Cut Out the Diet Talk from Your Relationships

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?

• You’re out to dinner with a group of friends and you all decide to ‘splurge’, only to spend time talking to each other about how you’ll make up for it tomorrow.
• Other parents are talking about how much wine they drink once their kids have gone to bed, and you feel the pressure to do the same to relate.
• You and your spouse are both complaining about how you both have no willpower to work out; thinking that if you plan to work out together, you’ll both get it done.
• You make a pact with a friend to both start a new diet in the countdown to a big event, swearing you’ll keep each other on track.

It has become a big part of our social interactions to commiserate with others about dieting, indulging, and what we should be doing in the name of ‘health’. Doesn’t it sometimes feel like sharing stories about failing on our strict diets is the only way we’re relating to one another? We’re focussing on the negative.

Let’s take back the conversation!

Challenging diet talk can be scary, but once you’re aware of what is being said, and how these conversations with others are feeding your inner critic, you can’t unsee it! It is never comfortable to bring up how you’re feeling and what is going on in a relationship, especially if diet culture is all you think you might be talking about. Sometimes diet talk can be such a big part of conversations we don’t even realize we’re doing it.

You can always start by referencing an Instagram post you saw or an article you read as a jumping off point to get the conversation rolling. Next, using gentle reminders in conversation like “I still have to eat even though I didn’t work out” or “this macaroni and cheese is exactly what I was craving” can begin to break the cycle and lessen feelings of guilt around food. It might feel confrontational at first, but coming from a place of love, it can be so refreshing to connect with others in a deeper, more honest way.

It is important to keep judgements out of the conversations—some friends might always be searching for the next diet—but setting your own boundaries with your group can begin to have a positive impact not only on your own mental health but as an example for others too.

Focus on the positive big and small wins of others that have nothing to do with weight. You may even find that your friendships evolve into deeper connections. Have the wine! Eat the dessert! And don’t beat yourself up about it! You are so much more than what you eat, drink, and how much you move your body.

💛Your peace awaits.