life done write

May is the Month of Resolution.

As I mentioned a few days ago, I’m going to take some just-baked resolutions (write every day; read good books; get up early; etc.), pair them with other resolutions that are in the same vein and then spend a week or so seeing what happens when I make intentional decisions to follow through with these things.

All of these resolutions are things that I already know make me happy and make me better. And I thought the logical place to start was with the two that seem to most affect my health and, by extension, my mood.

So here (tomorrow) begins the week of Get Up Early and Eat Real Food.

Let’s talk about Get Up Early. I think the reason that I do so much better when I get up early is that I need time. Maybe not everyone needs time–I knew people in college who rolled out of bed and into class, where they dozed through the first half, and still they did just fine. But I need time. Time to stand in front of my closet and pick the thing that will make me feel good when I put it on. Time to eat breakfast–rather than just grabbing Starbucks (you see how these two resolutions start to work together). Time to snuggle Luna, who is at her cuddliest just after breakfast. And, even better (when I can manage getting up even earlier), time to read a book or write out my thoughts.

If I go back to sleep (which is my default, because I love sleep), I end up more tired, less happy and more rushed.

No more. It’s time to get up early. I’m going to start this week setting my alarm for 7:00A.M. and, as the week goes on, perhaps we’ll move that up to 6:30A.M.

Now, getting up early will help me with my second resolution: Eat Real Food. It’s harder to eat real food when you’re running out the door, grabbing Starbucks for breakfast and totally forgetting to bring a lunch (aka. off to the fast food joint we go). The trouble is that eating chips for dinner because I don’t feel up to going to the grocery store or having Starbucks for breakfast because I’m running late leaves me feeling gross–and I don’t even enjoy the Starbucks, which should be a treat!

No more. First step: I’m going to the farmer’s market, where I’ll buy veggies, homemade bread, fruits and other things that strike my fancy. I’m also going to make a plan–plan out my dinners. And if I do get caught unawares, I’ll be ordering up real food at restaurants as well.

Real problem areas that I’m going to have to focus on include ice cream (I love ice cream, I always have ice cream in the freezer). I’m combating this by buying myself a better blender (yes, Brief Influential Roommate, a magic bullet). I’ve also purchased some make-your-own-Popsicle plastic containers, which I am assuming will continue to help with the sweet, cold cravings.

Problem area two that will need some attention is caffeine. I’m terribly addicted and very frequently get headaches or crash in the early afternoon if I don’t have a soda. But soda is not real food–so I’m downgrading (upgrading) to tea and I may allow myself to indulge in a coffee once or twice (which would be a lot less than normal).

Problem area three: salty snacks. I need to find a way to satiate my early afternoon snacking with something salty that is also real. Right now, this snacking usually involves crackers or chips. No more. The bigger problem here, though, is that I don’t know what to replace it with! I don’t want to stop snacking (snacking is good for you; and I have low blood sugar, so it’s important to be consistent in my eating habits and not space them out terribly much)–but I don’t know what else would meet my needs. I don’t like eating veggies by themselves (my artichokes should be in a sauce, my peppers should be tossed in a pan with chicken and spices, my carrots come in soups). Fruit isn’t salty. Etc.

I guess this means my trip to the farmer’s market is also going to be a brainstorming session: what can I eat in between meals?

I haven’t decided whether I’m going to update you throughout the week or whether I’ll compile my findings into an end of week post, but either way, stay tuned kids. And feel free to join in and let me know how your week goes. It’d be incredibly interesting to do some of this together (even if you only want to eat real food and not get up early or vice versa).