Is Your Weight Weighing You Down?
BY DR SARAH HUGHES
Your weight is just a number, but it’s funny how much influence that number has over your happiness. Step on the scales and achieve your weight loss target and your sprit soars. Weigh yourself and realize that you’ve gained a kilo or two and you can feel anything from mild disappointment to severe dejection and self-hatred.
Does your weight affect your happiness?
Why do those extra kilos matter so much? Why are we so weight focused?
I often hear people say “if I can just lose another 3kg I’ll be happy”, but if you make your happiness contingent on your weight you’ll wait forever for happiness.
For one thing, the goal posts can shift. You start by thinking that you’ll feel happy and satisfied with your body if you can just lose that extra 4kg only to find that you’re just as body-conscious and unhappy even at your goal weight.
You try to lose more weight hoping that that will make you happy (it doesn’t) or feel so disappointed that you’re not as happy at your goal weight as you expected that you return to old eating habits and regain the weight you worked so hard to lose in the first place.
Healthy eating and exercise are important, but they’re important for more reasons than just weight loss. Good nutrition and regular exercise can help to reduce stress and boost your mood, and they’re also important for your health and physical well-being.
What would happen if you took weight out of the equation? What if you stopped focusing on calories and found another motivation for sticking to a balanced diet and regular physical activity? Is it possible to achieve weight loss and not have your life revolve around a number?
There’s really only one way to find out.