New Year, Still Me?
I don’t usually go in for New Year’s resolutions, I actually prefer new pencil case time (hello September) but this year I felt like I needed to frame my thoughts around something. Maybe it’s covid, maybe it’s just one of those things, but I was thinking about what I would like to achieve this year and was inspired by this piece from Stacie Swift, about setting a word to encapsulate how I wanted to step into 2022.
The last 2 years I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling a bit of stasis. Luckily, I’ve been able to work throughout but, as with many many others, it’s been a personal struggle not being able to plan, see friends, do the things I wanted to do, so this year I’ve decided to focus on the things I can control. I can’t make the pandemic go away (get vaccinated if you can!) but I can create goals that hopefully won’t be impacted by it, or at least can flex alongside it.
At this time of year many people have goals around food, weight, health and fitness. I also have goals around the gym, but more specifically about hitting certain weights in different lifts rather than aesthetic or body weight. I feel like it’s something I’d like to do, but I am a) flexible about the time frame and b) willing to be curious about what my body can do, rather than punish it if it can’t.
It’s really hard to escape the pressure to Be Healthy at this time of year. Everyone seems to be on some sort of diet or health kick and it’s not easy to close off to it, especially as they always say ‘but this time it will work’. I do feel that the diet industry wouldn’t be worth such a staggering amount if it didn’t have repeat customers, but that’s another story altogether. I know it’s been said before but it bears repeating; detoxes, juice cleanses, tummy teas, diet pills and extreme calorie restriction are really not a great idea. They can have consequences that long term are unlikely to be weight loss but quite possibly a negative impact on health (weight cycling, malnutrition). This is not to say that making different choices can’t have a positive impact, but the way in which it is approached and the intended outcome can make all the difference.
We know that certain dietary changes can have a positive influence on long term health outcomes, as can certain lifestyle habits. But we want to find the ones that are for life, not just for January, right? Working with your lifestyle and preferences, finding foods you enjoy and allowing yourself the freedom to choose those foods is how I work to help you find what healthy looks like for you. No copy & paste meal plans here! Side note: if you’re looking to do Veganuary, check out this that I wrote last year
If you are looking for ways to look after your health both physically and mentally, but are hoping to steer clear of calorie counting and diet culture, I offer a free 15 minute discovery call to talk about your goals, or email me hello@abigailsnutrition.com if you want to chat or even just tell me your word for 2022!
Happy New Year! (You got this)
