Positive New Year's Resolutions for 2022
By: Sammi Haber Brondo | NYC Dietitian
In 2022, let’s leave behind any and all negativity: mean people, toxic social media accounts, this dang pandemic and of course, restrictive diets.
Any else so over resolutions that start the year off on a negative note?
Things like “stop eating cookies!” or “don’t eat after 7pm!”.
Not only do I not agree with those things in general, but also, they’re just really negative goals to have and negative ways to start off a new year.
If you’re into resolutions - or just want some new beneficial goals to work towards - I highly recommend more positive ones that don’t make you feel like you already failed.
Plus, they’re much more realistic and easy to sustain longer term, too.
1. Eat food that makes you happy.
Let’s cut to the chase: life is too short to not eat foods you enjoy.
When you look back on your life, do you want to know that you meticulously counted calories or avoided food at family dinners? Or do you want to know that you enjoyed it – food included?
Food is more than just nourishment. It’s also memories and joy and comfort.
You’re allowed to eat foods you love. And you should.
Arguably, stressing about food is less healthy than enjoying something like a delicious bowl of ice cream from time to time.
2. Fous on foods you can add to your diet.
On a similar note, instead of hyper focusing on foods you have to restrict or can’t eat, what would happen if you focused on foods to add to your diet? Things like veggies, fruit, whole grains and fats. And more specific things, like broccoli, apples, rice, pizza and pasta. Yep, pizza and pasta.
Add foods that have beneficial nutrients. And also try to add foods that you just straight up enjoy too.
This switches the narrative. Instead of telling yourself the things you can’t eat, you focus on the things you want to add.
Maybe you want to try to add more veggies to your day. Maybe you feel like you could eat more fruit. Or maybe carbs have historically been a fear food and you want to try to add those back in.
Focusing on what you can add, instead of subtract, is a huge mindset shift.
Plus, when do you this and make sure to include foods you enjoy, it helps to minimize crazy cravings, binges and/or guilt in the long run.
3. Stop comparing yourself to anyone else.
Even if we all ate and exercised the same, we’d all still look different. That’s what makes us unique, which is a good thing!
Plus, what you see on social media is often a highlight reel. And highly edited.
Stop comparing your everyday life to someone else’s highlight reel.
What someone else eats or looks like has no relevance to you.
Instead of comparing what you’re eating to what someone else is eating, try to just focus on yourself.
Eat the foods that sound good to you. Exercise in the way that you enjoy. Wear the clothes that you love. And try not to worry about other people. It makes things much more enjoyable.
4. Find an exercise you enjoy.
The best exercise to do is the one that you enjoy. Truly.
Not the one that burns the most calories or makes you the sorest the next day.
Movement should be enjoyable. There are so many benefits to exercise when it is. It can boost your mood, give you energy and have so many positive effects on your overall health.
Find something that you like to do - it makes it fun and lets you reap those benefits as much as possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s running, spinning, walking, boxing, lifting weights or just dancing around in your living room.
It also doesn’t matter if it’s 15 minutes or 45 minutes. If 15 minutes is all you feel like or have time for, then good for you for spending those 15 minutes that way!
Exercise shouldn’t be punishment. And it is not compensation for anything you eat. You are allowed to eat and you are allowed to exercise – or skip – exercise if you feel like it.
And if you do feel like it, make sure it’s in a way that feels fun to you.
5. Forget about other people’s opinions.
This is true when it comes to anything, but especially true when it comes to food and nutrition.
It’s absolutely no one’s business what you eat. How much you eat. When you eat. What your body looks like, etc.
If someone makes a comment about any of these things, you have full permission to politely change the subject, or just tell them to stop.
And if they don’t, do your best to ignore it and not let it get to you. Those comments are often more about them than they are about you.
What you eat and look like is no one’s business. And if anyone makes you feel otherwise, remember that their opinion simply doesn’t matter.
Hopefully you notice a theme here: each of these resolutions focus on positive things that make life easier, not negative or hard to achieve goals.
Instead of telling yourself you have to do something like cut out all carbs (not fun!) or exercise for 1,o00 minutes a week (not realistic!), give yourself enjoyable and sustainable things to focus on.
Health includes so much more than what we eat and what our bodies look like. It also includes our mental state.
Taking the pressure off food and nutrition - and instead, making it enjoyable - has so, so many benefits that you’ll reap the entire year.
Happy 2022!
Want more tips on creating an easy, sustainable healthy relationship with food? Check out my membership program, All Foods Fit, with 12 thorough lessons to teach easy ways to create a healthy relationship with food. Or, check out my e-book, 7 Days to Make All Foods Fit, to learn a step by step guide to create a healthier relationship with food in just 7 days.
