Are you resolving to lose weight, starting January 1st? If so, you're not alone. Of the approximately 40% of people who make new year's resolutions, over 65% of them are vowing to lose weight. That should be an amazingly healthy goal for most of us, right?
WRONG
I'm going to try to keep this relatively to the point, as I plan on blogging a lot more about this in the coming months, however, here are some of the main reasons why NOT to set a weight loss goal for 2015:
1. One-third of the people who set these weight loss goals have ditched them by the end of January. What's the point in that?
2. The actual number slightly varies, however, about 95% of people who lose weight by dieting gain it all back plus more, within 5 years time. That is an abysmal failure rate, reflecting the entire dieting industry and the promotion of body trickery, which rarely works out in the long run. Our bodies are incredibly smart! "Failing" a diet also hurts our self-esteems and confidence, as we internalize the failure, thinking that we just couldn't do it.
3. In some people, dieting can actually trigger a restrictive eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia, restrictive-reactive cycles, orthorexia, etc.). These are, for the most part, genetically determined conditions which can be activated when certain environmental factors come into play.
4. Cutting calories, especially excessively, can lead to tons of health problems. It's true that lower weights have correspondingly lower metabolisms ( and high weights have higher metabolisms), but when calories are drastically cut and you are feeling hunger all the time, many different biochemical reactions are activated which make our bodies think that there is a famine, so they hold onto whatever they can. Many people also experience problems with fatigue,digestion, skin/hair/nails, pain, thyroid/adrenals, and menstruation. Diets definitely doesn't solve every health concern, and can actually cause quite a few!
5. Being on a diet is stressful. Stress can cause issues with weight, as well as with almost every other health condition. It can also isolate you from social situations that are often built around enjoying food and others' company, and even quite severe anxiety in some.
6. Why do you want to lose weight anyways? Think long and hard about that. Some of our answers are very much programmed by the society that we live in, while others are based on false information. You can truly be healthy at any size. What is more important are the healthy behaviours that you incorporate into your life.
7. Did you know that we all have an optimal weight set point that our bodies will fight vehemently to defend? This set point is usually a 10-15 or so lbs. fluctuation that our bodies experience over time. It can actually be quite hard to get your weight out of this set point (lose weight or gain weight). There do seem to be things that can throw this off - there still seems to be a lot of debate regarding what these factors are. One of them that seems to be known for sure is dieting, specifically yo-yo dieting or restrictive-reactive eating cycles. Don't diet!
So, there you have some reasons not to diet this new year, which will hopefully spare you a lot of misery!
Now that we're not setting a resolution to diet, there are other resolutions that we can focus on which will be a lot more fulfilling! Note: some of these might not be suitable for those with restrictive eating disorders.
1. Become more physically active. This is a great goal, and one that can benefit almost anyone. Physical activity seems to be even more correlated with good health and longevity than what we eat. Our bodies are designed to be active and thrive from it! Try to find something fun - that will be different for everyone, but maybe you can explore that a bit this year. Don't focus on calories or weight loss, but instead challenge yourself, accomplish new things, smile and laugh, look forward to activity! For example, I'm not and don't think I'll ever be one to love the gym and having a structured workout, however, I freakin' love zumba and really want to get into more yoga this year.
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2. Incorporate more healthy foods into your day. For most people, there are tweaks that we can make with what you eat that can vastly improve how you feel. Including more whole, home-cooked foods and less packaged foods are great improvements for most of us (although admittedly, at some stages, people definitely do better and thrive off of foods which we typically think of as "unhealthy").
3. Catch up with those friends who kind of fell by the wayside last year. Having a rich and supportive social life is an important health determinant and something that we often overlook!
4. Return to, or learn a new hobby. This one is great, and can be so much fun and very empowering and confidence/self-esteem boosting. I used to play the saxophone when in school, but haven't played consistently in years, so that's something that I'd like to get back to as well.
5. Get your finances in order. I know a lot of people groan when they see this one, but it's one that can have a dramatic impact on your wellbeing and stress levels. It definitely is possible to get out of any financial situation that you may find yourself in, and it's not all saving and no fun. Working with a certified money coach can help you to start working towards whatever goals that you may have. For Canadians, this organization is great: http://moneycoachescanada.ca/
6. Love yourself. This may be vague and broad, but so many of us have that little voice in our heads that tells us we're too fat or too thin, or not smart enough, or not good enough, or we hate this part of our bodies or that part. If any of these are true for you, this may be the most important resolution of all. It's also hard to do on your own and you may be most successful by seeking out the help of a counselor or psychologist who offers cognitive behavioural therapy.
Cultivating these new behaviours and habits in your life may very well lead to a change in body composition or weight loss, or they may not. That's not the point. The point is gaining a better, more fulfilling and joyful life, and these things have been shown to be helpful in doing just that :)
I think that's just about everything! I hope that I inspired you to think twice about starting a grueling diet come January 1st, and instead, cultivate some great new habits that bring health and happiness into your life.
Happy new year, everyone, and all the best in 2015!!
Dr. Jenna McNamee, ND
