Are you constantly worried about what and how much you eat? Are you constantly counting calories, weighing food or worried about your next meal? Or are you obsessed about your weight or appearance?
This obsession with food and weight often stems from a place of fear or control, where one feels their worth is tied to their diet or appearance and takes away from the natural enjoyment of food and life itself. Instead of focussing on this one should be focussing on good health.
Health is a lot beyond your weight. Instead of focusing on calories, focus on other parameters of good health. Good energy levels, good immunity, good mental health, regular periods, better digestion, clean bowel movements, good sleep, good recovery, no aches and pains in the body, healthy skin and hair etc.
Calorie counting ignores the nutritional value of food, disregards satiety and hunger cues and is also time consuming and tedious. Constantly tracking calories can create a rigid mindset, leading to anxiety around food choices. Instead, mindful and intuitive eating, focussing on nutrient density, building healthy habits and mindset of moderation are always more sustainable. Tuning into your body’s needs and understanding that energy requirements can fluctuate based on activity levels, stress levels, sleep, menstrual cycles etc help develop a healthy relationship with food.
I have come across gym trainers or perfectly thin and lean people who are not actually in good health. They have low immunity, fall sick frequently and energy levels are sometimes lower than normal people. That would not be a healthy person though they look fit and healthy. And contrary to that people who might not be ideal weight or size but might be healthier otherwise. Also, if you need to lose excess weight it will never be only about food. It will be a combination of your stress, sleep, hormonal balance and a lot of other factors.
Lastly, if you are constantly obsessing about your next meal or counting calories all the time, when and how do you find time for other areas of your life like hobbies, relationships, career and overall growth in life? The key message is to have a relationship of nourishment and balance rather than control and restriction and focusing on overall health and other aspects of your life instead of weight alone.
