Body Image and Health are Separate Issues

You can respect, love, and honor your body at any size. Your self-worth as a person has nothing to do with weight or aesthetics.

But health is another matter. Obesity is irrefutably linked with the increased risk of a host of health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

By sticking with small calorie deficits and taking a break every month to two to eat at maintenance, you can gradually reach your health and fitness goals without developing a toxic relationship with food or feeling deprived.