What is weight neutrality?

Maybe you’ve avoided care for fear a provider may only see your weight, and not see you. 

Maybe you’ve asked for help, only for your symptoms to be dismissed as completely weight-related. 

Maybe you’re just tired of living up to the media and the male gaze.

Whatever it is, I’m here for it. Bodies exist in different sizes, for different reasons.

The basics of a weight-neutral approach: 

A weight-neutral approach emphasizes behaviors, habits, and overall wellbeing without promoting weight as the ultimate indicator of success or health.

  • Anti-Diet: Weight neutrality rejects restrictive eating plans in the name of weight loss. In the long-term, restriction causes physical and mental harm – and simply doesn’t work. Instead we focus on behavior changes, including nutrition education, sustainable shifts, and intuitive eating. 

  • Individualized Care: Every body is unique, and a one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t make sense. We’ll look at your overall biochemistry, mindset,  lifestyle, and health history to find the true source of your discomfort. Spoiler alert: It’s almost never your weight.

  • Health Outcomes: Weight loss may be a secondary effect of your lifestyle shifts, but never the primary focus. We focus on more fitting outcomes, like symptom reduction, energy, mood, lab shifts, digestive consistency, and whatever else is most important to you. 

I’ve been overweight and underweight in my life. I’ve hyper-focused on addressing both ends of the spectrum to the point that I forgot that health should be my main driver. I don’t want this for you. 

It’s important to me that discussion around food and nutrition does not only exist in the context of weight. That tunnel-vision dismisses women as individuals and quite frankly, dismisses health. 

The bottom line:

Is weight important to your goals? Cool, let’s talk about it.

Is weight triggering to you? Totally understand, let’s leave it out. 

It’s your body and your choice how to discuss it. 

A note to the haters: Weight neutrality does not promote or celebrate obesity, nor does it ignore the health implications associated with excess weight. Instead, it moves the conversation towards healthy lifestyle development. In this approach, weight loss may be a secondary effect – but never the primary focus. I dare you to fight me on this. 

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