UNITED STATES—It is the day that many Americans indulge in, but it’s also the one time of the year that Americans prepare to give up something in honor of Lent for the next 40 days. The way that I see it, it gives you an opportunity to have a second go around when it comes to that New Year resolution that you may have already broken with less than 30 something days into the New Year.
When I think of Fat Tuesday I think of a tasty sweet that is loaded with sugar, calories, grease and fat. Any guesses as to what I’m referring to? It’s the Packzi! It is not easy to pronounce by it is known as a (punch-key). They are indeed decadent treats to say the least. I’ve seen plenty of people eat 2-3 of these items in a single sitting, but I believe one should be enough. It is not a bad idea to indulge a bit on this day, but I’m a firm believer you don’t want to overindulge. It’s not like it is your last day on Earth; you still have to wake up the following morning and you don’t want to be hit with a hangover, a massive headache, a tummy ache or something worse.
The celebrations in New Orleans for Mardi Gras leaves many wishing they had taken things easier, but for those of us NOT celebrating by getting drunk and indulging in depravity, start thinking about a bad habit that you’d like to get rid of or something you’d like to improve about yourself. For many Americans, when it comes to Lent we think about things we want to give up: soda, fast-food, carbohydrates, sweets, bread, pasta, etc. While all of those things are nice, it’s a testament to one’s willpower. I mean giving up something for 40 days delivers a sign that if you can commit to something that you are able to accomplish it in the long run. Look at it as a trial period.
The goal is to see how strong you are at battling against yourself. Temptation is a difficult thing to fight. If something is in your presence, something stays on your mind, it becomes harder and harder to fight it. The mind is a powerful thing though. If one can occupy their time with something else to distract from thinking about that object or thing that has been on the mind lately you become victorious. I’ve been all about health for 2018, and while I’ve had a few mishaps here and there, I’ve realized it’s not the end of the world.
As Fat Tuesday fast approaches, my goal is not really to give up something; it’s aimed to start doing something that I have slipped on: exercise. I’m one that tries to put a plan in play to exercise AT LEAST 4-5 times a week, 30 to 60 minutes each day. Agility means a lot to me, and keeping my stamina up and ability to build cardio is important to me. The biggest obstacle is finding a stable and consistent time frame each day to workout. I’m a bigger proponent to doing it later in the day, once work has ended and I’m not worried about schoolwork or other responsibilities.
It is never a bad idea to journal your ideas, your thoughts and the goals that you would like to achieve. As I said before, Fat Tuesday is an opportunity for a rebirth. We all make mistakes, we all tumble, the goal is to get back up and go after your goals again and again until you succeed.
