You might already know that HAES stands for Health at Every Size.
HAES is an approach that is weight neutral. Instead of focusing on weight loss, HAES encourages making food/movement choices that are healthy—-not just to lose weight.
HAES was hard for me to understand when I first started my ED recovery. I had a solid core belief that FAT=UNHEALTHY. Why wouldn’t I think that since this is the message that is pounded into our heads from a very young age. BMI, height/weight charts, physical fitness challenges, pregnancy weight gain charts, 10,000 steps daily, and probably more that I am not thinking of right now are all ways that we have been told we just don’t measure up. You don’t hit the right range you are not healthy.
BUT, when I stepped back and looked at the whole picture (therapy for the win, again!) and looked at me as a whole. I have never fit into the “right” category for BMI or height/weight charts. I gained shit tons of weight while pregnant. Physically I could never run a marathon (or really a 3K). However, I can: bowl a great game (most of the time), do Pilates (ha- not well, but I can do it), beat others in pickleball (and long as we are age group matched- LOL), and touch my hands to the ground (I am FLEXIBLE!). I am also fat while doing all of these things.
From a traditional standpoint of physical health indicators, I also have BP, cholesterol and sugars all in the normal range. Again….still fat.
Most importantly, my mental health is in such a good place right now. It has never been better.
I am not sure if I do have any readers (hahaha), but if I do, I would love to hear what you think about HAES. Do you disagree with the approach? Are you embracing it? Does it scare you?
41 Replies to “HAES”
HAES! I’m increasingly getting there. I really feel into it through exercise. Yoga, walking, and spin are my go-to activities, and they make me feel GOOD, as in glowing skin and strong legs and happy smile good. Haven’t figured out how to eat in a way that makes me feel good, though. Lots of baggage there. Sigh.
Thank you, Dawn, for sharing your writing. There are many of us on a similar journey. Strength in numbers?!
Definitely strength in numbers! Body image and all that comes with it can really be heavy (ha!) for a lot of people. Having a comrade to connect with is always good. If you are on IG I would recommend following the #HAES hashtag. Lots of great people there.
Thanks for the reco. Alas, not on IG (social media is a bit like food for me, easily addictive!)
This is the first time that I have ever heard of HAES and it makes sense. I want to accept that HAES should be the proper way to think about both myself and others, but society, and especially, ‘mean people’ have always had me thinking otherwise – BMI, height/weight charts, activities (both frequency, ability & level)–AND I am not only saying me being judged, but ME JUDGING others by these asinine standards! If I think of choices for healthy moving, mine also have been with the mindset to burn the most calories for one purpose only — to lose weight! I now constantly try to share with my kids the many other benefits for activities/exercise like a healthy heart, boosts your mood, burns off steam and for FUN! (especially during this pandemic/remote learning school time)It is so tough to retrain my own brain, though, to not go back to the ol’ ‘to lose weight mentality’, but I am going to try to be more aware and think about HAES instead. Pickleball has been on my bucket list for years. I am going to try it – sooner than later – and for FUN!
I am hearing more about HAES. I like that it encourages people to make healthy food and movement choices instead of focusing on a number from a scale. I have tried adding more recipes with veggies to my meal planning and less red meat (lots of chicken/turkey instead), which has helped me feel better physically. I also have been taking 30 minute walks every day lately, which helps me sleep better at night. At times during this pandemic I have felt stressed or frustrated and those are the moments that I feel vulnerable to fall into the old bad eating habits. I am just taking it one day at a time now. When I first heard about HAES, I remember thinking “I wish HAES was around when I was a teenager back in the 1980s.” Thank you for sharing your personal thoughts and experiences in your blog.
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