resolution

when i left work on thursday afternoon, i felt like a complete pile of dog shit. the thought of going to the gym afterwards was enough to make me want to cry...or veer off into oncoming traffic. (either/or) i'd rather eat my left breast on a sandwich then walk through those doors and break a sweat. as i pulled into the parking lot, i thought about pulling right back out. (seriously.) i knew though (in my brain), that after working out i would feel 39% better (give or take) than i did when i walked in. so i pulled up my big girl britches and walked inside. sure as shit, after 45 minutes of running...i felt like i just screwed channing tatum. i felt awesome. (endorphins are no joke.) i'm sharing this because at the beginning of a new year, i'm sure many of you have made a "resolution" to get in better shape or to lose weight. i know this to be a fact in my own town...because yesterday i had to circle the gym parking lot 2 times to find a spot to park, and then i walked in and there were about 52 faces i've never seen before. every machine was occupied as well. (get offffffff!) i can't hate on the new years resolutioners, though...because last year i was one of them! last january i set out on a quest to wear a bikini by june, and by golly i did it. (barely.)

this year, my fitness goals are different, though. after a holiday food and drink bender, i'm ready to get back on track. however, i don't have to lose the same 30lbs that i did last year. this year i want to add weight training to my regimen and i'd also like to add a half marathon to my running repertoire. i also want to mix shit up and do different things to challenge myself. for example, taking a spin class or five...and adding yoga back into the rotation. fen and i are going to start doing hot yoga (yoga at like 323 billion degrees) together this winter and i'm jacked about it. if it's anything like this girl's account of it, i'm totally in: cruel and unusual punishment. (i laughed my ass off.) anyway, i think i had enough chocolate chip cookies and bloody mary's the past month to feed a small country. (actually, i believe i was one beer away from the betty ford clinic.) time to get my shit together and put down the donuts and pick up the dumbbells. i shared with butch that i would like to get back into clean eating and he said (and i quote), "what the hell is that." i said, you know...like paleo, only eating stuff that isn't processed or that comes from the ground? he replied, "that sounds terrible. i'm not doing that." i went on, "don't you feel crappy when you put crappy food in your body!?" he retorted, "no! no i don't feel crappy! i feel quite fantastic, actually. i had a cheeseburger for lunch and then felt awesome! so no, i don't feel crappy." (ok, then.)

when i eat good food and exercise regularly, i feel so much better. i sleep better. my skin is clearer. i have more energy. i'm happier. i don't feel like a pile of dog shit as much and i don't want to veer into oncoming traffic quite as often, either. (oh, and my ass fits into my favorite pair of jeans as well.) i don't want to be all preachy about being healthy, but if you feel like a walking asshole most of the time...you may want to try it. so maybe your resolutions are solely based on fitness goals, or maybe they are much bigger than that. every year (along with these) i vow to laugh more and worry less...and i'm usually able to nail that one. (i've realized over the years that half the shit i worry about, never happens anyway.) moreover, if you are a mommy like me you may be thinking, "i don't have time to pee by myself, let alone find time to work out." you do have time, you have to find it. if you can't make yourself a priority for one hour a day, then you need to reprioritize. however, if you are like my husband and "feel fantastic" after eating fast food...then don't let me stop you from your drive-thru dreams. moreover, in the dead of winter, i always feel my inner ax murderer come to the surface...i hate cold weather and the lack of sun. (exercise counteracts my inner ax murderer.) so tomorrow i choose to halt the holiday bender...get moving more often, put the cookies on the shelf, bag the bloody mary's and (most importantly) laugh along the way. who's coming with me?