One thing that I have noticed is how intense 'fat talk' and 'diet talk' have gotten around this holiday season. Perhaps this is a result of the holidays becoming increasingly about food and the increasing obsession with the diets and dieting that is just part of our diet-crazed culture!! It just seems like there are more comments about food being made, who is eating or not eating what, who has gained weight and who has lost it, etc... The sad thing to me is that there are sooo many more interesting things to talk about!!! I was actually at a holiday party recently and someone (who probably doesn't read my blog-haha) was going around asking me and others how much we weigh (!!). A number is just a number, but if it's just a number and it doesn't mean anything, then why waste breath/energy/time talking about it? (I had fun with that question, by the way!!)I heard someone say awhile ago that food should be neutral- like toothpaste. I'm still working out the analogy as to whether I think it's helpful :) But here is what I have so far- Do we have fears about toothpaste? No, not typically. Do we think about it much? No, not really. We do notice it when we're brushing our teeth, we notice that we like some kinds of toothpaste and dislike others... and we might also recognize the purpose that toothpaste serves... which is to clean our teeth! Granted, toothpaste is not food, and the analogy is not perfect but if we can strive to approach food mindfully, noticing what we like, noticing our hunger cues and honoring them, and working to meet our nutritional needs in order that we might have energy to live full lives (purpose!), then I think we are heading in a positive direction.
As you celebrate the holidays this year- and the days leading up to them, take some time to reflect on how you might respond to 'fat talk', 'diet talk' or conversations about weight and food that may not be healthy. Change starts with ourselves, so perhaps you can focus first on your own thoughts! For more on beating fat talk, follow this link, this one, or this one!
Thanks for posting this. The holidays are often a struggle for people like me, and it's nice to hear some perspective. Something that I talked about recently on my blog was actually cooking (this is related, I promise). Cooking has been a good tool for me in terms of creating a new positive relationship with food... and this has really come in handy during the holidays. Actually connecting with the process of preparing the meals to be thankful for is quite empowering! :)
ReplyDeleteBut that's just me. I promise to not engage in diet or fat talk this season!
You say a number is just a number and so therefore, it doesn't mean anything... but you couldn't be more wrong. It's the rational and easy thing to say but numbers are what drive most people, both good and bad. It's pathetic, but the truth is when you have a good day on the scale, you feel like you can conquer anything.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments! Danielle, that is great! As for the comment on numbers, I think it really just depends on your perspective! I agree that there are a lot of people that measure their worth based on numbers- whether its pounds, dollars, grades, etc... but that doesn't mean it is healthy or effective. Your comment made me think and I really appreciate that- I am going to write a few more thoughts in my next post, so check back!
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