Have you ever thought that if you are skinny, then you must be healthy? Unfortunately there is a problem with this statement—it’s not true!! Let me propose to you a new way of thinking… Being healthy has nothing to do with your pants size or weight, but more to do with your overall being.

One of the first things I studied while training for the health field were the definitions of health and wellness.  I’ll share them with you from good ol’ Webster’s Dictionary.

Health: the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit

Wellness: the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal

Do you see any of those definitions mention a dress size? How about a number on a scale? Let me challenge you to think through what YOUR meaning of health and wellness is.

Do you have a skewed view?

Has an event or person in the past given you the wrong impression of it?

You might find that if you are frustrated in your weight loss attempts that your focus is in the wrong area.

You will never hear me focus on losing weight nor dropping sizes (unless of course I’m trying to motivate my class while in the middle of the 2nd set of tricep push-ups!) but instead on things that will make you a person as a whole.

Things such as:

    • – lower blood pressure
    • – improved self-esteem
    • – more energy
    • – improved sleep
    • – less pain
    • – lower cholesterol

Instead of thinking “What do I need to take away from my diet or lifestyle?, ask yourself “What can I add to ENHANCE my quality of life?” I’d much rather focus on doing something positive for my body rather than highlighting everything I’m NOT doing. (We will touch on this more in future posts)

Let me give you a real life example from yours truly.

Just today I was at the gym and weighed myself. (I don’t own a scale at home so I don’t keep a regular tab on my weight) I had to laugh because my weight was the LOWEST it’s been in probably 2 years! I thought for sure it had increased because my workout routines haven’t been as consistent over the past 6 weeks, not to mention we just came off the holidays and I didn’t withhold much on all the yummy food. Just 2 weeks ago, I noticed my pants fitting tighter across my thighs and rear end so I know I wasn’t getting “skinnier”.

In general, I don’t feel like my habits have been very healthy. The lack of consistency in workouts, the lack of discipline in my eating, and the lack of a solid night sleep has put me at a place that I’m not too happy with! However—none of this was reflected on the scale! I chuckled as I walked away thinking, “If ONLY a scale was an accurate representation of our true well-being…”

Ladies. There is a time and a place for the number on the scale, but don’t let it define you! There are many other areas that will show how healthy we truly are. Not sure how? Hang on. I’ll take you on a ride!