Nutritionist Approved New Years Resolutions

I'm not really one for making New Years Resolutions.

The only time I truly ever stuck to one was the time I resolved to stop going to Starbucks for an entire year. It was an easy resolution to stick to because there were lots of other places I could grab a chai latte from, and part of it stemmed from wanting to support small businesses more. 

It can be tempting to face the start of a new year making all sorts of promises about habits you'll change, goals you'll meet, or ways you'll improve your body. Studies have shown that 30 days into the new year, less than 25% of people have kept their resolutions, and only about 8% actually accomplish them. 

I can take a wild guess as to why... probably because we're not setting realistic goals, and are therefore setting ourselves up for failure. I had a list of five nutritionist-approved resolutions so share with you all (eat more veggies, drink more water, move your body in a way that feels good to you, prioritize sleep, and step up self care) but as I started writing it out, I realized that they all boil down to one simple thing:

Listen to your body 

Listening to your body is a New Years Resolution I'm totally on board with! 

Is your body craving vegetables? Feed it something green (related: 9 Ways to Get More Vegetables In Your Diet). Is your body straight up asking you for some cozy, carby comfort food? Respect your cravings!

Is your body craving movement? As it what kind. Maybe one day you'll find that a hard run or HIIT session is exactly what you're in the mood for, and on another day a gentle, restorative yoga class is just what you need. 

Have you figured out how to tune into your cravings? Check out this mindful eating exercise to help you figure out what your body is really asking for. 

Listening to your body will help you figure out when you're truly hungry, when you're perfectly satisfied, and when you overdid it. Remember that occasional overindulgence is part of the human experience, and that figuring out where your satisfaction lies can take some work. 

Spending some time listening to your body is the key to developing a healthy relationship with food (related: three ways I developed a healthy relationship with food) which means you can relax and find joy in eating. 

Resolve to change the ways you speak to become more body positive, because words matter and your body (and the bodies of other people) is listening. 

And, you know, eat more veggies, drink more water, move your body in a way that feels good to you, prioritize sleep, and step up self care. Those last two in particular are going to be my personal challenges in 2020.