I Need A Taser Fridge

It's January 8, and I would probably hazard a guess that if you haven't already broken your New Year's Resolution yet, I reckon that it will be coming within the next week.

I absolutely hate the phrase "New Year's Resolution".  It adds a lot of unnecessary pressure of trying to achieve something that may or may not be even possible.  I think that's why I went along with the idea of having a New Year's Dream instead.  That way, if what I wish for comes true, it was meant to be.  And if not, my dream could be changed to something else.

At least, this is how I try to justify not making any resolutions. 

But I often wonder what some of the most common New Year's Resolutions are that are made.  After all, while everyone hopes to have something that they want to make different for the New Year. it's funny how most of us seem to have the same ones.

I was doing a little bit of research on the subject of New Year's Resolutions, and I found a list of the most common ones that are made, courtesy of www.usa.gov. 

Yeah, I know, I know.  It's an American site, and I'm Canadian.  But I would think that this list is somewhat true for almost all developed nations.

So, without further hesitation, here are the top thirteen New Year's Resolutions that are made every January 1.

1.  Lose Weight

2.  Volunteer To Help Others

3.  Quit Smoking

4.  Get A Better Education

5.  Get A Better Job

6.  Save Money

7.  Get Fitter

8.  Eat Healthier Food

9.  Manage Stress Better

10.  Manage debt

11.  Take A Trip

12.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle More

13.  Drink Less Alcohol

Now, some of these I have been doing all along, and some I don't need to do because I have never needed to do them in the first place (I am a non-smoker, so I technically don't need to "quit").  In fact, I can say with confidence that I do not need to do #3, #6, #10, #12, or #13 on this list.  Truth be told, #6 was my New Year's Dream for 2012, and it is still continuing as of 2015.

The others...well, let's put it this way.  I could use improvement in all of these.  Especially #9 for sure.

But get a load at what the number one most made New Year's Resolution is!  Yes, the top made resolution is to lose weight.  Now, what I don't understand is why the resolution to get fit and eat heathier is all the way down at #7 and #8 on the list.  You would think that losing weight, getting fit, and eating healthy would be the trifecta of resolution making, wouldn't you?

But hey, it does explain why during the month of January, you see dozens of workout DVD's on the shelves of any video store.  Seriously, in the store I work at, we must have every Jillian Michaels DVD ever made.  The television and video game console sales of December are now over, only to be replaced with great deals on treadmills, exercise balls, and FitBit accessories.  And, I would reckon that January is definitely the peak month for all new gym memberships being filed.

Now, how many of those people actually keep going to the gym after January?  Well, that's debatable, I suppose.

But traditionally speaking, we tend to let ourselves go during the holidays.  And, why not?  Christmas just seems to be the absolute excuse to get stuffed!

Well...physically, that is.

Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gingerbread men, honey-glazed ham, peppermint candy cane infused hot cocoa...these are all foods that I gorged on over the holidays, and believe me, I'm paying the price for it! 

But then, I've always been considered a yo-yo dieter.  In the last ten years, my lowest weight has never gone below 210 pounds.  My heaviest?  Well, we won't talk about that.  Let's just say that it was a lot more than 210!  And truthfully, there's a lot of reasons for it.

When I get stressed, I eat.  A lot.  When I get depressed, I eat.  A lot.  When I get bored, I...well, you get the picture.

To me, food has always been a coping mechanism for all bad feelings that I felt.  And, I admit that when it comes to food, I don't always make the smartest choices.  But I have also found that when I am happy, and making positive choices, that actually curbs my appetite.  Has anyone else experienced this sort of thing, or am I just crazy? 

The point is, it kind of boils down to what my New Year's Resolution Dream is for 2015.  Trying to stay positive in an increasingly negative world.  I figure that maybe if I continue thinking positive thoughts, it will discourage me from eating as much food as I normally would in stressful situations.  Or, at the very least, I should substitute water for food.  After all, water is a lot healthier, and they say you should drink eight to ten glasses of it per day to stay hydrated.

Or, maybe I should try to find out where our old family fridge ended up.  The fridge was avocado green in colour and obviously looked like someone had swiped it from the "Good Times" set long ago.  But one thing that was really special about that fridge?  It would give me an electrical shock every time I tried to open the door!  It was annoying as heck, but at the same time, it certainly helped keep me away from the fridge.

Yeah, I need one of those.  I need a taser fridge.