Why I'm a Non-Diet Nutritionist
When most people find out that I’m a nutritionist, they expect me to tell them what to eat (i.e. ‘healthy’ foods like salads and smoothies…and definitely not cake) as well as how to lose weight. But the truth is that this isn’t at all how I approach nutrition….or health.
Nutrition is about so much more than what we eat…and health is about so much more than food or weight. Nutrition is also about our thoughts, feelings and behaviours around food. In fact, I think that our relationship with food is more important than anything we actually put into our mouths.
Sadly, though, the confusing wellness and diet worlds tell us that if we eat a certain way, we’ll look a certain way. That if we can be strict enough, avoid ‘bad’ foods, only eat a certain number of calories, follow a prescriptive diet or push our bodies hard enough…we’ll eventually achieve the ultimate body and optimal health. Have you gone on a diet before? Was it enjoyable? Did your hunger and thoughts about food increase? Did you feel more stressed with choices around food? Was it something that you could sustain?
Too many times I’ve seen people (myself included) become overwhelmed and anxious about food for fear of what it will do to their bodies. Time and time again, we listen to external rules about food (what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat, etc) and forget to listen to all the wonderful internal cues from our own bodies (like what hunger and fullness feel like to us, energy levels, emotions and more).
Learning to tune in to your own body and its innate wisdom; fostering trust and confidence in your body; building skills and your own intrinsic ability to make your own food choices; becoming mindful and self aware; embracing self compassion; taking the focus away from weight loss and physical appearance – that’s where the magic lies. And that’s why I’m a non-diet nutritionist.
What is non-diet nutrition?
Non-diet nutrition honours you as the expert of your own body. It encourages you to let go of external rules about food and eating, and instead empowers you to tune into your own inner knowing. Importantly, the non-diet approach also applies HAES® (Health at Every Size) philosophies*, honours body diversity and is weight neutral.
There’s a common misconception that abandoning diets or dieting behaviours will lead to poor food choices and weight gain. However, research shows that the vast majority of diets aren’t successful in maintaining weight loss and often poor mental health outcomes; whereas most non-diet interventions have demonstrated positive health outcomes – both physiologically and psychologically (1).
Fiona Willer summarises the diet and non-diet approaches fabulously here.
Diet approach: hInflexible, quantitative, prescriptive, rigid, perfection-seeking, good or bad foods, rules, deprivation, time-based, fear-driven, guilt-inducing, shaming, body hatred, hunger, struggle, rationalising, temptation, thought-consuming, punishing.
Non-diet approach: Flexible, accepting, welcomes all foods, intuitive, qualitative, supporting, enjoyable, life balance, appreciating, comfort, confidence, variety, freedom, natural, calm, pleasurable, kindness, nurturing, grateful, nourishing, forgiving, satisfaction, trust-building. (2).
* HAES®, which I mentioned above, is a weight neutral approach to health. It focuses on healthful behaviours, rather than body size, as the most useful way to help people take care of their health. HAES® is evidence based and acknowledges that health is about much more than just weight – it is complex, multi-faceted and incredibly individualised. As a HAES-aligned practitioner, I acknowledge that all people, regardless of body size or shape, have the right to seek health in ways that are nourishing, enjoyable and suitable to their own unique circumstances.
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1. Clifford, D., Ozier, A., Bundros, J., Jeffrey, M., Kreiser, A., & Neyman Morris, M. (2015). Impact of Non-Diet Approach on Attitudes, Behaviours and Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Journal od Nutrition Education and Behaviour. 47(2). 143-155. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2014.12.002
2. Willer, F. (2019). Health Not Diets: Training and Workshops in the Non-Diet Approach. www.healthnotdiets.com
