Talkin' Bout a Resolution

New year's resolutions rarely work. I usually say I'm going to eat well and exercise, nothing specific. I think I keep up with it enough to not gain a lot of weight. I think it's not so much a problem with motivation or determination, but timing. We wake up on new year's day, the first day to start the rest of our lives in some better way, and we are given one of the greatest days of entertainment of the year: College Football Bowl Day! If there is anything that keeps me from exercising and eating well, it's college football. They should not be blamed in any way, and I would never think to sue them like those overweight kids tried to sue McDonald's, but it brings out the worst in me when it comes to health. I would never go to the grocery store to buy the food that's in front of me, yet I so easily consider it to account for two of my three meals for the day. I can't go to the gym and watch a game while I'm on the treadmill, that's almost anti-American enough to get your phones tapped.

Could I overcome this, yes. Am I going to, no. I think the whole resolution idea should be reworked. People should make a post football season resolution. This way you don't have to give yourself unrealistic expectations leading into the playoffs for college and pro football. Sure, one could argue that there's always something like March Madness or summer vacations around the corner that will cause you to fail. But we could treat the Super Bowl like Mardi Gras. They say that to create a habit, you need to do something for 21 straight days. There would be enough of lull time between then and the next big thing to start one. And the days would be getting longer and the weather warmer, plenty of reason to get outside and do something active.

I can't say it would work and I have no success stories, but it's a thought. Next year is too far away to not think about anything, so maybe I'll give up something for lent. Next year will have to decide if it works. Happy Fat Tuesday!