kc2017
Ringing in the New Year did not include getting the flu. I had plans to start a new personal challenge and begin the New Year with a bang, but alas, the flu has had me sidelined for a week now. The original plan for New Year’s Eve was to hike at Radnor Lake 
with our awesome friends the Hartman’s and Davis’s starting at 10 PM. When the temperatures decided to be zero at midnight, we changed our minds. We would have a nice quiet evening at home with a movie. Saturday the Cook Family Christmas happened at our house. I noticed that I did not eat much but that it typical as I was busy being the hostess along with my hubby. Around 10:30, we went to bed and I was wracked with chills. It was all I could do to stop shaking. I checked my temp and is was 99.6. Took a couple of Tylenol and got some sleep. Still had fever the next morning. Company had to fend for themselves. Around 11, I checked my temp again and did not have any. Stayed that way most of the day. Around 7 PM it was back. I went to the doctor the next morning – New Year’s Day. Influenza A was the diagnosis. UGH and I felt like crap. So Monday and Tuesday, I drank fluids, ate very little and tried to keep my fever down. Thank goodness for Tamiflu. It does really help.
By Wednesday I was feeling a bit more human so I decided to do some more planning for 2018, write down the feelings I want to feel and began thinking about the action steps I need to take
to get there. For 2018 I am following “>The Desire Map by Danielle Laporte and getting in touch with the feelings that I want to focus on instead of just typical goals. I am only part of the way through this book but I highly recommend it for looking at goals in a whole new way. This year I want to feel healthy, secure, empowered, accomplished, loved, energetic, sexy and fulfilled. I am not through with my list yet so it may change or get added to. I will post more about the book and where it is taking me.
Next I worked on a sheet for 2018 that was provided to all of us who belong to PNPtribe. Thought provoking questions like be the end of 2018, I will be… and what actions am I willing to commit to. I answered each question using the feelings I want to feel as the basis for my answers. I am really happy with the results. It feels completely doable and not overwhelming. One of the most important tools that I learned through PNPtribe is to ask myself a great question each day. To start 2018, my question is what actions can I take today to grow the feelings I have chosen for 2018?
So now my New Year personal challenge will begin on January 8th. For thirty days, I am committing to No Flour, No Sugar and my personal food protocol. First, I will tell you how I approach No Flour, No Sugar. A couple of years ago, I read “>The Obesity Code by Jason Fung, MD. Love this book and the science based facts it gives regarding flour and sugar in our food – particularly processed foods. By this stage in my health lifestyle, I was eating pretty much just whole foods but I was still substituting some items like bread for the gluten free versions and I was not watching added sugar. So in late 2016 and early 2017, I gave up items with flour in them and began to really read labels for added sugar. I lost an additional 5 pounds or so and have kept it off. I got a little lax toward the end of 2017 so I am recommitting to No Flour, No Sugar.
As for my food protocol, there are some exceptions that I will make that are personal to me and the way I want to eat. I will allow the following:
- Gluten free pasta – 1 time per week
- “>Gluten free pretzels – 2 or 3 times per week, portioned. I love them with pimento cheese or hummus and celery.
- Wine – 1 time per week, planned in advance
- Two servings of high-sugar fruits per day if I want them (examples include bananas and pineapple). If not, I will stick to low sugar fruits like berries.
- Dark Chocolate – 1 or 2 times per week, planned in advance
I am also committing to thirty days of movement including some early morning walking on my treadmill. Recently, I listened to The Model Health Show, Episode 255 on the benefits of walking and I plan to add some plain old daily walking. My plan is to walk each morning on my treadmill for 15 minutes before I get ready for work. I also plan to walk on Tuesday at lunch and Thursday with my workout partner at the Y. OrangeTheory will happen on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
I will post my staring Stats on next Tuesday’s blog and each week for the thirty days. I will share what I eat and how the exercise is going. See you next week – until then what can you today for A Good Life After 50?!
Kim
