Why I hate “Weight Loss”

Nicole Topp
Aug 22, 2017 · 6 min read
“Take care of your body. Its the only place you have to live.” Jim Rohn

Weight Loss, there I said it!!

Many of you already know that I really dislike the term “weight loss” and this is primarily because I feel that the focus is on the wrong thing. What if we didn’t focus on what we needed to get rid of but in fact focused on what we could gain? (Strong healthy bodies that we respect rather than loathe.) What if you did not carry the guilt around with you from “having a moment,” where you made a choice that was less than ideal? AND, what if you already have the tools that you need?

Soon, we will be bombarded with a whole lot of advertising on weight loss.

You will hear that you can “Loose 10kg in 2 weeks” using monks tears and some kind of unknown African herb that you can not pronounce. Maybe your acquaintance suddenly wants you to pop in for a cuppa and tell you all of the amazing results she has been having with people “just like you!” OR you might be interested in trying something that your neighbours friend used because her Aunty Robyn saw it on A Current Affair. Either way you will not be getting to the cause of the problem and you can in fact cause yourself considerable health complications in the process.

I am sorry to have to break it to you but there are no quick fixes and no magic pills, it actually comes down to a lifestyle change. The real secret is….. you actually have to want it. The question is, what would it take for you to get the result that you want?

With the type of lives that we are leading, we want results and we want them yesterday. The tech is fast, the information is everywhere and we are constantly bombarded with the next new thing. In this case, when it comes to your health, you actually have to think about what it is worth. Does it sound too good to be true? Who is it that is offering the information and what do they get out of it? Most importantly, what are their qualifications? (Dont even get me started on this one!! You wouldn’t ask the guy who cleans the operating theatre to perform the surgery just because he has seen it done before!)

Here is my pet peeve!

You have seen them before….. They are offering incredible idea that you can shed a huge amount of weight in a very small time frame. The marketing is good. The pictures look very convincing. The consumer is triggered by the images and the idea that THIS product is exactly what is needed and it must be achievable or else they couldn’t sell it.

The issue here, in my mind, (other than the questionable products that are sold), is that the marketing hype. The aim is to make you feel like you are not enough, that you do not have enough and that if you just spend huge amounts of your money on this amazing product, you will finally BE enough. And for that very reason, I DO NOT DO WEIGHT LOSS! You simply have to ask yourself, does this sound like a healthy way to live? What will be the likely outcome over time in my current state of health?

There are many reasons for weight gain and this can be the primary goal for many of the people who walk through my clinic door. It is MY job to help you to understand WHY weight loss will in fact be a “side effect” of your treatment goals.

My focus is on building healthy, strong bodies that you should be proud of already, where ever you are at. We explore what you want to achieve and what that will look like day to day. It is important to assess your detoxification pathways, your general health, your metabolic health and your hormonal contribution to the way that your body is functioning right now. The problem with a “quick fix” is that it can actually disrupt the critical balance of your current situation. Which can actually be quite detrimental to your overall health both short and long term.

So let me be incredibly clear! In my professional opinion, there are no quick fixes. There is also no room in your life for guilt, body shaming and aggressive marketing tactics that leave you feeling like you are not enough. Yes your diet does have an effect on your body fat percentage as does movement, however it is important to know HOW. This is why I believe it is more important to teach you to fish, rather than give you the fish… Having the knowledge to take control of your health rather than feeling like you are not enough is much more motivating and inspiring, which leads to a more successful outcome in the long run. Wherever you are right now, even making one small change can have a huge impact on your mental and physical health.

My top five tips for those wanting a weight loss “side effect” from good health!

1- Cut out refined foods- that is almost anything in a packet!! Fill you meals and snacks with fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts and protein rich foods.

2- Plenty of fresh water

3- Keep moving, even if your time is limited, any extra movement is better than none!

4- Think positively- it is important to keep an eye on your thoughts. Are they positive or negative. If you are consistently telling yourself that you are not good enough, smart enough, skinny enough, how do you expect to have a successful outcome. Start the day off with “I am proud of what my body does for me every day”, “I am strong” and/or “I am enough.”

5- Organisation- Sometimes this can be in the form of batch cooking, snack preparation or finding interesting recipes to cook in the coming weeks. For me personally, this is imperative to make my week run smoothly.

Wherever you are right now, just start. Keep it real, keep it honest and just keep at it. Recommit when necessary.

Since you have committed to reading the whole article, I don’t mind sharing an embarrassing story with you.

Considering my profession, you will be delighted to learn that I am far from perfect in my healthy lifestyle aims. I am unfit!! In an, “Oh my gosh, how can my eight year old out run me” kind of way. But wait, it gets worse!! It turns out, I am not even walking properly!!

Let me give you the back story, not the excuses, just how I found myself to be where I am at right now.

My youngest has started school this year (oops did you just hear that sigh of relief?!?). So this year was aimed at me (shock horror, is that allowed!). It has taken me all year so far, even after writing an ecourse on this topic, to step up and make this change.

The last month I planned on signing up with a personal trainer who runs local group sessions, but first I wanted to get a bit fitter (hang on, isn’t that what a trainer does?). Well THAT never happened as I failed to schedule it into my day, I failed to make myself the priority. Last week, I finally made contact with this incredibly inspiring woman who has her own amazing story. Upon assessment, it turns out that I am not using the correct muscles to walk!

Right now, I am what you would call, “starting from scratch” to build from the ground up. I am sharing this with you from the beginning, not after a month or two when I have already built some kind of foundation, I want you to see the challenges that I will have along the way. THAT is real life. My first proper session is tomorrow and I am not going to lie about it, I feel a little nervous. I am excited to finally make myself the priority and even though I know it is going to hurt, I am proud of myself for accepting where I am and making a positive change. Now if only I knew that someone could scoop me up and pour me into my car at the end, I would be confident that I would also get home after the class!! I will let you know how I go!

Nicole Topp has a BHSci Naturopathy and believes that whole food should be celebrated. Rather than looking at what we have to cut out of our diet, lets look at cramming more of the good stuff in. Your body will thank you for it.

)
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade