Legoland was fun again this year. It's the only place for miles where parents of small children can go to have a new year's family celebration at kid-friendly hours. My 2 1/2 year old still gets scared by the fireworks. He was fine with the smaller crackly ones - and was even immitating them, but the loud, thundering booms really made his skin crawl.

Foodwise - today was a wash. Wife and son split a hot-buttered popcorn at Legoland, but I held off - preferring to wait for a trip to panda express to get something more healthy. Even so, I've just had no appetite with this stinking cold.

Let's be honest....
If I were to be completely honest with myself (which I like to be!), I have thought about eating at the right times, but chose to ignore it. I also could avoid the stupid snack packs that I've added to my meals here and there... but I'm kind of ignoring the strict food guidelines under the pretense of being "too sick to deal with it"... Now, I know this is just an excuse... which is why I'm spilling it out in my blog. While I'm glad this bad message is only manifesting itself in a small measurable cheat instead of a binge, I should really stick to my guns and go for a baked potato or an orange instead of a snack pack of mini oreos.

The good news is that I am feeling better this evening... and hope to be back in 'working order' soon.

New Year's Resolution Ban
A lot of people make new year's resolutions... but I've decided to abandon the practice. When I started my journey back to fitness, I had an amazing revelation. I finally understood the difference between a real change in behavior, and lazy, wishful thinking. I've found that without the proper mindset, New Year's Resolutions are just expressions of wishful thinking (or even self-deprecation).

"I have to..." Invites Failure
My wife has a few New Year's Resolutions, but I can tell already that she won't keep them. I don't mean that comment to be disparaging in any way - it's just that she started each one with "I have to...". Saying "I have to" is a sort of self-punishment which never works in the long term for motivation. Understanding wishful thinking vs a change in behavior is the difference between saying, "I have to journal my foods" and "I wonder how my nutrient balance is today".

True resolutions start now - whenever now is - and they contain the spark of excitement, not self-deprecation. I'm still excited about journaling my foods. That excitement is what keeps me coming back to this website to enter my foods even after I've curled up in my warm, cozy bed for the evening!

Happy New Year!

B