The start of a new year often comes with fresh goals, especially around feeling lighter, stronger, or simply more in control of everyday habits. It is also the season when people make big promises and then feel disappointed when motivation fizzles fast. According to dietitian Abbey Sharp, the problem is not willpower. It is the way many of us set up the very first day.
Sharp points to a familiar pattern she has seen again and again, and she recently called it out in a viral TikTok. People decide they will begin on a “clean” date like Monday or January 1, then spend the days before it eating everything they believe they will not be allowed to have later. It can look like clearing the cupboards, finishing snacks, or squeezing in one last restaurant order. The intention might sound practical, but the mindset behind it often backfires.
In nutrition circles, Sharp says this cycle is sometimes described as the “last supper effect.” The idea is simple, and that is what makes it so sticky. When foods are labelled forbidden, they gain extra emotional charge, so the brain treats the time before the diet as a final chance. The result is overeating followed by strict restriction, then overeating again, with each restart feeling more urgent and more exhausting.
What makes this approach so discouraging is that it builds a tense relationship with food before any healthy routine has even begun. Instead of learning how to fit favorite treats into real life, people practice extremes. They end up measuring success by how perfect they can be, rather than how consistent they can stay. When the plan is built on deprivation, even a normal craving can feel like failure.
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Sharp’s alternative is less dramatic, and that is the point. If the “last weekend blowout” keeps happening, it can be a sign that the rules are too harsh. Rather than banning foods all week and then losing control, she suggests allowing moderate portions of the things you typically label off limits. When nothing is treated like a disappearing opportunity, the urge to eat it all at once starts to fade.
This also shifts the focus from a single start date to everyday choices. Instead of waiting for the perfect Monday, the next meal becomes the reset. A realistic plan leaves room for dinner out, a sweet treat, and busy days when convenience matters. The goal is not a flawless week, but a routine that can survive real life.
Have you ever fallen into the “I’ll start on Monday” loop, and what helped you break it? Share your thoughts in the comments.
