How to Respond to Diet and Weight Loss Talk When Struggling with Your Relationship with Food
With 4th of July BBQs and summer pool parties fast approaching, we often see an uptick in conversations around weight loss and diet talk. If you are struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder, attending social events where diet and weight loss conversations are prevalent can be even more challenging to navigate. The pressure to conform to society's standards of beauty and thinness can be overwhelming, and hearing others talk about their diets and weight loss goals can be a trigger for those in recovery. It is essential to prioritize your mental and physical well-being and know how to respond to these conversations in a way that protects your recovery. In this blog post, we will discuss practical strategies on how to handle these situations, set boundaries, and prioritize your recovery.
Check in with yourself beforehand
Before attending an event, notice how you are feeling in your body. Are you having a bad body image day? Did you eat your regular meals and snacks? It can be helpful to do a body scan meditation to assess how comfortable you are feeling in your body the day of the event. Do you have the bandwidth to educate people about disordered eating and the harmful effects of dieting or is your energy low that day? You are not obligated to educate people on the racist origins of the BMI or how the social determinants of health impact one’s health. You have the right to take care of your own mental health and emotional well-being. By noticing how you feel in your body, you are then able to determine which type of response to utilize that is conducive to your recovery.
Change the Subject
Option 1: Pause, then change the subject
“Oh my god, have you seen the new Netflix documentary?”
“What are some of your favorite weeknight meals you’ve been cooking?”
“What are your upcoming travel plans?”
Changing the subject will subtly tell your friends or family that dieting is not something you want to talk about.
Option 2: Change the subject, with a side of sass
“Surely, we have more interesting things to discuss than diets!”
“Oh wow, are people still on diets? I thought we left that in the early 2000s.”
“I love food too much to ever think about restricting again”
Setting Boundaries
Setting boundaries is a crucial aspect of protecting your recovery in social situations. It can be challenging to set boundaries, particularly with friends or family members who do not understand the impact of their words and actions or are too stuck in diet culture. When it comes to diet and weight loss conversations, it is okay to set boundaries and let others know that these topics are not helpful for your recovery.
Option 1:
"I'm working on my relationship with food and prefer not to talk about diets or weight loss."
This communicates your needs in a respectful manner while still allowing you to prioritize your recovery.
Option 2:
“Conversations about weight loss are challenging for me right now and I would prefer to refrain from those conversations today”.
Option 3: Walk away
The ultimate boundary: just leave the conversation! You are entitled to protect your peace and walk away from conversations that trigger you. Your job is to set the boundary, not to make sure that someone else is ok with your boundaries.
Navigating social events where diet and weight loss conversations are prevalent can be challenging, but it is possible to prioritize your recovery and protect your emotional well-being. By checking in with yourself beforehand, changing the subject, and setting boundaries you can navigate these situations with confidence and grace. Remember that your recovery is a priority, and it is okay to prioritize your needs in social situations. Surround yourself with a supportive community, and book an appointment with one of our dietitians to learn more tools. With time and practice, you can learn to navigate these situations in a way that supports your recovery and empowers you to live a happy and wholehearted life.