Health-related outcomes that are NOT related to weight
You can pursue health without pursuing weight loss.
Read that again.
Here are some health-related outcomes I have heard from my own clients and patients that have pursued health in the absence of weight loss.
Note: this doesn’t mean they gained weight or not, it just means they didn’t chose weight as a measure of their success. They pursued energy, headspace, connection. In their work with me, they focused on healthy behaviors that did not include dieting or restricting.
More energy to play with my kids after work
More energy to socialize with friends
An actual desire to hang out with friends around food, knowing I won’t be scared to eat (and I didn’t even have to pack my own food!)
Increased strength and endurance to participate in sports, hiking with friends, walking my dog more
More headspace to think about other things than my diet or eating disorder (e.g. planning my next meal, binge, or compensatory behavior like purging or over-exercise)
More joy
I encourage my clients to ask: what is your goal in pursuing weight loss? And can we focus on another goal that is unrelated to weight?
Also (!!), it’s okay if you do want to lose weight. That is something that society tells us is normal and expected. It can be hard to move away from this expectation we’ve placed on ourselves. Just know there’s so much more out there beyond the pursuit of the thin ideal.
If this sounds like something that you’re ready for, please reach out here.
Something to think further about: what is your goal in pursuing weight loss?
And what can we focus on as an alternative goal that may get us to a similar place regardless of weight?