Better Health Through Better Choices 2011 Challenge

**pollypurebred39** · 01-02-2011, 03:22 AM

It's part of the new year ritual – an annual attempt to start afresh and turn over a new leaf. But making resolutions is a near pointless exercise, psychologists say. We break them, become dispirited in the process and finally more despondent than we were before.

88 Percent of New Years Resolutions Fail, according to online news.

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After reading this, I find myself having a moment of denial and think, this time will be different. This time I won't be one of the 88%! Then with startling clarity I realize, that I am a failure. A New Year's resolution failure that is. Every year I'm all gung ho, I've got my list and I'm going to lose weight, get in shape, get healthy, lower my blood pressure, get my blood sugar under control.....but somewhere around January 1st, 12:01 AM, I've already fallen off the wagon. So this year I decided that I'd challenge myself in a different way.

The year 2011 will be a year of making better choices. The goal, to make more good health choices then bad ones. All those little choices add up to big health benefits.

So everyday I'll post my good choices, I'll share my bad ones, and I won't fail this year's challenge because there's no failure. It's all about doing better then before. I can do that!

So come and join me on this journey of better health through better choices challenge.

**pollypurebred39** · 01-02-2011, 03:32 AM

I started out today on a good start, I

~got a good nights sleep
~I chose a leaner cut of pork and did not make mashed potatoes with supper
~I took my vitamins
~I drank more water then soda

**Palooka** · 01-02-2011, 03:52 AM

I love it! I will enjoy this.

You probably know this, but you can make mashed potatoes with veggie broth or chicken broth and cut a ton of calories. Of course I use veggie broth.

I just boil the potatoes in the veggie broth and drain and reserve the liquid and slowly add what I need back in, instead of milk and butter.

I have to have my mashed potatoes.

You are off to a great start, Polly!

**joyofsix** · 01-02-2011, 07:15 AM

I had decided something like this myself. I was going for improvement not perfection. That is why I'm having peanut butter toast and not a donut. Though the donut looks pretty good.

**tervsforme** · 01-02-2011, 08:06 AM

This is a great idea Polly! Making conscious decisions, better choices, makes for lasting improvement. I think anyway... I'm with you! This morning will be my first challenge, I'm meetiing some friends for Brunch. So I am going to make better choices and not overeat!

**pollypurebred39** · 01-02-2011, 08:37 PM

Very excited that our local McDonald's is serving oatmeal 24 hrs a day!

Today's not over yet, but I'm going to post anyway. Been feeling kind of yucky, it my tom. So I decided to take care of myself and took a nap this afternoon. Wishing all the diet soda from the holidays was gone. I'm having a hard time choosing water or tea over soda.

- I ate fish today
- I gave my body rest when it needed it
- took my vitamins
- I ate a trail mix bar, one of the good ones made with just almonds, seeds, cranberries & honey, instead of the mint chocolate chip cookies DS1 baked today.

Awesome choice joyofsix! Hard to say no to a doughnut!

How did brunch go Kim?

**Palooka** · 01-03-2011, 01:07 AM

Funny, dh had to run an errand this morning and asked if we wanted him to bring home doughnuts. No way, I said!

I ate two oranges.

It was a nice stress free day laying on the couch with dh today.

**pollypurebred39** · 01-04-2011, 02:44 AM

Hard to make good choices today, still have way too much diet soda in the house from the holidays. I've drank way too much.

On the plus side, there's also been pizza shop stuff in the fridge, and candy, and cookies, and potato chips, and corn chips

It's killing me, but so far so good, I've made good choices and have avoided all that stuff.

Now, I've eaten fish twice today. I've used sea salt, took my vitamins, but......I've not had a single bite of produce. Tomorrows another day.

**mauimagic** · 01-04-2011, 02:54 AM

What a great idea Polly - one that I am so excited to join in with too!!

Today could have been a lot worse, so I guess I did make some 'better' choices.

Did do pool exercises today - it was so cold, but it is the one form of exercise that I really love doing.

Stopped eating at 7PM

Still need to up my water intake.

Had a great shopping trip to the grocery store - got the basics - just solid natural food - eggs, whole chickens, 8 grain bread, salad greens, Lean Cuisines.

...tbc.....

**Palooka** · 01-04-2011, 03:38 AM

Originally Posted by pollypurebred39

Hard to make good choices today, still have way too much diet soda in the house from the holidays. I've drank way too much.

On the plus side, there's also been pizza shop stuff in the fridge, and candy, and cookies, and potato chips, and corn chips

It's killing me, but so far so good, I've made good choices and have avoided all that stuff.

Now, I've eaten fish twice today. I've used sea salt, took my vitamins, but......I've not had a single bite of produce. Tomorrows another day.

I wouldn't worry too much about the diet soda and I'm sure some would argue that....

I bet it's hard when your dh can take free pizza's home?

Don't be too hard on yourself because the stress will kill ya faster!

**pollypurebred39** · 01-04-2011, 04:05 AM

I really like soda Palooka, way too much. If it's here I'll drink it over coffee, tea, water. I don't seem to have a reject button when it comes to soda. LOL! I rarely buy it for that very reason.

If it was just pizza I could ignore it, but it's specialty pies. He brings home a box filled with several different things almost every time he works. There's this great veggie pie, a deep dish pie, thin crust pie, strombolis, pepperoni sticks, johnny dogs, chicken barb-b-que with onion rings on top, spaghetti pie, sometimes sandwiches or whole pies that were mistakes. The list goes on and on. Frankly it drives me crazy.

**EmilyD** · 01-04-2011, 04:08 AM

I am working on this daily so I will join this challenge.

Today I:
Slept in late to make up for my deficit the last 2 days
Ate 1300+ calories
Walked 15 min on treadmill
Did 40 sit-ups, 20 wall push-ups, and 20 hamstring lists
Did 10 dumbell side bends and 10 chair calf raises

**pollypurebred39** · 01-04-2011, 04:15 AM

Sleep is good Emily! I just heard that lack of sleep cause weight gain. So get that shut eye!

**joyofsix** · 01-04-2011, 01:16 PM

I made it through yesterday with pretty good choices.
Yogurt for breakfast.
Fish and soup for lunch.
I had bean enchiladas for dinner but only ate 2 (when I really wanted a 3rd one).

I had two chocolates but it wasn't the box. Babysteps, right?

Today I had english muffin with pb for breakfst and soup and veggie pizza for lunch. I haven't exercised yet but I did play some Wii fit with the girls. Better than sitting at the computer I guess.

**mauimagic** · 01-04-2011, 06:59 PM

It's all a process and as long as we are heading in the right direction, we are better than just okay!!

Have decided for food consumption at school, if I didn't bring it, I cannot eat it!! It is far to easy to consume many extra empty calories here - ugh!!

Getting some extra exercise in during the day as I need to be out with my children at recess due to staffing changes - so that's walking to and from the playground and standing for 30 minutes - it's gotta count for something!!