Seriously, who the fuck decided that being thin was a great predictor of health? It is not. You know who’s really thin? People who are dying. Shut the hell up. It is healthy to maintain a healthy weight, and what that looks like depends on your frame and your activity level more than some stupid numbers on the scale or what size your jeans are.
My second set of new year’s resolutions centered around physical health, so let’s talk about those for a moment.
- Regain strength
- Reverse diabetes
- Lose weight
Regain Strength –
I had knee surgery in July and was in a wheelchair for several months. I barely had any physical activity, and my overall body strength has suffered for it. My knee is nowhere near as strong as it was before. My body is nowhere near as strong. I need to start regaining strength in my knee and my whole body in short order. To make this a SMART goal, I would phrase it, “I will regularly do strengthening exercises for my knee and then the rest of my body every day that I am physically and mentally able to for the next year.”
Reverse Diabetes –
I am a Type 2 diabetic and most of my diabetes has come from taking a medication that made me gain over 100 lbs in a year. I recently stopped that medication and my diabetes has been improving rapidly. I need to continue to make healthy eating choices and exercise more in order to push my A1C and blood sugar back into the normal range for a significant period of time. To make this a SMART goal, I would phrase it, “I will make better eating choices and maintain an exercise routine every day that I am physically and mentally able for the next year.”
Lose Weight –
As I said, no one gives a shit about your pants size, but you still need to maintain a healthy weight for your frame, and my frame is overloaded with excess weight from the medication, the time I spent in the wheelchair, and with limited mobility after my knee surgery. Losing weight will also make it easier for my poor knee to carry my weight around. I want to lose at least 1 lb per week for the next 52 weeks, which is a significant amount of weight but still easy enough to do. To make this a SMART goal, I would phrase it, “I will maintain my diet and exercise changes every day that I am physically and mentally able, and weigh myself weekly to ensure I am losing at least 1 lb per week, for a minimum of 52 lbs lost in 2022.”
Hope you’re thinking about setting great goals for your own new year!
