New Year’s Reset - Julie Cunningham
Every year on January 2, with tremendous predictability, my office is flooded with calls from people who are desperate to lose weight. This year will be the year of the great shedding of pounds, and they’re eager to begin the journey. I probably don’t have to tell you that most of those calls are from women, but I’ll tell you anyway, just in case you’re wondering.
Juls Buckman Photography
Those women come with stories of having lost their identities in the process of losing their waistlines. They tell me about hiding in the closet while they eat in secret. Some of them tell me that as their bodies have grown larger, they’ve somehow become invisible to their partners.
My clients come with stories of hating the way they look in the mirror, of being unable to find even a single thing they like about their appearances, and of praying to God that their daughters will be “lucky” enough to inherit their father’s fast metabolism.
These are smart, beautiful, accomplished women. And they think about food and weight all day, every day.
I’d like to say that’s unusual, but it’s not. We live in a culture that is obsessed with both food and body size, and that paradox is a recipe for disaster. It’s almost impossible to live in a world that declares Thin is Beautiful and then asks, “You want fries with that?” without ending up at least a little confused.
I’m well aware of the health implications of being overweight or obese. I don’t mean to imply that people shouldn’t be concerned about their health and try to improve it; I believe we absolutely should take the very best care of ourselves that we can, and that’s why I do this work.
I am advocating for us to be gentle with ourselves when it comes to taking care of our health. I hear women who are struggling with their weight say so many things about themselves that they would never say about their friend or their child, or even a stranger on the street.
I want my clients to come to a place where they appreciate their physical bodies during the process of changing their health, not just when they arrive at the end point and reach their goal. There’s always another goal to be achieved, and if we’re not satisfied with ourselves during the process, we spend a lot of time feeling miserable.
What if we chose to reset not only our nutrition and exercise habits this January, but the way we think about our bodies as well? All those people who call my office in January are right - this is the perfect time to start something new - a new way of eating that supports our health and the health of our planet, a new plan for adding more activities we enjoy to our days, and a new way of thinking about our bodies.
No more thinking about our bodies as unworthy of eating food we enjoy; no more thinking of our physical selves as something that we need to hide or be ashamed of. What if we take this time of renewal to reset the thoughts we have about ourselves?
I’ve been doing this work for over twenty years, and I know for sure that our mental health and our physical health are deeply connected. We believe what we hear ourselves say.
This January, pursue all your goals when it comes to health and fitness. And speak kindly to yourself. You just might start to believe that little voice inside your head when she tells you you’re beautiful no matter what.
Julie Cunningham is a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist who works virtually and in Hendersonville, NC inside the office of Complete Peace Counseling at 212 S. Grove Street.
Written by Julie Cunningham