Read This Before Committing to Dry January or Whole 30

New Year resolutions: you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. In my work, I find that the majority of my clients enjoy the opportunity to get organized and get motivated. The problem is, life inevitably gets unorganized and leaves you feeling unmotivated, which may be why the majority of people give up on their resolutions very early on in the year. In fact, the second Friday of January is officially known as “Quitter’s Day,” when people throw in the towel on the resolutions all together. 

Two goals I have seen people stick with through January 31 are Dry January – abstaining from alcohol for the entire month – and Whole 30 – a 30 day diet plan that mainly focuses on a diet of whole foods and the elimination of sugar and dairy. I would never in my right mind try to talk anyone out of decreasing or eliminating alcohol all together. I would also never discourage someone from eating more whole foods and less sugar. 

My issue with both of these plans is that they encourage you to develop what I spend my days trying to help clients overcome: an all-or-nothing mindset. 

I don’t know everyone’s situation, but I can hazard a guess that the majority of people who give up on their resolutions by the second Friday of January set the bar very high. Perhaps they said they would workout every single day and then missed a workout. Or perhaps they said they wouldn’t touch a single carbohydrate and then someone brought donuts into the office. Once their perfect streak is over, so is their dedication to that goal. 

If this sounds like a story you have experienced yourself, I have very good news for you: health is not achieved through perfection. Yes, exercise is important. Yes, eating whole foods is important. And yes, limiting your alcohol intake is important. But it is extremely unrealistic to tell yourself that you are going to workout every single day. It’s extremely unrealistic to tell yourself you will never indulge in a dessert. And for many, it can be unrealistic to never have a sip of alcohol. 

I previously mentioned that I have many clients who successfully completed an entire month of Dry January and or Whole 30. And – obviously since they are my clients – they came to me for help and guidance anyway. Why? Because Dry January and Whole 30 are extremely restrictive and don’t properly teach you anything about how to incorporate these new habits into your everyday life. 

A month without alcohol can be impactful, but not if you completely return to your old drinking habits come February. Whole 30 might lead to weight loss, but there is a strong chance that the weight will come back once you return to your old eating habits. 

To make it short and sweet: a perfect month is not enough to offset the following months with no mindset or behavior change at all. But these plans don’t teach you how to land in the middle. They just teach you the “all” – or perfect – mindset, and then send the majority of people out with a “nothing” mindset. 

So allow me to help you a little bit here and now.

If Dry January is something you want to commit to, do it mindfully. Instead of just having a 31 day countdown to when you can have a drink and complaining to your friends all the way through it, be present and start to think about what habits you want to take into the next 11 months. 

Ask yourself:

 “What is my relationship with alcohol?” 

“How is not drinking positively impacting my life?”

“Do I use alcohol as a coping mechanism for stress or a tool for relaxation?” 

And if so, “Are there other things I can do in stressful situations or other ways I can relax?”  

“Do I need to drink in every social situation?” 

“Are there any social situations where I am comfortable abstaining from alcohol without having Dry January as an excuse?” 

And if not… “Why?” 

“What non-alcoholic beverages do I enjoy?” 

“What am I going to say once Dry January is no longer my reason for not drinking?” (Ahem, you do not owe anyone an explanation, but still might be something you want to think about and prepare for). 

Use the month to learn about yourself, your drinking habits, and what habits you want your future self to follow. Then, set yourself up for success by practicing those things throughout the month. That way, you’ll be better equipped to keep them going year ‘round. 

If Whole 30 is something you want to commit to, first and foremost know that the diet was created for people who think they may have food intolerances and want to learn what they might be through an elimination diet. The plan will ask you to eliminate sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy, legumes, soy, processed foods, and foods with additives like MSG or sulfites. After the elimination period, you will gradually reintroduce certain foods, and you will be able to tell if your body has a negative reaction. Whole 30 was not intended to be a quick-fix weight loss plan.

Whether your overall goal is to lose weight or improve your health, you can dedicate 30 days to improving your diet without such an intense period of elimination. If you have no allergy to grains, dairy, and legumes, there really is no need to eliminate them. Instead, I recommend adding protein to your diet. If you currently eat very little protein, a great place to start is adding a source of protein to one of your meals each day. It can look like adding chickpeas or chicken to rice or pasta. It can look like adding eggs or beans to your breakfast. It can look like having a green protein smoothie for a snack. Once you have a few weeks of successfully adding one protein source per day, then increase your goal to two protein sources per day. Once you’ve mastered that, increase your goal to three protein sources per day. A minimum of 3 servings of protein is recommended, no matter who you are and what your goals are. And naturally, by eating more protein, you will likely consume less carbohydrates. 

This same process can be applied to eating more vegetables or eating more whole foods in general. Start with one serving per day, and gradually increase until you reach a place you are happy with. Suddenly, you’re no longer miserable on a restrictive diet that you can’t wait to quit and instead, you’re improving your eating habits and health in a sustainable way! 

In my Wellness Coaching sessions and my most popular Holistic Wellness Programming, we cover all of these things and more. Whether your goal is to strength train more often, improve your diet, walk more, sleep better, or improve your overall physical and mental health, my approach is not only approachable but sustainable, too. Click here to schedule your no-strings-attached, complimentary consultation!