How to Ditch Diet Culture Once and for All
9 Steps to Beating the Toxic Messaging Around Weight Loss
Think you aren’t affected by diet culture? Think twice. Diet culture is in the supplement ad that keeps popping up on your feed. It lives in the temptation to cut carbs or follow a strict eating plan. It’s that sneaky voice telling you that your body fat percentage could be lower. It’s that pang of guilt you feel after enjoying dessert.
“Men can be just as impacted by diet culture as women, however, it often shows up differently. Rather than feeling pressure to diet or lose weight, men may be bombarded with messages about ‘biohacking,’ bulking up, or adding muscle,” according to Elizabeth Harris, RDN, owner of Elizabeth Harris Nutrition and Wellness. Not to mention that weight stigma and fat phobia affects men too.
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The Harmful Effects of Diet Culture On Men
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be fit, strong and healthy. Even looking good can be a goal worth celebrating. But those desires become problematic when driven by unrealistic expectations or deeper feelings of unworthiness. That’s diet culture at play. “Many men suffering from the impacts of diet culture either think it is normal, or just don't feel like it's OK to talk about it,” says eating disorder therapist and a nutritionist Grace Lautman.
From poor body image to disordered eating and weight cycling (big fluctuations in weight), the effects of diet culture can be devastating on your mental and physical health.
“One of the most impactful effects of diet culture is the preoccupation on food and body and the mental rumination it produces. It drives people crazy. Diet culture says ‘Hey, if you're dissatisfied with your body, you can focus on changing it more,’” adds Lautman. “But what we know from the research is that the more you focus on changing and controlling your body, the worse your body image is likely to be.”
Here are nine steps to help you ditch diet culture, heal your relationship with food and feel good in your body (without abandoning health and fitness as a whole).
9 Steps to Ditch Diet Culture for Good
1. Educate Yourself on Diet Culture and Its Impact
The first step to freeing yourself from diet culture and its impact is becoming aware of it. How does it show up in your life? How does it influence your thoughts and behaviors? How does it make you feel? “Once you can identify diet culture, take steps to quiet its influence in your life,” says Harris.
2. Unfollow Diet Culture on Social Media and in Your Life
This looks like blocking, unfollowing or muting any social media accounts that make you feel bad about your body, promote unrealistic ideals or give you the urge to restrict your food intake.
Leave online groups focused on topics such as bulking up, getting leaner or biohacking, suggests Harris, who adds that you can also remove yourself from diet culture’s influence in real-life conversations. “Change the subject in conversations where people are hyper-fixated on their looks, what or how they’re eating, or trying to manipulate their body shape and size.”
Take a hard look at your use of fitness apps, wearable trackers and supplements. Be honest with yourself about your relationship to those things and whether it makes you feel anxious or like you’re not measuring up.
3. Learn About Intuitive Eating
Unlearning diet culture is one thing, but what do you replace it with? Intuitive eating is the answer. This approach is all about reconnecting to your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues instead of following strict, external food rules.
Wondering how to start? Aim to eat in response to hunger, not guilt. Stop labeling foods as “good” or “bad” and start viewing all foods as neutral. Enjoy food for nourishment and satisfaction – not punishment or control.
4. Exercise Because You Enjoy It, Not for Weight Control
Reframing your mindset around movement is also key. Choose activities that you like instead of focusing on purely aesthetic goals. Shift your goals from changing your body to becoming healthier and stronger.
“Ditching diet culture looks like asking, ‘If I weren't worried about controlling my body today, what would I choose to do to support my body today?’” says Lautman.
5. Prioritize All-Around Well-Being
It’s also about embracing a more balanced picture of well-being. What’s the point of having a six-pack if it causes stress? Health is about so much more than the way you look or how disciplined you can be.
“Healthy bodies can and do come in all shapes and sizes, as do unhealthy ones. Likewise, healthy behaviors may or may not result in weight loss — but they’re still health-promoting,” says Harris.
Instead of focusing on rigid eating plans or hardcore workout challenges, consider how you want to feel and care for your body. What are the habits you’d like to build to support your physical, mental and emotional well-being?
6. Go to Therapy or Seek Professional Support
The effects of diet culture are subtle and pervasive. Professional help is sometimes needed to unpack and undo them. There’s no shame in seeking help if you find yourself overwhelmed or triggered while changing the way you relate to food.
For example, you might want to consult a therapist specializing in body image and self-acceptance. Or you may enlist the help of a registered dietitian focused on intuitive eating.
7. Ask Different Questions About Your Health and Well-being
Ditching diet culture doesn’t mean ditching your health and fitness. You can still value those things, says Lautman: “In fact, we often need to think about whether all that stressing or prioritizing body control may be getting in the way of health.” Instead of obsessing over your size or body fat, ask yourself more constructive questions:
- “What can I do today to support my body without stress or restriction?”
- “How can I nourish myself in a way that feels good physically and emotionally?”
- “What habits help me feel strong, energized, and happy?”
8. Surround Yourself with Body-Positive and Non-Diet Messages
Replace harmful influences with supportive ones as you kiss diet culture goodbye. Find body positive and intuitive eating advocates to follow on social media. Consume content that encourages self-acceptance. Surround yourself with people who celebrate well-being over strict dieting.
9. Be Patient with Yourself
Be patient with yourself as you make the changes above. If you’re used to restricting what you eat, seeing foods as good or bad or looking up to people who embrace dieting, ditching diet culture might take a few tries. Remember that it’s a process. Give yourself grace, keep learning, and focus on long-term health over quick fixes.
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