I’m done with January health hype
Look, I’ve been in this industry for 22 years. I’ve seen the same thing happen every January. The gyms get packed. The supplement aisles get emptied. And by February? Crickets. I’m not here to be part of that charade anymore.
I’m gonna be real with you. Most health resolutions fail. Not because people are lazy or uncommittmented (that’s a word now, deal with it). But because the advice out there is completley useless. It’s either too vague, too extreme, or too focused on quick fixes.
My wake-up call
About three months ago, I was having coffee with my friend Marcus. He’s a personal trainer, been in the biz for 15 years. He told me, “You know, Sarah, most of our clients come in January. And most of them are gone by March.” I asked him why. He said, “Because we’re setting them up to fail. We’re telling them to change everything at once. It’s too much.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
So I started thinking. What if we approached health differently? What if we focused on small, sustainable changes? What if we actually enjoyed the process?
The problem with ‘lifestyle change’
Let’s talk about this term. “Lifestyle change.” Ugh. It’s the worst. It’s vague. It’s overwhelming. It’s like saying, “Hey, why don’t you just be a completely different person?”
I remember last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin. There was this speaker, let’s call her Dr. Linda. She was talking about behavior change. She said, “People don’t need a lifestyle change. They need a 1% improvement.” That stuck with me.
So what does a 1% improvement look like? It’s not running a marathon. It’s not juicing every vegetable known to man. It’s small stuff. Like drinking one more glass of water a day. Or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Or, honestly, just not eating an entire pizza by yourself at 11:30pm.
Why tiny changes work
Here’s the thing. When you make a tiny change, it’s easy to stick to. It’s not scary. It’s not overwhelming. And when you stick to it, you build confidence. And when you build confidence, you’re more likely to make another small change. And another. And another.
It’s like this study I read about. 214 respondents, tracked for 6 months. The ones who made small, consistent changes lost more weight than the ones who went all-in on extreme diets. Shocking, right?
But here’s where I’m gonna lose some of you. Ready? You don’t need to track every calorie. You don’t need to count every step. You don’t need to obsess over every little thing. In fact, if you’re doing that, you’re probably setting yourself up for failure.
Let’s talk about failure
Failure is part of the process. It’s gonna happen. You’re gonna eat the pizza. You’re gonna skip the workout. You’re gonna have a bad day. And that’s okay. Really.
I remember when I first started writing about health, I was so hard on myself. I’d have one bad meal and I’d feel like a complete failure. It’s taken me years to realize that’s not healthy. It’s not sustainable. And honestly, it’s not even that fun.
So here’s what I want you to do. I want you to pick one tiny change. Just one. And I want you to stick with it for a week. Then two weeks. Then a month. And when you’re ready, add another tiny change. And another. And before you know it, you’ll have made a big difference.
And now for something completely different
Okay, I gotta admit, I got a little off track there. I was gonna talk about something else entirely. But hey, that’s how my brain works. I’m all over the place. You’ll have to forgive me if this article feels a little disjointed. I mean, I’m not a robot. I’m a real person with real thoughts and real opinions. And sometimes, those thoughts and opinions don’t follow a neat little outline.
Speaking of real people, I want to tell you about my friend Dave. He’s a colleague, been in the industry for about as long as I have. We were talking the other day, and he said something that really stuck with me. He said, “You know, Sarah, most people think health is about deprivation. But it’s not. It’s about addition. It’s about adding more good stuff in.”
And I think he’s right. It’s not about taking away. It’s about adding. Adding more veggies. Adding more water. Adding more movement. Adding more joy. Adding more lifestyle tips daily improvement.
Let’s wrap this up
So there you have it. My take on health resolutions. It’s not about extreme changes. It’s not about deprivation. It’s about small, sustainable improvements. It’s about enjoying the process. And it’s about being kind to yourself when you slip up.
Now, I’m not saying this is the only way to approach health. I’m not saying this is the be-all and end-all. I’m just saying, it’s what works for me. And it’s what I’ve seen work for other people.
So give it a try. Pick one tiny change. Stick with it. And see where it takes you. Who knows? You might just surprise yourself.
About the Author
Sarah Johnson is a senior magazine editor with over 22 years of experience in the health and wellness industry. She’s written for major publications, interviewed countless experts, and has a few opinions on how to live a healthier life. When she’s not writing, you can find her attempting to meditate, cooking vegetarian meals, and trying to remember where she left her glasses.
