How do you define a healthy weight?
Have you heard?
It’s Healthy Weight Week!
So what is a healthy weight?
To me, it’s the one that you achieve when you stop dieting, eat food you love, exercise for fun and health, and fall in love with your body (even your belly!). It’s the weight at which you feel your strongest, best self. And it usually has nothing to do with a flashing number on a scale.
Healthy Weight Week – now in it’s 18th year! – was created to celebrate healthy non-diet lifestyles that can prevent eating disorders and weight problems. This week, individuals are encouraged to improve their health not by going on a fad diet or cutting out a food group, but rather by eating well, living actively, and building your body esteem.
In honor of this fabulous week, Nourishing the Soul is celebrating by asking YOU to weigh in…
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How do you define a healthy weight?
**Please, be creative and don’t use numbers!
Sarah D.
855 days ago
For me, healthy weight is where I feel comfortable, healthy, and strong. I know I’m at a good weight when I am not hungry all the time, and I have good endurance when I exercise. I also do feel comfortable and confident in my clothes, but the size or the way they fit doesn’t determine how I feel about myself. I can honestly say my body is in a healthy weight range right now– where I am happy with it, and it is happy, because I can sleep well, eat well, and exercise powerfully!
Daniel
855 days ago
I would like to think it’s the weight at which you feel and look the best, though I’m hesitant to include “look” because it’s all relative to the eyes of who’s looking. It’s where unless you’re sick, lacking sleep, or have a medical condition, your body is fine with the fuel you put in it and you don’t lack the proper nutrition your body needs to function optimally. It’s where you avoid health problems and dangers while still feeling content and empowered with the amazing things your body can do for you.
Extremely vague, yes, but so is “healthy weight” seeing as it’s different for everyone. ;)
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Marsha @ Green Mountain at Fox Run
855 days ago
At Green Mountain, we teach that a healthy weight is the natural weight that comes from not focusing on weight but instead focusing on how we feel, and adopting the behaviors that are going to make us feel great. When we’re eating, moving and thinking in a way that does that, our bodies settle at the right place for them. It’s so individual, it can’t be put into a BMI chart or anything like that.
Happy Healthy Weight Week! Let’s make it a Healthy Weight Year…Life!
KCLAnderson (Karen)
855 days ago
Adding to what the other commenters have posted, I’ll add this: it’s what I call my sweet spot ~ a healthy body and a healthy body image! It has nothing to do with the number on the scale.
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Val @ Balancing Val
855 days ago
I think I would define it as the weight you obtain just being happy in all aspects of your life.
The weight you obtain without obsession or unhealthy behaviors.
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Kat
855 days ago
I think it’s the weight your body naturally finds itself when you’re leading a healthy life full of moderation… moderate exercise… moderate amounts from ALL food groups… etc
@donewithed
855 days ago
I agree with everyone above. But for me, a healthy body weight isn’t a number at all… because now that I’ve made peace with my body, I am no longer interested in the scale’s opinion.
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Katie @ Health for the Whole Self
855 days ago
My healthy weight has more to do with my mindset than with my body. I am at my healthy weight when I’m taking care of myself physically AND mentally.
Dana Udall-Weiner
855 days ago
My healthy weight happens naturally, when I’m not obsessing or even thinking about it. It is where my body wants to be, when I treat it with respect and kindness by listening to my hunger and my need for exercise and rest.
Dana Udall-Weiner recently posted..On Letting Go of Praise and Growing Older- Trading Beauty for Bravery
Jessie K
855 days ago
A healthy weight to me is about confidence. Similar to the confidence it takes to “own” a dance-floor with your closest group of friends. Think about it: You’re surrounding yourself with people you love and trust, who will tell you if you are being too crazy, but will allow you some leeway in your actions all while making you feel a part of something amazing.
To me, that is the healthy weight. Having the confidence to love yourself, and embrace those who love you no matter what shape, size, quirky traits etc. so that you don’t miss out on those special moments in life.
charlotte
855 days ago
I love your definition! I totally agree with it. For me, a healthy weight is a weight I don’t have to think about to maintain:) Although I haven’t weighed myself in so long now that I’m not sure what my actual weight is. But I feel good in my skin and my pants fit so I’m running with it!
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Dorry
855 days ago
Love this! With my history, a healthy weight is equal to proper nutrition and fitness. For me, this means that my energy levels are high and my immune system is keeping me from getting sick. And it means I’m not only comfortable with my body, but I love and value my body and all it was created to do.
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Dolores Ayotte
854 days ago
Great question Ashley! For me, a healthy weight is not having the need to step on a scale. I exercise regularly, eat well and I get weighed at the doctor’s office once a year when I go for my physical check up. Other than that, I don’t bother to weigh myself. It’s kind of neat to not fret about a number anymore and to go by how I feel physically and if my clothes still fit ok.
Christie @ Abundant Self Care
854 days ago
LOVE THIS. For me, a healthy weight is exactly what you describe. For me, whatever weight I am because it is what my body needs at the time.
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kell
854 days ago
for me the perfect weight is when you are just heavy enough to keep your feet firmly planted on the earth and still, just light enough to reach up and feel the stars
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
852 days ago
That’s really beautiful!
Alex @ Healing Beauty
854 days ago
I define a healthy weight as having a lack of obsession over body image, numbers, calories, etc, and when you start feeling balanced mentally, physically, and spiritually. For myself, I know that even though I’m in recovery for an eating disorder, my obsession with weight gets worse when I have a bad day or am feeling anxious or upset about something, so a healthy weight for me is having those three balanced and healthy :)
Alex @ Healing Beauty recently posted..Healing Book- Love Your Body- Love Your Life
Ann Becker-Schutte
854 days ago
There have been so many wonderful definitions. I have to add my vote to those who include mental and spiritual balance to the concept of healthy weight. So much of the struggle with our bodies comes from unhealthy, unbalanced spaces in our heads. The journey to unconditional acceptance starts in our minds, and unconditional acceptance is where healthy weight lives.
Rebecca
853 days ago
As someone recovering from an eating disorder, trying to redefine this has been a huge challenge, but on I think I’m finally getting on top of!
For me, a ‘healthy weight’ now means no numbers, no measurements, no height/frame/waist/proportion nonsense – instead, it is however much I weigh when I feel strong, fit, well-fuelled and energised, happy and mentally sharp – ready and capable of pursuing any goal I choose, or handling any difficulty that arises.
I’m not yet able to adopt this definition every day, but the number of days that I do is going up all the time – as is the number of days that I actually feel this way as I take care of myself according to this ‘weight’ goal!
Ejiro Ogenyi
853 days ago
For me a healthy weight is when my push ups don’t feel heavy. I practice yoga daily, and when my chatturangas feel like a little more work than usual, I know it’s time to adjust whatever it is i’m doing.
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Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
852 days ago
My chatturangas always feel like a lot of work! ;-)
Lori Lieberman
852 days ago
While a healthy weight might be a place at which you feel good on many levels, I do believe there are more objective criteria for “healthy”.
First, healthy weight isn’t a weight, but really a range of weights, for as most of you know,weight fluctuates, and health can be achieved in any number of places. When setting goals for a healthy weight for my clients, weight is one measure of health that needs to be met, but one measure only. A weight might be technically “on the charts”, “in range”, but not appropriate for that individual, unless they also have: normal vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, body temp, etc), are not spending a large percentage of their thoughts thinking about weight, and eating, and are able to eat to meet their needs for health. If after some time (months) in that range they (still) don’t get a period (and are female, I might add), then that weight is not okay as a “healthy weight”.
It’s easy to describe healthy weight based on feelings, but that’s a very slippery slope. People with eating disorders (and others) often feel great, short term, as they are sliding down on the weight scale, and their perception of healthy can be a bit off.
So I vote for including how we feel, but as an addition to more objective criteria described above.
Sorry for the long winded, and latent, response to this wonderful post!
Lori Lieberman recently posted..Back to Your Roots Simple Planning and Cooking to Keep You on Track
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
852 days ago
You make a great point about the importance of looking at some objective measures as well. There are so many aspects to our health!
Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun
850 days ago
I didnt get the chance to comment before but wanted to say how much I agree with this post. We certainly don’t need a number to know our healthy weight. For me it is the place I naturally reach with a focus on healthy eating without deprivation and regular activity.
Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun recently posted..Self-Love Reflections- Gifts of the Body
Kelly
722 days ago
A weight at which I can do the things I want to do.
Secrets of Healthy Weight Loss
720 days ago
The human body is like an “engine”. It needs certain foods at certain intervals each day, and if you don’t eat the right foods at the right times, then, those calories will be left unburned. The result is a store of calories as fat tissues. So be careful with your eating habits.
Graciela Garrison
525 days ago
For me, a healthy weight is not having the need to step on a scale.
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