WHAT IS YOUR “HEALTHY WEIGHT”?

The number on the scale is a tangible value that can be measured. But it is by no means definitive of your true health.


BY: TIFFANY HAUG, MS, RDN, EDOC

It’s an age old question, and it probably feels important for you to know because of your health. Unfortunately, all the answers you’ve been given to this question in the past have led you to believe the answer is a single static number.

It’s not.

And even if it is for now, it won’t always be the same number. While you may be seeking a definitive answer to this question that burdens you, know this: society has taught you that it matters more than it does. In fact, society has taught you that it is your life’s mission to focus on weight because it’s the most important number that your health depends on.

It doesn’t.

A healthy weight, in the broadest sense, factors in the weight your body naturally settles at when you are nourishing and moving your body in a way that makes sense for you at any given stage in your life.

A healthy weight is a place where your physical health is not placed on a pedestal of superior importance above all other aspects of your health: psychological, emotional, relational, and spiritual.

A healthy weight is a place where you did your very best to feed you and your family this month, in a way that made sense within your grocery budget.

A healthy weight is a place where you are receiving meaning from your life outside of your weight.

A healthy weight is a place where you can go on a 2-week camping trip with friends and be able to eat those canned beans and grilled cheese sandwiches, and move in a way that doesn’t isolate you from spontaneous social experiences.

A healthy weight is being able to give yourself permission to sleep in a little bit longer this morning and skip the gym because your 6-year-old was up all night and you desperately need the sleep.

A healthy weight is whatever amount of weight a mother needs to gain for her pregnancy, according to her body’s own innate wisdom.

A healthy weight is being able to have that sample of dumplings at Costco without mentally adjusting how this will impact your lunch or snack.

A healthy weight is saying yes to that free yoga class at the cool new studio your friend invited you to, even though it’s not the intense run you had originally intended for today.

There is no “perfect” healthy weight, because it is innately dynamic and nuanced. Ultimately, whatever you decide to define it as, it must be one thing:

Compassionate.

Adapted from the original article.
HEADER IMAGE: JOE GARDNER

Tiffany Haug, MS, RDN, EDOC is a San Diego-based Eating Disorder Dietitian who helps individuals work through difficulties with food and body image on their recovery journey. As a cheerleader in their journeys, Tiffany guides others towards a more intuitive and trusting relationship with themselves so they can live life to the absolute fullest. Connect with Tiffany at Freedom with Nutrition.