There is an enormous amount of pressure on women to look a certain way. There is a particular body shape and size that we have somehow come to view as optimal. This expectation to be slim, with large breasts, can only be achieved by a certain number of genetically lucky ladies; or those who can afford the cosmetic surgery required. I would like to remind all of us that “It’s all about the bass” and there is only one reason to lose weight. But first – some of the wrong reasons:

Because someone said you should
In most cases, weight issues develop in early teenage years. This is generally when most girls experience bullying by others. If someone has made negative comments about your weight, you need to decide for yourself if it is something that you should address. Losing weight to ‘fit in’ or ‘to be liked by others’ is something that cannot be sustained. If your partner is making negative comments about your size, perhaps they are not the right partner for you. A healthy relationship is built on mutual respect and support. If your partner is stating that you are too voluptuous and making you feel bad – this is not supportive or respectful.

Because you want to fit into that piece of clothing
Whether it be that wedding dress or those size six jeans – this may be a motivating factor for a period of time, but once the big day arrives; you may not be able to maintain this. The simple reason is that the external motivating factor has been removed. We need a healthy balance of intrinsic (internal influences like willpower) and extrinsic (external influences like the wedding dress) to maintain change in our behaviours. Before I got married, I decided that I wanted to look perfect in my wedding dress… six months before my big day, I started watching my diet and going to the gym two to three times a week. Guess what happened after I got married? That’s right! Haven’t been back to the gym since.

Because you want to look like her
If you are looking at pictures in a magazine and saying to yourself “I want to look like her” be very careful which celebrity’s body type you are trying to achieve. Most of the pictures we see have been drastically photo-shopped. You only have to then look in the next issue of that magazine to know what I mean. Does the title “Celebrity Weight Lose Out of Control” look familiar? Most professional actors or models are on a very strict exercise and diet regime. For those of us that live in the real world – this simply cannot be maintained.

The only reason why you should lose weight: Because you want to be a more healthier version of yourself
If you decide that you want to get a bit more exercise or eat better: not only will you have more energy; feel better within yourself; and improve your physical health – you will lose some of the extra weight that you may be carrying. Your body is a machine – it runs on fuel. The more optimal the fuel (eg: a celery stick instead of a snickers bar) the more efficient the machine becomes and the more waste (excess fat storage) it burns. If you make healthy choices, then your body runs more effectively. Try swapping a few things in your diet and see what a difference it makes. Making healthier choices is the only sustainable and safe way to maintain weight loss. Making changes to your diet and exercise regime may not be easy at first but once healthy habits are formed – they die hard!

What are some of the reasons you have lost weight or want to lose weight for?