Body Neutrality Boost: Five Ways to Feel Empowered this Holiday Season
It’s been a wild year of trending weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy. Now, you may be considering these drugs, or already taking one. This blog is not going to demonize you for that. Rather than hating the patient or the dieter, I hate the systems in place that put the pressure on you to be smaller, to weigh less, to be “healthier”. The problem is that there will never be a drug or a surgery that improves your relationship with food, movement, and your body. These interventions are riddled with consequences, very often putting people at higher health risk than to begin with. This blog is about ways to feel empowered at a time when thinness is extra trendy and when you are likely feeling pressure around your dinner table during the holidays. Here are five ways to feel empowered with body image issues during the holiday season:
Remember there are multiple industries profiting off of your wish to be smaller (beauty industries, diet companies, gyms/trainers, wellness people selling all kinds of products, physicians, surgeons, drug companies, and more). I was recently listening to a podcast created by Erica Leon, a Registered Dietitian and eating disorder specialist in Westchester, who talks about her doctor experience and how she found out that there are doctors who receive kickbacks from prescribing Ozempic. These industries are thieves of joy and want you to feel disempowered so they can keep profiting. Simply having this information is empowering!
Find community. Look into groups or events, and surround yourself with people who might relate to or can empathize with your experiences. The holidays are typically stressful and, unfortunately, a time when family members might make comments about your body or your food choices. My fear is that with weight loss drug availability, family members may be even more pushy about seeking weight loss. Although your family members are impacted by the same systems as you and may be struggling themselves, this can lead to feelings of shame, frustration, or other complex feelings. So creating like-minded support is essential to feeling heard and healing. If you like to get outdoors, the Body Liberation Outdoor Club Hudson Valley Chapter is a safe place to move and is welcoming to all bodies. They have multiple chapter locations throughout the country too!
Unfollow social media accounts that spread diet information and misinformation about health. You can also turn off instagram ads if you are receiving unwanted ads about weight loss. Here are some of my favorite accounts to follow that will help you feel less isolated and who also share their tips for dealing with our weight stigmatizing culture: @decolonizing_fitness @v_solesmith @fatpositivetherapist @kiraonysko @theantidietplan @drrachelmillner @counselingcollectivepeekskill
Move for your mental health, not for weight loss. Aim for body neutrality when moving. Body neutrality is the concept that your body is just a body. Your body size or weight does not define your worth or your health. Sometimes body positivity is too far of a stretch, meaning it is unrealistic to always feel love or positivity about your body, so neutrality may feel more attainable. When you regularly practice body neutral thoughts, you can start to decrease overall stress. An example of a body neutral thought might be “My body functions to keep me alive today” or “Body size is a way to describe people, just like being tall, short or having brown hair. It does not define who they are.”
Find a Health At Every Size (HAES)® provider if you are struggling with body image, self-esteem, and weight loss issues. This would include dietitians, therapists, doctors, and other professionals. Providers on this listing share the mission that health does not need to be weight-centered. HAES® also rejects the common belief that health is a moral and individual obligation that you should pursue. Learn more about the HAES® approach here.
And if you are local to Putnam, Northern Westchester, Dutchess, or Fairfield Counties, consider joining my upcoming support group in January! Read more about the Women’s Body Liberation Support Group on the next page and register on my website!