Learn about how health is more than a number and other weight loss myths in the second part of Lynn Stiff, M.D.'s guest post series on Intuitive Eating for Runners!
Listening to our body's innate hunger cues -- or eating intuitively -- is nice in theory, but what does that mean for the numbers on the scale? And how do those numbers impact our health, if at all? Lynn Stiff, M.D., is back this week to answer those questions and more in the second part in her series, Intuitive Eating for Runners.
Part Two: Health is More than a Number
I hope you all had a chance to join me last week when I talked about fueling your run for success. In that article I made a few comments about weight that I wanted to dive into more. I get asked questions about weight loss numerous times a week. And if I’m not directly asked, I see questions asked by others on social media. Ready to tackle this ever-present topic?
Did you miss the first part of this series? Check it out here!
“Goal: Lose 10 pounds”
As I mentioned in the beginning, I get asked about running and weight loss a lot. It’s natural in our society for women to want to run to lose the baby weight or get back in shape. But what if I told you that you didn’t need to? What if I told you that your body knows what you need and what size you should be? Crazy, right? If you’re type A like me, it might be hard to think about letting go of control over something you’ve been conditioned to think you need to control. But speaking as a dietitian, doctor AND recovered disordered eater, I am telling you - letting go of your beliefs around food and weight will be the best thing you can do for your health.
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Our bodies have been conditioned over thousands of years for one thing - survival. There innate systems that work tirelessly to ensure we can survive another day. The constant yo-yo dieting and restriction that many of our bodies have endured leave our bodies confused and often underfunctioning to ensure we don’t wither away. The focus on weight loss often leads us to make decisions that are not in our best interest - this might include:
- Over exercising, which can lead to injury
- Under eating, which can lead to poor performance
- Stopping exercise once our weight loss goal is obtained, which will just lead to weight gain (often everything lost and a little more)
- Taking untested supplements, which at the least will be a waste of money and at the worst can be harmful
- Running just for weight loss, which might make you end up despising a sport that could have otherwise been your saving grace.
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But studies show excess weight is bad!
I have yet to find a study that comes to this conclusion that seperated 2 very important variables...exercise and weight. Oftentimes they are kept together and the benefits of a weight loss program are attributed to the weight loss itself. Interestingly, there are studies that have found exercise alone, regardless of weight, have improved health outcomes.When we see a study that shows weight loss resulted in improved outcomes, the individuals in the weight loss program almost always have participated in lifestyle changes. That’s right, they weren’t given a diet pill to lose that weight; they changed their diet and exercise patterns. I would argue the benefits they are seeing are because of the lifestyle changes NOT the weight loss alone. The weight loss highlighted in these studies is often trivial (what is 10lb when someone is 250lb?) and the improved health outcomes are probably more notable after the intervention then when that person had naturally weighed 10lb less a few years prior. Lastly, no study has found a sustainable approach at LONG TERM weight loss. That is because a very small group of people are able to lose weight and keep it off long term. I believe this is because of a combination of:
- The internal systems in place to ensure survival
- The mindset and behavioral components around why we do what we do. For example, the way we talk to ourselves, using food for comfort, how we cope with stress, etc…
- The world in which we live. You can’t go far without a message that you need to eat this delicious food item and if you don’t you’re missing out on something amazing.
After 15 years of working with people on nutrition and health, I have come to believe that if we are able to change behaviors alone, we can improve health regardless of weight loss. Often if people do participate in these behavior changes, some natural weight loss will gradually occur with time. They key is that none of us know how much or how quickly because our bodies will determine what is appropriate for survival and optimal function. When the focus is removed from weight loss, sustainable, life-long habits can be formed and that weight loss can be maintained long term as it comes off slowly. The previous approach clearly hasn’t worked - obesity rates in our country continue to rise. So why not try something that radically shifts the conversation from weight to behaviors?
A goal of weight loss will be short-lived. You’ll get tired, hungry and irritable and give up. It’s just a fact. The studies show long-term weight loss is unlikely to be sustained for the majority of the population. Running is a life-long activity that can help you achieve optimal health. It also helps with sleep, mood and energy level. The health benefits are vast and I urge you to consider WHY you’re running to help guide your choices and help find sustainable motivation along the way.
Want to learn more? Check out my podcast called Medicine for Life. It’s all things lifestyle medicine presented in a realistic and relatable way to help empower you to reach your health and wellness goal through small, sustainable action.
Lynn Stiff is a dietitian turned family medicine physician on a mission to empower individuals to implement realistic and sustainable diet and lifestyle choices to prevent, treat and reverse disease. She is passionate about demystifying nutrition, addressing weight bias, and moving past diet culture to achieve complete wellness. She believes health can be attained by all regardless of size and past choices.
She works full-time as a physician and started her online education platform, Nutrition Health Life LLC, in September 2019. When she’s not working on her passions, you can find her enjoying the beautiful state of Colorado with her husband and 3 spunky and sweet children, ages 1-5. She is an avid runner, hiker, home DIYer and brewery explorer. She can be reached at this link: https://nutritionhealthlife.com/lets-get-in-touch/.
More ways to get in touch with Lynn:
Website/blog: nutritionhealthlife.com
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/NutritionHealthLifeLLC/
Women’s Only FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenbecomingwhole/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/nutrition.health.life/
Interested in other running-related content? Check out these articles:
- 9 Smart Habits Mother Runners Have
- Your 10 Next Best Steps to Becoming a Better Runner
- 3 Proven Ways to Fuel and Refuel After Long Runs
- 9 Meal Prep Tips for Busy Runners {+ 2 Yummy Recipes!}
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