Ditching Diet Culture: A long Goodbye!

You may feel a period of grief and mourning when you move away from diet culture⁣

*And it may go on for a long time ⁣

I know that may sound bleak, but it's time to break away from the idea that the other side of diet culture is rainbows, butterflies, joyful movement and food freedom. I am going to tell you the truth...it can be really, really lonely on the other side. ⁣

⁣CW: Brief mention of diets⁣

When your best friend starts whole 30. When your neighbor joins that workout and shake MLM. When your gym focuses on “fat burning” workouts. When your work does a “maintain don’t gain” holiday challenge. When an IG influencer starts a “Butts not Guts” group (I wish I was kidding)⁣

It is lonely.⁣

It can feel like it may be easier to just...join them.⁣

I spoke about this grieving yesterday on Monique’s Diet Culture Panel. It is real. And sometimes, I still get a wave of grief when I think about it. I think about the time I wasted. I think about the money I wasted. I grieve the hours spent punishing myself in the gym for a body that had done nothing but support me. I mourn the loss of the illusion of control. The sadness of unfollowing or muting people you don’t actually dislike but can’t have them messing with my recovery.I think about those nasty ass food substitutes I thought I needed to make me look someway that I thought I needed to look. And those thoughts were not mine. ⁣

But the loneliness and the clarity can co-exist. The loneliness and the freedom can co-exist. The dinner parties you happily join. The days you ditch your workout to hang out with your partner. The outfits you pick out because you LOVE them. And the time and space you have to do what you want because you are no longer solely focused on diet and exercise. ⁣

There will be hard moments and triumphant moments. And I think it is ok to admit that.⁣

If you need more resources on Eating Disorders, please visit NEDA for more help.

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