As a weight inclusive personal trainer, I encourage you to separate your fitness from your weight. They do not go hand in hand and there are much better metrics to measure when it comes to fitness.
So no, you do not need to lose weight to get fit.
I know that might feel strange to read, particularly coming from a personal trainer. We’ve been surrounded by messaging that ties the two together for so long that it can feel like they can’t be separated. But they should be. It’s diet culture and fitness marketing that keeps grouping them together and I’m here to challenge that.
Fitness is about how you feel and what your body can do, not just what it looks like
When we strip away all the noise, fitness is really about doing things which carry over to making our day to day life and experiences easier now and for years to come. Can you climb the stairs without getting out of breath? Can you carry your shopping, play with your kids/pets, go on walking holidays knowing you have the strength and stamina?
None of those things show up on a scale.
As a body neutral PT, the markers I look at with my clients are things like:
- Cardiovascular endurance: how quickly do you recover after getting your heart rate up?
- Strength: can you lift more than before?
- Mobility and flexibility: are you moving with more ease?
- Energy levels: do you feel better day to day?
- Sleep quality: is your body recovering well?
- Consistency: are you finding consistency with your movement?
These are the things that tell me (and you) that you’re getting fitter. Weight doesn’t make that list.
Why using weight as your measure of progress is actually holding you back
As I mentioned, weight and fitness don’t go together. If you are constantly checking the scales, you are missing out on celebrating all the amazing health benefits of moving your body!
Weight fluctuates constantly. It goes up and down based on hydration, hormones, the time of day, what you’ve eaten, your stress levels etc. It is one of the least reliable ways to track fitness progress and when it becomes the only thing you’re measuring, it can undo all the positive momentum you’ve built.
Lasting behaviour change comes from intrinsic motivation (a personal desire to do it – usually because it feels good). If we only focus on extrinsic motivation (being rewarded for something) then that soon runs out if we don’t see the reward.
A weight inclusive approach to fitness
Working with me as a weight inclusive PT means we start from a completely different place. Instead of asking “how do I change my body?”, we ask “what do I want my body to be able to do? and “how would I like it to feel?”
That shift changes everything.
When your goals are rooted in function and feeling strong, capable, and good in your body, the experience feels different. You build self-efficacy, confidence and trust in yourself.
So, do you have to lose weight to get fit?
Absolutely not.
You can get fitter, stronger, and healthier at any size. You can build habits that serve you for life without ever stepping on a scale, and feel much better for it!
If any of this resonates with you and you’d like to explore what a weight inclusive, body neutral approach to fitness could look like for you, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to get in touch here.