How To Cope With Weight Gain
Today we are talking all about gaining weight. GASP!!!
Weight gain is often not something many people want to talk about. In our diet driven world, weight gain seems to be frowned upon and demonized. However, weight gain might be necessary to achieve a place of health and well-being, especially after chronic dieting.
To be transparent, in the past 5 years I have gained over 40 pounds. Those 40 pounds are what gave me my life back after struggling with disordered eating and over exercise for YEARS. Honestly, I could care less about what the number on the scale says anymore because I am finally in a place of self-acceptance and feel incredibly happy with who I am now.
I get it. Weight gain is not always easy to see or accept. In this blog post, I am going to share 5 tips for coping with weight gain and how to accept your changing body.
Tip #1
Ditch the Scale
I cannot stress this enough! The number on the scale is sooo irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Most people are weighing themselves too much and placing their worth on what the number reads. Did you know that weight can fluctuate 5-8 lbs on a regular basis? That’s because hydration, food, hormones, and stress all can have an impact on your weight. There are also times where you might actually gain a few pounds in your intuitive eating journey, but that’s not a bad thing! Sometimes our bodies gain weight because we need those calorie reserves and sometimes we gain weight as a result of being in a caloric deficit for so long and our body wants to feel safe. When you remove the scale from your life, you will feel so much better not knowing the number at all times.
Tip #2
Find Clothes That Fit YOU
It can be mentally challenging to try to squeeze into clothes that no longer fit your current body. Don’t keep them! Donate those old clothes to charity and take this opportunity as an excuse to go shopping and find new clothes to fit your healthy body. And might I just add that when you wear clothes that fit you, it makes you feel 10x more confident in yourself.
Tip #3
Appreciate What Your Body Does For You
Stop the negative self-talk and start focusing on qualities that you love about yourself! You don’t need to love every part of your body, but you do have to realize that this is the one and only body you have. Respect it. Write positive affirmations about yourself on sticky notes and place them someplace you will see them everyday such as your bathroom mirror. The way we speak to ourselves matters.
Tip #4
Surround Yourself With Body Positive People
You may not hear this tip often, but the people you surround yourself with can have a huge impact on the way you perceive yourself. Whether it is the people you choose to follow on social media, people in your personal life who focus on dieting and their body size, co-workers, etc., it may be best to unfollow people (even in your real life) who may not be right for your mental health. How can you expect to be 100% body positive when all that you expose yourself to are diets, workouts, extreme body fixation?
Tip #5
Reach Out For Support
If you are struggling with dealing with weight gain and feel that it is disrupting your mental health, reach out for support! Seek help from a qualified professional such as a Registered Dietitian to help you work through the tough emotions and to develop a healthy relationship with yourself. I help women overcome chronic dieting so they can learn how to become an intuitive eater and cultivate a loving relationship with their bodies again. You are never alone in this journey.
These tips are meant to just get you started in the right direction. Self-acceptance while gaining weight can take a while to fully achieve. Always remember that even when you do gain some weight, you are still loved and valued. Your inner beauty is what is recognized most by people.
