It’s a New Year so it’s a good time to make some changes.  I don’t mean some resolutions to make changes.  I mean actual changes.

I began with a new promise to do my best to control my fluids and chemistry (especially Phosphorus and Potassium) because these are so very important for my continued good health.  They are insidious things that can build up over many years and cause me a great deal of trouble.  I did pretty well over most of 2012 but it took a lot of effort.  I’d like to improve those numbers.

So for 2013, I will begin tracking my Phosphorus and Potassium on a regular basis.  My doctor tests weekly and that doesn’t give me much room for letting things go awry.  Most doctors only test once a month.  If you’re in that category, you have even more reason to be careful with these two chemicals because one month’s scores are very little to go on.  I appreciate that I have weekly testing.  It keeps me on track.

I will also do better on my fluids.  I seem to do well with that right now.  After several years, drinking fluids has become easier and easier.  It’s become my habit to avoid much.  I don’t fill a glass.  I get enough to drink with a half or less.  Often I simply drink a couple ounces and that’s enough.  When I dine out, I ask for water and don’t let them refill it.  Less than one glass is enough and drinking water doesn’t temp me to finish it as I would if it was a soda.  In the morning I have my two cups of coffee and that’s it. Two cups is 1/3 of my daily 48 ounces.  On weekends, I try to make it only 1 cup a day.

Now for the hard part… I will do better on my weight.  I always seem to pick up a few extra kilos in the winter.  I am doing my best to avoid it this year.  So far, so good.  I avoided a lot of Holiday eating.  I did very well at Thanksgiving although it was all very tempting because it was a wonderful celebration with some very good friends.  Christmas was quiet and we didn’t go too far on the feasting.  New Years was also quiet and not much feasting.  I believe I made it through the worst of it but somewhere deep inside is a gene that wants me to pack it in for the winter.  If I can get through most of January without too much indulgence, I believe I will be okay.

Have you thought about what you can do to make 2013 better than 2012?