SALT LAKE CITY — As 2018 comes to an end, you might be reflecting on the year's highs and lows. Perhaps you take a few of those lows and notice areas you’d like to improve on.

Goal setting is an integral part of life. Strengthening our weaknesses and overcoming different challenges can lead to growth and confidence. As you think about your resolutions for the new year, challenge yourself to consider a wider perspective. Try creating goals that have nothing to do with your the size and shape of your body.

Each new year, a number of individuals aspire to lose weight or simply get healthier. In fact, the Global Weight Loss and Weight Management Market was valued at $168.95 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $278.95 billion at the end of 2023. While setting weight loss goals are well-intentioned, they may also feed your insecurities. This is because our society places a great amount of importance on looking "healthy," but the truth is, there is no one encompassing look of being healthy. True health comes in all shapes and sizes.

Your desire to look a certain way is actually very normal. Many of us have been programmed to believe a very narrow picture of health, and we may see it every day through social media, celebrities, medical professionals or our family and friends. However, you don’t have to buy into it. Try taking the following steps to reject diet culture and free your mind of disordered thoughts regarding food, exercise and your body.

Increase your awareness

Simply notice all the messages that surround you and take note of their frequency. These are observations that you make about dieting or wellness. Think about that new wellness book being sold or promoted on TV, or a social media influencer promoting a pre-workout supplement or your friend only eating bacon and avocado at lunchtime.

Question what you notice

Instead of blindly or desperately following the advice and trends promoted by diet culture, question it. Remind yourself that studies are done by humans and that humans are imperfect. Ask yourself, what credentials does a social media influencer have to recommend supplements or how long will weight loss from all of those advertised diets actually last?

Reframe those thoughts and ideas

Once you notice and question the diet and wellness messages around you, you can practice reframing them and decide what your unique health priorities are. For example, you might be aware of the new study suggesting to only eat during certain periods of time for optimal health in headline news. So, you may wonder, who organized the study? What was measured? And, what were the long-term effects? Through this process, you can shift your thoughts to, “I know that listening to my hunger and feeding my body properly is a more healthful practice for me than skipping meals. I am less productive when I don’t eat regularly. I need energy to accomplish my goals.”

If you want to feel healthier in 2019, set achievable goals that can help you establish healthful behavior patterns that work best for your individual needs. Choosing to focus on behaviors instead of rules, restriction or numbers may be a much more rewarding experience. Rather than aiming for an obscure number or size or making sure you that you hit the gym a specific amount of hours each week, discover what you truly need to feel your best. This way of thinking may help you achieve joy, develop a strong sense of self and widen your view of health.

When it comes to setting goals in the new year, consider the following as suggestions or starting points that may help you grow as an individual:

• Brain Goals: Start a business that you have always dreamed of, go back to school, read more, learn a new skill or discover different ways to obtain more education.
• Creative Goals: Take up a new hobby, paint, start on that book you've always wanted to write or get together with friends and make something.
• Selfless Goals: Volunteer at local schools, hospitals, shelters or youth centers.
• Family Goals: Help your child get through a challenge, revamp cluttered spaces in your home, aim to have family dinners together during the week or visit relatives family members who don't live nearby more often.
• Realistic health goals: Discover joyful movement patterns that don’t make you feel guilty for occasionally skipping, incorporate more seasonal produce into your meals or journal your hunger and fullness.

Your value as a human being has nothing to do with how much you weigh, how many vegetables you consume in a day or how many miles you run each morning. Setting the types of goals mentioned above can help support your mental and emotional health — both important components to your overall health. Remember, don’t take on too much. Start small, be flexible and have self-compassion.

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