|
|
10 New Year’s Resolutions Worth Making
|
|
With Thanksgiving behind us and 2016 winding down, you may be starting to think about your goals for the new year. I’m not a fan of the all-too-common diet and weight loss focused resolutions that are all about burning off holiday calories at the gym, starting a new diet, or amping up punishing weight loss efforts. Most people know from personal experience that these types of resolutions are usually abandoned before we even make it to February.
This year, why not focus your intentions and energy on something with a much better payoff? Here are 10 commitments that are definitely worth making, whether you call them New Year’s Resolutions or not. And as long as we are breaking with tradition, why wait until 2017? There’s no time like the present to start nurturing a healthy relationship with food, exercise, and your body!
10 New Year’s Resolutions Worth Making
1. I will ask myself: “Do I benefit from focusing on what I believe are flaws in my body weight or shape?”
2. I will think of three reasons why it is ridiculous for me to believe that thinner people are happier or “better.” I will repeat these reasons to myself whenever I feel the urge to compare my body shape to someone else’s.
3. I will spend less time in front of mirrors—especially when they are making me feel uncomfortable and self-conscious about my body.
4. I will exercise for the joy of feeling my body move and grow stronger. I will not exercise simply to lose weight, purge fat from my body, or to “make-up” for calories I have eaten.
5. I will participate in activities that I enjoy, even if they call attention to my weight and shape. I will constantly remind myself that I deserve to do things I enjoy, like dancing, swimming, etc., no matter what my shape or size is!
6. I will refuse to wear clothes that are uncomfortable or that I do not like simply because they divert attention from my weight or shape. I will wear clothes that are comfortable and that make me feel at home in my body.
7. I will list 5 to 10 good qualities that I have, such as understanding, intelligence, creativity, etc. I will repeat these to myself whenever I start to feel bad about my body.
8. I will practice taking people seriously for what they say, feel, and do, not for how they appear.
9. I will surround myself with people and things that make me feel good about myself and my abilities. When I am around people and things that support me and make me feel good, I will be less likely to base my self-esteem on the way my body looks.
10. I will treat my body with respect and kindness. I will feed it, keep it active, and listen to its needs. I will remember that my body is the vehicle that will carry me to my dreams!
Adapted from “10 Will-Powers for Improving Body Image,” by Michael Levine, PhD and Linda Smolak, PhD. Reproduced with permission from National Eating Disorders Association. www.nationaleatingdisorders.org. Information and Referral Helpline: (800) 931-2237
|
|
Reader Question
Q: Is it a good idea to do a cleanse after the holidays?
A: From celebrities to TV doctors, there’s no shortage of people touting the benefits of cleanses and detox diets – especially this time of year. “Lose Weight.” “Burn Fat.” “Rid Your Body of Harmful Toxins.” Those claims may sound enticing, but there’s no good scientific evidence that shows cleanses and detox diets actually eliminate toxins from your body, help you lose weight, or improve your health in any way.
There are numerous types of cleanses and detox diets which may recommend any or all of the following: juicing; fasting; limiting or eliminating specific food groups or nutrients; taking expensive (and unproven) supplements, herbs, and/or teas. These diets range in duration from a few days to a month or more.
Cleanses and detoxes are often too low in calories, protein, and other essential nutrients and there are risks to consuming these unbalanced diets for any significant length of time. Like other restrictive diets, cleanses and detoxes are an ineffective way to achieve long-term weight loss, and are actually more likely to lead to overeating and weight gain. I recommend running, not walking, away from any plan that promotes the use of laxatives, enemas, flushes, colonics, or other “colon therapies,” as these practices can have dangerous health consequences.
At best, cleanses and detox diets are unsustainable, useless, and pricey; at worst, they are unsafe and harmful to your health. So, after weeks of holiday meals and parties, if you feel the need to “reset,” I recommend cutting back on eating out in favor more home cooked meals full of nutrient dense whole foods like fruit, veggies, whole grains, beans/legumes, and other lean proteins. Leave the detoxing and cleansing to your liver, kidneys, and colon – that’s what they’re there for!
|
|
Do you have a burning nutrition question? Email your question to: question@msnutrition.com and it may be answered in the next newsletter!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|