Why Diets Don’t Work and How to Heal Your Relationship with Food
*This blog is the first in a series we will be sharing over the next few weeks about how to develop a healthy relationship with food! Keep an eye out for more!
It’s everywhere. “This new year’s resolution: Look hotter than ever and make your ex jealous!” You’re just trying to get through the checkout line with your groceries, but the tabloids blast you with their all-caps, bright red shouts. “Summer’s coming — start NOW to lose those holiday pounds before bikini season!” You normally try to ignore these annoying phrases, but somehow you find yourself curiously drawn to the racks of magazines. “Exercises to get toned abs at home in just 10 minutes a day!” You start to wonder if you’re doing enough. “New miracle diet sheds weight faster than EVER — find out how!”
Suddenly you regret that leftover piece of new year’s candy you just ate even though you promised you’d start your diet this month. And you only exercised once this week — despite your best intentions, getting out of bed on these cold mornings has been harder than you expected.
Before you know it, you’re turning around and stepping out of line, beginning the walk of shame to return the box of Cocoa Puffs and the carton of Ben & Jerry’s you were about to buy. Anything is possible for 30 days, right? You renew your determination to start your diet TODAY as you resolutely march back into line with your basket of celery and spinach. Hooray.
How much of this scenario do you relate with? If you’re wondering if I followed you to Target because this is an EXACT play-by-play of what happened to you the other day (don’t worry, I didn’t) — well, you’re not alone.
Diet culture plagues and affects us all — especially women. As the media has emphasized the importance of female physical beauty and glorified sex appeal, it has also whispered the false message that our worth is connected to our appearance. We hold ourselves to standards of perfection which no one can attain, and then punish ourselves for our “failure,” always looking in the mirror through a haze of disappointment.
The problem is that diet culture is rooted in shame and fear. We are constantly told that we’re not good enough, thin enough, pretty enough — and then we’re sold products which are marketed to fix the “problems” we’re told we have. “Low-fat” meals, “low-carb” snack foods, “sugar-free” drinks… What are we supposed to do with all the information out there? How do we know which marketing tactic to believe? How are we supposed to actually BE healthy? Is this cycle really all there is — eating “normally” for a while, gaining weight, feeling terrible, and then going on a demanding diet that helps us shed pounds (but makes us cranky and irritable at the same time)... and then starting all over again?
The reality is, you were made for SO much more! Food was intended to bring joy — to nourish our bodies, to give us energy, and to help us find balance. Food, in its natural state, is like medicine… it can heal us, refresh us, and bring us life. The lie of today’s polluted industry is that stuff like frozen microwave dinners and Doritos are good enough to sustain us in the long-term.
Freedom comes when we’re able to reject diet culture and instead adopt a sustainable healthy lifestyle. When we are able to get into the habit of eating well 95% of the time, we can afford to let ourselves enjoy a 5% indulgence without feeling like our efforts have been in vain.
And this doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to a depressing future of simply drinking celery juice and eating raw spinach forever, OR that you’ll now be struggling financially to make ends meet. Eating healthy, when done right, is delicious AND affordable. My husband and I make most of our meals at home, and we love it! Cooking is something we get to do and enjoy together, and we save a lot of money by doing so.
If this new way of relating to and understanding food appeals to you and you want to know where to start, here is a list of first steps you can take today!
1) Clean out your fridge and pantry
If it’s there and it’s unhealthy, it’ll be tempting and you’ll probably eat it! Now is a great time to give away or get rid of food that won’t serve you — like those brownies or frozen hot pockets. Start with a fresh canvas! Work to fill your shelves with healthy, easy to make, or grab and go foods! Some of my favorites snacks to have on hand are: apples and peanut butter, sliced red peppers and carrots, or sourdough bread and avocado!
2) Shop mindfully
When it’s time to restock your fridge and pantry, prioritize the perishable and stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. (That’s where they keep the produce and meat!) I love to go to local farmer’s markets whenever I can and buy from brands I trust. Make it a goal that at least 75% of your diet comes from things that grow out of the ground. By simply eating more vegetables, low-sugar fruits, clean proteins, healthy fats, and less processed foods, you’ll start to feel a huge difference!
3) Be kind to yourself
So often our approach is harsh and unyielding when it comes to diet and exercise. We pursue our goals all-or-nothing, and it feels as though if we slip up once, we’ve failed. However, the more sustainable (and enjoyable) perspective to have long-term is simply that your best is enough. No one is perfect, and while discipline is important to practice, that piece of candy you indulged in the other day won’t keep you from achieving your greatest goals.
Every day is a new opportunity. The key is to wake up and start again.
If you’re interested in more tangible tips and tricks for developing a healthy lifestyle (especially when it comes to nutrition), just click this link and I’ll send you three of my favorite good-for-you recipes!
Enjoy, and best of luck friend! YOU’VE GOT THIS.
*Just a reminder that we will be sharing more blogs on this topic, so make sure you are signed up for our email list so you don’t miss it!
