Let’s talk about weight.
Let’s talk about weight and weight loss.
I know—weight is a touchy subject and can be a controversial topic to discuss. I hate it when doctors bring it up to me. They’re assigning a value to my health solely based on a number on a scale without taking into account the fact that I exercise (almost) daily and have been building lean muscle in the gym. I was bullied as a kid for being overweight, so it’s still not something that’s easy to talk about. It can be triggering for some, especially if you’ve ever dealt with any kind of eating disorder. I’ve been a closeted binge eater since I was a kid. I know the shame, guilt, and self-deprecation that comes with cycles of binging and restricting. It’s tough to break out of, and it’s something that I still deal with from time to time.
Our weight DOES NOT determine our worth. KNOW THAT! I believe in beauty at every size and that we should all be in (or at least working towards) a place of self-love and have a body positive mindset (or body neutral, if this is something you’ve struggled with—I know I have). I also know that healthy looks different for everyone. I will never be a size 2—and I don’t need to be. It’s not how I’m built. I’m just working to get to a weight that allows me to feel my best and do all the things I want to do and go all the places I want to go. We’re conditioned from a young age to believe that we’re less than if we’re overweight, or that the way our bodies look needs to be “fixed” in some way…or that being thin is the answer to all of our problems.
I’m not here to tell you that you need to or should lose or gain weight. I just know from personal experience what having excess weight can do to your hormones and how it can negatively impact the way you feel physically. I gained a lot of weight in a short amount of time due to a pituitary tumor—95lbs in 15 months—and the worst part of it all was how it made me feel physically.
My joints—especially my hips, knees, and ankles—started to swell and ache all the time. I felt sluggish. It was hard for me to get comfortable to sleep. The excess weight caused me to develop sleep apnea, a disorder that disrupts your breathing while you sleep. Disrupted sleep = elevated cortisol levels = weight gain…it’s a vicious cycle.
Through making small, sustainable changes to what I eat and incorporating daily movement, I’ve lost 25lbs since October. I have more energy. My knees, hips, and ankles hurt less. I’m not physically exhausted after I get off work now. It drives me to keep going and see how much better I feel if I lose more. I’m not looking for a certain size or weight—my goal is longevity. I want to feel good and be active for as long as possible. I think setting weight loss goals can be helpful. It’s a metric that can be tracked, so it gives you something to shoot for. However, if that’s all you’re focused on, it’s easy to hit a plateau, become frustrated, and give up. I’ve been there many times before.
I don’t believe that there is an ideal body type or shape. But, I do believe that the quality of our day-to-day living in this world and how we feel physically can be negatively impacted if we’re holding onto excess weight for our bodies. Adipose tissue (or, fat) also acts as an endocrine organ—meaning it can actually start to impact our hormone levels and add further stress to our bodies.
I want you to feel good. I want you to find foods that make you feel good physically so you can get to a weight that’s healthy for you (and for some that may mean gaining weight!). I want to work with you so you can lose, gain, or maintain a healthy weight through delicious, nourishing foods and movement that feels good for your body.
We are all unique in what we need and what works for us. There is no right or wrong way to eat for everyone. I’m here to help navigate through all of the conflicting information and help you figure out what works for your unique needs…and just know, I think you’re beautiful and amazing as you are right now!
It’s easy to play the comparison game on social media (and honestly, in real life). If you’re following people that make you feel bad about yourself, your choices, your genetics, or whatever else—UNFOLLOW THEM. Now. Please. If you follow “fitspo” accounts and wish you had 2% body fat and looked shredded like the people you’re following, please remember—their bodies are their jobs (and they honestly probably don’t feel great or really enjoy their lives). Should we take good care of ourselves? Absolutely. But they are sharing something that is likely unattainable unless you’re blessed with their genetics and are being paid/sponsored to look that way by spending hours in the gym, meal prepping every meal, and tracking every single morsel of food that goes into their body…all so they can sell you something that’s “good for staying fit”.
It’s good to have goals, but make sure they’re achievable. One other note for those reading with female sex hormones—we need body fat to help us produce hormones. If you looked at the bloodwork of some of those influencers, I guarantee you’d see signs of hormonal issues in at least 75% percent of them. When we’re underweight and undernourished, our bodies prioritize dealing with the stress of keeping us alive and put things like our menstrual cycles on the back burner.
If you want to lose weight to look a certain way in a bikini or be a certain size, I’m likely not for you. However, if you struggle with hormonal issues, joint pain, poor sleep quality, or any other issues that I’ve spoken about and think losing (or gaining) weight will help you physically feel better, I’d love to help you get there. Book a free consultation here if you want to chat about your health goals with me! I’m always here to listen.