This International No Diet Day, say no to dieting and diet culture

May 6th is International No Diet Day and chances are you might see it promoted simply as a day to enjoy some of your favourite foods. And while enjoying what we eat is really important, this day is about so much more.

What is International No Diet Day?

When British feminist Mary Evans Young first invited friends to “Ditch that Diet” in 1992, she probably didn’t expect it to be the start of a global movement. Recovering from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa at the time, Mary is frequently credited with starting the No Diet Day movement. International No Diet Day is often promoted as one day to enjoy foods you wouldn’t normally allow yourself, but the real meaning behind the day is to raise awareness of the dark side of dieting and diet culture. International No Diet Day aims to:

• raise awareness about the dangers of dieting, including binge eating and eating disorders.
• raise awareness about and work towards ending harmful discrimination against people in bigger bodies.
• promote body respect for all, regardless of body size and shape.

It’s a day that asks us to

• reflect on and question the current messaging around food, weight, health and body shape.
• examine our own biases towards people in bigger bodies.
• say no to diet culture, dieting and weight discrimination. Not just today, but everyday.

How to observe International No Diet Day meaningfully

With this in mind, here are 14 different ideas for making International No Diet Day more meaningful this year.

• Declare your home a place free of talk about dieting, weight and shape.
• Change the way you talk about food at home and at work. Instead of using words like “good,” “bad,” “junk” “healthy”, and “unhealthy”, start calling foods what they are (an apple, chocolate, salad, cake etc.).
• Throw out your bathroom scales (or at least put them away out of sight) and any clothes that no longer fit. Wear clothes that fit your today body.
• If you feel comfortable and safe doing so, share the message that dieting is harmful with a friend, family or work colleague, for example when talk inevitably turns to food and dieting.
• Instead of complimenting your partner, kids, family members, friends and colleagues on their appearance (as we all prone to do), start complimenting them on their skills, achievements, and contributions.
• List the non-appearance related qualities you like about yourself (like your sense of humour, your kindness, generosity etc.) and refer back to these to remind yourself you are more than your weight, more than a certain clothes size.
• Unfollow social media accounts that promote dieting and food restriction or leave you feeling bad about yourself and your body. Social media is a driving force behind diet culture and the constant pressure to fit a certain body ideal.
• Make a list of things you would like to do apart from dieting like learn a new language or other skill and make plans to put them into practice.
• Throw away all the diet books and meal plans you own. Diet books and meal plans don’t tell you when you are hungry or how hungry you might be. Start considering your food preferences and asking yourself what you actually feel like eating.
• Try going without your Fitbit/exercise tracker. Focus on moving in a way that brings you joy and makes you feel good.
• Eat what you love with people you love. Allow yourself to eat food just because it tastes good. Social connection is important for health (check out my blog Sharing meals it’s not just about what we eat on this).
• Dig a little deeper to find out more about the harm that dieting and diet culture does. A good place to start is “Intuitive Eating – A revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach”, 2020 by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. I can also recommend Christy Harrison’s “Anti-Diet – Reclaim your time, money, well-being and happiness through Intuitive Eating”, 2016 as well as her podcast – Food Psych.
• Check out my blog on what rejecting the diet mentality looks like.
• Seek support from a weight-inclusive health professional who offers an non-diet approach to health that aligns with Health At Every Size® (such as Intuitive Eating).

Not dieting frees us to focus on health-promoting behaviours.

Choosing NOT to engage in dieting behaviour doesn’t mean you don’t care about your health. You can take care of your health without dieting, tracking every single bite of food you to eat, or weighing yourself. If you want to take care of your health, here are some ways you can do this:

• Move your body in a way you enjoy
• Get enough quality sleep
• Find activities that bring you joy and a sense of purpose
• Eat a variety of foods, preferably with others
• Manage chronic stress in healthy ways

Have a fabulous day today and don’t forget you are so much more than the number on the bathroom scales or the size of your clothing!

Ready to take the next step? Contact me and request a complimentary call to find out more about Intuitive Eating and how it can help you truly nourish yourself – body, mind and soul.