CITLALLY MACIEL
<Staff Writer>
A new year has arrived and with it feelings of renewal, inspiration and hope. This is resolutions time: learn another language, get in shape, lose weight, eat better, read more, drink less, go back to school, finish school, take a trip, or get a [good/better/exciting] job. It is time to make commitments to be kinder, more patient, more understanding, more driven; to be less lazy, less grumpy, or in general, to be happier. The reality, however, is that 87.5% (statistic I totally made up) of New Year’s resolutions fail. After a few weeks, attendance to the gym declines, vegetables are replaced by potato chips, those books piled up on the bedside table start to collect dust; and in general, all promises begin to be forgotten.
Indeed, New Year’s resolutions are bittersweet experiences. People love to make resolutions probably because resolutions bring so much promise. However, when things get rough and people quit their pledges, a deep feeling of disappointment follows. Yet, there are ways to make resolutions work. Often, people make resolutions that are too hard to accomplish or that involve drastic changes. Accordingly, when making resolutions, it is important to make smaller and more realistic goals. In other words, it is better to take baby steps rather than Godzilla steps. Every January, gyms everywhere are packed with people determined to get in shape and lose weight; but by March, the gyms are half empty again. The reason for this is that people burn out themselves. They start their goal by doing too much. They go to the gym five times a day and by the end of January, their body is aching and cannot take the challenge anymore. For that reason, the change must be gradual and upwards, not full on only to go downwards and end in failure. In addition to baby steps, experts also recommend people to stay focused and strong. Making changes is always difficult and there will be many obstacles down the road. In order to succeed, people must reflect on their mistakes and failures, learn from them, and move on. Obstacles are very common, especially among dieters. Certainly, it is hard to stick to a diet in today’s world where busy schedules, social gatherings, and convenience get in the way. The key to succeed is to accept that sometimes things are out of one’s control; learn from the experience, and move on. Planning ahead may be required next time, or making a bigger effort to control one’s emotions may be required. Whatever, it is, the important thing is stay away from making the same mistakes.
I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a while ago. Yet, I still make resolutions. Last time I made one was back in the summer of last year. It all started when I went to my general doctor for a routine general check-up and it was then that she suggested I stopped eating wheat. My first reaction was shock. I have been a vegetarian all my life (by default, not by choice) and as such, my diet has mainly consisted of wheat and whole grain products (a.k.a. bagels, muffins, etc.). Going wheat free would require me to basically cut my food sources by 70%. Since I was a child, I have despised beef, and chicken, hence my vegetarianism by default. Dinner time at my house would be a long and painful occasion when these products, especially steak, were served. In any event, my doctor wrote down on her prescription notepad the name of a book that would explain why I should stop consuming wheat: Wheat Belly, by cardiologist William Davis. She said that after reading this book, and following Davis’ advice, she was feeling much better and much more energized. This last remark intrigued me as lack of energy has always been a bit of a problem for me (probably the lack of protein has something to do with this). I had heard about gluten-free diets for a while now because many celebrities swear by this kind of regime. Although I have tried to stay away from crazy diets as much as possible, I decided to give this regime a try, since it was recommended by my own doctor (on whom I have a lot of trust). I bought the book and soon after commenced my wheat-free diet. Despite my skepticism on my own ability to follow this regime through, the book managed to convince me to quit wheat products given the many good points it made (and which, for better or worse, were later endorsed by Dr. Oz).
It has been five months since my resolution and, I must say, it was easier than I thought. After a few weeks, I felt the difference in terms of energy levels, and as a bonus, I started losing weight (although that could just be the result of the stress of being a 1L student). Granted, the regime was not challenge-free. One problem I had at the beginning was finding wheat-free restaurants (especially since my favorite food is Italian). Similarly, the choices at school are very limited, making it sometimes a frustrating and futile task to find something to eat around campus. I then realized that going wheat-free a hundred percent was going to be impossible. I certainly did not want to impose my diet on friends when going out with them for dinner. Also, when hunger struck at school, I had no choice but to consume whatever is available. However, I have not regarded these situations as failures and I am content with following a wheat-free diet 90% of the time. While I appreciate the difference this regime has made on my general well-being, I do not intent to make a torment out of it. Rather, I am making an effort, wherever I have control over the situation, while remaining flexible, whenever I do not have control. Besides, let’s face it, food is an important part of our lives. Beyond nutrition, food represents comfort, celebration and so on. It is impossible to scape a birthday cake or the stuffing of turkey on Thanksgiving. Indeed, during the Christmas break, I basically had a two-week fest of comfort food, which I enjoyed guilt-free. I am now back to my old routine and will break it whenever it may be absolutely necessary or when I decide is appropriate to indulge.
Certainly, I do not pretend to be an expert nor do I assert that my strategy is a universal one. Rather, I wanted to share my experience because, as an all-or-nothing kind of person, I have learned that sometimes it is not possible to see life in “black and white” terms. As it has famously been said, one needs to accept the things that one cannot change; courage to change the things that one can; and wisdom to know the difference. In any case, for all of you with New Year’s resolutions, I wish you all the success. Bon courage!!