On New Year's Resolutions

It's that time of year again. You know...when you wake up on January 1st, effectively erase the memory of every Christmas cookie, potato pancake and champagne cocktail you had in the waning days of the previous year and suddenly you are a different person. Someone who woke up on the first day of a New Year suddenly craving big salads and long sessions at the gym. You leap out of bed; proclaim that this is the year you will...

....Eat Healthy

....Lose weight

....Exercise...

.....whatever your health resolution is on day one of the New Year, you are determined to make it happen. Until day 5 or 15 or 36 of the New Year. Those are the days when what I call the "Scarlet O'Hara syndrome" takes a firm hold of your resolve. You know it well. You wake up in the morning; have a healthy breakfast, a pretty healthy lunch and then your boss dumps a new project with a ridiculous deadline on your desk....again.

SNAP...in one fell swoop that jerk has upended your week and caused you to find solace in a face full of the office donuts you so victoriously refused earlier in the day. With the sweet and comforting flavor of chocolate icing (and perhaps a couple of choice words for that awful boss) still lingering on your tongue, you return to your desk and accept your fate. You will probably be working late into the night and ordering the worst possible thing from the Chinese place next door. Because for some inexplicable reason the worst possible thing you can eat will make you feel better. For the moment. And that's where Scarlet comes in. You can justify all of the decisions you make in moments of despair or frustration...you'll think about that all tomorrow...because, after all, tomorrow is another day.
 
 

Here's an idea–Instead of committing to the (nearly always) impossible idea of quitting chocolate cake, french fries, or your mother's famous meatballs cold-turkey, how about tackling your healthy eating adventure one meal at a time. Just one. Not only will this make those (inevitable) liaisons with Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome (I'm talking to you dark chocolate candy bar I got in my Christmas stocking), less damaging–you will also remind yourself that every meal is an opportunity to start fresh.

So, next time you find yourself pondering the idea of restarting your healthy eating commitment on Monday because hey, it's Friday–and that's is universally known as the WORST day to start ANYTHING–why not make your very next meal a healthy one and take it from there?

What do you think? Share your tips and ideas for staying committed to eating healthier!