WHY SHOULD YOU LOSE WEIGHT?

there are 3 main reasons for wanting to lose weight:

1) For health

2) For performance and,

3) To get laid

Since this is a PG article we will be referring to reason #3 as "aesthetics" from now on.

REASON #1: LOSING WEIGHT FOR HEALTH REASONS 

Do you have a family history of diabetes or heart disease? What about high blood pressure? Stroke? Cancer? Thanks to your genes, the size of your jeans does matter when it comes to health (come on, that was a good one). Being genetically predisposed to chronic illness means you need to be careful about how many "lbs" you put on as you age. There are two quick litmus tests of where you stand in terms of a healthy body mass. The first is your Body Mass Index (BMI), the second is your waist circumference. To calculate your BMI simply divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared (or cheat and use this handy online calculator). Does your value fall in the 18.5 to 24.9 range? Congratulations you are in the "healthy" range. You know who else is likely in the "healthy" range? Skinny-fat people. Does your value exceed 30? Uh oh, you are in the "obese" range. You know who else is likely in the "obese" range? The Rock.

So what does it all mean Bazzle? It's a quick litmus test and nothing more. BMI tells us whether your weight falls into a healthy range for your height. It does not tell us what your body composition is (aka whether you are built like a brick-sh*t house or basically 50% goo). That probably matters doesn't it? You're damn right it does. Basically, don't panic if you fall outside of the normal range. A better test of your body composition is the waist circumference measure. Take a tape measure and wrap it around your barrel at the height of your "hip bone" on either side of your waist (make sure the tape is level all the way around). Ideally, for women your waist circumference would be less than 80 centimetres and less than ~90 if you are a man. The waist circumference measure tells us the distribution of adiposity (fat tissue) around your mid-section. We are more worried about visceral fat (the kind that wraps around your central organs) than subcutaneous fat (the jiggly stuff on your belly, thighs, and derriere). Measuring the cicrcumference of your middle gives a sense of your proportions and where/how you carry your weight. Ever heard of apple and pear-shaped bodies? Pear is the way to go. Apple-shaped bodies are at greater risk for developing insulin resistance and metabolic disease. All this is to say that if your BMI and your waist circumference exceed the "healthy" range, it may be worth losing some weight. If you have concerns, talk to your doctor.

REASON #2: FOR PERFORMANCE

Well hello again CrossFitters and triathletes...we meet again. Concerns over body mass and body composition plague athletes at all levels. Hell, if you've ever stepped foot in a CrossFit box and thought you died and went to fit people heaven, the thought of dropping a few lbs probably crossed your mind. Maybe you're a combat or weight-class athlete who is constantly reminded about the importance of staying within reach of competition weight. Perhaps you're an endurance athlete wondering if your split times would drop drastically if you were made of less matter. Either way, losing weight is something we all think about. Depending on what your sport is, you may find enhanced performance at a higher or lower body mass than you are now. For some this means moving up or down a weight class to optimize their chances of winning. For others it means leaning out to improve aerodynamics on the bike.

The focus of losing weight for performance should be on changing your body composition. A fighter that drops from Middleweight to Welterweight is at no greater advantage if he loses a significant amount of muscle mass in the process. Similarly, athletes in "aesthetic" sports that are judged based on appearance do themselves a disservice by focusing on the number on the scale rather than the shape and silhouette of their physique. Ideally, you would work with a coach who can help you determine if and how you should change your body mass and composition to maximize your performance. I highly recommend seeking professional help for this one as it is all too easy to slip into obsessive and/or destructive eating habits when the pressure for performance is on.

For those of us whose paycheques don't depend on a podium finish, you may consider losing weight if it will increase your performance at the recreational level however, the bigger the change, the bigger the sacrifice. You may have competing lifestyle, family, and career priorities that inhibit your ability to solely focus on shifting your shape. That's ok! You don't have to have a "runner's body" to enjoy running and you certainly don't have to look like Muhammed Ali to enjoy kicking the shi*t out of a heavy bag. Losing weight for performance is a personal choice (emphasis on personal i.e. do it for you and no one else). For all you endurance athletes out there, Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald is a good read if you are seriously considering optimizing your body composition for performance.

REASON #3: FOR "AESTHETICS"

Good for you. I respect someone who can admit that all their hard work in the gym is legitimately just about attracting a mate. For the record, I am all about working out for performance gains and letting aesthetics take care of itself however I can appreciate wanting to shape and mould your body into something that makes people say "damn!" when you walk by. Whether you do it for the attention of others or you're confident enough to admit you're just really vain (kudos to you, know thyself!), wanting to lose weight to change the way you look is a perfectly legit reason. There is no scenario where I support body shaming or conforming to media-driven stereotypes of femininity or masculinity.....but I do support making your own decisions about your own body....in a way that suits you. You want a six pack? Great. You like your beer gut? Good on you. You want an a$$ you can fry an egg on? Superb. Don't assume everyone else does.

Losing weight won't change who you are. The jiggle of your arm fat or the dimples on your legs don't reflect your personality, intellect, or self-worth and guess what? Losing that jiggle doesn't magically make you a more confident person. You won't become a different person just because you lost weight. You will look different and that's about it. Hopefully, if you lost weight because you chose to, you might like the way you feel. Maybe you'll even feel more comfortable in your own skin! You might even get a few more "right swipes" .... and if this was your goal in the first place then GOOD FOR YOU! You chose to lose weight and you did! Perfect. You know what else is perfect? Not choosing to lose weight and not losing weight. The important thing is that it is your choice what you do with your body. Don't get caught up in societal pressures to look a certain way. Make the decision that is right for you and go for it! Your weight is yours to lose (or gain). If you have ever wondered what it takes to get really ripped, Precision Nutrition has a great decision-making tool called "The Cost of Getting Lean". I highly recommend this article to all my clients wishing for six-pack abs. Sometimes all we want is to feel better in our skin and that usually has nothing to with six-pack abs.

THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION "SHOULD YOU LOSE WEIGHT?" IS NOT A SIMPLE ONE.

There are many factors that ultimately determine whether someone has a "healthy" body composition, some of which you can control and some not. If you are otherwise healthy and have the choice to lose weight or not you should be grateful! Having autonomy over your body is something not everyone has in this world. If you are struggling to feel comfortable in your own skin, you are not alone. Most of us struggle with our body image on a daily basis. Losing weight is not necessarily the key to happiness. Ever heard the saying "wherever you go, there you are"? Body weight is kind of like that. Whatever weight you diet or exercise down to....you're still you. You will likely have the same as well as some new and emerging insecurities to deal with. Losing weight is not a magical one way ticket to endless body confidence. Even the fittest among us have good days and bad days. Chances are, for every time you envy how someone else looks, someone else is envying you! Isn't that a nice thought? Beyond your killer buns and darling smile, someone probably admires the way you stick up for yourself in the boardroom or the way you treat your partner with respect and kindness. The bottom line is it doesn't matter why you choose to lose weight, just that it's your choice to make. Who knows, if you focus on health and performance you're more likely to get laid, right? #science .... but not really. 

Thanks for stopping by! As always, happy to keep the conversation going here or via email at: [email protected]

Cheers,

Coach P.