New Year New Nutrition Goals for Athletes | Boston Nutritionist | Registered Dietitian
- Lauren Planas
- Jan 15
- 4 min read
The New Year promotes a reflection of the last 12 months and a celebration of a fresh start. Reflection can bring a desire to change current patterns or adapt to new habits in an effort to better oneself and/or their quality of life. More times than not, resolutions are influenced by diet-culture, causing individuals to feel pressure to adhere to unsustainable dieting, exercise, and weight loss goals.
Ever hear of National Quitters Day? Yes, it’s real. Observed on the second Friday of January, this day recognizes those who start the year off on a strong foot with their intentions and are quickly unable to stick with their resolutions, throwing in the towel and backsliding into old habits. For many, this can mean starting the new year with the goal of eating healthier and exercising in an effort to lose weight after the holiday season, just to find that they aren’t ‘disciplined enough’ to keep up with it.
The problem with New Year's resolutions when it comes to nutrition? Making too many changes at once in hopes of quick results that end up plummeting your energy levels, are overly restrictive, and feel too difficult to keep up with.
Setting specific goals in any context can be motivating to see them through. However, without a sustainable and realistic plan in place to help you work toward those goals, you might find yourself wondering how others have found long-term success without feeling like there are restrictions in place. The solution? Creating small and sustainable goals to build upon in order to see lasting results.
Patterns and behaviors lead to change over time. Making 1% changes each day can help you find a routine that you can stick with to build healthy habits. Here’s a few tips to help you approach your nutrition related goals at any point in the new year.
Adjust portions instead of cutting out entire food groups.
All food groups (carbohydrates, protein, fats) have essential and unique roles in the human body. Eliminating a food group increases the likelihood of nutritional deficiencies that have impacts on both physical and mental health. Adjusting portion sizes can easily change the macronutrient distribution at a meal to better suit your activity level and goals. Check out the Athlete’s Plate for a visual representation on how to do so.
As an example, an individual who cut out carbohydrates in an attempt to lose weight may find that they were able to drop pounds quickly. However, a majority of this is water weight and muscle mass, not body fat which is the desired target with a weight loss goal. Instead, this individual may focus on plating a larger serving of vegetables and lean protein, while incorporating an appropriate portion of whole grains to meet their energy needs while supporting gradual body fat loss.
Set yourself up for success by being aware and prepared.
Having an understanding of your current nutrition and training habits can help you consider what you’re doing well at, and what areas may need more attention than others. This can help you hone in on challenge areas and become more prepared to take them on.
For example, you may recognize battling low energy levels near the end of the work day that lead you to graze on snacks from when you get home up until dinner time. This may lead you to add a protein-packed afternoon snack to your lunchbox to help boost energy levels and satisfy hunger, leading you less likely to overeat with grazing tendencies.
Aim for consistent habits.
While sporadic efforts with nutrition or training have good intentions, they are typically not impactful in the long run. For both nutrition and physical training, consistent habits is what leads to change over time. Creating 1% changes can increase the likelihood that you’re able to maintain and build upon healthy habits regularly. Adapting healthy habits is a lifestyle change, not a diet or quick fix to cheat on.
For example, focusing on eating well Monday through Thursday but then skipping meals leading you to over-indulge on food and beverages Friday through Sunday will only take you so far. Instead, try to maintain consistency by choosing easy options to fuel with throughout the day instead of skipping meals to avoid overeating, or looking for healthy-ish options while dining out instead of using it as an excuse to “cheat”.
Erase the ‘all or nothing’ mentality.
Having flexibility in life is important, even when it comes to nutrition. Have you ever found yourself saying you’ll stay disciplined and avoid a certain food, but end up thinking about it often and overindulging when you finally decide to eat it? Holding yourself to strict rules can create a cycle of restrict-binge or overeating tendencies that move you further from your goals, potentially also creating a negative relationship with food.
Instead of repeatedly undergoing this cycle, aim for a balanced approach that allows for occasional indulgences while maintaining overall healthy eating patterns. Incorporating flexibility, such as in the 80/20 rule, can help you focus on making healthier choices a majority of the time, while still allowing you to enjoy fun foods in moderation. For some, being intentional on when you incorporate your favorite foods can help to avoid the restrict-binge cycle and maintain consistency with your nutrition habits otherwise.
Every day presents opportunities to make choices that favor your health related goals. There’s no need to wait until Monday or a new year to reset, but rather recognizing small choices and changes that you can make along the way that support your goals.
All this being said, we understand that nutrition can be confusing and there is A LOT of misinformation on the internet or one-size-fits-all “solutions”. If you are tired of sorting through this information alone, confused, and frustrated, we are here to help! Reach out today for a FREE 15 minute individual nutrition consultation. Partnering with our Registered Dietitian(s) is an opportunity to finally have the information and a plan tailored to you, and your unique needs. One of the best parts? Insurance may even cover a portion depending on your plan!
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