Your Body is Unique
How many times have you tried a new diet or bought a new “health” product and lost weight only to gain it all back and then some or not see any results at all?
It’s no wonder! An eating style that works for one person may not work for you and that is ok! We are constantly flooded with conflicting information about weight loss and health. For example, one week you're told nuts are healthy, the next week you're told to avoid them at all costs. Fad diets are designed for you to see some initial weight loss (which is mainly water and lean muscle), but not long-term fat loss. They want you to keep coming back to their plan, not create actual lifestyle changes, and certain fad diets can even be damaging to your health in the long run.
Genes play a major role in how your body carries and loses body fat. You may lose 50 lbs, be at your goal weight, but still not fit into the same pants as someone close to your size. This doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy or need to lose more weight. Your body has a weight that it runs most efficiently at and that number looks different for everyone.
Social media is another factor that can negatively impact your journey. It can be so easy to get caught up in what you see on Instagram or Facebook (I’ve been guilty of this as well!) But the truth is that you don’t know what is going on behind the photo. That person could be 2 years into their journey and failed multiple times before. Social media shows life’s “highlights” and things are often not as they appear. If you continue measuring and comparing your progress to someone else’s journey you’re going to feel like a failure, like you don’t measure up, intimidated, and you could lose track of yourself and your journey.
What needs to be done here is a plan tailored to your body type, lifestyle, eating habits, environment, and goals. Again, the truth is that there is no "one size fits all" approach to nutrition and weight loss. What works for one person's body may not work for yours. It can be a journey of trial and error and tweaking approaches as you go. Working with an educated nutritionist or dietitian to create an individualized program made for YOUR goals and YOUR body is key. We are all born differently and we are all beautiful!
