They’re New Year’s Res-delusions.
Come January 1st, everyone seems to binging on brown rice and hitting the gym like David Goggins, in an effort to become a new, so-called better version of themselves.
This might seem inspiring at first, but the reality is, experts warn, appearance-based resolutions can not only be unsustainable — they can also be bad for your physical and mental health.
The pros at Eat This have come out with a list of the most unrealistic New Year’s resolutions that people should avoid if they want to have a happy, healthy 2025.
Extreme weight loss goals
Setting ludicrous weight loss goals is a major no-no. While people can initially shed a few pounds on a new diet, this flab-fighting offensive plateaus over time.
“People feel discouraged and often give up when their New Year’s resolution is unattainable—for example, losing 20 pounds in a month,” says Brittany Scanniello, RDN, owner of Eat Simply Nutrition.
It can even reverse course, like a tsunami that recedes and comes in twice as hard.
Instead of harmful yo-yo dieting, people should focus on shedding one to two pounds a week, which is significant and also sustainable in the long term.
Scanniello suggests gradual measures such as “eliminating soda and other sugary drinks [from your diet], incorporating more exercise at least five days a week, and limiting fast food to no more than once a week.”
There’s no quick-fix solution but rather, as American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Sari Greaves put it, “a healthy diet relies on a lifelong commitment to eating the right foods and eating the right way.”
Abstaining from a food group
There’s nothing wrong with cutting down on unhealthy foods. However, jettisoning carbs, fat, or protein, can paradoxically prompt people to eat more of said group — absence makes the stomach grow fonder, so to speak.
“Restricting foods increases the likelihood that once February rolls around, you’ll be binge eating these foods and creating an unhealthy relationship with them,” warned Kelsey Kunik, RDN, a registered dietitian at Graciously Nourished. “Instead of giving up and cutting out foods, focus on adding more healthful foods to your diet.”
Scaling back our expectations
By a similar token, people shouldn’t stress over the number on the scale. “When you set an unrealistic weight loss goal, it can lead to individuals taking extreme measures to cut calories or following fad diets that are difficult to maintain,” explains Mandy Tyler, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD.
Not exercising caution
Being overzealous about exercise is similarly harmful for both noobies and those who’ve had a long layoff from the gym.
Heather Milton, an exercise physiologist supervisor at the Sports Performance Center at the NYU Langone Orthopedics Center, says that a lofty “10-pound weight loss” milestone can tackled incrementally.
“To achieve weight loss, typically we need a surplus of 300 minutes of exercise per week,” she wrote in a 2023 article for the Post. “Is that reasonable for a new exerciser? No, but we can start at 10 minutes per day and slowly add five to 10 minutes weekly to get there.”
Old habits diet hard
According to Kim Kulp, RDN, owner of the Gut Health Connection, “making too many diet changes all at once can lead to feeling frustrated and deprived.” Instead, people should break it down into smaller bites like trying a new plant-based food for a week, and then adding another the next if it feels right, per Kulp.
As for sugar, rather than abstaining entirely, “allow yourself a small dessert once or twice a week,” she suggests. “This way you’re less likely to crave it to the point of overindulging, making long-term resolutions more attainable.”
Trying to ‘fast’ forward to healthiness
The rise of fasting and plant-based detoxes are anathema to many dieticians, who warn that they are difficult to maintain, can induce hunger and cause health issues ranging from electrolyte loss to fatigue and abdominal problems
“Juice cleanses can also disrupt your digestion, because they’re high in sugar and low in fiber, protein, and fat,” cautioned diabetes educator Jess DeGore RD, CDCES.
“So unless your New Year’s resolution includes spending more time in the bathroom or stomach pain, this is not a great resolution.”
