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Found yourself in the toxic vortex of diet culture? Maybe you’ve been tempted by the latest fad? Or tend to push your body to the limit to ‘burn off’ what you ate? No matter how it shows up for you, know that you’re not alone. I’ve been there.
Unfortunately it’s incredibly common, with 4 in 5 of us making weight-loss related resolutions. And we have social media and society’s unrealistic beauty standards to ‘thank’ for engraining these unhelpful thought patterns and habits into our self-conscious.
But the beauty is, we can unlearn these behaviours. It does take time, love and energy but trust me, it is possible.
So how do we actually reframe our mentality around wellness and fitness habits? Here’s a few tips that have worked for me.
Focus on ‘adding’ foods, rather than ‘restricting’ yourself
I’m sure we’ve all been there… Diet starts Monday. No carbs, no sugar, no fast food, no joy etc. But let’s be real, the more you tell yourself you can’t have something, the more you want it. Building a balanced diet is as much about mindset as it is about what you’re actually eating.
Recently on the KICPOD we spoke to our dietitian, Liv Morrison, about how we can improve our diet – in a balanced way. Her suggestion was to stop focusing on cutting out foods, and instead focus on adding foods. By doing this, you’re giving yourself a proactive plan to work towards, like adding more colourful veg and fruit, protein, carbs or whatever it may be, rather than fixating on what not to it.
One example Liv shared was instead of telling yourself ‘I’m not eating takeaway food’ flip your mindset to focus on making more meals from home. This provides you with the opportunity to use more vegetables and nutrient dense ingredients but economically, this will be a huge benefit for your wallet! I should preface that there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying takeaway (in fact it’s bloody yum!) but let’s remove the guilt from our goal and focus on what we can do more of instead of cutting something out.
Regularly check in with your mind, instead of the scales.
If you’re in the habit of checking your weight daily or weekly, I see you and send you love. It’s heartbreaking that a number on the scales has the power to make or ruin our days. But this is your reminder that your weight has nothing to do with your worth.
A positive habit you can build is regularly checking in with your mindset, instead of the scales.
How did you feel this week, or how do you feel in this moment? What are you grateful for? What brought you joy? What didn’t?
Asking yourself these questions doesn’t have to take any longer than a few minutes. Practising gratitude and tuning inwards helps us re-centre our focus and rebuild our relationship with wellness – and most importantly, ourselves.
For example, when it comes to movement, try reflecting on how you felt after an endorphin boosting workout, rather than how much you weigh.
If you’re looking for guidance, our Kic affirmations are a great place to start. Body Love with Sami is a great one to remind you that you are so much more than what you look like. You are enough and you are worthy, just as you are.
Like anything, it takes practice to reframe your mindset. I can’t promise that the food noise and negative thought patterns will disappear overnight. Be gentle to yourself throughout this process, it’s not your fault that society perpetuates toxic habits to us daily – take it one step at a time and know that Kic is always here for you.
You are enough just as you are.
Love, Steph xox
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