How to Ditch Dieting and Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Have you ever thought to yourself: “I’m so sick of dieting, but if I stop dieting, how will I make sure I stay healthy?” That’s a totally fair question! Health is a huge concern for so many people. It’s also important to name that the pursuit of “health” is not something you need to feel like you need to engage in to be a good person on this planet. Your worth does not lie in your health. However, because you’re here and you clicked on this post, it sounds like health is something you want to pursue, so let’s get into it.
what’s your definition of “healthy?”
Health as a construct isn’t as black and white as you might think. I’d love for you to take a minute and maybe write down what your definition of health is (not a required assignment, obviously). Here are some considerations:
Does your definition of health consider mental and emotional wellbeing?
What defines a “healthy” or “unhealthy behavior for you?
Do you believe that certain foods can be described as “healthy” or “unhealthy” objectively?
Does your definition of health include a number on the scale?
Some of the considerations listed above are great ways to think about health, and some are much less helpful. Can you pick out which is which? I’ll give you a hint: there are no “good” or “bad” foods. You also cannot determine your health based on the number on the scale. So when you think about your health, what would it be like to take a truly holistic approach, instead of attempting to categorize how you exist as “good” or “bad?” which leaves you with probably more questions! Good thing I have answers.
what can improve our health?
If intentional weight loss and micromanaging our nutrition doesn’t improve our health, what does? The answer is health behaviors! It’s important to note that the reason I said “intentional” weight loss instead of just weight loss is that some folks do lose weight when engaging in increased health behaviors. That being said, weight loss itself is not a behavior!
So what are health behaviors?
Eating nutrient-dense foods without restricting other foods
Eating enough
Moving your body joyfully
Healthy friendships/relationships
Anything that brings joy to your life
The idea is that we add in these behaviors without otherwise restricting our food or forcing our bodies into doing something that doesn’t feel good.
how much control do we really have?
One big reason why actively pursuing health isn’t something that is necessary to live a full and worthy life is to a large extent, we don’t have control of it. Even folks who eat all the greens and do all the movement in the world still get sick. That’s not meant to freak you out, it’s to affirm that it’s ok to prioritize living your life over pursuing a certain health status that is as arbitrary as anything can get. In fact, it’s likely going to be healthier for you to do so!
There are also other factors to consider. You might have heard of the term “social determinants of health.” If you have, awesome! If not, this is super important. Our income, access to food, access to medical care, and marginalized identities we may or may not have (just to name a few) all have a major impact on our ability to improve our health. Again, these things are often not entirely within our control.
At the end of the day, self-care, compassion, and flexibility are key. When it comes to health, there is so much you can do without sacrificing your mental (and often physical) wellbeing. You also once again don’t owe anyone your “health,” and to judge yourself or others on health status is simply unhelpful! Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and it’s entirely up to you to decide how you want to live your life.