Rethinking Fitness: Why Weight Loss Alone Isn't Enough for Health and Happiness

Weight loss is still the dominant focus in our current health and fitness culture. The problem with that is — it's not healthy. This is known as a weight-centered paradigm, and the health and wellness industry is doing it’s best to move away from it. The alternative is a client or person cantered care approach. In a weight-centered paradigm, weight is the problem and at the centre of attention. In a person cantered care approach, we place emphasis on the person as a whole. The person is in the middle and weight is just a symptom of their broader circumstances and health status. This enables people to take ownership of their health outcomes.

From what I have seen and experienced, weight loss has been a dominant focus due to a misunderstanding about health, and the increase in social media usage without boundaries. There was a time in my life I thought shrinking myself was the answer to health and happiness. I was very successful at being underweight and frail. I was not happy or healthy. I did not understand how to get the actual results I wanted, strength and muscle. I did not understand what it meant to be healthy or happy. I stumbled for many years before I fully understood the concepts I now guide others with.

Focusing on weight loss doesn't actually motivate people long term. The problem with living in a weight-centered paradigm is that the root causes of the symptoms are not being addressed. It de-personalises the care and perpetuates the hamster wheel of the ‘diet cycle’. Weight is never the problem; it is a symptom of the problem. So, when an individual loses weight without addressing the actual problem they will either relapse and rebound, or they might maintain their weight loss but feel unfulfilled. There is a science to success and an art to fulfilment.

An overemphasis on weight may actually backfire—emotionally, mentally, or physically. Look at the prevalence of yo-yo dieters, the all or nothing mentality, and burnout rates. The scale might be stubborn to budge. Weight may not be the first marker to move. I want to get you away from measuring your progress with numbers, and start monitoring the incremental changes over time that will bring you your desired outcomes. If all you are looking for is weight loss and that number doesn’t move, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment, and you’re going to miss the good stuff happening elsewhere. Especially as a woman with a menstrual cycle - there is an added layer of complexity when it comes to weight, mood and hormonal changes throughout the month.

You can learn to master this, with time and directed focus. Focus on the quality of your foods, your energy levels, your mood, you sleep habits, your resilience levels, how you are performing at work, at the gym, your strength levels, how clothes are fitting. Learn to notice the subtle changes beyond the scale. Life is much more than how much you weigh. If you do have a lot more going on in your life, is now the time to be focusing on your weight? Lets tackle a few of the other big stressors first, you’ll likely see a shift in weight from that.

What do you believe losing weight will give you? How can we focus on creating that now. There needs to be a deeper purpose and connection to personal development. I find that achieving a healthy weight is more about being the best version of yourself so that you can be present for you kids, friends, loved ones, create more business, contribute more, live more. What I see happening is people get stuck in ‘paralysis by analysis’ and a ‘functional freeze’ not knowing where to start. With added societal pressures and the messages of current overweight/obesity rates, weight loss becomes the focus perpetuating the 'diet cycle'. Let’s focus on what’s healthy to create more of it. Cultivate a growth mindset and hunger for continuous improvement (‘kaizen’ mentality) as an effective motivator.

Shift your mindset from outcome-based goals (like “lose 5kg”) to process-based goals (like “move daily” or “feel more energised”). Track your progress. Build a personalised tracker and give yourself a tick or smiley face as you complete 8-10k steps in the day, as you drink the 2L water, as you go to the gym. Track your mood, your sleep. Give yourself a score out of 10. This is not about perfection, this is about progress. Let’s monitor the stressors and where you tend to negotiate with yourself. Let’s build resilience. Set realistic goals.

Shifting your mindset takes time. It is about catching the thought, letting it go and changing it. We have 60,000 thoughts a day of which 90 – 95% are the same. You want to see a shift in mindset? Get the right support and the right frequency of support for you. Show up to those consults, check ins, self-imposed diary journaling time. Mindset shifting is about building new neural pathways known as neuroplasticity. Make sure you feed yourself the building blocks necessary for neuroplasticity to occur. Learn what that is (omega3s and protein). Fill in the knowledge gaps with the right guidance. Set reminders on your phone, use sticky notes, write yourself messages on your mirrors. Make it the easy choice to do the healthy things. Set yourself up for success.

How we feel after moving our bodies plays into our ability to stick with it. We must first learn to be present in our body to notice how we feel. Only then can we recall the pleasant feelings to move us next time. Sometimes the feeling won’t be pleasant. You really think I enjoy the burning sensation in my muscles after a leg workout? You really think I enjoy failing my sets? No. I do not enjoy my coach making me do things I am not good at. However, it’s the after feeling of pride, strength, growth, I did something uncomfortable, I was brave today, I can - even if I fail. That’s the feeling that keeps me moving. If you can ask yourself 'how will I feel afterwards' and tap into that feeling of pride to move you, you're winning.

My work involves bringing people back to the present moment which can be very uncomfortable. It involves having them acknowledge where they are now, how their body feels now so that they can notice those subtle changes as they move forward. So many times, people avoid the pain, hurt, disappointment. Banishing the pain does not make it vanish. Yes, sometimes it hurts, and I am taking steps towards what I want. I am moving with intentionality.

Make movement more consistent and sustainable by being honest with yourself. Be honest about where you are now, where you want to be and what changes need to be made. Very often there is a knowledge gap. Very often people think it is hard to be healthy, to move more. Is it hard, or are you making it hard? How can you make it easier for yourself to move more? Ditch the all or nothing mentality. Give yourself time to make changes. Get support. Be realistic with yourself. Give yourself ample time to make changes. Above all, be honest.

How you treat yourself is how you teach others to treat you. If you are making it normal to punish yourself, others will too. Speak to yourself with kindness and compassion. We are all doing the best we can with what we know at the time. Even if some of your behaviours are currently unresourceful, you are doing your best. Otherwise, you would be doing better. There is something deeper at play here. Seek support if you want a different outcome. If the consequences of your actions are not the ones you want, change your actions. Is this what you want? Often people are not aware that there is a better way. There often is. You either shape your environment or your environment shapes you. Hang out with 4 smokers, you are more likely to be the 5th smoker. Choose your environment and support system consciously. Make healthy the easy, if not only, option.

Decide what “living happy and healthy” looks like to you—from a practical, everyday perspective.

For me, happiness comes from living an authentic life where I am acting from my true values. This makes me feel happy and fulfilled. To be able to do this, I need to know my true values first. We grow up influenced by our external environment and some of the values placed upon us may not be something we agree with anymore. We are allowed to redefine and change our values. One of my main values is wellness, therefore living in alignment with the ‘NuFit 7 Pillars to Wellness’ ensures I am living authentically.

Knowing my purpose, my resounding ‘yes’ in this season of life is another key to my personal happiness.

To me, living healthy means creating the nourishing and nurturing environment with my everyday choices that will allow my body to maintain health with mind, body, spiritual and emotional practices. Again, this is in alignment with the principles of the 7 pillars. I have created my own habits, also known as rituals, that enable me to live this life. These do change from time to time. Flexibility, adaptability and resilience are all part of living a healthy life.

My favourite quotes are form Albert Einstein: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”, and “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”. Living a happy and healthy life is in accepting what is, and if you don’t like it - committing to creating change.

On a practical everyday level, The 'NuFit 7 Pillars to Wellness' might look something like this:

Nutrition

Choosing wholefoods or what I call ‘real foods’: anything that grows on a tree, shrub, in the ground, or was once swimming or running around. Focusing on food for performance, whether that is a gym program, running, swimming or to be sharper at work. We want to make sure we are consuming the building blocks for neuroplasticity and happy chemicals. Deciding on your meal timing and frequency. Ensuring a variety of colourful wholefoods. There are simple structures to help achieve this that I teach clients like the healthy plate model, the 3rds model for more active individuals, the traffic lights system.

Movement

Becoming a person that parks a bit further away, takes the stairs, goes for a morning and/or evening walk, takes phone calls whilst walking, suggests a walking meeting. Track your steps for awareness. Find what moves you to get moving. I find that with the pillar of movement it helps to have a weekly goal rather than daily. How many times will you go for a long walk this week? How many times will you go for a run? How many times will you go to the gym?

Sleep

The pillar of sleep is much about your morning and evening routine that will get you to bed and ensure a restful night. It means being intentional about your screen time, putting away the laptop, the phone, leaving technology outside the bedroom, choosing to sleep and connect with your partner when you are both recharged rather than calling tv time your 'our time'.

Optimising the Stress Response

Grounding or walking on grass barefoot, simple breathwork practices, dancing throughout the day, shaking the body, living in an aesthetically pleasing environment, neat and tidy space - all help us feel psychologically safe. I’m not saying the dishes won’t pile up sometimes, it is about making the neat and tidy the norm, the standard. Then you will know when dishes pile up, stress is piling up, and we need to turn down the heat or lift the lid to let out some steam. Maybe call the cleaner in twice this month. Optimising the stress response is about knowing your capacity, boundaries, how and when to ask for support. It is about feeling into your body, listening and acting accordingly. It is about emotional intelligence, self-regulation and resilience.

Light Therapy

It’s amazing how much better you can feel viewing natural morning sunrise and evening sunset light. Morning sunrises got me through when I experienced depression and anxiety. I would get up every morning before the sunrise and drive myself to Wanda Beach at Crounlla where I sat on the cold sand, felt the wind on my face and smelt the salty ocean as I waited to greet the sun. Back then, I did not know the science behind light therapy and the first light of the day. It actually helps reset the circadian rhythm and ensures the brain releases happy chemicals.

Mindset

Mindset shifts do not happen overnight. There are still areas in my life I am closer to the 'fixed mindset' than 'growth mindset'. It is about noticing it, and reminding yourself you can change. Maybe you don’t see how right now. Maybe you need some guidance. Be kind to yourself as you figure things out. That person doing better than you, they probably failed a few dozen times more. Mindset practices may involve the sticky note reminders, the phone reminders, the journaling practices, the coaching consults, listening to a podcast, audible or reading.

Spirituality

This one is rather personal. It may involve gratitude and prayer. Spending time in nature. Going to a place of worship. Conscious connected breathwork. I think on a daily basis saying “I’m sorry, I forgive you, thank you, I love you” to ourselves in the mirror is a good place to start.

Share this blog with someone you want to inspire. Sign up to the NuFit Wellness Newsletter and be the first to know it all. Attend my Wellness Workshops. Kathy O - Health & Wellness Strategist: Supporting people achieve optimal health, wealth and relationships with lifestyle principles through awareness, breath and conscious choice. Embodiment Coach: Alignment is the method. Embodiment is the achievement. Authenticity is a byproduct. Be unstoppable. Be authentically you.

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KEYWORDS: Health, Wellness, Lifestyle, Nervous System, Regulated, Calm, Peace, Mindset, Movement, Nutrition, Sleep, Stress, Optimise, High Performance, Change, Nutritionist, Dietitian, Dietetics, Holistic Health, Integrative, Educator, Teacher, Coach, Inspire, Inspiring, Story, Teach, Lead.