Healthy! NYR #1

NYR= New Years Resolution.
I usually don't make them, but I'm going to make this year an exception. This is especially good timing since I will be gone from the States for a year and really want to use this time to form healthier habits.

Eating:
1. More water, less coke.
2. More vegetables.
3. More protein.
4. Eat a healthy breakfast (with protein) and not the fried pasteles that the Hondurans eat.
5. The purpose of food is to make me not hungry and give me energy. Don't stress over each meal. Try to be HEALTHY. This works for me. I get too obsessed with things otherwise and have an extremely unhealthy attitude toward food.
6. Therefore, everything in moderation.

Exercise:
1. Run/Walk at least 3 times a week, working up to 5, for 20-40 minutes.
2. Do strength training activities (with my exercise ball and/or band to start out with) at least 2 times a week, for 20 minutes, working up to 3 times a week.

For me, the exercise thing will be easier, because I've done all of this before. I just have gotten out of the habit of exercising. However, I seriously need it to battle the stress from the screaming 5-7 year olds I teach all day. I have a weird relationship with food which is much healthier than it used to be, so I'm thinking that the switch to really try and be healthier in what I eat won't be too hard. My one main weakness is french fries. Luckily, I am faced with them much less in Honduras. While they are very readily available, my daily life doesn't bring me in contact with them as much. Given that and the fact that the money I do make, I'd rather spend on things other than french fries.

My main focus: I'm not doing this to lose weight, I'm doing this for my health. My father has heart disease, and my cholesterol was higher than it should be at last check. My grandmother and uncle both had/have diabetes. While losing weight will be a nice side effect, it is in no way my main goal.


PS. Someone (in Honduras of course, Americans aren't this candid) told me that I was "unfit but beautiful." This is supposed to be a compliment right? Is that like saying someone saying, "you're a little fat, but attractive." ???