The Pain Solution Does Not Need To Be Your Weight
Your weight is probably not the only source of your pain.
The physical pain you may be experiencing does not need to be attributed to the weight on the scale.
Here's why: You did not become that weight overnight. And people can experience pain regardless of weight.
Injuries can occur from doing too much too soon. Like trying to squat too much without adequate recovery and adaptation.
So if weight was supposed to be the cause of pain, then you would have to have dramatically changed your weight. And fast. I really doubt this is the case for most people.
Your body is adaptable. That includes your body weight.
Pain is not as simple as saying that if you lost 20lbs your pain would be gone.
It's a false narrative that can promote unhealthy diet culture and lead to people not getting the treatment and care they need because of their weight.
Pain has multiple factors worth investigating. Thankfully the activities that can influence weight loss can also influence pain (sleep, stress, physical activity, nutrition). Weight loss may help your pain, but it's probably not the only thing going on.
If you want to lose weight while reducing pain, great. If not that is totally fine as well.
Weight ≠ Pain
Is weight the source of pain?
You’ve been dealing with back pain. It’s been on and off for years.
You’ve been told you should lose weight.
But is it your weight?
That person that told you to lose weight, do they know that you’ve been trying with little success, and are still dealing with back pain?
That person did they assume you needed to lose weight based on your BMI? The Body Mass Index was created by a mathematician in the 1800s who knew little about weight loss. Can we stop using dated information?
That person who told you to lose weight, did they assess how your body moves and the tasks you want to be able to do pain-free?
There are so many possibilities for why someone could be experiencing pain.
Let's say you start to make some changes. Maybe you do it by eating different foods, maybe in different quantities. Maybe you start sleeping more. Maybe you start to exercise more. You start strengthening your body.
Those can all be great achievements.
So was your weight the sole reason you were experiencing pain? I really doubt it.
Maybe you stopped experiencing pain because you improved your body's strength and tolerance to activities. Maybe it was because you fuelled your body more optimally and improved your recovery.
It wasn’t your weight. No one can be sure of that as a cause and no one should shame you or place blame on your weight. You are more than a number on a scale. People need to acknowledge that.
So how would I address that pain?
We would assess your current abilities.
We would assess your current lifestyle (sleep, stress, work, nutrition)
We would identify the low-hanging fruit that is limiting you. (It’s probably not the weight)
We customize your training to get you the results that you have been looking for.
Pain can be complicated. Training and your path to results doesn’t need to be.
What’s Your Roadblock?
What’s your roadblock? Is it pain or weight?
What is the thing that is holding you back from the results you so badly want?
You’ve set a goal, but something has gotten in the way.
Maybe your goal is weight loss.
That’s great! Totally support it, assuming it is healthy and you are doing it for you, and not to please others.
So is your problem weight loss?
Maybe you love working out.
Maybe you eat quality foods.
Maybe you get good amounts of sleep.
But you are dealing with physical pain that is causing you to take breaks in your training, derailing your progress in the gym.
When you have to take breaks from the gym, it throws off your routine. You start eating differently. Your sleep is disrupted. Your stress levels rise. Your weight increases.
So is the problem weight loss?
Or is your roadblock physical pain?
I’d say it’s pain.
Address that and we get you back on track towards your goals.