Navigating Body Changes
Have you noticed more diet or weight loss talk on social media or even in your inbox since the start of the new year? It seems that in January and right before the summer time, this information and chatter is prevalent, almost everywhere around us, and it might be adding to certain feelings and emotions we have about our bodies leaving us wondering if we DO need a new program or diet.
I recognize that weight gain and body change during the menopause transition and also for many after the shut down and slow down of the pandemic is an area of concern for many. Changes in lifestyle and how you move and eat may also have led to changes in body composition over the past year or so. You might feel uncomfortable in your body that now feels and looks unfamiliar, almost seemingly overnight. In a society that places such high value on a thin aesthetic for women and very likely having been on and off many diets and “lifestyle changes” over your years, experiencing these changes can feel uncomfortable, even if we are trying to tell ourselves that “it shouldn’t matter”
The structures and systems built into the world that stigmatizes larger bodies and rewards small ones do exist - and these trinkle into how we view and feel about our bodies.
The change to shift to a place of body acceptance and even love takes work and does not happen overnight - and even those of us who have been working to untangle these feelings for years have times of body checking and desire to shrink down. Body image can change from day to day and moment to moment - losing weight is not the fix for how we feel about ourselves and the confidence we have in ourselves - this is work that happens on the inside, even if you do pursue weight/fat loss.
The desire to lose weight is not bad or wrong. I would advise, however, that you dig deep into your why for this weight loss, find a coach to work with that is not going to promise fast changes, and also work on your relationship with the body you currently have, learn about weight stigma, and untangle your relationship with food alongside the physical changes that might happen. Weight loss does not guarantee confidence, body love or happiness or even health.
My mission is to help women and other folks who always felt like they had to shrink down, shift to discovering how getting and feeling strong(er) can feel instead.
So when someone comes to me with a weight loss goal, I meet them where they are at. Your goal and desire is valid. But I will not use or encourage the use of a scale, tape measure, or before and after pictures as the measures of progress. If you would like to use those metrics for yourself, then that is a-ok and your choice for yourself.
Instead, we’ll start to match nutritional habits to incorporate into your life to your activity level - being fed and fueled - so you can kick ass during your workouts and be able to adequately recover so progress is seen and felt over time. We will also start to work on strategies and reflective practices that will allow you to shift to a mindful, intuitive way of eating - which will truly be sustainable for the long haul!
This might result in weight loss / fat loss as you build muscle and you might find that clothes that were tight are more comfortable again. But we are shifting the focus from an outcome to habits that we can actually be in control of. What you will definitely gain is a tool box of strategies and habits that help you feel nourished, fed, and satisfied.
And this approach can feel scary as hell since it’s so different and foreign to what has been embedded into our psyches and beliefs of what “good” “valued” “worthy” bodies look like and what “it takes” to get there.
But if you are sick and tired of the on again, off again cycle of diets and lifestyles and are recognizing that the idea of “I’m just going to try this (insert diet/method here) one more time and it will be different this time” is really just jumping onto the on/off again cycle, why not try a different approach? One that might actually change your relationship with food, fitness, and your body?
If you are interested in chatting to find out if we’d be a good fit to work together for your nutrition goals, especially ones to support your training and overall wellness, schedule an initial 20 minute nutrition consult here!
Over the next few months, in the Strong Sunday newsletter, the Strong and Simple Podcast, and here on the blog, I will also be sharing some information about more popular diets / “life styles” that are marketed towards women over 40 so that you can be armed with the information you need to make the best choices for your body and your goals, whatever they are!
If there are specific diets/programs you are wondering about, please email me michelle@michellefarrellcoaching.com so I can add them to the list!
My hope is that with this information you can be a knowedgable and informed consumer and be able to weed through the BS that is woven into so much of the wellness industry and make the information more objective and less confusing (as it often is!)
With Love and Strength,
Coach Michelle