It’s almost the new year, which means a fresh start! For many people, a new year means new beginnings and a time to set updated goals.
One of the most common new year’s goals is to lose weight, and you’ve probably seen more ads for diet programs and gym memberships lately as a result. Pressure to shed pounds is always at an all-time high this time of year, so if you’re feeling like you should just try one more diet, it’s totally understandable.
However, by now you likely know the harms of dieting and have done some work to heal your relationships with food and your body. However, if you want to continue on your journey away from dieting, here’s what to consider as you set health goals for 2024!
Think about your why
When creating goals for 2024, it’s important to think about your why. What’s the reason behind each goal? For example, if you decide not to diet and set a goal to find joyful movement instead, why are you motivated to do that? Maybe you want to stop dreading exercise, decrease your chance of an injury or get back to an activity you used to love.
Whatever your “why” is, having a strong reason behind each goal is a good way to stay motivated and recognize what’s truly important to you. This is especially important because you’ll likely feel pressure to diet with so many people doing so at the beginning of the new year.
Set S.M.A.R.T. goals for 2024
I’m sure you’ve heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals before, and for good reason. You don’t want anything too vague. If you say “I want to heal my relationship with food in the new year,” what does that mean? How do you know if you’ve reached your goal? Instead, use the S.M.A.R.T. acronym to make sure your goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
One aspect of healing your relationship with food is reflecting on your thoughts and experiences. To build this habit, instead of saying something vague like “I want to reflect on my food thoughts and experiences,” you might say something like “I will write down my thoughts about and experiences with the food I eat each day by setting my alarm at 8 PM as a reminder. I commit to doing this for one month.” After the month is up, you can reassess to see if this is something that you want to continue doing.
Think about past experiences
It seems like everyone sets goals around weight loss at the beginning of the year, so you might feel even more pressure than usual to do the same. And maybe you’ve set goals to lose weight in the past as well, but now you’re ready to do something new.
If you do feel tempted to lose weight in 2024, I encourage you to think about your past experiences. Consider the following:
- How long did the diet last?
- How were your energy levels?
- Were you always hungry?
- Did you reach your goal?
- How did it affect your relationship with food?
Reflecting on what’s happened before is a good way to stay focused and remember why you don’t want to pursue weight loss in 2024.
Find an accountability partner who is aligned with your goals
It’s difficult to reach your goals alone, which is why it’s a good idea to have someone in your corner to encourage you and keep you on track. Sometimes we just need someone to listen to our frustrations or share our wins with too! Of course, it’s better if this person is familiar with a non-diet approach and is supportive of it.
If you have a friend or relative who would make a great accountability partner but isn’t familiar with a non-diet approach, see if they would be willing to learn more and support you.
Not sure where to start? Check out these 24 goals for 2024 that have nothing to do with weight loss!
- Sleep 7-9 hours per night
- Learn a new recipe and make it for your family/friends
- Practice yoga or meditation
- Spend 30 minutes less on your phone each day than you currently do
- Train for a 5k
- Take swimming lessons
- Start journaling
- Take a creative writing class
- Learn a craft
- Organize your fridge or pantry
- Re-decorate a room in your home
- Create a standing date with a group of friends
- Call your parents/kids/friends once a week
- Dedicate an afternoon to spend with your kids (games, movies, going outside, museums, etc)
- Get outside every day
- Learn to play an instrument
- Teach yourself how to change a tire or your oil
- Join a club
- Attend a meetup for something you’re interested in
- Set a reading goal
- Eat breakfast
- Spend quality time with pets
- Find the perfect “mocktail” recipe
- Find a charity you can support – financially, through volunteering, or just awareness
What else can you come up with? Anything goes!
If you’re looking to get started on healing your relationship with food, sign up for my 5-day email course! This includes actionable steps you can start immediately.
Here’s to a happy, healthy, diet-free year in 2024!