Published on January 15, 2025

Starting The New Year Off Healthy

Headshot of Veronica McCauley

By M. Veronica McCauley, MS, RD, LD

As you enter the 2025 new year, one factor that typically presents itself is making new goals, many of which are driven by nutrition and wellness. Individuals may feel that there is a direct correlation between health and a specific number on the scale. While this is partly important, true health is multifaceted, encompassing much more than weight. Other key roles affecting our health are cardiovascular fitness, strength training, stretching and flexibility, and mental health.

Let’s look at other methods instead of weight to measure how healthy we are:

  1. Energy levels: Fueling our bodies with a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats can improve overall energy levels, which in turn can enhance our ability to participate in physical activity.
  2. Sleep quality and overall mood: The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine emphasizes that sleep is imperative for health and well-being in all life stages. It improves overall cognitive functioning, mood, mental health, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and metabolic health. Poor sleep can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer.
  3. Bloodwork: Getting routine labs can be a great indicator of your health. They can be assessed as a preventive measure or can help diagnose early on.

One concern that can arise from strictly focusing on weight is that it can lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as obsessing and weighing multiple times daily, affecting mental health. It can also contribute to disordered eating patterns, such as significantly low caloric intake or crash dieting, especially if an individual is unhappy with the number they see on the scale. It can also lead to excessive exercising that can disrupt healthy nutrition and wellness balances. While some of this can result in short-term weight loss, eventually, it can lead to rebound weight gain, poor mental health, and overall disappointment in results.

Here are some essential tips from a registered dietitian to stay centered on your total health and well-being:

  1. Eat a nutritious diet: instead of obsessing over counting calories or eliminating macronutrient groups, I recommend eating the colors of the rainbow! Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, avocado), and lean protein. This is the best way to fuel our bodies and help improve our energy.
  2. Stay active: The CDC recommends that adults exercise approximately 150 minutes per week. Get creative and find something that you enjoy! Walking, jogging, yoga, lifting weights, swimming, playing basketball, or participating in an exercise class are just a few examples of exercise.
  3. Improve your sleep routine: As a mom of four children, this is easier said than done! It is very important for our bodies to get 7-9 hours of sleep nightly to improve our overall health, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and help support improved energy levels.
  4. Don't forget about mental health: Stress and anxiety can alter all aspects of nutrition and well-being. Include ways to help reduce stress, such as journaling, prayer, meditation, coloring, or spending time with friends.
  5. Celebrate the non-scale victories: Clothes fitting better can significantly improve overall mood. Other non-scale victories can be reduced stress, increased energy levels that can improve the ability to exercise, or finding a positive relationship with food. 

Instead of fixating on the number on the scale, focus on creating healthy habits that can prioritize a joyous life, improve mental and physical health, and promote longevity. You are not determined by a number on the scale; rather, let's celebrate how you feel, how you live, and how you prioritize your health.

M. Veronica McCauley, MS RD, LD, is a Registered Dietitian at Owensboro Health Healthpark.

About Owensboro Health

Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.

On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.