Almost two thirds of American adults vow to lose weight, exercise more, or alter their eating habits for New Year’s. Statistically speaking, you probably did, too. Despite the well-intentioned results of health-oriented New Year’s Resolutions, few of them stick. “Health” resolutions also breed a diet culture that might cause more harm than good. For instance, short-term intense diets are known to catalyse disordered eating. Google “how to lose weight,” and more than one billion results populate in less than a second. If so many people desire to shed a few pounds or regain control of their eating habits, why are we still struggling to do so?
A plethora of approaches and opinions distinguish the world of dieting. Extreme attitudes exist on all spectrums, with reputable research and professionals to support them on all sides. Those who feel strongly about dieting swear by the method that led them to success, even if that method does not produce the same results for others. This creates a conversation about health that is not only cryptic and contradictory, but ultimately ineffective and at times, unsafe. Although there are a multitude of angles to take in the battle toward a healthier lifestyle, we are going to focus on two contradicting approaches: a harsh, disciplined approach (never-miss-a-day), or the more casual, intuitive approach (listen-to-your-body).
The former can be intimidating. A perfect human portrayal of it is David Goggins, an ex-Navy SEAL who was famously deemed the US Army’s “Top Enlisted Man” and Running World’s “Hero of Running” in 2008. Long story short, he’s a badass. Goggins is famous for his merciless discipline: He notably coined the 40% rule, which states that when your body feels physically exhausted and ready to surrender, you have only used 40% of your body’s potential energy; exhaustion is a mental choice and the human body’s capacity is never really reached. Goggins exhibits the never-miss-a-day approach to health—a determination to follow through with a commitment under any circumstance. In many contexts, “never-miss-a-day” can breed success, yet it incurs a high opportunity cost. Without the distractions of social life and short-term gratification, like a piece of cake, the human body is capable of impressive transformation. As humans, we seek the path of least resistance. Cheats and shortcuts are in high supply, with diet pills and fit-teas crowding the marketplace. The search for convenience breeds laziness, and the never-miss-a-day approach seeks to reverse that.
Goggins’ method thrives on negative reinforcement. By constantly reminding oneself of what they do not have, the never-miss-a-day approach yields positive results. Every rest day, missed rep, or late night cookie craving is an opportunity for our vices to gain influence. Holding ourselves accountable for the way we perform is an important catalyst to improve our overall health. Forgiveness feeds weakness.
However, there is a caveat to categorizing your New Year’s resolution as “never-miss-a-day.” For those psychologically wired to self-deprecate, perhaps with depressive or perfectionist tendencies, small mistakes are likely to result in a devastating downward spiral. For example, if you set an ambitious goal to rule out dessert, you will likely slip up once and decide that 5 more servings of dessert is the logical next step. For many people, never missing a day is unsustainable.
The converse approach is to listen to your body’s signals telling you to stop hard work or to honor a craving. Intuitive eating, diverse workout schedules, and mindfulness define this gentler anti-diet method. Mirroring mindfulness practices rooted in Buddhism, intuitive methods use a calm reflection on what your body desires followed by deliberate action. This, too, is a slippery slope, as accepting intuition as your guide can lead to leniency and brain chatter over your true desire. Unfortunately, addictive food additives and stress convolute our once trustworthy brain chemicals. It is difficult to distinguish between MSG and an authentic need for cheetos. Unless you are Buddihst or a seasoned meditator, intuitive health is difficult, for it requires discipline. Moreover, mindfully listening to your body means that it is okay to honor intense hunger during an intermittent fast; it is okay to disregard the 60% of potential energy that David Goggins will argue we have left in our reserve tank. Through intuition, we give ourselves room to explore who we are and what our bodies can and cannot do. Never-miss-a-day, on the flip side, requires our mind to resolutely tell our bodies right from wrong.
Never missing a day gives us a purpose. When we set a goal, we justify present pain and sacrifice to see our accomplishment through. Yet these sacrifices can augment themselves into missing out on the irreplaceable joys in life. Furthermore, we may find our minds dominated by an all-encompassing commitment to health, encouraging patterns of obsessive thinking. Apart from potentially overworking your body, the stress of your commitment may wreak havoc on your vagus nerve, outweighing the “health” benefits of your resolution. Lets not forget, America is facing a stress epidemic in addition to an obesity crisis!
There is no universal agreement on the fix to Americans’ problematic dieting habits, but this does not mean that a solution does not exist. It’s up to the individual to determine whether their lifestyle can benefit from a stricter “never-miss- a-day” approach, or if a mindful, loving angle can help them reach their goals. Instead of looking to the world of fit-teas, dieting pills and instagram influencers, assess yourself. What is a change you can make right now that will impact your health in the long-run?
Kate Tunnell (ktunnel@college.harvard.edu) is the Media Director of the Independent.
Marbella Marlo (mmarlo@college.harvard.edu) writes Sports for the Independent.