According to a Statista survey, the most common New Year’s resolutions for 2023 are:
- To exercise more
- To eat healthier
- To lose weight
Year after year these three resolutions top the list in America. Overeating and under exercising during the holidays no doubt puts physical health and appearance at top of mind for many people. Then we fall right back into bad habit sin the new year. Why is it so hard to keep these resolutions? Why do so many of us repeat the same mistakes and end making the same resolutions year after year?
Delayed consequences can be a major stumbling block for health-related goals. Most people will notice the benefits of eating better and exercising within a couple of weeks. But the negative impact of not doing those things can take much longer to register. Those consequences accumulate over years and even decades. If you eat a whole tub of ice cream or the entire bag of chips, chances are it will have no immediate impact on your body weight, cholesterol, or heart health (though it may make you feel a little sluggish). The disincentive is too far off in future to be useful in the moment. It’s the same with exercise. If you miss a workout there is no immediate change to your physical appearance or physical abilities. So skipping that workout becomes all to easy.
Aligners: The Secret Weapon
What if there was a disincentive that helped us in the moment to resist picking up that bag of chips, eating that cookie, or skipping that workout? For many people, clear aligners provide the perfect disincentive. Like steroids for your self-control, clear aligners can make snacking simply not worth the effort.
During clear aligner treatment the aligner trays are typically worn around-the-clock but must be removed to eat, smoke, and drink anything other than water. You’ll want to clean your teeth after eating to ensure no food particles get stuck and cause irritation. This routine isn’t a big deal if you’re only doing it at mealtimes, but it may provide just the right amount of disincentive to avoid snacking throughout the day. If you’re a heavy soda or coffee drinker or smoker, aligners will help reduce your consumption of those too.
Strayt clear aligner treatment typically takes around 6 months which is the perfect amount of time to get out of the snacking habit. Those improved eating habits will endure long after you’ve stopped your aligner therapy treatment. So if you want to give your health-related resolutions a better chance of succeeding this year, consider bundling them with a resolution to level up your smile game with clear aligner treatment.
