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You might be a New Year's Resolutionist If...
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I hate New Year's Resolutionists. They can't keep promises. They put themselves, and to some extent others, in danger. They are slow. They can't tell time. They overexert themselves. They are rude. They take up all of the available parking spaces. They hog the machines. Some require emergency medical attention. In fact, the only good thing about Resolutionists is that they eventually go away like a bad case of jock itch when you have the right cream.

Now, I am not talking about visiting family members that overstay their welcome. Nor, am I talking about slimy politicians running for office. I am talking about the oblong and out-of-shape individuals who descend upon fitness centers in the month of January like it's a McDonald's restaurant at lunch time.

They come to fulfill a promise they made during the holidays. Resolutionists need to drop some weight, get in shape, tone up, slim down, fight the flab, and battle the bulge. Just looking at them, it is obvious they need to do something. Unfortunately, the same compulsion that helped them form the shape they have now is the same one that will prevent them from changing it. But try, they must.

Now I think it's great that Resolutionists want to make a change. I just wish they would do it somewhere else. I started working out in the 1997, just after I graduated from college and got a job. Sun has fitness centers at its major campuses which I used three or four times a week. I first noticed the Resolutionists in January 1998. And every January they return... again.

The really weird thing is that Resolutionists appear out of nowhere but vanish just as quickly. Most years they are gone by the end of January or middle of February. My original theory as that they just passed out from exhaustion on the StairMaster machines and the fitness center staff called the ambulance service to take them away. The staff is trained to take care of these types of problems quickly and quietly, so the members never hear about it. I mean that is why the clubs always ask for an emergency contact number, isn't it? Sadly, it turns out that the Resolutionist attitude is the primary problem.

Did you know that staying in shape is hard work? Apparently, Resolutionists don't. Most don't even know that they are Resolutionists. The first step in solving this problem is admitting you are Resolutionist. But how do you know when you are one? I am here to help.

I put together a list of statements that will help you determine if you are a Resolutionist. They are inspired by Jeff Foxworthy's comedy.

If any of this are true, you might be a Resolutionist. Seek help immediately.

  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    You bring a magazine, a book, your cell phone, a Walkman, a headband, a big towel, and a water bottle only to realize that you have to carry all that stuff around to each machine.
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    You require two exercise bikes. One to ride and one to hold all of your stuff.
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    The fact that you can't channel surf bothers you a lot.
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    You ask a staff member to change the TV to Fear Factor so you can "join in on the action."
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    While watching a Providence Men's Basketball game, you notice that the Providence arena is named "The Dunkin' Donuts Center" and then spend more time thinking about donuts than basketball.
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    While watching a Providence Men's Basketball game, you think that a Providence Friar would taste good right about now.
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    You ask a staff member to turn on the Food Network.
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    You eagerly climb on an exercise bike, select an endurance program, set the clock to 60 minutes, push the level up to 16, and start riding, only later to secretly lower the level to 1 and abandon the machine after 3 minutes.
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    A staff member approaches you to say, "You should have a spotter for that," and you reply, "Where can I buy one."
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    You wonder why anyone would want to climb the Treadwall as you are walking on a treadmill.
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    You see a really flabby person and think, "I'm glad I'm not in that bad of shape," but then realize it's your reflection in the mirror across room.
  • You might be a Resolutionist If...

    You arrive at the fitness center in a car but leave in an ambulance.

Send me email if you have others to contribute.