"Healthy 09!"

Those who are close to me know my most recent mantra, "Healthy 09!"

I have never been one for new year's resolutions, but I have been one to set goals for myself. As 2008 was coming to a close I was noticing the effects of physical neglect and I knew I wanted to do something to reverse what I saw as an unhealthy trend. My efforts to get more sleep, consume fewer calories, and get regular exercise did not kick in until the week of February 15. For the first several weeks it took real determination to get myself to the gym when there was a long to-do list for work or the prospect of another hour of sleep. I never thought I had the time, but my mantra, "Healthy 09!" would rise in my mind and (most of the time) I made the time.

Now, 9 weeks later, new habits have finally emerged. For the first time, I am experiencing a restlessness when something gets in the way of my workout. I am appreciating how much more energy I have and how much more I can get done in a day when I make the time to get my heart rate up for awhile, and when I have small but frequent boosts of protein and veggies.

This week I find myself also reflecting on how healthy living is so much more than diet and exercise. As my mother has tried to tell me from the time I was a young child, "moderation in everything!" Last Monday I was tempted to sit at my computer most of the day because there was much on my plate this week and I thought it would be a great idea to use my day off to get a jump start on the week. Instead, Dale and I slept until we woke up, went to the gym together, did some errands, succumbed to a nap in the afternoon (at least I did!), and enjoyed a quiet evening together. At the end of a very full week (as I am looking at a very full weekend), I continue to be grateful for the renewal that came on Monday.

It's taken awhile but I think I am finally taking to heart the lessons of my mother, and the prophet Ecclesiastes, "to everything there is a season and a time for everything under heaven."