Dealing with the January Diet Craze

January, the month that’s known as the calm after the storm, yet also the month that everyone is going at 100 miles per hour to follow the whole ‘new year, new me’ band wagon. It’s the month that the gyms get much busier and diet culture hits its peak as everyone is working towards ‘working Christmas off’. Everyone you talk to seems to be starting some new diet and discussing what they’ve decided to cut out, how many times they’re exercising , how much weight they’re losing and how much weight they want to lose! Of course, the media are also quick to fuel this band wagon meaning that tv and radio adverts are constantly promoting the latest diet craze, to help you to ‘become the best version of you’ or how good you can feel through losing weight. As an average person, being surrounded by this focus and talk of diets makes it pretty hard not to get sucked in and jump head first in to the whirlwind of comparisons and negative self-talk. So what does it mean for those who already have a difficult relationship with food? Those recovering from an eating disorder? Hard work – and that’s putting it very lightly.

I’m currently in a situation where I have quite a lot of weight to gain, in order to repair my body and get back to a safe & healthy weight. This means that I’m following meal plans that are increasing food and food types on a weekly basis. Basically, I’m on the opposite of a ‘diet’ and whilst most people are swapping cake for salad, I’m having to swap salad for cake. Obviously this goes completely against my thought process, so hearing and seeing everyone around me losing weight, exercising more and eating less is extremely hard. I have to gain weight and learn to celebrate that, when everything else on this planet tells us that we have to celebrate the opposite.

Now I’m not one to be a party pooper here. I’m aware that we can’t stop people from dieting, and learning to manage this without it affecting you is all part of recovery. But that doesn’t stop it from being a challenge! I’m also not against people deciding to lose weight, it’s perfectly fine for some people to change their diet or move more, if they’re in a position to do so- and it’s for the right reasons. So with all of the above in mind, I thought I’d write this post to touch on ways that I’m trying to deal with the January diet/detox culture. Hopefully these little reminders will be helpful for those also in recovery, or even as a preventative to other people to avoid getting sucked in to the toxic diets that risk long lasting implications.

- Remember we don’t see what everyone does or eats- we only see or hear about the best bits. People will love posting the green juice they’ve had, the spinning class that they attended or even the quinoa salad they’ve created, and that’s great! Although, it’s important to remember that it’s just a snapshot of their day. It’s very rare that we see a full picture of a person’s daily eating, so please remember that before you start comparing!

- We are all different! We all require different things. Comparison is one of the biggest thieves of happiness. It’s important to remember that it’s ok for some people to eat a bit less, exercise a little more and lose a bit of weight. That doesn’t mean that it’s ok for you. I am constantly reminded by the team supporting me that the food I need to eat is medicine. An important one to remember! You wouldn’t deprive yourself of an inhaler, insulin, antibiotics or whatever other medicine just because other people without the same illness as you didn’t need it, would you? 

- Weight doesn’t matter – In the grand scheme of things, how did weight become such a priority? Think of the people that you love the most – what is it that you love most about them….their weight? Very unlikely! When I’m much older, I want to be able to look back and tell people about the places I’ve seen, the amazing food I’ve tried and the things I’ve achieved – not look back and the only thing I can think of is that I managed to stay at X amount of weight.

- Media Motives- The media highlights our imperfections for a reason. It wants us to compare ourselves, to think that we need to change our appearance to look a certain way for one main reason… money! If we all accepted ourselves exactly the way we were, there are a lot of industries that would go bust, or at least decline – the diet industry being at the very top of that list! So the next time some detox tea pops up on your insta feed, it’s time to scroll on past, or even better- become best friends with the good old unfollow button!

- Healthy- Being healthy means more than eating salads and going to the gym X amount of times. You can be the fittest person in the world, eating all the superfoods and plates full of kale, avocados and quinoa…But if you can’t sit and eat dessert or a chocolate bar without feeling guilty or deciding that you’ll ‘make up for it tomorrow’- I hate to break it to you, but you’re idea of healthy isn’t quite right. We’re so misinformed about what ‘health’ actually is, I could go on for pages – don’t worry I won’t! What I will say is what health isn’t. It’s not deprivation, guilt, misery, starvation, exhaustion, comparison, self-hate… all of which are possible outcomes from suggestions made by the latest diet crazes. All ways to live your best life? I. Think. Not.

 

The term ‘you do you’ has never been so appropriate. I’m a firm believer of staying in your own lane, and doing the things best for you. Next time you start to compare yourself or question if you need to be eating less to match up to those around you, remember my top 5. Remember we are all different, but most importantly, remember to do what makes you healthy and happy - because when it comes down to it, that’s what really matters.