What you think can make you healthy. Or not. Especially when it comes to what you think about your body. It turns out that the higher percentage of weight you want to lose, even if you're not overweight in the first place, the more mentally and physically unhealthy days you have every month. BMI, or actual weight, doesn't have that much to do with it, researchers at Columbia University found. But the desire to lose weight does affect how healthy you are.
How? It's likely that distorted ideas about what an ideal weight is lead to stress, and that stress precipitates bad health days. And distorted ideas are common, especially in women. Only 41 percent of normal weight people say they are happy with their weight (only 20 percent of overweight and 5 percent of obese people do).
So what can you do? If you want an objective view of your body, don't rely on only your eyes. Instead, focus on how you feel. Use your eating habits, exercise patterns and other lifestyle choices to help you feel strong and energized. And keep reminding yourself of all the things your body can do when you are fit and well nourished.
Not working? Try strength training. In one study, women felt more confident about their bodies after a 12-week weight training program even if they gained weight during it. So stop overthinking your body. Save your brainpower for the important stuff, like work, your shopping list and your fantasy basketball league.
