The Intuitive Eating first editions included a term – Diet Mentality – to help people see how they have are effected by restrictive eating. This term included all the effects and their origins.
In time the term - Diet Culture – has appeared referring to origins that come from the human world we live in. Influence of others’ opinions in forms of direct verbal input,
“Looks like you have gained weight?”
“I’m going to get fat.”
“Its not healthy to eat this or be too heavy.”
“That food is not healthy.”
“No one will like/love me if I am not thin and beautiful.”
Plus media reinforcement in thinner images and bombardment of diet messages.
The result of these messages have been INternalized - into Diet Mentality - by individuals so that they come to believe,
“I am fat. I must constantly endeavor to be thin/thinner.”
“I can not trust my body. (which will eat uncontrollably)”
“I will never be liked/loved if I am not the ideal that everyone else expects.”
“My body is flawed. I must force it to become what IS acceptable and desired.”
The Intuitive Eating process has been developed over time and experience working with people caught up in their own Diet Mentality. Releasing those INternal beliefs is a major part of the initial process. This begins with each person identifying their own mental assumptions (aka beliefs) and dieting type habits. The next step is to recognize the EXternal sources that reinforce those beliefs and practices. So when one views a well crafted ‘thin’ image advertisement and a thought of “I’m not thin enough.” comes to mind, that person is able to catch that thought and say to one’s self “That’s diet mentality!” As one begins to break the reflex to respond to such triggers, reconnecting to genuine and self/body honoring responses can form and take hold.
We will continue to live in a world that is Diet Culture in nature. After all, this is big $$$ for those who sell related products and services! But each person can choose whether or not one wishes to live in a state of Diet Mentality. That state of being is one of constant self doubt and torture in the forms of restrictive eating, manic exercise and attempting to please people but never one’s self. Life is too short and unpleasant enough. I choose personal freedom and contentment. Thank you Intuitive Eating or helping me to gift that to and for myself.
Wow, I’ve been practicing IE for some time but needed to hear this. It’s amazing how we forget the simple things, where it all started, the things we learned in the beginning that were so easy to understand but so hard to implement because of the brainwashing. ❤️
Whenever I feel frustrated or lost, I try to focus on the 'basics', I remind myself of the old Chinese saying - That a journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single footstep. The basis help me return my thoughts and efforts back to what really works as well as what will help me the most.
I'm not brand new to Intuitive Eating, but I haven't been following it very well over the past 5 or so years. I hope to make a better effort this year, 2025, because I am really tired of looking for the next diet fad to follow. Not that I have ever seriously followed any particular diet,but I still have it in my mind that I need to lose weight for vanity purposes. I have been shifting my thinking to just wanting to be healthier so I can be more easily mobile.....functional fitness I guess is what it's called.
Thanks for this post, Katcha! I'm also really struck by the "culture" of it all lately. Culture is a big word, and it's got such a big pull, encompassing loved ones and folks close to us. All of my loved ones buy into diet culture, and that's where this principle has been hitting hard recently. I had one friend who was also committed to being an intuitive eater - we did the Intuitive Eating Workbook together for two years for an hour each week, and a daily "365 Days of Intuitive Eating" reading daily together on zoom, and we'd meditate for 10 minutes after. However, recently she's pursuing weight loss, and has abandoned intuitive eating. We stopped working the workbook together. I feel a sense of loss because she was the only person other than my therapist that I could talk to about rejecting diet culture - I really valued that. It makes me angry and sad that diet culture can impact friendships. That's why I'm here. Really needing solidarity in community right now.
Brigid, it is a sad reality that IE is in reality a SOLO journey, yet we are so influenced by (diet) culture that we come to feel we can't do anything without all those around us doing likewise. I credit previous forums with the peer support that helped me to honor and reclaim my individuality regarding eating and body image. This forum isn't as active as the ones I participated in before. It seems that IE has gained a toe hold in the nutrition community, but its not like 12 step groups which are everywhere and open to all.
I will add my sincere belief that YOU CAN DO THIS. I borrowed a suggestion from 12 step groups to begin my IE journey by posting every day for 30 days. That helped me to develop of checking in with myself regarding how I was doing with my IE efforts. I ranted, cried and asked questions - all of which I needed! Be bold! Find an 'online IE buddy' who you can email/text with as often as you need. I wonder if there are any Zoom IE meetings that you can join? You health - mental and physical - are at stake 😉.
What you guys are talking about isn’t unique to IE. I have this problem in general. I am a freethinker and society tends not to agree with me. It can be lonely. It’s difficult to stay strong in my beliefs. That doesn’t mean they’re wrong though. in fact, society finally caught up to me in regards to one of my beliefs.
ChatGPT has helped me to see my individuality as strength. “Feeling alone in your views hasn’t stopped you from holding them. That inner resolve shows strength—it takes courage to stick to what you believe when it’s unpopular.” It suggested daily affirmations, such as ”My perspective is valuable, even if others don’t understand it right now” and journaling prompts like:
“Did you resist conforming to something that didn’t feel right?”
“Did you maintain your authenticity even when it was hard?”
Did you watch The New York Times Presents: Weight of the World? That helped me to see that there are others like me.
I am a member of the IE Discord server which has helped so maybe it will help you.
Thx for speaking up. It made me realize I’m not alone.
Excellent thoughts and good references too. Is there a video of the NYT Presentation? That would be wonderful for others here to be able to watch. Thanks for sharing and inspiring 🤗.
