How Weight Loss as a Goal Can Get in the Way
In my last post I started the conversation about why weight loss isn’t a helpful goal to focus on. In this post I want to talk more about how weight loss as a goal can get in the way of becoming peaceful with food.
It gets in the way of developing trust with your body
If you’re constantly worried about your weight, you will be less likely to tune in to your body and notice: how hungry you are; what food will satisfy that level of hunger and what you actually feel like eating. You’ll be thinking instead: this is too high calorie; I’ll gain weight if I eat this; this food is fattening; if I don’t eat (even though I’m hungry), I’ll lose weight; it’s good to be hungry because it means I’m losing weight… that kind of thing.
To become a peaceful eater, it’s really important that you develop trust with your body – and that your body gains your trust too!
It needs to trust that you will feed it when you’re hungry and that you’ll feed it adequately. If you’re making decisions based on what will make that number go down, it will be harder to develop that trust. You might over-ride your hunger, you might not tune in to what your body really needs. Can you see that?
If weight loss is the goal, you could miss useful information!
OK, this is an extreme example, but it’s a true story! I was on a diet once that included a heck of a lot of boiled eggs. I hate boiled eggs! But I was so determined to stick to the diet, because I believed what this particular diet guru told me: that boiled eggs were essential to my weight loss success! So I ate them. I gagged, but ate them anyway. I ate a lot of boiled eggs! I also started to feel really ill. My face went beetroot red, and I felt terribly nauseous. It got so bad that I’d have to lie down for a couple of hours till it passed.
Here’s the clincher. I was so fixated on the weight loss and how helpful boiled eggs were, that I didn’t realise that my feeling ill was due to the eggs! I couldn’t understand it, until my sister in law, who is a doctor, pointed it out to me. And even then, it was hard to give up the boiled eggs, because I was terrified it would mean I’d fail at losing weight.
Sounds bizarre, doesn’t it? But this is what it does to you! What are some of your bizarre food stories?
I remember a client who had been eating ‘diet’ cheese for years. The same old brand, year after year. When she started to tune in and actually taste the cheese, she realised she didn’t like it! And she was so delighted to find this out, because she then gave herself permission to go out and buy cheese she actually does enjoy – that’s satisfying!
What this boils down to is that when you’re worrying about your weight, it’s harder to read your body’s signals. You might not eat until you’re satisfied, because you believe that what you want is too much food. Or you might not eat when you’re hungry, because you think hungry = thin. Or, you might eat food you don’t enjoy, or may even be allergic to, because you believe it’s what you should eat to be slimmer.
Can you see how that just isn’t peaceful – at all!?
Hi, I'm Vania.
I'm passionate about helping you break free from the exhausting cycle of yo-yo dieting, body shame, overeating, bingeing, and emotional eating.
For decades, I was at war with my body and food. It wasn't until I found an approach which didn't involve strict rules, diets and a focus on weight, that my relationship with food and my body transformed into one of ease and peace. There’s a lightness in living when food no longer holds power over your thoughts. If you're seeking that kind of freedom — where food becomes simple and life feels full — I’d love to walk that journey with you.
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