What is your New Year's Resolution for healthier eating?

Share your goals here, and we'll help you reach them!

Hi Lisa:

Today is 1/9 and I am still struggling with my resolution, but there is always tomorrow. One has to keep trying and not give up

I would like to stop the eat good one day, eat bad the next routine. Thank goodness I have learn't to cut back when my clothes start to feel "tight" and not wait until I have to buy a larger size. By then it is like I give up = more work.

Angela

Angela, you're probably good to stop the "eat good one day and eat bad the next" idea. A popular and successful diet promoted a 80/20 which was eat good 80 percent of the time and allow for 10 percent not so good foods. And yet another strategy is to eat well six days a week and then let yourself relax for one day a week.

Whatever works for you is good.

But for me what has worked so far is to take the focus off of losing weight. It's all about feeling good and nourishing my body so it can function at its best. Of course because I still live with others for whom I need to prepare foods that tempt me like crazy, I still eat not-so-healthy foods. BUT...I do tend to eat MORE healthful foods because I am concerned about my overall health--brain health, especially, but also keeping my other organs healthy. So I read about which foods support brain, kidney, pancreas, liver health, etc. and be sure to include them in my menus.

It's critical to enjoy the process, too. Enjoy what you're eating. Otherwise, you'll just endure the good day and look forward to the bad day of eating which sets you up for failure. Your brain will do all it can to give you good feelings even if that means gorging on bad foods. So connect good feelings with good and yummy foods; bad feelings with eating poorly and I don't mean guilt afterward! I mean eating bad foods taste heavy, greasy and leave you feeling icky.

Keep going! And pat yourself on the back for your efforts Don't "struggle"--thrive! Focus on one meal at a time. If you eat not-so-great foods, remember that there's another meal around the corner that will nourish you better.

It also helps to keep accountable so I'd recommend starting your own food diary thread in these forums and let others keep you motivated!

Hi Lori:

Wow, thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to respond.

And yes, I am going to try what you listed - some I am already doing like concentrating on being healthy and enjoying my food.

My challenge right now is "stress" over not knowing if and when I will get another job when the temp job I have ends 1/28. But like you stated, "one day at at time"....

Angela

Angela -

Stress eating is VERY common and many of my visitors deal with that. I'll start a whole new thread about that, and we can tackle that as its own specific problem!

Oh, boy, do I know about stress eating!

I think it's a desperate attempt to self-medicate when your body is releasing a bunch of damaging hormones during stressful times. We simply need to soothe ourselves!

I've gained weight since I moved in with my aging aunt.

I'm not sure though that it is really self medicating though, because the sugar high-lows it creates perpetuates the cycle. So it's more that your body thinks there is an immediate crisis - like running away from a tiger - and wants that quick energy to do it. But since our stresses are long term stresses in our modern society, it ends up causing more harm than good with our stress.

Definitely if you eat healthy then you are better able to handle the stress, which means you have less stress affect you, and things get better! So a key is to help make sure that you *can* eat healthy. Surround yourself with healthy foods!

Then of course take steps to mitigate the stress

For my resolution I plan to change the bulk of my diet to raw fruits and vegetables and get more exorcise. I plan to loose another twenty pounds this year as well.

Welcome KC!

Those are great resolutions! There are many benefits to eating more veggies and fruits. They are full of nutrition. Make sure you watch your overall nutrition and get enough protein and other nutrients into you along the way. Fruits and veggies are good for you, but they're just one part of the overall puzzle.

What types of active things do you like to do?

I see your point, Lisa. And I read your explanation in the other thread. In that case, I see how vital it is NOT to feel stressed unnecessarily!