Why Your New Year’s Resolution Doesn’t Need to be About Weight Loss
It’s that time of the year when the media is going to push for a gym membership, new diet, or some way to change your body, and while I fully believe in body autonomy, I also believe your body doesn’t need to change!
You might be sitting there thinking I can’t see your body, so how could I possibly know what is healthy for you….and that is exactly the point. Maybe you want to feel stronger, more capable, or less winded when you complete a task. These things are entirely possible without weight loss as driving motivator. They’ll require practice, persistence, and consistency, though they don’t require a smaller body. These goals can be independent of an intentional pursuit of weight loss, and perhaps ultimately more successful and sustainable when we put weight loss aside.
*Diet culture is extra loud this time of year, and you can be louder*
What is your resolution *really* about?
What made you pick your new year’s resolution this year? Was it because somebody told you, either recently or in your past, that your body would be more acceptable or desirable, etc if it was smaller? Was it because the people around you have been talking about movement/exercise? Was it because you believe that living in a smaller body will make life easier? No matter the reason, this is a judgment free zone. I get it– I’ve seen the same messaging, gym membership sales, and magazine covers.
Because we live in a society so focused on weight and size, and because as humans we naturally want to find belonging, I understand that living in a smaller body might make you feel more comfortable. There is safety and privilege found in a body that more closely meets the societal thin ideal. The piece that I ask you to question is what it might take to be smaller, and if that is really in-line with your goal of losing weight for “health.” If the way you need to shrink your body involves eating small portions, avoiding things you love, cutting out food groups, missing social events, or going to bed hungry, I am going to put my foot down and argue that it is not healthy. Our current world was not built to serve all bodies, and in the most simple terms: that is NOT fair.
I’m not here to rain on your parade and tell you that you cannot pick up a new gym membership or join more workout classes, it can be exciting to start something new! The new year can certainly offer a time for self reflection, and motivation for self care or other items you’ve been wanting to focus on. I just want you to know that even if your body doesn’t change, these additions can still be beneficial. The idea that working out more results in a smaller body is based on the idea that all bodies can exist in a shrunken version. Not all bodies are meant to be small bodies, which means that even if you increase your movement, it won’t necessarily result in weight loss. And that’s ok! There is so much more to movement than just potential weight loss. Maybe you can choose to re-evaluate the intentions behind increasing your movement regime. Movement can be a wonderful way to respect and honor our bodies, and it should not be used as a tool to shrink them, this is simply punishment and self sabotaging in the long-run.
Benefits of movement unrelated to weight loss:
Improved sleep
Improved mood (hello endorphins!)
Increased energy and sex drive
Improved self esteem and body image
Decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and/or cholesterol
Improved brain function and memory
Improved or increased bone density
Improved flexibility and balance
Are there things in your life on hold until your body changes? Is weight loss the invisible, elusive barrier to accessing or allowing yourself to pursue the things that really make you excited?
What if instead of using this year’s resolution to shrink your body so you can have the things you want, you set the resolution directly?
What if you don’t need to be smaller in order to…
See the friends you have waiting to spend time with
Try that new workout class at the local studio
Buy the jeans in the size that fits your current body, not the one you’ve been aiming for for the past 5 years
Go on a date
Take a vacation
Find a new hobby (ex. joining a book club, trying pottery, etc)
Get the pastry that you’ve been secretly eyeing for the past year when you order your coffee
Try a new recipe every week to add variety to your meals
I think it is entirely possible to you find joy in these items that have been put on hold once you give yourself the permission to try, without manipulating your body in the process.
Time to get rid of the barriers-
Clothes that no longer are meant for your here and now body
Dieting books and email subscriptions
Social media accounts with toxic fitness culture messaging like “calories in, calories out” or accounts that push for gnarly food combinations for weight loss (I’m looking at you cottage cheese and mustard trend)
The scale (for your bod, or your food)
If you are holding on to any of these items as motivation, now might be a good time to remove them from your home or to tuck them away so they aren’t constantly nagging you. It’s hard to change your outlook when you have old reminders of how to gauge your success. Your body size is not an indicator of your worth or your health, so time to remove anything that tells you otherwise!
You don’t have to want the body you are in, or even have to love it. We just need to also hold space for the fact that striving for a smaller body yet again might not be sustainable. There’s a reason that 95% of dieters regain the weight– and it’s not lack of willpower! Maybe this year you decide that you are not aiming to be smaller, rather you are aiming for your life to be bigger! Think: stronger, more present, less hangry, more compassionate. You’ve got this, friends! You can tackle this in your current bod!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise#muscles-and-bones
https://marcird.com/_resources/but-i-hate-my-body-cracking-the-code-on-body-acceptance/
https://www.meredithnoble.com/blog/body-acceptance-begins-with-grieving-the-thin-ideal
