Last Updated on April 29, 2023 | Published: September 21, 2021 published by Jenny Tomei
Being around too much conversation about diet trends, weight loss plans and poor body image can feel particularly triggering if you’re suffering with an eating disorder. You can make sure you stay on the road to recovery with these three top tips for dealing with excessive talk about food and diets.
Consider the actual nutritional benefits
Got a colleague who’s preaching her new keto lifestyle on every Zoom meeting? Or a housemate who’s trying to “make up” for moving less by adopting a no-carb diet?
Don’t get swept up in the propaganda, and instead remind yourself of the nutritional facts that you know to be true. Cutting out carbohydrates isn’t simply a weight loss hack, as they play a key role in balancing blood sugar, increasing serotonin levels, and helping to speed up the metabolism, making them a crucial component of our diets. Similarly unsustainable, the keto diet is lacking in fibre, leaves your body low in energy, and can even make you lose muscle mass – making it a particularly poor choice if you have a regular exercise schedule.
Remember that one size does NOT fit all
Is there’s a juicer or ‘syns’ tracker amongst your group? Slimming World, Juice Plus, and Weight Watchers are just some of the popular weight loss plans that many dieters loyally follow.
But just because your fifty-four-year-old aunt feels like juicing is for her, that doesn’t mean it’s even remotely suitable for an active person half her age. Also, remember that highly restrictive juice or meal plans can often lead to binges, which is something you very much want to avoid.
Support them as well as yourself
Have you got a dieting friend who’s keen to confide in you about how down in the dumps she feels about her body image? Being kinder to yourself is a key part of eating disorder recovery, so being around the negative self talk of others can understandably be triggering.
Maybe you’re meeting up with an old friend for a socially-distanced walk, but they’re currently dieting, and want to talk about how down in the dumps they feels about their body image?
Provide reassurance, but ultimately remember that this is nothing to do with you personally, so there’s no need to start worrying about your own insecurities. Listen, but don’t talk yourself down to try and make them feel better. Instead, try to move the conversation onto more positive topics, or if you think they’re really struggling, encourage them to seek professional help from a doctor or counsellor.
Curious? Here’s how to learn more…
Whether, as a young person, you’re concerned about yourself or a friend, we’ve created a FREE Toolkit for you, which you can request via the Ordering Form.
Alternatively, if you’re interested in live interactive group events, for them or for yourself, get in touch today.