The Amazing Truth About Health At Every Size (HAES) And What It Really Means

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Weight is often an idealistic goal we set for ourselves in hopes that we will feel “healthy” when we get there. We feel dissatisfied at the weight we are at but struggle to get to the weight we want to me. Health at Every Size (HAES) is a weight-neutral health approach started by Dr Lindo Bacon. Its focus is on the holistic benefits of establishing healthy habits.

These include:

·      improved mood,

·      sleep,

·      social connections and more

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These changes enable us to live an enjoyable and satisfying life.

HAES is about taking your eyes of the scale and instead looking to bless (or accept) the body you have.

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Here are three key principles to help you start your HAES journey:

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Accept your body

People come in all shapes and sizes. HAES is about learning to appreciate your body. Our body does a lot of things for us! It allows us to see, feel, connect, and engage with the world around us.

When we can look at ourselves with compassion, then we can begin to care for our body. So, honour your body and treat it kindly. Be content with who you are now and don’t put off your happiness until you are a certain size.

Listen to your body

Our body has natural hunger and fullness cues. We have hormones, nerves and signals that tell us when we need to eat and when we’re done eating. You can appreciate your body by honoring those messages.

A HAES approach teaches us to eat intuitively. This means that we don’t get caught up rules and diets but instead listen to our appetite. It also means taking time to enjoy foods that nourish our body and that bring joy.

Mindfulness allows us to eat intuitively. Mindful eating means slowing down to be present in the moment of eating. Appreciate the food you like and don’t rush through it. You’ll find you enjoy it a lot more and that your body signals are a lot clearer!

Embody movement

Exercising can often feel like a chore in effort to lose weight. We start off strong and eventually run out of willpower. However, when we embody movement as a way to improve our mood and to generally feel good, we can bring back the enjoyment of movement.

You don’t have to vigorously exercise all the time but instead we can find ways to include movement in everyday routine. Maybe for you it’s actively engaging with the kids at the playground or just getting outside for some fresh air. Maybe it’s taking some time in the evening just to stretch and settle your mind before bed. Whatever it is, find movement that makes you feel good.

Summary

The HAES campaign allows us to like who we are right now and not delay our happiness. It is a way to have compassion for ourselves and establish healthy habits that set us up for living a satisfying and enriched life.