Simple is not easy
Simple is not easy.
If you’ve contemplated losing weight and/or improving your health, and you’ve turned to the internet for answers on how to do it, you’ve probably heard a lot of different advice.
One that I hear a lot online is “eat less, move more.”
Pretty simple right? It’s not totally wrong, but it’s not the full picture.
This approach distills down two tenants of health into a catchy little phrase. Our bodies are designed to move frequently and our society has a tendency to overeat. So what’s wrong with the phrase? It just looks at weight loss as a formula, in a vacuum, without any of the messiness and complexity of real life.
In the spirit of honesty, I’ll admit, I have very little emotional baggage around food. I have a tendency to eat to avoid big feelings, but I’ve never been shamed for the size or shape of my body, and my gluttonous habits have always been applauded as an incredible feat. “Garbage Can Man” has been my nickname in my family until recently (I’m working hard to eat with more awareness of quantity.”
Most are not so privileged however. A casual glance around you turns up many people who have shame, guilt and complex emotions around food, and they've come by it honestly. Family of origin, friends, society and pop culture all exert pressure on the individual to feel ashamed.
I’m no expert on nutrition and counselling practices.
I am, however, a personal trainer, and I want you to take away one thing from this post…
Weight loss is not easy.
You are not broken because it’s not easy for you. There are so many reasons why it’s hard, and I want to acknowledge them in your life. If you have a desire to change your bodyweight, I would first approach the motivation. Is it based in shame for the body you have? I sincerely hope not. Shame is irredeemable. Shame is a terrible motivator. Shame is a monster.
Strength, motivated by love for your self is a better place to start. Become strong and capable and then fuel that body well. When you start with strength, things like weight, rest, and diet become supplemental to the overall goal. Changing your weight is a fine goal, but if you’ve been a victim of societies shame machine, you may have better results starting with a goal that builds something, rather than taking something away.