In my opinion, New Year’s Day is the most optimistic day of the year. It’s a time for fresh beginnings, getting rid of excess baggage and planning ways to make life a little better. If you’re thinking of making a New Year’s resolution, you’re not alone: research says 31% of Americans plan to make resolutions for 2022, and you guessed it, weight loss and healthier eating are both high on that list. Specifically:

-50% vow to exercise more

-48% vow to lose weight

-39% vow to improve their diet

But, how many Americans actually stick to their resolutions? I was surprised to find that about half (49%) of Americans stuck to at least one of their 2022 resolutions while 35% stuck to all their resolutions. That’s much more than what I would have estimated. Obviously, 2022 was an odd year, so I’m not sure how reflective these numbers are of “typical” years. Regardless, good job!

If weight loss is one of your New Year’s resolutions, let 2022 be THE year. There’s a lot of diets out there, and yes, they may help on the short term. But, eventually you are going to need to view food differently. It’s not your enemy. It’s not your best friend. And, it’s definitely not something that will fill those emotional gaps we all stuggle with at some point. (Yes, I’m talking about the ice cream tub. We’ve all been there.)

Eventually, you’re going to have to face food and say, “it’s not you. It’s me.” Try shifting your perspective to recognize one thing: food’s job is to nourish your body. That’s it. Your body is an ever changing machine that needs to be replenished with the best possible materials and fuel, so it can do its job: house you (comfortably!) for a long time to come. Food is meant to help your body, not torment you. When you’re ready to let food do its real job, take a minute to find out about your unique body. Learn which foods and diets can help you lose that extra weight. Let 2022 be the year you reveal the real you.