Diet culture is a toxic phenomenon, and unfortunately, most of us were raised around it. Breaking free from it can be a daunting task.

One common issue is labeling food as good or bad. Labeling food as good or bad places your power outside of yourself and creates a hierarchy of food that doesn't exist and often, leads to you feeling guilty, wrong, or bad. Instead, I invite you to make food choices based on how you desire to feel and what you want to experience. 

Another common issue is saying things like "I've been bad" or "I need to do better next week" based on your eating habits. When you do this, you are actually making a moral judgment on yourself based on your food choices. You're saying that you’re a good person because you stuck to your ‘x’-amount calorie diet or avoided sugar, and you're bad when you overeat or eat sugar. This kind of thinking leads to shame and judgment.

To start shifting how you talk to yourself and about food, begin to aim for a more neutral approach. 

Instead of labeling yourself as good or bad based on your food choices, I encourage you to make choices based on how you want to feel or what you want to experience. This can help you move away from a shame-based mentality and towards a more positive and empowering relationship with food.

Perhaps you're having a tough day, feeling sad and down, and someone offers you a cookie. Eating that cookie might provide a small boost to your mood, and that's great. There's no need to feel guilty about it. Guilt and shame over our food choices or actions don't serve us well. They hinder our growth and progress, leading to rigid and narrow ways of thinking that stifle our potential. For instance, imagine celebrating with loved ones over champagne and cake, but feeling apprehensive about indulging. 

By giving your power to external factors, you limit yourself, rather than trusting yourself to make empowered choices.

Choose an option that empowers you, whether it means savoring the champagne and cake during a celebration because it feels delicious and invigorating, or maybe limiting your cake intake to avoid a sugar crash and feeling groggy the next day. Refrain from labeling yourself or your food choices as good or bad. Instead, focus on how you desire to feel and how your choice will support that desired state. This way, you can enjoy your choice without feeling guilty or ashamed, and break free from the toxic cycle that diet culture imposes on us.

I want to help you break free from the cultural, societal, and familial conditioning that has been holding you back. You don't have to keep living your life that way. Know that you're not alone in this feeling, and support is available. 

I believe in you, and I know you can do this.

I have created an audio meditation that can help you break free from negative thought patterns, such as the harmful beliefs perpetuated by diet culture. By bringing you into the present moment and into your body, this meditation can support you in making empowered choices that align with your desires. As a bonus, I have also created a step-by-step PDF guide that outlines the meditation's process, which you can print out or keep on your phone for easy access. 

Click here to download this free gift and either click 'I'm ready to free myself' or enter your name and email in the sign-up box at the bottom of the page. You will then receive the audio and PDF directly to your inbox, which you can listen to as many times as you like.

By downloading the PDF, you can easily access and use it whenever you need it. Whether you save it on your phone, print it out, or put it on your fridge, it can support you in breaking free from the body insecurity that diet culture has forced upon us. When we feel insecure in our bodies, we may be tempted to buy into the latest fad diets or products. But instead, this free gift, called "Stop the Body Hate: How to Stop the Mental Loop of Feeling Bad About Your Body," will help you to reclaim your power and make empowered choices based on your own desires, rather than being influenced by external marketing and advertising that only perpetuate feelings of shame and guilt.

And, at the very least, begin to reframe how you think about your food choices. Please try to avoid using terms like good or bad to describe your choices, and avoid labeling your food as good or bad as well. This simple shift in language can have a profound effect on how you feel about yourself. By letting go of these judgments, you can start to experience more self-love, gentleness, and compassion. 

You've got this and you don't have to be alone on the journey. I'm always just an email away if you are desiring to take the next step to receiving some one-on-one support on your journey to experiencing more body love

All the Best,

Emily