Personal stories don’t translate into guaranteed success for anyone trying to reproduce what worked for someone else. And when it comes to diets, the definition of “what worked” usually means that the weight has been lost at some point, but it’s not guaranteed that it will last long.
Maintain weight loss: is it always possible?
Those who are able to maintain long-term weight loss are a minority, and usually their reference point before the diet was below that achieved. So now they are simply in the weight range that their body can support.
It’s easy to look at the sparkling version of social media of someone who made a path to weight loss and thinking, “Well, if he/she can do it, I can too.” But that’s not how it works.
Before and after photos and inspirational captions do not tell the whole story. We would never know if there was a disorder in nutrition, how long it lasted, if it is finished. We will not know the obsessions that may have arisen after losing weight. What you see is just a snapshot – but weight loss is something that concerns months, years … life!
This is why weight loss is not something we all have to face. Indeed the idea that weight loss equates to a better life is wrong. Thinness is not a prerequisite for a happy and fulfilling life.
Losing weight will not make you automatically happy
Becoming skinny will not automatically allow you to love yourself. It will not make you safer, happier, more connected to your body. Becoming thin only makes you thinner.
Mental health, body image and self-esteem problems are not necessarily related to weight loss. These challenges are better treated for some people if they move away from the idea of weight. Because trust and acceptance come from within and we should ensure that these are not dependent on weight loss. Bodies simply change and they change with seasons and aging. It takes a lot of mental effort and negativity to continue to desire to have necessarily a different body than you have
A good body image doesn’t always allow you to love your body. Otherwise you would never love your body! But you can use the tools and skills you have. We all deserve to be comfortable with our body here and now.
T-shirt #giftedby 12-Grand
