Beware! New Years Resolution Pitfalls!

New year, new resolution. You know the drill: resolve to do something new that will make us better than before. Sometimes we resolve to not do something (don't eat sugar). Sometimes we resolve to add a positive behavior (eat more fruits and vegetables).

Bottom line, people often resolve to eat better and exercise more.

According to data from YouGov, health was the top priority heading into 2018, with 37% of Americans resolving to eat better and an equal 37% vowing to exercise more. The same study found that by June of that year, only 20% of people had actually stuck to those resolutions!

I am skeptical of resolutions and I have data behind my doubt: According to The Huffington Post only eight percent of people keep their resolutions and U.S. News and World Report says 80% of resolutions fail.

However, even though I'm not a big fan of quick fixes or short term programs, there is a value in this "bootcamp" approach. Each time you make a resolution or partake in a finite program you learn a huge amount of new fitness and nutrition information.

Resolutions rarely stick when they are too broad. We often lose momentum not because we lack willpower, but because trying to build too many new habits at once creates a mental bottleneck. True habit formation requires starting small; when we attempt a total lifestyle overhaul, the sheer complexity makes it impossible for these new behaviors to become automatic.

Fortunately, you DO end up adding one or two new things to your nutritional repertoire.

YEAH!!!!

So, as you set off to improve your health this year, I have a few tips to help:

1. Be careful of current/new information; does it have roots in something older and more researched or is it a fad?

Bone broth, organ meat and resistant starch (prebiotic fiber) are in the news right now. They are also something our ancestors would have eaten.

Fat free is an older fad but I repeatedly find people who can't let it go. Our brains need fat. Choose fats that haven't been changed from their original form. Grass fed butter, not margarine. Olive oil, not canola oil.

YES:

NO:

2. Try to think of your resolutions in the long term. It's great to have a restart but don't think you've failed or cheated if your not following a plan 100%. 80% is still a success; 80% has never been a failing, not even close.

Slow, gradual changes become permanent changes. Fast immediate changes aren't usually sustainable.

3. Think of adding nutrient dense foods versus removal and deprivation. Don't worry so much about calories, pick foods that naturally have: good fat, carbohydrates with fiber and lean protein.

4. If you make a mistake and eat something you're trying not to eat, make the next meal better and move on. It's just food and it's not against the law and you didn't blow anything! Think marathon, not sprint!

Good luck and one last point: It’s important to respect that lasting change isn't easy, and a New Year’s resolution isn't your one and only shot at getting fitness and nutrition 'right.' Health is a lifelong practice, not a single date on a calendar. However, if this time of year feels like the right moment to course-correct, lean into that momentum—just remember to use it as a spark to build small, sustainable habits rather than a fire that burns out by February.