5 Body Positive New Year’s Resolutions to Set For 2023

It’s not even Christmas yet, but my social media feeds are already full of people promising to make dramatic life changes in January. Every year around this time, the whole world sets their intentions for the new year. That’s a good thing, right? It could be. But instead of body-positive new year’s resolutions, far too often these goals are steeped in diet culture and unrealistic expectations for ourselves and our bodies. How can we add some self-love to our New Year?

For me, self-love doesn’t mean you don’t want to change anything about yourself. There’s nothing wrong with going into the new year with some new goals for your growth. But when the way we approach our goals sets us up for failure and self-loathing, something really needs to change. Here are 5 common diet culture resolutions – and 5 body-accepting alternatives that will empower you to love yourself and your body instead.

1. Go on a diet Rethink your relationship with food.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – diets don’t work. A whopping 55% of people set a diet-related goal on January 1st each year – but 80% of them are unable to stick to their resolution. I wonder why that is? I recently read an article from Yoni Freedhoff with this great quote: people don’t fail their diets. Their diets fail them. Diets based on extreme restriction, cutting out entire food groups, and shame will never be sustainable.

Instead of aspiring to diet this year, aim to examine and rethink your relationship with food. What limiting beliefs do you have surrounding eating? How does food make you feel? How can you create a life where food can fuel you – but also make you feel happy, full, and satisfied?

I’d recommend starting with intuitive eating – a mindset that’s helped me rejuvenate my relationship with food and finally escape food guilt. When your eating habits aren’t being controlled by binging and shame, amazing things can happen to your body, mind, and spirit.

Recommended Post: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Intuitive Eating

2. Start an intense fitness routine Discover the joy in movement again.

I don’t know a child who doesn’t love to move. But as we grow up, we lose that joy and exercise becomes a chore. If your resolution involves endless hours of joyless cardio or monotonous lifting, it will be much harder to keep – and enjoy.

It’s great to want to incorporate more movement in your life this year, but it’s important to find ways to make it joyful. For some of you, intense gym sessions might be extremely fulfilling. That’s awesome! If not, it’s time to discover what movement does bring you joy. If you love dancing, skiing, hiking, or swimming, do more of that!

Remind yourself that exercise isn’t a punishment, and it has more worth than just changing the way our bodies look. Movement can improve our general health, take care of our mental health and mood, and literally help us live longer. Whether you prefer trips to the gym, pool, trail, or hill, all movement can have value and meaning in your new year.

Recommended Post: Joyful Movement, Explained. Here’s How You Can Make Exercise Fun!

3. Fit into that old dress or pair of jeans Let go of your past body and embrace the body you have now.

I am ashamed to admit that I’ve still got a handful of pieces from high school in my closet. In those days I was closer to a size 6 than a size 10. As much progress as I’ve made with my self love journey, I think I secretly wish I could fit into that clothes again. But I was a teenager then. Why do I expect my adult body to look and feel the same as the body I had when I was barely past puberty? We all know that it’s bad to compare our bodies to the bodies of other people – why do we still compare ourselves to our past selves?

Our bodies grow and change everyday. Things like having a baby, going through health challenges, or, uh, literally growing up can change the way your body looks. And that’s okay. You don’t need to look the way you looked back then to be worthy right now.

Instead of aspiring to fit into old clothes, why not use 2021 as an opportunity to create a wardrobe that reflects your body and style right now. Use resources like Pinterest to start exploring how what clothing styles spark joy for you (it might not necessarily be what’s trending, and that’s ok! You can check out my style inspiration board here). Find pieces that fit – regardless of what it says on the tag. It’s not your body’s responsibility to fit into clothes, it’s your clothes’ job to fit your body.

Recommended Post: The Best Mid-Size Inclusive Clothing Brands

4. Cut out “bad” food Enjoy all foods in moderation.

Have you ever noticed that making something forbidden just makes you want it more? Limiting what we can and can’t eat is the philosophy that catapults so many of us into the toxic cycle of restricting – bingeing – restricting again.

Instead of demonizing a whole group of foods, enjoy everything in moderation. Making body positive new year’s resolutions doesn’t mean you don’t want to be healthier in the new year – but there’s more to health than restricting yourself. Instead of challenging yourself to eat less, encourage more. Aim for more vegetables or complex carbs. Fill your plate with food that fuels you (+ tastes delicious) rather than wasting time and energy obsessing over diet culture’s “evil” food of the moment.

Recommended post: What I Eat in a Day of Intuitive Eating

5. Lose weight Be healthy because you love and respect yourself – not because you want to change the way you look.

Every year since I’ve been 12, losing weight has been my #1 resolution. I had no actual plans to make it happen. I had no reason to do so besides wanting to change the way I looked. I made this resolution from a place of self-hatred, never from self-love.

This year, for the first time in 12 years (!) I am not going into the new year determined to shrink. I want to create a life that’s rich in self-love and care. I want to spread that love to those around me. I want to make healthy choices because I want to feel healthy.

If I happen to lose weight this year, that’s okay. But if I end 2021 looking the same way I do now, that’s okay too. Deciding that weight loss isn’t my life’s purpose anymore has left me feeling liberated as we head into the new year. I’m looking forward to a year of positive change, happiness, and being more than a number on a scale – and I’m wishing the same kind of 2021 for you, too.

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What do you think of these body-positive new year’s resolutions? Are you making any resolutions this year? Let me know in the comments below! Wishing you and yours a safe and joyful 2021!