Dieting and Diet Culture
Have you been “dieting” forever?
Are you caught up in Diet Culture?
Are you obsessing over the foods want to eat?
What does a good relationship with food mean to you?
There is a fine line between being aware of what you put into your body and obsessing over it.
Whether your struggle is emotional eating, binge eating, disordered eating, overall being too rigid, restrictive or strict about the foods you eat can fuel those struggles even more. It may raise red flags if you’re missing out on social events because you’re too afraid to be around food that may trigger you to deviate from your plan.
Paying attention to what you eat and modifying eating habits is important to help you reach your goals, BUT if you’re missing out on normal social engagements in order to maintain a certain lifestyle or avoid dealing with the truth of your food struggles this may be crossing that line.
These are six healthy habits of people who eat for fuel, maintain a healthy body composition, and exercise regularly. See if you can implement any of these into your routine to break the diet cycle.
1) People with a healthy relationship with food eat mindfully. They don’t eat to see the scale shift! They eat for fuel!
2) They swear by everything — yes, everything — in moderation
3) They know when to indulge and when to stay mindful of their intake:
+ They eat when they’re physically hungry
+ They stop eating when they’re comfortably full
+ They eat breakfast and aren’t afraid to eat carbs after 6pm
+ They modify a meal at a restaurant if they need to add/remove fat/carbs/protein
+ They know the difference between a snack and a treat
4) They understand portion control and won’t eat straight out of a bag, unaware of how much they are eating
5) They’re not afraid of feeling hungry
6) Their concerns for food don’t interfere with daily life/activities
After a long list habits like the above, even the healthiest eaters might feel a little overwhelmed at times. The overarching theme is to remain balanced and avoid extremes.
As someone who has been in the Fitness and Nutrition industry for 38 years, as a Registered Dietitian, health educator, personal trainer and Competition Prep Coach I am asked often how to keep a social life and remain on the path to reach fitness goals. It can be done!
This is a critical aspect of the Team BestFit Body Basic Training, Lifestyle Program and part of our post show recovery plans for our clients. Integrated into each client’s program is how to make your nutrition and activity choices reasonable and still can put you on the path you to a healthier and happier you.
Please feel free to reach out to TBFB for more information on how you too can break free of the DIETING cycle!
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