Nattie Writes!

• Body—I have chronic depression I need to take care of myself. I can't eat Cheetos all day and expect my body to perform well. I have also gained more weight. I won't say how overweight I am right now, but it isn't pretty. I always want to lose weight, but it hit me that my weight is a contributing factor to some major health problems. My blood pressure has gone up over the past few months, and it is because of my weight. Adult onset diabetes runs in my family and this extra weight isn't going to help. * First I'd like to lose 10% of my body weight. I will do this by:
• exercising
• I plan on incorporating a balance of cardio, weight training and stretching.
• I would like to exercise every day even if it is only yoga or taking a 10-minute walk, but I'm aiming at three days of cardio and three days of strength training with the cardio being a minimum of 30 minutes.
• eating low carb/high protein
• FYI—this isn't Atkin's; this is a similar plan called Protein Power that encourages getting rid of simple carbs and eating complex carbs. Also once you have reached your goal weight you start adding more carbs to your diet to see what you can tolerate.
• drinking water
• This is the bane of my existence. I don't like to drink water. I know I need to. So I'm starting slowly with one glass a day. Eventually I'm going to drink the recommended 64 oz plus if I drink any caffeine to drink the same amount of water to counteract the caffeine.
• Read Dr. Phil's The Ultimate Weight Solution to get behind some of the issues on why I keep gaining weight. (Other than the fact that I love to eat) :o)
• Mind and Spirit—
• Be Creative daily. Even if it is only coloring in my Pooh bear coloring book that I hide under my bed so the kids won't get it. :o)
• I am also working through The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. After that I plan on reading more books on writing.
• Journaling daily.
• Reading daily
• I have the list of 52 books that I want to work through. On top of this I plan to continue reading my Bible daily. I'm not going to do a "Bible In A Year" plan. Right now I'm reading a book at a time and a Psalm and a Proverb daily. I also journal about what I'm reading.
• Finish the Living Beyond Yourself online study by Beth Moore.
• I am also working through Lord I Want To Be Whole by Stormie Omartian.
• Live a Contemplative Life. I so want to fall in love with God all over again. I want my heart and life to be filled with praise for him. God doesn't fit in a box and I tend to try to do that to him. So I am letting God out of the box.
• Cultivate a richer prayer life
• the main thing I will be praying for is to fall in love with God, my husband and my children. This may sound strange, but I feel like I don't have enough love in my heart for my family. I don't know if this is a part of my depression or if I'm just really nuttie. Sometimes I feel so unattached to them. I want to have a real heart for them so I can better meet their needs.
• Take time for me! I can't take care of my family if I'm not taking care of me. I feel so much better after I take a long bubble bath and slather on a sweet scented lotion. I love how I feel when I am exercising regularly. So I'm taking time for me regularly—even daily.
• Declutter—I hate chaos. But we seem to live in a constant state of chaos in the York home. I signed up for Flylady again and I've been flinging left and right. I'm also trying to work on a control journal. I am a perfectionist, but housework is one area where I'm just not that great, so I'm going to work on that.

• Get out of the house and develop some friendships. I'm getting a little loopy talking to a three- and a five-year-old all day. I need some adult interaction. Maybe volunteer at the local nursing home or join a small group at church—something. Not only do I need to get away from the kids some, I tend to be too introverted and get all caught up in my own private dramas. It is healing to help others.

Here's to getting healthy and knowing God more in 2004.

Copyright Natalie Rose York