How to Navigate a Weight-Loss Competition at Work
I remember the start of summer at one of my first jobs after college.
Man, that was a fun time- the office had this intoxicating "buzzy" energy (probably because more people were buzzed from all of the office happy hours lol!).
It was the best.
Everyone would talk about vacation plans at meetings and it seemed like even the senior leadership team relaxed with their workload.
On top of all of the excitement, I distinctly remember getting an email from HR about this year's "Slim Down for Summer Challenge".
I didn't partake personally (my binge eating struggle kept me too scared to even try), but I remember the office energy shifting after the sign-up sheet went out.
No longer were we prioritizing our conversations with gabbing about trips to the beach or boozy brunches in the park.
Instead, we'd evaluate everyone's lunch and listen for celebrations on weigh-in Fridays.
There was a trendy type of body anxiety surfacing that was hard for most of us to put our finger on.
I'll never forget one of my good friends coming 2nd in the competition. She was so proud. And at the time we were so proud of HER. This was big news in our office.
But after that challenge, the rest of our team didn't see the aftermath.
They most likely didn't hear the guilty comments she'd make about eating a colleague's birthday cake.
Or the self-judgment she'd express to us when the weight crept back on.
They didn't see the shame and panic that surfaced when her "summer weight loss" was regained and then some.
Unfortunately, this story is not uncommon. And the reality is that most weight loss challenges in the workplace are done with good intentions- from a place of "health".
These competitions are a product of the diet culture we're all existing in. Oftentimes wellness departments are following suit with what's been handed down or done in other companies.
If your company (or honestly anything in your community) is offering seductive and “fun” weight loss challenges, I want to encourage you to lean into these questions before making a decision:
Does this feel like something that would support my whole relationship with food, mind, and body?
Does this seem like a “quick fix”, (have I been down a similar road before?)?
What are the sustainable habits that I'm hoping to build?
What expectation am I putting on myself? What do I think might happen if the expectation is not met?
Who is benefiting from my participation in this?
WHY is this important to me? How do I expect my life to change through this and how could I begin shifting into some of those changes without altering my body?
These decisions can bring up so many emotions from all ends of the spectrum.
Above anything else, I want to empower you to slow down and DECIDE from a place of self-trust.
Remember YOU are the expert of your own body. Period, end of story. Even if you're feeling disconnected and out of control.
(And I say this, first hand- when I was binge eating I felt completely separate from my body and very much a NON-expert. But I was.).
Don't let anyone or anything fearmonger you into making a choice about yourself.
And whatever choice you make, make it and move forward. There's no space for anyone to judge your decision.
You are worthy, right here, right now.
Onward my love! Here's to making a splash this week.
P.S. If your company has a wellness program (or wants to start one!), I have something that might be a fit! In my signature Empowered Well-Being program, I support teams with tools in Intuitive Eating, Body Image Resilience, Burnout Prevention, and more so that employees can live confidently and create more authentically. If you're interested in learning more there's information here. Feel free to use for yourself or forward to a teammate.
