This time of year I can’t get on any form of social media without seeing the word diet plastered all over my feed. 

Let’s get a few things straight about the word diet. The term diet (noun) is described as, “the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.” A diet is not associated with restriction, abstention, or constraint. 

In my not so humble opinion, I believe the phrase, “I’m going on a diet,” is outrageously outdated and think it should be left in the ‘80s with neon tights and step aerobics–definitely not on your new list of 2020 resolutions. 

I always used to think that a new diet, workout routine, and gym membership should be on my list of New Year’s resolutions, probably because most health and wellness professionals always marketed it that way. It wasn’t until I started realizing the importance behind everyday routines that completely changed my perspective on any drastic changes in one’s lifestyle. 

I can’t tell you how many podcasts I’ve listened to this year that talk about the importance of routine and how crucial it is to establish a day-to-day set of rituals. Yet, I’m still seeing groups of people hopping on the juice cleanse train or crazy diet fad effective Jan. 1 2020–just itching to turn their everyday routine upside down and take away everything their bodies know and love.

There’s a reason your body craves a late night sugary snack or afternoon pastry pick me up and why it can be so hard to say no–it’s become a part of your routine. If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s how much our bodies need and thrive off of a solid routine. 

We all grew up listening to the Tortoise and the Hare story where slow and steady always wins the race. I think this way of thinking should be applied when starting a new healthier lifestyle because it certainly can’t happen overnight. Over  the past few years, I stopped investing in programs that promised to ‘kick start’ my weightloss journey and started changing just one thing in my routine at a time. 

I am all about turning a new leaf and using the New Year to better yourself, but I’m here to say I don’t think it starts with drastic dietary changes. Here are a few ways I made living a healthier lifestyle stick: 

Be Honest With Yourself

Listen, the New Year wasn’t always a joyous and motivating time for me. In the past, I was not looking to purchase a wild new diet plan because I loved myself and wanted to fill my body with the amazing fruit, veggies, and nutrients it rightfully deserved. I was looking to change my physical self to feel more accepted and hoping that losing 20 pounds would allow me to love myself more. Therefore, any New Year diet plans ended up fizzling out shortly after January.

Be honest with yourself. Why are you looking to live a healthier lifestyle? Making healthier dietary decisions started to stick when I learned to love myself and genuinely wanted to make the best decisions for my body. The real work starts in that beautiful head of yours and the ability to love yourself exactly as you are right now–because you deserve it. 

Get in Tune With Your Body

Getting in tune with your body also means getting real personal with your relationship with food. Take a look at what kind of food makes you feel energetic, good inside, and clear headed after eating it (this sounds wild I know), then make a note of what kind of food makes your body feel sluggish, off, or gives you a stomach ache.

I remember when I would restrict myself from sugary and greasy food because I was detrimentally afraid of gaining weight. Restricting myself from these foods had nothing to do with the fact that eating loads of ice cream or cake gave me a horrible stomach ache, acne flare, or extreme bloat. Instead, it had everything to do with the unhealthy relationship I had with food and my body. 

Get to know your body–what kind of food fuels your fire and what kind of food is holding you back? This helped me cut the bad cravings that were hurting me more than helping me.

Implement One Change at a Time

The biggest issue I have with dietary New Year’s resolutions are the drastic changes it forces folks to implement. Change is already hard enough, especially when you all of a sudden take away the majority of food your body is used to consuming.

I’m a big fan of changing just one simple thing at a time. Maybe for the first week of January try cutting out soda. Then take it up a notch and cut out dairy or gluten the week after to see how you feel. I think this way of slowly introducing healthy lifestyle changes helps our body and minds properly adjust to a new way of living. 

Take it one goal, one week, and one healthy habit at a time. 

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