Eat those damned cookies and drink those beers! Cheesy potatoes and pumpkin pie? Homemade toffee and grandma's walnut fudge? Yep, eat it all. Okay, dude, do you well think you should be giving health and fitness advice? Actually, yes; you see, I love to eat, and there is an plenty of opportunities while the holidays to get some great food not ready while the rest of the year. Hardly a day go by that a neighbor, co-worker, house member, or friend isn't dropping by with a plate full of goodies. Let me say again: I love to eat, especially at this time of year! So what if between December 15th and the January 2nd I put on a consolidate of pounds?
Here is the deal, come the first week of January, I and a million others like me are going to be dragging our butts to the gym to work those indulgences off. For those of you who are gym rats, such as myself, we see it every year. Our usually quiet morning workouts are suddenly interrupted with a huge influx of citizen sporting new gym clothes and iPods. They stroll colse to randomly picking up pieces of tool and doing some painful-looking sets, they learned in the latest issue of Muscle and Fitness. They log their results in a wee notebook, they bought specifically for this occasion, all the while sporting an intense expression usually reserved for those who achieve brain surgery. Of course, this time of the year brings on a new set of cardio bunnies. This is mostly a women's disease, although I have seen plenty of men succumb to it too. 60 to 90 minutes of intense walking on the treadmill, or a unhurried pace on the elliptical while reading the latest James Cameron or Good Housekeeping. This lasts for about a month, then things start to quiet down and by March you have the place to yourself again.
Sure, a few will stick colse to and well make it a lifestyle. But by and large, those monthly gym dues will go unused.
So what is great about that? Easy. For those of us who are in there every day, the New Year gives us the chance to refocus. We just came off of a season of eating, where, if you were smart, you let your guard down for a while and just enjoyed yourself. Dieting and rehearsal are important, but they can be mentally taxing. If you longingly skip those brownies and crumb cake, you are denying yourself the chance to rejuvenate mentally. The chance to recharge will give you greater focus in the arrival months and make it easier to ensue your restrictive diet and rehearsal routines. And what best time to refocus than by creating a New Year's resolution?
Yesterday, my wife announced to me that starting in the New Year she was going to lose some weight. What does that mean for me? It means we will be having fish and veggies while evening meal instead of casseroles and hamburgers. The fruit dish will have plenty of apples and bananas and the vegetable bins in the fridge will be stocked with carrots, broccoli, and celery. Plus she will make up a batch of Greek yogurt Uncle Dan's dip to go with it. We will have fat-free chocolate pudding and air popped popcorn instead of ice cream and chips for our late snacks.
Guess how much easier it will be for me to lose those extra consolidate of pounds if I ride the wave? Cake.
So, unless you are a body maker getting ready for a show in January or February, I say eat those damned cookies and drink those beers! It is time to celebrate!
There Is Nothing Wrong With New Years Resolutioners!