My Resolution - The 2012 Get Healthy Challenge

Ok y'all, I've officially gone bonkers. Or my brain has been hijacked by little brain-eating aliens. Either way, I've decided to take on a challenge for the new year - vegetarianism. Yes, my fellow carnivores, you read that correctly. But before you start wondering what's wrong with me (those of you who know my love affair with chicken), I'm only doing it for a month. February. Aha! See, I’m still sane.

This is in keeping with my big resolution for 2012, which is ‘Get Healthy’. That’s my one goal. As with my 2011 resolution, I won’t be setting any hard targets or definitive goals, which I believe come with unnecessary pressure. It’s just a general, progressive plan, a continuation of the original resolution. I’ve made some strides in being good to myself, so it’s time to be better.

While I’ve been working on the mind and spirit, I haven’t been as dutiful in taking care of the body and I plan to change that. This ‘get healthy’ plan of mine will encompass changing my horrible eating habits, which currently includes daily helpings of Burger King fries, a dessert or two per day, sugary cereals and practically no fruits and vegetables. Yikes!

I’m not going to become a health nut cold turkey, nor do I want to be a health nut in any way, shape or form. I just plan to decrease the junk and increase the good stuff. It will not be easy, trust me, because there are many healthy things that I do not and probably will never eat, like peas and beans. Will. Not. Eat. Those! But I have tried tomatoes and I’m ok. Granted, it was in a BK sandwich, smothered in mayo and ketchup and topped off with bacon. But I can see myself eating a tomato or two a week. Baby steps, right?

It will be harder to give up fries and sugars, but I will substitute most of my drinks with water, which I do most of the times, cut out soda once and for all, and have a small serving of fries occasionally. It will also mean losing the address of the nearest BK. Dammit! I did say this will not be easy… All of this, coupled with my meatless February experiment should get me on the road to a more healthy life.

And now, my very favourite part of the whole shebang – exercise. Aka TORTURE and self-flagellation. Ugh! Can I skip this part? No? Ok, I’ll get active. My job is pretty sedentary and I spend about four hours a day stick in traffic, so that’s about 12 hours of sitting daily. Not good. I’ll have to find something I’m interested in doing, like dancing or kickboxing or Pilates, anything that does not involve running or jogging. I. Do. NOT. Run. And jogging reminds me of PE, which I failed in high school. I don’t understand how people do those things! And walking is so boring. I walk every day. For my exercise, I want to do something new and exciting, even if that’s just loading a bunch of Zumba videos on Youtube and pretending I know what I’m doing. Plus, my company is signing up for the Sigma Run next year (I’m trying to talk my way out of it, but no dice), so I’ll have to be in some sort of shape to drag myself across the finish line before nightfall on February 19th.

So, what do you think folks? Anybody else making the resolution to get healthy or fit for the new year? Why not take this challenge with me? Forget the ‘lose 30 pounds by summer’ goals and take a series of small, calculated steps to improve your physical being. You will slip occasionally, but without the rigid deadlines and agendas, there will be less shame and self-hatred and you just might find it easier to accomplish the big goal. Of course, my own spectacular successes and abject failures will be documented here.

I’m not even going to TRY starting now, in the middle of the Christmas feasting season. And you shouldn’t either. Not if your grandmother cooks half as well as mine! But practicing moderation in your eating from now should set you up nicely for the 2012 Get Healthy Challenge. Let’s go!