Thursday, February 3, 2011

Let's Put It This Way...

What's more important?

Seeing the number on the scale go down--which you can achieve by going on a "diet", even if it's a diet of junk food? Or seeing your BMI number go down--which you can easily achieve by going on a starvation diet, except that you'll probably lose a great deal of muscle instead of fat?

Or totally reconsidering the quality (rather than the quantity) of the food you eat? (Warning: you might end up eating less food overall if the quality of your eating improves.)

Or reading the nutrition labels on food you buy in order to find out about nutritional content and preservative content rather than simply the number of calories?

Or shopping more in the fresh produce aisle?

Or finally understanding why you feel you have to eat a loaf of bread at one sitting or a bowl of cookie batter? (Warning: you may have to leave a bad relationship if you do.)

Or choosing to go for a walk every day?

Or choosing to take public transit rather than the car?

Or going to your local community centre and going for a swim (cost: a few dollars--a lot less than a gym membership)?

What's better? A healthier lifestyle that doesn't focus on weight? Or getting those numbers down, come hell or high water, no matter what the actual cost to your health?

6 comments:

  1. I love your thinking and your blog!
    I think that there are many immediate payoffs to the activities you've listed that are far more rewarding than dropping pounds.

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  2. Welcome quantumacceptance, and thanks for the comment!

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  3. I don't think it's an either or...I think you can do both and safely. lessening your intake won't kill you. Especially if you do it safely over time. I have lost 115 pounds over the course of twenty months. I think you can set out to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way. Although I respect your opinion.

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  4. I'd have to say i'm usually in between both! I do try to eat pretty healthy and i try not to eat many processed foods. But at the same time i'm looking for the weight to go down mainly for my heart health because i've already got issues with that.

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  5. Christine, I greatly appreciate your respectful comments. I know that we have very different opinions on a number of issues. Thank you.

    I know that you've lost a lot of weight and that you have and continue to work very hard at this. I believe, with all due respect though, that you are an "outlier": one of the unbelievably dedicated people who have practically devoted their lives to weight loss. Individuals who manage this feat each do it in their own way, but no one has been able to find an approach that actually works on a long-term basis for a majority of those who try.

    That is why, more and more, I feel the need to promote health at every size, which seeks to promote healthy eating, healthy movement and a healthy psyche while recognizing that people actually do come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

    The discussion continues...

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  6. I agree with you. Focusing on being healthy is better than the actual scale number. But if were doing a healthy life the scale should move and it will lead to a healthier bmi

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