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 certainly think you should be giving health and fitness advice? Actually, yes; you see, I love to eat, and there is an fullness of opportunities during the holidays to get some great food not available during the rest of the year. Hardly a day go by that a neighbor, co-worker, family 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 concentrate 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 normally quiet morning workouts are suddenly interrupted with a huge influx of habitancy sporting new gym clothes and iPods. They stray around randomly picking up pieces of equipment and doing some painful-looking sets, they learned in the newest issue of Muscle and Fitness. They log their results in a little notebook, they bought specifically for this occasion, all the while sporting an intense expression normally reserved for those who accomplish 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 fullness of men succumb to it too. 60 to 90 minutes of intense walking on the treadmill, or a slow pace on the elliptical while reading the newest 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 around and certainly 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 coming months and make it easier to effect 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 during supper instead of casseroles and hamburgers. The fruit dish will have fullness 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 concentrate of pounds if I ride the wave? Cake.
So, unless you are a body manufacturer 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!