For What Reason....

Would I start yet ANOTHER Blog????

This Blog is completely different from the others.  I have "The Northern Woods Gypsy" to write about my farm, my family, advocacy and my life.  I share the "Sucker-Punch Gypsies" page with two other incredible women, and as a trio we write about things that are hot button subjects.  But this... this is a whole new ball game.

Welcome to "One Year to a Spiffy New Me"!  This Blog is about exactly what it says... over the next year, I am going to mold these tired bones, into a spiffier version of myself.  I am going to pamper myself, take care of myself and basically repair all of the things that have been damaged over the last almost five years.

As many of you know, I am the mother of three Special Needs children.  In August 2008, we started getting one diagnosis after another, and with each one of them, my body took numerous blows.  The emotional, physical and spiritual stress has literally exhausted me.  I see it in my eyes.  I see in on my skin.  I see it on the scale.  I see it in my exhaustion.  My sore muscles.  My painful back.  On the labels of the pill bottles that stare back at me.  The clumps of hair in the drain.  The peeling nails.  The medical test results.

You get the point.

A couple of weeks ago, I had an epiphany.  Enough is enough.  I have many years of hard living left.  My children are still very small, and if I keep going at this rate, I will be in a grave within ten years.  In the last four and a half years, I look like I have aged well over a decade.  My body hurts all of the time.  My patience with everyone is wearing a little thin.  I am exhausted all of the time, yet I have major insomnia.  I sometimes want to hide from the world.

So leading up to January first, I am going to start taking most processed foods from my diet, completely giving up diet soda, eating more greens, fruits and veggies, removing ALL white carbs and drinking tons of water.  I am going to be faithful in taking my vitamins and iron supplements.  I am going to push the fiber.

I am also going to start doing girlie things again.  You know... full fledged beauty regimen.  I am going to start pampering myself a bit.  This body is a vessel and I have completely neglected it.

I am going to become more actively social outside of the computer.  To actually get more face time with people.

I will be bumping up my workout routine and I will be reporting everyday as to what I did for physical activity through the day.

I will begin trying new things, such as... gasp... sports.  Oh I said it.  Rachel the poet, artist, writer, dork and klutz will be throwing herself into the sports world.  Watch out Roseau County.

And Finally.... Starting January 1st, 2013 and stretching until at least January 1st, 2014 I will be starting the MonaVie RVL health system.  I am pledging to remain faithfully on it for one full year.  I am not only going on it for weight loss, I am going on it to repair my health.  To repair my body.  To repair the damage and prepare for the future.  I will be doing this with the help of Lindsay Kjos and Maari Ost.  I am lucky for their support, as well as all of their help... now and over the next year!

My goals to reach by January 1st, 2014 are....

1.  To be completely off of all the medications I am on for my Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome.
2.  To hopefully be off of (or at least cut down on) my B12 Injections.
3.  Be quite a bit lighter than I am now.
4.  To be much more physically fit than I am now, and have a nice strong core.
5.  To be active in at least two sports.
6.  To have many nice, solid and healthy relationships.
7.  To have a nice, pampered body.
8.  Get more rest.

I encourage anyone and everyone to join me.  Whether or not you want to do all of the same things that I have chosen to do, I think it is a good to have someone fighting the same battles.  Whether or not your battles are as severe, they are still battles.  Whether it is for the same reasons.  Whether it is something like weight, or wrinkles or self esteem... you are welcome to join me.  I Welcome All!!!

So please, join me in taking the "One Year to a Spiffy New Me" challenge!!!!!