January is often seen as a time to reset health goals, but it is also when crash diets and fads flood social feeds, and friends and family share well-meaning advice without proper medical backing. Dr Tommie Smook, Medical and Holistic Wellness Expert at Dr Smook and Partners, managed by RxME, cautions that sustainable weight loss and wellness are not built through deprivation or harmful quick-fix solutions.
A meaningful reset starts with understanding your body, health risks, and individual needs, then committing to changes that can be sustained beyond January. Generic New Year’s resolutions treat everyone the same, even though no two bodies respond in the same way. If you’re serious about weight loss and overall health, the first step is to understand your own body. Medical assessments provide a safer starting point by establishing a personal health baseline.
Tests such as blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, and body composition offer insight into metabolic health and factors that affect weight loss. Without these, even seemingly sensible diets can do more harm than good.
Once people understand their own health markers, it becomes clear why one-size-fits-all advice often fails. A plan that works for a friend or influencer may be wrong for another person’s body. This is where many New Year’s resolutions fall apart: people commit to programmes that were never designed for them.
Five ways to tell if a diet is legitimate or just another crash plan:
- It promises rapid weight loss, usually in a short timeframe, rather than gradual improvement with concerted daily effort and multiple components working in unison.
- It removes entire food groups without medical testing or clinical justification. To function properly and in support of healthy weight-loss, the body needs carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Cutting any of these too aggressively can strain normal metabolism, disrupt energy levels, and make long-term adherence to a diet unlikely, especially without medical oversight.
- It relies heavily on drastic detoxes, deprivation tactics, or generic supplements not specifically aligned with your needs, instead of balanced, repeatable eating and exercise habits. These approaches often bypass normal digestive and metabolic processes, create artificial short-term changes in weight or appetite, and fail to build the nutritional foundation required for sustainable fat-loss and long-term health.
- It focuses only on calories or exercise while ignoring the impacts of stress, sleep, and recovery. Weight loss is strongly influenced by hormonal and nervous system regulation, and neglecting these factors can stall progress even when diet and exercise are tightly controlled.
- It offers no medical oversight, monitoring, or accountability beyond testimonials and before-and-after photos. Without clinical input, warning signs are easily missed, risks go unmanaged, and individuals are left to self-correct when results plateau or health concerns arise.
A healthier way forward
Dr Smook and Partners, managed by RxME, encourages people to approach weight loss and wellness as a long-term commitment rather than a quick fix. Professionally guided programmes allow for personalised plans, medical supervision, and realistic goals that prioritise safety and accountability.
It’s also important not to be too hard on yourself. Missing a workout or enjoying an occasional indulgence does not undo progress. It’s staying consistent over time that matters most. Additionally, confidence and mental well-being also play a critical role. The Longevity Centre by RxME supports this through safe, professional aesthetic treatments that help people feel comfortable in their changing bodies, creating a more holistic approach to weight loss and overall wellbeing.
Ultimately, a New Year reset should focus on longevity, balance, and informed care. With the right medical guidance, the emphasis shifts away from extremes towards sustainable habits that support health well into the new year and beyond.
