Three temptations that will inevitably break your January resolutions

Now that the hysteria of the New Year is slowly burning out, you’re left with the sobering realisation that you really should stick to those resolutions you made. But your calendar’s starting to fill up, and Dry January is making you feel guilty about turning down all those trips to the pub. But what are your options when the detox seems too much to bear?

Well, you can stick to your guns. Be disciplined: new year new you. You can watch all of your friends fall slowly off the wagon, giving in to whatever they promised they would deny themselves… or you could just join them. Christmas may be over, but going cold turkey? That can get stuffed.

So here is our (not-particularly) scientific guide to how you can bring some of those guilty pleasures back into your life and still feel like you’re being slightly healthy:

Drink

New Year normally means a good old-fashioned detox, and a big part of that for many people is cutting out caffeine. That means herbal teas are in, and it’s decaf all the way, right? Not so – some studies have shown that there are some significant health benefits to a couple of cups a day. Having said that, Britons spend an annual average of £400 on takeaway coffee. So, investing in a travel cup, some decent beans and a grinder may not be the worst way to start the year.

With the UK’s Chief Medical Officer recently announcing that the average weekly alcohol limit for men has been reduced to 14 units, the goalposts have dramatically shifted for Britain’s love of booze. Yet, although this is the first major change to the country’s alcohol guidelines in two decades, the exact reasons for this decision are unknown; the industry are, unsurprisingly, up in arms, while some columnists are even questioning just how valid the study’s sources are. When it comes to how much you drink it seems that, despite what the government are recommending, the decision remains yours.

Food

Cutting down on the takeaways and fatty foods is a classic resolution, as is going vegetarian (or even, god forbid, vegan). But even the healthy eating websites are running articles which make reference to just how quickly this resolution can get junked. Just because you’ve taken the danger out of your diet, that doesn’t mean your food has to be free of fun.

A lot of articles seem to suggest that the issue isn’t what you eat, but how you eat – that it’s not the fats and carbs you should be concerned about, but the way you use them. It’s a train of thought which has launched a thousand think pieces, while a few places have simply narrowed down all food-based resolutions to two simple steps – ones which actually make sense, and look manageable!

Netflix

Here’s the other big one; you’ve probably signed up for the gym haven’t you? And with all the good intentions in the world, you’ve probably been twice – maybe three times – this year. Perhaps you’ve been busy, or just got too wrapped up in Making a Murderer to even contemplate leaving the house. After all, we are living in a golden age of television, and a Netflix subscription is so much cheaper than gym membership…

But if you’re really hell-bent on that health kick, there are some simple alternatives you can do from the comfort of your living room. Obviously, exercise DVDs are an easy option. Alternatively, if you picked up an Amazon Prime subscription over the holidays to watch Transparent and The Man in the High Castle, take a break and check out a workout video instead. Failing that, Buzzfeed came up with a “Netflix workout” which allows you to split the difference between benchpressing and binge-watching from the comfort of your sofa.

The editorial unit
Photo: Geoff Howard