A Dietitian’s Guide to New Years Resolutions🥂
Every January, it feels like the internet screams “New year, new you.” Cut this. Avoid that. Do more. Be better. As a registered dietitian, I see how exhausting and unsustainable that mindset can be. Real health doesn’t come from rigid rules or intense “reset” phases. It comes from small habits you can repeat on your busiest, messiest, most real-life days. Here are the sustainable habits I come back to again and again.
Ditch the all-or-nothing mindset
Perfection sounds motivating… until you miss one workout or eat the cookie and feel like you “ruined everything.” Progress happens in the gray area. Consistency > perfection, always.
Ask yourself: What’s the smallest thing I can reasonably do today?
That’s usually the right place to start.
Fuel before you move
Your body deserves energy, especially before a workout. A small snack (toast with peanut butter, a banana, yogurt, granola bar) helps support hormones, improve performance, reduce dizziness/lightheadedness, and decrease post-workout cravings.
Food is fuel. Not a reward you “earn.”
Build balanced plates
Instead of labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” build balance:
protein (chicken, tofu, eggs, yogurt, beans)
healthy fat (olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds)
carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit, bread)
color (vegetables + fruit)
Balanced plates keep you satisfied, energized, and less obsessed with food.
Stop using the scale as your only measure of progress
Other wins matter… a lot:
better sleep
improved mood
more stable energy
less food obsession
stronger workouts
better digestion
If the scale controls your mood, it may be worth stepping away for a bit.
Make movement flexible
Movement shouldn’t feel like punishment. Walking, yoga, spin, strength, pilates, hiking, stretching — it all counts.
Some weeks you’ll do more. Some weeks less. You’re still doing great.
Reduce rigid food rules
“No carbs after 7.” “Sugar is toxic.” “Only clean ingredients.”
Rules often backfire and lead to guilt, binge-restrict cycles, and anxiety around food. Gentle structure? Helpful. Fear-based rules? Not so much. Everything can fit with balance.
The habits I really want you to add this year
These are quiet, not glamorous, but incredibly powerful.
1. Reduce screen time before bed
Less scrolling = better sleep, mood, and energy.
Try:
plugging your phone in across the room
swapping 10–15 minutes of scrolling for reading, stretching, journaling, or simply doing nothing
setting app timers at night
Your brain needs a wind-down routine just like your body does.
2. Curate your environment
Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about your body, food choices, or lifestyle.
If you constantly see:
extreme diets
fear-based nutrition advice
…it will shape how you feel about yourself — even if you think it doesn’t. Fill your feed with accounts that educate, support, and build confidence instead.
What you see every day matters.
3. Check in with caffeine
Coffee is great. I love coffee… but sometimes it quietly replaces food or sleep.
Ask yourself:
Am I having caffeine instead of eating breakfast?
Is caffeine making me anxious, jittery, or messing with my sleep?
Enjoy it. Just make sure you’re still nourishing your body and resting when you need to.
4. Get outside (even briefly)
10–15 minutes counts. Fresh air and movement can help:
stress
mood
focus
sleep quality
5. Slow down enough to notice hunger + fullness
Your body communicates, we just don’t always slow down long enough to listen.
Pause during meals, check in halfway through. Ask: Am I still hungry? Am I satisfied? Do I want more?
Final reminder: health should fit into your life — not take over it
If your “healthy habits” make you:
stressed
isolated
obsessed
afraid of food
…they’re not helping.
Choose habits that work with your real schedule, your preferences, your life. Small steps repeated over time are what actually change things. Let’s choose habits that actually last in 2026.🤍
