Why do you want to lose weight? This is a question I want everyone to really pause to reflect on today. Weight loss is not a magical cure to every health condition. Being healthy also requires more than tending to the physical body. However, that often becomes the sole focus of our endeavors. For some, it can even start to morph into a borderline obsession — or contribute to disordered eating patterns, such as being afraid to consume certain types of food or refusing to eat enough calories in a day.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be stronger or thinner. But the real goal of changing nutritional and exercise habits should be to have the energy, mobility and mental fitness to live a full, independent life for as long as possible. Those are not objectives determined only by body fat percentage, especially since it is not uncommon to lose muscle mass and water weight along the way to seeing a lower number on the scale. It is equally important not to try to eliminate fat completely from one’s diet. This is nearly impossible — and unhealthy — because fat is a macronutrient that the human body needs to properly absorb certain nutrients and maintain cellular health.
During a recent live Q&A event on Hello by Grouper, I was asked by an attendee about visceral fat. I will be honest that it is a term I learned ages ago, and I haven’t thought much about it in quite a while. Yes, for some of you, this might be a legitimate concern. However, assessing if you have too much visceral fat should be done by a licensed healthcare provider. There are private businesses that provide body composition analysis, but this can involve expensive testing. Plus, some methods are more reliable than others. Do your research before buying any in-home technology that claims to provide this information for less money or time. I recommend doing the same before purchasing in-person testing that is not done at a doctor’s office, medical clinic or hospital.
I reminded the woman who asked this question that we all need a certain amount of body fat. In particular, visceral fat plays a vital function: it protects our internal organs. Keep in mind that as we age, the risk of falling while doing daily activities gradually increases. And body fat is a little extra padding for our bones and joints. Thus, not having enough can be just as problematic as having too much.
Do you have other thoughts or feelings about this topic? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments thread below.
I encourage each of us to make this August an AMAZING wrap-up to summer by maximizing movement time outdoors too!
~Rachel
