Do you like to kick off the new year with a fresh focus on health and wellness? If so, great! A new calendar year often brings the desire to implement healthier habits, which can be a good thing. 

…Unfortunately, in our society, the lure of  “get results quickly” can cause more harm than good.

The problem with restrictive diet rules is that they rarely stick. And when they don’t, you feel defeated. But ultimately, it’s the diet that is the failure, not you. There are certainly ways to set the right nutrition goals without it turning into a diet. I can help!

Hey there: I’m Angie, Registered Dietitian, sports nutrition expert, and certified intuitive eating counselor. Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of clients to improve their overall health and relationship with food. And while the internet might have you believe that radical transformations to your eating are necessary for success, I think the magic happens with achieving small, sustainable nutrition goals that feel great and include your favorite foods (and actually stick because they don’t suck to stick with). 

In this blog post, I’ll walk you through how you can set nutrition goals without dieting, steps to choose nutrition goals that are personalized to you, and how to implement those goals to improve your health this year. 

Let’s dive in!

Risks of Setting The Wrong Nutrition Goals 

Dieting and the pursuit of weight loss doesn’t actually guarantee that you’ll be any healthier. (Gasp, right?) In fact, starting a diet in the new year is a surefire way to harm your relationship with eating and your body.

Many studies suggest that starting a weight loss diet in the New Year carries these common pitfalls.

High failure rate

Studies suggest that an overwhelming majority of weight loss diets fail, many within weeks. Most New Year’s resolution diets fail by February. The high failure rate is often attributed to goals that are too difficult to maintain (not because the people trying to keep these goals did anything wrong or because they didn’t have enough willpower).

Mental and Emotional Stress

The new year should bring a fresh start and a feeling of renewal, but restriction and deprivation are stressful to both the body and brain. Intentionally restricting food intake makes the likelihood of hunger-induced stress and irritability more common, and if adhered to for a length of time, it could even lead to a nutrient deficiency (1).

Risk to Physical Health

On-again, off-again eating patterns or “yo-yo dieting” is considered more detrimental to health than never starting a diet in the first place. Yikes, right? 

Yo-yo dieting has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic abnormalities – the exact things we might be trying to lower our risk of.  

Risk of Disordered Eating

Alarmingly, up to 35% of people who diet will eventually develop a pattern of disordered eating or an eating disorder.

However, it is absolutely possible to choose some areas of your eating and nutritional health that you’d like to improve this year without starting a diet. Start by thinking about specifically what you would like to improve, and make your goals personal.

Let’s talk about how to do this next. 

Steps to Choose Nutrition Goals that are Personalized to You

There is only one amazing, incredible you! Your needs are unique, and you don’t need to adopt goals that don’t serve you…even if other folks are following those goals.

Instead, think about your specific needs or struggles and see if you can determine one or two nutrition goals that feel meaningful to you. Need some ideas? 

Here are some common motivations that I’ve seen in my private nutrition practice that might inspire nutrition goals.

• Did you recently receive a lab value that you are concerned about? High cholesterol or fasting blood sugar, for example?
• Do you struggle with late-night cravings that leave you feeling rattled? 
• Would you like to include more anti-inflammatory foods, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, but have trouble with implementation?
• Does your gut health feel like it could use some help? Gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation are no fun.
• Do you want to meal-prep but don’t know where or how to start?
• Or would you simply like to cook more but can’t seem to make the time?

Start with what feels like would be the most amazing thing to improve upon, and read on for tips to setting goals that are effective and achievable. 

Examples of Nutrition goals that might be right for you

Here are some examples of nutrition goals that don’t involve dieting. These are all evidence-based ways to better nourish your health and wellness without a risk of harm. Give this list a skim and see if any of them make you feel excited or inspired to work towards (and I’ll share next steps at the end – keep reading!). 

Fruit and Vegetable Goals

1. Add one serving of fruit or vegetables to each meal during the week.
2. Include a fruit or vegetable in one of your weekday snacks each day.
3. Include one plant-based, vegetarian dinner each week.
4. Incorporate a fruit smoothie 3 days per week.
5. Incorporate a vegetable-based soup at lunch or dinner 2x/week.

Meal Planning Goals

1. Try one new recipe (for any meal) once per week this month.
2. Plan at least one home-cooked dinner this week. 
3. Plan at least one home-cooked meal over the weekend this month (bonus if there are leftovers for the week)!
4. Pack your lunch 3 days per week for work this month – adds nutrition and saves money!
5. Batch-cook at least one item for use during the week this month: chicken breasts, a pot of quinoa, or cooked lentils, for example.
6. Include one slow-cooker or Instant Pot meal each week this month: click for a free download of some of my favorite easy recipes.
7. Include fish two times per week this month.

Intuitive Eating Goals

1. Enjoy at least one meal per day without distractions this month (I promise that email or text can wait).
2. Begin each meal this month with 3 deep, centering breaths before eating. 
3. Make time for 3 meals per day for a month (no meal skipping).
4. Incorporate a morning or afternoon snack every weekday for a month (based on when you are typically hungry).

Hydration Goals

1. Start every morning with an 8 oz glass of water. 
2. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily (for example, a 160-pound person has an 80-ounce fluid goal).
3. Include a calming nighttime beverage, like herbal tea, each night for a month. 
4. Clean out or purchase a new water bottle that you enjoy drinking out of and have a goal to fill it 2-3 times per day, based on your needs.

Digestive Health Goals

1. Include 25 grams of fiber each day for a week.
2. Include 7-10 grams of fiber at each meal this week.
3. Eat all of your meals this week sitting down. 
4. Consume a meal or snack every 3-4 hours during the day this week.
5. Keep a symptom journal for a month.

Steps to Setting Effective Nutrition Goals 

If you want your goals to feel meaningful, it’s important to consider your “why” behind embarking on a nutrition goal. 

What specifically would be the best outcome from setting and achieving this goal? Improved energy? Lower cardiovascular disease risk? Better digestive health?

The key to setting effective nutrition goals starts with setting a SMART goal. This is an acronym for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based. 

Specific 

Specific goals describe exactly what you want to do, vs. focusing on something like “more” vegetables or “less” sugar. If your goals aren’t precise, how do you know if you’ve achieved them? 

Measurable

A measurable goal will include a way to tangibly measure progress and help keep you motivated and working towards the goal.

Achievable

This may be my favorite part of SMART goals – making them realistic and attainable! Think about achievable goals that fit into your lifestyle and set you up for success.

Realistic or Relevant

Do you have the time and resources to implement this goal? 

Time-Based

Setting a time period, like a start date and duration, helps to create measurable parameters around your goal. 

Personalization is the key to success

Your individual needs and SMART nutrition goals can vary a great deal based on many factors: 

• Any medical history affecting nutrition (for example, diabetes, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome)
• History of disordered eating or undereating
• History of trying many different diets
• History of difficult implementation of nutrition goals
• Individual food preferences or intolerances

I’m always here to help with SMART nutrition goal-setting and accountability. 

Contact me for more in-depth assistance

You’ve got a lot you want to do this year – I know you do! Maybe with all that is on your plate, no pun intended, it would be helpful to have someone on your side to help guide you toward setting and achieving your nutrition goals. Instead of trying to conquer goals that aren’t the right size, seek some support from a registered dietitian to find the right goals that support your best self, starting today!

I am accepting new clients and am in-network with many insurance companies in Pennsylvania. Nutrition therapy may be an included benefit in your insurance policy. This means it is possible we can work together toward your goals at no cost to you. Contact me to set up an appointment so we can start achieving those SMART nutrition goals today.