I’d be lying if I said I never had body image issues. When you live in a society that hyper sexualizes women, it’s too easy to compare yourself to what you see scrolling through Instagram or any other form of media.
I would “diet” to supplement what I was doing in the gym. However, in my personal experience, I never found dieting to be a joyful one. I felt restricted, anxious, and obsessive over what I was eating and perceived foods as either “good” or “bad” for me.
Over time, I learned a lot about how my body feels when it’s at its best and when it’s at its worst. I realized that diet culture just isn’t for me. Here’s 5 reasons why I said no and why I think you should too, especially if you think your mental health and overall well being is at stake:
Counting calories is poor for mental health
I first started counting calories when I thought I was going to train to become a Bikini Competitor. It was a super tedious task to have to log in every single thing I ate that day to hit a certain calorie goal. Eventually I became obsessed with how many calories I under consumed or over consumed and would get upset with myself. It caused me to have a really negative relationship with how I viewed food. Thankfully, I found intuitive eating and have been doing it ever since. It’s taught me to listen to what my body actually needs without feeling guilty.
It takes out the fun of having a meal out with family or friends
Food is a love language for most people, myself included. It’s not fun to be at a party or any social gathering where food is present and have to restrict yourself. Food is meant to be shared and to spark community and conversation. If you’re like me, food carries some of the best memories, so why hold yourself back?
Diets try to be a quick fix, but nothing worth having is ever solved overnight or in 30 days
If it’s anything that I’ve learned throughout my fitness journey, is that it’s a journey, not an instant success. What I find so misleading is that diets claim that you can make change within a specific time window. It’s a full on commitment to live a healthy lifestyle, even after you make it across the 30 day hump. Plus, let’s say that after those 30 days you don’t get the results you expected. Is it really worth it to beat yourself up over it?
The scale is the enemy
Throw that thing away! It sounds cliché, but it really is just a number that doesn’t tell you anything at all about your body. Two people that weigh exactly the same could look completely different from each other. I never liked looking at that thing and to be completely honest, I have no idea how much I weigh and I don’t really care. Health should be a lot more about how you feel inside than what a silly little number tells you, to a certain extent at least (talk to your doctor). I recommend taking progress pictures instead if you really want to compare a before and after if you’re working towards a specific health goal.
Nobody really knows what they’re talking about when it comes to diets
The only people that you should listen to when it comes to your diet is either YOUR doctor or YOUR registered dietitian. It isn’t the fitness model you idolize, it isn’t someone trying to sell you their fit-tea, and it sure as hell isn’t a Kardashian.
Moral of the story is that every body is different and unique in its own way. You’re the only one that knows what your body truly needs if you just listen to it. I’m not saying that dieting is bad, but what I am saying is that if you start dieting and then all other aspects about you, your mental health especially, are poor, then what was the point?
My little words of wisdom:
Listen to your body
Give yourself permission to eat when you’re hungry, without guilt
Give yourself time to learn how to love and appreciate the body that you are given and maintain
With love,
Jin