What does Nike have to do with my weight?

Do you really want to know? This article is not about exercise.

And the truth is hard to swallow. But whether you like it or not, I and countless colleagues have found that the best way to support a healthy weight is by actually letting go of controlling that weight!

If this sounds terrifying to you, you are not alone. But I can assure you that those who take this radical leap of faith do not regret it. It frees them up to live their lives with new energy and opportunity. And if you think about it, your body knows exactly what it needs in order to be whatever weight and shape it was designed to be.

Our physiological hunger cues are ingeniously targeted to help us get the nutrition that we need. A baby is born knowing exactly how much to eat, and it’s a skill that we never lose. Sadly, though, we often lose confidence in this innate ability to regulate, and we turn to external guidance such as diet plans and food rules passed on from one friend to another. 

What does this have to do with Nike? Wait for it, it's coming soon.

Once we stop trusting our bodies' hunger and fullness cues, we are at risk of over-eating as well as under-eating. In addition to scheduling eating times and balancing the menu, my job is to help people get in touch with their hunger and fullness in guiding how much food they eat. 

And when we eat an appropriate diet, that supports our bodies finding their particular healthy weight.

But guess what? Your healthy weight is not my healthy weight - even if we are the same height. Because our genetics are different. BMI indexes are not very useful for predicting what a healthy weight is for an individual. The best way to discover your healthy weight, is to observe where your weight settles when your behaviors are healthy.

Because healthy behaviors support overall health, including a healthy weight. Sadly, when people hyperfocus on weight, not only does it have negative repercussions on mental health, but their careful restriction actually backfires:

While they may lose weight initially, just like the Nike logo, their weight climbs back up.

As Dina Cohen, MS RDN CEDRD-S always says,

“Even if I agree with someone that weight loss is beneficial, the last thing I would do is put them on a diet”.

Because diets are really good at helping people gain weight in the long run, which is exactly the opposite of what they are trying to achieve. 

So if we are serious about health, let’s shift our focus towards trusting our bodies’ innate wisdom and letting go of food rules that backfire in the long run. Here’s to balance, sustainability, and health of the body and mind.  

Noa Miller, RDN