Happy New Year!

Out: Restriction and constraint. In: Adding in and small sustainable changes.

It’s officially the first day of 2024, a brand new Monday, and a brand new month. January, the month of fresh starts and beginnings. This is the time when many people make resolutions and promises to better themselves in some way or form. In my opinion, the interesting aspect of this is that when we attempt these transformations and new beginnings, we mostly think of the negatives. We focus on restrictions and constraints instead of positive additions that can improve our health.

Here we go again with our resolutions. Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Why so bleak?

Take a look at any article that is in the media now, and you will see ideas on how to shed pounds, cut out carbohydrates, or reduce calorie intake overall. We are so used to hearing this rhetoric that it might even sound nonsensical to call it negative. After all, resolutions are just goals, which are about commitment and hard work, right? How does this relate to them being negative? Well, let’s see what I mean; here’s a list of some popular New Year resolutions that we hear quite often:

• Weight loss, dropping pounds or sizes

• Cutting out sugar or other food/group

• Eating and consuming less overall

I’m sure these sound familiar as we have heard these resolutions from others or we have made them ourselves. I’ll say this, there is nothing inherently wrong with having goals or trying to make small changes that you think will benefit you individually. I will say this: I already spoke about practicing from a weight-neutral stance, and everyone is entitled to do what they want with their body; however, losing weight doesn’t automatically equate to health. Often, the tactics that folks partake in in order to lose weight are the opposite of healthy and lead to weight cycling, which has the opposite effect that many are looking for.

Along with weight loss usually comes the decision to completely quit and restrict a food or food group. How many people do you know that are trying to cut out sugar? Probably quite a few. And with this goal comes the inevitable binge that follows after a few days from throwing out all the desserts and snacks from the fridge, pantry, or freezer. I have also written about the last supper effect, which occurs before the diet begins, and many folks will often overeat or binge because they are anticipating a period of dietary restriction. There is also the scarcity effect which is when you see something that is rare, desirable, or expensive, and your subconscious mind makes you think about having it more than if you saw something that was abundant. (Read more on this below from my post titled Diet? Fuhgeddaboudit.)

Now, I’m NOT saying that sugar is best consumed in large quantities and that we shouldn’t find ways to reduce our intake, maybe if we are consuming a large amount. I AM saying that sugar does not have to be completely eliminated and that it should not be compared to a certain illegal substance beginning with the letter c. There’s just no need to demonize any food this way and also compare it to actual substance abuse. We can do better.

The reoccurring joke for the new year always seems to be how the gyms are overcrowded from everyone trying to fulfill their new goal of movement. Great, no problem, as movement has benefits for many; however, this doesn’t have to mean spending money on something you don’t enjoy. The best movement you can do is the one that brings you joy because you are more likely to continue to do it. Think about it. How many times have any of us gone to a fitness class or told ourselves we’re going to start running since everyone else seems to be doing it? Then, when we start, we realize that we don’t actually enjoy this, and we stop partaking in it. We blame ourselves for the lack of discipline since the problem is clearly us, and we feel guilty about not getting in any movement. I will continue to shout this from rooftops - find what you love to do, and you will continue to do it. And what you love might not be mainstream but it doesn’t mean that it’s not movement. Find what brings you joy and motivates you.

There is nothing wrong with having goals, but let’s focus on daily increases and changes. The key word is to try to make things sustainable. Let’s take a look at what this means below.