New year, new you right? We all begin a new year with good intentions, but resolutions are almost impossible to keep. The excitement of the new year propels us to consider radical changes, especially for our health. Instead of this new year being about resolutions that get broken as soon as the momentum of the new year fades, write yourself some affirmations. Just the definition of this word conjures up positivity and self-celebration. If this is the year you decide to get serious about weight loss through surgery or major lifestyle changes, the Winnett Specialist Group is here to support you.

Why the resolution is old news

Exercise more, quit smoking, save money, lose weight… we’ve all made a resolution that we haven’t been able to keep longer than a week. But why? When you consider your current lifestyle, remember that your existing habits have been formed over many years. If you have a particular pattern as we often do on a day-to-day basis, resolving to change that instantly is doomed to fail. When we make drastic changes in short spaces of time, our subconscious begins to experience discomfort as it realises we are stepping outside of the norm. Challenging your own mind to suddenly form new habits can exacerbate stress and exhaustion.

Also, most of us make resolutions during the Christmas holiday break when we are buoyed by the excitement of the festival season and the energy-charged atmosphere of new year celebrations. Once we are back into our regular routines, we fall back on our usual coping mechanisms and vices. 

The biggest problem with resolutions? How big they are. 

Making massive promises to yourself to overhaul your body, completely change your diet or quit a habit that you’ve used as a daily crutch is an unscalable mental mountain. For any chance of success, psychologists recommend smaller and achievable steps over monumental self-directives.

Making positive affirmations

Resolutions are commonly associated with denial. Affirmations are all about positive reinforcement and rewarding achievements. Affirmations can be mantras to inspire you, small changes that you know you can make, promises that you want yourself to keep and philosophies you want to adopt. 

So what should you put on your list of affirmations, and more specifically, what kinds of affirmations can you make towards achieving your health goals? At Winnett Specialist Group, we meet so many patients that are of the mistaken belief that their obesity is their own fault or something they should be able to control. What we want to help our patients affirm is that obesity is not simply the fault of the individual.

It is a diagnosable medical condition caused by a range of underlying factors including but not limited to genetics and hereditary obesity, psychological conditions, medications and existing medical issues such as ​​Hypothyroidism and Chronic Edema. If we could recommend one affirmation to add to your list?

“I am worthy of health and happiness”

Never mind “new year, new you”

There’s no need to try and reinvent yourself completely from the moment 2022 begins. Instead, it’s important to make positive changes that are also sustainable for the future. If you are one of many people looking to shift your current lifestyle to one of better health and improved wellbeing, start small. Do some research and have conversations. A bikini body in 8 weeks is a marketing tool – not a realistic or desirable life goal. If this is the year that you decide to explore the benefits of weight loss surgery, reach out to the Winnett Specialist Group.

We know that there is no such thing as an instant fix when it comes to weight loss. Our team of dietitians, clinicians, advisors and of course, head surgeon Jason Winnett are ready and waiting to have a realistic discussion about helping you make a positive health change with long term results. Get in touch with us today.