Sometimes I feel like I don't really take that good of care of myself. I mean, I shower. I eat, I sleep, I live. Am I really doing what I should though? The answer, if I'm being truthful, is probably not.
It seems like it can be really hard to find time to take care of yourself when you're a mom. This year though, I have promised myself I will do better in these areas:
Getting more sleep
Research says that there is no actual "magic number" of hours of sleep you need, and that it varies from person to person and age to age. My guess would be that I need about 7 1/2 hours to 8 hours a night to be a sane, normal, emotionally stable human being. My husband, however, needs much less. So, the plan is to get about 8 hours a night, even if I have to pull myself away from the couch early. That may not always be possible, but I'm going to try to keep it in that range and not allow myself to go for two to three nights a week with low sleep because then I begin to turn surly and quite unpleasing to dwell with. lol After writing this blog, I might take a nap :)
Getting more exercise
We all know we want to be "in shape", but lately I've noticed that working out actually makes me feel better too. Not only do I feel better about my overall image, but exercise actually increases your endorphins, the body's "feel good" chemicals. It also helps to decrease the amounts of the stress hormone called cortisol. When I work out consistently, I feel better. Will I work out every day, no. Will I try to be more active and create a workout plan that I feel I can obtain without severe strain, yes. At least if I move throughout the week in a productive way, I feel better. Plus, Bathing suit season is on the horizon, and I'm too young to dread it as I do. :)
Eating better
Recently, I survived the stomach bug. If you've ever had this horrible illness, you know that it limits your ability to be able to eat hardly anything. When I finally did start eating again, all I wanted was healthy food. Not tofu, but whole grain bread, apples, bananas, veggies, and water. It was kind of cool and I was hoping I would see some weight loss, but no dice. I also had to cut coffee, which as some of you know, I am in love with/addicted too. (that's another story for another blog). So after about two to three days of eating like this, (once I made it past the eardrum splitting headache I got from caffeine withdraws) I realized, I felt great! I really think there is something to watching what you eat and keeping up with those food groups. Whole wheat bread, fruit, and veggies really aren't that bad, you just have to fix them right. I have a salad I make that is delicious
Jessie's delicious salad :)
- Romaine Lettuce
- Chicken breast, grilled or baked, really any seasoning will work.
- Olive oil/vinegar for a dressing (oil is also used for roasting veggies)
- Roma tomatoes
- Yellow squash
- Onion
- Blue cheese crumbles.
Assemble your salad like this
- Lettuce
- Dressing
- Blue Cheese
- Veggies (cut them up, throw them on a baking sheet with a little oil and a little seasoning and broil in oven at about 450 degrees for like 10 mins, keep an eye on them, when they get a little brown, they're ready)
- Cooked chicken
and that's it! Its really good because the sweet from the onion mixes with the tang from the blue cheese.
Anyways, I'm going to watch what I eat. Eating three large meals a day will slow down your metabolism, but if you eat a few small meals a day, your metabolism will speed up and you will burn more calories. Plus, I'm definitely a snacker. Guess I know where my son gets it from.
Looking Good, and I Mean Goooood
I'm a lady, and I'm married. There's no reason for me to be walking around here with unshaven legs, bear claw toenails, bad breathe, and unkempt hair. Is it easy, yes. Is it sexy, no. So my goal for this year is to try to keep myself looking decent by keeping up with the "girly" things that I sometimes reject because they are time consuming. No one ever said beauty was easy, but I'm sure our husbands would agree, it's worth it.
Keeping My Spiritual Self Strong
Reading the Bible, praying, reading books by Christian authors, and doing devotionals daily are all things I plan to do in order to stay focused and close to God for 2012.
If you're looking for a good translation of The Bible I recommend the New Living Translation, or NLT. It's easy to understand. You can also download one of several different bible apps on your smart phone. They usually have all of the versions for you to check out and also have a handy highlighting feature.
Some Christian books I would recommend are, The Christian Atheist, by Craig Groeschell and Captivating, by Stasi Eldredge. Both have been instrumental in my growing in my walk with Christ.
Meet Friends for Coffee
Make time for play-dates, date nights, and just time for you and your girls. Sometimes we have to step away from our hectic lives to realize how awesome they are. Plus, having women you "do life" with can help strengthen and ground you.
These are just a few of my resolutions for 2012. Some things I want to do in my life to make sure I take care of myself. Just because we are the moms, and maybe we do a lot, doesn't mean we shouldn't take care of ourselves too! Your whole family will appreciate the newer, refreshed, happier you. :)
Yes! Awesome - sounds good.
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