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Viva la resolution! (New Year's, that is.)

2004-01-06 - 9:42 a.m.

Despite the title, which I couldn't resist, I don�t really believe in New Year�s resolutions. I�ve known too many people that have habits they would like to break but use New Year�s as a means to put off actually doing anything about them.

- Sure I know smoking is a filthy habit and I want to stop doing it� so starting January first I�m going to quit.

- Dude, it�s August. Why not quit now instead of waiting months?

New Year�s isn�t the only time I�ve seen this. I�ll quit when my new niece or nephew is born, or I�ll quit when I�m 28 (but they were 25 when they declared this), or I�ll quit after I�ve finished exams when I�ll have less stress.

I have a lot of respect for people that make a lifestyle change for the better. It�s harder for a smoker to quit than for someone like me who�s always hated it to never start; just like it�s harder for someone who loves food to lose weight than it is for someone who has no particular interest in it, or a perverse love of raw carrots, to always stay thin. And I certainly admire those who decide to pick a day to make the change and then stick to it, I just don�t think that it has to be only one day of the year and that people should necessarily wait for that day, or abandon the initiative if they suffer a setback. (Oh well, there goes that resolution, pass the cheese doodles. Oh and can you grab me a pack of smokes when you�re at the corner store? Maybe next year I�ll succeed.)

That having been said, I�m kind of glad the wretched excess of the holidays is past. While I�ve never been a smoker, food is one of my great weaknesses and, between parties and family meals, I always overindulge over Christmas. I have to admit that, even though I give myself mental permission to make no effort to curb my impulses during this time, I still feel small prods of guilt after the fact. And I get heartily tired of just feeling so damn full, so damn often. Oh and did I mention that the first round of unflattering Christmas pictures has started to trickle in? And believe me, round is the operative word. I can angle my chin flatteringly in the mirror but there�s no hiding from a camera wielded by a drunk friend at a party.

So it�s back to making an effort to eat well. And I do have to step up my training at the gym, especially in light of the fact that I have less than five months to get ready for the annual 10k race against my dad (oh yeah, and over 4000 other people). Maybe this year I�ll even beat him if I start training early enough.

So, it appears that I�m making resolutions after all. The fact that they coincide with the beginning of the year? Pure coincidence. Really.

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Say, today is officially the day some good friends of mine are expecting a baby!

I don�t know if she�ll actually go into labour today (does anyone actually have the baby on their exact due date?) but I wish her luck when she does and I�ve got my fingers crossed that they have a healthy baby after an uncomplicated, and as short and painless as possible, labour.

Before - After


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