It’s (almost) that time of the year again: January. The month of repentance from a whirlwind holiday season. Renowned for overambitious fitness goals and insufferable crash diets, the start of a new year is often followed by the disappointment of unmet expectations and broken promises we’ve made for ourselves. I’m a nutritionist, so of course I love when people want to focus on their health and eating well, but it’s not productive if in the end you feel like you’ve failed. If you think I’m being defeatist, spoiler alert: I have a solution for you below. Keep reading. I have a point to make first.
We’re living in a weird time. After a strong push for more inclusivity and body positivity, we are now in the era of weight loss drugs. Why would the pendulum swing from one extreme to the other? Because neither of these are about health; they’re entirely about weight, which completely misses the mark. While 42% of Americans are obese, 93% are metabolically unhealthy. Both of these numbers should alarm you – obesity rates are way too high, but clearly many of us have metabolic issues unrelated to weight. Maybe we should rebrand “healthy at every size” to “unhealthy at every size.”
Let’s not skirt around the issue here. Rampant consumption of highly addictive sugar products and processed foods (think soda—the cigarette of our generation in my opinion, fast food, chips, cereal, candy, etc.) is literally killing us at alarming rates. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of death in the US. But instead of treating this like the public health crisis that it is, we are celebrating when people indulge in the very foods causing these insufferable diseases and disabilities in the name of not restricting themselves.
Crash diets might not be the answer, but this also isn’t. You wouldn’t tell a cocaine addict not to deprive themselves of one more line, would you? If you think I’m exaggerating with this metaphor here, I’m not. Just read this article from Scientific America, published a few months ago, which suggests that 20% of Americans are addicted to food and that ultra processed foods raise mortality risks by 25%.
Weight loss drugs, however, are not the solution. While there are certainly some circumstances where these drugs might be helpful, they’re not without side effects and come with serious risks. The decision to take a GLP-1 inhibitor like Ozempic should not be taken lightly. These drugs essentially work by delaying gastric emptying so you don’t feel hungry. In fact, you’re starving, and the weight you’re losing isn’t just fat. Studies show that 50% of weight loss on these drugs is muscle. I could write an entire post on the importance of muscle (and maybe I will), but in short: we do not want to lose muscle.
Then there are the side effects, like gastroparesis (or stomach paralysis), which can be irreversible and can cause bacterial overgrowth, reflux, nausea, vomiting and other unpleasant GI conditions. Among a laundry list of other concerns I have is the impact of these drugs on our microbiome. This is where 70% of our immune system lies and many of our hormones are produced. Disruption to our gut health can lead to an increased risk of mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
So what should we do instead? First, we have to make this about more than weight—this is about your health! It’s about waking up and feeling good every day. It’s about improving the quality of your life and increasing your health span. It’s about being happy.
Anyone who has walked into my practice knows my cardinal rule of nutrition: it has to be realistic and enjoyable. If your plan doesn’t account for this, it will never work. This is why over 95% of diets fail, and likely why after decades of unsuccessful diet trends more people are opting out of resolutions altogether.
I’m not trying to suggest that there isn’t work involved. Change is hard. We’re all different, so in order for you to find the best foods and routines for your body and lifestyle you have to understand nutrition and how it relates to your body and goal. This takes time, commitment and intention. What works for one person most certainly won’t work for you, and vise versa.
The Reset
For the past decade+ I have done a January Reset. It’s a physical, mental and spiritual reboot of sorts; a time when I focus on eating nutrient-dense whole foods, prioritizing my sleep, getting organized and setting intentions for the year ahead. The plan removes gluten, dairy, processed foods, added sugar, and alcohol for three weeks. Not only does this elimination give you the opportunity to discover how you react to certain foods, but you will also spend this time discovering alternative foods and routines that you can incorporate into your post-Reset life.
In my personal experience and nutrition practice, I’ve found that sometimes you need boundaries and a plan to follow to actually do the thing. You have to commit. Having less sugar, for example, is often harder than having none at all. After three weeks without added sugar, your sugar tolerance will likely decrease (meaning sweets will taste sweeter to you), you’ll find swaps for sugary foods you regularly consumed, and perhaps drop that “dessert after every meal habit.”
What do you eat on The Reset? Essentially whole foods, like protein, vegetables, and whole grains. A day in the life might include: a smoothie for breakfast, a frittata for lunch, apple and peanut butter for your afternoon snack, and maybe a chicken stir fry or nourishing soup for dinner. Not bad, right?
The Reset has become such a core ritual of mine that I wrote a book about it. To me, this is about deep self care. It literally amazes me how a few short weeks of eating whole, nutrient dense foods can transform someone's health. Benefits of doing the reset include:
Increased energy
Better sleep
Reduced stress and anxiety
More mental clarity and productivity
Glowing skin
Digestive improvements
Fertility
…and even weight loss
So how is this an alternative to failed resolutions of years past? Well first of all: it’s not about weight. While many people do lose weight on The Reset, the benefits extend far beyond your denim drawer. And most importantly, the premise of the program is to set up routines that you can be consistent with when your Reset is complete. You’re doing the work to find your sweet spot, which I think of as the intersection between healthy and delicious. These are the foods that taste as good as they make you feel. And this is the where the magic happens.
If you’ve made it this far into this post, I’m going to assume you’re in! To do The Reset with me this year, first pick up a copy of Foodwise, which has all the nitty gritty details and 100 recipes. Then, join my Substack chat (details coming soon)! I’ll be on there sharing tips and answering all your questions about The Reset and nutrition in general. For now, feel free to drop into the comments below, and stay tuned for the next part of this conversation: Reframing Weight Loss…
More soon!
xx Mia
can’t wait.
❤️❤️❤️