Give an Unusual Resolution a Try

So, I've been trying to watch more TV lately, in order to fit in with the rest of America (who averages about 3 hours A DAY). About an hour, 3 times a week.

Oh my goodness, how can you stand it!? The ads for the "Special K" diet (I wouldn't eat a bowl of those dusty chemical-coated flakes once a year, never mind twice a day)! The Jenny Craig ads (that's still around?)! And Jaysus, Murray and Jojo - Paula Deen cooking Thai "food!"

The focus on throw-away resolutions is the same as in the magazines and print media. Lose a dress size in a week! Do a mini-cleanse for the new year!

Let's get real here. What's holding you back from making a real, life-changing decision? Want to go all-out and throw your hat in the ring? Go big with your goals for 2011.

1. Try to find what drives you. Not the good things. The bad things. What emotional issues are standing between you and your health/fitness goals? What are you feeling before you overeat - can you even narrow it down to one or two emotions? When you identify the problem, how are you going to deal with it? Do you need to journal this? Hell, yes. Take it up on Sparkpeople and get some support from folks who aren't at the crux of your problem. Tell your family? Sure, but this isn't their problem. It's yours.

2. Recognize that nothing is truly off-limits. Decide to make one food (or food group) a conscious choice of quality over quantity and take the time to truly enjoy what you love. Since when is it illegal to eat chocolate or sweets? Since FOREVER, according to the diet ads. Of course, say the food ads, it's perfectly okay to indulge/sneak your treats as often as you'd like. When has gulping a slice of pizza down on the go been an earth-moving experience? Never. How awesome does a cookie taste when you're cramming it in on the way to a staff meeting? Like greasy sawdust.

3. Share your time with someone else. I don't mean plopping yourself down on the couch with the kids to watch some cheeseball show. Get a real gig spending time improving another person's life. Even something as simple as packing staple foods for food pantry deliveries can deliver a tremendous amount of happiness that you could never get from a Paula Deen butter cake. (Really.)

Alright, enough with the resolutions. Set a goal, make a plan and keep plugging away at it, day after day. Definitely simple, not always easy, but it's the best start you can get for a new year.