I was thinking today about how it feels to pursue health and fitness for the joy of being healthy and fit (what a concept), versus pursuing it for the sake of being as light, lean, and small as possible, to impress others, or to feel worthy. It's a night and day difference.
If you had told me years ago that I would quit the gym, quit dieting, and quit worrying about weight, I would absolutely have assumed that meant I quit being fit. I couldn't have fathomed exercising or eating nutritious foods just for fun, but guess what? It's MORE fun without the obsessive madness. I do whatever I like. I eat whatever sounds good. I feel fantastic and perform well. I'm not depleted from restriction and compulsive scale watching. I'm not thinking about food all day. I'm not exhausted and injured from sticking to a plan at all costs. I'm stronger and more flexible. Nothing hurts. I look forward to working out, and if I'm not looking forward to it that day, I don't do it. So crazy! There's no dread. Willpower and motivation are not required. My whole life doesn't revolve around my diet and workout schedule. And this is the really hilarious part, my results are better. Overdoing it while restricting my food made me hungry, tired, and defiant. There was a lot of reactive eating going on, getting sick a lot, getting hurt a lot, verrrry moody. True health is mental, physical, and spiritual. It's not a weight or a size.
I agree with all of this but there is a huge disconnect in my mind about it. I can see other people in their diverse bodies and there is no judgement of their weight or their level of fitness - heck there was larger man in the 5k race I ran who KICK MY BUTT! So I know intellectually that weight does not determine fitness level and yet... I can't apply that to myself. Maybe it's because when I was bigger I wasn't fit AT ALL and so I have this weird associate in my brain that for me higher weight = unhealthy. And of course that has been reinforced by my family and fitness culture. But it fascinates me that I have this belief just for myself but not anyone else.