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Resolve to be healthy next year

December 31, 2006 12:50 am

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.

"But it's 1 percent milk," the person protested, when I suggested this might be too much. Even healthy, low-fat milk packs a caloric punch if you drink excessive amounts.

Usually, though, milk is a great addition to healthy eating. Often it's smaller things that trip people up, like too many sodas, or lots of coffee drinks loaded with cream and sugar. Dousing salads in so much dressing that they have more calories than a Big Mac is common, as is mindlessly overeating while driving or watching TV.

If you've been checked out and know that you're doing everything you can, just relax and enjoy your body, whatever weight you're at. An active, heavy person can be healthier than a thin couch potato. Focus on the things your body can do, not just bulges you don't like.

Working in a hospital reminds me to be grateful for the body's small miracles. When someone is recovering from a bad car accident or a stroke, he is excited when he learns to do little things again, like walk, talk, comb his hair and use a fork. Most of us are healthier than this.

Think of the fun and amazing things our bodies can do: hiking, biking, dancing, playing, holding hands with a child, hugging a friend, walking a dog, climbing mountains, planting flowers, building tree houses, you name it. You don't have to be a certain weight to enjoy life.

Focus on goals you can reach. You can't control exactly how many pounds come off or what genetics you were born with. But you can choose how many minutes a day you spend being active and what you put into your mouth.

When you eat, slow down enough to sit, turn off distractions like the TV or car engine, and pay close attention to your hunger and fullness. Respect these sensations--they are messages about what you need. Make nourishing choices most of the time.

Don't waste time worrying about waist size and perfect poundage. Instead, search out activities that are fun and healthy foods that taste great. Focus on your choices and on the sheer joy of being alive.

JENNIFER MOTL, a registered dietitian, welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.