If you’ve embarked on the weight management journey, the road to improved health can seem like a never-ending one. Whether you’re navigating weight and health alongside a doctor, nutritionist or a support system composed of people you trust, it’s important that you have clear goals in mind to keep you heading in the right direction.
However — what do you do when those goals aren’t so clear? How do you know when to stop, assess your progress or create a new goal? Is there a moment in time where you’ll know you’ve reached the “perfect” weight?
Your Weight Matters – for Your HEALTH
The journey with weight and health cannot be separated into one or the other. Your weight matters not because a number on the scale defines your value, but because it affects your health.
For that reason alone, there is no “perfect” or “end all, be all” weight to mark the magic number on your weight management journey. Rather, it’s every step forward that counts. Every piece of progress (be it a permanent change to your nutrition habits or the successful completion of a difficult workout routine) counts for something important.
Deconstructing the “Perfect” Weight Mentality
On the other hand, it’s very common to experience “tunnel vision” if you’re striving toward a healthier weight. Every pound lost can seem like the world’s biggest victory — propelling you into a cycle that makes it difficult to move your attention away from the pounds themselves and onto the bigger picture… your health!
If you can relate, here are a few important things to consider:
- Small Changes Produce Grand Benefits. Even a weight-loss of 5 to 10 percent can lower your risk for weight-related conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea and others.
- There Are Other Ways to Measure Success. Pay attention to other changes like the way you feel physically and mentally, the way your clothes fit, or improved health vitals measured by your doctor.
- The Journey Never Truly Ends. Even when you’ve reached a healthy weight, it takes awareness and dedication to maintain your progress. Staying on-track requires that you stick to the habits which helped you reach success.
- You Should Enjoy the Process. Rather than being hard on yourself along the way, take time to enjoy the journey. It’s a process that helps you break apart unhelpful habits and build new ones for a brand new, healthier you. Your progress, no matter how big or how small, should excite you!
Is there a “perfect” weight? Not really, but every every stride toward improved health is what matters most.
