I must admit something: I really, really enjoy making resolutions every year. In general I keep part of my resolutions, but not all of them. Once I -did- complete a whole year of a resolution: floss every day. I was very proud of myself (and still am… maybe I should do that one again this year) for actually completing one of my resolutions 100%.
The major issue I have found with creating a resolution is that most of the time a PLAN is never put into play. So your pie-in-the sky “This year I will lose 30 pounds, clean out all my closets, read 100 books, teach myself Japanese and grow my own tomatoes” will never, ever happen without a plan of action. I am not saying anything you don’t already know.
A great way to plan for these items is to break down the goal into much, much smaller items on a daily or weekly basis. For a “this year I will lose 30 pounds” goal I would suggest all of the following: (Please note: the best way to lose weight is to change your diet, increase your daily exercise and decrease stress. My suggestions below are all about changing your diet. For help with exercise please see these posts. For stress reduction I highly suggest meditation, exercise such as Yoga or Tai Chi, spending time outside, counseling if indicated and breathing exercises.)
Start recording all your foods and liquids you eat and drink DAILY: you can do this in a notebook you carry with you, through photos on your digital camera or smart phone, on an Excel program, or on an online program like myfitnesspal.com or MyPlate.
I am not going to tell you what diet will work best for you as I would need to know a lot more about you as an individual and your personal health history. Some diets that work well for people include the Mediterranean Diet or a more generic whole foods diet. My family follows a diet known as the Weston A Price diet which is based on whole foods including traditional foods like healthy whole fats, fermented foods (this includes fruit, vegetables, dairy and even meat) as well as organ meats and traditionally prepared seeds and grains. Good news: you don’t have to be devoted to a particular diet, just eat nourishing, whole foods that are nutrient dense.
Also, you may need to change your mindset: One of the things I think is really important to keep in mind is how we view our food intake: “Asked what comes to mind upon hearing the phrase “chocolate cake,” Americans were more apt to say “guilt,” while the French said “celebration”“.
You also need to figure out where you might ‘fall down’ on your resolution and create alternatives: what if you use chocolate as your response to stress? Do you think just because you have resolved to lose weight that you will magically no longer be stressed or no longer reach for chocolate as your stress response? I am sorry to say this, but you are mistaken. You need something instead of chocolate as your stress response. I like the idea of drinking chocolate tea instead of eating or drinking sugary chocolate. You still have the chocolate goodness, but without all the calories. If you have a particular place in your fridge or pantry where you keep your snacks/foods you reach for during stress I highly suggest you stock this place with healthy alternatives like raw almonds, fresh fruit and veggies and protein like organic cheese. If you wanted to you could also put an affirming message to yourself there along with some suggestions for things to do when stressed.
Celebrate! Maybe you LOVE wheat spaghetti but you’ve decided to follow a Paleo diet and the idea of giving up your favorite food forever is making you resistant to a diet. What if the last Saturday of every month you got to go out for a special spaghetti dinner? You can be happy focusing on your Paleo diet without that nagging feeling of never eating your favorite food ever again. A few keys to this: be mindful and really, really enjoy your meal, don’t bolt down your food: celebrate your full month of achievement! Don’t bring home leftovers; this is a once a month thing, not a ‘and tomorrow’s lunch and then tomorrow’s dinner…’ thing. If you eat a really clean, whole foods diet the rest of the month you may be surprised at how you feel after such a dinner so pay attention to how you feel during and after your meal. Or maybe you are going to get a massage at the end of every month. Your turn: make a list of things that will reward you on your path in a healthy and constructive way.
“But Dr Corinne, I have done all of these things and I am not losing any weight!” This may very well be an indicator that you have some underlying health issues and you should definitely see a health practitioner for support with this. I would be happy to work with you on this and other health challenges.
If you would like help or support around changing your diet, increasing exercise, decreasing stress or any other health related resolutions this year I would love to help you, schedule an appointment with me today! You can call 425-814-0202 to schedule.
*The information I have included here or elsewhere on my website is not to be considered treatment or diagnosis or any particular disease or condition. Always consult your health care practitioner before undertaking any new health regimen.
