my bike frequently within our small beach community. My husband and I would walk down to the beach or pack our bikes up with beach chairs, snacks and reading materials and spend an afternoon enjoying the smell and sounds of the ocean.  A few times a week we would partake in this “retired” routine and feel sorry for the poor souls who had an 8-5 job and weren’t able to enjoy this luxury.  Well this care-free routine was broken once Southern Texas experienced a record-breaking temperature winter.  It got so cold that school was canceled, within a 75 mile range for a day, due to the ice build-up on the roads, which caused hundreds of weather-related accidents.

Another reason why I stopped exercising was that I just couldn’t stay away from teaching and I began subbing in the local school system 3-5 days a week.  Now when I taught full-time in Nevada I exercised fairly regularly but in the school district I am employed now the school day is 1 1/2 hours longer than in Nevada!!  So if I want to work-out before school I would need to get up at 0500 or earlier or if I opt to go after school I won’t get home until almost 7:00 pm.  Either way, it makes for an incredibly long day.  Now neither of those excuses are very valid as my two sons teach and coach throughout the year and still find time to exercise.  Now, I will admit, as I have grown older my body doesn’t respond well to the type of exercise, particularly cardio, that I would do.  In the past, I loved working out on the elliptical, step-machine or treadmill for upwards of 60 minutes sometimes, but during or afterwards my knees or back would start aching and then my recovery time grew longer and longer.  After awhile, my trips to the gym declined and the length of my workouts decreased as well.

As an adult I have always been a fairly active person.  Wherever I lived I had a gym membership or  sports program I would regularly attend.  I was a regular participant in our local Jazzercise for years and attended up until 1 1/2 weeks before the birth of my first son and would have done the same with my second pregnancy but I was carrying twins so my doctor had me stop at 6 months.  Shortly after the deliveries, I was back at the gym, sweating my “ever-loving bottom” off!!    Although I no longer wear leotards and tights that show every bump and bulge, or know all the latest songs to exercise to, I will make every attempt to take advantage of the sunshine and free-time to get off my rear, get the blood flowing and re-acquaint myself to the streets in my neighborhood.

A past resolution I made was to lose the extra ten lbs. I have gained in the past two to three years.  Well, again I would start the year off pretty good but by February, I had fallen back to my previous eating habits (and if one is not exercising, the lbs. are not coming off but adding on)!  I must admit that my biggest “food fault” is sugar.  I LOVE SUGAR!!  I always have and probably always will!!  As a child on Sunday mornings before church, my mom would heat up a tray of sweet rolls.  Even though I have three siblings, I would make sure I had assessed the treats before anyone else had and had put “dibs” on the gooiest, sugar-topped roll, even before the first slice was made.  I also made sure that I was around when mom was baking (she made a wicked German-chocolate cake and delicious chocolate chip cookies), as I had dibs on the mixing bowl after the cake or cookie contents had been poured (I never had a case of salmonella)!!!  Unfortunately, I think I probably funded my dentists’ children’s college tuitions from all the cavities I had as a child.

I have always LOVED Pepsi and for many years I allowed myself a daily soda.  Well, over the years my cherished daily drink went from a 12-ounce can to a 44-ounce fountain drink (but I was still only drinking one soda!)!!  I am proud to say however, that I have not had a Pepsi or other sugar-filled soda since last May!!  I hadn’t given it much thought as to quitting “cold turkey”, I just did.  I started by making little goals for myself, a week, a month, and now I don’t even think about it.  I have to admit, however, for the first time the other day I was craving a Pepsi and I really had to catch myself from slipping into that vicious cycle again.  I have made an honest attempt to drink more water this past year.  I try to start the day off with a large glass, 24+ ounces or so, just to make sure I get that in my system during the day.  Throughout the course of the day I add to that total but I realize I am still coming up short.  I think if I add an extra 8 ounces of water daily that it is a reasonable and attainable goal for 2015

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A good night’s sleep is under-rated!!  I have never been a good sleeper and even though my child-rearing days are through, I still find reasons to worry at night.  So while I’m not being awakened in the middle of the night by crying or sick children, I now worry about them as they travel or whether their jobs will be effected by the changing economy.  While I have been visiting one of my sons during my Christmas visit, I have been automatically waking up between 3-4 each morning, knowing he will be getting up soon for his job, and concerned that he might oversleep or not hear his alarm!  Once a mom, always a mom!  Needless to say that after two weeks on vacation, I need to go back home so I can catch up on my sleep… that’s a joke!!!  Now I am a grandma to two adorable little girls I find myself fretting over their health and situations, too!!   I’ll always find something or someone to worry about, but just today I read in a magazine that taking a low dose of Benadryl can help get a good night sleep (haven’t tried it yet so I can’t endorse it, but I will give it a try).  Another option is melatonin, which I have used before but have not taken it with any regularity, but maybe after these past couple weeks, I’ll give it another try!  I look forward to the possibility of getting an eight-hour night sleep sometime in my lifetime!

So, if I try to be more physically active, continue to watch my sugar in-take and get a better night sleep I am creating a healthier lifestyle for myself and I can be successful in accomplishing my New Years’ resolution for 2015.  I think I have set a reasonable goal for myself and am confident I can accomplish it.   Now, if you don’t mind, please pass some sunshine and almonds with a side of Melatonin!!

Until next time,

Judy