One size doesn’t fit all

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/01/2021 (1728 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cosmopolitan magazine made a statement on body positivity in its upcoming February issue, creating a firestorm on social media this past week.

The magazine prominently declares “This is healthy!” on its cover, illustrating women of different sizes for its feature story, 11 Women Who Prove Wellness Isn’t One Size Fits All.

This is always a polarizing topic and it sells magazines, I’m sure. On one hand, you have experts suggesting this is a dangerous statement to make amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in which obesity has shown to raise people’s risk profiles to complications from COVID-19.

In the past, I would’ve leaned this way. Stories trumpeting “Healthy at Every Size” have caused me to instinctively dismiss their messages.

That’s because research shows it’s hard to be healthy at every size and getting weight down tends to solve a lot of issues and risk factors.

But, as I’ve read further, the more I’ve resonated with what the HAES movement is all about. The pursuit of wellness is about so much more than a number on the scale. And that gets lost in this social media firestorm.

No one’s worth should be defined by their weight. I can get behind and fully support all of that. Having been both “fat” and “fit,” I know how unfairly one can be judged based on exterior appearance.

Humans are judgmental by nature and we do need to accept and take note of this. Then we can catch ourselves and begin to rewire some of these thinking processes. We can pass judgment at the heavy guy walking down our street, but we don’t know that he’s been consistent with exercise and nutrition, has dropped a pile of weight and feels great compared to a few months ago.

HAES is not about embracing body positivity by becoming a glutton in the process. People can be healthy or unhealthy at a variety of sizes and, as a result, we need to value the person in front of us regardless of their physical stature.

I promote weight loss as much as the next coach, but that’s because “lifestyle” improvements don’t really get people off the couch initially, even though they are valuable in the big picture. The use of movement and nutrition to help improve health regardless of what the scale or pant size might suggest is a great pursuit.

So, sure, instil good habits with the goal of weight loss, but you’ll come to realize you feel more energized, sleep better and are happier when you do those things.

The external validation of noticing body changes is cool and takes care of itself, but only after the good habits become automatic.

Some examples of these “real world” residual benefits from recent client check-ins:

● “I was better able to control my emotions when my toddler had a tantrum.”

● “I didn’t need a third cup of coffee to get through this demanding work project.”

● “I couldn’t believe I had the energy to keep up with my daughter all day sledding.”

And this particularly detailed one from two days ago: “I feel so much better mentally and physically. My mood is better and I have more patience with my kids, and most of all I have hope of a better future. Before, I felt hopeless. For once I don’t feel alone. I feel a part of something. My kids have their mom back.”

HAES practices have been shown in controlled trials, as cited in Nutrition Journal, to improve healthy habits, self-esteem and psychological well-being, as well as metabolic health — all without putting the focus solely on weight loss.

The HAES movement takes the focus off of weight change and supports people of all sizes in finding compassionate ways to take care of themselves.

Instead of picking a side, I’d like to think a collaborative approach would serve everyone a whole lot better. Because there’s a lot more overlap than folks on either side think. And we make more headway in helping our population become healthier if we find a way to work together toward common goals.

So where do you start? You might think your inability to stick with a plan comes down to a lack of motivation or willpower.

But if you’ve managed to stick out a restrictive diet for more than a few weeks before, you’ve worked plenty hard enough. Harder than my clients and me, quite frankly. We’re all about working smarter in these parts. And that means implementing the Goldilocks Rule.

Popularized by James Clear, this rule just means you need to find the plan “that’s just right” with a mix of challenge and habit change, not too much or too little.

Let’s say you haven’t exercised in a while and woke up Jan. 1 with a ton of desire to change. So you google “celebrity workouts” and find a plan that has you training five times a week for hours at a time. Here’s the issue: If you’re going from zero workouts to five days per week, that’s a big jump. Maybe two full-body workouts is your sweet spot to start.

Trying to force yourself to stick with weight-loss habits that are too difficult is a losing proposition.

You don’t need to be hardcore and lift like that bodybuilder on YouTube for hours at a time to get started. Nor do you need to survive on kale salads and equal-portioned cups of your own tears to lose those pounds.

Most people assume that dieting should always be hard, but in reality, when you create less friction you get better results. As humans we tend to be able to do things longer and more consistently when they’re something we can sustain.

Because, the truth is, fat loss is a gradual process. That five-pound loss a week into a crash diet wasn’t all body fat. Just as weight gain happens gradually over time, so will weight loss. But it beats the alternative of yo-yo dieting and never fully getting to your goal. That’s much slower and more painful in the long run.

Mitch Calvert is a Winnipeg-based fitness coach for men and women like his former self. Heavy-set in his 20s, he lost 60 pounds and now helps clients find their spark and lose the weight and feel great for life. Visit mitchcalvert.com to grab yourself a free diet cheat sheet, sign up for his free Safe at Home virtual classes, or inquire about his new year’s virtual coaching challenge.