What’s Wrong with ‘Watching your Weight’?
For many people, particularly women in their forties and beyond, ‘watching their weight’ is second nature. It’s a concept so ingrained in our culture that it often goes unquestioned.
But what does it really mean to watch your weight, and could this well-intentioned focus be doing some people more harm than good?
What Does ‘Watching Your Weight’ Look Like?
Whilst it may be true that some people are ‘natural moderators’, for others ‘watching their weight’ translates into food and body behaviours such as:
Regularly skipping meals, fasting, or ignoring hunger signals.
Always taking the lighter option, even if it’s not what you actually want.
Restricting carbs or controlling portion sizes, even if it leaves you unsatisfied.
Eating small amounts when it leaves you feeling hungry or depleted.
Regular weigh-ins upon which you determine what you eat that day.
Compulsive body checking scrutinising your body shape, size, or weight.
All of these restrictive eating patterns and compensatory behaviours are aimed at controlling a number on the scales - but at what cost?
POTENTIAL Risks of Restrictive Eating
While consciously ‘cutting back’ on food may appear to be a simple, ‘virtuous’ choice for health, it can have surprising and serious potential consequences for those that take it too far:
1. Inadequate protein intake ~ Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass, supporting your immune system, keeping your blood sugar relatively stable, and promoting overall health. Chronic under-eating can result in insufficient protein intake which can lead to muscle loss and reduced strength over time.
2. Malnourishment and energy deficiency ~ When you don’t eat enough to meet your body’s energy needs, you risk malnourishment. This could mean a lack of vitamins and minerals, and not having the resources to fuel your day effectively. Over time, this can lead to extreme fatigue and a diminished ability to concentrate.
3. Increased risk of osteoporosis - Calcium and vitamin D, vital for bone health, can be compromised by overly restrictive diets. Women who make a long-term habit of under-eating may face a higher risk of developing osteoporosis as they age.
4. Digestive issues ~ Low food intake can slow digestion and contribute to bloating, constipation, and other gut-related health problems.
5. Metabolic slowdown ~ Eating too little can lead your body to become more efficient at conserving energy, making it harder to maintain your weight in the long term. This can also lead to increased fatigue and difficulty staying active.
6. Intensified cravings and overeating ~ Restricting food often backfires at some point whether it’s hours, days or months later. When you don’t eat enough, your body compensates by increasing cravings, particularly for high-energy foods. This can set you up for cycles of overeating or bingeing, further destabilising your relationship with food.
7. Stress on your body ~ Under-eating can cause physical and emotional stress. Hormonal imbalances, irritability, and heightened fatigue are common side effects, and over time, these can affect overall wellbeing.
8. Disconnection from your body ~ By ignoring hunger cues or overriding your cravings, you lose touch with your body’s natural signals. This makes it harder to identify what you truly need, leading to a sense of distrust and disconnection from your body.
A Healthier Approach: Nourish, Don’t Punish
You might be reading this thinking that’s all very well, but if you were to stop paying attention to your weight and stop moderating food in this way, then your eating habits and your weight would spiral out of control.
I understand the concern, but there is another way to approach food and your body - one where you don’t have to choose between taking care of yourself and enjoying your life. It’s an approach where you don’t run the risk of running on empty, feeling deprived and preoccupied with food, or getting caught-up in restrict-binge cycles.
Instead of putting weight control front and centre, the alternative involves a embracing a broader, more holistic philosophy of health and wellbeing, and approaching eating from of a place of genuine and mindful self-care - not self-control.
The approach I teach my clients at Gut Reaction, which is grounded in the philosophy and principles of Intuitive Eating and complemented by qualified, tailored nutritional guidance, involves a profound recognition that real health isn’t actually about chasing a number on the scale (even though it commonly gets reduced to that). And, rather than putting energy into body control and constantly micromanaging food, you focus on:
Listening to your body and building trust in its cues about when to start and stop eating
Exploring and addressing emotional and external influences on eating
Discovering the satisfaction factor with food
Learning to nourish your body consistently in ways that feel genuinely supportive
Fostering a more resilient body image
Through this mindful and compassionate process you also learn to trust and respect that your body has an amazing capacity to do exactly what it is meant to do naturally whilst you’re taking care of its needs rather than trying to manipulate how it looks.
Is it time you let go of the drain of ‘watching your weight’, to shift from restrictive habits to a nourishment mindset, and find a new way to support your health without losing connection to your body or your joy in eating?
Take a nourishing step forward today
Are worries about food, weight, or overeating draining your time, energy, and peace of mind? Are you struggling with low mood, food cravings, poor gut health or digestive challenges?
Old mindsets and habits can be hard to shift on your own. If you are looking to reset your eating patterns, make peace with your body, and reclaim your energy, I can help you.
Please check out my private programmes here, or book an exploratory chat to find out more.
