Happy New Year: Embracing a Lifestyle Change for Health vs. a Diet

Happy New Year: Embracing a Lifestyle Change for Health vs. a Diet

By: Marcy Schoenborn

The start of a new year is a time when many people reflect on their goals, habits, and aspirations for the future. One of the most common resolutions is improving health—whether it’s losing weight, getting more active, or eating better. But as we embark on this fresh start, it’s important to understand the difference between a lifestyle change for health and simply going on a diet.

Both are often seen as ways to improve health, but the approach, sustainability, and results can differ significantly. Let’s dive deeper into the differences between a lifestyle change and a diet, and why adopting a lifestyle change is more effective and long-lasting.

What is a Diet?

A diet typically refers to a temporary plan focused on eating certain foods or limiting others for a specific purpose—usually weight loss. People often turn to diets as a quick solution, hoping to see fast results. Popular diets like keto, paleo, or intermittent fasting may promise rapid weight loss, but they often require strict rules, cutting out foods you love, and living in a cycle of restriction.

Diet characteristics:

• Temporary: Most diets are meant to be followed for a short period, often to achieve a specific goal (like losing 10 pounds).
• Restrictive: Many diets require eliminating certain foods or food groups, which can feel like a punishment rather than a choice. 
• Short-term results: While you may see quick results, most diets are not sustainable long term, and weight can be easily regained once the diet ends.
• Focused on numbers: Many diets focus on calorie counting or macronutrient tracking, which can create an unhealthy relationship with food.

• Lack of education: Most diets only offer “weight loss” help, tips or menus. They don’t offer an education and support to succeed. 

While diets can offer quick fixes, they often don't teach sustainable habits or long-term health strategies. When the diet ends, old habits can easily return, causing the weight to come back or health improvements to fade.

What is a Lifestyle Change for Health?

A lifestyle change for health is a long-term commitment to better habits and making consistent, sustainable decisions that promote your overall well-being. Unlike a diet, a lifestyle change is not about rapid fixes or restricting food groups. It's about creating a balanced, healthy relationship with food, exercise, and your mental and emotional well-being.

Lifestyle change characteristics:

• Sustainable: A lifestyle change focuses on making small, achievable adjustments that you can maintain over time.
• Holistic approach: It incorporates all aspects of health—nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, and mental health. It's not just about food, but about creating balance in your life.
• Focus on habits: It’s more about building healthy habits that become part of your everyday life, such as regular movement, mindful eating, and proper sleep hygiene.
• Long-term results: The focus is on lasting health improvements, such as better energy, stronger immunity, and sustainable weight management, rather than quick fixes.

A lifestyle change allows you to make progress at your own pace without feeling restricted. Over time, these changes lead to better health outcomes and more confidence in your choices.

Why a Lifestyle Change is Better Than a Diet

1. Sustainability: A key reason lifestyle changes work better than diets is that they’re sustainable. While diets are temporary, lifestyle changes are about making habits that you can carry with you for life. It’s not about depriving yourself or waiting for the diet to end—it’s about making adjustments that fit into your everyday life.
2. Focus on Well-Being, Not Just Weight: A lifestyle change focuses on overall health, not just weight loss. When you make sustainable changes to how you live—eating healthier, moving more, and managing stress—you can improve your mental, emotional, and physical well-being in a more holistic way. Weight loss may come naturally as a byproduct, but it's not the sole focus.
3. Building Healthy Habits: A lifestyle change helps you develop habits that support your health in the long term. This means less of the yo-yo dieting cycle and more of a positive, fulfilling approach to food, exercise, and self-care. Once these habits become routine, maintaining them is much easier than constantly starting and stopping a diet.
4. Better Mental Health: When you stop focusing solely on restrictive diets and focus more on healthy habits, you create a healthier relationship with food. This reduces feelings of guilt or shame around food choices, improves your mental outlook, and encourages self-compassion. It’s not about perfection—it’s about balance.
5. Increased Confidence and Empowerment: Adopting a lifestyle change gives you the tools and knowledge to make better decisions for your health. Over time, you’ll feel more empowered and confident in your choices, knowing you’re doing what’s best for your body.

How to Transition From a Diet to a Lifestyle Change

If you’ve been caught in the cycle of dieting, here are a few steps to begin transitioning to a more sustainable, healthy lifestyle:

1. Start Small: Instead of overhauling everything at once, start by changing your nutrition to: sustainable, healthy, energy creating nutrition. In only a few weeks of eating like this you’ll have more energy! This is your que to add exercise! Better nutrition and exercise will improve your sleep! = You’re on your way!
2. Focus on Whole, Nutrient-Dense Foods: Move away from highly processed foods and focus on eating a variety of whole foods—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. ** Be sure you know what healthy fats are, often we don’t!  Clue: they are NOT from dairy and meat!
3. Practice Mindful Eating: Slow down and pay attention to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. This helps you make healthier food choices without feeling restricted. Also as you learn to eat more nutrient dense, you will feel full longer; requiring less food.
4. Find Joy in Movement: Exercise doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Find activities you enjoy, whether it’s yoga, walking, or dancing, that support your health and well-being. The best exercise = the one you will consistently do.
5. Be Kind to Yourself: Lifestyle changes take time. Celebrate your progress, even the small wins, and avoid being overly critical of yourself. It's about progress, not perfection.
6. Can’t Do it Alone? That’s OK! People that see the biggest success often have joined a great program, or hired a coach. That’s where we come in! 

Conclusion: A Fresh Start to Health in the New Year

This year, instead of focusing on another diet, why not make a lifestyle change for health? The goal is to create long-lasting habits that improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. These changes might take time, but the benefits are worth the investment. The new year is a perfect opportunity to focus on health that lasts a lifetime.

So, here's to a new year filled with sustainable, positive health changes. Happy New Year, and here’s to your healthiest, happiest year yet!