Note: This article includes content originally attributed to Mia Westbury

I am passionate about healthy living, not weight loss, so I wanted to talk about why it’s important to set the right kinds of goals. The biggest message I want to push here is that your weight is not a good measure of how ‘healthy’ you are. Muscle weighs more than fat so as your body changes, you can paradoxically gain weight. If you’re only focusing on the bathroom scales, this can lead you to starve your body at a point when it needs more fuel than ever. When you measure your progress by weight, you attach meaning to a set of arbitrary numbers that don’t say a whole lot about your health. Sometimes fat can be hidden in places you least expect it and can cause health problems comparable to people with higher body fat percentages. Furthermore, you’re only focusing on one small aspect of a larger whole that is influenced by your diet, environment, and mindset.

In the normal world, a realistic weight loss goal is 1-2 pounds per week. When you lose weight rapidly, it puts a lot of stress on the body causing them to lose muscle mass and important nutrients. Losing weight rapidly can even cause permanent damage. According to doctors, “losing too much, too fast, can lead to kidney failure, thyroid problems, osteoporosis, increased estrogen production, lessening of sexual functions, heart irregularity and changes in blood pressure.” Not to mention, losing weight rapidly can be a slippery slope into the dark world of obsessive compulsive behaviors and eating disorders like anorexia.

When you set out to lose weight and you only focus on those bathroom scales, you’re leaving out a lot of important components on the journey to health. Losing 100 pounds might seem like it can change your life, but it won’t instantly make you happier, fall in love, get a new job, or get your life together. It also doesn’t address the underlying habits and behaviors that cause obesity. Things like diet and exercise are only a part of the weight loss journey. For many, emotional and mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, addiction, and abuse are significant factors.

The modern fitness industry as a whole plays on people’s fears and emotions, selling quick-fix solutions and 30 day plans “that will change your life.”  In reality, it takes a long time to hit your goals. Life can get in the way and that’s ok, as long as you make it a part of your routine and stick with it over the long term.

The point is this, Skinny is not a sign of healthy – your goal should not be to ‘get skinny’, it should be to ‘get healthy’. Instead of focusing on losing X pounds in X days, focus on more palatable and achievable goals like being able to do 30 pushups in a minute, 10 pull-ups, or run a 5k in less than 30 minutes. These types of fitness oriented goals are much more achievable and better indicators of your overall level of health. Achieving fitness goals over weight loss goals will naturally make you look and feel better than you did when you started.