The Paradox of Weight Loss Resolutions

A new year resolution is a pledge a person takes at the beginning of the year to either start something good or kick off a bad habit in the hope that the coming year will be better than the previous one.  Almost everyone has a New Year’s resolution and the most common New Year resolutions are to either exercise more, or eat healthily or generally have a healthier lifestyle.  The reason this is important is that people are more conscious of their looks and feel that looks form the first impression of them and rightly or wrongly attribute their success or failure in life to it.  Further, there has been a lot of public awareness regarding the dangers of being overweight.  It is estimated that over 30% of the world population is obese and are thus prone to obesity-related health risks such as lack of energy, heart problems, fatty liver, diabetes and even certain types of cancer. 

However, it is still one of the most difficult resolutions to keep and people find a variety of reasons to justify their lack of commitment to the said cause.  The common explanations are the lack of time, genetic make-up, emotional turbulence and sometimes even lack of clarity as to how to begin the process of weight loss. 

In today’s world, especially for the working population, there are many demands on the limited time they have.  They impress that given their working hours, familial duties, social gatherings and they do not have enough time to cook a healthy meal or go for exercises.  But, this is just an excuse and the actual problem is mostly lack of discipline.  Discipline is required to overcome the rut of the daily routine and incorporate some healthy habits such as walking up short distances, taking stairs, or waking up just half an hour early to do some exercises.  Discipline is essential just to let go of the fast food joints and instead opt for healthier food options like salads. 

Another excuse for not keeping the resolution is the genetic mutation.  Amazingly, it is believed that in spite of having a tendency to gain weight more than the usual it is still possible to be healthy.  One can refer to information on the net or consult a dietician, as to how a combination of healthy diet and exercise can overcome the genetic challenge.  This, however, also requires discipline and a lifestyle change to ensure that there is no relapse to old unhealthy ways. 

Sometimes there is no clarity as to how to go about the process of weight loss, especially if there is a preexisting medical condition.  There is too much information on the net which is overwhelming and confusing.  The exercises suggested are sometimes complicated and put so much pressure on the body that it crumbles under the pain.  The diet plans are very stringent and it is impossible to follow them in the long run.  The mantra, in this case, to start simple with easier exercises and no crash diets.  The exercise and diet regime can be made stringent once the body is used to it.  On the same note, it is better to consult a doctor if there is an existing medical condition which may worsen with the wrong diet or exercises. 

It is known that at a time when life throws a curveball, one tends to binge eat in the hope that it will make us feel better.  This is extremely harmful as it leads to weight gain over a short period.  At this time it is best to consult a doctor or turn to a good friend to deal with the emotional turbulence. 

All in all, we need to stop making excuses for not keeping new year resolution to be healthy.  In spite of all our challenges, it is possible to bring small changes in our lifestyle gradually and be in good shape.