On the constant hypocrisy around bodies, food, health, and beauty standards. Plus: what does it really take to get off the exhausting hamster wheel of deprivation?
This is a wonderful piece! Thank you for articulating and calling out all of the shape-shifting of diet culture. For so long, I thought it was me who was doing something wrong when something didn’t work or when the messaging changed about food or fitness or the ideal.
I have been wrestling with this idea of “satisfaction” lately and you articulated a lot of what I have been thinking. I’m starting to see and experience those glimmers of being truly satisfied. It saddens me to think about how much of that I missed when I was stuck in diet culture, but it is also liberating to think of how much more I can experience and enjoy moving forward. A learning and growing process for sure.
Thank you so much for this, Kristi ❤️. And yes — the shape-shifting of diet culture is exactly what makes so many of us think we’re the problem. You’re definitely not alone in that. In fact, I'd venture to guess that it's most people, otherwise, if we all felt whole, diet culture wouldn't still be here.
And I really hear you on the grief and the glimmers of satisfaction showing up at the same time! That’s such a real part of this work. It’s difficult to look back and realize how much diet culture stole… and also kind of amazing to feel your body starting to come back online in new ways. I've been thinking about writing more on regret and dieting culture. I think these regrets can point us towards our values and remind us we don't want to go back. Sending you a big hug. And wishing you some satisfaction today!
I’m like you and love a huge bowl or plate of pasta. I could eat it every day for a while because carbs are the best.
It’s definitely hard to enjoy something and feel satisfied right now without feeling guilty because everyone seems to be shrinking and it seems like if you call that out, people act like you’re crazy or don’t want people to be happy.
From my experience, pursuing thinness certainly hasn’t made me happy, but it’s so hard to get out of the cycle of overexercise and not eating the amount I truly would eat if I wasn’t so cautious or aware of feeling greedy all the time.
Thank you for sharing this, Elizabeth! And truly… carbs are joy (and brain fuel, and and and) -- wanting a big bowl of pasta isn’t a moral issue.
I promise, what you’re feeling isn’t “greed,” it’s the collision between a normal human appetite and a culture that praises shrinking at all costs. You’re so right about the pressure — it’s everywhere — and noticing it doesn’t mean you don’t want people to be happy. It means you’re awake to how harmful the pattern is.
The cycle of overexercise and under-eating makes total sense in the world we live in, and it also makes sense that it’s hard to step out of it. Remember that the more we let ourselves eat what actually satisfies us, the more that guilt begins to loosen.
You deserve enough food, enough pleasure, enough space — and you’re not alone in any of this. Sending hugs!
Like many of us I've been chasing that feeling of personal enoughness, but I hadn't realized that here, TOO, Diet Culture is involved! I'm suddenly reminded of all of the "wellness coaches" these days telling women things like, "You are enough", while simultaneously giving them macro goals, encouraging them to prioritize protein, having them weigh and measure their bodies, etc. Hello, contradiction!?! Thank you, Abbie, for continuing to use your platform to drive Diet Culture out of the infinitely many dark places where it lurks and hides.
Yesss Rosanne this is so true! They cloak it in *empowerment* but then turn around and sell you something else. Thank you for being here -- you have no idea how much I appreciate you--every comment, and every "heart."
I work with mostly autoimmune clients but I’m 100% with you on the diet culture being the drain. Nourishment over restriction always. Happy people are healthiest.
I need to save this to read every time I get lost in the too muchness and not enoughness of it all.
You sad that so beautifully -- it's all too much and never enough. Maybe that's all I should have written and saved myself the time 😅
This is a wonderful piece! Thank you for articulating and calling out all of the shape-shifting of diet culture. For so long, I thought it was me who was doing something wrong when something didn’t work or when the messaging changed about food or fitness or the ideal.
I have been wrestling with this idea of “satisfaction” lately and you articulated a lot of what I have been thinking. I’m starting to see and experience those glimmers of being truly satisfied. It saddens me to think about how much of that I missed when I was stuck in diet culture, but it is also liberating to think of how much more I can experience and enjoy moving forward. A learning and growing process for sure.
Thank you so much for this, Kristi ❤️. And yes — the shape-shifting of diet culture is exactly what makes so many of us think we’re the problem. You’re definitely not alone in that. In fact, I'd venture to guess that it's most people, otherwise, if we all felt whole, diet culture wouldn't still be here.
And I really hear you on the grief and the glimmers of satisfaction showing up at the same time! That’s such a real part of this work. It’s difficult to look back and realize how much diet culture stole… and also kind of amazing to feel your body starting to come back online in new ways. I've been thinking about writing more on regret and dieting culture. I think these regrets can point us towards our values and remind us we don't want to go back. Sending you a big hug. And wishing you some satisfaction today!
I’m like you and love a huge bowl or plate of pasta. I could eat it every day for a while because carbs are the best.
It’s definitely hard to enjoy something and feel satisfied right now without feeling guilty because everyone seems to be shrinking and it seems like if you call that out, people act like you’re crazy or don’t want people to be happy.
From my experience, pursuing thinness certainly hasn’t made me happy, but it’s so hard to get out of the cycle of overexercise and not eating the amount I truly would eat if I wasn’t so cautious or aware of feeling greedy all the time.
Thank you for sharing this, Elizabeth! And truly… carbs are joy (and brain fuel, and and and) -- wanting a big bowl of pasta isn’t a moral issue.
I promise, what you’re feeling isn’t “greed,” it’s the collision between a normal human appetite and a culture that praises shrinking at all costs. You’re so right about the pressure — it’s everywhere — and noticing it doesn’t mean you don’t want people to be happy. It means you’re awake to how harmful the pattern is.
The cycle of overexercise and under-eating makes total sense in the world we live in, and it also makes sense that it’s hard to step out of it. Remember that the more we let ourselves eat what actually satisfies us, the more that guilt begins to loosen.
You deserve enough food, enough pleasure, enough space — and you’re not alone in any of this. Sending hugs!
This is SPOT ON! The rules are ever evolving - so crazy making!! Love the prompts at the end for self reflection ❤️
Aww thank you Lauren!! I am so glad you're here!
Like many of us I've been chasing that feeling of personal enoughness, but I hadn't realized that here, TOO, Diet Culture is involved! I'm suddenly reminded of all of the "wellness coaches" these days telling women things like, "You are enough", while simultaneously giving them macro goals, encouraging them to prioritize protein, having them weigh and measure their bodies, etc. Hello, contradiction!?! Thank you, Abbie, for continuing to use your platform to drive Diet Culture out of the infinitely many dark places where it lurks and hides.
Yesss Rosanne this is so true! They cloak it in *empowerment* but then turn around and sell you something else. Thank you for being here -- you have no idea how much I appreciate you--every comment, and every "heart."
I work with mostly autoimmune clients but I’m 100% with you on the diet culture being the drain. Nourishment over restriction always. Happy people are healthiest.
Autoimmune disease is a really big rabbit hole for diet culture and disordered eating. I've been there! Such an important overlap to understand.
This is so powerful. Thank you so much. 💛
Thank you so much for being here, Julie, and for taking the time to let me know that it resonated. That matters so much to me. I appreciate you! xo
I appreciate you so much, Galen!