Rejecting the Diet Mentality

The very first thing you need to do when learning to embrace intuitive eating is to reject the diet mentality. It is a mentality that we are all familiar with. It is a mentality that keeps us trapped in a cycle of mistrusting ourselves, and mistrusting our bodies. It is a desperate and never ending endeavor to control our cravings and appetite, depriving ourselves of your favorite foods, and the flavor and zest of life. Healthful, joyful living comes from a mindset that embraces abundance and nourishment over restrictive diets. Learning to reject the diet mentality is key to cultivating the joyful, healthy lifestyle you deserve. 

The dictionary definition of diet is, “a special course of food to which one restricts oneself” while the dictionary definition of nourish is “provide with the food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition”. These starkly different definitions really highlight how toxic and destructive the diet mentality can be. The diet mentality puts self-control over self-care. When we diet, we are constantly at war with ourselves, trying to conform our appetite and cravings to fit arbitrary sets of rules. The diet mentality is an approach based on deprivation and restriction, and it is hard to live a full and happy life when we are constantly concerned over food rules and trying to stay in control. Nourishment on the other hand is all about living a full and healthy life. Nourishment is about honoring and respecting our bodies, eating in a way that promotes growth, health and vitality. 

In order to reject the diet mentality, it's important to be able to embrace the gray areas in life. What does this mean? It means realizing that we are human, and that we don't have to be perfect in order to be happy, successful and fulfilled in life. The diet mentality is an all-or-nothing approach that leaves little room for spontaneity or flexibility. When we go on diets we make harsh and unrealistic demands on ourselves, setting ourselves up for misery and failure. Embrace the gray. There can be room in a healthy lifestyle for any and all foods, all in the right amounts. Embrace moderation and flexibility, and stop falling for the all-or-nothing trap. Remember: diets are hardwired to fail. It's not about a lack of self-control or discipline. When we restrict and are undernourished, our bodies naturally strive to come back into balance. Diets are not designed to be sustainable long-term. Cultivating a mindset focused on nourishment and balance is key to creating a long-term, sustainable, healthy lifestyle. 

What is Health At Every Size (HAES®)?

It seems like every time you watch TV or go online, you get bombarded with advertisements for products related to weight loss. Whether it be the pioneer Weight Watchers, or the sketchy calorie-burning supplements, there is a giant business built on getting people to shed the pounds. Like me, you may be disheartened to see weight loss touted as the cornerstone of health and wellbeing. But what if health didn’t have to revolve around weight status?  

 This is where the HAES approach comes in. HAES stands for Health At Every Size, and it dismisses the notion that one size or one weight is synonymous with good health. Rather, physical and emotional wellbeing can occur at any size, and improving the quality of life begins with practicing healthy behaviors, not losing weight.  

 You may wonder, if HAES is a weight-neutral approach to good health, what are its guiding principles? According to the founders of the movement, there are three main components: Respect, Critical Awareness, and Compassionate Self-care. Respect involves celebrating body diversity, and appreciating differences in our attributes, like size, age, race, and gender. Critical Awareness relates to challenging scientific assumptions about people living with overweight and obesity and honoring personal experiences. Lastly, compassionate self-care is about finding joy in movement and eating according to what we need and what we like.  

Unlike dieting, the HAES approach is not meant to induce stress. Traditional weight loss methods are purely a numbers game, whether it be counting the calories you consumed that day or tracking the scale value each night. Not meeting these goals can lead to a sense of failure, which induces stress and undermines good health. Furthermore, it drives the faulty assumption that you cannot be healthy until you reach one size. Instead, the HAES approach values emotional wellbeing, encouraging people to celebrate who they are and to prioritize self-care over body size.  

Since HAES is a relatively new approach to health improvement, there aren’t any long-term studies that show its impact. However, several short-term studies suggest that the HAES approach has positive effects on behavior and appetite. For example, in one study, a group of 78 people using the HAES approach maintained their weight, while improving their energy expenditure and eating behaviors. Psychologically, groups members improved their self-esteem, body image, and depression. Even one year after the study, the HAES members were able to sustain the results, unlike the comparison diet group that initially lost weight but gained it back.  

Now that we understand what the HAES approach is, how do we incorporate its principles into our own lives? Some concrete actions include eating honoring hunger cues without limiting intake, incorporating walks into daily routines, or setting a defined sleep schedule every night. If you don’t know where to start, it’s always worth chatting with a local dietitian nutritionist.