Natural Weight
Natural weight cannot be predicted or calculated. It is a weight that is easy to maintain without constant effort. We achieve it when we have healthy eating and physical activity habits. It varies during life according to our habits, age and more.
In terms of food, we reach this weight when we do not deprive ourselves of food, when we eat a balanced diet according to our needs. We eat the foods we like and we listen to our signals of hunger and satiety.
From a physical activity point of view, we get our natural weight when we move for fun and have an active lifestyle. We move regularly in order to feel good. As a guide, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommendations for physical activity are 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity and 2 bouts of muscle-strengthening activity per week (1) .
Artificial Weight
It is a weight that we reach when we have strict dietary and physical activity behaviors. It is achieved when you train excessively with the ultimate goal of achieving or maintaining a certain physical fitness, often by starving yourself or following a slimming diet. Artificial weight is difficult to maintain over the long term.
Often a restrictive diet is followed with strict rules. We tend to ignore our hunger signals for artificial weight loss or maintenance. Often, the rules we follow to have this weight become more and more strict. Breaking these dietary rules can lead to guilt and overeating for some.
Références
1- HHS.gov U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2018). Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Retrouvé le 21 mars 2023 en ligne au https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf