Dear Friends,
Happy New Year!  Oh boy here we go again, another year and another laundry list of resolutions. Many of us are looking at new goals that are high and lofty. We are highly motivated after our month of overindulging during the holidays and somehow we think that a month of excess will set us up to achieve our new found aspirations.
 
I have a tip for you going forward that comes from the 70’s band Boston: “Don’t look back.” Most of us have dismal record on achieving our goals and that is why it is better to not look back. Instead of setting goals it is best to change a behavior with the gradual expectation of an outcome change.
 
Let’s talk weight. 
 
A goal of losing say 25 pounds is a poorly structured goal. There is no success to keep you motivated until you reach that lofty goal and therefore there is very low chance of achieving it. Now, imagine the goal being to change some behaviors that get you to lose 5 pounds…that is smart and achievable. And the last time I looked, you have to go through five to get to 25. Behaviors only change if you have a positive reinforcement at the end of the task. In essence, you must lower the barrier so that you gain successes that build and ultimately tip the momentum in your favor.
 
A better method is not to restrict but to add behaviors that offer some immediate success. For example, adding a small amount of an exercise that you enjoy a day, even 10 minutes, will work but why? Because if you go hit the gym for three hours you won’t be able to move for two weeks. Adding a small dose of exercise and you will easily accomplish the task, which in turn will make you feel better and then you will likely repeat it.
 
Your goals should be your behavior changes. That is why we have talked about the detox for so many weeks. The goal of the detox is to help the body reset its abilities metabolically. It is to feel better. The common side effect of this over time is to lose weight as well as many other benefits.
 
In talking with a patient about her weight a few weeks ago I posed a simple question: “Would you love yourself more if you weighed less?”  The answer was an unequivocal yes…ouch! If you think you self-worth is inversely proportional to your body weight you will never lose weight nor gain great self-esteem.  Our body is a physical home for our soul.  Your soul’s value is not tied to your weight. 
 
We want your body to function optimally so your stay here on earth can be about soul work and not body fixing!  That’s the end game folks.
 
So my fellow soul siblings, let’s not set goals but change some behaviors together! Happy 2022!
 
God Bless,
 
Dr. Dan