Is “Weight Loss” a Bad Thing?

Question: Is the idea of “weight loss” a bad thing to you?

Here’s why I’m asking: last weekend I posted this photo on Instagram

Dating Fruit for Dessert #PSPfit

Someone left a comment saying You can HAVE what ever desert you want. It’s the desert you prefer or should eat.

A few days later, someone on Facebook asked me why my “Plus Size Fitness: How to do a Push-Up” post had the words “weight loss” in the link description. I answered saying that we’re all on different journeys and I want never want to exclude anyone, but I felt like my answer wasn’t enough.

I think we all know the ugly side of diet culture. I know what its like to be the youngest girl at weight watchers meetings. I know what its like to be given unsolicited diet advice from strangers. I know what its like to deprive myself, obsess over the scale and still feel like I’m failing. I can confidently say that dieting and engaging with my body in a negative way has never done me any good. That’s what’s so amazing to me about being body positive. Shifting my goals from “get skinny” to “get healthy” was the most liberating decision I could have made. I finally understand that the most valuable results I can strive for are health related, not scale related.

#PSPfit is a space that is inclusive to any healthy curves journey. Most of us have been judged for not being thin, so maybe we should be careful not to become judge of women for their health goals, whatever that may be.

Maybe words like “Have” and “Weight Loss” are triggers for those of us who have been bruised by diet culture but as I celebrate Healthy Curves at Every Size, those words don’t have power over me anymore.  I know that I will always be a big girl, but I also know that my PCOS becomes more manageable when I shed a few pounds *shrugs*

At this point I can understand that “Lose Weight” doesn’t mean “Get Skinny”. I can say I “can’t have” chocolate cake and know that what I’m really saying is “chocolate cake is not supportive to my body right now” and I think its okay to say things like that.

Is Weight Loss a Bad Thing

I am body positive, I love myself and I love my body at any size but sometimes I need structure. Sometimes I need to challenge myself to fill up on yummy healthy hearty foods so that I don’t even consider eating something that’s made in a factory and comes out of a crinkly bag. That’s why we’re starting another #PSPfit online bootcamp next week, because remembering how much my body loves clean eating will help me to make better choices during the holiday season.

I think part of being being body positive is loving your body through working out and eating healthy. Sometimes that means saying no to indulgent foods and sometimes your body sheds a little weight too… but that’s just me!

…Thoughts?

30 thoughts on “Is “Weight Loss” a Bad Thing?”

  1. Sece, I hear u when u say those words arent triggers for u anymore because that’s where I am with my weight loss/healthy living journey. At one point in my life those types of trigger words would send me into a tail spin but once I accpeted myself and began to LOVE myself at whatever weight I was or despite any other hang ups I had, the words lost their power. So I believe that at times words and labels continuously hurt us because we allow them to define us instead of redefining the words. And Cece,
    “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.

  2. Ivie123@yahoo.com

    Sece, I hear u when u say those words arent triggers for u anymore because that’s where I am with my weight loss/healthy living journey. At one point in my life those types of trigger words would send me into a tail spin but once I accpeted myself and began to LOVE myself at whatever weight I was or despite any other hang ups I had, the words lost their power. So I believe that at times words and labels continuously hurt us because we allow them to define us instead of redefining the words. And Cece,“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.

  3. Yes. Love this so much. I have lost a bunch of weight, but not because I was unhappy about my size, but I noticed that the better I ate, the better I felt and the more energy I had. Weight loss was secondary, it just came with it.

    I was beautiful before and I am beautiful now, but now I am beautiful and have more energy!

    This is a wonderful post. We can be curvy and healthy!

  4. Yes. Love this so much. I have lost a bunch of weight, but not because I was unhappy about my size, but I noticed that the better I ate, the better I felt and the more energy I had. Weight loss was secondary, it just came with it.
    I was beautiful before and I am beautiful now, but now I am beautiful and have more energy!

    This is a wonderful post. We can be curvy and healthy!

  5. I don’t mind saying weight loss because I do want my weight to be lost and never find its way back to me again! lol The reality is for me, at my size, I suffer from a lack of energy, a number of health issues are exacerbated and on the purely fun front it makes it more difficult for me to wear the lovely heels I’ve collected and the types of clothes I enjoy. So all in all weight loss (retraining how I eat) is part of my healthy living journey.

  6. evangelia@aol.com

    I don’t mind saying weight loss because I do want my weight to be lost and never find its way back to me again! lol The reality is for me, at my size, I suffer from a lack of energy, a number of health issues are exacerbated and on the purely fun front it makes it more difficult for me to wear the lovely heels I’ve collected and the types of clothes I enjoy. So all in all weight loss (retraining how I eat) is part of my healthy living journey.

  7. I think the key phrase that ones should remember is that this is your blog and your journey but you are choosing to share it with the masses. I know your struggles with PCOS because you spoke about it. Any person who exercises and eats better will probably lose weight. Acceptance is about loving yourself but because I want to do better for me doesn’t mean I hate me. In fact it means I love me and this is how I choose to show it. Use your words to articulate your point. People hated Jesus and spoke nothing but the truth. Don’t expect a better approval rating.

  8. bklynite278@gmail.com

    I think the key phrase that ones should remember is that this is your blog and your journey but you are choosing to share it with the masses. I know your struggles with PCOS because you spoke about it. Any person who exercises and eats better will probably lose weight. Acceptance is about loving yourself but because I want to do better for me doesn’t mean I hate me. In fact it means I love me and this is how I choose to show it. Use your words to articulate your point. People hated Jesus and spoke nothing but the truth. Don’t expect a better approval rating.

  9. I am not offended at all by weight loss goals, and it’s sometimes for the best. People are more at risk to develop some health problems if they are overweight (or underweight!). However, for me, weight loss has been more of a happy side-effect than an actual goal. I used to have back pain, crazy periods, no energy, and I don’t have those anymore because I have lost 35 pounds but I developped better eating habits and a healthier lifestyle, which cause me to keep losing weight. I just don’t track it much !

  10. vanessa.babin@gmail.com

    I am not offended at all by weight loss goals, and it’s sometimes for the best. People are more at risk to develop some health problems if they are overweight (or underweight!). However, for me, weight loss has been more of a happy side-effect than an actual goal. I used to have back pain, crazy periods, no energy, and I don’t have those anymore because I have lost 35 pounds but I developped better eating habits and a healthier lifestyle, which cause me to keep losing weight. I just don’t track it much !

  11. Why would weight lossbe offensive? Weight loss is a necessary goal for some people, but that doesn’t mean they don’t love themselves. A healthy weight makes you feel better physically.

  12. weathyarms00@gmail.com

    Why would weight lossbe offensive? Weight loss is a necessary goal for some people, but that doesn’t mean they don’t love themselves. A healthy weight makes you feel better physically.

  13. I think we as a society have become super sensitive and PC sometimes. Weight-loss can be a good thing, and a negative thing, but the question is are you healthy? I choose to focus and celebrate on the good, because shedding even five pounds can have serious health benefits.

    I think being body positive is understanding your value and understanding who/what/where adds values to your life.

  14. I think we as a society have become super sensitive and PC sometimes. Weight-loss can be a good thing, and a negative thing, but the question is are you healthy? I choose to focus and celebrate on the good, because shedding even five pounds can have serious health benefits.

    I think being body positive is understanding your value and understanding who/what/where adds values to your life.

  15. My weight directly affects my health which directly affects my emotional and mental state. At my current weight/size, I don’t feel well physically–I’m in pain, I can’t move well, I’m easily fatigued, and I don’t sleep well–which means I don’t feel well emotionally or mentally (I’m cranky, defensive, self-conscious, depressed, and all of those lead to stress/emotional eating, which means more weight gain). However, constantly being in a mental state of “I MUST lose weight NOW” also isn’t healthy for me emotionally or mentally.

    ::sigh::

    Please keep writing posts like this. You have no idea how much it’s needed by those of us who are still trying to realign our thinking from “I need to lose weight” to “I want to be healthy and make the best choices for me.”

  16. My weight directly affects my health which directly affects my emotional and mental state. At my current weight/size, I don’t feel well physically–I’m in pain, I can’t move well, I’m easily fatigued, and I don’t sleep well–which means I don’t feel well emotionally or mentally (I’m cranky, defensive, self-conscious, depressed, and all of those lead to stress/emotional eating, which means more weight gain). However, constantly being in a mental state of “I MUST lose weight NOW” also isn’t healthy for me emotionally or mentally.

    ::sigh::

    Please keep writing posts like this. You have no idea how much it’s needed by those of us who are still trying to realign our thinking from “I need to lose weight” to “I want to be healthy and make the best choices for me.”

  17. I’m so excited to have found this site! I think losing weight is a fine goal, but I think it’s the result of healthy living and not the only measurement of health. I think the only time it would have a negative connotation is when someone says “you have to lose weight” or “you aren’t okay/good/worthwhile if you’re not X size.”

  18. cmgraziano@gmail.com

    I’m so excited to have found this site! I think losing weight is a fine goal, but I think it’s the result of healthy living and not the only measurement of health. I think the only time it would have a negative connotation is when someone says “you have to lose weight” or “you aren’t okay/good/worthwhile if you’re not X size.”

  19. Awesome Article.

    You added many types of information in your site that like very fantastic.
    I also like it very much.Keep up it.
    Thanks a lot for publishing this article.
    Munmun Nishi.

    Plus Size Fashion

  20. asiamfashionplussizeclothing@gmail.com

    Awesome Article.
    You added many types of information in your site that like very fantastic.
    I also like it very much.Keep up it.
    Thanks a lot for publishing this article.
    Munmun Nishi.

    Plus Size Fashion

  21. I’m still learning from you, as I’m trying to reach my goals. I definitely love reading everything that is posted on your website.Keep the aarticles coming. I enjoyed it!

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