Ditch Weight Loss Mentality
Weight loss is the most common thing new clients mention when I ask about why they want to work with a personal trainer. I hear it from all women, regardless of their size.
Why is it that we, as women, constantly strive to be smaller? To shrink? To take up less space?
Diet culture is everywhere! We see ads for diet products, weight loss influencers on social media, magazine covers featuring celebrity bodies, and articles about the latest fad diet. We’re told that we should always be watching our weight, counting calories, wearing “slimming” clothes, and learning the “tips & tricks” to eating less and burning more. There are constant messages telling us weight gain should be feared and weight loss is the ultimate goal. No wonder so many of us feel that we should always be trying to lose weight and that dieting is simply what women are supposed to do!
Because it is so ingrained in our culture, this weight loss and diet mindset can be very difficult to resist. In order not to succumb, we must retrain our brains to think about wellness without weight. This means dropping the idea that health is tied to size, that our bodies should not change over time, and that the goal of eating and exercise is weight control.
For me, adopting the practices of intuitive eating and intuitive movement have helped me escape from our culture’s toxic weight loss mentality. I no longer eat to control my weight, but rather to fuel my body and my life. When I exercise, it is to feel strong and centered rather than to burn calories and change my physical form.
A practice that helps me make exercise less synonymous with “weight loss” and “dieting” has been listing out all of the reasons why I enjoy moving my body. All of the many reasons that have nothing at all to do with changing my body!
Right now, they include:
to feel strong
to reduce stress
to clear my mind
to sleep better
to feel energized
to reduce pain
to have “me time”
I challenge you to change your mindset and make your own list of reasons — and I say “challenge” because I know how hard it is — but I also know that you can do it! Please share your reasons below in the comments, I would love to hear them!
Remember, your intuition is the key to shutting out the noise and influence of toxic diet culture and finding peace with your body. If you could use some guidance tapping into your inner voice, please reach out to me here. I would love to work with you!
