Better Late Than Never

Now I've never been one for making, let alone sticking to resolutions of any sort. If I've ever made them it's been for the sole purpose of making one up in a group tell-all situation after Christmas break in grade school. You know, stop biting my nails, be nicer to my sister, devote more time to dance/gymnastics/soccer practice... those sort of resolutions.

As I've gotten older, I've sort of "unoficcially" made the resolution to lose weight or get in shape every year. Well, like I said, I've never stuck to it.

My resolution for this year is seems vague, but I think it's perfect for me. This year I want to be a better person this year than I was last year. I like it because it leaves room for improvement in all areas of my life. Even in areas that I might not know need improving yet. If being a better person in 2010 means improving who I am as a daughter, granddaughter (I should give them a call), sister, auntie, friend, lover, student, or citizen then bring it on! No matter what happens this year, my main goal is come 2011 I can look back on this year and pin point all of the areas of my life in which I truely did improve.

First on the agenda: getting healthy. I know it's so cliche, but it sort of just happened. As you read in my last post, I made a $100 bet that I'd lose 8-10 lbs by the end of February. I'm feeling defeated already, but I still have 6 weeks to go so I'm not giving up yet!

Also included in this health kick is the elimination of gluten. In high school I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called celiac disease It basically means that I'm alergic to wheat, rye, barley, and oats and that my body doesn't digest the protein from these foods properly leaving me with a very unpleasant rash (sorry if that's TMI). Since my diagnosis I've attempted to eliminate gluten from my diet, but again, never stuck to it. Well, I went to see my doctor in September and she said it was really important for me to try to stop eating gluten because the little rash I get is nothing compared to the wretched stomach problems I could incure later in life. So since September, with the exception of a few accidental slip ups, it's been G Free for me, baby!

And in case you were wondering, it's the hardest thing I've ever done. No sandwiches, no bagels, no pizza, no beer. I realize that aside from a delicious turkey sandwich, all of the other things are bad for me anyway, but because I can't have them I want them SO much more. The one upside is that I've discovered a quinoa pasta that I love and one brand of gluten free crackers that I use as a bread replacement. Oh, and no more rashes!

Second on the agenda: getting involved. I can only count a handful of times in my life in which I've supported a cause or charity of some sort. I walked for breast cancer, donated money to an alzheimers foundation, and did a wake-a-thon in high school and I don't even know what it was for. With the current tragedy in Haiti, I feel a strong urge to help. Perhaps it's the devastating images of the injured children, perhaps it's Oprah (she's pretty persuasive), but regardless of where the urge is coming from, I can't ignore it. I've heard that people are dying from cuts because they don't have medication to prevent a small wound from getting infected. Starvation is another cause, and as I sit here complaining about how hungry I am on my new diet, I can't help but think "at least you HAVE food". So I'm officially making my donation to the American Red Cross.

So there you have it; 15 days into January, 2 small changes, and I'm feeling better already!