It’s that time of year again… the holidays have come and gone, we
are dreaming of longer days and warmer weather here in the
northeast… and we are all about to be endlessly bombarded with
toxic diet culture messaging from the left and right. From tv
commercials to social media ads, the $70+ billion dollar weight loss
industry is busy at work trying to convince us all that our bodies
cannot be trusted and need to be fixed. Spoiler alert: our bodies are
not the problem. They never were. In fact, it is these very bodies
that have kept us all alive through some pretty challenging times in
these past few years alone.
A new year is often touted as a blank slate, a fresh start. Though I
think it may be even more useful used as a time to reflect back…
How have you been feeling in your body? How have you been
treating it? What has been going well? What has been challenging
for you? What would you like to include more of in your life? What
beliefs and/or behaviors are no longer serving you? And an
important thought to consider as we enter into the new year: How
might you be able to work to improve upon your relationship with
food and your body?
Is there anything that sticks out at you when reflecting on these
questions above? That may offer some insight on ways or areas in
which to focus on yourself or show up for yourself differently in this
new year ahead.
And maybe this year instead of making resolutions, we replace them
with affirmations - using these encouraging statements to remind
ourselves that we can change our language and shift our perspective
to reframe our thoughts. We can remind ourselves to think
differently than we have in the past and work towards food freedom
and peace within our bodies.
Here are a few affirmations to
consider:
I deserve to take up space
All bodies are good bodies
I fuel my body with foods I enjoy
I am more than a body
I am not defined by weight or illness
I am worthy
I am learning to speak kindly about my body
I move my body in ways that feel good, including rest
I am learning to trust my body
I am enough just as I am
And here’s a little PSA: No matter how your December eating may
have differed compared to other previous months last year, you still
deserve to nourish your body with yummy foods today. No matter
how you forced yourself to move your body in 2022, you still
deserve to find joyful ways to practice movement and rest today.
And lastly, no matter how your body may have changed over the
past 12 months, it still deserves respect and compassion today.
Here’s wishing you all a very happy 2023, hoping it is filled with
food freedom and body respect!
-Niki Pillitteri, RD, LDN
Registered Dietitian
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