Looking forward

a new year, a new set of resolutions i try to keep but fail to do.  maybe this will be the year i make things happen in my life.


on the lighter side, i plan to keep up my PSOTMC with knitting twelve pairs of socks in twelve months.  my skeins are packed in bags, ready for the picking on or around the first of each month!  january's socks on OTN currently, and i'm having fun with this project.  i belong to two SOTM groups, one general, the other with planned patterns each month.  i am sitting out this month's installment of the patterns - both were lovely, and while i could knit plain vanilla socks with this yarn, i felt it deserved better.  the groups are for accountability, becos i would like to follow through with this goal, i want to use up stash, plus make gifts for this year's holiday.


on a seriously note, i need to pay attention to my health and make some major commitments.  to wit:

i am seriously overweight.  i'm discovering that my once-loose shirts are now snug, and my pants are straining at the buttons.  i can't even blame washing for shrinkage - i wash my clothes in cold water and often hang my pants up to dry.  i can't afford to buy new clothes, and i really don't want to go up to a bigger size!  i have only one choice - to get serious about my eating and exercise habits.

my eating habits aren't terrible, but i could do a lot better.  fewer chips, more veggies.  last night i had a square of dark chocolate, becos i was craving something sweet, and after i ate it i felt satisfied.  i didn't need a big candy bar to satiate my sweet tooth - just a small square of good chocolate.  later this week i'll make my trip to the store, and i plan to fill my cart with carrots, celery, broccoli and peppers to snack on (for crunch).  i got new cookbooks for christmas, and plan to make a few meals per week out of them.  one of the cookbooks uses vegetable or fruit purees for added nutrition, so hopefully it gets more veggies into the kiddos (actually, they're good with eating most fruits and veggies.  it's the boy who could use the help!)

i also need to kick my exercise into high gear.  i plan to swim once a week, more if i can swing it.  swimming makes me feel so good, and i love how it pares my hips and ass down.  i'm toying with trying to go for a walk in the morning (if i can drag my ass out of bed!), even for 15 minutes, just to get some exercise.  i'm going to see if there are any yoga classes - either at evan or sunbury hospitals - that i can go to becos yoga really helped with my BP and my sugars.  a local church had zumba classes sunday evenings - i'm going to find out if they still have them.  i found free exercise programs on demand on tv that are worth checking out.  some of them are in small time increments, which would be great.

i even have a goal to work towards.  this fall is my 15 year college reunion, and next year is my 20 year high school reunion.  i don't want to be the fat girl at the reunion.  i want to wear a pretty dress with cute shoes.  i would like a cute hair cut that i don't have to hide behind.

most of all, i want to get off the stupid pills i take for my blood pressure.  i would like to be able to not worry about whether or not my fasting sugars are at 120.  i don't like being so tired that i don't want to play with my kids.  i want the energy and stamina to keep up with them.

it's going to take a lot of hard work.  it took a long time to get to this point, and i know the weight's not going to fall off of me.  i tell myself, small bites.  a little bit each day, a small bite.


lastly, i want to chip away at our financial debt.  while i can bide my time with our mortgage and car payment, i am nervous about our credit card debt.  my goal is to get one card paid off this year.  if i watch my spending (fewer yarn - yikes!) - not buying books and magazines, and toys the kids don't need - i think i can do it!


one thing about the new year, i always have such hopes and dreams, it's a new beginning.  i feel the same way in september, when school starts (and gives me another chance for a new beginning).  i know my goals aren't easy, but if i do a bit each day, maybe i can achieve the results i desire.