is changing your eating really “#dietculture"?
Spoiler alert- yes, you can make changes to your diet and still maintain a healthy relationship with food.
Lately I feel that so many people are preaching that ANY type of modification to your diet is #dietculture. But guess what, just because you are making adjustments to your nutrition DOES NOT automatically mean you have a poor relationship with food. There are so many reasons to make changes to your way of eating:
to improve your energy levels during your sessions (i.e. precision nutrient timing)
to address a health issue or concern
to manage symptoms
to gain muscle
to focus on preventative health
to improve recovery time
AND SO MUCH MORE.
Think about the relationships with the people around you: if someone close to you hurt you, or made you angry, would you stay silent and just take it? Or would you instead speak up, so a change could be made? If something wasn’t working for you within a partnership, would you just walk away and never talk to them ever again? Or would you come up with a game plan, and refine the way you interact with each other to improve what wasn’t working? Of course you want to maintain glorious, fulfilling relationships. But in order for that to happen, they take serious work. Sometimes you need to make changes, have tough conversations, or even remove people from your life entirely, if they are no longer serving you. That’s not harsh, that’s called setting boundaries and self-care. Our relationship with food isn’t any different. It’s not all or nothing.
Continuing to foster a healthy relationship with food IS possible to do, while you go about making changes.
Here are my top tips that you should focus on while making changes to your diet, that will support building & maintaining a healthy relationship with food:
Foster an abundance mindset, rather than one of restriction.
Where are you putting rules, pressure, or limitations on your food choices that aren’t serving a greater purpose? Get clear & real with yourself on what is necessary, and what is coming from a place of fear or scarcity. Starting a gratitude journal, or putting your attention on the things that fulfill you (both physically and emotionally) will help foster an abundance mindset.
Stop counting your calories. Focus on food quality instead.
Calories in vs. calories out is not the whole story (sorry all your traditionalist out there). Whether or not you are concerned about a weight or body composition change, the QUALITY of your food is the most important factor that you should be prioritizing. Ingredients, protein/ fiber/ fat/ micronutrient content, and the way your food was grown or produced has a greater impact on your health than calories alone.
Know when to rely on your hunger cues to tell you when to eat, vs. your external knowledge of when you should eat. It’s an art to be mastered!
Athletes- how many times have you been participating in your sport (whether it be a race, cragging, a day out in the alpine, etc.) and you just don’t feel hungry? Probably a lot! Just because you aren’t hungry, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be eating. Fueling appropriately (even when you don’t feel physically hungry) is crucial for maintaining proper energy availability, recovery, and general health. At the same time, we should also be honoring our hunger (e.g. actually eating when we are hungry, rather than suppressing the urge), and using our hunger cues as a gauge of the adequacy of our meals and energy consumption (e.g. your hunger levels can help tell you that you’re eating enough!). If this sounds contradictory to you (or even a little confusing), you are totally not alone! This is a challenging skill to master, but absolutely possible.
Learn the basics of how your body works
Understanding the basics of how your body breaks down food for energy, and what types of food provide which types of energy (that might be better for one activity over another), is one of the most powerful tools you can gain to de-bunk all the bullshit info out there. You don’t have to have a graduate degree in nutrition (that’s what you have me for!) or take an advanced course in physiology to gain some basic understanding of our body’s processes, and how you can leverage certain things to your advantage. Education is POWER when it comes to making informed food decisions, and for what is best for your individual body’s needs.
Focus on what you can add in, instead of take out
Even if you have to be taking certain things out of your diet right now (in the case of an elimination diet, allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance, for example), focusing on what you CAN have is crucial for fostering an abundance mindset. Your “yes” list is more often than not MUCH LARGER than your “no” list, of foods and practices. Focus on what you can add to your plate and life, rather than what needs to be taken away.
Make changes that are unique to YOUR NEEDS, not the latest trend or fad.
You are a unique individual with needs that are different from anyone else’s in this world. Choosing to follow a cookie cutter diet, protocol, or fad will not serve you well. What works for you, probably won’t work for someone else (and the other way around, too!). Making changes that are specific to you will not only allow you to see progress quicker, but will promote sustainability & longevity on your journey.
Do you struggle with any of the tips above?
Gaining the tangible skills to make changes to your nutrition, while still fostering a healthy relationship with food is not an easy feat. If you need support with this, please reach out! You don’t have to do this alone. Working with a qualified practitioner greatly accelerates the process of whatever journey you are on, and gives you the confidence you need to start taking actionable steps towards your goals. If you want to learn more about the services I offer, click here!
xx,
Amanda
