No Resolutions

I usually don’t make a New Year’s resolution. Not because I’m perfect and don’t need to change anything (far from it, actually)! If I need to improve an aspect of my life, I can work on that anytime. No need to wait until the ball drops!

This year, I challenge you to make a no-resolution, resolution. Strive to improve your health all year long, even if you take baby steps. Each year we see weight loss and fitness resolutions plastered all over social media. Unfortunately, few of those resolutions make it to Valentine’s Day because they lack balance. Wouldn’t it be nice to not need a health resolution?

To me, life is all about balance, not perfection. In terms of eating, many fad diets fail because they aren’t balanced. Old eating habits that creep back after the “diet” is over tend to cause rebound weight gain. This is nothing new; that’s why the diet industry continues to be profitable.

Balance helps sustain healthy lifestyle

Wellness and achieving a healthy weight is a journey that never ends. Those who have lost weight and kept it off know what I’m talking about. Every day you have to fight for your best self. Those people also know that without balance, a healthy lifestyle is not sustainable.

I often instruct patients to balance their macronutrients: the carbs, fat and protein that make up their daily intake. Too much of one of those isn’t usually good. When you balance your meals and include all three components, great things happen. You feel satisfied, not deprived, and that’s something you can sustain for the long haul.

Imperfection does not equal failure  

Humans were not designed to be perfect, so allow yourself an imperfection or two! Expecting perfection only sets you up for failure. If you missed your third exercise session this week, does that mean the other two were worthless and you should just stop exercising? Absolutely not! If you overindulged this holiday season, should you call yourself a failure and binge yourself into a sugar coma? Of course not.

You are a constant work in progress, not a failure. Every day strive to make more good choices than bad ones, not just in the month of January. And don’t forget to enjoy the journey. Cheers to a happy and healthy 2019!

Alissa Lorchick, RD, LMNT, Bryan Bariatric Advantage