Being the Change You Want

Last night I had a dream. I wish it had been something as grandiose and noble as Martin Luther King's dream, or Lehi's dream, or I Dream of Jeannie, but it wasn't.

I dreamt that I wrote a book especially for people who live alone, entitled "I'm Fat and I Snore". Probably not quite what you were expecting, hmm? But yep, that was pretty much the gist of it: I'm fat, and I snore.

Not sure it's a best seller title, but I can work on that. The point is that there are reasons people live alone, some make sense, and some don't. And I am going to suggest that being fat and a snorer are not strong qualifiers in the "These Reasons Make Sense" competition for choosing to live alone.

However, having said that, and assuming there is more than one person in the world who uses at least one of these two non-qualifying reasons for their lonely nights, I have another dream. It's a dream of life without stress, food without calories, and exercise without sweat. Now THAT'S what I call a dream.

The sad reality is, for most of us anyway, that food will always have calories, life will always have a bit of stress (if not more) and exercise - real, focused, intense exercise - will make us sweat...and there will always be people who sleep alone, former beauty queens and jocks who are now overweight and out of shape, and sweet, innocent sleeping babies-turned-adults who now snore the roof off (and their partner right out of the bed) for several hours a night.

My new goal (resulting from 3 medical tests that have all come back: "You're healthy as a horse, what's your problem?!?!") is to "live with what I can't change, and to change what I can't live with". Or, more simply stated, to lose weight which will also cause me to stop snoring. (No, uh uh, the book's not about me, sheesh, heaven's no - it's about everyone ELSE with these issues).

So, to get a head start on 2010, here goes - my goals follow. I will:

a) exercise 30 minutes every day (and sweat the fat out - just aerobic/whatever else exercise)
b) sleep 7 - 8 hours every night (with less snoring as exercise and diet do their magic - physical health exericise)
c) eat 3 - 5 meals every day (with calories, but with a high nutritional value compared to a low calorie count - nutrition exercise)
d) drink 8 glasses of water every day (without flavorings, just gulp it down, sheesh - hydration exercise)
e) claim a minimum of 30 minutes out of every day for just me (destress while I do something relaxing that I enjoy - an it's all about me exercise)
f) give 1 hour of service every week to someone/something (good kharma-building exercise)
g) give thanks, study and meditate at least once a day (spiritual renewal exercise)
h) write 1 book this year, entitled "I'm Fat and I Snore: Why I Choose to Live Alone" (or something like that) (self-satisfaction/sanity-preservation exercise)
i) take a university class or 2 or 4 (mental stimulation/alzheimer prevention exercise)

And that's just the beginning. I am going to be the change I want to see in my life.

My 2010 mantra is to live with what I can't change, and to change what I can't live with. Remember, I claimed 2010 as my own a few blog posts ago...and it's a done deal: this year is all about me.

It's about time. It's about change. But most importantly, it's about me.

It's a Jeannie dream.

How to Lose a Diet in One Day

We have all read the magazine covers "Lose 10 lbs of belly fat in 3 hours", "Walk your way to fitness and never take a step", "Find the hidden you beneath those layers of fat without even changing your clothes"...yada yada.

Well, I have written my own diet and exercise program "The Ohm and Wii Diet, by Mii - How to lose weight without saying a real word" and I have actually done fairly well on it...until today.

This blog entry is written from several pounds of personal experience. I have discovered, in one day, what NOT to do when you are on a diet. I am sharing it here to prevent others from the same calorie-laden one-day diet disaster, so suck it in and pay attention. Here are the top five diet no no's or "how to lose a diet in one day":

#1 - Do not attend a baseball game when hungry. (Peanuts, hot dogs, beer (for some), more peanuts)

#2 - Do not cruise new neighborhoods; you might find an Italian bakery. (canoli)

#3 - Do not go to Costco at noon. (samples and more samples)

#4 - Do not do anything without water in hand. (iced sweetened herb teas and decaf coffee drinks)

#5 - Do not wear loose clothing. (you can eat even more peanuts, hot dogs, canoli, etc.)

OK, time for Mii to get close and personal with my Wii. I am certain I am several dog years older and at least one hot dog heavier than yesterday. I think I am going to change diets, I am going on the "Best Friend Diet - Mii and You can do this together if Wii never leave the house". Watch for it on the newstands soon. Ohmmm.

Food, Glorious Food