Your Health – A Larger Picture | Timi Gustafson, R.D.

People have great expectations when they visit a dietitian for the first time. They are motivated and ready to make real changes in their lives. I have seen many clients with serious health problems – often caused by reckless, addictive or otherwise dysfunctional lifestyles.

Naturally, I talk about the importance of sound nutrition, the need to exercise and the dangers of alcohol and nicotine abuse. That is what gets discussed on the surface. But in most cases, none of this addresses the real issues. It’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
Involves More Than Eating Right and Exercise

Unhealthy lifestyles are typically symptomatic for ailments that lie much deeper. People who have otherwise happy and fulfilling lives don’t normally exhibit self-destructive behavior. Consequently, I don’t believe in treatments that deal only with the symptoms and don’t go to the roots of the problems at hand. Prescribing a weight loss and exercise program may be a good first step, but it can only go so far. It’s like kicking tires when buying a used car. You don’t learn much about the other parts that may need fixing. The picture has to be much larger.

As a rule of thumb, I tell my clients that their health and well-being rests essentially on three pillars: A balanced diet, physical fitness and peace of mind. Neglect one of them and things will start falling apart over time.

Developing a healthy lifestyle is a complex undertaking. We’re not born with an instinctive knowledge of how to take care of ourselves. Despite of the relentless onslaught of health- and fitness advice generated by multi-billion dollar industries, we seem more confused than enlightened. Even the experts are unable to agree on one theory or another.

We have to learn what works for us as individuals – often by trial and error. There is no single “right” path to achieve this, just as there’s no “right way” to live. However, there’s a way that’s right for you. To find that way is what matters most. The question is where do you start looking.

Here’s my proposal: Before you enroll in another weight loss- or fitness program, think about what went wrong last time – and the time before. What is it that tempts you to reach for that donut, that extra glass of wine, that cigarette. Is it hunger for food or for comfort? Is it because you haven’t eaten or because you’re bored and frustrated with your day? Are alcohol or tobacco your remedies of choice whenever you’re stressed out? Do cookies and ice cream make you feel less lonely? It may be less important to pay attention to what you’re actually doing than to understand the underlying motives that lead you to your actions.

When things go wrong despite of your best intentions, don’t blame it all on your weakness and lack of determination. It’s easy to give up and let the chips fall in your mouth. However, resigning yourself to the idea that a healthy lifestyle is just too hard to maintain is not a solution, especially when negative health effects begin to show up.

The good news is that you’re not bound to fail forever – unless you want to. Don’t allow yourself to make excuses that keep you from succeeding. Ultimately it is you who calls the shots and chooses to be healthy. Of course, that too requires commitment – but not a commitment to a program that has been designed and packaged in a one-fits-all format for sale. Rather, it requires a commitment to yourself. You want to change? Take ownership of your own well-being!

Before I start working with new clients, I make a point of asking them a very important question: What do you want your life to be? Once you know, act upon your answer.

So, next time you feel that things are getting off balance, don’t make another resolution, make a choice instead. Turn your life into what you want it to be. Instead of dwelling on regrets, start over by setting realistic goals and building clear strategies. Then implement and execute your plan. Eventually you will know how to.

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