How can we live different than what diet culture has conditioned us to do?
What does that look like big picture and in our everyday life?
‘If I didn’t have all this weight, _________________ would stop.
Everyone who comes to our practice – mo matter what their condition is – comes to us with this thought.
This could be true but let’s talk about the probability of being able to maintain the type of lifestyle. Can we be disciplined enough to have that kind of relief long-term.
Research shows that less than 10% of people are able to keep the weight loss off for more than 6 months – 2 years.
So what happens when we make the decision to live different than diet culture? To stop hating and blaming our bodies?
You might possibly ask questions like these :
What can we do to develop more nervous system regulation?
How can we thrive without being obsessive?
Where can we do trauma healing?
Among many, M A N Y others.
Here’s the answer : learning to open up your window of tolerance to have a bigger life that is manageable so we can learn to feel and have sensations.
This is what the big picture of going against the stream and going against the programming and condition of diet culture looks like.
Practically, this looks like, and what I’ve seen, going against diet culture looks like:
- Knowing a little bit about nutrition / movement but not taking it so seriously and believing it’s the ‘be-all-end-all’ to all our problems concerning food and weight.
- Burning the bridge of thinking you’re going to ever talk about yourself as.a flawed human being. B U R N. T H A T. B R I D G E. We’re not going there any more.
- Being a good tender (this is a noun here – someone who tends to something) to the life you’ve been given. Before you feet even hit the floor in the mornings, think about who you are and how you are and go about your day accordingly.
Listen, I know this all sounds great and amazing – and it is. But it’s hard work and I will be the first one to acknowledge that.
We were never promised that things worthwhile in life would be easy. I do promise you that these decisions will absolutely be worth it.
Check out this week’s vlog series where we talk about moving away from the conditioning of diet culture to have lasting transformation in our lives.
Finding our edges is a key to moving past the extremes of binging and deprivation. The research shows that very few people are able to have the discipline needed to have extreme lifestyles when it comes to food and exercise. So how can we navigate overwhelm while knowing our boundaries?
If you’re one of those who has decided to be different in this life and not just flow with the stream of where everyone else is going – this video is for you.
P.S. I want you to know that as you make the decision to move away from diet culture and its conditioning – you are not alone. It might feel like it but you are not alone in making that kind of decision. If you’re in need to community in this journey, please take a look at the Peaceful Eating Community.
Additional Video Resources : Challenging the Cultural Flow of Diet Culture | The Anti-Thesis of Diet Culture
