It's that Holiday time of the year again. Cold weather ushers in the feeling of Christmas and the Holiday spirit. For some, it is the time for holiday spirits, as well. And for some, it's time to pig out, making their clothes in the closet shrink a size or so.

Then follows the New Year's resolutions... losing weight, quitting smoking, doing better at your job or in school, blah blah blah. As a CCHT certified hypnotist and neuro-linguistic practitioner, I usually get busy with the resolution-making folks starting a few weeks after Jan. 1st when they realize will-power alone, nor all the fads and gimmicks sold on TV end up doing any good.

In February, you start seeing used exercise equipment for sale in classified ads and in the thrift stores. Those are from the folks that bought the gimmicks for their resolutions that have since gone awry. Some folks just put the stuff in their basement or the attic or in a storage building to collect dust, instead.

By February, those who didn't think ahead before heavily participating in the holiday spirits of beer, wine, and liquors end up hundreds of dollars in the red and maybe even losing their driver's licenses since they have been to court.

It doesn't have to be that way at all.

If you used your head a bit for something other than wearing a hat, you can save yourself all those headaches.

I have nothing against eating and drinking. I do it. I like food. I also like beer and I like rum and wine and vodka and tequila and...

I simply remember what Paul said in a letter to the Corinthians once upon a time long, long ago... "All things in moderation."

When Amy and I go out, I may have a beer or maybe even two. After that, I stop drinking alcoholic beverages and just drink water or some other non-alcoholic beverage. It's not just because I don't want to get a DUI. I just never really liked getting sloppy drunk and being in a position whereby I cannot function well enough in a crisis situation should one arise.
Even when we go out to the lake where we have a place to sleep it off if we drank too much, I still moderate my alcoholic beverage intake, but then again, having embraced my having such a dominant personality influences me greatly in my making sure that I can be in full control of any situation which may arise where I need to have control.

When it comes to food, it is very easy for me to pig out if I don't make myself aware before eating and remind myself that I am no longer 25 years old and exercising 12 or more hours a day like it used to be back in my younger days as a professional dancer. I can no longer eat 6 platefuls of food followed by 6 platefuls of desserts and keep from having a dunlap (that's when the belly "dunlap" over the belt), so I have to be sure to moderate how much I eat.
Additionally, Amy and I lead a pretty active lifestyle. We sail, walk, camp out, swim, fish, and still go out dancing whenever we get a chance.

This holiday season, keep this issue's Captain's Log in mind. If you're out at parties where food is plentiful, moderate your intake and your clothes won't shrink while hanging in the closet. If you partake in the holiday spirits, have a non-drinking designated driver or get a room or a taxi.