So You're Thinking About Going On Another Diet
Thinking about dieting again is likely something that will pop in your mind now and then. It happens to all of us! We are constantly bombarded by messages about weight, bodies, food, “health”, and dieting that it would be more surprising if you didn’t think about dieting ever again. The most helpful next step is to review your own diet history data:
When you notice you’re thinking about going on another diet:
Did the weight stay off long term? How long?
Did it get rid of my negative body image? How long?
What did it cost me in terms of time, energy, money, relationships, and mental health?
Did it deliver on its promises and bring me closer to a rich, full, meaningful life?
1. The vast majority of people will regain the weight they lose on a diet within 2-5 years and up to 2/3 will regain more than they lost. The greatest predictor of weight gain is going on a diet. It’s not your fault, you aren’t broken or don’t have enough “willpower”… it’s the diet, diet culture, fatphobia, and how our bodies are built to survive famine.
2. Intentional weight loss tends to increase body fixation and decrease body satisfaction*. No matter what or how much changes, it tends to never be enough. New ‘flaws"‘ will be found and it often takes up more hypervigilance and brain space. That’s because this is about trauma and what’s going on deeper inside, not what your body looks like. An example of this is when you look back at old picture and see your body vastly different than you did at the time.
*It can be a very real experience to be treated differently when you lose weight - by the people who matter to you and by total strangers. This can absolutely produce welcomed emotions/experiences, there’s a downside to this as well we can dive into in another post. It doesn’t necessary translate to improved and sustained positive body image. It does mean we need to continue to dismantle diet culture and fatphobia so everyone can be treated with kindness and respect at all sizes.
3. What were the costs of that diet that one time you keep comparing yourself to? What was different about your life then? Did you have the same amount of responsibilities, jobs, kids? Did you have to skip social events, meal prep, bring your own food everywhere, feel guilt, shame, and anxiety around eating? Binge, purge, over exercise, use drugs, stimulants, laxatives, etc? Did you spend a lot of money on trainers, memberships, supplements, programs, meal delivery programs, etc? How much space did your body and dieting take up in your mind? Did you feel increasing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness?
4. Although it can alleviate distress initially - and often disordered eating/dieting comes into our lives when we really needed help to numb, distract, avoid trauma and painful thoughts/emotions/body sensations - it often doesn’t fully deliver on its promise. It doesn’t bring a deep sense of being enough, lovable, of belonging, or having a magically better instagrammable life.
Where do we go from here?
Short answer options: Health At Every Size, Intuitive Eating, trauma work, fat activism, destroying diet culture and white supremacy. Research these topics, find accounts online who share this information from both people who have lived experience as well as professionals, and seek support from others going through this process. Therapy may not always be accessible but if you’re able to work with someone who really understands these concepts it can be really helpful.
**As always everyone has body autonomy and can choose anything they think is best for them and their body. This is for those who want another option.
