One of my biggest issues with diet culture is the fact that it normalizes men and women to speak negatively of themselves and promotes a toxic cycle of self sabotage and body shaming. Whew. There, I said it. But seriously, it's true. Diet culture wants you to buy it's products, follow it's influencers, and disregard your mental health to achieve some absolutely bogus goal of looking like celebrities who pay someone thousands of dollars to train them, feed them and paint makeup on their faces. It's selfish, it's a scam and it's just not realistic. Setting realistic goals for yourself is the only way you're going to achieve the food freedom, long term weight loss and stress-free lifestyle you absolutely deserve. And these goals are going to look different for everyone. For some, it might be choosing a fruit over the usual daily donut before work. For others, it might be allowing yourself to even eat the donut without a day's worth of guilt. I really want you to succeed. I have watched people's lives change by re-setting the relationship with their food and their bodies, and I know it is possible for others to achieve this with a few tools and a helping hand. Also, we know, I'm big supporter of no-bullsh*t. I take my own medicine, guys. I listen to my own advice. I know how messy it can be fixing years of damage from diet culture and self-shaming. I've watched my own growth as I've implemented new thought processes and habits over the years. I can personally tell you, it is possible to enjoy life, lose the weight, gain the confidence, maintain balance, implement structure and find food freedom all at the same time. Now, like I said, everyone is a bit different in this growth process. But, I want to share with you a few ways I make sure to tell diet culture to F off, stay on track with realistic goals and maintain food freedom in my life. 1. Staying True to Myself Seems kind of like a no-brainer, but this is a big thing people sometimes forget to do. You know yourself more than anyone else. So, why are you forcing food into your life that you absolutely hate, starving yourself, drinking gross teas and/or limiting the things you love? Do you absolutely hate salads? Okay, you don't need to eat them. Find another vegetable that will provide you fuel, fiber and vitamins. Don't like celery juice? Great, don't need it to be a healthy human. Shitty cook? Get your partner to do that work, experiment yourself or find a service that helps you make them. See what I'm saying, here? Personally, one thing I can't stand is chia-pudding. Do you know how many people push that gross business onto me? F no, bye. Don't care how much protein. I also know that I love the occasional dessert (more than occasional, I'm lying). If I 100% cut out desserts from my life, I know I'm not going to be happy. I won't make it. I will fail. Which leads me to my next point... 2. All Foods Fit: Nothing is Off Limits Let's be real here. When I say "all foods fit", I don't mean "eat chicken nuggets for lunch everyday" or "cool, having cake for breakfast". That is insane and wild, and unless you are on vacation or having a moment (I get it) it's not exactly fueling your success. What I mean is that you don't need to 100% remove or restrict foods from your life in order to reach your goals. There is a balance. A little bit of this, and maybe a little more of that. We're not labeling food as good or bad here, guys. Everything has it purpose. Pasta, cookies, cakes, sandwiches and sweets get a bad rep, but can be just as essential to your life as veggies, fruits and whole grains. I could never imagine a birthday without a piece of cake with friends and family. Or baking cookies with my niece. Eating french fries on the beach with friends. Diet culture loves taking things away from us. It loves labeling foods as "bad" or "good". But, if we keep up with those toxic cycles, we will never learn to balance the cookies with the kale. 3. Listen to Your Body: Meals & Cravings This one is a tough one. Listening to the body and shutting off the mind is hard work. Here is a personal example: There have been times where I've been obviously hungry, but denied myself food because I "just ate" or "shouldn't be hungry" or "didn't need the calories". Literally, denying myself of sustenance until my body felt weak and I got the shakes and would literally eat anything you give me. Then, because I've waited too long to eat, I obviously end up shoveling down whatever I see next. Chips while I make a quick meal. A random old granola bar in the center console I forgot about. Anything I can. I've waited too long to eat. I didn't listen to my body's cues. This also works for cravings. In my experience, it's better to just accept it, treat yourself and move on. Avoiding crave cues from your body will most likely end up with a gallon of ice cream later to compensate. Get the dessert. Enjoy it. A health bar or handful of trail mix isn't going to cut it, even if it has chocolate in it. Trust me. 4. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others Unfollow the pages. Did you know I used to follow a bunch of Victoria Secret models when I first got IG... why!? I would critique my 5 foot body in comparison to these 7 foot tall women. I felt like they were the standard of beauty, something I had to achieve or I wouldn't be deemed attractive. In the same sense, I would attend yoga classes and look at other classmates, wondering how they got such a "great bod", then looking down at my own body in shame as I wrinkled and mushed in my own ways. While it can be moving and inspirational to have a goal in mind, if it's not your own body you're basing it off of, it's only going to create body shame and decreased self worth. You're going to gain muscle or lose weight or feel full or hungry much differently than other people around you. That's the beauty of being human, we aren't all the same. To compare ourselves in a negative light to others robs us of our happiness, and hinders our growth and success. Unfollow, unfollow, unfollow. 5. Blocking Out the Haters Straight up. Seriously. Block out the negativity. This is a tool RDs and health professionals use pretty much on the daily. And now I'm passing the torch to you. For me, I'm normally enjoying a beautiful cookie or a big slice of pizza and someone butts in to critique why I am "eating that" since I study nutrition. Buzz kill. Doesn't it seem like every time you feel like you're on the right track, people have something to say? "I thought you were on a diet?" "You shouldn't eat that, it's bad" "It's only one" "Bread makes you fat" "You look too skinny, have you eaten?" "Have you tried juicing?" Oh yeah, we have heard all of these before (make sure to pack this tip away and re-read it before the holidays). Be confident in the choices you are making. Also, you don't need to explain yourself. If you're at the point in your journey where you are limiting cocktails, don't feel strange going out with friends and ordering seltzers. If you're establishing boundaries, and learning to say no, feel confidence when you decline someone pushing food options in your face. When someone tells you sandwiches are "bad for you" during lunch, respectively change the subject...or quickly school them. But, don't let it weigh you down. The road to success comes with speed bumps and unfortunately one of them is people's opinions. Rise up above the fools and know you're on the right track. Pictured Below: Me allowing myself a night out of drinks with friends and pizza - food freedom! Note: this was before I switched to 99% Gluten Free to help combat GI upset. You can learn more about that here.
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10/10/2022 09:08:34 pm
Teach stop poor feeling pick play central. Gun without good share administration PM. Wait life need media effect such spring.
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