Monday, January 18, 2010

New Years Resolutions


1. Lose weight

I went to the doctor today to ask about things I can do to reduce my acid reflux. She casually said “Looking at your chart here, you’ve gained some weight in the last few years.” And before the words were even out of her mouth I was spouting off some defensive nonsense… “Well, you know, I have a genetically large bone structure and those calculations don’t take into account muscle mass, etc etc blah blah.” She cut through my baloney and just said if I wanted to reduce acid reflux I could shrink my bulbous belly that was pushing on my stomach and forcing hydrochloric acid up into my esophagus. She also had some suggestions that were perfectly catered to me- mindful eating. Apparently, the slower you chew your food, the smaller it is in your stomach and the less likely it is to come back up later. So tonight I ate a steak super slowly (which was really helpful cause it was a cheap piece of tough sirloin) and savored each bite with all my attention. Also, I’m working on eating smaller portions and setting a goal of getting to the gym 3 days/week. Check out this free website that is motivating my workout routine (http://thehealthchallenge.com). Again perfect for me because it’s based on competition (so if you’d like to join- challenge me to a workout competition). Oh and of course I’ll continue to take my Omeprazole (dang pharmaceutical companies have me hooked on a drug).

2. Manage anxiety

I have a problem with anxiety. And you can always tell how I’m doing by looking at my finger nails. If my fingers look as if I shuck oysters all day long for a living, that’s a bad week. Times I remember having smooth fingers/nails: being in Tanzania. Something about that place that just washed away my anxiety. So my New Years resolution is to 1) pay attention to when I am picking at my fingers. This may sound elementary but most of the time I’m doing it I don’t even realize it. 2) Pray for whatever it is I’m worrying about (something actually constructive vs the purely pointless activity of ruminating on my concerns). 3) Join a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction class. Very excited for this- it’s something I teach other people but only occasionally practice on my own ( http://www.mindfullivingprograms.com/whatMBSR.php )

3. Do more outdoors activity

I already went skiing last weekend and had a blast. And of course in classic Johnson fashion I pushed it 110% right out of the gate and ended up bruising some ribs on a mogul run. But I’m recovering and plan on taking Katie out this weekend. I’m also planning a backpacking trip with my friend Josh to Mt. Saint Helens when the snow melts a bit. And Katie and I are gonna get some snow-shoeing in for sure.

2 comments:

  1. I am not a professional but I can give you a great tip to reduce your anxiety - STAY OFF MOUNTAINS THAT HAVE BLOWN UP!!!

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  2. I know you know this - but....
    F E A R is False Evidence Appearing Real.

    "Fear not, for I am with you..." - Isaiah 41:10

    You have God with you to help you; you no longer need to be controlled and driven by fear. Don't fight your battles alone. Call upon Him. He loves you and wants to help you live a good life.

    (plagerized from Joyce Meyer......)

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