Day 6 - Article: Celebrating Women's Strength

Tomorrow is International Women's Day. And before we celebrate, I want to ask you a question that might feel uncomfortable: when was the last time you ate well because of what your body can do, rather than how it looks?

Research published in Feminist Psychology (2023) found something that shouldn't be surprising but somehow still is: women who focus on functional goals — what their bodies can accomplish — have significantly better health outcomes, better mental health, and stick with healthy eating patterns longer than women focused on appearance goals. It turns out, "I want to hike 5 miles" is a more powerful motivator than "I want to lose 10 pounds."

The Problem with Appearance Goals

For decades, the health and fitness industry has sold women one primary motivation: look different. Look thinner. Look younger. Look "toned." The entire weight loss industry — worth over $70 billion — depends on women being dissatisfied with how they look.

The research shows this approach fails spectacularly:

• Appearance-motivated dieters have higher dropout rates
• They experience more negative emotions around food
• They're more likely to develop disordered eating patterns
• They report lower satisfaction even when they reach their goals
• Weight regain rates exceed 80% within two years

In other words, eating to look different doesn't work. Not because the food plan is wrong, but because the motivation is wrong.

The Capability Shift

What does work is focusing on capability. Research consistently shows that women who set functional goals experience:

• Better adherence: They stick with nutrition changes longer because the rewards are tangible and immediate
• Better mental health: Less anxiety around food, less negative body talk, more self-compassion
• Better physical outcomes: Ironically, women focused on capability often achieve better physical results than those focused on appearance
• Higher life satisfaction: Feeling strong and capable translates to confidence in all areas of life

Capability goals are different from appearance goals because they're based on what you gain, not what you lose:

How Protein Fits In

When you shift to capability goals, protein stops being about "macros" or "diet" and starts being about fuel for function. You eat 42g of protein because you want strong legs for hiking, not because a diet plan told you to. You choose salmon because your brain deserves omega-3s, not because it's "low calorie."

The JAGS study of 4,800 women showed that adequate protein (1.2g/kg+) improved physical function by 35%. That's 35% more capability. More independence. More freedom.

When you eat for capability, every meal becomes an investment in what you can do — today, next year, and at 70.

Celebrating Women's Strength

This International Women's Day, I want to celebrate a different kind of strength. Not the "strong is the new skinny" kind — that's just appearance goals wearing a different outfit. Real strength:

• The strength to nourish yourself when the world tells you to eat less
• The strength to build muscle when someone says "don't get bulky"
• The strength to prioritize your own health when everyone else comes first
• The strength to reject appearance-based motivation and eat for what your body can DO

That's the kind of strength that changes everything. And it starts with putting real food on your plate — not because you should, but because you deserve to feel powerful.