Are you one in 45 million?
That’s the number of people who go on a New Year’s diet. In 2022 more than three times the number of people made a food or beverage related resolution compared to 2021.
Why? Fears about the pandemic and working at home had many of indulging in comfort food. But as we turn the page, many of us are resolved to eat less sugar, lose weight, and target an overall goal of “improving our health through a better diet.”
Why New Year’s Diets Fail
Typically, Americans tend to last just a few months on a diet — even less if it’s rigorous. We lose momentum after realizing that our diet is unsustainable leading to a crash and burn where we binge on the favorite foods, we’ve been depriving ourselves of.
There are many easy ways to lose weight that don’t involve radically changing your entire lifestyle, buying expensive equipment, or following the latest guru.
Here are some simple ways to successfully lose weight:
- Ditch sugary drinks. Soda, sports drinks, and even alcohol fall into this category as well as those sugary calorie-laden coffee drinks? Kick all of these to the curb!
- Don’t like it? Don’t eat it. Don’t put spinach in your smoothie if you don’t like the taste or texture. Stop substituting riced cauliflower for rice. It’s more sustainable to eat a smaller portion of what you like instead of eating what you don’t because it’s good for you.
- Don’t shop hungry. The pantry and refrigerator are empty, so you stop by the market to pick up a few things after work. The problem is, you’re starving. And that leads to a different problem: Everything looks good.
- Don’t shop without a list. It’s funny, but high-calorie foods won’t mysteriously appear in your shopping cart if they’re not on the list.
- Stop using food as a reward. Tough day? You deserve a candy bar. Bad break-up? A quart of ice cream will make you feel better. Nope. Make your rewards calorie-free, like a manicure, new make-up, or tickets to an event.
- Food is not an obligation. Are the kids selling candy bars or Girl Scout cookies? You don’t have to buy them. (Give them a dollar and tell them to buy it for themselves.) And when Susie puts donuts in the break room? Do-nut go in the break room. (See what we did there?) You aren’t obligated to eat something so that someone else feels good.
- Get a physical! Losing weight is about more than fitting into skinny jeans or looking like an Instagram influencer. Maintaining a healthy weight is a part of good overall health. So, start your new eating plan (not a diet!) with a trip to your doctor. Talk about your concerns, challenges, and cravings.
Together you can devise a way to eat healthy and happy! Get started with a comprehensive physical. Visit our Nashville-area clinics for all urgent care, primary care and COVID-19 testing needs available in three convenient locations and one simple online scheduling available. The Complete Health Partners (CHP) West Nashville urgent care clinic location, located in the Nashville West shopping center next to Costco and Target, is open 7 days a week from 9am-7pm. The newest clinic located in Hendersonville, TN Hendersonville urgent care clinic is open from 9am to 7pm 7 days a week for COVID-19 testing, urgent care and primary care. All CHP clinics are locally owned and operated by emergency room physicians, prepared to help with comprehensive healthcare needs. We are proud to serve Tennesseans from Dickson to Downtown and from Ashland City to Hendersonville!