One Little Word | 2019

Hello hello, friends and happy Monday!

Today we're talking resolutions.  What are yours?  Do you make them?  And more importantly, do you KEEP them?

I've waited until now to share mine because every year I make a few and then by this point in the month, I've either stuck with it long enough for it to be real or it has been completely forgotten.  So the ones that are sticking are the ones that I'm sharing. :)

1.  Go to the doctor.  My #1 resolution this year is to start paying more attention to my overall health.  I'm 37 now and apparently at that age where all sorts of things can start to go wrong.  If they haven't already.  I wouldn't know because after our insurance changed a few years ago and my doctor was no longer covered...I haven't really been to one.  For anything.  Because I'm stupid.  Trust me, I know how stupid this is.  And this is why I'm terrified to go now.  Something is SURE to be wrong! Right?

Yep. I'm that girl that thinks the worst when it comes to stuff like this and the longer I wait, the more terrified I become that something is wrong and I'm probably dying and I'd just rather not know.

(Whew.  I said it.  Don't judge.  We all have our things.)

But that, my friends, is ridiculous, obviously.  If there is (God forbid) something going on inside me somewhere then I need to know.  Like yesterday.

I've always been healthy.  I've never had issues of any kind (other than my crazy Raynaud's disease which leaves my fingers white when I get too cold.  More on that HERE.).  So going to the doctor just is never really on my radar.  But with cancer of many kinds running on both sides of my family, it's probably best to suck it up and go.

So this week, I'll be making appointments.  Reluctantly.

2.  Go to the chiropractor.  So this one I did already!  Probably because it was much less scary than going to a doctor who can diagnose you with all sorts of bad stuff.  ;)  Y'all may have heard me mention here and on Instagram that my back has been giving me all sorts of problems lately.  My lower back is constantly sore and tight and there is one little spot on the side of my spine that hurts like a mother 50% of the time and hasn't gotten any worse or any better in oh about 6 months.  Yes, friends.  I am a glutton for punishment.  And I'm terrified of doctors.  Or what they'll tell me anyway.  #whydoIdothis?  #probablybecauseIgooglemysymptoms #dontdoit

I used to go to the chiropractor all the time when my kids were little.  And that stuff works and makes me feel better so that wasn't the problem.  I just didn't ever seem to want to take the time out of my schedule to research a new doctor (my old one moved) and just GO.  Also, insurance stuff annoys the crap out of me and I don't understand any of it.  I really don't.  Sometimes I wonder if I missed some national class that every other responsible grown-up took about insurance and how it all works and I somehow slept through my alarm that day?  I don't know.  I've gotten better over the years but even now, when I hear people talk about it, my eyes just glaze on over.

So yes, I've been seeing a new chiropractor who I love for a couple of weeks now and it has helped so much already.  Plus, she's about 3 minutes from my house so I don't feel like I'm taking much time away from my day to go.

3.  Get your workout on.  Oh, the workout thing.  Gah.  If I could change one thing about myself I would definitely choose to have whatever it is that makes someone WANT to go work out all the time. Because I don't have it.  

(Or since we're changing things, maybe I'd just change myself into a naturally tall, thin supermodel who can eat whatever she wants and never gain a pound.  That actually sounds better.  I'll go with that.)

I was an athlete all my life. I played competitive softball until I was 18 and was also a volleyball player (although that came second to softball).  I was a cheerleader and did gymnastics and was always active.  I worked out steadily after I got married and moved to Green Bay and then Buffalo.  I even had to drive through snow and negative temperatures to get to the gym.  #dedication

I started taking semi-private and private Pilates classes after Matthew was born and absolutely loved it. After my first time on the reformer, I was hooked.  I went steadily for almost a year and then I got pregnant with Mason right after Matthew turned 1.  I had a pretty rough first trimester with him in terms of constant nausea so Pilates went out the window pretty quick, especially since so much of it is core work.

  Over the years, I've joined gyms that I LOVED but they always ended up closing!  I loved Koko Fit Club and was going 3 or 4 times a week steadily for over a year.  And then I showed up to work out one day and there was a sign on the door that said it was closed for good.  Now there isn't another one within an hour of me.

I also joined a small women's only gym that had just enough to keep me happy.  I would go for an hour a day almost every day and then...it closed.  I was heart-broken.  There weren't any other gyms like this ANYWHERE.  The closest I could find was Curves (is that still around?) and I checked it out but it wasn't really my thing.

Basically, I like my gyms small, female only and I prefer there not to be too many people around judging me for not knowing how to use the weight machine correctly. ;)  Maybe that's why I liked those two gyms so much.  No one was ever really there.  Which could also be why they ended up closing...

Anyway, with my back being so messed up this year too, working out has been the last thing I've wanted to do and even if I wanted to, it hurt too bad.

But now, I'm taking care of my back issues and I'm going to start Pilates again.  I'm toying with the idea of either a home reformer (although we have nowhere ideal to put it) or starting classes at a pilates studio near my house.  (But then again, with my track record, I'm sure I'll love it and it'll just close.  Maybe I should stay away for their sake.)

Pilates is going to be so good for my lower back and again, it was the only thing I really found fun.  I'd love to drop the 6-8 pounds I've gained over the past year (ugh), tone up some of these squishy bits and start to feel better about myself again.

I want to focus on all things HEALTH this year so I guess that's my "one little word" for 2019.

I feel like just by sharing these with all of you, I'm already being held accountable.  Now if my new Fabletics leggings will come in, I can get started. ;) It's amazing what new workout gear can do to inspire you!

I'd love to hear what your resolutions or your "one little word" is for 2019!  Leave your comments below!

Happy MLK Day!