Tips for breaking up with diet culture
Diet Culture is all around us and we’ve internalised so much of its toxicity. Even if we are aware and are on the journey to freedom we’ll still find lots of limiting beliefs around the foods we eat, our bodies and other people’s bodies sneaking up on us.
Here are some of my favourite tips for breaking up with diet culture to save for when those sneaky thoughts come up:
Instead of asking “how many calories are in this?” Try “Will this satisfy my needs right now?”
Instead of saying “I need to workout so I can eat XYZ”. Try “Will this movement bring me joy?”
Instead of asking “Is this food bad?” Try “Am I hungry for this?”
Instead of negative self-talk. Try speaking to yourself as you would a good friend.
Instead of believing thin = health. Try to remember that health is 360 and accounts for sleep quality, stress levels, mood, emotional resilience and so much more than body size.
Instead of obsessing over what you weigh. Try focusing on the amazing things your body does for you on a daily basis.
Instead of seeing sweet foods as a treat that you can’t have. Try giving yourself permission to eat the foods you love without any shame or guilt.
Instead of pinching, prodding and poking your body. Try caressing, self-massage and tender touch.
Remember that this is a journey, it’ll have its ups and downs and that is ok. We are exposed to so much diet culture BS on a daily basis and likely have been for most of our lives that sometimes we can be really resistant to change. We’ve been taught to believe that thin = happiness and it can feel as though all of the work to unpack that, won’t ever work for us. But I promise you this- there is no diet or amount of exercise that will make you love your body, no matter how it looks. If we don’t break free from this toxicity first, we’ll keep riding that wave of on and off the wagon for the rest of our days- and that my friends is not a life I want you to lead.