Do you spend your time worrying about your weight and your health? Well, it’s not just precious headspace you’re taking up. Worrying is more harmful than you think. For instance, did you know that just feeling fat can actually lead to a weight problem? A recent study of normal-weight teens has found that those who thought they were overweight had a 40 per cent higher chance of becoming obese by age 30, compared with teens that didn’t.
So, what we think about our weight seems to matter a great deal.
Even if you are overweight, it’s time to start talking nicely to yourself, to stop worrying and start doing.
I can relate to this. I obsessed and worried and thought about losing weight almost every day in my early twenties. Once I finally reached a healthy weight, I stopped thinking about my weight almost altogether. I regained headspace that had previously been utilised worrying about my weight. So, did all that worrying do something to help me at the time? Or did it compel me to address the problem? No, not a dot. It turns out it was pointless. In fact, I’m convinced it compounded my weight problem further and kept me stuck in a rut of procrastination. Thinking replaced doing.
Love the Body you have Now
No surprise that surveys show that many of us are unhappy with our looks, particularly in a culture obsessed with how everything appears rather than how it really is. The problem with poor body image is that it not only gets in the way of meeting new people, going for new jobs and instigating sex, but it also leads us to do…absolutely nothing about it. We get stuck in negativity. A poor body image can also lead to eating disorders and depression. Men are now not immune either, particularly younger men and teens who compare themselves to Instagram posts full of six-packs.
It may seem impossible right now, but we urge you to try to accept and love the body you have now. It may be overweight or obese, but it’s yours and it deserves respect and love. There is a body image movement taking place right now that is helping younger audiences to hopefully embrace the belief that bodies come in all sizes – not just a size 8 – but there is still much work to do. The new ‘strong, not skinny’ message is hopefully landing with some impressionable youngsters who might shift their focus away from solely appearance and more towards health. And that’s what we are all about at Motivation; we are here because we want you to feel good about yourselves, to feel healthy and to live life to the full.
Our 5 Ways to Worry Less
So how can you begin to worry less about your weight and actually step forwards into a healthier future? Make a pact to switch off your head when it goes into obsessive, negative thinking about yourself or your body and decide, instead, to move into action, such as prepping a healthy lunch for tomorrow or going for a brisk walk around the block. Don’t overthink it. Be patient. It may take a few weeks but you WILL notice a difference. And, remember, nothing quite beats being monitored by a professional weight loss coach, so get in touch with us today to stop worrying and finally start doing something about your health.
1. Ditch the Scales
We’ve said it time and time again, but we never tire of this message because it’s so important. Read our blog ‘5 Reasons Not to Weigh Yourself’ to find out more. But, in a nutshell, it’s important to realise that there’s more to health than the numbers on the scale. Instead we emphasise habits and attitudes – they are the true markers of how healthy you are today, or how healthy you could become in the future, once you learn to shift them. This is the true key to unlocking permanent weight loss.
2. Eat Well
All calories were not created equally, so don’t just boil it down to calories in and calories out. It’s more complicated than that. Our bodies process 100 calories of sugar differently to 100 calories of tomatoes. Learn how to eat in a way that will prevent you being hungry, while also helping to burn fat and maintain (or even regain) muscle. Protein is key in this process, as is a low sugar and lower carb way of eating. This is what our weight loss plans promote in order to assist with weight loss – read more here.
3. Move that Body
We’re designed to move so don’t forget it. Most of us don’t move half enough and we use all the excuses in the book. Click here to learn how to ditch those excuses once and for all.
Just start something – anything today – even if that means ten minutes around the block. Anything and everything counts, including housework. Walk your dog, but do it a bit more briskly. Enjoy the feeling of getting fitter. Just try to pick something you enjoy and get out there. Start small and build. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
4. Focus on Strength
Stop worrying that you’re too old or too frail or too at risk of injury to lift weights. Nonsense. Inform yourself of the benefits of strength training, particularly in relation to weight loss: https://motivation.ie/news-education/want-know-real-secret-managing-weight/ The research backs up the belief that building muscle, or regaining lost muscle, is one of the best ways to rev up our metabolism and manage our weight. You’ll also feel stronger and more confident. Hand-weights at home, Pilates and yoga are all different forms of the same thing – resistance or strength training.
5. Speak Up
‘Bikini body’ or ‘summer body’ – they’re all nonsensical names. We all have a body and it’s not more ‘acceptable’ in summer than winter, or only if it’s a size 10. Regardless of your size, shape, your curves or lack of them, you have a body – so try to mind it well and don’t give in to media pressures and stereotypes anymore. Your body is amazing for what it does for you every day. Be grateful for it and stop worrying that it’s not ‘good enough’. Speak up if you see an ad you disapprove of and tell your children that the media sometimes portrays stereotyped images. Let’s stop acting like robots and find our voice. And let’s stop worrying and start living more.
Which of the 5 ways to worry less do you think you can deal with first? Take the easier challenge on and then follow through with the other 4.
