So often weight loss is prescribed to improve or reduce the risk for illness or to help manage existing health conditions. Unless you have a Health At Every Size (HAES) aligned physician or have had the "no weight loss" talk with your medical practitioner, weight loss is often hailed as the cure-all for it all.
In January 2018 when I had some intermittent pain in my lower back, my nurse practitioner (NP) sent me for an abdominal ultrasound. Thankfully, all looked mostly okay so they attributed the pain to a pulled muscle. However, one thing the report did show was that I had nonalcoholic non-fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
While I was told I had a mild case, I was also told that if I didn’t make some serious changes, it could lead to more dire issues later like cirrhosis of the liver. I was told and also read that I am not the typical body person who’s diagnosed with this disease (meaning I’m not in a larger body and I eat a fairly balanced diet) but nonetheless, I had it.
Despite my "mild" case, I was still quite upset and was determined to find a way to either reverse the condition or at the very least reduce the risk of it getting worse.
In addition to some tweaks to diet, all the research I read cited weight loss as the “solution” to cure this condition. As a HAES advocate and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, I know that intentional weight loss often does more harm than good, so I remained rooted in the HAES research studies that encourage implementing (or adding) more engaging health-promoting behaviors.
I also consulted with a fellow HAES practitioner and she confirmed that the changes I planned to make would very likely help to improve my condition.
My plan included the following:
Gaining a deeper understanding of the gentle nutrition guidelines (IE, Principle 10) and how to more effectively integrate them into my diet, especially my fiber intake
Cultivating a meditation and mindful self-compassion practice to help manage stress
Practicing yoga more regularly
Increasing my joyful movement endeavors to include more intuitive cardio
My NP followed up with annual blood work and agreed that I wouldn't have to do anything else unless some irregularity surfaced there.
Well, fast forward to April 2021 when I needed to have another abdominal ultrasound for something unrelated. That report was unremarkable, and the report also showed NO sign of liver disease at all. It appears I was able to reverse my NAFLD. The best part was that I was able to do this by following the principles of HAES and intuitive eating (IE) NOT by intentionally pursuing weight loss.
While I realize that not everyone may be able to reverse a condition by following the HAES/IE principles, copious amounts of research show that intentional weight loss is not the answer because it often leads to increased binge eating, rebound weight gain, and poor mental health.
Instead, focusing on consistent self-care, managing stress, and practicing the principles of intuitive movement/HAES is often very effective in helping to heal our bodies and restore metabolic health (i.e. blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose) and mental health, etc.
While I'm thrilled that my NAFLD reversed itself and thank God for this, I'm equally as happy to share my testimony so you can see that it is possible to heal from a medical condition where weight loss is typically recommended by following the HAES/IE principles.
Since the research is so overwhelmingly clear that intentional weight loss (which is approximately ~97% ineffective) or dieting often leads to rebound weight gain, I never recommend it to my clients or anyone else who’s trying to restore metabolic health, reverse or decrease the risk of contracting a long-term illness.
There is another way and it's never dieting. Of course, you may still have your doubts and, honestly, I would expect that because this is not a mainstream practice. However, please keep in mind that most physicians don’t know about HAES or don’t believe in HAES so they are usually pro-weight loss. This can lead to stigmatizing medical care which has many potentially harmful effects. I’d also encourage you to learn more about size inclusivity in health by visiting the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) website.
Watch my LIVE video about this in the No Diet Sisterhood!
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With love and compassion, I'll meet you wherever you are in your journey.