Shh - It's A Secret!

So, I've joined a secret group. And you can join to - I'll tell you how in a minute.

But first, a little backstory:

I stream RadioBDC at work frequently, and last week Dr. Sherry Pagoto, Ph.D., from the UMass Medical School, was the featured guest, talking about making better dietary and exercise choices. She mentioned a private Facebook group she had started, and before the interview was over I had emailed her, asking for an invite to the group.

As I write this, there are 44 of us, committed to making positive changes in our diet and exercise routines. Big changes or small, they all matter.

This week's challenge is a pretty simple, straightforward one: Home Improvement. Sherry has challenged the group to make one change at home, one change at work and one change in our exercise routine. The trick is that it needs to be something that, in the past, we haven't had the willpower to overcome. So, for instance, if you are unable to resist a handful of Nilla Wafers before going to bed, the idea is to get them out of the house so that the temptation is no longer there.

Here are my goals for the week (and longer, I hope):

The building I work in recently added a keypad at the top of the enclosed stairwell, making it possible to take the stairs UP to the third floor now. So that is what I'll be doing every time I enter the building as well as every time I leave it. I'll be taking the stairs. This is what will greet me every weekday morning:

Once in the office, my next goal is to avoid the kitchen. The well-stocked kitchen. The as-long-as-I'm-here-getting-coffee-I-might-as-well-grab-a-PopTart kitchen. Here is a small part of what I'm giving up:

However, making it until noon without SOMETHING is a torture I can't endure, so I brought something a little healthier from home:

So, Home Improvement Week begins now for me. Wish me luck!

And if you're interested in joining Sherry's secret Facebook group, drop her a line at sherry.pagoto (at) umassmed.edu.