How To Tackle Diet Goals In 2023 According To A Dietitian

As a society, we are often obsessed with perfection, especially when it comes to our bodies. In some ways this may seem bizarre because what is the “perfect” body?

In 2022, more than half (52%) of food and health survey participants reported following a specific diet or eating habits. The main motivations of these participants for their diet were to want to lead a healthier life and to lose weight.

If you want to set food-related goals for 2023, think about how you approach them. “Diets can be restrictive,” says Kianesha Renee Dreher, a registered dietitian in Champions Gate, Florida. She says most diets focus on restricting certain foods to lose weight.

She adds that diets can make us focus too much on the scales and restrict what we eat. “In many cases, not only will the weight return, but your body may become deficient in vital nutrients.”

Continually restricting yourself can lead to yoyo dieting, when you constantly lose and gain weight. If you’ve ever been in this boat, you know that watching your weight go up and down on the scale can trigger feelings of guilt, shame, and insecurity. In some cases, it can also lead to eating disorders.

“Disordered eating is different for everyone. Black women can have eating disorders and may not even be aware of them. If it goes unidentified due to lack of awareness, we fail and it becomes an endless cycle,” says Dreher.

According to National Eating Disorders Association, women of color are more vulnerable to eating disorders because of the trauma they experience. Black women are less likely to receive help for their eating disorders. This could be partly due to stigmas and stereotypes about eating disorders. It is often assumed that this is not something that happens in the black community.

While everyone deserves to be confident in their skin, you can achieve your goals without crash dieting or restricting yourself. Choosing an approach that is both good for your body and your mental health is ideal.

Diet culture can have a significant impact on black women, as we are often held hostage to unrealistic beauty standards.

“Many of us black women can relate to self-esteem and the desire to alter our appearance due to societal norms,” Dreher says. “Many have suffered complications or died from various cosmetic surgeries because of the diet culture. This culture makes it hard to feel good about yourself because we want fast results.

If you follow body trends, you might notice that the Brazilian butt lift is reigning supreme in the black community right now. Although they can give women the “number eight” they desire, BBLs can be deadly. A 2017 report from the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation in Cosmetic Surgery Review found that BBLs had the highest mortality rate of any cosmetic surgery in the United States. The report also found that 3% of patients died after BBL, and the cause was usually fat embolism – when droplets of fat enter your bloodstream through some of your blood vessels.

Instead of viewing diets as a way to deprive yourself of quick results, aim to make long-term lifestyle changes. You only have one body to live in for the duration of your life, so it may be healthier to commit to that body. A commitment made of sweetness, well-being and food pleasure.

“Think about healthy lifestyle changes we can implement, such as adding more vegetables, controlling portions, making lunch for work, or exercising,” says Dreher.

Research shows that the types of vegetables you eat are also important – starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn and peas are associated with weight gain. On the other hand, berries, apples, pears, and cauliflower can aid weight loss. Portion control can be a healthier approach to dieting because it’s a way to keep eating the foods you love. According to a study cited in consumer reportsstandardizing your portions could reduce calorie intake by about 527 calories per day.

The goal is not to set dietary goals limiting what you eat this year, because food is meant to be enjoyed.

“No food is off limits and all foods are fine,” says Dreher. “We need to understand how they fit together by planning.”

One approach she recommends is meal planning. Decide what you want to eat for the week, then buy the groceries to prepare those meals. You can also keep your favorite foods and replace some with healthier alternatives. If you are a white rice lover, explore brands of brown rice until you find one you like. The most important thing is to remember that you will have a lifelong relationship with food, so make it a good one.