Today, with a lot of groaning and creaking, I got back on the treadmill for the first time since Christmas.  It had been a rough stretch - first the slow cooker broke,, then the mixer bowl, then the sewing machine, and then some well-intentioned kitchen renovation work led to 3 days of lead decontamination.  Better stay off the treadmill! I rationalized - might break that too!


Like a lot of people, I typically run up 5 to 10 pounds of holiday padding somewhere between the Thanksgiving pies and the New Year's dumplings. This year wasn't too bad - partly because it's less easy to bake when your mixer's out of commission and the kitchen has been turned inside out.  But when the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook arrived with a chunky thump on the doorstep, its message still felt - well, a little personal.

But to tell the truth, I'm not sure I've ever turned to a weight-loss cookbook to help me out in January, although I might end up reviewing a spa book or two.  Mostly, my strategy is to put away the cookie books and buy a ton of vegetables.  So if anything, I end up referring more to my favorite vegetable experts, like Simon Hopkinson, Paul Gayler, and Susie Middleton.

How about you?  Do you meet your resolutions with a book in hand and a scale in the other?  Do you buy a bathing suit for spring break and walk, bike, or swim until you fit in it? Or do you do what I do, and just get a bunch of greens and hope for the best?