The desire to lose weight is strong, particularly at the start of the year when the messaging about fixing our bodies is incessant.

If you have been interested in the non-diet approach AND are at the same time uncomfortable because you are feeling that persuasive tug back towards weight loss from diet culture, know that this is really normal.

Here are 7 anti-diet reminders that it is OK if you want to lose weight. Because it is a complete misconception that anyone working in the anti-diet space refuses to talk about weight loss and will shun anyone who has thoughts about wanting to lose weight. That couldn’t be further from the truth!

In fact, the opposite is true – we have BUCKET LOADS of compassion for you as these anti-diet reminders demonstrate.

And be sure to give these accounts a follow over on Instagram if you are not already, so you can start filling your feed with anti-diet goodness.

7 anti-diet reminders that it is OK if you want to lose weight

summerinnanen

 

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Reminder.

A post shared by Summer Innanen (@summerinnanen) on Sep 24, 2018 at 8:07am PDT

taylorwolframrd

 

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I’m not so sure we hear this enough so let’s clarify: it’s OK to want to lose weight. It’s OK to be tempted to diet even though you know how horrible it is for you. These are totally normal feelings and urges caused by the weight stigma and unattainable beauty ideals of our culture. It is not your fault. It doesn’t make you weak or dumb or selfish. It’s OK it’s OK it’s OK. ⠀ So what do you do when you have these thoughts? You acknowledge them. You remind yourself why they’re there (diet culture sucksssss) and you ask yourself what you need right now. In this moment. A hug? A snack? A walk? A nap? A therapy session? A cry? An orgasm? A massage? A stretch? What can you do to care for yourself in the present moment? That’s where the magic happens. ?

A post shared by Taylor Wolfram, MS, RDN, LDN (@taylorwolframrd) on Oct 8, 2018 at 6:18pm PDT

marcird

 

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I have heard people say that they feel judged by the non-diet community. I have seen my clients look sheepish when “confessing” that they still have wishes for weight loss. I am not not judging you for wanting to lose weight. And most folks in body acceptance circles aren’t either. In fact I feel completely empathetic towards these wishes. The desire for weight loss is as natural as wanting professional success, financial achievement, unconditional love. There is such a constant drum beat of pressure for weight loss, no matter your size. Your wishes to lose weight do not make you a bad feminist or a bad person. There is a meaningful difference between how you feel on the inside (which is always valid) and how I support the pursuit of health. The reasons I don’t align myself with the pursuit of weight loss is because the data is so damn clear – well over 90% of the time it harms more than it helps. The mountains of research and lived experience of my clients show that attempts at weight loss most likely lead to weight cycling, more weight gain, poor mental health and a mind that is preoccupied and obsessed. As a practitioner, my ethics just can’t abide such severe and harmful side effects. But that in no way means that when I post messages about body acceptance, self-love, and moving away from the dieting mindset that I am judging your wish to be smaller. As a clinician I want to hear ALL about that wish while offering a little ray of hope that there is another way.

A post shared by Marci Evans (@marcird) on Oct 16, 2018 at 7:02am PDT

madeonagenerousplan

 

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I want you to know that I understand that it’s hard to make the leap over to a non-diet/Health At Every Size/intuitive eating/Body Trust® approach, particularly for fat folks that are facing body-based oppression. . It’s so so so so so normal to have a foot in the “I still want to lose weight and diet” camp while also being curious about this different paradigm. You’re completely allowed to do that. You can take all the time you need, you can have doubts, you can try that new diet that you think might work this time. This work will be here for you whenever (and if ever) you want to explore it and it resonates for you. (And if you choose to work with me, I can absolutely support you through that ambivalence.) . Above all else, be kind to yourself as you dip a toe in. Be patient, and remember that you’re working to unlearn a lifetime of lessons taught to you by diet culture (while still swimming in it every day). That takes time. ?

A post shared by Meredith Noble (@madeonagenerousplan) on Dec 13, 2017 at 9:34am PST

theembodiedjourney

 

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You have permission to say NO to Diet Culture in 2019, AND you also have permission to find it hard to say NO. It’s not an either/or. It’s a both/and. Opting out of diet culture isn’t black or white. It isn’t as easy as just saying NO and letting that be that. When you have been pummelled by Diet Culture time and time again, sometimes the seduction can have a really strong pull. Sometimes it’s hard to recognise the dangers of opting in to Diet Culture. Sometimes you’ll find yourself back there. AND, that’s OK. There’s no shame in finding your way. There’s no shame in navigating this path. There’s no shame in your experience. . . I always encourage people to be curious. Be curious about your experience. Stop to ask yourself how you feel, how does your body feel? Stop to ask yourself whether you feel grounded, whether you’re present? Connect with your breath of you can. Regardless of where you are, offer yourself compassion. This is a hard time of year. The diet industry will literally be preying on everybody. The New Year, New You advertisements have already started. You don’t need to opt in, AND, it’s OK if you do. This is hard work. Undoing a lifetime’s worth of Diet Culture messaging is hard. Unlearning takes time. Relearning can be even harder. Irrespective of where you are, there are no judgements, but a hell of a lot of compassion. . . #healthateverysize #haes #nondiet #ditchthediet #fuckdietculture #bodypositivity #bopo #thereisnowrongwaytohaveabody #allbodiesareworthybodies #theembodiedjourney #bodyrespect #bodytrust #eatingdisorderrecovery #edrecovery #selfcompassion #joyfulmovement #intuitiveeating #mindfuleating #riotsnotdiets #losehatenotweight #weightstigma #fightfatphobia #fatactivism #socialjustice #antidietrevolution

A post shared by Nicole McDermid (@theembodiedjourney) on Dec 26, 2018 at 8:09pm PST

whole_embodied_therapist

 

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I am passionate about the risk of dieting! Unashamedly so (& proudly #HAES)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I respect the autonomy of my clients. Your body, you decide. I don’t live your life & I don’t live in your body. I cannot & will not tell you what to do with your body.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Most of my clients struggle with their bodies, most have desires to change their bodies or their health. I have so much empathy for this! There is NO SHAME in this! You’re human & there are very strong messages about how our bodies should look and feel. No shame. Come as you are, all of you, desires, struggles, ALL of you!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ AND I will never encourage you to “diet” or engage in restricting your diet without a clear medical reason that necessitates it (eg- celiacs, allergy, etc)- & if this is necessary, I’ll likely suggest we involve an RD to help guide.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here’s why: I believe diets have risks, really high, potentially life-threatening risks! Kinda like surgery. You don’t recommend surgery without a really strong reason bc RISK/DANGER, right? There are reasons surgery is necessary, & reasons a food restriction may be needed (again- allergies, etc). Still there is risk & informed consent is critical.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What’s the risk? There are many but a huge one for me- diets are a significant risk factor for developing an eating disorder- a potentially DEADLY disease. Someone dies every 62 minutes from an ED. Those who survive- the cost of an ED (or disordered eating) can be MASSIVE (emotional, physical, financial). These amazing humans sit in my office everyday so yes, I’m passionate & will do everything in my power to decrease the risk of more humans suffering!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Of course- not everyone develops an ED but we cannot always know who will or not so unless there is a strong reason to do so, is it worth it?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ AND it’s your body. You know what is tolerable or not. I will not shame you if you go on a diet. I will listen & be curious with you about your experience. If you feel good eating x way- great. If you struggle- I’ll be there without judgement.

A post shared by Sarah Pannell, LMFT (@whole_embodied_therapist) on Jan 4, 2019 at 4:30am PST

themindfuldietitian

 

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A Non Diet Dietitian or any Health At Every Size (R) will NEVER shame you, or make you feel bad for wanting to change your body. We GET IT – we live in diet culture, which is constantly bombarding ALL of us with ways to look better, be better, live better – the “self improvement” train is on full steam with diet culture the captain. And we’re all on board…..if you want to get off, AND still want to change your body, we totally understand. We will listen. We want to hear your story. If you want to, we can help you understand how diet culture infects us with harmful messaging, how even the smartest, most highly functioning people can feel totally under it’s spell. We’ll help you disentangle the BS from the truth. We’ll even geek out with you about weight science and literature, if that’s your bag. A Non Diet provider will almost always have specialist, additional training in either Non Diet Approach or Intuitive Eating (always ask, it’s your right to get the highest quality provider you can!!). We are not anti weight loss. We are anti diet culture and the messages which tell us that we can, and should be pursuing body improvement at all times. We will sit with you and have those tough and sometimes tricky conversations. What we WON’T do is put you on the scale, or send you home with a meal plan! We want to support you to find ways to take care of yourself from a place of care and respect. Sometimes that is about behaviours, sometimes it’s about examining beliefs, sometimes it’s about getting to know yourself, your body, and getting a deeper understanding of ourselves. It’s not easy work. For you, and sometimes, for us too! But we are willing to do the work. Because we know that diet culture sucks, and there’s another way to live. We’ve got your back. #HAES #nondietdietitians #intuitiveeating #mindfulness #mindfuldietitians #mindfuldietitian #compassionatecare #respect

A post shared by Fiona Sutherland (@themindfuldietitian) on Jan 4, 2019 at 2:55pm PST