NatNews

With the start of the new year, it is not uncommon to hear of individuals making resolutions to improve their lifestyles in terms of fitness and health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 2 U.S. adults and 77 percent of high school students do not get enough aerobic physical activity, leading to $117 billion in annual health expenses related to physical inactivity.

Dallas-area resident and fitness instructor Libby Shewski works year-round to help individuals achieve their physical fitness goals and knows that the changing of years is a common time for people to begin working toward desired outcomes.

“I think the new year represents a blank slate, and people like waiting for a fresh start to set goals,” she said.

Dallas resident and White Rock Running Co-op member Alex Farcasiu sees the transition from one year to another as an ongoing process with a much deeper metaphorical meaning.

“I think a new year is always seen as an opportunity for new beginnings,” he said. “It is like planting seeds in late fall. They spend some time under the snow and then, under the right circumstances, emerge as strong plants in the spring.”

Former Dallas-area resident Lyndsey Kohn, who recently moved to Austin and is part of the Fitness Ambassadors HQ organization, said resolving to make changes in one’s life at the beginning of a new year is often more of a mental thing.

“It’s really just a mindset shift,” she said. “If a fresh start is what someone needs to kick off a good habit and let go of an old one, go for it. The motivation and goal setting are contagious, and I like having that momentum around me for my own personal goals.”

Research indicates that more than 40 percent of people who make resolutions for the new year fail to stick to their newly formed habits before February, and only 9 percent keep them for the entire year. Shewski said, for those working toward fitness and health goals, the falloff is likely related to the challenges that these goals present in one’s daily life.

“People have a difficult time keeping consistent habits simply because it gets hard,” she said. “If you want to create a habit, you have to push through the most when it’s the hardest. Consistency over time gives you results.”

Kohn said what often creates obstacles to finding that consistency is not realizing the commitment it takes to reach the accomplishments one seeks.

“Setting realistic goals can be challenging because it takes a certain level of self-awareness that some people might not have at the beginning of the year,” Kohn said. “A great example is training for a marathon. You may want the goal of achieving a certain time/pace, but that takes a certain level of dedication, structure, accountability, and sacrifice to get there. Most people might not realize all of the barriers they may hit when setting a goal like that and either lean into it or give up. I’d say lean into it, or evaluate if you really even wanted that goal in the first place. There’s also no shame in saying you don’t want to do something anymore.”

Shewski said that in order to achieve the successes an individual desires, he or she must create a definitive plan and implement it, rather than simply trying to start something new on a whim.

“Find something you enjoy doing, and stick with it,” she said. “Find accountability partners, and let them push you. Don’t look at the big picture, because it can be daunting. Just look at the next step, and focus on getting a little better every day.”

France is the most visited country in the world; Spain is second, and the U.S. is third.

Whether you’re eating fast food or a gourmet burger at a fancy restaurant, you often must make a decision that becomes crucial to your overall meal: tots or fries? For some individuals, the choice is easy. For others, there’s a bit more of a mental debate that factors in location, emotions, condiment options, and other crucial variables that can make or break your side option serving as a positive addition to your burger or sandwich.

In many cases, it is quite literally a matter of taste, though there are certainly additional reasons that people prefer one over the other. For Dallas resident Becca Finke, fries simply do not meet the standards she seeks to satisfy.

“Both are great, and both are typically crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside,” she said. “I prefer tots because they are crispier and gooier.”

Dallas resident Dan Sullivan said he does not understand the hype behind tater tots when fries have always proven to be the more viable option.

“Tots seem to be the ‘hip’ alternative to fries, but I don’t really get it,” he said. “Fries are the foundational complement to just about anything grilled or fried, and they’re much more of a sure thing. I’ve had tots that looked like they were right out of a microwave and the texture seemed soggy. You order fries to-go, and you’re guaranteed a good sample size, and they’re not squished together in some small container box. Let’s be honest, the argument in favor of fries is clearly much more compelling.”

Some individuals may like fries and tots but lean more toward options unrelated to anything involving the potato family. Dallas resident Aaron Byrkit opts for an alternative at Johnnie’s when he is in his hometown of Edmond, Oklahoma, or at Liberty Burger when he is at home in the Dallas area.

“I tend to prefer fries, mainly because I’ve had a lot of bad tots,” Byrkit said. “What I really like are onion rings. It’s the fried batter on the acidic sweet onion that makes them so good. I usually enjoy them as a complement to a burger.”

For Dallas resident Adam Gribben, it’s fairly simple—fries are not as versatile as tots and don’t allow him to experience as much enjoyment when it comes to his favorite meal.

“Tots are hash browns in a more portable form, and it is a breakfast food,” he said. “I love breakfast like Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec.”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

WRRC members took part in the annual Loop-the-Lake Run on New Year's Eve

Wednesday, January 4: National Spaghetti Day
Thursday, January 5: Mavs vs. Celtics at the American Airlines Center
Friday, January 6: Josh Abbott Band at Billy Bob's
Saturday, January 7: WRRC Saturday run at Taco Joint
Sunday, January 8: Stars vs. Panthers at the American Airlines Center