A Year To Enjoy

I can hardly believe tomorrow is New Year's Eve... the last day of 2012. It kind of snuck up on me; I had to double check the calendar to be sure I was right. Sure enough, there it is: a new year just over 26 hours away. How'd that happen?

It makes me very nostalgic when I start looking through my old blogs around this time of year. This will be my sixth new year blogging... hard to believe. All those old posts stand like headstones: Here Lies 2007. Rest In Peace, 2008. Farewell 2009. And on. And it reminds me, eerily, that all the years tick by and become the past... that 2013 which is about to be born will also die and become just a memory.

I go back and read these time capsules to myself. I gave some excellent advice that I've forgotten or that I've complicated over the years. It's not the same as it was back then. I have changed... my life has changed. So has my health and my family dynamic. But at the core the goal is still just to get to a reasonable normal weight and be healthy. Every December I get to the end of the month and am full of hope. It's like a fresh clean slate... a renewal. A chance to start over and do it right. And the nice thing is, everyone's in on it with us! Half the population will be on the weight loss/get healthy bandwagon in January. The weight loss forums will be blooming with new life. Old blogs and new will pop up with fresh determination. I love it. We're not alone. It's a stark contrast to December, when pretty much no one is talking about weight loss or eating healthy, at least not in my circle. Heck, all the message boards I frequent are dead right now. But they will resurrect in just a few days and I will let the energy of the masses help propel me along.

I thought about promising myself that I would make 2013 a perfect year. Yes, perfect. Every bite would be a healthy one... a planned one... one leading to ideal health. Every night would result in at least 8 hours of sleep. I'd spent 15 minutes every evening meticulously brushing, flossing, and water-piking my teeth. I'd use skin scrubs in every bath, dry brush my skin each morning, and use high-quality lotions all over my body daily to prevent loose skin while the weight just drops off me. The dogs would get walked a couple miles every day and then of course I'd spend an hour biking, lifting, and doing PT like I did this fall. My kids would get the best of care and all the attention they could possibly want, my house would finally be organized and sparkling clean, and we'd all sit around the table each night eating a nutritious, home-cooked meal rich in protein, healthy fats, and vegetables. And they'd love it, too.

Instead, I decided to make one goal: to enjoy 2013.

All the rest of the stuff will fall into place.