I refuse to believe that every year on a certain day you are handed a free pass to start yourself over. Baloney! I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. They are lies to me.

I feel as though giving people an excuse to wait until New Year’s is the weenie way out. The most made (and broken)  resolution is to lose weight, get fit, eat better, etc. (I’m putting them all in the same category since in all actuality they are the same thing.)

This past June I made a commitment to myself that I was going to get in better shape. I don’t necessarily believe in losing pounds so much as inches and sizes. I went at it very gung-ho. I specifically remember it being a Tuesday night that I called my husband and told him that I was going to start an eating plan the next morning and to expect a higher grocery bill because I was going all out.

I started on a Wednesday. I didn’t wait until Monday like I hear so many people say. Why pick a day? Today is a day. Choose it.

So along with my eating plan I began boxing workouts with my husband at the house. Since I am a spoiled brat (thank you, My Love) he went out and bought me blue boxing gloves which I love and have always wanted.

If you want number results I’ll give them to you. I’ve lost 30 pounds, over 12 inches and 3 pant sizes. This last 10 pounds was the hardest.

While I am not a vain person in the least (anyone who knows me can tell you that I am not someone who looks in a mirror longer than to make sure there isn’t food stuck in my teeth) I do have another goal to meet. I am no where close to being done. It’s not about appearance to me. It’s about feeling good. It’s about not being winded when running after the kids in the yard. It’s about wanting to be able to compete in the Hell Run with my best friend Mark one day soon.

A few nights ago we stopped to talk with our friend, Peter Bonin, over at Tri-City Martial Arts (TCMA) next to Shell in Pleasanton to let him know that I would be attending as many classes as I could; including Taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)  and possibly Cardio Kickboxing. He asked me if I was going to start at the New Year and without thinking I said yes mainly because holidays are short on time, but I woke myself up and sent him a text the next morning telling him I’d be there on Tuesday ready to go. I took my own advice. Today is a day. Why not choose it? (FYI: they were closed for the holidays that’s why I had to wait until Tuesday.)

When Tuesday became today I was nervous, but not nervous enough to back out. If you’re not nervous about something then you’re not taking a big enough risk. Things that make you nervous keep you on your toes. Things that keep you on your toes make you better in any aspect.

I took my dinner break for class and had an early protein shake instead. I met my husband at TCMA and stepped into the dojo not as a parent or wife, but as a student for the first time.

Donny Blue, first my friend now my BJJ instructor, welcomed me fully and had me suit up in a gi (jiu jitsu uniform). Over an hour of jiu jitsu will fascinate you. It’s completely strategic. A game of chess. Size doesn’t matter, only brains and determination.

After BJJ, we jumped into the Taekwondo class already in progress where I learned a few kicks and a bit of protocol. Definitely got my heart going. It’s good to know I’m still alive and that it still beats for me. I’m sure it’s appreciative. Probably knocked a bit of dust from the chambers. And while I may not be able to move in the morning I WILL be at class again tomorrow.

I’m on my way. To better health. Better life. Better prospective. Better me. Perhaps on my way to a Black Belt.

My question to you at the end of this year isn’t “What’s your resolution?”. It’s “Ham or eggs?”. What the heck is that you ask? It’s a phrase I’ve heard and used more than a few times meaning, how committed are you? While the chicken contributes its eggs it’s still alive (a partial commitment). The pig, however has to be fully committed.

So what’s it gonna be? Ham or eggs?

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