In a World Obsessed with Skinny, Why Not Choose Strong?

Most women myself included have struggled with self-image at some point in their life. As young girls we flipped through pages of magazines featuring air-brushed heroin-chic models with the expectation that is what we were all supposed to look like. As a teenager most of my girlfriends were on some kind of diet, obsessing over cardio while sipping diet cokes and meticulously counting those 1200 calories.

In college there was the “freshman 15”, those extra pounds that slipped onto your frame as you started living on your own, drinking beer every weekend along with those late-night Taco Bell & Waffle House runs. Throughout my 20’s and 30’s I lost and gained anywhere from 10 to 15 lbs. on an endless rollercoaster ride. By the time my mid 40’s rolled around I had hit an all-time high on the scale and had pretty much given up on trying to be the size I once was. I was told and “this just what happens as you age”. But I didn’t give up in fact I rewrote my own story and you can too!

What I now realize is that most of us were focusing on how we looked, not how we felt. We were all punishing our bodies with exercise and restrictive diets with false expectations of what is thrust in our faces in TV ads, magazine, social media and more. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to hire a personal chef or get plastic surgery which seemed to be the only answer.

And these days now it’s as simple as getting a “magic shot” that melts the pounds off and is being handed out like candy while shoved in your face with daily ads. Perhaps these shots can be a tool with the right approach but most people I’ve seen abuse it by using it only to curb their appetite without incorporating any other lifestyle changes. Not to mention this approach only works while you’re on the medication. These short-term fixes only focus on immediate results, but if you think long and hard about it, should we be choosing the "easy wrong" over the "hard right"?

I recently saw a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in years and her appearance was shocking to say the least. Her face was gaunt, her hair dull, the sparkle was gone from her eyes and her frame looked like a skeleton. Quite frankly, she looked sick, malnourished and like she could break in half due the loss of not only fat but also muscle mass. But alas she was finally “skinny”. She mentioned how she no longer had the energy to do the things she once did but didn’t seem to care because after years of chasing a number on the scale, thanks to a magic shot she long at last hit that allusive number on the scale.

I have also watched a family member suffer through horrendous side-effects from this same medicine in the name of trying to be skinny. She spends hours nauseated, often skipping activities during our time spent together because she doesn’t feel well. Yet, she suffers through all of this, impacting her health and time spent with loved ones all in the vein of trying to lose weight with a magic shot. I see others becoming unrecognizable while sporting their Ozempic face, due to rapid weight loss and why? Because they too are chasing skinny. When did we stop focusing on how we felt and replaced that with how we look?

As a society most women have been valuing their self-worth from a number on a scale. That number is only a small piece of the overall pie and yet so many of us let it ruin our day and control our mindset. As someone who managed to lose 33 lbs. while in perimenopause through diet and lifestyle changes alone, I personally decided to choose the "hard right" over the "easy wrong". This was what worked and was right for me. I dialed into my nutrition with laser focus eating foods that nourished my body while eliminating processed foods, even those labeled as “healthy”. I didn’t exercise to punish myself; I viewed that time and those activities as a relief and self-care. Working out and running creates peace in my mind. I now view food as fuel for my body because when I do I feel great! Having a morning routine of daily workouts creates clarity, engergy and a sense of peace that I have no desire to walk away from it, in fact I look forward to it.

Movement has become my medicine. This is how I have managed to keep the weight off for almost 3 years now because I’ve remained consistent and folded these practices slowly over time into my daily routine. Meditation, movement, meals, and miles; these things are non-negotiable for me. I no longer focus on how I look but rather how I feel and fuel my body with nutrient dense foods to enhance my performance. My stress levels have gone, and my mind no longer swirls with stress, anxiety, and depression. I wake up energized and when I've knocked out a workout before most people even wake up it sets the tone for that day with accomplishment and confidence to tackle whatever gets thrown my way.

Then I did something even more radical – I intentionally gained weight. I have been actively working on building muscle, not for me now but for the me when I’m 80 and have to carry my groceries or stay flexible to avoid falling and breaking a bone. Muscle too is medicine and the more we focus on tapping into this the better our quality of our life will be towards the end of it. While the number on the scale has gone up, I am still wearing the same size clothes. This is because muscle is more dense but it takes up less space. Today, I am currently training for my second marathon. I’m lifting heavier weights that I ever imagined and have recomped a body that looks better now as I creep towards age 50 than it did in my 20’s and 30’s. No matter what that number on the scale says I now know that number doesn't differetiate between muscle and fat, where my monthly cycle is, what I ate the night before or even what time I ate it. All these factors and more can impact what the scale tells us.

Lifting weights for longevity & mental clarity.

Building muscle & letting go of the number on the scale.

What we see most often is doctors treating patients once they get sick, rather than guiding them from a preventative care perspective. Conventional medicine opts for short term fixes that focus only on symptoms rather than the root cause. As a society we look for these quick fixes and want instant results without putting in the work, i.e. the "easy wrong". When we focus on building muscle mass it improves our mobility, increases bone density, enhances metabolic health, and is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline. These results take time and when you do something like lifting weights over and over knowing the results will eventually come, you are learning the art of delayed gratification. You will feel better right away and by focusing on that alone, the aesthetics will come in due time as long as you're fueling youself with nutrient dense whole foods. No one ever regrets a workout, but you will most likely regret skipping one.

If we can flip the script and work on ourselves now before we get sick, we can help reduce chronic disease, obesity, hormone imbalance, depression and so much more just through lifestyle changes alone. This transformation begins with mindset. You’re not just working out or cooking a healthy meal, you’re building habits that will propel your life forward. When you learn all the factors that the scale doesn't take into consideration, you will understand it's only a small part of what determines your overall health. These results may be slower, but they last longer because when you stack these habits over time with patience, consistency, discipline, resilience, and confidence you create a transformation that you’re proud of and will want to continue. It becomes etched in your inner being. This is the real wealth; this is your health and the best part of it all is you get to be in the driver’s seat by opting for the "hard right".

Do you want to improve your health before it forces you to have do so? Don’t wait until you’re it’s too late to change your habits. Together we can work on making small incremental changes personalized to you and stack those traits over time to create long-lasting and sustainable results. This is what happens when you choose the "hard right" over the "easy wrong". Let's work together and help you shine from the inside out!

Book Your FREE 30-Minute Consultation