Reject Diet Mentality
Diet plans offer us false hope.
Yes, when we first read or hear about a new diet it feels like we have hope again. We are offered new ways to lose weight without having to (fill in the blank), or just by (fill in the blank) or eating whatever we want but count points, skip a meal, etc. We see diet mentality in the news, social media, exercise facilities, grocery stores, restaurants, and even, sadly, see diet mentality among friends, family members, and in some healthcare professionals. Sometimes the diet message is loud (Intermittent fasting, Paleo, Whole 30, Keto, etc.) but many times it’s ‘sneaky’ and disguised as ‘healthy lifestyle changes’.
So, what is “diet mentality” and how is it harmful?
Diet mentality is a false belief that diets for weight loss create health and happiness. Diet mentality steals your joy by saying you should delay your dreams until you have lost weight. Diet mentality erodes body trust and replaces it with external rules. It disconnects you from your own body sensations, making you feel powerless and like you can not be trusted to make decisions about how to feed yourself. Diet mentality is the mean voice you hear over and over which categorizes food into good and bad or healthy and unhealthy. It is the voice that tells you ridiculous rules such as “no eating after 7pm”, “no carbs after lunch”, or “no dessert because you didn’t exercise”.
Many people think this voice means they should have more control. Rather, this voice acts like a bully that keeps you from living your fullest life. But many people have trouble letting go of the diet mentality mindset, partly because they just don’t know what to think or do instead. It’s very hard to change behaviors and no one should feel ashamed if they need more support. The very first step in intuitive eating is to reject the diet mentality. Don’t be afraid to take up space in this world. You deserve happiness and health as a human being.
If diets worked long-term, we would only ever have to be on one. Stop believing the lies that have led you to feel as if you were a failure. The diet you were on stopped working and you later gained back the weight.
When you hear diet culture talk or see those around you engaging in diet culture behavior, ask yourself how it makes you feel. Does it lead to comparison, or does it make you mad or angry? Maybe it makes you feel sad and then hopeful. There is no right or wrong way to feel here. Whatever you feel is normal.
We often think that abandoning diet culture and behavior means we are letting go of our health. The opposite is true here! The constant chase of weight loss actually leads to weight cycling, binge eating, weight stigma, body dissatisfaction, and an increased risk of developing an eating disorder. Mental health is a huge part of our overall health.
Dieting can start out ok, but then it almost always turns into a struggle with our hunger cues and what our body needs to eat. Worrying about what we should eat or what we can eat can cause a lot of mental stress, as well as stress on the body.
We all want to feel good.
We have been taught that we can or should only feel good if we are in a body that society accepts. What if we feel good by getting enough sleep (we make better food choices when we are rested and well nourished), enjoying joyful movement, spending meaningful time with the ones we love? When you let go of the pursuit of weight loss, you will find you have time for other health-promoting pursuits.
We know that dieting fails most of the time and dieting is a leading predictor of weight gain. So how do we reject diet mentality when it is everywhere?!!
Here are five ideas to reject diet mentality:
Do something TODAY that you’ve been wanting to do. Don’t save that thing for when you change your body shape/size.
Think about your favorite foods and repeat over and over “there are no good or bad foods”. Make sure you eat at least one of those favorite meals or snacks this week.
Don’t weigh yourself today, all week, all month, or even all year! The scale does not define health!!!!!
Unfollow anyone that posts unrealistic, unhelpful ‘health’ messages on social media. You do not need to get stuck in the comparison trap
Realize you are so much more than your weight or your body shape/size. List your values and what makes you special and what makes you YOU!
Tired of working hard and nothing seems to work? It's not your fault! Your shape and size are unique to you ... Own it! This ebook, 5 Ways to Reject Diet Mentality, shares ways to believe in your body and yourself. Your body knows what it needs so trust it. Trusting your body can get you off the endless cycle of dieting.
Click here to get your copy of 5 Ways to Reject Diet Mentality and End the Cycle of Dieting.