Debunking Diet Culture

Just the mention of the word "diet” can evoke countless feelings and thoughts for different people. Now, pair those emotions with the HUNDREDS of theories that exist and the MIXED messages from media. It is NO WONDER people have such a complicated relationship to dieting and weight loss. Hear me when I say this: DIETS DO NOT WORK and there is NO “PERFECT” DIET. Deep down we all KNOW this, but for some reason we believe otherwise and hope for different results.

As a society, we are taught from a young age that dieting is one of the primary solutions for solving the “problem with your body.” We assume that one person’s results will produce the same results for us. This logic is completely IRRATIONAL and it would be NAIVE of us to think someone ELSE’S circumstances translate to our OWN life. Each of our INDIVIDUAL experiences with dieting and food INFORMS our day-to-day actions, mood, energy levels, hormones and chemical signaling. Therefore, suggesting a “one-size-fits-all” solution is IMPOSSIBLE.

In nutrition, the word “diet" SIMPLY means "the sum of foods habitually consumed by a person or other organism.” WHY is it, then, that we make it more COMPLICATED than it needs to be.

Food should be enjoyable, yes, BUT it should also be viewed for what it is: SUSTENANCE. Reward or guilt associations around food will only lead to a struggle with your relationship to food. You must get clear on what your relationship with food is so that you can RELEASE current dieting habits and your history with dieting. Take a step back and ask yourself whether you look to food as a SYMBOL for something deeper, or equate it with things like reward, success, love, celebration, etc. If you notice that you have developed patterns around dieting, it is likely that you are actually CRAVING something that goes BEYOND the food itself. Regardless of what you have come to believe food represents, it is CRITICAL to be conscious in your efforts of REWRITING the story around dieting and achieving a more desirable outcome.

The SOLE reason dieting doesn't work is that it places the responsibility and expertise OUTSIDE of yourself, rather than tuning-in to your thoughts, feelings or cravings, and using your INTUITION to guide you. Committing to a diet FORCES you to put all focus on external roles and follow a specific regimen that makes the DIET the expert, not YOU.

Conditioned thoughts and unconscious decisions or biases can create a war between you, your food and your body, but THEY are not the enemy. By bringing them to LIGHT and ACKNOWLEDGING them you are able to TAKE AWAY their power and REDIRECT your consciousness. When the PRESENT is experienced directly and your thoughts and habits are recognized, NEW choices will be FULLY available to you that not only HONOR your relationship with your body, but your food choices, your tastebuds and your health.

Your body and your brain ALREADY know exactly what it needs and how much you should weigh. This is referred to as the “set-point" theory. This theory is based on genetic factors, and its premise is that your body weight stays within a certain range, or set-point. In order to maintain balance and homeostasis of the body, the brain ADJUSTS the body’s hunger and metabolism to STAY within the set-point range. For example, if your body is in starvation mode, the brain will signal an increase in hunger and a decrease in metabolism in order to preserve energy. On the other hand, if your body is over-fed, the brain signals the opposite, decreased hunger and increased metabolism, all in an attempt to bring you back into BALANCE and return to the BODY'S desired weight.

The truth is that you’re UNLIKELY to lose weight permanently until you DITCH diets altogether. They are specifically customized to produce fast results, not lasting results. Every BODY is different and we must look at health as a BIO-INDIVIDUAL matter. When you communicate EFFECTIVELY with your body, no food situation will feel “out of control.” By CHOOSING to fuel yourself according to YOUR intuition, not according to society, your metabolism will NATURALLY be able to remain at a steady pace, allowing you to reach your IDEAL weight.

You don’t need to REINVENT the wheel. The SECRET to getting to a healthy weight, and SUSTAINING it long-term, is to be more MINDFUL.

Your diet is not only what you EAT. It is EVERYTHING you CONSUME. It’s what you WATCH, what you LISTEN to, what you READ, and the PEOPLE you hang around. Be cautious of the things that you put into your body, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

Xx, Leah Kutsch P.S. Keeping IIN Touch