Ep. 99: How OTHER PEOPLE Benefit When You LOSE WEIGHT

Ready to change your mind about weight loss? Grab The 5-0 Method to lose all the weight you want and keep it off forever.

After today’s episode you’ll walk away with a new way of thinking about yourself and about others in your life who love you!

My friends, do you feel a little uncomfortable emotionally when you’re LOSING WEIGHT🤔?  Thinking perhaps that you’re spending too much time⏰ catering to your own needs instead of giving your time and effort to others?

After today’s episode you’ll walk away🚶 with a new way of thinking about yourself and about others in your life who love🧡 you!

In today’s shockingly⚡ practical episode of the Fitness Matters podcast, we’re taking on this fascinating topic. With these tips, you’ll walk away🚶 with a new way of thinking about yourself and about others in your life who love🧡 you!

Ready to get started?  You know I am!  Let’s GO!

(Don’t wanna listen? Download the transcript here)

Find this episode on YouTube (video below) or on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play.

https://youtu.be/DM2uQSHZqzs

Can’t see the video? Click here to watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DM2uQSHZqzs

Intrigued by this topic?  SHARE, RATE, and REVIEW this podcast!  💛

How OTHER PEOPLE Benefit When You LOSE WEIGHT 

You’re listening to the Fitness Matters podcast with Pahla B. And this is episode number 99, “How Other People Benefit When You Lose Weight.”

Hello. Hello. Hello, my friends. You guys, I’m so excited. Episode 99. Are you kidding me? This is the point in the podcast where I’m going to remind you that after 100, we’re adding up all the Let’s Run podcasts and okay, I still haven’t done this. I actually just added up all the Let’s Run podcasts the other day, but I’m thinking about doing The Buzz too. Have I told you about this? I know I have, but you probably haven’t listened to all of the nearly 200 episodes – maybe even over 200 episodes – of all of the different genres of podcasts that I’ve had. Way, way, way back in the day in early 2017, I actually had a little video clip that I had on my main channel, the Pahla B fitness channel that was called The Buzz.

And then I started its own channel, The Buzz, where I talked about mindset matters and how they matter to you. And it was very short lived and for a lot of reasons, mostly because I was trying to sit and talk to the camera and I used to have a hard time with that. I actually still kind of do that now again, but that took me several years to be more comfortable with it. Anyway, then it became the Let’s Run podcast because I would run while we were talking about stuff. And then I realized that really, I just didn’t want to have a camera on me at all while we’re having these conversations. And so I turned it into a podcast – a podcast instead of the visual podcast that it used to be. So in any event, okay. The next episode that you’re going to hear is episode number 100.

And then after that I’m adding up everything. I think we might go directly from 100 to like 200 and something. That’s really exciting. I’ll have it added up before next week. When I tell you about it next week, I will remind you again because I know it’s going to be really weird if you are actually following along to be like, “Wait a second, the numbers totally just changed. What did I miss? Where is everything?” It’s all here. It’s all here. And you can go back and listen anytime you want to. Am I right? So you guys, welcome to episode 99, “How Other People Benefit When You Lose Weight.” I am your hostess with the mostest. I’m Pahla B. I’m your best middle-aged fitness friend. You guys, around here, we talk about making peace with your menopausal body. We talk about the fitness matters that matter to you, really specifically, we talk about finding a healthy weight kind of a lot.

And I’m finding myself talking more about it recently because it’s something that I know you want to talk about. And I feel like there’s a lot of information in the world from people who just want you to be skinny to be skinny, like to look good and things like that. And I really like referring to it as being a healthy weight, as opposed to lots of other things that I might say to you. Thinking about your weight in terms of your health can be slightly different than thinking about it in terms of how you look. And the reason why this is so important to me is because gravity has affected me, frankly, and I am not getting younger, weirdly. So focusing solely on what you look like is just – it’s a losing game. And I mean that in a bigger picture way, not necessarily about losing weight, but it’s not something that is always attainable.

Whereas a healthy weight is attainable by anybody. Truly. I 100% believe that every single being can be a healthy weight because it is your body’s natural state. Your body wants to be a healthy weight, truly. It’s why it’s called a healthy weight. It’s good for your body. It’s what your body would normally naturally do. There’s just lots and lots of different inputs that we give it for lots of different reasons that change the size of our bodies. So you guys today, what I wanted to talk about though is really specific. And this was not brought on by one specific thing, but rather by a combination of several different things that all came together in my mind and really made me want to talk about how sometimes when we think about doing something for ourselves, we get it in our heads that it’s selfish, that we shouldn’t want more for ourselves.

And here’s the point where I’m going to refer you to the episode about wanting more for yourself (Ep. 046 Wanting More for Yourself https://getyourgoal.com/podcasts/46-wanting-more-for-yourself/), where we actually kind of talk about this, about how in one sense, truly every single thing we do is selfish and that’s not a bad thing. Everything we do is always for ourselves because that’s all we can truly know. And I believe if I remember correctly that that episode, “Wanting More for Yourself,” really kind of dives into this and really discusses how yes, everything is selfish. But also it’s not like in a much bigger sense. Wanting something more for yourself makes you more loving, more giving, more generous, more of everything that you truly want to be.

And I wanted to talk about that again today in a different way with really specific examples of how, when you lose weight, how rather than thinking about it as, “Oh, I’m spending so much time thinking about myself and doing something for myself and how difficult that is because I always put other people first and other needs first” and all these kinds of things. I wanted to kind of reframe that type of thinking for you so that you can really take a look at how much other people benefit when you take care of yourself – when you get to a healthy weight.

And today’s episode, although shockingly practical, will feature some mindset stuff too. Because of course, you know mindset matters. We just talked about that. And your fitness matters. But I was thinking about the small ways in which losing weight can help you in a really practical sense and help your family, help the people around you, help the people you love in a really practical sense. And number one, there are lots of ways in which you will save money by being a healthy weight. You will save money on gas in your car because, as you well know, the more you have – the more you are carrying in your car – the less efficient it is at using fuel. When you lose weight, you will use less fuel in your car all the time. You will actually save money on things like tires and mattresses and couches that have that wear and tear factor.

When you weigh less, you will have less wear and tear. And I mean that so nicely, I’m laughing. I apologize. That was sort of a nervous laugh. I don’t mean that as anything other than again, from a really practical sense. Things get worn out from weight, things like couches, tires, mattresses, like I was just saying. You’ll save money on shoes for the same reason. You’ll save money possibly on clothing for a different reason. Not because it’ll wear out faster. Although I tell you what, man, I was just looking at something the other day in a store that I won’t name because there’s really no reason to. I picked up a shirt and I was like, “This is so thin.” Do you guys remember when we were kids how much thicker material was? How much longer everything lasted? I feel really old when I talk about things like this because my kids are like, “I don’t get it mom,” but really things used to be thicker, but that’s not what I’m talking about.

I’m actually talking about how some clothing manufacturers actually charge more for larger sizes. And this is the point in our conversation where I’m going to be really, really clear, because there are a couple of things kind of in this neighborhood that I’m going to mention. I am not in any manner condoning the practice of charging more for certain things because of somebody’s weight. What I’m pointing out to you is that this is a practice that does exist, and I’m not talking about the ethics of it or the practicalities of it or whether or not it’s right or wrong. That’s well outside the scope of this particular episode. Maybe I will address that sometime in the future. But what I’m pointing out to you is that this exists. Some manufacturers charge more for plus sizes. You could save money by not being a plus size. You could save money on things like medications.

The fact of the matter is that – not you personally necessarily – but obesity-related diseases are expensive. There are medical costs associated directly and indirectly, which is why this one definitely is on shaky ground. I’m not telling you that you’ll definitely save money on medications. There’s a likelihood that you could save money on medications and medical care in general. You could – and again, I’m not condoning this practice, but telling you that this sort of thing does happen – you could save money on insurance. Certain kinds of insurance charge more for people who weigh above whatever their charts and graphs say. There are lots of different ways that being a healthy weight saves your family money. And when you start thinking about it and listing it out, some of them, I mean, some of the costs are larger than others, but some of them they’re just so tiny, but they all add up.

And this is actually where I’m going to go with my next list, which is ways in which you will save time. When you are a healthy weight, there will be lots of teeny tiny ways in which you will actually move faster. And I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about this. I was thinking about it of course, while I was putting together this podcast. And I was like, there are just little fractions of seconds in your day that you won’t spend anymore on things like just walking from place to place. A healthy weight will likely have you moving even slightly faster. Again, I’m not talking about saving 10 minutes getting from here to the other room. No, I’m just talking about like a fraction of a second. But these fractions of seconds add up. Things like getting up off the couch faster, getting in and out of your car faster, getting up and down from any chair a little bit faster, doing chores a little bit faster.

They’re tiny fragments of time that over the course of your life could add up. I mean truly to minutes or hours or days or longer. And I mean, I’m certainly not going to guarantee this one. You guys, you know as well as I do that being a healthy weight does not mean that you will live longer, but you could; you might. It’s a possibility. You could give yourself not just saving time, but you could give yourself time to be with your family, your friends, people you love, people who need you, people who want you around. And here’s the thing that I really wanted to talk about today. You will save yourself space. And I don’t mean that like the space that you take up in the world, I mean the brain space that we all spend thinking about our weight. Have you ever thought about how much time you spend in a day thinking about your weight?

I tell you what, when I stopped worrying about my weight, I realized how often I was thinking about it. Like almost all the time. For you, some of the brain space might be cleared up during things like when somebody wants to take a picture or when you’re eating out in public, when you meet somebody new, when you’re trying on clothing, when you’re getting in and out of the shower. If you have a bathroom mirror as humongous as mine, you cannot help but see your entire body. We’re going to be renovating the bathrooms next year. And I keep thinking about this. I’m like, “What jokes will I make about how I dance in front of the giant bathroom mirror if I don’t have a giant bathroom mirror?” But I am going to take down the giant bathroom mirror. You guys, realize how much time you are currently spending worrying about your weight, thinking about your weight, being upset about your weight, doing things because of your weight.

When you realize how much brain space you will free up to truly be of help and benefit to other people and to yourself, it’s kind of shocking how much free time you will have in your brain. That is why it’s been easier for me to do something like build a business, and to take care of my family while I’m building a business, and to take care of all of the different parts of my business and do things for myself, like have a running career and other things that I want to do.

Again, it comes down to like fractions of time and fractions of space in your brain. But think about the resources that you will have to give to other people, if you choose to. I mean, I’ve come at this like, “Oh, of course you’ll want to spend your money and your time and your brain space on other people.” The fact is you can spend your money and your time and your brain space on you. And I’m completely okay with that. And I encourage you to do it. But because we came at this like, “Oh, we’re not being selfish,” I’m presenting it to you through that lens of how much money and time and brain space you will have for other things in your life.

And in that vein, this is where I’m going to go with this just briefly. This is why I encourage you to choose another goal when you’re done losing weight because of the brain space that you will suddenly have wide open, that your brain is going to fill with automatic thoughts. I mean, that’s what your brain does. Your brain’s just running a loop back there. It’s got all this power and it doesn’t know what to do with it. It’s like, “I’m a car person, but maybe not enough of a car person to make this analogy.” But here we go. I’m diving in. It’s kind of like giving somebody who doesn’t care about cars, a wildly overpowered race car and them just kind of idling in it. Like your brain doesn’t know what to do with all its power. And unless you are consciously managing it and asking it to think of new things, it’s just going to keep thinking of old stuff.

It’s just going to keep thinking those old thoughts. It’s going to continue to think that your weight is a problem, that your body is a problem, that your health is a problem. That this is all a problem. It’s why I encourage you to use that newfound brain space to solve another problem, to give yourself another goal, to do something else selfish for yourself, frankly. Because I’m always, always going to encourage you to do something amazing for yourself, my friends.

You guys, I hope that this was helpful today. I mean, I know that this was a little bit more practical than some of the things that we talk about, but I do hope that it kind of gets your gears going about the things – and maybe the reasons why – you might want to be a healthy weight and why you can think about it in a very practical sense on your journey in addition to all of the mindset work we do. You guys, thank you so much for being here. I will see you next week for episode 100.

So are you totally loving this mindset work and you really want to do it like every day in order to get your goal? Then my friend, you need to join the Get Your Goal group. It is my personal and private, very interactive coaching and accountability group, where every day we talk about your mindset and we get your goal. You can learn all about it at Pahlabfitness.com/get-your-goal. I’ll see you in the goal group.

Transcript

You're listening to the Fitness Matters podcast with Pahla B. And this is episode number 99, "How Other People Benefit When You Lose Weight.”

Hello. Hello. Hello, my friends. You guys, I'm so excited. Episode 99. Are you kidding me? This is the point in the podcast where I'm going to remind you that after 100, we're adding up all the Let's Run podcasts and okay, I still haven't done this. I actually just added up all the Let's Run podcasts the other day, but I'm thinking about doing The Buzz too. Have I told you about this? I know I have, but you probably haven't listened to all of the nearly 200 episodes – maybe even over 200 episodes – of all of the different genres of podcasts that I've had. Way, way, way back in the day in early 2017, I actually had a little video clip that I had on my main channel, the Pahla B fitness channel that was called The Buzz.

And then I started its own channel, The Buzz, where I talked about mindset matters and how they matter to you. And it was very short lived and for a lot of reasons, mostly because I was trying to sit and talk to the camera and I used to have a hard time with that. I actually still kind of do that now again, but that took me several years to be more comfortable with it. Anyway, then it became the Let's Run podcast because I would run while we were talking about stuff. And then I realized that really, I just didn't want to have a camera on me at all while we're having these conversations. And so I turned it into a podcast – a podcast instead of the visual podcast that it used to be. So in any event, okay. The next episode that you're going to hear is episode number 100.

And then after that I'm adding up everything. I think we might go directly from 100 to like 200 and something. That's really exciting. I'll have it added up before next week. When I tell you about it next week, I will remind you again because I know it's going to be really weird if you are actually following along to be like, “Wait a second, the numbers totally just changed. What did I miss? Where is everything?” It's all here. It's all here. And you can go back and listen anytime you want to. Am I right? So you guys, welcome to episode 99, "How Other People Benefit When You Lose Weight.” I am your hostess with the mostest. I'm Pahla B. I'm your best middle-aged fitness friend. You guys, around here, we talk about making peace with your menopausal body. We talk about the fitness matters that matter to you, really specifically, we talk about finding a healthy weight kind of a lot.

And I'm finding myself talking more about it recently because it's something that I know you want to talk about. And I feel like there's a lot of information in the world from people who just want you to be skinny to be skinny, like to look good and things like that. And I really like referring to it as being a healthy weight, as opposed to lots of other things that I might say to you. Thinking about your weight in terms of your health can be slightly different than thinking about it in terms of how you look. And the reason why this is so important to me is because gravity has affected me, frankly, and I am not getting younger, weirdly. So focusing solely on what you look like is just – it's a losing game. And I mean that in a bigger picture way, not necessarily about losing weight, but it's not something that is always attainable.

Whereas a healthy weight is attainable by anybody. Truly. I 100% believe that every single being can be a healthy weight because it is your body's natural state. Your body wants to be a healthy weight, truly. It's why it's called a healthy weight. It's good for your body. It's what your body would normally naturally do. There's just lots and lots of different inputs that we give it for lots of different reasons that change the size of our bodies. So you guys today, what I wanted to talk about though is really specific. And this was not brought on by one specific thing, but rather by a combination of several different things that all came together in my mind and really made me want to talk about how sometimes when we think about doing something for ourselves, we get it in our heads that it's selfish, that we shouldn't want more for ourselves.

And here's the point where I'm going to refer you to the episode about wanting more for yourself (Ep. 046 Wanting More for Yourself https://pahlabfitness.com/wanting-more-for-yourself/), where we actually kind of talk about this, about how in one sense, truly every single thing we do is selfish and that's not a bad thing. Everything we do is always for ourselves because that's all we can truly know. And I believe if I remember correctly that that episode, “Wanting More for Yourself,” really kind of dives into this and really discusses how yes, everything is selfish. But also it's not like in a much bigger sense. Wanting something more for yourself makes you more loving, more giving, more generous, more of everything that you truly want to be.

And I wanted to talk about that again today in a different way with really specific examples of how, when you lose weight, how rather than thinking about it as, “Oh, I'm spending so much time thinking about myself and doing something for myself and how difficult that is because I always put other people first and other needs first” and all these kinds of things. I wanted to kind of reframe that type of thinking for you so that you can really take a look at how much other people benefit when you take care of yourself – when you get to a healthy weight.

And today's episode, although shockingly practical, will feature some mindset stuff too. Because of course, you know mindset matters. We just talked about that. And your fitness matters. But I was thinking about the small ways in which losing weight can help you in a really practical sense and help your family, help the people around you, help the people you love in a really practical sense. And number one, there are lots of ways in which you will save money by being a healthy weight. You will save money on gas in your car because, as you well know, the more you have – the more you are carrying in your car – the less efficient it is at using fuel. When you lose weight, you will use less fuel in your car all the time. You will actually save money on things like tires and mattresses and couches that have that wear and tear factor.

When you weigh less, you will have less wear and tear. And I mean that so nicely, I'm laughing. I apologize. That was sort of a nervous laugh. I don't mean that as anything other than again, from a really practical sense. Things get worn out from weight, things like couches, tires, mattresses, like I was just saying. You'll save money on shoes for the same reason. You'll save money possibly on clothing for a different reason. Not because it'll wear out faster. Although I tell you what, man, I was just looking at something the other day in a store that I won't name because there's really no reason to. I picked up a shirt and I was like, “This is so thin.” Do you guys remember when we were kids how much thicker material was? How much longer everything lasted? I feel really old when I talk about things like this because my kids are like, “I don't get it mom,” but really things used to be thicker, but that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm actually talking about how some clothing manufacturers actually charge more for larger sizes. And this is the point in our conversation where I'm going to be really, really clear, because there are a couple of things kind of in this neighborhood that I'm going to mention. I am not in any manner condoning the practice of charging more for certain things because of somebody's weight. What I'm pointing out to you is that this is a practice that does exist, and I’m not talking about the ethics of it or the practicalities of it or whether or not it's right or wrong. That’s well outside the scope of this particular episode. Maybe I will address that sometime in the future. But what I'm pointing out to you is that this exists. Some manufacturers charge more for plus sizes. You could save money by not being a plus size. You could save money on things like medications.

The fact of the matter is that – not you personally necessarily – but obesity-related diseases are expensive. There are medical costs associated directly and indirectly, which is why this one definitely is on shaky ground. I'm not telling you that you'll definitely save money on medications. There's a likelihood that you could save money on medications and medical care in general. You could – and again, I’m not condoning this practice, but telling you that this sort of thing does happen – you could save money on insurance. Certain kinds of insurance charge more for people who weigh above whatever their charts and graphs say. There are lots of different ways that being a healthy weight saves your family money. And when you start thinking about it and listing it out, some of them, I mean, some of the costs are larger than others, but some of them they're just so tiny, but they all add up.

And this is actually where I'm going to go with my next list, which is ways in which you will save time. When you are a healthy weight, there will be lots of teeny tiny ways in which you will actually move faster. And I don't know if you've ever thought about this. I was thinking about it of course, while I was putting together this podcast. And I was like, there are just little fractions of seconds in your day that you won't spend anymore on things like just walking from place to place. A healthy weight will likely have you moving even slightly faster. Again, I'm not talking about saving 10 minutes getting from here to the other room. No, I'm just talking about like a fraction of a second. But these fractions of seconds add up. Things like getting up off the couch faster, getting in and out of your car faster, getting up and down from any chair a little bit faster, doing chores a little bit faster.

They're tiny fragments of time that over the course of your life could add up. I mean truly to minutes or hours or days or longer. And I mean, I'm certainly not going to guarantee this one. You guys, you know as well as I do that being a healthy weight does not mean that you will live longer, but you could; you might. It's a possibility. You could give yourself not just saving time, but you could give yourself time to be with your family, your friends, people you love, people who need you, people who want you around. And here's the thing that I really wanted to talk about today. You will save yourself space. And I don't mean that like the space that you take up in the world, I mean the brain space that we all spend thinking about our weight. Have you ever thought about how much time you spend in a day thinking about your weight?

I tell you what, when I stopped worrying about my weight, I realized how often I was thinking about it. Like almost all the time. For you, some of the brain space might be cleared up during things like when somebody wants to take a picture or when you're eating out in public, when you meet somebody new, when you're trying on clothing, when you're getting in and out of the shower. If you have a bathroom mirror as humongous as mine, you cannot help but see your entire body. We're going to be renovating the bathrooms next year. And I keep thinking about this. I'm like, “What jokes will I make about how I dance in front of the giant bathroom mirror if I don't have a giant bathroom mirror?” But I am going to take down the giant bathroom mirror. You guys, realize how much time you are currently spending worrying about your weight, thinking about your weight, being upset about your weight, doing things because of your weight.

When you realize how much brain space you will free up to truly be of help and benefit to other people and to yourself, it's kind of shocking how much free time you will have in your brain. That is why it's been easier for me to do something like build a business, and to take care of my family while I'm building a business, and to take care of all of the different parts of my business and do things for myself, like have a running career and other things that I want to do.

Again, it comes down to like fractions of time and fractions of space in your brain. But think about the resources that you will have to give to other people, if you choose to. I mean, I've come at this like, “Oh, of course you'll want to spend your money and your time and your brain space on other people.” The fact is you can spend your money and your time and your brain space on you. And I'm completely okay with that. And I encourage you to do it. But because we came at this like, “Oh, we're not being selfish,” I'm presenting it to you through that lens of how much money and time and brain space you will have for other things in your life.

And in that vein, this is where I'm going to go with this just briefly. This is why I encourage you to choose another goal when you're done losing weight because of the brain space that you will suddenly have wide open, that your brain is going to fill with automatic thoughts. I mean, that's what your brain does. Your brain's just running a loop back there. It's got all this power and it doesn't know what to do with it. It's like, “I'm a car person, but maybe not enough of a car person to make this analogy.” But here we go. I'm diving in. It's kind of like giving somebody who doesn't care about cars, a wildly overpowered race car and them just kind of idling in it. Like your brain doesn't know what to do with all its power. And unless you are consciously managing it and asking it to think of new things, it's just going to keep thinking of old stuff.

It's just going to keep thinking those old thoughts. It's going to continue to think that your weight is a problem, that your body is a problem, that your health is a problem. That this is all a problem. It's why I encourage you to use that newfound brain space to solve another problem, to give yourself another goal, to do something else selfish for yourself, frankly. Because I'm always, always going to encourage you to do something amazing for yourself, my friends.

You guys, I hope that this was helpful today. I mean, I know that this was a little bit more practical than some of the things that we talk about, but I do hope that it kind of gets your gears going about the things – and maybe the reasons why – you might want to be a healthy weight and why you can think about it in a very practical sense on your journey in addition to all of the mindset work we do. You guys, thank you so much for being here. I will see you next week for episode 100.

So are you totally loving this mindset work and you really want to do it like every day in order to get your goal? Then my friend, you need to join the Get Your Goal group. It is my personal and private, very interactive coaching and accountability group, where every day we talk about your mindset and we get your goal. You can learn all about it at Pahlabfitness.com/get-your-goal. I'll see you in the goal group.

Listen to the full episode here, and be sure to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Originally aired October 17, 2021
After today’s episode you’ll walk away with a new way of thinking about yourself and about others in your life who love you!
  • Spotify
  • Soundcloud
  • Apple

Meet Your Host

Mindset expert and certified life coach Pahla B knows a thing or two about changing your mind to change your weight and your life. She’s the creator of The 5-0 Method, Amazon-best selling author of the book “Mind Over Menopause,” and former yo-yo dieter who has cracked the code on lifelong weight maintenance. Join Pahla B each week for the personal insights, transformative mindset shifts, and science-backed body advice that can help you lose all the weight you want and keep it off forever.