Body Acceptance & Weight Change Goals

How did we get to a point where we feel comfortable telling others what we think of how they look?

Have you ever been made fun of for being overweight? Maybe even your closest friends or family members have commented on your size or your health status, unintentionally making you feel embarrassed or ashamed?

What about the other end of the spectrum? Has anyone ever told you to “eat a burger”? You’re too skinny? You must not eat much, you’re so thin? Maybe you’ve even been told you’re so lucky to be thin, or have “thin privilege”?

When did we start thinking it is okay to make these types of comments? Let me tell you… it’s NOT okay. No matter what.

If you’ve been following a variety of health and nutrition professionals on social media lately, you probably have noticed an increase in body acceptance messaging, which is fantastic. We should ALL be able to accept and love our body, exactly the way it is. We should be able to feel comfortable in our skin, feel confident in ourselves, and be happy with the way we look regardless of our body’s size. However, along with these body acceptance messages I’ve also seen a huge increase of claims that imply those with smaller or thinner bodies are privileged, which I think sends a confusing message.

Sure, some people naturally end up with genetics that may make it easier for them to maintain a thinner or smaller body, and yes, there is a significant amount of “fat shaming” in our world, but this does not mean that those people with thinner bodies do not also deal with the negative comments or shame from others about how their body looks.

I recently had a young woman ask me for help with gaining weight. When I asked her what her goals were and why, she told me that she actually is very happy with her body and how she feels, but she is constantly dealing with coworkers telling her that she is too skinny and she should eat a burger once in a while. This is not okay.

I have talked with other women who have thinner bodies, some who are naturally thin and some who eat healthy and exercise regularly to maintain t heir body shape and size, and they’ve dealt with similar comments that have made them feel ashamed of the body that makes them feel their best.

If we are going to truly accept ALL sizes of bodies, we cannot then just take our negative body comments away from those with larger body’s and direct them toward those with smaller bodies. Instead, let’s truly accept ALL bodies.

So let’s say we can finally get to a point where judgments are no longer made about a person purely based on how their body looks and we all learn to love ourselves a little more. What about those who want to change their body because it makes them feel even better? Maybe reading this right now you’re thinking “yes I want to feel comfortable with my current body, but I also wouldn’t mind changing my weight because I feel better when I am at a different weight?” That’s okay! Part of learning to love your body is to accept where you are at now and also learn to listen to your body and find out what makes YOU feel YOUR best.

Who decides what your goals are? Do you decide for yourself? Or did someone tell you what you should strive for?

Are you aiming for weight loss or weight gain because that is what makes you feel good and it will improve your health? Or are you aiming for weight loss or weight gain because the world made you feel like you are supposed to?

Our world offers so many messages that we see every single day that make us feel like we need to look a very specific way. We need to work together to rid our minds of messaging that tells us how we should look, and instead decide for ourselves how we want to feel and look.

Take a minute and really think deep down deep about where you are at with your health right at this  moment. Are you happy with your body? Do you feel good physically? What would YOU change? If it’s nothing, great! If you find you do want to lose some weight because it was easier for you to move around each day when you were ten pounds lighter, great! If you find you want to gain some weight because you have more energy when you are at a higher weight, great! The point here is that YOU decide what you want to strive for and how to maintain your health.

Recently the world of Registered Dietitians has been seeing quite a few changes in how weight management is treated. Many dietitians have decided to specialize in eating disorder management through steering their clients away from weight changes and focusing on body acceptance. This is absolutely a needed area of specialty, as there is a spectrum of when weight change goals become unhealthy or not. However, some of those dietitians are not comfortable supporting weight loss goals among those who do not have a history of eating disorders or disordered behavior around weight and health, and will therefore not help those looking to change their body size.

I am sharing this with you because it is important to note that there is a huge variety of specialties that dietitians can focus on, and you must find the dietitian that is right for you and your goals.

So who am I here to help?

I am here to help the person who wants to lose a little bit of weight because it makes them feel better, but they don’t want to restrict themselves from their favorite foods. I am here to help the person who wants to put on a few pounds because they like how their body looks and feels better when they are at a slightly higher weight, but they want to do it in a healthy and nourishing way that encourages long-term health. I am here to help the person who just needs help figuring out how to eat healthy to support their long-term health, while maintaining a healthy weight that makes them feel fantastic.

If this sounds like you, let’s schedule a phone call and discuss how exactly I can help you achieve your goals.

If you’ve had the goal of weight loss and have been turned away from a dietitian who was not willing to help you achieve that goal, don’t feel discouraged and don’t turn to google or your neighbor who has experience as a financial analyst and suddenly offers nutrition coaching. Turn to another dietitian who is able and willing to help you with your specific needs. All Registered Dietitians have gone through extensive training to help people with various nutrition goals, but all RD’s also have different passions and want to help different types of people. Find the one that works best for you, and get ready to crush those goals of yours!

Click here to schedule a 15-minute phone call with me for FREE.