It is now a little more than half way through the first month of the New Year and many who make New Year’s health resolutions may already have feel that they have failed. Not exercising everyday, overeating more often then at just one birthday party, getting stressed and acting out too often, watching too much TV, or not eating more fruits and vegetables are examples of some common “failed” health resolutions. A recent post by a popular blog Momastery, This is How To Win at Parenting and Life, encouraged me to post my comments about how we often view ourselves and our resolutions for better health. I feel we need to have some kindness with a little bit of reality in relation to the way we talk to ourselves about our health goals. This can help support ourselves in meeting our goals.
Having worked with thousands of people over the years there are some common themes that come up that may prevent people from meeting their health goals; here are my top 10.
1. Making unrealistic goals
– I can’t tell you how many times people have told me they want to lose X amount of pounds in X amount of time with an amount that was extremely unhealthy and unrealistic. With many popular extreme weight loss TV shows over the years, it makes people think that losing a lot of weight quickly is healthy and realistic, when in fact for the majority of people this is no where near what I would recommend or encourage. This ranges from someone wanting to lose 50 pounds in 2 months for a prom, class reunion, or wedding to someone thinking they can just shed the weight they gained over years quickly without any potential health risks. For many adults losing 1-2 pounds a week is more realistic and in the beginning one may loss more water weight which could exceed this amount initially.
If you have not been exercising and you make it your goal to go to the gym everyday for an hour, you probably are setting yourself up for failure. Maybe the first month you start with your exercise goal at 3 times a week for 30 minutes and then adjust/increase your goal once you have met it. Check out Margaret’s blog post from earlier this month that discusses her top healthy habits and a link to how to make small achievable goals.
2. It is an all or nothing deal – Life happens and things unexpectedly come up that may derail your best intentions for your health goals. For example, if someone was planning on exercising for 60 minutes, but their schedule changed last minute only allowing 20 minutes, some people may forget it all together stating they don’t have enough time to really get a good work out in. However, in reality that 20 minutes is better than 0 minutes. Alternately, if someone overate at breakfast they may then decide that because they already “failed” they are going to eat poorly the rest of the day, which then carries over to the next day and the next day. Try not to be so hard on yourself and realize that this is a work in progress, but doesn’t need to be an all or nothing deal.
3. I am not going to do that until….- Don’t wait for you to meet all of your health goals to live your life. Life is too short and not doing something you are interested in should not be limited by not meeting your health goals. Giving yourself healthy non-food rewards for meeting your health goals can provide you with positive reinforcement, but limiting things you want to do only seems like a punishment.
4. Making too many rules – The combination of rules people make for themselves when they are trying to improve their nutrition and health can get out of control, sometimes the person doesn’t even remember what their intention was to begin with or what rules they set. Too many rules does not allow for flexibility in life and to sustain one’s health goals long-term the ability to adapt to different environments and situations is an important skill. If you have a rule or two that you set for yourself that may help you, but having a list of rules may set you up for confusion and failure.
One rule I have for myself for the last several years is that I avoid all artificial sweeteners. When I decided to eliminate them completely from my diet, it was the only change I was making at that time and after a few weeks it became second nature. Now, I don’t think twice about it, but still check food labels as they show up in many unexpected products.
5. Following a fad diet – Fad diets are just that, a fad and generally without good science to back them up. Many fad diets can place one at risk for nutrient deficiencies and possibly other health problems. Making healthy changes for life with real whole foods is something that can stick long-term. The old adage is appropriate, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is”. Stick with advice from reputable nutrition professionals such as a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist.
6. Thinking of health as an event
– An event is a one time thing and sometimes people who are trying to lose weight or gain fitness are mentally thinking about it in that way and they may temporarily succeed and later relapse into old behaviors quickly. Thinking about making healthy lifestyle changes should be about as a lifelong process and not a one time or short-term quick fix. Many clients who I work with who have successfully lost weight in the past and have regained it often have thought about it as an event and not a lifestyle.
7. Not seeking support – We all need support and this can come in various forms, from structured support groups, family, friends, licensed therapists, or help in learning some new skills or knowledge. As adults, I think it can be harder at times to seek and ask for support, but we often need it just as much as young children need help with many things. Asking for help is not always easy, but it can be beneficial and an important factor in meeting your goals. Think about what kind of support you think will help you with your goals and try not to be afraid to seek it out.
8. Negative self-talk – “I look like a whale.” “I am so fat and lazy who would like me.” These are just a few of the common phrases people who talk negatively to themselves say. Try to turn around your thinking into the glass is half-full versus half-empty. Try not to judge yourself on your physical appearance. This takes practice. Here are some great tips for overcoming negative self-talk.
9. Not loving the body you have 
– Try to “love the one you’re with” while you work to improve your health and fitness and subsequently changing your body. Be kind to yourself. Don’t try to measure yourself to someone else. Here are some simple reasons for loving the body you have now.
10. Not addressing other health issues – If you have been trying to improve your nutrition and fitness and have hit a road block or difficulty, you may have an underlying health issue that is not being addressed that is a key factor. Some common issues that can negatively impact weight and fitness goals include, gut dysbiosis, insulin resistance, Lyme disease, micronutrient deficiencies, thyroid diseases and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in women.
Whether you made New Year’s resolutions or not, think about giving yourself some kindness with a little bit of reality. In the theme of the recent Momastery post, YOU ARE AWESOME.
If you need help, we can help you wade through all of this to help you succeed with your health goals. Contact us for more information!
Be Well,
Lori Enriquez, MPH, RD, LDN, CHES, FAND
Eat Fit Health, Founder