Trust Your Gut - Eat for Satisfaction Take Back New Year’s Resolutions
Diet Culture sets an expectation that we all need to incorporate weight loss goals into our New Year’s Resolutions. But what if we love our bodies and we don’t want new ones next year? Can we still set health goals for ourselves that do not include restrictive diets or intense workout schedules? Of course!
Quick Disclaimer: This series explores Intuitive Eating from a chef’s perspective. This is not meant to provide specific medical advice. If these topics interest you, please consult a registered dietitian and/or healthcare provider for personalized guidance and education.
The New Year can be a great time to set new personal goals. The best goals are SMART - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. Many of us forget about the middle two (achievable and realistic) when setting health and wellness goals. Weight loss diets are not realistic and in many cases not achievable. (not to mention - diets aren’t good for your emotional health and sometimes even physical health!) When we set goals that are not realistic and achievable, we become discouraged when we inevitable do not complete those goals. This is the fuel that diet culture runs off of.
With New Year’s Resolutions upon us, comes strong messages from diet culture and advertising from weight loss programs and diet plans. No wonder Weight Loss Resolutions consistently rank as the 3rd or 4th most popular resolution year after year. With this pressure to incorporate some kind of health-centered resolution onto our lists, it can be tempting to set destructive weight loss goals for ourselves. Instead, we have some ideas for alternative (and more positive) resolutions we can use to feel better in our bodies.
Try 1 (or 2) new produce items each week (or day or month) - something you don’t normally cook with or snack on. Here are some ideas of unique fruits and veggies.
9. Dragonfruit
10. Kalamansi
11. Cherimoya
12. Persimmons
13. Papaua
14. Durian
15. Jicama
16. Ube
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Rutabagas
Fiddleheads
Romanesco
Yucca
Lotus Root
Rhubarb
2. Each month (or week) cook a dish that you are unfamiliar with.
Never cooked lamb before, try it!
Have you made yourself Gyeran Mari or Bibimbap? Have a fun, Korean cooking day!
Instead of ordering take-out pizza, try making pizza at home! You can add as many toppings as you want!
3. Start each morning by listing 3 (or 5 or 10) things you love about yourself.
These can be personality traits, physical characteristics, past actions that make you proud - anything that feels right to you!
Another idea is to list things you are grateful for or replay a happy memory.
4. Read the Fourth Edition of Intuitive Eating (A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach) by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. Maybe read one chapter per week (or day or month).
5. Try 1 (or 2 or 3) new type(s) of movement each week (or day or month). This could be different online exercise classes, activities in nature, or your own creative movement. Notice how each makes your body feel and note which ones you enjoy most.
6. Delete any diet tracking apps on your phone by the end of New Year’s Day.
7. Say “Goodbye” to the Food Police in your head.
8. Celebrate the imperfections and embrace the flexibility of your Resolutions - you may want to change them one week into January or you may decide that the resolution you planned isn’t right for you this year. There’s no shame for ‘quitting’. It’s important for us to re-evaluate and adjust our goals over time. The purpose of goals is to give ourselves a plan for achieving our highest potential - only you know exactly what that looks like for you!
