Seek HEALTH (not just weight loss)

One of the things that I love about the New Year is that it brings with it a fresh start and new opportunities.  This is something I've needed.  2014 was not a good year.  It actually started at the end of 2013 when I had a health scare, which, in the end turned, out to be nothing.

FALL 2013

"Julie, we're going to do some blood work to 'rule out' some of the bigger things like various forms of cancers.  We'll let you know once we have those results."

I like how they say "rule out."  Isn't it like a 50/50 thing?  You're either going to rule it out or you're going to find out this is what it is.

So, I asked, "How long will it take to get the results?"

The answer? "At least a week, maybe longer."

TORTURE.  A week that included also being poked and prodded and inserted with dyes.  A week to think about my mom having breast cancer when I was in sixth grade--throwing up over chemo and losing all of her hair before my sister's wedding.  A full seven days or more to consider the long nights spent on a neighboring recliner next to my dad as he suffered from the affects of chemo and radiation with his thyroid cancer.  Plenty of time to think about how Dad couldn't swallow any longer and needed a feeding tube.  Days to let my mind wander to Dad's last days with us and how divine and special they were, but also how painful they were too.

A week or more.  To think about my kids.  To consider the moments I could miss in their lives.

I once saw a segment on Oprah about a dying woman who wrote letters and made videos for her daughter, since she knew she was going to die and wouldn't be able to tell her daughter everything she wanted to tell her at the most important moments in her life.  So, I began to consider my own letters and videos and what I should share with my kids.  (I know--it sounds dramatic, but this is all true.)

A week to turn over thoughts about my husband.  How grateful I am for this man.  How much I knew he would also suffer in loving me through the possible results and all that may follow.  I saw, first hand, how hard it was for my parents to see each other suffer.  We were too young to face this.  We hadn't had enough time together.

In that week of guessing and waiting, I couldn't see God's grace, honestly.  I don't think this was a statement of my own faith and trust in God.  All the results were in my imagination, and God didn't promise me grace for my imagination--he promised me grace for the moment when I would need it.

Fortunately, none of the things I feared were the answer.  The results were strange and simple.  All of my symptoms probably came as a result of a tumble I had taken a few years earlier down our basement steps--yes, I said a few YEARS earlier.

But here's what did come.  Depression.

2014: I NEED A DO-OVER!

Those who have followed my blog for the last three years know that I had lost a substantial amount of weight (120 pounds, to be exact).  I was supposed to be moving toward optimal health in my life.  I was the most vibrant I had been in years.  And then BOOM, that all changed.

The depression I experienced led me back to my old, faithful "friend"--food.  And when it led me down that path, my husband and my children linked arms with me and we walked together.  Dan started gaining weight, my son started to develop signs of anxiety, my daughter...well, she was pleased that candy could be one of the main food groups again...and I gained all of my weight back.

I don't want a repeat of 2014.  No way, man!  It's time to turn the page.

MY GOALS FOR MY FAMILY IN 2015

Seek HEALTH not just weight loss.  

It's time to learn and practice the Habits of Health this time around.  I know how to lose weight now, but I never really practiced how to BE HEALTHY.  This year we are going to really practice habits.  Which reminds me of this blog post: It's Just Practicing Habits  We don't have to be perfect at this, but we have to train with the end goal in mind.  We are running a marathon toward health, which requires the proper tools, a lot of training, a mind set on perseverance, discipline, and the belief that we can make it to the end goal.  I want the Garner Family to be healthy people--body, mind and spirit.

What does this practically look like for us?  

Eat Well.  

Healthy eating doesn't look like eating foods we don't enjoy, it means finding healthy foods we love and eating well.  

Mainly for me it will be Lean Proteins | Green Vegetables, but for my family it will also include "clean" foods like Fruits | Whole Grains | Healthy Dairy

We will eat 6 small meals a day, as opposed to the typical American 2-3.  This is very non-traditional, but we've done it before and I'm looking forward to us doing it again.  This includes packing healthier snacks and lunches for my kids at school.  

Sorry, Kate, but candy just got removed as a major food group.  But we WILL use Tiny Tastes to help make healthy eating fun for you!

Move It.  

I heard this morning that something like 15% of all gym memberships are purchased in January.  65% of gym members don't ever use the gym.  So, we will forego the gym membership and find lifestyle activity we all enjoy.  We will walk the dog.  (The dog is already wagging his tail!)  When the weather improves we will hike and explore, because this is something we LOVE to do. 

Meditate On It.  

Since I know I'm prone to depression, particularly in the winter months, I need to meditate my heart and mind on God's word.  I will need to actively seek inspiration and hope.  If I have any chance of persevering in the other areas, I need to keep my mind sharp and clear.  Dan and I have plans for working on this together, which makes me happy already.  We want our children to see that this is important to us, and also important for them.  So, I'm starting a gratitude jar, where we can give thanks for things instead of complaining.  

AND, I've been wanting to do this for about two years...

Revelation 5:8 says, "...and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people."

It is just awesome to think of God collecting our prayers in gold bowls!

I've been wanting to create this visual for our family and this year I'm doing it.  We will place our prayers in a Gold Bowl in our home.  On New Year's Eve, we will usher in 2016 by emptying our gratitude jar and our prayer bowl. We will literally get to see how God has answered our prayers and all the many things we have to be grateful for as we look back on 2015.  These things will be like a sweet fragrance to our souls.  

I also plan to get back here to my blog more regularly so I can, once again, share all that I am learning!  My blog is having an identity crisis--so, I hope in 2015 it finds its identity again!  #bloggoals

I can envision running across the preverbal finish line of 2015 as a healthier, more vibrant, more grateful, more FREE person.   

How about you?  What are your goals for 2015?