Happy New Year!

Last year, I turned 50.  Hitting this milestone made me a lot more aware of myself (about time).  I had my first colonoscopy, and my first cancerous polyp removed. Both my mammogram and pap tests came back abnormal, requiring further testing (all is well).  I realized, that taking care of myself now means more than making sure my roots are touched up every five weeks, and that I moisturize daily.

Life changes at 50. Regardless of the content of the previous paragraph, I believe it changes for the better.  I hope this blog will be a regular reminder that at the end of the day, life is pretty-amazing.

I'm hoping that 2014 will be the year when I start being more reasonable and realistic (not to mention more forgiving) with my New Year's resolutions.  Every year, I vow that I will lose those extra 10, 15, 30 extra lbs., and I will do it by eliminating all soda, candy, baked goods and fried foods from my diet.

It is, quite literally, these absolutes that keep me from accomplishing my goals.  Sure, I start strong. I spend the first three days militantly and publicly announcing my courageous declaration of war against empty calories.  A week in, I'm already internally battling my cravings, and by the end of week 2, I'm making juicy rationalizations about why I "need" that chocolate bar for survival.

Any time I deny myself something, it becomes the ONLY thing I can think about.  If any of you have ever watched the old Looney Tunes cartoons where the wolf is so hungry he looks at Foghorn Leghorn and all he sees is a delicious, mouthwatering roasted chicken leg staring back at him, you will understand what I mean.  When I am on any structured diet, the entire world begins to look fried, frosted or sprinkled.

I know myself well enough to know that I must be purposefully vague about my weight loss goals.  I need to focus on eating better - smaller portions, more fruits and veggies, less preservatives and chemical additives (if I can't spell it or pronounce it, I shouldn't put it in my mouth).  If I succumb to the siren's song of a Hershey's chocolate kiss, I needn't kiss my entire goal goodbye.

Allowing ourselves to make mistakes, and granting forgiveness when we do, is key in establishing lasting change.  I don't want to diet. I don't want to starve myself for some temporary transformation. I want to eat healthier and be more active, and as a byproduct, I will hopefully become thinner, stronger and have more stamina to attack all those other New Year's resolutions I've made for 2014!