How’s your HPA?

Your health point average.

OK, I made up that term. It harkens back to years of tracking my GPA, my grade point average.

In case you’ve forgotten, your GPA is calculated from all of your grades over your 4-year college (or high school) career.

It’s a great concept if you don’t let yourself get caught up in the numbers. (I personally hate numbers and point systems and eating 150 grams of this or 4 ounces of that.)

But looking at your HPA in a loose sense is a neat way to keep track of your health.

Because you don’t arrive at a “healthy place” by acing just one or two things. 

Say, by having a salad every night with dinner—even though you live in a state of stress, never exercise and start each day with packaged coffeecake.

Or by running a couple of 5Ks each year, but otherwise living on fast food and making your couch your home base.

It is what you generally do that counts.

So look at your week and figure how you’d grade yourself.

Now, I’m not so big on the idea of rating your week A, B, C, etc. And I don’t believe in “failure.”

For me, it’s more like “good,” “really good,” and “wow, keep it up!” Of course, there’s also “need to do better!”

So, in general, are you moving often? Eating wisely? Getting enough sleep? Managing your stress?

Be honest. It’s the only way to reach a true assessment.

Maybe there’s a weak area that begs improvement.

Here’s one we all relate to—nighttime snacking.

Lots of ways to deal with that! You could:

• Substitute herbal, green, oolong or decaf black tea for your usual snack
• Downsize your snack (have a smaller portion)
• Snack less frequently—say, every other night OR just two nights a week
• Evolve to healthier snacks over time—ice cream to sorbet to a piece of fruit

So, don’t just bemoan your bad habits. Figure out an action plan! Something that suits your personality and goals.

Then again, if you live a pretty healthy existence and you really want to order that brownie sundae on Saturday night, then enjoy it.  Drop the guilt.

 Because if you generally exercise and eat well, a single dessert is not going to bring you down.

Single, I said.