So you've convinced yourself that you'll just "start fresh" in the new year and worry about going on a diet come January 1st, but you say this every year. Read on for 3 reasons you shouldn't weight loss diet this new year and what to do instead!
The holidays are halfway over and I bet you're in “F it” mode just waiting for the new year to begin to start a new diet and “undo” what you’ve eaten in the last few months. However, what’s in the past is in the past and it's best to just move on and adopt a new mindset and try something new this year. Let’s be real, how many New Years have come and gone with you regretting the holiday eats and vowing to “be better” in the new year? Exactly. So here are 3 reasons why not to go on a weight loss diet this year and what to do instead.
3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Diet This New Year
Dieting is bad for your health. Dieting can:
Slow metabolism and result in rebound weight gain & weight cycling
Result in overeating and binge eating
Undermine innate hunger and fullness cues
Curate low self-esteem, feelings of failure, depression, stress, and social anxiety
Cause food obsession and cravings
Lead to disordered eating and eating disorders
May result in hair loss, dry skin, and menstrual irregularities from nutrient deficiencies
Can result in headaches, fatigue, and constipation in underfed states
Dieting is expensive. The cost of a weight loss supplement package from a popular MLM averages $215.00 and unfortunately, many of the supplements are a waste of your money. That money could have gone to better use like your groceries, bills, extra holiday gifts to yourself 😉, a flight to your dream destination, literally anything else.
Dieting does not lead to sustained behavior change. Weight loss dieting dropout rates can range up to 80%, which demonstrates the unsustainability of weight loss dieting. Do you have your own track record of not sticking to your diet? I do. You probably do, too. It's okay though because "falling off the wagon" is to be expected! How else would these companies make money if their diets actually worked?
If not weight loss dieting, what should you do instead?
Health is made up of 5 things- individual behaviors, social circumstances, genetics, environment, and medical care. This year, I want you to try something different. Health is important, but health is more than what you weigh so this year I want you to set health goals for anything except weight loss. Crazy, but give it a try! We will first start with some reflection:
Describe what being “healthy” means to you. To get your gears turning, some individual healthy behaviors topics that *may* be in your control could include:
Improving psychological assets such as optimism level, self-efficacy, conscientious level, and life satisfaction
Managing negative moods and affects such as stress, hopelessness, anxiety, or depression levels
Getting enough sleep
Getting enough physical activity
Consuming a balanced diet
Limiting drug use and other risky behaviors such as gun use, reckless driving, or other adrenaline rush activities.
Participating in your medical care such as going to or scheduling your primary care Dr, dentist appointments, and gyno visits- Of course, this one is nuanced and encompasses access & affordability to care and possible aversions to health care professionals related to experienced discrimination and fatphobia. Advocate for yourself the best you can.
What is it about your current lifestyle that you want to be doing differently? List at least one thing. To get your gears turning, listed are possible ideas:
Eating consistently throughout the day/not skipping meals
Stopping binge eating
Reducing alcohol consumption
Increasing exercise
Practicing meditation
Resting
Drinking enough water
Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption
Increasing expressions of gratitude
Meeting with health professionals (therapist, dietitian, certified personal trainer)
Getting enough sleep
Taking time off of social media
Goal Setting and Systems
Goals are like the North Star, setting them provides direction for where you want to go but it's the systems that actually get you there. For what you have identified as unsatisfactory in your life, set a goal and create a system! Follow these steps inspired by James Clear's Atomic Habits:
Set your SMART goal (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound).
Use this formula to describe your system: "I will do [insert behavior] at [insert time] in [insert location]."
Then, make the system into a 2-minute or less behavior.
Physical Activity Example:
You decide you want to improve your physical health. Your SMART goal is to walk at least 3 times a week.
The system is to walk 30 minutes (behavior change) after work at 5:30 pm (time) around your neighborhood (location).
The 2-minute behavior could be putting on your sneakers.
You could also do "habit stacking," which is when you add the new habit you want to incorporate to flow with a current habit you already have down. For example:
Continuing off of the previous example of increasing exercise by walking and the 2- minute behavior was tying the running shoes, the habit stack version could be: "Once I take off my work shoes (current habit), I will immediately change into my sneakers (new behavior). "
What can make diets so attractive is their structure and rule-following. What makes diets fail is the structure that doesn’t translate to real life's unpredictability and thus results in feelings of guilt and failure for breaking the diet rules. Diets are meant to fail you- It's how the company makes money since you keep having to “restart” the diet. Save your money and look towards your own behavior and curate systems that can adapt to your own life and keep can keep up *most* of the time. You might have to troubleshoot what system will work and try a few things- That's okay and expected! No more rules to “break”- Just trying your best at building and following your own systems to reach your health goals. Follow me @tasty.cait.rd on Instagram for more food freedom content!
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