All we ever hear is “I must lose weight”. No-one ever says, “I must make sure I have adequate nutrition”.
Why is nutrition so important? Healthy food provides our body with the necessary nutrients for healing and longevity. It gives us energy. This means we can do more in our day. Movement is an important factor in healthy weight loss.
Our society has a disproportionate concern with weight loss. It is my belief that we have forgotten why we may need to lose weight. The intention of healthy weight loss is for the sake of our health, not our appearance. Our cultural focus on thin at all costs potentially causes more damage than it does good. This unrealistic goal motivates by fear and sets us up to fail. So many of us have suffered through restrictive diets which have a focus on weight loss, not on health.
Our health suffers when we are denied nutritious food for the sake of limiting our intake of kilojoules. Let’s say you have eaten a chocolate bar during the day and used all your kilojoules for this time, but you haven’t eaten dinner. The temptation is to avoid dinner for the sake of weight loss. But I suggest that you should not forsake a nutritious meal just to keep your kilojoules low.
A small chocolate bar has the same kilojoules as an avocado, but less nutrition. The problem with processed food is that it is high in sugars, fat, and salt to make the taste irresistible, and the goodness has been stripped for the sake of preservation. Eating these foods leaves us feeling fatigued and unwell in the long run. This is the problem with counting kilojoules to lose weight. We risk the temptation to eat whatever we like so long as we meet the kilojoule limit.
How have I lost over 100kg and continued to slowly lose weight? By choosing healthy food. I do not deny myself food or force myself to go hungry for the sake of weight loss. Instead, I choose nutritious, whole foods which satisfy me, keep me feeling fuller longer and give me the energy to do walk, garden and enjoy my life.
I love eating, I enjoy thinking about eating and cooking. I am not willing to deny myself this joy just for the sake of weight loss.
What is your motivation for weight loss? Is it for your health, or to improve your appearance for others?
In love, Jenny
