The Problem With Weight Loss
January 5th, 2020
When did we stop trusting ourselves?
An app that counts calories and macros cannot tell us if we have had enough to eat. It does not know what the body needs to meet the demands of the day. It does not know how we feel. By following something external, we give away our power and ignore our bodies and our intuition.
Somewhere, we stopped asking ourselves how we feel. Are you hungry? Then you should eat. It is very simple, but there is a lot of cultural programming against this. We are told that foods are “good” or “bad”, yet food has no moral value. We are overwhelmed with messaging that values thinness over how we feel. Why? Because it preys on our fears and produces huge profits. We have been convinced that thin equals healthy. But what is health?
Source: Maria Sosa, MS, MFT, Therapist on Instagram
As we can see by the wonderful illustration, health is multifaceted and cannot be reduced to “thinness”.
Selling a scam
Dieting leads to disordered eating. Following rules or restrictions outside of what our body is telling us creates an unhealthy relationship based on the fear of being fat (which plays into the cultural bias that fat is less valued). Poor body image leading to restriction, restriction leads to feeling deprived, which leads to binging, which then cause bad feelings and poor body image. It’s a violent cycle that leads many to disordered eating or to eating disorders.
Source: Grace Rockwell | Nutritionist
Living your life in fear of something that may or may not be realistic is to not an intention that I would recommend.
The idea of a before and after reinforces the withholding of self-love. I will love myself/be happy when ____. It teaches us that we are not enough or worthy right now. This is incredibly problematic and something that can be internalized far too easily. It can take years to deprogram this cultural message.
What you can control
- Do the hard internal work towards self-respect, self-acceptance and self-love
- Be present with your body and listen to it’s cues
- Learn about Intuitive Eating 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating | Intuitive Eating
- Learn about Health at Every Size (HAES) Health At Every Size (HAES): A Guide for Binge Eating Recovery - Isabel Foxen Duke
It is a long journey away from what you have heard your whole life. Thin is not better. Listening to your own body is better. Missteps and mistakes will be made. Be gentle with yourself. Even as you make progress, it is natural to observe yourself slipping back on old ways of thinking. Stay present with yourself and listen to your body. The body is a miracle that does so many things we don’t even know about to keep us alive. Trust it, that it is working to keep you running at your best. We just need to stop working against it.