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Lisa rolled herself out of bed at 5:00 a.m. to make the 5:30 a.m. spinning class at the local gym. It was January 2, 2009 and all in the house was quiet. Motivated to lose a few pounds as part of her New Years Resolution, Lisa was determined and unwavering as resolutions go, to try a morning exercise routine everyday of the week. She made sure she ate her last holiday desert New Years day! The kids start school on the 5^th and she has a couple of days to get this new routine kick started. As she pulls into the very full gym parking lot she says out loud to herself, "What are all of these crazy people doing up so early?" She felt she was already late looking at the number of people already there. She walks in only to find the spinning class is full and immediately senses frustration creeping in. Lisa walks to the treadmill instead. Her new routine seemed too be working as she made it through the next two weeks feeling great, waking up a little earlier to beat others to the exercise classes she wanted to participate in. But, life started to mess with her new schedule and goals. Her children watched her go through these extremes. By the fourth week Lisa fizzled out. Her talk of "I can’t have that, it is not on my diet" finally waned as well. The salad only days are disappearing and she found herself eating the rest of her children’s French fries soon after that fourth week.

Most of us have experienced some type of similar scenario at least for one of our News Years Resolutions. Many people do the same thing during Lent; only to go right back to whatever we gave up after Easter. One of our gifts from God is FORTITUDE. By definition FORTITUDE enables us to pursue good and to resist recklessness, which distorts a sense of values. Patience and perseverance are used to strengthen FORTITUDE. Consistently making healthy choices is a habit and healthy eating really comes down to habits. Habits become steadfast by repetition. The more we do something, the easier it becomes and then eventually it is something you do without thinking about it. Habits are best created by taking baby steps to make real life changes that last a lifetime. You will gain strength through practicing FORTITUDE in your health and your family’s health. Change something you know you can achieve that fits into your normal routine. Consider your entire family when it comes to health. God made us in his likeness and he gave us plants and animals to nourish our bodies.

Try making a more subtle New Years Resolution. Resolve to exercise MOST days of the week and then look at your schedule and plan on at least 4 days and stick to that. Sit down on Sundays, look at your calendar and fit in physical activity. Treat it like any other important appointment and stick to your schedule. It could be as simple as walking the track during your child’s team practice, or going on a family bike ride or walk after dinner. What is stopping you from doing daily push-ups and sit ups in the privacy of your own home? Have you ever worked up a sweat cleaning, mopping and vacuuming your home at a fast pace? If you are a morning person, then go to the gym in the mornings. If you can create the every morning gym habit then do it! This is the only way for many people. If there is a certain time of day that you snack unhealthily, then that would be a great place to start. If you are normally hungry around the same time daily, then replace what you are eating with fruit or vegetables and hummus for example. Pre-made portions will be helpful. If it is the extra daily calories you consume by eating your children’s leftovers or snacking when you make them a snack, even when you are not hungry, then stop. Planning is the key and proven to make people eat healthier. It is when our meals are not planned that we falter. This seems to be the fast food trap, especially with our children. Here is a list to get you on the right track in the New Year for a healthier you and a healthier family.

1. Make a weekly exercise schedule and make it something you enjoy to make it achievable
2. No "kick starting"…this may lead to burnout. Your goal should be at least 30 minutes each day or most days of moderate to vigorous physical activity
3. Build up endurance gradually
4. Make healthier choices. Replace chips with crunchy vegetables; replace white bread with whole grain, use beans one night for dinner instead of meat, see if you can grill fish twice a week, when you have a sweet tooth reach for fruit. Choose at least one of these you can stick to. BABY STEPS. One healthy change leads to another…it is a natural progression
5. As you make healthier choices, so will your family. If you are buying healthier foods at the grocery store, that is what your family will eat