Ditching the Diet

I used to place this under the umbrella of ‘body acceptance,’ but I now give it its own space as, essentially, they are two different things. Many people spend a lifetime dieting until they reach the point where they realise they’ve used up far too much energy, money, and endured too much heartache to continue living this way. Long-term dieting can lead to disordered eating, binge eating, and other eating disorders, as well as affecting you physiologically.

Just take a moment now and picture yourself living a life where food and calorie intake aren’t at the forefront of all your decisions—where you are living for today, not for the person you hope to be in the future.

The anti-diet literature can be just as confusing as the diet literature, so I’m not going to overwhelm you with facts and figures about the negative effects of dieting. Instead, I want to invite you to take a moment now.

Pause for a second, take a big breath in through your nose, and let it out through your mouth...

We can take things slowly and steadily. If you’ve been dieting for years, your brain may feel like spaghetti on Red Bull when you think about food, dieting, and how to stop dieting. The fear response kicks in just thinking about it. If dieting isn’t working for you, if all the crazy conditions you are putting on what you eat and when aren’t giving you the results you want, and if you’re reading this with interest, then maybe it’s time to find a different way.

I have years of experience working as a Diabetic Nurse and am qualified to offer you advice, support, and guidance around nutrition and eating to help get you back on track.

If you really want support to stop dieting, then you must be committed to the idea that you are no longer working towards weight loss. I know that can sound scary, but also think how truly liberating that is. This is not a weight loss programme under a ‘hidden’ headline. This is not about restricting anything, fasting, or eating in a certain order. It is about supporting you to eat a whole variety of foods that will fuel your body and helping you move away from some of the unhelpful health beliefs that have been trapping you.

I am not an eating disorder specialist. While many people can stop binge eating or overeating once they stop restricting food intake, others may need more specialist help. If you are suffering from an eating disorder, I recommend seeking advice from your GP or a therapist trained to work with eating disorders.