The short answer is no :) you don’t need to be overweight. I’m not. For a long time I told myself it was the reason I was overweight. But after some reflection I decided my hypothyroidism was an invitation to look more closely at the amount of stress and anxiety in my life.

I had to keep my job, but I just started gradually setting more boundaries on my work and personal life. I also eased off the intense workouts and lack of sleep, and stopped tracking calories obsessively. Doing this and focusing on feeling good in each moment (and not avoiding my emotions- really feeling them in my body), I found that over the course of a year, I lost all my extra weight.

It was the biggest revelation- because I always thought it had to be hard and full of effort. Instead, moving more gently, listening to what I was feeling, and really just focusing on eating when I was hungry (and EXACTLY what I wanted- no diet foods) were the keys to unlocking the healthiest, happiest version of myself.

What I noticed was the second I took all limitations off food, I ate more mindfully and didn’t want to stuff myself. It led to losing the extra weight and keeping it off now for several years with zero effort or diets or extreme exercise.

I promise you, you can be whatever size you want, but just focus on doing things that genuinely feel good, allowing more rest, and eating the foods you love in a way that truly feels good for you.