How to Deal with Diet Culture Triggers

How To Deal with Diet Culture Triggers

Are you trying SO HARD to ditch diets and move on with your life? Then someone says something pro-diet or the exact opposite of body positivity and it makes you NUTS? 

Today I tried my first pilates class using a reformer. The workout was tough! I was dripping sweat.  My body isn’t used to moving that way. I was apprehensive on the reformer. You know, afraid I’d catapult myself into a wall or something. 

I was really enjoying the class and thinking, “Yeah, I could do this for a while. It will be a nice complement to the other workouts.”

The instructor was prompting the class with cues on what to do. 

Then…. It happened. 

She said something that made me cringe and want to run out the door. 

“Summer bodies are made in winter!” 

UGH!! NO! STOP!

Why did she have to say that? I was really enjoying my workout. She started talking about all of the drinking and eating that happens over the summer.  Summer is over now, so of course it’s time to start thinking about how we can improve our bodies for next summer!!?!?! 

NO. 

It’s tough to hear and see diet culture everywhere. What do we do? I’m not sure we can ever escape it BUT there are ways we can minimize our exposure to it such as: 

Stop following people on social media who post frequently about diets, weight loss, or are selling weight loss. 

Stop going to a gym or boutique fitness joint where the main focus is weight loss. You can check out organizations like the Body Positive Fitness Alliance to search for body positive fitness instructors.

Find yourself another doctor if your doctor is using a weight-normative approach to your healthcare and using weight and BMI as scare tactics. 

Talk to close friends and family members about your struggles with chronic dieting and disordered eating if their constant diet talk is triggering to you. 

As for my pilates experience, yes, initially I wanted to scream. I am pretty far along in my own recovery that I’m able to tune these comments out and move on with my life. If it were earlier in my recovery this is definitely something that could’ve swayed me in another direction. I easily could’ve thought, HMM, maybe she’s right and I need to get my butt in gear rather than try and be intuitive!

There has been an increase in awareness of intuitive eating and anti-diet messages. We’re already seeing a swing where people are fighting against diet culture. Models for various clothing brands are now in a variety of shapes and sizes. Slowly we’re able to find fitness and healthcare professionals who are aware that focusing on diets and weight loss can be damaging.

In the meantime, we will still stumble upon the diet messages thrown at us. Through intuitive eating therapy you can learn how to better deal with these comments and constant diet messages shoved in our face. 

How are you dealing with these messages now? Comment here or send me a message!