It's the cultural expectation in America that we have control over our living and health. There are some privileges that we can share with having access to information, food, health education and so on. Collectively and generally, we feel compelled to "start over" every New Year. We receive uninvited marketing for weight management and health promotion products like gym memberships, diet classes, fitness technology and meal plan subscriptions. It's a little message saying, if you're not working on your health all the time, you should buy-in with the latest trend. It's quite a set-up. The cost is tremendous. A lot of time, energy, money, family, planning and commitment changes. In the end it can't withstand the challenges that come with the ups and downs of life and what's going on for you. But none the less we try it on and there is no finish line. The low points feel like failure. It's hard to see from this frustrated vantage point that cycling through these marketed products have more to do with the cult-like concepts of the health industry and are not the shortcomings of the folks who optimistically try them out.
So what is this all or nothing thinking? It seems we feel we have to be 100% on "a plan" otherwise we are our own enemies. At least that's what I hear in different terms.
"I couldn't stick with the program"
"I lost weight and then the holidays came"
"I can't miss one day otherwise I'll go off the rails"
There are a lot of ways to say we want things to go a certain way and when life happens it feels unfair and everything "gets sabotaged."
But when I hear this, I hear something different...
I hear a deep need to have an exit strategy because we need choices and to be taken care of and not always follow through. We are human and need sick days, we need rest, we need friendships, sunlight and holidays.
It's really great the first few days when we are trying new things and liking them and want to see where your health promotion will go. It also means, you like these new things and shaking things up. Jumping into new things feels great but it's easy to steer away from the opportunities when we feel we have to do them perfectly.
Think about taking care of yourself on a spectrum. You don't have to be at "100!" and go to zero if things don't go your way. That isn't taking care of yourself. It's more so living between 60-40 with many days at 60, some days at 50 and other weeks at 40. But you are always listening to what you need and know that you don't have to be at perfect to sustain good health.
A message from this dietitian to all you wonderful humans doing your best and wanting more.
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