Are you at a weight that allows you to live your life to the fullest? Can you stay fit and healthy without obsessing about food or exercise? Are you at your happy weight? Well, if you have formed overly restrictive food habits, count every bite you eat, put yourself through vigorous exercise regimes, overthink about food and weight, then probably you are NOT. Feel-good weight
It’s a different scenario in case of chronic diseases that may need restrictions and calculated nutrients, but generally in the absence of any serious disease, happy weight means achieving weight that balances between living a healthy lifestyle and enjoying your life. It isn’t simply about losing kilos or reaching that goal weight, it’s about how you can attain that weight without losing your mental peace, immunity, happiness, confidence, overall health and simultaneously minimise any risk of developing diseases later on. It’s about how you can maintain your weight, while still enjoying those occasional indulgences, festivities, celebrations or even forgo a Sunday workout to enjoy time with family.

Achieving that state when you are at your happy weight is liberating and doesn’t require deprivation or elimination of food groups like low carb or high fat. Rather, it requires balanced and normal eating which include both nourishing foods and indulgences. It allows one to eat more intuitively, rather than counting calories, macros or micros. This pattern helps your body maintain the weight that’s healthy.

One weight doesn’t fit all
Happy weight doesn’t involve following trends or patterns as dictated by the internet or social media. There are so many who follow the norm of “eat every two hours”. But ever wondered, each of us is so different from one another, then how can this rule fit all? We are unique individuals with different lifestyles and bodily needs, so what may have suited one may not suit another. Bio-individuality is key and personalisation is one of the pre-requisites of reaching your happy weight.

Also, happy weight doesn’t equal being skinny. There are so many plump people who are happy, fun loving, carefree about what people think and then there are people who are thin and slim but filled with anger, jealousy, obsession about their weight, fear of every bite and negative self-talk. The latter is not a happy weight to be in.

Know your happy weight
Although it differs from person to person, here are signs that will help you know your happy weight:

1. You feel happy and confident within your own skin.

2. Your self-worth isn’t attached to your weight.

3. You don’t chase weight loss or weight gain.

4. More than the scale, it is the non-scale victories like more energy, better sleep, positive mindset, happiness, peace, emotional contentment, that matter to you.

5. You honour your body’s hunger and satiety cues.

6. Healthy or unhealthy – food isn’t feared. Just that you practice mindfulness and portion control.

7. You don’t feel the need to weigh yourself every day because you know you are still progressing.

One must understand that good health isn’t mathematics, it’s about biology and chemistry. Counting calories, kilograms, inches are great tools to measure your progress, but our happiness shouldn’t revolve around that. Hence, happy weight is a more realistic way to look at weight management.

Bio-individuality and personalisation are pre-requisites of reaching your happy weight

– Luke Coutinho