As January winds down and Christmas settles itself comfortably into our not-so-distant memory, there is one thing that remains from that joyous season.

Or, perhaps, more like three to six things. They are the pounds that most everyone carries back with them from home – that place where food is free, someone else does the cooking,and the words “Ramen” and “Mac ‘n’ Cheese” never enter the menu.

Yes, now you remember! OK, so you splurged a little, but really, how did the pounds get there? Could it have been the homemade Chex Mix or the several servings of leftover turkey, chicken and Crab Rangoon?

Maybe it was the French silk pie, the chocolate-covered pretzels or the Christmas cookies shaped so deliciously like little snowmen. It could have been Santa Claus, a Titanic survivor complete with a life jacket and the tooth fairy. (An impromptu cookie-baking session with friends made for some interesting results, needless to say.)

Whatever it was, suddenly jeans are tight, winter coats are one size too small, and we are all a little warmer from our slightly increased layer of fat.

But don’t get down. Thanks to years of research and intensive, expensive scientific study, startling news just released says if we exercise just a bit and eat less we can lose weight.

Talk about a shocker! Here I thought my “lose weight while you exercise in your dreams” tapes were really going to do the trick. Apparently, it’s all a calorie thing.

Of course, if you remember a few years ago, that was the original take on weight loss before the “it’s a fat thing,” then the “it’s a carb thing” approaches came into effect. So now, just like butter and eggs, we’re back to what they told us was bad for us, didn’t matter or wouldn’t work – counting calories.

Of course, there are other diets out there, and my roommates have tried many of them. They are all healthy, beautiful girls.

They, however, like many female Americans (myself included), have a few minor issues with body image. So when I arrived home yesterday after a hard day of class, ready for a big plate of spaghetti and garlic bread, I walked into our living room to see a roommate munching on whip cream. No pie, no fruit, just plain frozen whip cream.

Apparently, it tastes just like ice cream and, actually, I believe it. I think I’ll still stick to solid foods, though. I love mashed potatoes too much to even attempt the no-carb approach. I just need less of them.

So that takes care of the “eat less” portion of the latest weight-loss kick. Now for the “exercise” part.

Last week, after a very stressful day, I promised myself an early morning run and then watched a movie on TV until three in the morning. Sometime around 10 a.m. I stumbled out of bed and into my running clothes. I was back in less than 20 minutes having realized this:

1. It is difficult, if not impossible, to run on icy, snow-covered sidewalks, which is the state of most of the sidewalks in Eau Claire, seeing as some streets are still waiting to be cleared of last December’s damage. I guess spring will take care of that.

2. It is cold outside – very cold. We are talking freeze-your-snot cold. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to be able to breathe when I run and not have my lungs turn into raw and painful chunks of frozen tissue. So running is out. There is always swimming, I suppose, or stair-climbing. I guess I have enough classes to make sure I do that. Then again, you know Nicole Kidman says Tom Cruise likes her “pooch,” as she affectionately calls the pouch of tummy she carries with her. Well, gosh darn-it, if it’s good enough for Tom Cruise, it’s good enough for me. And anyway, I have a French silk pie waiting at home.