Why Just at New Year’s?

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Angel Blair

Last week people all around the world celebrated and rang in the New Year; 2017 felt like it came so quickly and of course with it came the routine creation of resolutions and goals for the start of the new year. It’s tradition, right? To make New Year’s resolutions and try to stick with them until at least… the end of January? Lol.

I heard something on the radio recently about resolutions – the question as to why people wait until January 1^st to make them and essentially put their goals and hopes of change on hold until this significant date. Sure, it does make sense to wait until the start of a fresh year to initiate change; the New Year has always symbolized new beginnings and a clean slate to start anew. But just imagine if you were to start your own tradition of making resolutions and promises of change in the middle, or anytime of the year for that matter – whenever it is that the idea first pops into your head? You’re under no obligation to delay or put your life on hold because of past traditions and habits. If you’re one who likes to wait and mark these resolutions in the New Year then that’s great! But there’s no reason if you want to make a change now, why you’d have to postpone it. I mean there is something to be said for traditions, it’s nice to have customs and practices that are familiar and safe and comforting, but it’s also ok to spark a new practice within your life. Though the world and life in general can have their own very strong influences and effects in your day to day, you still have power to make decisions that impact your own life too, so that means you can make choices that suit your best interest, not just at New Year’s but all year round.

Here’s To a New Year!

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Angel Blair

When the clock struck midnight on December 31st, it symbolized the beginning of a brand new year for us to embark on! 2016 is here and it brings with it hope and light and aspirations that will optimistically fill the year ahead. The year of 2015 brought many different types of happenings; some dark, others bright, but also the chance to look ahead to a new time with different opportunities to seize and novel goals to set.

The new year represents new beginnings and a fresh start, a time to look ahead and think about what it is you’d like to do with your time in the coming year. This new time can mean different things to everyone—we are all unique so the things we set out to consider and do in the year ahead will be diverse. There’s no wrong resolution to set or incorrect goal to carry out; what you plan for yourself in the days ahead is up to you.

So what are some the things you’d like to do in the new year? I’ll get this discussion going: I’d like to take a class of some kind, maybe a cooking course (those skills would be welcome in my kitchen, haha).

How about you?

New Year’s Resolution Follow Up

Posted on April 14, 2014 by MSAA

By: Matt Cavallo

Raise your hand if you have stuck to your New Year’s resolution. Believe it or not, we are a quarter of the way through 2014 and reserving the right to recycle our resolutions for next year. I’ll be the first to throw myself under that bus! Seeing as we are a quarter of the way through the year, I wanted to follow up on some of the goals that I set and challenge myself to recommit to my original 2014 goals.

In January, I wrote that I was carrying about twenty one pounds of extra weight. This extra weight was making my legs weak and numb, my fatigue levels were high, and my clothes were uncomfortable. I resolved to lose twenty one pounds. My thinking was that in addition to my multiple sclerosis, the extra weight was contributing to the weakness in my legs and fatigue. My plan was to eat right, eat less and exercise more.

Eating right is a challenge to me. My line of work has me traveling the country almost every week. Seven out of eight weeks between January and February, I traveled. In fact, I am writing this right now on a flight from St. Louis back home to Phoenix. Between living in hotel rooms and the demands of my job, I didn’t have the strength or energy to get a healthy meal when there was a convenient drive-thru option. These eating decisions were the reason that I was struggling to button my pants!

Despite traveling extensively, I was determined to not have to buy new pants. I made the decision that I was going to lose weight on the road by changing my habits. First, I started with breakfast. The hotels that I stay at always have a breakfast buffet. There is an endless supply of bacon, eggs, toast and pastries. Most mornings I can smell the bacon long before I reach the buffet. As much as it pains me, the first change I made was skipping out of the buffet line and heading right to the yogurt and fruit. This change has been hard for me, and there are some days that I can’t resist a big breakfast, but I find that starting the day on the road with yogurt, fruit and a glass of water can be fulfilling and helps my digestive process.

For lunch, I have also been eating lighter. I work in hospitals, so I generally eat lunch at the cafeteria. The cafeterias generally tempt me with yummy burger, pizza or fried chicken options. Again I hold my nose and walk past temptation to the salad bar. I typically eat a salad and top it with some chicken. In the past, however, I would have smothered my healthy salad with a nice creamy ranch dressing, but lately I have opted for the lighter vinaigrettes. These dressings coat the salad easier, so you use less, and they are typically fewer calories than the creamy dressings I prefer.

These decisions that I make for breakfast and lunch afford me some slack at dinner. While my preference at the end of a long day of work on the road is for a double-stacked greasy drive-thru burger, large fries, and chocolate shake, I have been choosing healthier options. Instead of driving through, I place orders that force me to get out of the car. Instead of greasy, fried goodness, I have also been choosing lighter, grilled options.

The other thing that I am doing is consuming smaller portions. Part of it has to do with the fact that I don’t want to buy new pants, but I have found that once I cut back on my portion size, my body got used to it pretty fast. When I was consistently eating heavy meals, I needed more food. Now that I am eating less, I find that I get fuller faster. I am by nature a fast eater, who in the past would clean my plate before others around me had barely started. I now make a conscious effort to slow down and enjoy the food. By doing this, I don’t always have to clean my plate. Drinking more water throughout the day has also been a daily goal of mine. I found that some of my hunger may have been more related to being dehydrated than actually hungry.

With all of these changes, I have lost eleven pounds, which is halfway to my goal weight. My legs feel lighter, and I am less fatigued. And yes, my pants are now less of a struggle to button!

While I am winning the battle with diet, I am losing with exercise. I have made my annual post-resolution trip to the gym. I worked out, felt great and haven’t been back since! There is a free gym in every hotel where I stay, but I find myself alone in my room catching up TV shows or movies that I can’t watch at home because of the kids. I do tend to take the stairs instead of the elevator and keep true to my daily walks, but I know that I would feel so much better if I could just commit to working out.

So, a quarter into the year, and I am doing OK with my resolutions. I have lost half of my goal weight by making better eating decisions which included eating healthier and having smaller portion sizes. It was a struggle at first, but I feel better only ninety days into this year than I did last year. While I am doing well with diet, I have not followed through with exercise. Much like diet, once I establish a routine, I’ll be used to it and it will become natural. I am not there yet. However, New Year’s is not the only time for resolutions. You can recommit to feeling healthier anytime during the year. Are you accomplishing your resolutions? What are you going to do to get back on track? Invest in yourself because you are worth it, and be the change you want to be.

*Matt Cavallo was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005. Matt is an MS blogger, author, patient advocate, and motivational speaker. Matt also has his Master’s degree in Public Health Administration. Matt is the proud father of his two sons, loving husband to his wife, Jocelyn, and best friend to his dog, Teddy. Originally from the Boston suburbs, Matt currently resides in Arizona with his family. To learn more about Matt, please visit him at : http://mattcavallo.com/blog/

My MS New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Ashley

So, the usual New Year’s resolution has to do with being healthier, losing weight, etc. I’ve decided to make a resolution, but it has nothing to do with what I just listed.

So what’s my ‘big’ resolution? I plan on working on not being SO STUBBORN! I know that seems odd, but if you continue reading, you will understand.

I am a very stubborn person in many aspects in life, especially when it comes to my MS. Here are some things I plan on being less stubborn/hard headed about:

When someone offers me help, when it’s obvious I’m having a difficult time, I’m going to try and accept the help that is offered instead of being stubborn and trying to do everything on my own. While we don’t want our independence taken from us, and we like to do things on our own like we used to, sometimes it would make life easier to accept the help that is offered because that offer is coming from someone who obviously cares.

When my MS gets in my way of doing certain things, I’m usually too stubborn to stop what I’m doing or just take a break. I try and push through it all, but in the end I seem to suffer more in the aftermath of it all. So, I plan on ‘listening’ to my body & MS better, which will of course get on my nerves, but I believe it will benefit me in the long run.

When a loved one asks how I’m doing (and isn’t just asking it to be polite), I will not be so stubborn and disregard their question with an, “I’m Fine” answer… if they’re someone who genuinely cares about how I’m doing, I will give them a genuine answer. By doing so, I’m hoping that it will ease some of the tension I gather when holding all the information of “how I’m feeling” bottled up inside.

I’m also going to work on not being so stubborn about ‘remembering’ things. I always tell myself that I will remember a certain bit of information and I don’t need to write it down… but I end up forgetting the information in the long run, so I’m going to start making notes on my phone or a small spiral notebook.

Finally, I won’t be stubborn at my neurologist’s office, and I will ask the questions that need to be asked, and I will be completely honest when answering questions. I’ve realized that by being truthful about how I’m feeling, which isn’t good all the time, I’m not showing any weakness, but I show strength by being able to communicate this information.

So that’s my New Year’s Resolution…what’s yours?

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Angel Blair

Welcome 2014! Another year has come and gone, and for many 2014 signifies a new beginning and novel changes in the year ahead. It marks a time to make resolutions, changes, and achievements that will signify this year and make it different than ones past. New hopes, wishes and dreams are some of the things that represent this new beginning, as people try to make the best out of a fresh start. Some individuals may set goals while others strive to complete tasks day by day. No matter the method used in bringing about changes in the New Year, hopefully 2014 brings a time of hopefulness and promise.

I set a goal to exercise and eat more vegetables…what is one of your goals?

All the best for 2014!

Wrapping up the year

Posted on December 30, 2013 by MSAA

2013 is rapidly fading, and if you are like me, then by this point you are tired of all the wrapping and the go go go “holiday mode” and may be trying to mentally prepare for next year and what it may bring with it. A lot happens in the course of a year.

As the time rushes by, try to set aside a moment and think and write about 2013 as a year. Did you have a success or accomplishment you were proud of? Was there a goal that you didn’t quite meet or something you will strive to improve on next year? Was there something that made you laugh so hard you cried?

Write your own list. You can either hang it up somewhere you see frequently to remind you of goals and moments and memories you experienced throughout 2013. Alternatively, you can write it down and seal it in an envelope, then open it when 2014 is wrapping up. This will help you reflect on what you thought of 2013 and provide a retrospective of the curveballs, challenges, victories and laughter that the year brought.

MSAA wishes you a happy New Year! Please note that our office will be closed on January 1^st 2014.

2013-The Year of Changes

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Samantha Schech

2013 has been a pretty substantial year in my life. As I grow older, I start to reflect back each year, just to stay in tuned with myself. I have accomplished a lot this year, in starting my career with MSAA, moving, and feeling more emotionally complete.

It is hard not to be sentimental while reflecting back; some of my favorite times are spent talking about past life events or some of the interesting people who have come into our lives. I strongly believe that there is a lesson in every moment, but sometimes you have to take a step back to see it.

Although our physical surroundings and lives may have changed over the years, our inner souls remain the same. We are still the same person on the inside. For many, it can be a challenge to accept these changes; they wish to be the person they were before. However, I think we are that same person, but maybe we have become so bogged down with all of the “stuff” outside of ourselves, we have lost touch with our inner souls.

There is a quote, by Bryant H. McGill, “Change will never happen when people lack the ability and courage to see themselves for who they are”. Take some time this holiday season to find yourself again. Maybe reach out to an old friend or family member and reminisce about the years.

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