New Year- New You?

Happy New Year! In anticipation of the new year, I thought a lot about resolutions. People have asked me what mine were and I had to think about this. I have never really committed to a resolution per say in the past, but when I hear that word I automatically think about people changing themselves somehow- working out more, losing weight, dieting, etc. And each time I think about it, I get angry! I see nothing wrong with having good intentions to start the year in a positive way, but I don’t believe dieting or forceful exercise is a healthy start. Theres a $70 billion dollar weight loss industry in the US that will make you believe otherwise, and its harmful influence is literally EVERYWHERE. Commercials, magazines, social media, you name it, there are people telling you you are not good enough. It’s so easy to get caught up in this too, I’ve been there.

So how can we create positive, healthy resolutions or intentions for the new year that have nothing to do with changing what we look like? To start, you can commit to no more dieting for 2019. Surround yourself with body positive messages. Unfollow social media accounts that promote weight loss or leave you feeling less than or not good enough. Anything with a hashtag “fitspo” or “thinspo” can beat it. You never know the extremes a person goes through to look the way they do.

As for myself, I decided to write out my intentions for the new year in categories- health, family, love, career, and friendships. In each of these areas I imagined what I would like to see more of for myself, in a realistically positive way. I will use that vision as my inspiration rather than comparing myself to others and listening to what diet culture thinks I should commit my year to. Think about how you’d like to feel this year rather than how you’d like to look.

However you choose to set your resolutions, I hope your new year is everything you want it to be. Health, Happiness, and Love.

Dianna