2018 - A Healthy Start

I woke up on January 1st, 2018 and knew that something needed to change. Okay, maybe it was January 5th, I don't know. But the important thing is, I knew that I couldn't continue on the way I had been. I have not been particularly unhealthy, really, but I have been on a path that does not bode well for a great quality of life, and especially as I get older.

Perhaps more importantly, I have not been particularly happy with myself. I feel restless, not content. I don't feel like I have been living my best life. I've just been coasting in a lot of ways. Okay, I'll admit it, there has been a good amount of self-loathing involved here. Actually, I have battled varying degrees of self-loathing for my entire life, but let's not go there right now.  Anyway, the bottomline is that I knew I had to change some stuff.

I started by deciding to immediately revamp my eating habits. I've been really loose-y-goose-y in this area for most of my life. I don't eat a ton of junk food, especially in recent years. I can't tell you the last time I went to a McDonalds/Burger King/Taco Bell/KFC. But I also have not been very careful about what I eat. My choices have trended towards the type of food that isn't the most conducive to optimal health, or even feeling that great. Think, a lot of pasta, bread, convenience food, steak, sugar, not much in the way of vegetables.

So, this is how I started:

• First, there are no rules. Nothing is off the table (ha, see what I did there?) I hate the word "diet". I wanted a sustainable eating plan, not a short-term diet. If I labeled a food as bad or not allowed, there is no way that I could be successful. So, I decided that I can eat or drink anything at any time. But, I want to ensure that I choose healthier options most of the time. If I decide that I want pizza and beer someday, I will have it.
• Vegetables are a priority. Think about what I like and figure out how to incorporate lots of them into my life. 
• Avoid processed food as much as you possibly can.
• I love fish, why am I not eating it more? Eat more fish. 
• Red meat is okay, but maybe it should be more of a once in a while thing. 
• Chicken. Lots of chicken. But blech on steamed, skinless chicken breasts. Make chicken (breasts and thighs) all kinds of ways. Find new ways!
• Fats are okay. But think about the quality of fats. 
• Be mindful. Don't make food choices based on what is easiest, or on a whim (like walking past the hot bar at the grocery store where the crispy wings smell so good). Think about what you're choosing. 
• Figure out where sugar is coming from and do everything you can to cut it out. 
• Cook at home/prepare food at home the majority of time. 
• Alcohol: Drink it! But think about it. Do you really want it on a week night? (usually the answer is "no"). Do you really need it on Friday night, just because you're not working tomorrow (usually the answer is "no"). 
• Diet Coke. Actually, this is bad. Don't drink it. 

I am still trying to figure out some other stuff. Some are around:

• Fitness
• Social 
• Work/Career
• Money
• Home
• Future (retirement)
• Feeling of Contentedness/Balance/Happiness (this is hard to define)

I will make future posts around how I am doing with my eating plan and some of these other areas of focus. For now, this is a start.