Have you ever had someone talk to you about this new diet they’re on and that it would help you lose weight or make you feel better if you tried it too? Thats diet culture talk and it’s a nasty thing. Diet culture talk happens 365 days a year but it is so much more prevalent during the Holiday Season especially with the “new year, new me” crap. I’m here to help you navigate diet culture talk during the holidays with these tips and tricks!
Tip #1 – Spot Diet Talk
Because diet culture talk is all around us, sometimes we don’t even realize that’s what it is. Here are some examples of diet talk that we hear all the time:
“OMG I don’t eat carbs, this stuffing is going to make me so fat. I’m starting a diet tomorrow.”
- This is a phrase we hear literally all the time.
“Good thing we burned off all these calories at the Turkey-Trot this morning!”
- This example is a little bit trickier to recognize because it isn’t as aggressive as the first one and doesn’t talk about food directly. Nonetheless, this is still very much diet culture talk.
“Do you really need that second slice of pumpkin pie, sweetie?”
- This is basically an attack phrase directed at you and will often cause emotion. These comments usually come from someone close to you like your mom, aunt, or partner.
All are very basic examples of diet culture talk and I want you to know if you’re reading this and you’re saying “Oh my god I’ve said those things before” let me tell you, there is no shame in saying it. We all have contributed to diet talk because it’s what we’re surrounded by. The first is build awareness around what it is so that we can either redirect the narrative or stop it in its tracks.
Tip #2 – Reject Diet Mentality
Principle number one of intuitive eating is rejecting the diet mentality. If we do not reject the diet mentality it is impossible to implement the other principles, one of which, making peace with food. Listed below are examples of diet mentality:
- “I need to burn off what I eat”
- “I have to restrict my intake”
- “I can’t eat more than my partner”
- “I have to save my calories for this evening’s big holiday dinner”
You may have heard others say these phrases or you may have said these phrases yourself at some point. The list could go to Infinity and beyond but these are just simple examples of diet mentality. Now that we know what diet mentality is, we want to shift that to food freedom mentality with phrases like:
- I move my body because I enjoy it, not because I have to.
- I don’t have to earn or burn my food; my body needs calories to live.
- My food choices do not hold morality and don’t make me a good or bad person.
- I honor my huner and eat; I trust my body.
Having food freedom is being so confident and trustworthy of yourself and your own cues that people around you can say all they want about diets or what they/you should eat and it doesn’t bother you at all. Food freedom is being at peace with who you are and your choices.
Tip #3 – Respond To Diet Talk
Before we jump into how to respond, let’s talk about how to set boundaries first. Remember to protect your energy; boundaries exist to make you feel safe not the others. When it comes to diet talk, it’s not your job to save everyone from the diet culture, YOU get to choose what conversations YOU want to engage in. Here are some ways you can respond to the diet talk:
1. Excuse Yourself
- If somebody says something to you so deeply triggering where you feel your heart racing or your hands are sweating- get out of the conversation. You do not need to stay there and it can be as simple as “Excuse me real quick I’m going to run to the restroom.” If you know that you’re not going to respond, you’re not going to be able to to calm down, excuse yourself from the situation.
2. Not Say Anything
- If you feel like it’s not too triggering, you have permission to sit there and take in the conversation without participating. Have empathy and compassion for how entrenched in diet culture your friends and family members are.
3. Change The Subject
- You can totally take what they’re saying, acknowledge it, and move on to a different topic. There’s nothing wrong with deciding to switch the conversation to a football game score from Aunt Cheryl’s keto diet journey.
4. Set A Firm Boundary
- This one takes a lot of practice and I recommend doing this when it’s very clear that maybe the other person is trying to cause harm or if they’re really not getting it. Let’s say we tried changing the subject and they come back again, this is where the firm boundary can be really helpful. An example to say to set the boundary is: “I don’t want to talk about diet stuff, let’s please talk about something else.” A response like this keeps you safe but still engages in conversation.
Tip #4 – Have People In Your Corner
You have permission to vent to someone. Have an accountability buddy, have somebody to text when triggering diet talk comes up, someone that understands what you’re going through. It is so much easier to navigate and stop diet talk if you have people to support you in your corner.
Diet talk can be vague at times or directly aimed at you. Either way, using these tips will help you to begin your food freedom journey and keep you from stressing too much, especially during the Holidays! If you enjoyed this blog, I know you will also LOVE my blog titled: How to Travel Stress-Free During The Holidays
