Over the years, body size has become synonymous with good health. Here’s why it’s time to hit the reset button, and remember that food is about fulfilling the needs of both your health and life.
BY: HALEY GOODRICH, RD, LDN
There’s a popular idea that weight loss is equivalent to health.
However this isn’t the case. You can be a “normal” weight and be completely unhealthy. You can also be overweight or obese and be healthy.
Get curious about the word health. Ask yourself, what does healthy mean to me? If you are pursuing weight loss, why? What will that bring you?
What if macronutrients were known as A, B, and C instead of Carbs, Protein, and Fat. They are all nutrients that your body needs. Now, if carbohydrate and fat were just called A and C, the stigma would be removed and we would all be trying to get the required amount of A and C for a healthy diet instead of trying to avoid it.
Of course there is a place for being mindful of what types of food we put into our bodies, but it has to come after the crucial steps of losing the diet mentality and learning to honor your hunger. Nutrition is undeniably important to your health but weight loss does not equal health. When there is a clear understanding of this, it is much easier to make a food choice based on health and taste.
When we get past the scale as our primary measure of success, that is when the real change start to happen. This is the place where we stop micromanaging every morsel of food that goes into our body and understand that our body is remarkably brilliant and can self-regulate.
We begin to celebrate wins, such as losing the feeling of guilt and gaining stabilized emotions around food. For once, you are able to fill the time of your day with bigger ideas than how can you manipulate the shape of your body and focus on what really matters. This is the place where you truly understand what optimal health feels like for you.
So don’t wait to start living. You do not have to be a size X to be healthy or enjoy life. Size has nothing to do with health or happiness. Take pictures now, buy new clothes now, take care of yourself now. You are worthy now.
Nourish your body, and celebrate all the nutrients that are needed to help you live.
Haley Goodrich, RD, LDN is a private practice Registered Dietitian based in Pittsburgh, PA inspiring others to have a healthy relationship with food. Specializing in disordered eating, intuitive eating, and GI disorders, Haley’s mission is to show that healthy doesn’t have to be restrictive or defined by how you compare to others. To stay inspired to be your healthiest you, visit Haley at INSPIRD Nutrition.