6 Ways to Opt Out of Diet Culture

For your New Years resolution, set boundaries and prioritize your well-being.

As the new year approaches, many people in my nutrition practice and online intuitive eating courses think about resolutions and ways to improve their health and well-being. However, it’s essential to recognize that diet culture – the societal obsession with thinness and the belief that losing weight is the key to happiness and success – can often do more harm than good.

If you’re looking to make positive changes in 2023, consider opting out of diet culture and instead adopting an approach that prioritizes self-care, body positivity, and intuitive eating.

Here are 6 ways to do just that!

1. Focus on nourishing your body rather than losing weight. Instead of restricting yourself or following a strict diet, try to focus on eating a variety of nourishing, whole foods that make you feel good and give you energy.

2. Clean your social media of diet-related talk by seeking alternative information sources. Unfollow and block social media sources that promote diet culture and, instead, look for body-positive, health-focused resources that encourage a more holistic approach to wellness.

3. Use social media filters and settings to hide or minimize content that promotes diet culture. Many social media platforms offer options to customize your feed and hide content that doesn’t align with your values.

4. Take a break from social media altogether, at least temporarily. This can be an excellent way to reset and refocus your attention on more meaningful and nourishing things for you.

5. Find physical activities that you enjoy. Instead of exercising solely to burn calories or lose weight, choose activities you genuinely enjoy such as hiking, dancing, or playing a sport. The movement will help you stay active and healthy, without feeling like it’s a chore.

6. Surround yourself with supportive people. Seek friends and family members who encourage a healthy, balanced lifestyle rather than constantly discussing diets or weight loss.

These suggestions can be helpful, especially if you remember to set boundaries and prioritize your well-being. At Erica Leon Nutrition and Associates, we understand that sometimes it’s hard to “go it alone.”

For this reason, we have several options to help you challenge diet culture and start the new year with good intentions.

Individual counseling with one of our registered dietitians/clinicians or joining one of our group support programs can be a first step in helping you prioritize “self-care.”

With extra help, you can learn to care for your body in a way that feels good to you rather than trying to fit into someone else’s idea of “healthy” or “attractive.”

If you aren’t sure which option would be best for you, book a call with Erica.

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Are you ready to make peace with food and your body image and get off the diet roller coaster for good?

Download and read our Intuitive Eating Guide, the 3 Steps to Making Peace with Food and Your Body Image.

This guide is for you if you are…

• Not in the mood to count calories constantly.
• Always thinking about food as either “Good” or “Bad”.
• Feeling ashamed for doing everything “perfectly,” only to “blow it” by overeating.
• Struggling with anorexia, bulimia, or other eating problems.
• Wanting to avoid passing on your eating struggles and issues to your children.

Click here to get your copy today.