Eat healthy, exercise and sleep. Good advice, but difficult to implement and even more difficult to maintain. To prove the point, several close colleagues who recently lost weight through Weight Watchers encouraged me to give it a try. Well, before the holidays, I had lost 25 pounds, and after a brief "holiday vacation," I am back on the wagon.

In fact, I have a little chart staring at me from my desk that has me scheduled to lose another 50 pounds before I hit a significant birthday this summer. In other words, I have a lot of work ahead of me. My trips to the gym will need to increase in frequency and I haven't even attempted to address the sleep thing. I can focus on only so much at a time.

It's amazing how much better you can feel with fewer pounds on board. But taking time to care for ourselves is not easy. It takes focus and resolve-and a little well-earned selfishness. This is especially true when you are far more accustomed to directing your attention toward others.

As nurses, we have been generous with our attention and care to others, to work the extra shift or weekend, and do a double-back for a sick colleague. The toll that our demanding work life takes on us personally is something we have to confront. Given what we know as nurses, it's embarrassing that we do what we know we shouldn't and don't do what we know we should.

I commend employers whose value for employee well-being has been put to action by providing health promotion services within the workplace. Gyms, cafeterias that serve healthy food (open for the night shift) and employee-sensitive scheduling patterns all translate into important messages to employees about the value and responsibility of optimizing health.

As a profession, our stereotypical image does not strike me as a sterling example of good health and good fitness. Although I could talk about how hypocritical we might seem to patients as we try to coach and educate them on their lifestyle habits, I won't point out the obvious.

Let's all just resolve to help each other out by being better role models for health. Like the dear colleagues who helped me with Weight Watchers, find ways to help yourself and your co-workers work toward a healthier 2003.

Let me just leave you with a challenge. If you see an opportunity to improve your health this year, why don't you just go for it? We can work on this together. Assess where you are on the health continuum. Are you fit and healthy? What are your personal goals, and how can your employer and colleagues help you out? You may be surprised at how cost-effective it is for your employer to make an investment in employee health and fitness. You know: fewer sick calls, back injuries and workers compensation claims.

I will keep you updated on my progress, and you can send me an e-mail with yours. Ready, set, go!

Discuss this and other topics with your colleagues at www.nurseweek.com/rnvillage