10 Identity Shifts for the New Year to Help You Be the Healthy Person You Want to Be

In this article:

• Shifting your identity can help you make lasting healthy choices.
• Here are 10 practical identity shifts that can help you step into the healthy person you want to be. 
• Each includes actionable examples that you can implement in daily life.
• These tips can help you stay consistent and motivated throughout the year to achieve your weight loss and health goals.
• Lark can help you establish healthy habits for long-term change with 24/7 coaching to support your health and weight loss goals.

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Weight loss, fitness, and health resolutions for the new year are common, but it’s also common to give up on them by the second week of the year. Here’s a different strategy for achieving your goals this year. It still involves reflecting on where you want to be by the end of the year, but the approach involves shifting your identity. 

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When you see yourself as a healthy person who makes good choices, you often become that person. Repeating and acting on simple statements that define and strengthen your new identity can help you believe in it. Here are 10 affirmations you can identify with to become the person you want to be. 

1. I’m consistent

Showing up for yourself means you care and can depend on yourself. Consistency is also crucial for lasting weight loss and managing chronic conditions. Every positive choice that you can take today, no matter how small, will add up when you’re consistent. 

How to put it into action:

• Make an appointment with yourself every day to add a 5 or 10-minute walk. Add it to your calendar so you don’t schedule over it.
• Cook extra vegetables and lean protein when you’re making dinner, so you’re more likely to have a healthy snack tomorrow

2. I Make Choices That Support My Health and Goals

Healthy living is a series of decisions that you get to make. Believing that you are the type of person who makes choices that align with your health and weight goals allows you to make good choices. 

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How to put it into action:

• When eating out, choose the side salad instead of fries to align with goals to lose weight, manage blood pressure or blood sugar, or reduce stress
• Opt for water instead of soda to support health and weight, and to support hydration so you’re better able to do your workout

3. I Adapt and Keep Moving Forward

Setbacks happen to everyone, but what separates success from failure is how you respond to them. Be the kind of person who assesses the situation, adjusts, and moves forward. 

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How to put it into action:

• If you miss your morning workout, fit in some physical activity during the day. It could be your full workout, a modified workout, or a few scattered 5-10-minute walks
• If you go overboard during a special meal or at a restaurant, think ahead to the next time you’ll eat and plan a healthy meal.

4. I Inspire Others by the Way I Live

Though you may feel unsure inside, others look to you for inspiration for healthy living. Be a good role model for friends, family, and colleagues, and show that you can make good decisions, be happy,  and be proud of yourself.

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How to put it into action:

• Invite a coworker to join you for a lunchtime walk instead of eating at your desks
• Cook a healthy meal at home and share it with your family, showing them that nutritious food can taste great
• Order healthy, delicious foods at restaurants so others can see

5. I Am a Healthy Person

Think about people in your life whom you consider healthy, and tell yourself you’re just like those people. When you believe you are healthy, it can be easier to naturally start to make the choices a healthy person would make. 

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How to put it into action:

• Stock your kitchen with healthy staples like beans, oatmeal, whole-grain spaghetti, tuna, and frozen vegetables so you always have nourishing options on hand.
• Prioritize 7-8 hours of sleep, or as much as you need, because that’s what a healthy person does to recharge and protect long-term health

6. I Am Energized

Healthy habits can be beneficial for weight and for long-term health, but they can also have immediate benefits for how you feel. Tell yourself you’re energized, and you may feel more capable of being active and supporting energy with healthier eating and adequate sleep.

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How to put it into action:

• Include a good amount of protein and fiber at each meal and snack to keep energy levels more stable
• Take short movement breaks during the workday to fight fatigue,boost metabolism, and increase focus

7. I Am Mindful and Intentional with My Choices

Healthy choices around nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and stress management start with awareness and mindfulness. Listen to what your senses are telling you, plan for healthier choices, and notice how your actions make you feel. 

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How to put it into action:

• Pause before eating and ask yourself, “Am I truly hungry, or am I stressed, bored, or tired?”
• Before grocery shopping, plan meals for the week and make a list of nutritious foods that you need. You’ll also help prevent unhealthy impulse buys

8. I Am Patient with Myself and My Progress

Both lasting change and results take time. There will be setbacks in your behavior. There may also be setbacks in health measures or weight. In addition, it can simply take time for weight loss to happen or for health improvements to be measurable. Patience is essential for success. 

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How to put it into action:

• Celebrate non-scale victories, like walking farther without getting winded or lowering your blood pressure
• When progress feels slow, remind yourself that one pound lost or one new healthy habit practiced is still meaningful

9. I Am Capable of Change

The person you are today does not have to be the person you were last year or yesterday. You may have struggled before, or established habits that you now want to break, but that’s okay. It’s possible to change your outlook and habits for success. 

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How to put it into action:

• Try a new form of exercise like a fitness class, a sport, or strength training if your current routine feels stale
• Replace one sugary snack each day with fruit or nuts to prove to yourself you can change habits

10. I Am Worthy of Care

Your physical and mental health matter. It takes time and prioritization to care for yourself, but you deserve it. Plus, the more you do for yourself, the more you’ll be able to help and support other people. 

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How to put it into action:

• Block off time in your schedule for stress management, such as taking a relaxing bath, journaling, meditating, or reading
• Show others that you’re valuable to yourself by prioritizing healthy choices like exercising and cooking healthy meals
• Keep a doctor’s appointment or health screening you’ve been putting off as an act of valuing your health

How Lark Can Help

Be the person you want to be in the new year. Lark can help. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement, nutrition and physical activity coaching, and habit tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications. 

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Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

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