New Year, Healthier You
January 15, 2023
It’s January, which means that gyms are at their fullest and diet advertisements litter every Facebook feed and YouTube video. It’s the same every year; companies market a “New Year, New Me” idea to feed off of your resolutions. And the best part for those companies? If you don’t stick to their program and reach your goals, they can use the exact same scheme next year.
Unfortunately, if you really do plan to start a healthy lifestyle for yourself, it can be really tough to weed out the good health advice from the bad.
What if instead of a “New Year, New Me” you had a new year, more consistent you? A healthier you? A happier you, who follows through with their goals? By skipping over diet advertisements and beginning a healthy lifestyle for yourself, this can be the year you really do reach your goals.
Here are my three tips for deciphering a diet from a lifestyle change.
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Consider if the plan that’s being advertised to you is based in science.
Before you jump on the new diet wagon that’s coming around, take a look at the logistics of why it supposedly works. Is it logical? Factual? Scientific? Some diets are so obviously simple fads that all it takes is a quick round of research to understand it isn’t based in science and isn’t worth your time.
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Ask yourself: Could I do this for the rest of my life?
Could you avoid carbs for the rest of your life? Could you count every calorie of every day? Could you drink shakes in favor of real food?
If you’re anything like me, the answer is no, you definitely couldn’t. If the health advice that’s given to you isn’t something you can see yourself keeping up for the long run, it’s a pretty clear statement that it isn’t worth following.
Instead, opt for healthy choices that are reasonable and realistic for a long period of time. That way, you get real results that stick.
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Think about whether you would let your child follow the same plan.
I would never want my kiddo to skip breakfast and operate on an empty stomach all morning, so I definitely wouldn’t let him try intermittent fasting. If the plan you’re following isn’t something you would want your kid to do, then why should you do it yourself?
When you consider if the plan that’s being advertised to you is a healthy change or just another diet, think about whether you would recommend it for your kiddo. If it’s rooted in anything other than eating healthy foods and moving your body more, the answer is more than likely no.
When you start a new year and want to make changes, there are so many options at your fingertips, and it can be tough to decipher which plans are worth it and which are just yet another gimmick. This year, instead of choosing a diet for a “New Year, New You,” start a lifestyle of healthy living and create a “you” that’s consistent, healthy, and happy.
What do you want to achieve in 2023? Let me know in the comments!