Unraveling

New year resolutions are always about change – doing or not doing something. I prefer to reframe the argument: make a resolution to strip away the layers to reveal your true self.  Don’t resolve to lose weight but instead figure out how to be the healthy sized person that you really are. Don’t resolve to quit smoking but rather take steps to become the non-smoker that you once were.

Every healthy full term baby starts out at a good weight. No one becomes fat overnight. What steps along the way led to weight gain? Can those behaviors be slowly unraveled? I suggest approaching the problem in reverse chronologic order. The most recent bad habit will be easier to change than one that dates back to childhood.

Starbucks introduced the Frappuccino in 1995 and the Frappuccino juice blend in 2006. McDonalds started serving fruit smoothies in 2011. Giving up a grande mocha Frappuccino will save 460 calories daily and will lead to a 3 lb weight loss in one month. And really, who needs a fruit smoothie (330 calories) when water is a far better thirst quencher?

Unravel the new unhealthy habits first. Once you have achieved that success, tackle an older one. If you think about it, it’s not your favorite food that Mom made that is getting you into trouble.