How to get into fitness without falling into diet culture

Many of us are trying to get into fitness this new year. There isn’t another time as important as now to stay fit and healthy. However, we may be susceptible to the pitfalls of diet culture and this can put a strain on our mental health.

Through social media, we are often faced with brutal workout plans, diet ads and promises of significant weight loss. This may be harmful for those of us with a history of body image issues. 

Here we discover a few steps you can take so that your mental health is looked after while you work on your physical health:

Learn to eat intuitively

‘Intuitive eating is a philosophy of eating that makes you the expert of your body and its hunger signals.’ – Healthline

Essentially, you do not restrict yourself to a diet and impose strict guidelines about what to avoid and what to eat more of. This way of eating transforms your relationship with food for the better and it teaches that you are the best and only person to decide what you put in your body.

By eating intuitively, you do not overstuff or starve yourself but eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. This creates a healthier relationship towards food and your body image.

Foster your relationship with nutrition and fitness as a form of self-care

For some of us, we may have the tendency to obsess over the little details and be a perfectionist when it comes to nutrition and fitness. We beat ourselves up for not walking 10,000 steps today or having a cookie after dinner. 

However, what we need to do instead is to reform our relationship with nutrition and fitness and see it as a form of self care. Take priority in the food and exercises that make you feel good and energized in your own way. When working out and eating health no longer feels like a chore, you are unstoppable in meeting your fitness and health goals.

Surround yourself with inspiration

Avoid unhelpful diet culture as much as possible by going through a social media clear-out. Social media is a source of entertainment in our lives. However, some content we see may feel unhelpful and triggering when you are reforming your relationship with your health and body image. Go ahead and unfollow or mute accounts who make you feel this way.