Take Your “DIET” Out of Your New Year’s Resolutions

A new year signifies a clean slate. Most of us create resolutions. Many of these resolutions are working out and going on a diet to lose weight. You even see it at your local gym. People hit the gym hard for a month then find reasons that they can’t go anymore. You may even hear your friends talking about the latest and greatest diet ever created! No doubt, they will try to get you to try it. It quite possibly may be a multi-level marketing weight loss company that wants your money. It may eliminate an entire food group, promising you a bikini body if you do the latest cleanse. You may try it as you have tried many other diets. Like all those other diets you tried, it fails.

How many times do you want go around the “diet” mountain? Don’t you wish you could just make peace with yourself and your weight? Exactly who are you trying to please anyway? Is it society making you not feel good enough in your own skin? Whatever the reason, just STOP! Ask yourself, do you want to be healthy or do your want to diet? 

I DETEST diets! They don’t work! You don’t diet to be healthy. You eat to be healthy! To help you change your diet mentality I have a list of 8 actions you can do to challenge your thinking.

1. Go see your doctor. Before you decide that you want a life change, go see your doctor. Get lab work done. Instead of dieting, find out about your health! If you have a family history of disease, this is a step you can’t afford to skip.
2. Go see a dietitian. While you are at the doctor, ask for a referral to a registered dietitian nutritionist. You may think you have the most awesome eating habits in the world, but it never hurts to have a nutrition expert to assess your eating habits and see where you can improve. You can find a dietitian in your area at www.eatright.org.
3. Make peace with your body. If you have trouble doing this, see a professional therapist. They can help you facilitate a new way of thinking about your body. You are not meant to be perfect, much less a photoshopped bikini model. Be true to you. With your doctor, dietitian, and possibly, a therapist, you can embrace your body and strive for health.
4. Don’t compare yourself to others. Stop looking at other people and their definitions of success. You write your own story and define success on your own terms.
5. Start with small attainable goals. Make a goal for 1 healthy change a week.
6. If you don’t know how to create a healthy lifestyle, be honest with yourself and seek professional help. Hire a dietitian, a trainer, a therapist, or all three.
7. Stop your excuses! We live in a very busy world that competes for our attention. it’s hard to tune it all out to focus on your health. In the end, it’s your decision. Own your excuses! If you don’t do it, please don’t say you don’t have time. Diseases aren’t on your time frame.
8. Don’t focus on the scale. When all your focus is on the numbers, you lose sight of the great results you may have in your amount of energy, better sleep, and improved health.

I hope this encourages you to stop dieting and start looking at your lifestyle. Your tastes and preferences are totally different than someone else. There is no such thing as a one size fits all diet approach. There is one you! Get the help you need to find the healthy lifestyle approach that is unique to you!

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