BY DR REBECCA LEVY, MANLY VILLAGE MEDICAL
It’s 2024! Now is the ideal time to refocus on your health. With so many recent celebrations, a lot of good habits may have slidden, and it’s time to renew healthy lifestyle choices.
My tips for the new year:
- Set realistic goals for yourself – goals define our priorities and make them more achievable. However, if the goals are vague (like “be fitter”) or aspirational (like “lose 10 kg in two weeks”), it can set you up for disappointment. Talk with your doctor about what goals you want to achieve.
- Eliminate the word “diet”! What leads to healthy and sustainable weight loss (if that’s what you’re aiming for), is long-term lifestyle changes. Crash diets may lead to rapid weight loss in the first few weeks but they are not helpful in the long term and will “confuse” your body so it holds onto fat stores. You may have tried a range of diets before with little success, or you may not know where to start (or you do, but can’t generate the motivation to do it) – in any of these scenarios, talking with a dietitian about what suits your lifestyle, can make all the difference.
- Keep hydrated – and not with alcohol or coffee! Water intake is especially important when the weather is hot, and helps you feel fuller so you’re less likely to over-indulge. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks dehydrate you, and add to your calorie (“sugar”) intake.
- Start or stick to an enjoyable exercise program. Using energy actually generates energy, and this improves better sleep, metabolism, mental health, blood pressure, balance – it’s the all-rounder! If you have trouble finding an exercise that fits in with your lifestyle or physical limitations, see an exercise physiologist for a tailored program.
- Don’t ignore your mental health – this time of year is not easy for a lot of people, and pretending everything is ok doesn’t work in the long run. It’s ok to not be ok. Tell family and friends if you’re not up to doing something – pace yourself. If you’re concerned about your mental health, please see your GP – we can offer more than you think, and it might just be the stepping stone you need to make major life changes for good.
Happy New Year, everyone!
