Whew! Over three weeks are under our belt in the new year, and I keep wondering how all of you are doing with your healthy lifestyle choices? Our Look Better Naked program is in full swing, and I have to admit the first few weeks were quite a challenge. I quickly learned that it is not "how to" make healthy choices, but what are the things that might be preventing me from making healthy choices. You and I know "how to," we hear this song and dance everywhere, but there appear to be incessant roadblocks that keep coming up in my life that throw me under the bus.

As you may know I love to hear people's stories of success, and of course their challenges. In the physical therapy world we understand physical loss and the pain of life, but we always keep pushing people towards independence and their right to freedom with their health. You might think freedom is a funny word to describe our health, but for me it is the best description. Just think, when you can take less medication, when you can learn to run again, drive your car, sit at work without pain; this to me is freedom. For the past few weeks I have heard a lot of stories about people and their healthy lifestyle choices so far this year. As you know our goal is not only about losing weight or exercising more, it is about having the health you want: mind, body and soul. You can't have one without the other. Believe me, I tried it.

My staff now has new Nike Fit Bits, and I have loved hearing their adventures of how they have been reaching their goals. They set their goals on the device for their desired activity level for the day, and when you reach your target for the day, the Fit Bit gadget lights up and goes crazy, which for some of us might not happen till 10 at night. I think it's awesome that it happened, knowing how hard my incredible staff works everyday. Others of you have shared that you were rolling along doing great - already losing 7 pounds and working out everyday - only to be sideswiped by unexpected things: a longer day at work than expected, a child that was sick, or an unrelated health issue that showed up out of nowhere.

Whatever the case, I am here to tell you we all have good and bad days. We all can relate. Please do not abandon your goals because you have a few bad days or a roadblock. Simply identify the things that you think our getting in the way of your health goals, and begin to make a plan to detour around them, or muster up the courage to plow right through them.

Here is the thing; we will all perish without a vision of ourselves. It must be your vision and yours alone. My wise father always reminds me that you must order everyone else who is riding on your bus to get off - whether dead or alive - before you will be able to drive the bus the way you were called to drive it. With that said, I am well aware that this will be the challenge of your lifetime to drive the bus the way you were called to do, because even when we have kicked the people off our bus, they keep trying to get back on. Boundaries are hard, and we have to make them in order to be successful in our healthy lifestyle choices.

So here is your job: to love and accept the gift of your amazing body, even with all its faults. You know what I mean: the mole on your face in the wrong place, the parts that sag and bag more than they should, the hairline that is receding, the eyes that need glasses. You have to accept your body first for what it is, and then get a vision of what you want for your body in the future. Next, figure out what the roadblocks you keep encountering with your health are, and then step forward, take a chance, and make a move to love the one you are with.

Sheree DiBiase, PT, and her staff at Lake City Physical Therapy are excited to hear all of your stories. We consider it an honor to work together with you as you make your health a priority this year. Next measure and weigh in is February. We can be reached in our Coeur d'Alene office at (208) 667-1988, and in the Spokane Valley at (509) 891-2623.