Resolve to be healthy next year

Resolve to be healthy, not to lose weight

Date published: 12/31/2006

By JENNIFER MOTL

THIS TIME OF YEAR, people are thinking about how they'll make the new year better than this one. I applaud people who resolve to make changes in their lives. At the same time, I warn against resolving to lose weight.

Resolve to spend more time being active. Resolve to eat well. These are great resolutions for good behaviors. But don't resolve to lose a certain number of pounds, because you can't control outcomes precisely.

I can't tell you how many people think that life will be grand if the scale reads a certain number. Never mind that the number may be unrealistic for their body type, or simply arbitrary. They become obsessed with the number on the scale or the size of their pants, and feel guilty about eating. This makes it even harder for them to eat well and exercise, and they gain even more weight.

Psychologist Carl Jung said: "We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses."

This flies in the face of reason for many people. But I have found it to be true. People who loathe themselves and their weight have a much harder time making healthy choices. People who respect themselves, no matter what their weight, have more strength to make changes.

So instead of focusing on those last fill-in-the-blank number of pounds you think you need to lose, focus on behaviors you can control. Be active for 30 to 60 minutes five days a week. Choose healthy foods--this means a moderate eating plan that you can maintain for life, not a low-calorie diet. If you are overweight, your weight will slowly shift the way your body needs it to, although this may not exactly fit with the number you have in your head.

If you are very overweight and making changes, but nothing is happening weight-wise, do get checked by your physician for thyroid problems and other health issues.

If you're still feeling stuck, visit a dietitian as well for analysis of your eating patterns. You may have a hidden habit that you don't realize is sabotaging your efforts. For example, I met a person who was drinking a gallon of milk a day, in addition to eating healthy meals.

JENNIFER MOTL is a registered dietitian. Formerly of Fredericksburg, she now lives in Wisconsin.

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Date published: 12/31/2006