How are you doing with those NYR's?

It's March 24th.  Spring has arrived (at least on the calendar).  How are you doing with those New Year's Resolutions? 

If you remember my 1/1/13 column, you might also remember that I don't do resolutions.   Other than Benton's bacon.  Still going strong on that one, every Sunday morning.

But most people do make New Year's Resolutions (NYR's).   Resolve to get healthier, spend more time with the family, less TV, better food, et cetera, et cetera.

Gym memberships boom in January as droves of folks make a commitment to exercise on a regular basis.  They generally do too, until the end of January or, at the very latest, the beginning of spring, when warm weather makes time in the gym seem a waste.

For exercise to make a difference in your life, you've got to adopt it as part of your lifestyle.  A gym membership can be a great first step but until you truly resolve to make a difference in your personal life, until you decide that exercise is going to be a part of your regular week, you might just be wasting your money and your commitments.

And weight loss.   We live in the 3rd most obese state in America.  Where well over 1 in 3 of our fellow Tennesseeans are obese.    In a personal survey conducted randomly by yours truly, I found that the #1 most common NYR is to lose weight.   Most people listed the poundage they wanted off.   For most it was 20 (although I swear it should probably be 40).

There have got to be a million diets out there and most of them don't work.   It is mostly about calories in versus calories out but we also know that we can manipulate our metabolism to our advantage by eating regularly.   That means that you don't miss meals and eat snacks in mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

Cut out sodas.  The sugar content in those is obscene.  You could switch to diet sodas if you aren't  too concerned about bone health and those sorts of things.  Cut back on fried food and sweets.   That latter one is a NYR that's possible until Aunt Matilda brings by her Red Velvet Cake or Death By Chocolate.

You just gotta be strong.  And committed. 

A lot of NYR's are about turning off the TV.   In another column not too long ago, I admitted to the embarrassing fact that I was watching more TV.  I even knew the time that something besides the 6 o'clock news was on.  Much to my wife's chagrin, I do occasionally watch Duck Dynasty and have been known to quote Si but for the most part, you will rarely find me in front of the television.

Other things uncovered in my survey--see more sunrises, dance more, laugh more--are just a matter of not missing opportunities for those things.  My buddy Pete Dolan took the opportunity on an icy day to visit Ramsey Cascades when I passed on it.   Shoulda done that one.

So, how ARE you doing with those New Year's Resolutions?   Are you healthier?  Happier?  Did you set goals that are achievable and then commit your lifestyle to getting there?