You are not defined by your relationship with food.
In the fast paced world we live in, every body deserves food. It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a workaholic, an elite athlete, or barely making ends meet trying to keep food on the table, and the last thing you need is someone telling you to lose (or gain) weight based on a number on the scale. (and usually that someone is yourself).
Here we are going to dive into how YOU are NOT defined by the scale.
Do you have a scale at home? Do you get on it daily? Are you confused by the different numbers? Does your mood change based on the numbers?
Working with athlete’s for so long, I have seen first-hand how they let the scale define who they are. They forget they’re a son or daughter, a student and an athlete, an artist or business person or an Olympian. Then the “fat” talk starts or the mood changes. As a sports dietitian, I typically have athlete’s weigh on a scale 5-7 times per year for performance related reasons. I would love if that were the only time they have stepped on a scale. Like the non-athlete, they have scales at home and they use them more often than not. More numbers to collect in their minds. If it is not numbers, I have even been told he or she will compare themselves to others during their sporting event and in their heads they assume they should eat less to look like someone else- the game or race hasn’t even started and they have talked themselves out of it!
Over the years, I have also listened so many of my friends or family have “diet” talk. Not knowing diet culture has become the main topic of conversations, they discuss which diet they are going on, how it’s going to get them to lose weight, how they are eating is “low calorie” food or not eating gluten, going paleo, eating small portions or skipping meals altogether. All the while, the yo-yo dieting is causing more harm than good. If I am listening to their outward conversation amongst others, I can only image the inner conversation they have at home when no one is around. The “let me start this diet to lose weight,” always trying to lower the number on the scale.
For anyone that has felt this way, YOU ARE NOT DEFINED BY YOUR WEIGHT, the diet you tried, the scale, the DEXA scan, or any other means of body assessment (that includes the mirror image you also see).
Instead of focusing on losing weight or appeasing the mirror, have you thought of working on the relationship with food? Just as any relationship needs some tender, love and care, has highs and lows, it is always worth it in the end right? Creating a healthy relationship with food takes time, preparation, and showing up for yourself. You may even lose weight, feel more energy, or set a new PR. So many more life events can happen if you set your sights on something other than the scale.
If you remember anything, remember this: you may be an individual working your tail off or an elite athlete working your tail off. Either way, you are MORE than what the scale says you are. You are a mama, daddy, engineer, social worker, plumber, Olympian, artist, painter, doctor, nurse, athlete, weekend warrior and so on but more importantly you are YOU. You have so much to live for, wrestling with an unhealthy relationship with food shouldn’t be taking up space. It should be intuitive- so you can have the space to continue being the best version of yourself.