Have you ever stepped on the scale and saw that lower number that you’ve been working towards and it makes you smile? But, soon afterwards, you realize that you are still feeling tired, overwhelmed, stressed and hungry a lot of the time. Did it make you question whether or not weight loss actually equates to improved health?
It’s a commonly held assumption that if you just lose weight , you’ll be healthier. You’ve probably even heard it from your doctor or other health care professionals. So, how is it possible that people who lose weight still don’t feel much better and some even end up with new health issues?
I think it’s time we start questioning this message that weight loss equates to better health. Is our overall health truly just linked to how much we weight or is there a more effective way to view and focus on health?
Where the Myth Comes From
It’s not surprising that most people believe that weight loss is always healthy and ideal. That messaging is all around us. We hear it from health care workers, fitness experts, friends and family. We see it in the media, in ads and entertainment.
Who hasn’t seen the ads with the before and after pictures that promises weight loss? They even claim that you’ll be happier and healthier? Sure, we think these pictures depict healthier and happier people, but how do you know? You can’t tell how much energy they have, if their body is functioning properly or if they are struggling to maintain eating habits.
BMI (Body Mass Index) has been used to categorize people by weight and height. Medical professionals use it as a way to label patients as under, normal or over weight. But, BMI doesn’t take into consideration what the weight is made up of. Weight is not just fat. We are made of muscle and bone as well. A BMI chart can’t possibly account for the different proportional make ups of each individuals, and yet it still gets used to label people and imply information about their health. Would it be considered healthy if we lost muscle mass or our bones deteriorated? I don’t think anyone thinks that would be resonable. So why all the focus on weight?
The relationship between weight loss and health has been promoted by society with detrimental effects to people’s health and not much to back up the claims. Studies show weight loss alone doesn’t guarantee improved metabolic markers or mental health.
Why Weight Loss Doesn’t Equal Health
Let’s think about those before and after pictures again. They are a snapshot in time, right? Let’s pretend that the people in the pictures actually feel good too. They followed some diet, plan or took some supplements that led them to weight loss. But, how long did they maintain this state? Did they continue to do what they had been without any issues? Did they maintain this weight loss for 5 years or more?
The true is, we can do a lot of things in the short term that can cause of to lose weight. We might lose weight because of stress, illness or disordered eating patterns. That’s no way to have a healthy mind or body. If we are just focused on the weight loss alone, we are doomed to fail in improving our health.
This focus on thinness is deterring our focus off what our bodies truly need to thrive. Would you feel better and be happier if you weighed less or if you had more energy, less pain and less anxiety about food? Don’t we all want to feel good?
What Real Health Looks Like
So, if healthy isn’t based on our size, what should we focus on? What does it mean to be healthy, both mentally and physically?
Let’s shift our focus to these instead…
- Physical energy & strength- doing things in our life that keep us strong and give us the energy to do the things we love and need to do on a daily basis. This could include some type of resistance training and eating in a way that keeps our bodies fueled and properly nourished
- Emotional health- having ways to cope with our emotions, rather than just trying to numb and distract ourselves without getting to the root of the issue
- Mental clarity- making sure we are well nourished and get the sleep we need can go a long way in boosting our cognitive function
- Balanced nutrition- not avoiding whole food groups and restricting your food intake will help you get all the nutrients your body needs to function and thrive
- Joyful, consistent movement- exercise doesn’t have to feel like a chore to be effective. Choosing to move in a way that feels good to you will motivate you to be more consistent and relieve stress
- Adequate rest and stress support- Our bodies need down time, time to recover and rebuild. Always being on the go and on high alert takes it’s toll on the body. Lots of people try to achieve a step goal, but there should also be a goal to relax and sleep if you want to feel your best.
- Body trust & intuitive choices- being able to listen to our bodies and trust that they know what is needed at any given moment and providing those things can make all the difference. Ignoring our bodies cues in order to follow some one else’s rules or advice is counterproductive when it comes to our own health. Our bodies do know, we just have to listen!
When is the last time you focused on the things above instead of your weight? Have you ever felt better in your body even when the scale didn’t change?
Shifting the Focus—How to Support True Health
If you’re ready to start focusing on what truly matters, and not your weight, here some ways you can start…
- Ditch the all-or-nothing mindset, it only sets us up to fail
- Prioritize how you feel, not how you look
- Learn to listen to your body’s cues, instead of trying to fight against them
- Cultivate habits based on nourishment, not punishment. You deserve to take pleasure from eating
- Let go of the pressure to “fix” your body. You do not need to be fixed, you need to be cared for
- Support from a coach or community that values body respect. Everything is easier when you have some support and guidance
Moving Beyond Weight Focused Health
Being truly healthy means working with your body, not against it. It means caring for yourself in a way that feel good physically and mentally. True health is not focused on shrinking your body. It is not about the weight!
Give yourself permission to leg go of the scale and all the lies you’ve been told about what the number says about your health. Sure, weight gain could be a symptom of something that is going on within your body, but it’s not the problem. Making symptoms go away is not the same as healing. If I take a pain killer to alleviate a headache, it might make me feel better temporarily, but it doesn’t resolve the cause of the headache in the first place.
Even if you do believe that weight loss is the answer to boosting your health, you still don’t actually have control over that generally. What you can control is how you treat yourself and what habits you adopt. Are the things you’re doing making you feel better or worse?
How I Can Help
Even if all this makes sense to you and you’re ready to let go of dieting and your scale and focus on the things that really matter health wise, you might find it a bit overwhelming to get started. That’s where I can help! If you’d like to schedule a free consult, to see what your individualized first steps should be, you can click below to schedule a time that works for you.
You deserve to feel good in and about your body!
