It’s that time of year when we often set New Year’s resolutions, with an intent to resolve or improve a dissatisfied part of our life. We all know nutrition is often a part of New Year’s resolutions though, depending on the approach, can be challenging to sustain. Have you thought about the pressure the term “resolution” carries? You are expecting perfection versus progress and when life gets too busy or too stressful, if it doesn’t look perfect, it can be easy to burn out. Consider reframing this effort from a “resolution” to a “sustainable step.” This approach takes the pressure off the all-or-nothing mindset and allows for the incorporation of flexible, balanced habits that can be carried through the year and be sustained long term.
For example, if you tell yourself “I am going to cut out all sugar and only eat whole foods,” what happens when you attend that birthday party with cake or are invited to a dinner party or are traveling with limited food options or want to enjoy your favorite holiday foods or would like to attend an social event where food is part of the experience? You’ve essentially set the expectation for yourself that you would only eat at those times if there are whole foods available and also avoid all sugar. Quickly, frustration and deprivation can set in, making it difficult to sustain that approach and rather, lead back to unbalanced consumption plus feelings of guilt or defeat.
This New Year, consider setting sustainable yet measurable goals that allow for flexibility (because after all, normalized eating is meant to be flexible and enjoyable).
CONSIDER ADDITIONS VERSUS SUBTRACTIONS
Example: I will add a serving of vegetables to each meal time. Adding vegetables will not only increase your vitamin, mineral, and fiber intake but also increased the volume on your plate and likely result in reduced portions of the other more calorically-dense foods at that meal time.
SET A GOAL TO SUPPORT “I WILL DO MORE OF”
Example: I will cook more meals at home (3 per week), and write meals planned on the calendar to support this effort. This effort encourages more home-cooked, balanced, calorically-moderate food selections though, does not eliminate the ability to eat out for social pleasure or in instances where grabbing something quick is your only option.
SET A GOAL TO SUPPORT “I WILL DO LESS OF”
Example: I will reduce my sweetened beverage consumption from 3 sodas per day to 1 soda per day. This avoids the expectation that you can never have a soda again but serves as a next step to moderating intake of sweetened beverages.
As you are determining your goal(s), ask yourself what your motivation for change roots in, and find a way to remind yourself of this motivation daily as an encouragement to maintain effort day after day! If you aren’t able to meet your goal one day, utilize the next day to resume your new effort!