7 exercises to do to put an end to the cult of diets

One of the phrases Dr Alexis Conason hears most at work as a clinical psychologist specializing in eating disorders is “I’m not on a diet, I’m just trying to eat a balanced diet.” It is right after that his patients unpack their list of foods to avoid so as not to gain weight. A lot of constraints and hardships, in short.

“Dieting means promoting messages from the weight loss industry while avoiding those sent to us by our bodies.” writes the psychologist in an article for Glamor magazine, adapted from his book The Diet-Free Revolution released in 2021. And the author adds: “It’s following a plan made by salespeople who want you to come back to buy their products and tell you if you are a good person or not depending on the foods you eat.” The famous slogan “You are what you eat” makes sense. According to the logic of the diet cult, your worth as a human increases when you consume lettuce and decreases if you dare to eat pizza. Hell for our sanity.

To break free from this straitjacket that is imposed in the great majority on women, Alexis Conason offers 7 exercises to deconstruct everything you have been taught about diets and adopt a “flexible, peaceful way of eating that promotes compassion rather than punishment. “

Keep a diary on your diet

Writing black and white about diets can be difficult at first, which is why the shrink advises you to answer the following three questions on paper:

1 – To what extent have diets helped and hurt you?
2 – Are you ready to say goodbye to diets? Be honest with yourself. You have the right not to be ready. All of society pushes us to diet, so rebelling against an established system takes time.
3 – Are you ready to take, at the very least, a break from dieting?

Write a break-up letter to the plans

It’s up to you to remember all the positive and negative aspects of your life before, during and after diets. What do you feel? What dreams did you have when you thought about the supposed benefits of dieting?

This letter should end with a “farewell” or “let’s take a break” if you’re not quite ready to quit for good.

Make a list of your fears about quitting dieting

What are your fears? To lose control ? To gain weight ? Snack at any time of the day?

Then read this list again and put a cross if these are already behaviors you adopt when you are on a diet. It is clear that it happens to all of us to do “differences” because we are human, especially during the draconian regimes.

Make a list of the reasons why you want to lose weight

Do you want to be more confident in yourself? Who tells you that being less on the scales goes hand in hand with more confidence? You can already work on this aspect of your personality by silencing your inner saboteur and being less harsh on yourself immediately. Nothing to do with your weight.

Would you like to be in “better health” ? Think instead: how can I improve my health with this body that I have now? There are 1001 activities to be in better health whose goal is not weight loss. Does Teddy Riner need to lose weight to be healthier? No, and that doesn’t prevent him from being a top athlete.

The “Thinner Me” exercise

Find a photo of yourself where you find yourself slimmer. Put yourself in her shoes and then write in your journal how you feel. Remember the things you used to say about your body back then and put it all down on paper.

• If you are drying out, answer the following questions:
• Were you in good health at the time?
• Happy?
• Did you have the same fears or lack of confidence as today?
• Have you ever wanted to lose weight?
• Did you change your weight after this photo because of dieting?

Take the time to mourn

Dieting has probably been with you for entire periods of your life. In your times of distress, the prospect of losing weight was a promise of better days. This fantasy, although toxic, has comforted many of us and has had a real psychological role that we can honor, without falling into a celebration of our lives dictated by diets.

Read also :
Bikini body: where does this concept to turn your back come from?
“My body only concerns me”, the pretty message “body confidence” from Chloé

Always remember that your body is not the problem

Your body is a temple. He doesn’t always do what we want, but he always meets our needs, even when mistreated or insulted. If your current figure is making you unhappy, that’s not you. This is the grossophobic society we were born into. When faced with discrimination, always choose kindness. With others, but especially with yourself.

Dan Hastings

Every day, aufeminin’s editorial staff addresses millions of women and supports them in all stages of their lives. The aufeminin editorial staff is made up of committed editors and …