I'm writing this short article because I want to thoroughly express my view on weight loss and where I stand when it comes to supporting women on their weight loss journey.
Do I support weight loss? Yes.
Do I support women wanting to lose weight? Yes.
Is it just because I'm a nutrition and weight loss coach? No.
I became a nutrition coach because of how passionately I feel about women pushing their bodies to new limits. I became a nutrition coach because I want women to gain confidence through achieving fitness, performance and/or body composition goals. And so here are three reasons why I, every year, decide to lose some weight.
1 - To practise patience
Deciding to lose weight and going through the process requires a level of patience and precision. It also requires grit and determination. Every time I decide to lose weight, I get to practice these four things. And why that's important to me is because these four things come in particularly handy in my work and relationships.
2 - Energy and Focus
My feel my best at a certain body fat percentage. I know that through years of working out, eating well and experimenting with my diet. If (and when) I let my body fat percentage creep up too high, I start to feel insecure, my confidence decreases, and my energy decreases. I feel slower, heavier on my feet (literally and figuratively speaking). And now, this is where some of you might read this and say something like "well you should learn to love yourself at ay body weight and learn to gain confidence at whatever composition".
To that, I say "No, thank you". I choose to not settle. I choose to push the limits of my body and I choose to not fall into the cycle of gaining weight and being OK with it.
3 - Trying something new
Every time I go through a weight loss phase (or a cut), I learn something new about my body. I also take it as an opportunity to try and different method on HOW I lose weight. This time around, I've taken my time - which really plays into number 1- and I built up my caloric intake a ton before slowly cutting it back down. It's been my best cut ever! And I'm learning so much about what works for me.
Now, these are three things. Just three. Other reasons for me wanting to lose weight are - better sleep, cleaner diet, increase in water, increase in veggies, heightened awareness of intake, increase in discipline, mental clarity, and a surge in confidence. I see benefits in my relationships, my work, my clothes bit better, and I feel accomplished.
And as much as I love the self-love and self-care movement, I feel that it has given people an excuse to become lazy. It's given people an excuse to become complacent. And it's given people a reason not to try something challenging. Self-care, to me, is demanding more from your body and mind. Self-love is giving your body the opportunity to show you want it can do.
Because at the end of the day, that's what our bodies are made for. To care and love your body is to allow it to show you what it can do.
Not honoring that is like never enrolling your child into any lessons, classes, or school. You’re stripping away potential and preventing any growth.
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