Am I letting myself go?

Graphic art - its not letting

Many people ask this question as they consider moving away from diets. Certainly, the act of dieting appears to be a way to take care of one’s health. It also is considered an active way to improve health.

Considering the diet research I wrote about last week, we know dieting predicts weight gain AND dieting doesn’t work to keep weight off long term.

So if you stop dieting, are you letting yourself go?

No.

You are letting yourself be.

Choosing to not diet is an active process you will have to think about everyday for a while. It will not come easy (although some of shown me steps to help it become doable). Thinking about this process as “giving up” is using black and white diet culture thinking making it appear all or nothing.

These are cognitive distortions, often discussed in psychotherapy. Most in our world is grey rather basic black or white. There are variations, options and alternatives instead of just polar opposite.

Choosing to not diet means choosing to eat to promote health, energy, and eating disorder recovery.

Choosing to not diet means not buying into the simple notion that weight predicts health. Certainly research has suggested for quite some time now that one can be fat and fit (Diabetes Care. Nov 2009).

What if you were never told your body was flawed?

What if you were never taught how to diet?

What if you were encouraged to stay connected to your body?

What if you were taught how to trust your hunger, satiety, and fullness cues?

What if you were taught movement needs to feel good in order to be healthy?

Respect is the first key to Food Peace™ because you were taught to disrespect your body as self-care. This teaching taught you to diet, punish with exercise, and lead to chaotic ways to relating to food. Body respect will help you heal this false truth foundation and help you change directions like never before. Improving your health and healing your relationship with food requires this Body Respect.

It requires you to abandon the notion that lowering your weight is the solution rather what’s keeping you stuck.

How is National Dieting Month going? What do you need to feel brave enough to opt out of diet culture today? Jump to IG (where I will place this post too) and let us know.

Warmly,

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