We have this fascination with weight loss. But it’s flawed because weight loss doesn’t equal health. You can lose weight by simply not eating. But this isn’t good for you - all you’re doing is depriving the body of key nutrients and minerals. Instead of focusing on weight, we should be focussing on improving body composition.
You Might be Losing Weight But Not Fat
When we’re ‘dieting’ - which may mean fasting or decreasing our intake of food - or exercising, we’re often doing so with the intent of losing weight. But how do we know what we’re losing? Instead of losing fat as we intend, we may be losing muscle mass, bone density or body fluids.
The Consequences of Losing Weight Instead of Improving Body Composition
Focussing on weight loss instead of body composition results in several health issues. For instance, we often inadvertently reset our metabolic rate, develop poor iron or protein status (due to lack of protein consumption) and experience a drop in our white blood cell count - all of which reduce our overall health.
So you can see how a simple weight measurement is redundant when you’re trying to get healthy. The same goes for products designed to help or facilitate weight loss - like meal replacement shakes. While they may help us lose weight, they don’t give us the nutrients we need and are often laced with synthetic ingredients and harmful preservatives. These products are just the product of marketing genius designed to capitalise on our infatuation with weight loss.
It’s Better to Focus on Body Composition
So, instead of trying to lose weight, we need to recalibrate our goals. We need to focus on improving our body composition - reducing fat and improving muscle mass. This is the pathway to detoxification, healing and long-lasting health.
