It is okay to want to lose weight
Please note: this post is geared towards people who do not have a history of disordered eating or body dysmorphia.
I have noticed an interesting trend on Instagram and in the media lately. In the midst of the backlash around constant and extreme dieting (which, about time!), there has also been an increase in the shame around wanting to lose weight. People are feeling bad about their desire to lose weight and keeping their weight loss goals/successes a secret, while even some celebrities have been shamed for losing weight.
While it is great to see diet culture going by the wayside and people adopting a more sustainable and healthy relationship with their bodies and food, it seems to have been replaced by a hijacked notion of intuitive eating and that we should all eat whatever we want, whenever we want. And unfortunately, that is just not the case, especially if you want to lose weight.
All foods are not created equal and your body does not react the same way to being fed an apple as it does with potato chips. Personally, even beyond weight loss, I know that I feel significantly better when I give my body nourishing, whole foods rather than processed junk foods. And so has just about everyone I worked with. I have noticed that people generally start off with a weight loss goal, but after they start to feel the benefits, that number on the scale becomes secondary.
I think that there are two key things to keep in mind, no matter what size you are and what wellness goals you have:
While certain foods might be better for your overall health and body than others, eating those foods does not make you a good or better person. Just like eating cake or a bag of chips does not make you a bad person. You should never feel guilt over your food choices and in general, we need to reduce the morality of eating food. I believe that there is a middle ground where you can recognize that the cake and carrot are not nutritionally equivalent, but not feel guilty for occasionally choosing the cake.
Whatever size you are currently does not define you. One of the best things to come from the body acceptance movement is embracing our bodies as they currently are. I know it can be hard to accept your body if you are also working to change it, but making peace with your body now can be extremely freeing. We all have our little insecurities and things we wish we could change, but our time and energy are precious and our bodies are capable of doing amazing things every day, no matter what size it is. Also, if you are working to get healthier, coming at it from a place of love and acceptance rather than a place of shame and hate will be so much more rewarding and enjoyable.
So no matter your wellness goals, accept and embrace them. And let’s all please stop shaming people for their individual health choices.
