Weight loss may be a top priority for you… but does your body agree?

Time and time again, women come to me after having babies (or perhaps beforehand but with pregnancy in mind for the future) and state that one of their top goals is changing their body weight or size. Even when women want to work with me to improve their energy, regulate their menstrual cycle, or eliminate their bloating or constipation, they often still note weight loss (or more accurately, fat loss) as a top goal.

And while it’s not my job to tell any woman what to do with her body or how to feel about it, it actually kind of is my job to help my clients reflect on, reframe, and often reprioritize their goals when it comes to true healing and achieving their best health.

Because in reality- even though it’s pushed on us as the top thing we can (and “should”) do to improve our health, make us more beautiful or more worthy, or whatever other ridiculous reasoning- trying to lose weight/fat when…

You’re healing and replenishing your body (especially preconception or postpartum at any point)
You’re stressed out and exhausted
Your metabolism is already compromised and you’re body is showing signs of imbalance and dysfunction (low basal body temperatures, constantly feeling cold, hair loss, painful and/or irregular periods, PMS, low to no libido, bloating, constipation (<1 poop/day), insomnia, cravings, and low stress tolerance to name a few)
Your body is simply not ready or even clearly resisting your efforts

… is just not beneficial to your body (or mind) and will rarely be successful. In fact, it can make matters worse (i.e. stress your metabolism and intensify symptoms) and discourage you a ton along the way.

And especially when it comes to supporting your fertility and achieving pregnancy, nourishing a growing baby, healing from birth, and adjusting to motherhood- fat loss is far from your body’s priority. (Primarily because body fat = safety and stored nourishment!)

When it comes to healing your body, improving your metabolism and fully nourishing your body are much more beneficial and productive primary goals- especially if eventual fat loss will be a focus for you. (Many times, it can indirectly support fat loss or simply a shift in your body composition as your body find its healthy balance more easily).

How to know if you need to reprioritize your goals:

Before we dive in, please know that if you’re in a specific season of motherhood like preconception (supporting fertility and trying to conceive), pregnancy (are currently pregnant), or either early postpartum (initial 6 months) or even into the first year or two but still breastfeeding, your body is not thinking about fat loss and is simply doing what it needs to do with your weight in order to prioritize the health of your baby.
Can you look at the following areas? For sure! And I encourage that. But not for weight loss purposes- simply to help you further optimize your nutrition and other habits during this phase.

First, consider how you’re feeling with your current nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle habits. Are they allowing you to have sufficient energy daily? Supporting your sleep, libido, focus, and mood? Or are you struggling with poor energy, crashes through the day, insomnia, poor sex drive, brain fog, food cravings, “hanger,” and overall fatigue?

Especially if you’ve been actively working to lose fat, is what you’re doing supportive? Is it leading to healthy results (no more than 1-2 lb. of loss/week on average) without an increase in symptoms? Are you excited about and energized exercise? Or are you feeling deprived and exhausted, dreading your workouts, and recovering poorly?

Secondly, look to how much you’re eating. Not sure? Track your intake for a week or so in an app like Cronometer. Next, compare this to your estimated total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). If there’s a big discrepancy and especially if it’s been this way for a while, chances are your metabolism has downregulated. Working slowly back up to your TDEE and maintaining that intake for at least 6 months (but typically, more is needed if you have a history of under-eating) is key before implementing any calorie deficit aimed at fat loss. For many women, continuing to increase above their TDEE (200-500 calories daily) can be beneficial paired with a strength training program (affiliate link) in order to help them build muscle tissue and further support their metabolism.

And last but not least, assess key metabolic markers. This will help you get an idea of how well your overall metabolism is functioning, which will impact your energy production and therefore, all systems in your body including digestion, cognitive function, hormone production, and more.

Besides areas mentioned above like energy, mood, brain function, appetite, and sleep, there are some other easily measurable metrics including your basal body temperature (temperature first thing in the morning before getting out of bed), pulse, menstrual cycle and period, bowel movements

You’re specifically looking for:

Basal body temperatures of 97.4-97.8 and above 98 after ovulation
Pulses between 75-90 BPM
Regular 24-35 day menstrual cycles (with ovulation)
Healthy 3-7 day periods with minimal to no symptoms
At least 1 bowel movement a day (2-3 ideally)
Deep sleep for 7-8 hours uninterrupted (on your own- not super applicable if you’re up often with little ones!)

For more on tracking ovulation click here!

Ovulation Tracking Tools

Inito Fertility Monitor 15% off!
Temp Drop Ovulation Tracker 10% off!

In addition to stable energy throughout the day, positive and even mood overall, reliable appetite (especially in the morning and regularly through the day), clear brain function, strong immune health, healthy libido, healthy hair, skin, and nails, and good resilience to stress.

Not checking off most of these? Your body definitely doesn’t want to lose fat and likely truly can’t without you going to unhealthy extremes. And we don’t want that!

Focusing on supporting your body more deeply on the inside with things like sufficient calories and nutrients, balancing minerals, restoring healthy blood sugar handling, improving digestive health, and more will not only be more beneficial in the long run but will help you feel better in your body- regardless of your weight.

Now in case, you need to hear it: it’s okay to have physique or aesthetic goals. It’s okay to want to lose weight/fat and change your body size. Your body, your choice.

But a reframe could do wonders and maybe even shift your focus and your overall approach to health.

Think about this: If you were to achieve your goal weight/body size now but continued feeling the same way in it (same symptoms, same energy levels, etc.) would you be satisfied? Happy? Healthy?

What if you challenged everything you’ve been incorrectly taught about women’s health & beauty and lived accordingly with the truth about our physiology and unique needs?

What if instead of forcing yourself to be smaller, you created the nourishment and safety your body needs to thrive without judgment or shame?

What if instead of the conventional approach, you focused on the healing you need, work to feel and function better from the inside out, honor the season you’re in, and let your body adjust accordingly and find its happy weight?

Want to learn an approach to improving your metabolism by adequately nourishing your body, replenishing your nutrient stores, and honoring your physiology and unique needs? Check out my signature program, Nourished Roots which includes a 12 module holistic nutrition course, coaching calls with me, and access to a community of like-minded women to learn with and support you along your journey.

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