Ahhhhhhh the ringing in of 2017. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE. However, for any of you (us) trying to kick a habit, get back in shape, ...

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or are committed to some other foolhardy resolution, the first few weeks will be less than happy.

I resolve to drink less.

I resolve to quit smoking.

I resolve to lose this 20, 30, 50 pounds.

I resolve to…

 HERE’S THE PROBLEM - - don’t worry a solution will follow - - here’s the problem: Most resolutions FAIL within 3 minutes to 20 hours of midnight on December 31.

 The people who will be “drinking less” are usually still up drinking at midnight - - if nothing else, starting off the New Year with a glass of champagne.

 The people who will be smoking less, are usually still up and running at midnight, many in environments that promote smoking, and that first cigarette of the New Year gets lit up before even going to sleep on New Year’s morning.

 The people who are “committed” to losing weight (me) may or may not be eating at midnight, but I’m giving odds at 100 to 1 that you (we) will be eating plenty of junk food on New Year’s Day, if for no other reason than this year it happens to fall on a Sunday.

 SO how do we make resolutions that stick?

 FIRST - DON’T RESOLVE TO QUIT COLD-TURKEY. Mmmmmm turkey! Sorry, I got side-tracked.

For some people, like me, it’s all or nothing. But for many people, the gradual decrease works better. Think about those stop-smoking “cures.” What are they? They’re the same drug just in a different form (patch or gum).

You don’t need those. Just resolve to smoke half what you do right now. There will come a time when maybe you can cut that number in half and half again and one day, you’ll notice that you didn’t smoke a single cigarette!

Same thing for drinking, or coffee, or sodas, or any other “habit” you want to get rid of.

 HOWEVER - - try to stay more aware of your triggers. Do you eat, smoke, or drink when you get stressed? Do you eat, drink, or smoke when you’re excited, depressed or experiencing some other mood?

If the answer to the above few questions is “yes,” then try to avoid situations that bring about these triggers.

ONE DAY AT A TIME. Smoke a few less cigarettes; drink one less drink; have 1 less cup of coffee or only 2 sodas instead of 4. You get the picture.

 NEXT - SUBSTITUTE A GOOD (OR NOT-SO-BAD) HABIT FOR A BAD.

If you get stressed and want to grab a cigarette or drink, go for a quick walk; do some pushups; call a friend and just chat until the moment passes, etc.

 If you’re trying to get off soda or coffee, grab a tall glass of water - - it’s better for you and it will solve the thirst issue without making you hungry.

 A lot of people who smoke have oral issues. This is why we see people who give up smoking starting to over-eat or picking up the gum-chewing habit.

When you skip the cigarette, grab a stick of NOT GOOD TASTING GUM. The problem with sugared or non-sugared gum is chewing it makes you hungry.

 Try to find a habit that’s better than the one you’re trying to get rid of. I’m in Southern California, so I just get out of my chair and go for a short walk. If you’re in Wisconsin in January, this might not be an option for you.

 NEXT - 3 STEPS FORWARD; 1 STEP BACK

What this means is DO NOT QUIT just because you fall off the wagon. Understand that quitting smoking, giving up coffee, dieting, etc. are all things that aren’t necessarily easy. Don’t beat yourself up, just because you grabbed that cigarette, ate a donut, or didn’t get to the gym.

 RESOLVE to keep moving forward. If you blow your diet on Wednesday, don’t say, “Oh I blew it; I’ll just start again next Monday.

Again, try to identify those things that cause you to mess up, and try to work around them. I get to work at 6am. It’s very easy for me to skip the gym. But if I skip it, I KNOW that, once my day gets going, I’m not getting in there. So I force myself to get up a little earlier and get to work a little later.

 LAST - A LOT OF US ARE DOING THE “LOSE A FEW POUNDS” THING.

Number One Rule: The only way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. Any other trick, technique, pill or program WON’T work.

 Rule Number Two: If you’re over the age of 35 or 40, it is physically IMPOSSIBLE to out exercise a bad diet. What this means is the majority of people who work out might burn 2 or 3 hundred calories during a workout. Three Oreo cookies equal 160 calories. You can't out exercise a bad diet.

 Rule Three: You gotta cut out ALL sugar’d drinks or sugar flavored drinks. Sodas and flavored waters have either sugar or artificial sweeteners - - both of which trigger that part of our brain that makes us want MORE FOOD.

95% of all liquid that goes into your body should be water.

 Rule 4: If you’re like me (I polish a chair for a living) try to move around in the morning, at noon, and again in the evening. This habit tricks your metabolism into running at a higher rate. The higher your metabolism, the higher your caloric burn rate.

 Alright, that’s it for now. Wishing you much success with your New Year’s resolutions.

As for me, I think I’ll wash down another slice of pizza with another beer, while sitting in front of the television.

 Best wishes to you and your families for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2017.

 Richard

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