What if I have to lose weight for “health reasons”?

“Do you have any advice for me to lose weight without obsessing over food? I need to lose weight for health reasons.”

Something along those lines is one of the main questions I get on a daily basis. I consistently share my story and experience with chronic dieting and obsessive compulsive behaviours around food, so suffice to say I am not a fan of intentional weight loss.

However,  I totally get that it’s freaking hard to not listen to all the diet-culture-infused messages we get saying that health = weight loss. Still, I am going to beg to differ and say that there is countless other ways to improve your health.
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Before I give you my take on improving your health without the sole focus being weight loss, just keep in mind that I am not a registered dietician or a doctor, so this is based on my experience and my work with clients and students of my online courses.

Our bodies are wired to fight weight loss

When the primary focus and intention is weight loss, there is almost no way around eventually obsessing over food and your body. When the healthful behaviors we engage in are only driven by our desire to lose weight, they are not only unsustainable and potentially harmful. They can also cause our bodies to react with urges to binge eat, increased hunger, decreased satiety/fullness and, you guessed it, food- and body obsession.

So, how do I answer the question about “weight loss for health reasons”?

By encouraging everyone to engage in healthful behaviours that are weight-neutral.

Engaging in healthful behaviors that are weight-neutral is a great way to support your mental and physical health, because you are doing them for reasons that don’t include shrinking or manipulating the shape of your body. Your intention is to take care of your physical and mental well-being.

Examples of healthful weight-neutral ways to improve your well-being

Some examples of weight-neutral healthful habits of mine:

*Trying to get in 7-8 hours of sleep per night

*Having a relaxing morning routine to calm myself down and manage everyday stressors effectively

*Taking breaks from work throughout the day and slowing down intentionally to reduce stress

*Moving my body in a way that brings me joy – not to change my body. Read more

*Connecting with my friends and loved ones, because we are wired to foster human connection for our survival

*Drinking enough water – about 2-4 Litres per day, depending on activity levels

*Adding vegetables I enjoy to my meals, but adding butter and salt for flavour!

You want to focus on reducing and minimizing stress as best you can, in order for your body to feel safe and balanced. This will naturally balance out your hunger- and fullness once you stop restricting and withholding food.

It’s a wonderful, liberating place to be in, my friend!

If you need some guidance on Intuitive Eating and Body Image Work, make sure you download my Free Intuitive Eating Starter Pack below.