Happy New Year from our team at Physician’s Weight Control & Wellness Center to you and yours!
At the beginning of each year, we tend to reflect on the previous year and the different things we experienced, whether positive or negative. This year feels especially significant because it’s the beginning of a new decade, and we’re able to reflect on the previous decade. A lot can happen in ten years. We have talked to patients who have gone through many big life changes – having children, buying homes, promotions at work or big career changes. They have also experienced loss in many forms. A new year can bring about bittersweet feelings as well as a moment of reflection. It’s a good time to think about where and how you want to see yourself in the future.
Nutrition Consultant Niki Claybrook recently discussed making resolutions versus setting goals and starting small. It’s normal to want to make resolutions, and for many of us, these resolutions are typically centered around our health – losing weight or quitting smoking are among the most common responses we have heard. According to Inc. Magazine, resolutions centered on weight make up the majority and occupy the top three spots in their top ten list:
1. Diet or eat healthier (71 percent)
2. Exercise more (65 percent)
3. Lose weight (54 percent)
Inc. Magazine also adds, “According to research on the topic, about 60 percent of us admit that we make New Year’s resolutions but only about 8 percent of us are successful in achieving them.” Why is it that resolutions are so difficult to keep?
Niki Claybrook says people give up on their resolutions early on because they’re simply too rigid to keep up with, too optimistic, or too overwhelming. Instead, she advocates for setting goals and making small, incremental changes. This is more sustainable in the long run, she argues: “Most changes do take planning and a certain amount of commitment. I’ll never tell anyone that it is easy to make changes to lifetime habits. What I will tell you is that it will absolutely be worth it. Eating nutritious foods isn’t difficult, but it does take planning.” She also adds, “I’m personally not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. They never last. BUT goals and small changes DO last and are what I advocate.”
What are some goals you feel you could set today that would be more easy to achieve? Do you see the value in setting a small goal like choosing to replace processed, sugary coffee creamer with organic half and half in your daily cup of coffee? Or eating out less during the week? These are all small changes to your nutrition that can help you lose weight and are more attainable than simply saying, “I’m going to lose 30 pounds this year.”
Another small change you can implement this year is planning when you eat using intermittent fasting. Wellness Coach Shaun Miskelly wrote about intermittent fasting and offers great examples of how to do it easily. “Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and not eating. It’s not a diet, per se where you plan what you can and cannot eat, but rather a schedule of when you can eat. When done properly, you don’t need to limit the types of foods you eat and instead plan your meals for certain times of the day.”
He adds, “Intermittent fasting has proven results, from weight loss to improvements in metabolic health, which can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Fasting for 16 hours can sound extreme, but when you can schedule your fast overnight, it’s just as effective AND you’re asleep for at least half that time!”
What are some attainable small changes you can make today that will help you in your journey toward better health and weight loss?
Be sure to check our blog regularly for tips, ideas, and information on improvements you can make to your health and wellness. Contact us to get started on a program if you’re ready to say YES to a healthier life!
We believe in making healthy, lifelong changes to your daily eating and exercise patterns. Physician’s Weight Control & Wellness’s programs are different from other weight loss programs in that they are specifically constructed by bariatric specialists to meet each patient’s individual needs based on their body chemistry, lifestyle, and weight loss goals. Our individualized programs focus on providing positive alternatives to unhealthy habits and targeting foods which provide your body with the specific nutrients it needs for optimal energy and fat metabolism. Practical exercise and hydration are also implemented into our overall program.
Photo by Isaac Smith on Unsplash
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