There are plenty of people who don’t look like they need to lose much weight.

They’re the ones whose friends say `Oh, you don’t need to go on a diet. Are you sure you don’t have an eating disorder?’

As one of my clients, wisely replied to such comments this week, after committing to the program, `I’m doing it for my future self.’

Just as After Pay has become a popular way to buy now and pay later, attending to your health now to reap the benefits later has become the best insurance policy you could take. 

The fact is that everyone has their own reasons for wanting to lose weight and become healthy. Maybe there’s a family history of illness that is a private matter unknown to even the closest of friends or maybe you need to fit into a special outfit for a wedding, maybe you’re worried your clothes are getting snug or maybe they just want to do it for their future self and to be grateful for the various health benefits.

It’s really not appropriate to question someone’s reasoning even though it’s common to do so. But if you don’t look after yourself, one day you’ll probably regret it because your future self won’t be happy with a poor quality of life.

You have one liver, one heart and one set of lungs. If you don’t look after them, they won’t be well and it’s really that simple. I never take my health for granted even though I’m constantly judged and shamed for my choices.

If I’m walking through the supermarket, people look in my basket to see what I’m buying to maybe catch me out. I can assure you, there’s no chocolate bar hiding under the silverbeet. But it makes me wonder about why people are so interested in judging me as a way to justify their own choices. The need of others to shame me is nothing to do with me; it’s their insecurity.

If I see a woman when I’m out who looks amazing, I’m inspired. I’m not going to sit in the corner eating my potato chips criticising and shaming her. I’m going to feel great for that woman for looking after herself and being proud of herself.

How about we try to support each other’s goals even if we don’t necessarily understand their motivation? It won’t cause any harm to engage in some healthy habits today to insure our future self is fit and well.