Written by Talia Cecchele
When I think about it, it is interesting how as humans we place so much emphasis on January 1st to start the year fresh, set goals and change our daily habits. The New Year is a time where a lot of us reflect on the past 365 days, in the hope to implement change to better our health, work and finances.
Weight loss was one of the top New Year resolutions in 2019. It is definitely okay to want to lose weight, but one of the reasons I don’t like it being the only focus of 2020 is because if you don’t achieve it, it can worsen your relationship with food and your body, increase anxiety and feelings of guilt and failure. Weight loss targets can be very unrealistic, calculated based on advice from a magazine article, unqualified health professionals advice or BMI targets (which are now quite out-dated), without the consideration of lifestyle, genetics, finance and food availability.
Here’s my proposal. Instead of focusing on what you can’t have, I want you to think about what you can add to your lifestyle to improve your physical and mental health. I’m talking about taking care of what you already have and who you are. Let’s remove the negativity around unresolved resolutions.
Reflect back on 2019. What was your movement like? Did you prioritise time with family and friends? Did you read a good book? Did you try a new vegetable? Did you practice any self-care?
Creating New Years Resolutions
Here are some ideas which shift the focus to health when creating New Years Resolutions:
Add one extra serve of vegetables to your plate each day
Try one new recipe a fortnight
Do one enjoyable type of movement each week
Try one new vegetable each month
Have two vegetarian meals a week
Drink a glass of water with every meal
Read one book a month
Schedule in one family/friend meet-up a wee
Schedule one self-care activity a month
Tick of one bucket list activity (travel or experience) every four months
New Year, SAME You, but better nourished body, mind and soul.
Talia is a registered dietitian working in private practice and as an eating disorder specialist dietitian in London's leading private mental health hospital. As a freelance dietitian, Talia not only offers 1:1 consultations but can present at your workplace, create recipes or articles or host a cooking demonstration. To enquire please fill out a contact form.