New Year’s resolutions come in many shapes and sizes. People interviewed at the Secaucus Recreation Center talked last week about the promises they’re making to themselves.
For Eleonora Bowers, 2012 arrived on the tail end of a major move because she recently left sunny San Diego to return to her hometown of Secaucus after 16 years.
“I missed it,” said Bowers. “I wanted to be with my family.”
She joined the Secaucus Recreation Center in December and said that “getting in shape,” and “completing unfinished projects,” were both included in her New Year resolutions. She was there to attend a spinning class as part of reaching her goals.
“When we go out we never have dessert.” – James Basford
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James Basford, who has lived in Secaucus for 65 years, said, “I do a lot of walking and swimming. His resolutions include sticking to his diet and working out every other day. His goal is to lose enough weight to get to 200 pounds, which he said is how much he weighed until fishing season last summer.
“I try to lay off all the sweets,” he added. “I am trying to lose weight since fishing season…Most of [fishing] is sitting around. Usually in the evening I have dinner out before I come home. Eating out you always put on more weight than you do at home.”
Basford shared that his wife is also on a diet and that they don’t use any salt in their cooking at home or have any soda in their house.
“When we go out we never have dessert,” said Basford, which was another part of his strategy. “Once in awhile, we all cheat, I guess.”
Sticking to resolutions
Staff members at the Secaucus Recreation Center said that while December was a slow month, they typically see a lot of renewals in January.
North Bergen resident and yoga instructor Stefan Drayton said that he sees an increase by at least five students per yoga class in January. He teaches yoga at Club H in Hoboken and New York and also teaches at Three Jewels in Greenwich Village.
“Within a month it declines,” said Drayton. He said that after January, a class that may have gone up from 11-12 to 16 or 20 students goes back down to its regular and consistent group of students.
A New York Times article about the economics of resolutions quoted New York Sports Clubs Chief Executive Robert J. Giardina as saying, “Most people don’t like [exercise] but if they can get past a certain point – usually it’s about two months or twelve workouts – they get committed.”
Given the nature of hectic work schedules and increasing personal demands on time, Americans face challenges in avoiding the low cost and availability of fast food and processed foods, which tend to be high in calories, fats, sugar, and salt.
Always space on next year’s list
Former Jersey City resident and New York creative director Malinda Allen, who was out having dinner in Jersey City last week, said she plans to give herself the leeway to move some resolutions to next year in case she doesn’t get to complete her entire list. Her list includes “to make a meal every week, something really wonderful, exciting and fun,” and “to get sunshine every day.”
Drayton said that it is important for people to write down resolutions that represent truths about themselves.
“Don’t make the resolution another lie,” said Drayton. He said that sticking to resolutions that are doable and easy to track will yield greater success. “Small increases are better than no increases,” he added.
Daguet offered up the following advice: “Take your hand out of the cookie jar.”
Adriana Rambay Fernández may be reached at afernandez@hudsonreporter.com.