Today I realized something about myself. I am a perfectionist in denial. While I have perfected a nonchalant attitude about anything I know I can't make perfect (or that I don’t care to), when it comes to something like this blog article, I can't publish it until it's perfect. It's easy to write about what I'm doing and about my darling family, I just tell it like it is and post lots of pictures to do the talking. I've been wanting to write about my perspectives and ideas on health since the birth of this blog a year ago, but my thoughts are so massive and raw that I just don't know how to begin. I decided I just need to start, so here is my starting line. Don't judge too harshly and know there is a lot more to follow. I might write a book one day. :)
For a long time, I've been battling back and forth between helping people make healthier choices and helping people not worry so much about making healthy choices. I mean, there is a need to teach everyone about what's healthy and what's not, preach what the science shows and show people ways to implement healthy eating and exercise. BUT, I can't tell you how often I've heard people say things like the following:
"I've been trying so hard to exercise and eat healthy, but I'm not losing weight."
"I'm following this diet, but it's so hard and it's not working, so I'm giving up and eating all the bad foods."
"This diet worked for me before, I just didn't have enough control so I gained back all the weight."
"I just want to fit back into my cute, "skinny" clothes. It's cheaper to lose weight than buy a new wardrobe."
"Well YOU can eat whatever you want, you are skinny."
"Wow, you look so good, have you lost weight?"
"I have to run 2 miles to burn off that peanut butter sandwich."
"Well if she quit being so lazy, she could lose that weight."
"I can't eat that."
There are more, but you hopefully get the picture I'm painting. There are so many issues with these statements, I don't even know where to start. So. Many. Issues. Let me just attempt to list most of them to prevent myself from going off on tangents and rants.
Yes, I have a lot of ideas for solutions and more opinions than you probably want to hear. But what it comes down to is this: There is more to health than nutrition and exercise. We are humans, not machines. We are not flat pieces of paper waiting to be written on by fact and reason. We are complex, individual humans with voices and ideas to call our own. Most people know what they should be doing, but don't do what they should. Let's think about why. Let's ask more questions. Let's cater to the individual. Let's get to the root of motivation. Let's focus on quality of life. Let's recognize nutrition and exercise as what they really are, just tools - a tiny piece of the puzzle.
"I've been trying so hard to exercise and eat healthy, but I'm not losing weight."
"I'm following this diet, but it's so hard and it's not working, so I'm giving up and eating all the bad foods."
"This diet worked for me before, I just didn't have enough control so I gained back all the weight."
"I just want to fit back into my cute, "skinny" clothes. It's cheaper to lose weight than buy a new wardrobe."
"Well YOU can eat whatever you want, you are skinny."
"Wow, you look so good, have you lost weight?"
"I have to run 2 miles to burn off that peanut butter sandwich."
"Well if she quit being so lazy, she could lose that weight."
"I can't eat that."
There are more, but you hopefully get the picture I'm painting. There are so many issues with these statements, I don't even know where to start. So. Many. Issues. Let me just attempt to list most of them to prevent myself from going off on tangents and rants.
- Weight does NOT reflect health
- Weight does NOT reflect self-worth
- Weight is a NUMBER.
- We rely on systems created to fail
- We blame failure of the system on lack of self-control
- Perceived lack of self-control does NOT reflects self-worth
- Fat shaming
- We misjudge other's thoughts and intentions
- Happiness is delayed
- Feeling beautiful and confident is delayed
- Foods, eating and exercising practices are NOT moral issues
- My "health" really means "what other people think"
- Time wasted worrying about "health" takes away creativity and kindness
- Wasted potential from obsession with "health"
- Eating disorders and disordered eating
Yes, I have a lot of ideas for solutions and more opinions than you probably want to hear. But what it comes down to is this: There is more to health than nutrition and exercise. We are humans, not machines. We are not flat pieces of paper waiting to be written on by fact and reason. We are complex, individual humans with voices and ideas to call our own. Most people know what they should be doing, but don't do what they should. Let's think about why. Let's ask more questions. Let's cater to the individual. Let's get to the root of motivation. Let's focus on quality of life. Let's recognize nutrition and exercise as what they really are, just tools - a tiny piece of the puzzle.