Weight Loss Resolutions?

With the start of a new year, perhaps you’re feeling optimistic about the prospect of a new you. This is the year that you will succeed at losing weight, getting to that magic number on the scale, fitting into your skinny jeans, or finding the diet plan that really works.

You have a burning desire. This is the year that you will not give in to your cravings. This is the year that you will show everyone just how great you can look. This is the year that you will be in control. This is the year that you WILL be happy.

[Photo Source: http://kaelovinlife.wordpress.com/2009/03/]

I feel your urgency. I’ve been there – year after year after disappointing year. Sure, I’ve reached that goal weight, but was I happy? Yes. Temporarily. Did I maintain that magic weight? Yes. Temporarily. Did I end up giving in to my cravings, bingeing, gaining the weight back, feeling unhappy and out-of-control? Yup, I sure did.

This year, I encourage you to refrain from making a weight-loss resolution. Instead, why not make 2010 the year when you finally make peace with food and your body? Rather than making resolutions, why not take steps to find happiness that will last not just throughout 2010 but also throughout your lifetime?

To help you find peace with food and your body in 2010, I’ve outlined the steps that I personally took to find my own serenity. If you are feeling skeptical about your ability to give up dieting for good, that’s ok. I was skeptical, too.

The day before my first appointment with a Registered Dietitian, back in April 2009, I almost cancelled. This will never work, I thought to myself. I’ll always count calories because that’s the only way I know how to maintain my weight. Certain foods must stay off limits because I can’t stop once I start eating them.

Today, I am happier than I ever thought imaginable. I eat foods that I enjoy, including every treat that was once forbidden. Ice cream, peanut butter, granola, pizza, cookies, decadent desserts, and delicious restaurant meals are all on the menu! I’ve never been happier in regards to my weight, the way my clothes fit, and the way I look. I don’t binge anymore, nor do I even feel the desire to binge. I don’t count calories. I exercise in moderation. I’ve maintained a healthy and happy weight for the past six months or so.

I say all of this not to boast, but to speak honestly to those of you who are suffering from any form of disordered eating or cyclical dieting. It IS possible for food to be fun and enjoyable, and to look and feel great WITHOUT being on any kind of diet plan, without counting calories, without restricting, without purging, and without anything more than moderate exercise. You can have it all.

When I heard about individuals who recovered from eating disorders, or when I saw happy and healthy-looking people eating desserts in fancy restaurants, I always wanted to ask them, “How do you do it?” Now, it is my mission in life to answer that very same question, to help others recover from eating disorders, stop dieting, and enjoy food AND a healthy body!

Here are some of the strategies I used to finally end the dieting cycle and my eating disorder. Feel free to try them out for yourself!

1. I acknowledged that I didn’t really need to be on a diet. There have been times in my life when I was at the upper end of my healthy weight range and I wanted to lose weight for aesthetic reasons. However, I knew that I didn’t really need to lose weight for health reasons. My R.D. taught me that it was much more important to learn how to fuel myself so I didn’t feel hungry all of the time. “Let’s get you feeling comfortable and satisfied,” she said, “and see where your weight falls.” She assured me that she wouldn’t “let me” gain weight. I trusted her and I’m at a happy and healthy weight today. Even if you do have some weight to lose for health reasons, weight loss should be a gradual lifestyle change, not a one-time diet overhaul.

2. I decided that other aspects of my life deserved priority over obsessive calorie counting and dieting. As long as I was obsessively counting calories, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to travel and dine with my husband. I knew I could never fully enjoy celebrations and gatherings with family and friends. Most importantly, I feared for the example that I would set for my children someday. Every time that I felt the urge to count calories or diet, I reminded myself that giving in, even just a little, would destroy other aspects of my life. I was no longer willing to put food or my weight before the people I loved.

3. I practiced incorporating my favorite foods into everyday life. This was very challenging at first because I was accustomed to the mindset that “I better eat this whole jar of peanut butter today, because tomorrow it’s off limits again.” I began eating some of my favorite foods every single day: a little bit of granola for breakfast, peanut butter with my snack, ice cream for dessert. After a few weeks, these foods were no longer “off limits,” so I didn’t crave them or binge on them anymore. I learned through my experience that no particular food could make me gain weight. And anytime I felt like I “shouldn’t” eat something, I challenged myself to eat it in moderation. Over time, I’ve learned that nothing is off limits, so I rarely experience the intense cravings or desires to binge that I used to feel on an almost daily basis.

4. I gave up the calorie calculators and diet plans. I used to rely on online calorie calculators and diet plans in books and health magazines to dictate how much I should eat. With the help of my R.D., I finally learned that no matter how accurate those calculators and plans may claim to be, there’s nothing more accurate than your own body. Even with the most scientific calculations, calorie calculators cannot account for your unique body chemistry, metabolism, or day-to-day fluctuations in your needs. By learning to listen to my body instead of following a prescribed number of calories, I actually found that I was able to eat MUCH MORE on a daily basis than I used to permit myself to eat. I even lost weight . . . so gradually that it was barely noticeable. My body settled to a comfortable weight without restrictive dieting or unnatural manipulations.

5. I took baby steps. I wasn’t able to give up calorie counting cold turkey. For the first few months, I wrote down everything I consumed, including gum and beverages. After a few months passed, I wrote down some meals and not others. Finally, the day came when I no longer felt the need to write down anything that I ate.

I do maintain a structure of eating three meals and two snacks per day because I don’t feel comfortable just grazing all day long. However, even this structure is flexible. If I’m extra hungry, I’ll have an extra snack or bigger meals/snacks than usual. If I’m not as hungry as usual, I’ll skip a snack or have smaller meals and snacks than usual.

6. I pause when I’m eating to listen to my body. Do I still feel hungry? If so, I eat some more. If not, I stop. This definitely takes practice, and a registered dietitian can help you get in touch with what hunger feels like.

7. I exercise in moderation. I run and do some light strength training at the gym two or three times a week. When the weather’s nice, I love to take my dog for walks, ride my bike, rollerblade or go kayaking. Though I admire people who train for races, marathons and other sporting events, I have no desire to do so myself. I believe exercise should be fun and uplifting. When you look forward to your workouts, you’re much more likely to be consistent. So, if marathon training excites you, go for it. But if taking a scenic walk with your dog is what wags your tail, then grab your sneakers and a leash and don’t even think about feeling guilty for not going to the gym.

When the clock strikes midnight, I won’t be making any weight loss resolutions for 2010. In fact, I’ll never be making another weight loss resolution again. Sometimes, just a simple change in your thought patterns can result in permanent changes in behavior. Are you ready to make a truly positive change in 2010? Ditch the diet resolutions and challenge yourself to take baby-steps to a healthier you throughout the year. Those are the changes that will leave you smiling not only this year, but for years to come.

Advertisement