14 DAY TRIAL // No matter how determined we might have been on the magical night that is New Year’s Eve, or how fervently we may have promised to ourselves to really change something about our lives this year, we could just as well forget about all that as if it never was. A new poll says that, no later than tomorrow, thousands will fall off the bandwagon and return to their former lifestyles – women first, then men, but both starting with their resolution to lose weight and eat healthy.
In other words, the decision to lose weight and stop eating junk and other unhealthy foods lasted an average of six days for women, men fighting on the barricade for a while longer, the new British poll reveals. In about the same timeframe, women will also give in to their cigarettes cravings, to be followed by their counterparts in all three aspects eight days later. As for drinking alcohol, it seems that this is one of the few resolutions that women will manage to hold onto for longer – while men will start drinking again in less than a week, women will last double that time without a drop of alcohol.
The poll, undertaken by Sheilas' Wheels car insurance on 2,000 British men and women, also revealed that, when it comes to sticking to a resolution, men fare much better than women do, in that their determination does not seem to fade out as quick. For instance, when it comes to quitting smoking, women have a “relapse” after just seven days (be it with just a single cigarette), while men last an average of 20 days before giving in to temptation.
The same goes for a fitness regime or any other type of physical workout, where men can make it through to week six before quitting for good, while women can barely last two weeks and a half before they give up. However, in their defense, the poll also revealed that, on average, women made about eight resolutions on this New Year’s Eve, while men stuck just to four.
Among the most frequent resolutions both men and women made this year, we can include, as revealed by the poll: getting fit, eating five pieces of fruit or vegetables a day, dieting, giving up smoking, giving up alcohol, giving up chocolates, crisps, sweets and snacks, drinking eight glasses of water a day, taking packed lunches to work, spending more time with the family, and being more organized.