When someone comes to see me for nutrition and exercise support around weight loss, the one thing I try not to talk about is their weight.
That might sound backwards. Their referral often lists their weight in kilograms, and I'll read it. But after that, I put it away.
What people expect
Many people walk in braced for it. Maybe past appointments were all about the number, the scales and the kilos. If I kept talking about their weight, they would just sit there thinking about how much they weigh. Oh gosh, I'm so heavy. She keeps talking about my weight, it must be so noticeable.
I never want anyone to feel that way.
What I talk about instead
I want people to see that I don't care what they weigh. I care about them as a person, how they're going to nourish their body, and how they're going to nourish it so it functions optimally. So we talk about:
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Their energy levels
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How well they're sleeping
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What and how they're eating
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Movement that suits their body and their energy
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How they feel in their clothes, their body and their mind
Weight is literally just a side effect of all the things we focus on in nutrition and exercise. When we look after those, the rest tends to follow.
The words I choose
I try never to say the word "weight" or "weight loss". Sometimes I might slip in "weight management", but I really try to keep the focus on the nourishing side. The words we use shape what people fixate on, and I'd rather they fixate on feeling good than on a number.
Do I ever weigh people?
I try not to weigh anyone unless they really want to be weighed. If they ask, we do it, and it's one piece of information rather than the headline. If there's a medical reason to monitor weight, that's a conversation we have together with their care team.
The takeaway
The scales can't tell you how well you're sleeping, how much energy you have, or how strong you're getting. If you're working on your health, ask better questions than "what do I weigh?" Ask how you feel, and what your body needs to function at its best.