If you’ve existed on this planet for more than 15 seconds, you’re no stranger to the multi-billion dollar “health & wellness industry.”
With their insidious affirmations that you’ll “BURN FAT FAST!” and “BLAST AWAY THE POUNDS!”, they fuel our indomitable doubts like downed woody debris flames a raging forest fire.
While bodyweight is one indicator of health – and there’s nothing wrong with losing weight if that’s your goal – there is something iniquitous about an industry that demonizes food, erodes our self-efficacy & puts us at odds with our own bodies.
Because when we focus solely on our weight, it becomes less about living & more about obsessing, restricting, shifting goalposts, and never feeling good enough.
It also normalizes a disordered relationship with food & fitness, encouraging us to “earn” our meals & “punish” our perceived gluttony with exercise.
Sadly, the tyranny of the scale starts early – with estimates that 1 in 4 children engage in dieting behavior by the time they’re 7, and 40 to 60% of elementary-aged girls (ages 6 to 12) showing concerns about becoming “too fat.”
As we get older, this dysmorphia continues to dominate our thoughts, our mood, & our sense of self-worth. But it doesn’t stop there – it also impacts how & whether we participate in our favorite activities, because heaven forbid anyone actually SEE our bodies doing things that bodies do.
Relative to change, it’s also worth noting that scale weight is an outcome– and we do not have direct control over outcome.
However, we can control our behavior – and our behavior has a direct impact on the outcomes we’re hoping to achieve (with the caveat that you aren’t struggling with underlying medical conditions).
So where do we begin? With one important question
The true goal of being healthy is having a body & mind that’s strong enough to support us throughout our lives.
And rather than dwell on the question, “how small do I want to be?” what if we asked ourselves, “how big do I want to live?”
What peaks do I still want to enjoy?
What sunsets do I want to see?
What quiet landscapes do I want to soak in?
What new skills do I want to learn?
What possibilities still exist?
Shifting our mindset
When we shift our mindset away from the scale & onto the process of living, the way we see the world begins to change.
Suddenly, it’s not about how little space we want to take up, but how much of the world we’ve yet to see.
The sunsets, the peaks, the paddles, the trails. Even the celebrations with friends & family we still want to experience.
The fact is that we don’t want to endure life – we want to LIVE it.
We want to be an active participant in all facets of our lives – from birthday parties & vacations to outdoor adventures to getting around our own homes under our own power for as long as we can.
And while we can’t control the uncontrollable, we CAN support our bodies for as long as possible to help them support our endeavors.
To do so means adopting healthy behaviors – eating plenty of fruits & vegetables, lean proteins & starchy carbs to fuel our adventures; managing stress & sleep so that our bodies are able to recover; and remembering that taking care of ourselves doesn’t have to mean “me first!”, it simply means, “me, too.”
The question is – how do we do make that happen?
Taking the first step
Author Mary Oliver once wrote, “tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild & precious life?”
Before you continue, pause for a moment & read that question again.
Because before you take any other action, it’s the first & most pivotal question you can ask yourself.
What do you want to do?
What do you want to experience?
When?
How?
Where?
And with whom?
As you think through your answers, you’ll discover who & what matters most to you. And in doing so, what your body (+mind) need to be capable of doing to support you along the way – kickstarting your journey into a sustainable health & fitness regime.
That isn’t to say that it’s going to be easy – it won’t.
There will still be discipline & challenges along the way, because life is like that. And anyone who tells you differently isn’t telling you the truth.
But your goal doesn’t have to center on weighing X number of pounds, but to be strong & sturdy enough to live your own version of a rich & meaningful life.
And pursuing that life is what will inspire you to adopt & maintain the healthy behaviors necessary to achieve it.
Take home
There are no wrong answers as to what constitutes a life that’s meaningful – that is deeply personal, and only you can decide what’s best for you.
And to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight, especially if you & your doctor feel it’s necessary.
And as noted earlier, the outdoors isn’t a magical solution anymore than any other pill or potion on the market.
The difference is that just as we learn on the trail, it’s going to be okay.
Because it’s okay to take your time.
It’s okay to stop & catch your breath.
It’s okay to stop & get your bearings if you’re feeling disoriented.
And it’s okay to decide that you want to take a different route.
And despite your best efforts, someday you’re going to catch your foot on a root, tumble & face plant, because it happens to all of us.
But all you need to do is get back up, dust yourself off & keep moving forward.
You don’t have to shrink, you don’t have to stop & you don’t have to scold yourself until you disappear.
Because living a healthy life isn’t about how much you can restrict & lose, but how many rich experiences you have left to gain.