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Reason number 3,000,563 why diet-culture sucks...
👉 Diet culture is all about changing the current version of you.
Obsessing about what you ate last night or how you might look tomorrow keeps you stuck in the past and worried about the future.
Diet culture fixates on:
- Striving to change your weight and your appearance
- Questioning the food you just ate and replaying past decisions over and over in your mind
- Trying to return to or avoid a previous version of yourself
- Stressing over and planning future meals
- Living in a world of "what ifs"
The diet industry encourages you to spend your whole life preoccupied with living in the before and after and consequently miss out on the here and now.
Your body is constantly changing. Which requires you to repeatedly accept it. It's an active (and challenging) assignment.
👉Being in the present moment and accepting what's right in front of you is an action. It requires intention and awareness. It might become more natural and automatic with time, but most of us have to constantly fight off the temptation to linger in the past or worry about the future.
One of my past therapists encouraged me to set an alarm on my phone twice a day which served as a cue to return to the present moment.
When the alarm ⏰ went off I was to answer these prompts:
- I feel...
- I need...
I found it to be VERY helpful. This is an easy way you can begin training yourself to return to the present moment.
The more you can return to the present moment in your day-to-day life, the easier it will be to apply this skill when you're having a difficult body image day or when you're getting worked up about what to eat.
I firmly believe in the "power of now," as Eckhart Tolle says, and know that the present moment can provide freedom and peace that isn't available to you when you're wrapped up in 'shoulds' and fears.
❤️ Your life is meant to be lived, felt, and embodied.
I hope that this week you can spend a few moments with yourself as you are right now. Letting go of the wish to be something other than the current version of you. Letting go of the fears of tomorrow.
⭐️ Random updates and things that are bringing me joy ⭐️
💤 I promise there are things bringing me joy right now. But as I write this, honestly, I'm tired. I've been postponing sending this email for days because I keep trying to write this section and keep getting stuck. So I'm going to push send and will bring you more exciting life updates next time!!
Intuitive Eating Counselor & YNAB Budget Coach
This is a place where we challenge diet-culture, reconnect to the wisdom of your body, and push back against societal "shoulds." Sign up below to receive monthly emails full of education and encouragement to support you on your healing journey with your body, food, and money!
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