I first heard about this concept while listening to the Mindset programming on the 99Walks app. You can read a bit more about this app here:
https://lindawbrowning.com/2022/12/10/habits-exercise-walking/
There is useful material in every section of 99Walks, but the listening section is particularly helpful. These are similar to podcasts which you listen to as you walk. There are all sorts of coaching programs, from high energy get-out-and-go to quieter look inside yourself programming. The five part Progress Over Perfection series by Jillie Johnston was where the idea of “Loving Yourself Healthy” really hit home (1).
Perhaps you’ve heard of the very unfortunate dieting concept called hate yourself thin. This is where you punish yourself for your imperfect food and exercise choices, trying to make up for years of unwise habits with short-term fixes like fasting, grueling workouts, insane diet practices – you get the picture. This is extremely unlikely to succeed in the long run, even though there may be some quick, temporary changes. It’s harmful and unsustainable.
For more on this idea, see my prior post on Sustainability here: https://lindawbrowning.com/2023/01/15/sustainability/
A good example of of unsustainable weight loss is illustrated by the reality TV show, The Biggest Loser, where abusive tactics are used to push the contestants to lose weight. Those who are not “good enough” are eliminated and some might say humiliated. What you may not see are things like hospitalizations due to the dangerous practices used (2). If this isn’t hating yourself, I don’t know what is. And the results of all this pain are a slowed metabolism and nearly inevitable weight gain (3).
Have you participated in similarly unhealthy weight loss regimes? I definitely have – literally dozens of them. But diet history isn’t what our maintenance journey is about. We are moving forward, having learned from the past but not dwelling in it.
If we stay on that diet rollercoaster, knowing that it’s harmful to our bodies and psyches, then we truly are hating ourselves unhealthy. Let’s turn that around and start loving ourselves healthy.
- Start with a level of acceptance – appreciate where you’ve been.
- Learn to value progress over perfection – understand that we are enough even though we can’t be perfect.
- Continue on the journey with faith – believe that we are moving forward.
- Persevere with love – see this through to achieve our personal best levels of health.
We are worthy of the investment it takes to manage our weight. Let’s continue on this journey to better health!
(1). https://www.99walks.fit/jillie
(2). https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/business/media/25loser.html?ref=health&pagewanted=all
Maintain Weight Loss 