Table of Contents
Another Journey Around the Sun With Diet Culture
With the beginning of a new year, the desire to change something about ourselves, especially our outward appearance, becomes increasingly tempting. When you scroll through social media or talk with friends, it seems like everyone creates a New Year’s resolution that revolves around some aspect of health.
Whether that resolution is to exercise more, eat better, join a gym, fit into old clothes, or start a new diet, each one seems to have the same end goal: weight loss. If you think about it, a goal of weight loss does make sense. Weight loss results in higher self-esteem, better health, and increased acceptance by peers, right? (Hint. Hint. Check out my articles on Health at Every Size.)
Every year, diet and weight loss companies take advantage of this trend. As we approach the new year, these companies start throwing what feels like endless ads at us. If you’re scrolling through social media, it’s almost impossible to not see some type of ad that is trying to sell quick weight loss, a new diet program, an exercise routine, or the like.
Whether it’s Noom trying to claim they’re not a diet, Peloton trying to sell you their overpriced bikes, a gym running a new membership deal, a college friend promoting their latest MLM, or Weight Watchers trying to steal your money… the ads are everywhere.
With this seemingly endless information overload, it can be hard to piece together what your health goals should look like for the upcoming year. If you’re searching for a way to set helpful, healthy, and attainable goals, you’re in the right place! Keep reading to learn how to set anti-diet focused New Year’s resolutions.
Side note: It is perfectly okay not to set any health goals for the new year! Please do not feel pressured to do so. Do what’s best for you and your body.
How to Approach Anti-Diet New Year’s Resolutions
Follow These 4 Steps
One way to approach anti-diet focused health goals is with these 4 steps:
- Brainstorm goals
- Write down all goals that come to mind
- Review goals with the questions found below
- Revise those goals after reviewing the questions
Questions to Review
For each goal that you create, carefully review it using these guided questions.
General Questions
- Is this goal truly attainable?
- Is this goal sustainable in the long term?
- Was this goal influenced by diet culture? If not, where did the inspiration for this goal come from?
- Was this goal based on what my body needs and what can improve my personal health? Or did I structure the goal around what society has defined as healthy and/or what I think society expects from me?
- Overall, will this goal negatively or positively impact my mental health?
- Will this goal have an overall positive impact on the different areas of my life? Will it help alleviate negative aspects of my life? Or will it make positive aspects of my life suffer?
Body Image Questions
- Was this goal created when I was experiencing poor body image?
- Is this health goal based on aesthetics or specifically changing something about my outward appearance?
- Does this goal involve specific numbers such as weight, BMI, waist measurements, or clothing sizes?
- Did I create this goal out of hatred, disgust, or frustration with myself or my body?
- Is this goal based on changing my outward appearance in hopes of increasing my self-esteem?
Diet & Fitness Questions
- Does this goal involve cutting out any food groups, counting calories or macros, starting a cleanse, or beginning a new diet program?
- Does this goal demonize certain foods such as carbs or fats?
- Does this goal involve fasting?
- Does this goal involve a quick fix or easy solution to my perceived problems?
- Does this goal involve lofty, demanding, or excessive exercise routines?
- Will this exercise goal improve or will it hinder my relationship with movement? Will it make me dread or look forward to exercising?
- Does this fitness goal involve a drastic, unrealistic change in my schedule? Such as waking up at 5 am or working out 5 or more times a week, etc.
If you answer yes to any of the questions that apply to your specific goals, it’s time to either re-evaluate that goal or scrap it completely. Also, this is not an all-inclusive list, please do not treat it as such!
A Few Examples
These are just a few examples of what health goals can look like. This is not meant to be a list of goals for you to replicate. However, do feel free to use them as inspiration or a starting point for your goals.
Food & Diet Examples
- Learning how to cook new foods
- Eating a more diverse diet
- Trying new foods more often
- Preparing more meals at home to save money
- Listening to and obeying your body’s needs
- This would apply to Intuitive Eating
Fitness & Movement Examples
- Finding a new type of exercise you enjoy, aka a new form of joyful movement
- Incorporating different and new forms of movement into your exercise habits
- Prioritizing stretching and recovery after workouts
- Exercising outside, in the fresh air, more often
- Focusing less on calories burnt
- Focusing more on the health benefits of exercise such as increased mobility, mental clarity, and energy
- Listening to and obeying your body’s needs
- This can apply to your body’s need for rest days as well as your body’s need for movement
Mental Health Examples
- Developing healthy coping strategies
- Quitting the comparison trap
- Learning how to set boundaries
- Prioritizing adequate sleep
- Learning how and when to say no
- Listening to and obeying your body’s needs
- This can apply to stress levels, resting, etc.
Quick Summary
As the new year rolls around, don’t get caught up in what society and diet culture say you should and shouldn’t do. Remember, the goals you set don’t have to revolve around losing weight, changing your appearance, cutting out food groups, demanding fitness goals, starting a new diet program, or anything along those lines. Don’t let diet culture dictate your health goals this year. Do what’s best for you and your health.
Hopefully, this article helped you feel a little more confident when it comes to setting anti-diet New Year’s resolutions. Do you feel like you need further guidance or inspiration? Check out my website for articles about Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size (HAES), body positivity, and all things anti-diet.
If these topics interest you, check out my anti-diet themed store for fun, unique products!
Thanks for reading!
Rachel Beiler, MHS, RD, LDN
Leave a Reply