NiallOK’s Blog

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Wow… this is my 300′th blog entry…

A lot of people have trouble with New Year’s Resolutions and sticking with them - and usually, I’m not generally one for making them at all,- the reason being that I find them hard to stick with if I announce them to the world at large and pick a time like that to start them. Usually, I prefer to give up bad things at an arbitrary date and not tell anyone about it - thereby reducing the pressure on myself and making myself feel like less of a failure if I don’t succeed. This time, however, I’m making an exception and have decided to make two resolutions that directly impact on my own health.

So, firstly - I’ve decided to finally kick the cancer sticks - which have been a blight on my very existence for the past twelve or thirteen years. I’ve tried giving them up before and the longest I lasted was 6 months, back about 4 years ago, but I always ended up going back on them with the excuse that I didn’t really want to give them up in the first place or I just liked them too much - giving them up for health reasons instead of the fact that I just plain didn’t like them any more.

Now I’m at the stage where I realise I’m addicted (which is a bad thing), realise that they’re bad for me (I feel short of breath far too often and suspect I may possibly be asthmatic) and, if I’m honest, I no longer like what they do to me. It’s going to take a hell of a lot of will power, especially as I’ve no intention of using any patches, pills, gums or other nicotine replacement options - it’s cold turkey or nothing as far as I’m concerned.

It’s going to be a little harder still as my fiancèe smokes (and she’s got no intention of giving up any time soon), and I suppose there’s the concern that I might gain weight, the main reasons for that being:

the nicotine contained in cigarettes is an appetite suppressant

smoking can increase the body’s metabolism (smokers’ bodies have to work to remove the toxins from cigarettes)

smoking affects how you taste and smell food (people often rediscover the joy of food when they give up smoking)

some people put food into their mouths rather than cigarettes

… but resolution no. 2 should help combat that somewhat.

And what is resolution no. 2? … Well, since I started working in a store in a shopping centre, I’ve grown a little too accustomed to popping down to the all-too-handy food court and stuffing my face with either Burger King or KFC at lunch-time and I’ve put on a bit of weight. Not a massive amount by any means, but enough to make me occasionally feel bloated, sluggish and unattractive (and even more so with the recent Christmas splurge of over-indulgence!), and I don’t like where it’s leading - so it’s prompted me to decide to cut down massively on junk food. I’m not going to go cold turkey on this one, but will only allow myself junk food a maximum of once a fortnight (oh… and while I’m at it, I’ll be cutting down on butter too - it’s one of my worst vices - and just generally eating more healthily in general). This resolution will be harder for me to stick to than the stopping smoking one - and that one will be bloody hard itself!

Now I’m sure these are pretty standard resolutions that millions of people try every year (and a large proportion of them, I’m sure, fail miserably) but I’ve decided that this time, with the new year will come a new me;- a fitter, happier, more confident me with a better future in store.

I’ve already sorted out the new job, and that’s just one step towards feeling better about myself. I’m being selfish with these resolutions, yes,- no resolution for being less grumpy, none for being nicer to other people or giving more to charity. You really do have to look after No. 1 before you can go looking after anyone else.

Certainly, I’ll save money if I manage to stick to these resolutions. Fast food doesn’t come as cheap as it used to (rarely will I see much change from a tenner) and with a pack of 20 cigarettes currently selling for €7.45 (or €7.50 in a pub), hopefully these decisions will go some way towards my main problem at the moment - that being a financial one.

I’m curious as to what tricks people use in order to deny themselves these little “luxuries” such as fast food and cigarettes which they’ve decided to cut out… if anyone has any suggestions (I ain’t gonna pay for them!), I’d be happy to hear them. I’m going to be pretty strict with myself - it starts on the stroke of midnight tomorrow night and no later…