How to Make Healthy Weight Loss Resolutions

            A new year often comes with new resolutions, and for many, that means weight loss or health-related resolutions. While it’s good to set goals, especially ones relating to improving your health, it’s easy to get caught up in the cycle of fad diets, weight loss products, and ways to “lose weight fast!” that pop up in ads and on our social media feeds this time of year. If you’re really looking to make a health or weight loss resolution this year, make sure you’re doing so in a healthy way.

Here’s how to make healthy weight loss resolutions:

1.  Target Unhealthy Habits

            When you make a goal to lose weight it’s easy to just jump on the bandwagon of whatever diet, app or supplement is being raved about on social media but the fact is that most of those just don’t work. Most of those diets and projects often lead to yo-yo dieting and a cycle of motivation and disappointment that can really impact the way you feel about yourself.

            Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for that new weight loss app or program, take some time to sit down and take a look at the habits you have in your day-to-day life that may be keeping you from reaching your goals – things like not drinking enough water, not prioritizing exercise or movement, one too many sugary coffees from that expensive coffee shop each day, or not getting enough sleep. There are so many small things that can add up to us not feeling healthy, or not reaching our weight loss or health goals.

            The fact is, recognizing these habits and working to change some of them one-by-one will be more sustainable long-term. If you’re having trouble identifying those habits or figuring out how to change them, reach out to a professional such as the Registered Dietician or Psychologist at Cabot Physiotherapy who can help target those habits and set achievable goals.

2.  Set Small Goals and Reward Yourself For Them

            While it’s easier to say that your resolution is to just “lose weight” or “exercise more,” that’s a really broad goal and leaves you with no real “end” meaning you can fall into the trap of forever chasing that feeling of achieving your goal, or quickly become discouraged. Instead of setting one broad goal, set yourself multiple small goals that all work towards that main goal and make sure you reward yourself for achieving those small goals. Making smaller goals that are tied to rewards are more likely to keep you motivated long-term. Things like “I’m going take 10,000 steps 5 days this week” and reward yourself with takeout from your favourite restaurant or “I’m going to cut out sugary coffee drinks for a month” and reward yourself with tickets to the exhibit or concert you’ve been dying to see.

3.  Develop A Support Team for Healthy Weight Loss

            Weight loss and health-related resolutions can be tricky, they can fall into a cycle of motivation followed by disappointment, they can bring up mental health-related triggers, and they can easily go overboard and become unhealthy habits themselves. That’s where the support of your friends, family, and a support team of health practitioners can be beneficial. Aside from motivating you to stick to your goals and keeping you accountable; having a physiotherapist or massage therapist on your team to help you work through an injury, or making use of acupuncture or hypnotherapy to nip your sugar cravings in the bud, and setting a healthy diet and wellness plan with a Naturopathic Doctor are all tools that can set you on the path to making your weight-loss resolutions long-term, healthy and sustainable lifestyle changes. While creating a support team may seem overwhelming there are many multidisciplinary clinics such as Dynamic Health Therapy that have everything your need under one roof.

            So before you rush into your weight-loss resolutions for the year, take a moment to think about how you can ensure that your goals are healthy and achievable. Make this new year the year that you finally end that cycle of motivation and disappointment, and you create long-term healthy lifestyle changes that get you to where you want to be in your health journey.