Liar, Liar (30 Day Health Challenge)

Typically I reserve my rantings on health and the overwhelming size of my ass to my hand written journal. I like to talk about how much I loathe my eating habits, but usually I make sure only I can read them. Well, I decided to try something different. I got this idea from "O" Magazine where one of their writers decided to do everything the healthy way for 30 days. It was quite miserable for her at first, but at the end of 30 days she had lost weight and was feeling much better in general. I hadn't thought about that article much until this weekend, but as I enjoyed yet another sedentary, fast-food filled weekend, I knew it was time for a change.

One of Husband's chief complaints about my behaviors includes my need for instant gratification (ie, overnight weight loss from "insert crazy diet here") and my lack of follow through. Apparently I start a whole lot of stuff that I never finish. I can think of a few things (like working out) that I do with full enthusiasm for 3 days, and then I forget to even look at a treadmill for 3 months.

These personality flaws wouldn't be so bad if I didn't carry around so many terrible habits with me. While I don't smoke, sunbake in a cancer coffin, do drugs or have an unhealthy level of stress, I do have a myriad of other problems. I really like wine, a lot. Oh, and beer. I'm not going to say I'm an alcoholic, because I can go weeks without a drop and not feel any pain. But when I do drink, I don't drink a glass of wine, rather, I drink a bottle of wine. Catch my drift? I guess that would tie more into portion control, lol.

Another habit I'm sure is slowly killing me is my consumption of Low Carb Rockstar and Diet Mountain Dew. I think I read that when heated above 96 F., aspartame converts to formaldehyde. Isn't that gross?? I am slowly embalming myself, lol. Now, if I could enjoy a can of diet soda a day, this might not be so terrible, but instead I enjoy 2 liters of diet mountain dew a day. I guess that brings me back to my problem with portion control. Portion Control is the bane of my existence! What am I missing in my life that I so fervently try and fill myself up with everything else??

It is hard to change bad habits overnight. It is even harder to do it over a long period of time. Because I apparently lack the gene that allows people to just do the responsible and healthy thing, I figured a 30 day health challenge would be a better method. 30 days is not indefinite, there is an end, thus this gives me an opportunity to follow through and complete my challenge. My company issues a "Health By Numbers" challenge at the beginning of each year to encourage their employees to improve their healthy by adhering to the numbers 0-5-10-25.

1. 0- Zero tobacco Products
2. 5- Five servings of fruit and vegetables a day
3. 10- Ten Thousands steps walked per day
4. 25- Achieve a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25 or less

I am going to add a few more "0" items for the next 30 days. The first one is zero products containing aspartame (diet mt. dew, diet rockstar or otherwise). I am also going to set the ground rule of zero fast food consumption over the next 30 days. I'm going to have to say zero alcohol consumption for the next 30 days as well (which sucks because of that whole anniversary/birthday thing this month).

Finally, I am going to add a few numbers of my own.

1. 30 - Minutes of exercise daily
2. 1 - Multivitamin Daily
3. 8 - Glasses of Water Daily

So, there you have it. My 30 days health challenge to myself. I'm going to bore you all to tears with reports on my progress and what I am eating (because heck, I may be eating something I THINK is healthy, and you might have to inform me that I am misinformed).