January Journalling: ‘I'd rather be…’
TW: talk of dieting and intentional weightloss.
January is a difficult time for those of us who are rejecting diet culture - the IWL advertising ramps up and small talk about the latest fads or 'lifestyle changes' is rife. This is not an attack on dieters - Individuals are doing what they can with the information they have and they can do whatever feels right for their bodies. If they want my input they will ask for it (my friends, family and colleagues know enough about my views and that I'm always happy to talk about it).
I know that dieting is not good for my health and wellbeing (both anecdotally and because the research and science support this) - but it's still difficult when every conversation focuses on it for the next 5 or so weeks. Especially when you exist in a fat body - the type everyone is trying to get away from being - because apparently its the worst thing you can be. So in order to galvanise myself against the onslaught, without triggering my fight or flight instincts during every interaction I decided last year to write in my journal! So each time there was a conversation about dieting, rather than wading in an mouthing off I just thought of something that I'd rather be doing rather than dieting - then I wrote it down at the next opportunity! So last year/diet season I avoided 27 conversations that did not serve me. I saved myself from 27 opportunities to feel shame in my fat body. I turned other people's unhelpful (for me) conversations into some positive reinforcement for me - of the things that I enjoy and that I have the head space to do or feel because I'm not weighing, measuring or hating my body every week. It really did make the season more manageable! So I'm doing it again this year! Maybe you could try it too?! What do you do to help you navigate the trappings the 'new year new me!' season?!
Maybe you could try writing your ‘I’d Rather Be…’ list in one of our MissFits Workout® A6 Notebook or if you already keep a journal you could add it there!
