Your New Year’s Resolution Should be to NOT Diet

As this Daily Beast article grimly states, the infamous New Year’s diet plan that so many of us swear we will abide by is probably not going to happen. And even if it does, losing ten pounds (which is the average weight loss) will likely be gained back throughout the year. And there is a good chance you’ll even pack on another 5 after that. This kind of pessimistic talk may not the best way to face the new year, but there is a way to drop those pounds after the ball drops — you need to stop dieting.

Okay, that sounds fairly counterintuitive, but we as a nation keep getting bigger while the idea of dieting has been around for centuries. The article mentions cigarettes, cookies and even tapeworms as diets once considered good ideas by a great many people, and we’re sure you can list at least five diets that are circulating nowadays that, while not as bad as parasites, seem like a waste.

And they are a waste, according to one study that shows that most people, once they’re done dieting, overeat until their weight is greater than when it started. Called “fat overshooting,” this is a very common occurrence, especially with people who are looking to lose a reasonable amount of weight. But what’s most important is that even with those who lose weight, these diets do not help with cardiovascular fitness or any noticeable health improvements. You may have less fat, but what’s underneath is no better.

There is a simple formula to losing weight; Burn more than you consume. So this January skip the latest fad diet, and focus on physical activity and your daily food habits to make yourself feel better. To burn more calories try increasing the intensity of your workouts or just walking more than last year. To consume a little less – try eating smaller portions. If you eat 3-4 smaller meals during the day, you are less likely to develop a massive craving for a bag of chips of cookies. Racing to look better by spring may seem like a nice goal right now, but it’s more important is to feel more energetic and healthier for every year to come.