“But what about everyone who’s overweight?” she said, amongst a group of women of different shapes and sizes. And I knew immediately where this was going. “Surely, we can’t just let everyone eat what they want and gain weight. They’ll let themselves go* and get unhealthy”. (*I’ve got so much to say on ‘let themselves go’ but that deserves another other post.)
I get this a lot, whether online or in person. You see, when I share tools to make peace with your body, it’s often confused with “so, we just eat all the donuts and become obese and unhealthy?”. No, but we seem to have conflated confidence in a gloriously soft, curvaceous body with ‘eats all the chocolate and cake and not much else’.
No. No, no, no, no, no. 🙇♀️
Health truly is the greatest wealth. I honestly believe that.
Healthy food is important. A healthy lifestyle is important.
But please hear me when I also say health = health of body AND mind.
You see, for too long, we’ve got ‘health’ mixed up with ‘thin’, and ‘thin at all costs’. Or ‘thin and it doesn’t matter if I am constantly thinking about food and my body. Whether I should’ve eaten that, oh, and I need to exercise more’.
📣 Let me say it loud and clear: That. Is. Not. Health. That is anxiety. 📣
I’ve accepted that it’s not my job to convince everyone. We’re all on different timelines and if I tried to convince the world that this journey is the most freeing, healthy-fying and worthwhile journey to be on, I wouldn’t have time to pour into the beautiful souls that are. Like you.
They’ll join us when they’re ready.
In the meantime, here are ways you can boost your health (without the scale). 👇
#1
What does health mean to me? ️
I encourage you to journal on this question to ease out your anxieties. It will be a useful insight into what a healthful life looks and feels like for you. For me? It’s to have energy and vitality, feel mobile and strong to go on adventures and a calm, peaceful state of mind. 😌
#2
Notice where you are restricting
Diet culture has left us with the remnants of restriction. If you binge on your favourite foods, or struggle to ‘control yourself’, listen up! We saw what happened with restriction during Covid. Remember when access to supermarkets became limited and controlled and you tried to buy loo roll…? Exactly. Everyone over-consumed the things that were restricted and there was no loo roll left!
Exactly the same happens with food. 🧻
#3
ADD IN health promoting behaviours
Focus on the things you can add in, rather than take way. A 20 min walk in the morning sunshine? Done. Add an extra portion of veggies to dinner? Easy. Enjoy a new source of fibre this week? Curiously fun. These are all health-promoting behaviours. None of them require you to step on a scale. 🥦
And look, if you’re struggling with constantly thinking about food, but you’re scared of the unknown, wondering “who am I without feeling like this?”, then you are not alone.
There is something bigger here. When you’re tired of your body being the main thing in your life, take the brave step.
Kirsty McKell 
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