Why “Weight Loss” Isn’t The Best Goal
And what to focus on instead!
Focusing on consistency in behaviors puts your progress in YOUR control and can make working toward a goal — in any area of life — more achievable and rewarding.
First, it's important to note that intentional weight loss is NOT always healthy, and many people should not strive to lose weight.
I personally do not coach clients explicitly for weight loss, because the number on a scale gives only a teeny tiny incomplete picture of what's actually going on, and because weight is NOT actually a valuable health marker on its own.
[For more on what specific health/fitness professionals do, because a lot of people think we do it all and that it all revolves around losing weight, check out this post.]
*********************************
When it comes to weight loss or any other health or fitness goal, the outcome is often out of our control. What we can control is the behavior.
For example, if a person is only focused on losing X amount of weight or getting to a certain number, it's very common for them to do whatever it might take -- using weight loss drugs, following unhealthy training protocols, undereating, etc. -- to hit that number.
But what is the point of hitting a certain number if: A) it's nearly impossible to stay there long-term because of the way the body will adapt to those extreme measures and B) overall physical and mental health might actually decline, depending on the strategies implemented for weight loss?
On the other hand, if a person wants to lose weight or get fitter without focusing on a specific number, they're more likely to implement behaviors -- like working out more regularly, drinking more water, and eating more fruits and vegetables -- that will benefit their overall health, whether or not the number on the scale moves.
*********************************
I have yet to come across a client who just wants to lose weight for the heck of it.
There's always something deeper: they want to feel better, they want to be healthier, they want to look more attractive, they want a better report at their next doctor's appointment, they want to move with less pain. It might be different for everyone but there's always a reason, and that reason is the real goal.
If you're looking forward to feeling better once you lose weight, how about doing the things right now that will help you feel better? Things like moving more frequently, eating more fresh foods, and getting enough sleep.
If your goal is to lose weight so your knees feel better, there's actually a great chance that you can improve how your knees feel even without losing weight. The human skeleton can actually handle quite a bit of force, and a lot of smaller humans (myself included) have suffered from knee pain unrelated to weight. Focusing on improving movement patterns -- or just getting up and moving more -- can be even more effective at addressing joint pain than weight loss alone.
Weight loss might be a side effect of creating these healthy habits and behaviors, but the actions themselves -- eating slowly and mindfully, moving your body, getting enough sleep, managing stress -- should be the main focus. Those are the things within your control, and those are things that will actually have measurable effects on your overall health.
