Congratulations, you have made it to the beginning of yet another year! And if you are like a large portion of the world’s population then you have probably made some sort of New Year’s Resolution about your weight.
I have a theory on why we as a population are always so focused on healthy eating and diets in the New Year. From Halloween through the end of the year we become surrounded by all manners of unhealthiness. We even have let ourselves get programmed to believe that we must have certain foods for it to be a holiday season.
For about 6-8 weeks we find ourselves justifying all manners of naughtiness in the name of “The Holidays”. We fill ourselves with crap and trick our minds into thinking that makes us happy and call it a good time. By the time that New Years Day finally gets hear all of that junk has finally caught up to us and we have packed on more than a few pounds and we now feel like crap.
So why is it that I think there is a spike of interest in diets around this time of year? My personal opinion is that it is a lot of over compensation. However, this desire to lose weight is not necessarily a bad thing. According to the CDC (source: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html) a large portion of our population is overweight and obese. I think the problem lies with this idea that diets are something to go on.
The problem with that thinking is that if you spend so much time depriving yourself you can only go so long before you end up cheating or going off the diet all together. It’s like putting a bandage on a cut that needs twenty stitches. Yes that bandage will help in the moment, but it isn’t enough to fix the whole issue.
The true meaning of the word diet has been lost on today’s society. We all have a diet. Your diet is the food that goes into your mouth on a daily basis. The concept of making small changes that make a big difference has been lost on people.
The reason why people don’t stick to diet plans is because it is not realistic to think that anybody could stick to deprivation and extreme measures for long term. There is a rule, everything in moderation.
When starting any journey it’s always good to remember this: When at the top of a mountain there are only two ways down. You can chose to turn and use the path that will take you slowly one step at a time, or you can jump off the edge and see how that works out for you. Both ways will get you to the bottom, but that doesn’t guaranty what shape you are going to be when you get there.
So if you really want to make this year a New Year and a new you, don’t go on a diet, CHANGE your diet. Make small but important changes in your diet that will stick with you. Make the decision to permanently alter your daily habits in a way that you can stick to. It’s the only way that will actually do you good in the long run.
So if you are one of the many trying to lose weight in this new year, go ahead and push forward with that resolution, just don’t let yourself get burned out in the process.
The Graceful Skinny 