Stop! Before you Resolve; Read these top 10 Resolution Do's and Don'ts

Let's start with the negative stuff and end on a positive note:

Don’t’s

10. Fall for case studies – They appeal to emotions as they tell a story - so they are compelling - but these mean absolute zero in relation to you.

9. Depend on willpower alone – “Just eat less and hope to be satisfied” this is what we are trying to do when we decide to depend on will power alone to make changes to our eating habits. Willpower is also a limited resource!

8. Become a member of the food police – Don’t pester or bully friends and family about what they eat, it does more harm than good.

7. Eat while distracted – We receive no pleasure in food when we eat in front of a screen or while driving. This leads to cravings for hyper palatable foods such as sweets or salty snacks. We are also more likely to overeat if we eat while distracted.

6. Mistake treats for snacks – Just because something is served in a mini package does not make it a snack. Snacks should almost be re-branded as “mini meals” and we should take them as an opportunity to provide our bodies with more fibre rich carbs, protein, fluids, and healthy fats.

5. Go all-or-nothing – Black and white thinking does not work in the world of nutrition. It sets ourselves up for shame and a sense of failure which demotivates us from trying again. Be realistic and forgive upsets.

4. Justify food with exercise – Exercise is good for us in so many ways, stress reduction, blood pressure reduction, improves blood sugar management, but calorie estimates on programs and apps tend to be inaccurate and make us think about food and exercise in an currency model. We may also overeat whatever energy may have been burned off.

3. Try changing all at once – We may have several different goals in mind revolving around eating patterns. Less chips, more fibre, eat breakfast, make dinners from scratch. Trying to juggle all at once is a daunting task and the evidence shows, that slow and steady changes are more likely to stick.

2. Set yourself up for an expectation hangover – Expecting quick results such as 20 lb weight loss as the only measure of success is very narrow minded. If you only make it to a 10 lb weight loss you may become resentful of the process and decide to never make the efforts again. In actual fact the changes made to meet those high expectations for success could have meant you were eating more vegetables, less red meats, less alcohol, and or more cooking. What a shame it would be to throw away those successes.

1. Don’t resolve to lose weight – Resolve to treat your body with respect and eat to nourish and exercise to strengthen.

Do’s:

10. Eat well, early on – Don’t skimp on breakfast and lunch, you won’t save as many calories as you will end up overeating later in the evening.

9. Eat more plants – Fill you plate with plant based proteins and vegetables, fruit on the side.

8. Look for credentials – Registered Dietitians are the only regulated nutrition expert in Ontario. We are regulated by a college just as doctors, dentists and nurses.

7. Eat out less – Restaurants and food companies are selling us the message that we are too busy to cook for ourselves. Don’t buy the message and don’t eat out too much.

6. Host a healthy meal exchange group – Instead of swapping cookies, swap homemade meals with friends to help each other meet their goals. Choose high fibre carbohydrates, lean proteins and of course veggies!

5. Notice if you are experiencing Hunger vs Appetite – Hunger is painful, the need for calories a few hours after your last meal or snack, appetite is the desire to eat for pleasure.

4. Start small – Good and done is better than perfect and none.

3. Clean out the pantry – Know what you have on hand and get rid of the extra sugary, or salty sauces you don’t need. Fill it up with whole grains, no added salt canned vegetables and fish, and dried beans.

2. Meal prep – Make a new habit of once per week setting aside a couple hours to help get ahead later in the week. No wrong way to go about this – make breakfast, lunch or dinner, chop up veggies or cook the meal all the way through.

1. Consider “Why” you eat – Do you find yourself triggered by emotions, habits, or environmental trigger, these insights are the diagnostic tools to help you and your Registered Dietitian make a strategy to change your harmful habits.