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We usually don’t make New Year's resolutions that we plan to keep for life. Rather, we plan on keeping them for a few months, unless were really brave and plan to keep them for the whole year! Weight Watchers, Slim Fast and the like promise success and set us up to spend a lot of money on that famous and most frequently attempted resolution -- weight loss. Here’s the scenario: The holidays are over, we partied and ate from Thanksgiving through New Year's, but when 2005 arrived, we decided to start being "good" again and finally lose that extra weight we’ve been carrying around. We got ourselves geared up for that diet -- the one that was finally going to work. We started the diet and promised ourselves that we really were going to be "good" this time, no cheating allowed. The first couple of days went okay. It was hard, but being "good" felt good and reinforced that we have the willpower to control our eating. After more time passed it got harder to stay on the diet. We were hungry when we weren't supposed to be and the same foods over and over started to get boring. We started feeling tired and irritable, but in the name of weight loss, we grudgingly accept this is how it must be. We step on the scale each morning hoping to see the number going down. When it does, we resolve to keep dieting because it’s working. When it doesn’t, we believe we aren’t being "good" enough, we have a bad day that day, and we resolve to try harder. Maybe we lose a couple more pounds, maybe we don't. We start to get discouraged because this time it was supposed to work. Even though we're really trying, all of a sudden the weight loss slows down. Eventually we hit that plateau where no matter what we do, we stop losing weight altogether. We get even more discouraged and can’t believe we failed again. Why doesn't this ever work? We were trying to be so "good." We stop dieting and start eating again. In no time, we gain weight again and can just hear everyone saying behind our backs "He just isn't committed enough to do it" or "If she really wanted to lose the weight, she would." We feel really bad and it's probably only February. This scenario is probably way too familiar for way too many people. Weight loss is always a no-win resolution because it requires dieting. Dieting is what we call it anyway. Our bodies know it as starving and our bodies don’t like it at all. Our bodies rebel against starving, that's why diets as we know them don't work. What alternatives are there for New Year’s resolutions? How about resolutions you can make and keep for life that have nothing to do with dieting, but can perhaps help you reach a healthy weight in the long run. These are resolutions that require you to take care of yourself from the inside out. They can also be fun, relaxing, soothing, calming, nurturing, and result in feeling truly "good," none of which will ever come from dieting. Here are some examples of healthy resolutions for life: **Instead of hit-and-miss grocery shopping when you’re starving and have no food in the house, plan your meals for the week, make out a grocery list and develop a grocery shopping routine. **Resolve to eat three balanced meals per day. It's normal to get hungry every 3 hours or so, so don't be afraid to have a snack. If your body didn't need food for energy, it wouldn't get hungry. **Schedule time each month with a friend(s) so you are sure to get together. Don’t rely on "I'll call you..." because in our hectic lives it often doesn’t happen. Set a monthly date. **Treat yourself to something you normally don’t take the time for -- get a massage, take a golf lesson, browse in a bookstore, go to a movie...Make a standing weekly appointment with yourself! **Take 30-60 minutes each day to do something you want to do that has nothing to do with taking care of others. It is essential to balance out our stressors with relaxation time. **Try out new physical activities. No matter what your age or shape, things like yoga, tai chi and martial arts are excellent for balance, strength, breathing and flexibility. Challenge yourself to come up with other resolutions that you can and will want to keep doing for life. How can resolutions such as these help you reach a healthy weight? When you start taking care of yourself based on what you really need and what you enjoy, you will find that these things take the place of overeating. When you are getting what you really need in life and feel "good" on the inside, the weight usually takes care of itself. It's not too late to revise your resolutions!
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