Food, Fitness, and Fashion

(Not truly my aim, just a funny pic!)

January 5, 2015
Day 250

So here it is...2015.  No more excuses.  No more, "I deserve this extra cookie," or "I may as well finish up this tub of mayonnaise as long as it's in the house."  I can't even say I'll wait until the first full week of January...because I did, and now it's here!

No, I've run out of excuses, and it's time to get back on track once and for all!  This is the day.  This is the moment.  2015 is all mine to conquer in all the ways I choose to conquer it.

FOOD: I already have a salad for lunch every day, but in the past few months, I'd begun treating myself with extras thrown in, and always with a yummy dressing.  Starting today, I'm back to the basics: an egg, some tomatoes, and some chick peas tossed in with the mesclun leaves.  And my dressing?  Back to the fat-free raspberry.  My breakfasts have been good, usually yogurt, but I was treating myself a lot too, and my dinners have likewise gone off the cliff.  At some point, I replaced my salsa sandwich topper with heavy dollops of mayo...you know, as a...w a i t  f o r  i t...treat.  Too many treats!

FITNESS: I've got a beautiful, free gym here at my company, and it's just a short walk from my desk to the elliptical, all of 20-30 seconds' travel time.  In the past, I've done approximately 45 minutes of exercise 3-4 days each week, and it's worked.  My diet and exercise plan, when it's on full-time, helped me lose 41 pounds between 2012 and 2013.  I'm going to add more time in the gym more often this year, and keep myself on track.

FASHION: The word fashionable is just not used to describe me, but if there's one truth I have realized these past three years, it's that I look so much better in so many more clothing options when I'm slimmer and fit!  The bulge of my belly just doesn't complement my polo shirts well at all.  Fashion is hardly high on my list of things I care about, but looking good is.  So hopefully once I'm on a good streak with my food and fitness goals, the fashion answers will arrive soon after.

It's a new year, and a new chance for all of us to fix the things we've broken in our diet and exercise routines, and for me, 2015 means something else.  This is the year I turn 40, so I have these four months now to get myself in much better shape ahead of that special occasion. 

I can do it.  I will do it.  And so can you!

Early 2015 Observations

January 2, 2015
Day 247

Today I'd just like to share a bunch of random thoughts this new year brings to mind.

You've heard of the morning-after pill?  I'd like a day-after maid, someone who just shows up the day after a big party, and makes my headache go away by cleaning my house while I sleep.

Remember how excited we were for midnight on New Year's Eve 1999?  The year 2000 was minutes away!  Well,15 years have already passed since then.  I don't have any followup to this; I just feel depressed at how quickly time passes sometimes, and thought you might like to be depressed too.

I'm a huge Back To The Future trilogy fan, so I've really enjoyed all the memes I've seen this week, each referencing 2015 as "the future" we saw back in the 80s from Marty McFly and crew.  My favorite comment though came from my sister Marilyn, who asked if anyone else was going to bet on the Cubbies winning the Series this year.

Have we all finally started pronouncing it Twenty Fifteen now and not Two-Thousand Fifteen?  It took us a while, but I think we're there now, and I'm happy about that.

Years ending with a 5 are important to me, because I was born in a year ending with a 5.  I turn 40 on May 1st of this year, so the big day feels closer than ever now.

Of particular interest to me this year, and perhaps to readers of my first three books: A NASA spacecraft called New Horizons launched years ago will finally reach Pluto on July 14, 2015 at approximately 7:49 AM in New York.

If 1 = A and 2 = B, then 2015 would equal "bae", a word I've heard a lot online lately.  Funny note on Urban Dictionary though: "Bæ/bae is a Danish word for poop.  Also used by people on the internet who think it means baby, sweetie etc.  Bae I love you so much.  Brian, my bae.  I just made a bæ."

And finally, because this is now 2015, my daily blogging adventure will finally conclude in about 4 months' time.  Later this month, I'll begin the last 100 days of my year-long journey to 40, so thank you as always for reading along!

Ten 2015 Re-solutions

December 31, 2014
Day 245

These are guidelines I set for myself for 2015.  They are in no particular order.

In 2015, I will... take control of my health once and for all.  I won't promise myself to lose x number of pounds by x day with x smile on my face, but I will pursue a healthier lifestyle through diet, exercise, and spirituality.

In 2015, I will... learn to stop wasting so much time online.  My online life is important to me, but I need to look more at the messy house around me more often, and get my house in order--literally!

In 2015, I will... publish two books.

In 2015, I will... write prominent essays on prominent websites and substantially grow my freelance writing career.

In 2015, I will... launch a personal website.

In 2015, I will... blog daily until my 40th birthday on May 1st, and then happily stop!

In 2015, I will... meditate more often.  I will center myself in spirit more frequently throughout each and every day, posting reminder notes to myself to do so.

In 2015, I will... teach or guide multiple classes on spiritual topics.

In 2015, I will... reach out to more people through personal letters.
 
In 2015, I will... not wait until 2016 to make these improvements to my life.

Looking Around, Catching Your Breath

December 29, 2014
Day 243

I paused my reflections yesterday to add a little Christmas story I thought up (one I knew some of you would laugh at and others would hate), but today I'm back to reflecting mode again. 

Reflection and mood swings seem to be part and parcel this time of year, the time when you literally turn off your brain's computer more than normal, ahead of a reboot come January 1st.

We know New Year's Eve is coming up on Wednesday, but we don't think as much about the fact that 2015 starts this Thursday.  It's coming up so quickly, yet time seems to slow down for us, just so we can look around and catch our breath.  I have a lot more to muse on tomorrow and Wednesday, but right now I'm just in that morning-haze mode where I've just woken up, and can't yet see what's out in front of me.

It feels right to feel this way today, so I'm going with it.  Before I add up my accomplishments, joys, and sorrows of 2014, and before lining up my resolutions for 2015, I need this time right here first, this time to just look around and be.  A whole year has now passed, and a whole new year awaits.  Right now though?  Now is the time to catch our breath and lose ourselves in thought.  Now is the time to just sit back and muse for a while as we peer through a cloudy morning in late December.

All This Extra Time

December 27, 2014
Day 241

Earlier this month, I got a new computer for the first time since 2005.  Everything with it was awesome, except our internet speed was still lagging.  It was becoming more and more obvious we needed a new modem. 

Almost at the same time, my Ethernet cord broke--the little piece on the end snapped off.  So on Christmas Eve, we finally received a new modem and cord in the mail.  Yes!  Life is good!

I now have a computer that boots up in less than 30 seconds, instead of the 45 minutes it used to take (no exaggeration!), and we have internet that works at the speed it's actually supposed to.  Who knew life could be so easy?!

The only problem is, I've got so much more time on my hands all of a sudden, and I'm not accurately filling it with the right things.  This world was already filled with enough distractions to keep me away from housework, laundry, cleaning, reading, and writing.  Now I've got even more time on my hands, and I'm not putting it to good use.

The new year is just four-and-a-half days away now, so I think this would be an excellent addition to my list of resolutions.  It'll go right behind weight loss, and just ahead of finding ways to make more money.  I think this would be an excellent resolution for the new year, so I'm going to try my very best to make it happen once and for all!  2015: I'm taking back control of my life!

Right now though?  I need to catch up on YouTube.