Exercise more, eat healthier, lose weight. Year after year, those are the top three new year’s resolutions people make. But research shows that only 9% of Americans stick to them. In fact, 43% give up on their weight loss goals by the end of January.
But there’s a new strategy for this new year. Maybe you need to change the way you think about food to actually change your eating habits. In a TED Talk, Registered Dietician Reshaunda Thornton shared how to mentally win your food fight and set aside traditional ideas about diets.
“I want to teach you how to best feed your body, advocate for your health,” Thornton said. “And not it being depicted by having rules and regulations.”
Professor Leilani Carver Madalon was caring for her daughter, her husband, her students, but not for herself.
“We talk about self-care all the time, self-care, self-care, self-care. What (Thornton) made me see is that it is my responsibility to care for my vessel, to care for myself,” Madalon said.
Todd Lindley, 66, also knew he had to rethink his relationship with food.
“I was over 100 pounds overweight and was on too many medications. I’ve been a Type 2 diabetic for over 20 years,” Lindley said.
Thornton combined her background with biology and psychology to help people stop chasing diets and start changing their minds.
“What I try to explain to people is we shouldn’t put food on a pedestal and call it a reward. What I do consider a reward is nutrition,” Thornton said.
To do that, you must find out the why. What heals you? That starts with figuring out why you’re grabbing the Snickers instead of a salad. What are the emotional triggers? Then replace those ideas with healthier ones, Thornton said.
“What you put in, the nutrients you bring to your body is what heals your body,” Thornton said.
Lindley opted to turn vegetarian.
“I used to be on 55 units of insulin every day, and I got off insulin 100%,” Lindley said.
One trick Thornton said helps is to always be prepared. Always have healthy snacks available. Put them in your purse, in your car and at the office. You’re less likely to grab something unhealthy at the gas station if you have something available that’s a better choice.
You can find Thornton’s book, Play to Win the Food Fight, on Amazon.